cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A multiobjective method for robust identification of bacterial small non-coding RNAs

Motivation Small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) have major roles in the post-transcriptional regulation in prokaryotes. The experimental validation of a relatively small number of sRNAs in few species requires developing computational algorithms capable of robustly encoding the available knowledge and using this knowledge to predict sRNAs within and across species. Results We present a novel methodology designed to identify bacterial sRNAs by incorporating the knowledge encoded by different sRNA prediction methods and optimally aggregating them as potential predictors. Because some of these methods emphasize specificity, whereas others emphasize sensitivity while detecting sRNAs, their optimal aggregation constitutes trade-off solutions between these two contradictory objectives that enhance their individual merits. Many non-redundant optimal aggregations uncovered by using multiobjective optimization techniques are then combined into a multiclassifier, which ensures robustness during detection and prediction even in genomes with distinct nucleotide composition. By training with sRNAs in Salmonella enterica Typhimurium, we were able to successfully predict sRNAs in Sinorhizobium meliloti, as well as in multiple and poorly annotated species. The proposed methodology, like a meta-analysis approach, may begin to lay a possible foundation for developing robust predictive methods across a wide spectrum of genomic variability. Availability and implementation Scripts created for the experimentation are available at http://m4m.ugr.es/SupInfo/sRNAOS/sRNAOSscripts.zip. Contact delval@decsai.ugr.es Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The quality of surgical care in safety net hospitals: a systematic review.

Objective The quality of surgical care in safety net hospitals (SNHs) is not well understood owing to sparse data that have not yet been analyzed systematically. We hypothesized that on average, SNHs provide a lesser quality of care for surgery patients than non-SNHs. Study Design We performed a systematic review of published literature on quality of surgical care in SNHs in accordance with guidelines from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. We searched within the PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus online databases, and included peer-reviewed, English-language, scientific papers published between 1995 and 2013 that analyzed primary or secondary data on ≥1 of the domains of quality (safety, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness, patient centeredness, and equity) of surgical care in a US hospital or system that met the Institute of Medicine definition of a SNH. Each article was reviewed independently by ≥2 co-investigators. A data abstraction tool was used to record the eligibility, purpose, design, results, conclusion, and overall quality of each article reviewed. Disagreements over eligibility and data were resolved by group discussion. The main results and conclusions abstracted from the included articles were then analyzed and presented according to the quality domains addressed most clearly by each article. Principal Findings Our initial search identified 1,556 citations, of which 86 were potentially eligible for inclusion. After complete review and abstraction, only 19 of these studies met all inclusion criteria. SNHs performed significantly worse than non-SNHs in measures of timeliness and patient centeredness. Surgical care in SNHs tended to be less equitable than in non-SNHs. Data on the safety of surgical care in SNHs were inconsistent. Conclusion Although data are limited, there seems to be need for improvement in particular aspects of the quality of surgical care provided in SNHs. Thus, SNHs should be priority settings for future quality improvement interventions in surgery. Such initiatives could have disproportionately greater impact in these lower-performing settings and would address directly any health care disparities among the poor, underserved, and most vulnerable populations in the United States.
The line-skeleton

Abstract Associated with the symmetric axis, or sym-ax, of a smooth boundary there is a mapping upon the boundary, the medial involution, which interchanges the touching points of each ordinary sym-ax point. When the line elements of the boundary are known, its tangents as well as its points, this involution may be computed directly and the associated sym-ax line element derived. I present a discrete version of this algorithm, suited to polygons of small exterior angles and a rather high number of sides, which provides a fast approximation to the sym-ax of differentiable curves near to the polygon. The approximate sym-ax is a connected graph of straight-line segments.
Nondestructive damage evaluation in complex structures using modal-strain parameters

Recent developments in the field of fiber optics suggest that in the near future it may be economically feasible to instrument complex structures with fiber optical strain gages. If a method of damage localization and severity estimation were formulated to accept directly the strain data from such devices, the efficiency and effectiveness of fiber optical strain gages could be significantly enhanced. In this paper a method to locate and size structural damage in complex structures with minimal modal strain parameters is presented. A theory of damage localization and severity estimation is formulated in terms of modal strains. A finite element model (FEM) of the structure to be analyzed is developed. Modal strains are calculated for every member of the undamaged structure. Modal strains are also obtained from the structure with simulated damage or from the actual structure in the field. The damage localization formulation is used to localize damage for a variety of damaged scenarios. Finally, the reliability and accuracy of the method is evaluated.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Separated oscillatory field measurements on fast hydrogen

An analysis of the line shape obtained in separated oscillatory field measurements of the hydrogen n = 3 Lamb shift is presented. The non-ideal interaction geometry is shown to be capable of producing line distortions on the order of 1% of peak quenching in such experiments on unstable levels. Other lineshape details of interest for precision work are explored.
One-dimensional thermal modeling of vertical Bridgman-type crystal growth

Articles by Naumann (1982) and Jasinski et al. (1983) examined the axial temperature distribution of the charge during vertical Bridgman-type crystal growth. A comparison of their results demonstrates that Naumann's model is applicable for K (ratio of crucible to charge thermal conductivity) equal to or greater than 1 or for small Biot numbers. The Jasinski model provides a correction for larger Biot numbers and is also applicable for small values of K.
Aspects of juvenile hormone metabolism in Periplaneta americana (L.).

Abstract 1. 1. 3H-(C-18)-Cecropia juvenile hormone (JH) and its major metabolites JH-diol and JH-acid, were found in hemolymph, fat body and gut after injection of JH into adult male Periplaneta americana. 2. 2. Metabolites more polar than JH-acid accumulated in the gut as JH breakdown proceeded. 3. 3. Homogenates of both fat body and gut contained enzymes which catalyzed the formation of the acid and diol metabolites. 4. 4. Preparative electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels indicated that more than one JH-esterase was present in adult fat body extracts. 5. 5. The ability of fat body to metabolize JH to the JH-acid increased in the later nymphal stages. JH-diol formation did not seem to increase in this manner.
pH studies on the mechanism of the pyridoxal phosphate-dependent dialkylglycine decarboxylase.

The pH dependence of the steady-state kinetic parameters for the dialkylglycine decarboxylase-catalyzed decarboxylation-dependent transamination between 2-aminoisobutyrate (AIB) and pyruvate is presented. The pH dependence of methylation and DTNB modification reactions, and spectroscopic properties, is used to augment the assignment of the kinetic pKa's to specific ionizations. The coincidence of pKa values (∼7.4) observed in kcat/KAIB, 1/KAIB, Kis for pyruvate, KPLP, and in absorbance and fluorescence titrations demonstrates that AIB is not a sticky substrate. It furthermore suggests that the decarboxylation step, or a conformational isomerization preceding it, limits the rate of the overall catalytic cycle. Coexisting, kinetically distinguishable conformers of DGD-PLP, originating from an alkali metal ion binding site, were previously demonstrated at pH 8.2 for DGD-PLP (Zhou, X., Toney, M. D. Biochemistry 37, 5761−5769). The pKa value of ∼8.8 observed in kcat, kcat/KAIB, Kd for K+, spectrometric titrati...
Pollinator constancy and survival of rare species

A Markov model of pollinator activity is used to study the effect of constancy on rare plant species. Roughly, constancy is the tendency of the pollinator to continue searching for a flower of the species last visited. The model involves and abundant plant speciesA and two uncommon plant species,B andC, where the pollinator does not distinguish betweenB andC. The effect on the frequency of pollinator visits to speciesB whenC has newly invaded the colony is determined. It is shown that, under the right conditions, constancy and competition for pollinator services can result in an explosion in the number of specimens ofB present in future generations. Conversely, ifC becomes extinct constancy and competition for pollinator services can result in the extinction of speciesB.
Spectral photoconductivity of tellurium in the CO2 laser wavelength range

Abstract Infrared photoconductivity measurements on tellurium single crystals and evaporated films at 90 K yielded a maximum response at 0.126 ± 0.002 eV using a low power CO 2 laser. The frequency dependence of the response was slow and could not be interpreted as vast intervalence band transitions.
QUALITY OF BONELESS DRY‐CURED HAM PRODUCED WITH OR WITHOUT NITRATE, NETTING OR POTASSIUM SORBATE

Two trials were conducted. In trial I, boneless hams were cured with salt, sugar, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrite or salt, sugar and nitrite only. Half of the hams in each group was tied with heavy twine and half was enclosed in elastic netting. There were no differences in any variable due to the oresence or absence of nitrate. Hams that were netted had higher yields after curing and aging than tied hams. They also had a more desirable general appearance. There were no differences in composition, palatability scores or tenderness. In trial II one group of boneless hams was dipped in 2.5% potassium sorbate solution, placed in elastic netting, cured and aged while a similar group was not dipped. Treated hams were slightly more desirable in general appearance, slightly higher in moisture and lower in nitrite. Flavor (P < 0.05) and overall satisfaction scores (P < 0.01) favored the treated group. Saltiness scores also were lower (P < 0.05) in the treated group. Yeast and mold counts were lower (P < 0.05) for the treated groups after curing, after salt equalization and after aging 1 month, indicating that potassium sorbate could be used successfully as a yeast-and-mold-retardant in cured hams.
Effect of Viscosity on the Kinetics of α-Helix and β-Hairpin Formation

Nanosecond laser temperature jumps and fluorescence detection were used to measure the effect of viscosity on the kinetics of α-helix and β-hairpin formation in peptides containing 21 and 16 amino acids, respectively. The solvent viscosity was changed by adding glucose and sucrose at concentrations that do not significantly alter the equilibrium unfolding curves. Analysis of the temperature dependence at fixed solvent compositions shows that the activation energies are also unaffected, indicating that the slowing of the relaxation rates upon addition of the sugars results entirely from their dynamical effect of increasing the solvent viscosity (η). The rate of β-hairpin formation was found to vary nearly as 1/η, as predicted by Kramers theory in the high friction limit. In contrast, the rate of α-helix formation exhibited a fractional viscosity dependence (k = η-α) with an exponent α ≈ 0.6. The intrinsic activation energy for the elementary kinetic step of rotating a pair of backbone dihedral angles, obta...
Unidirectional transport across cultured ovine amniotic epithelial cell monolayer.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether ovine amniotic cells in monolayer culture exhibit unidirectional transport. METHODS Permeability of (14)C-inulin was measured in two directions across ovine amniotic cells grown to confluence on cell culture inserts. RESULTS Permeability was 0.69 + 0.17 (SE) microl/min/cm(2) from the top of the insert where the cells were attached to the bottom and 0.11 + 0.02 microl/min/cm(2) in the reverse direction (P < 0.001). Permeability was similar in the two directions for chorionic cells and umbilical vein endothelial cells. Addition of vascular endothelial growth factor did not alter permeability. CONCLUSIONS Transcellular transport in ovine amniotic monolayers is directionally specific. The transport ratio of 6.2:1 for (14)C-inulin is comparable to the in vivo ratio of 4.7:1 for the ovine intramembranous pathway and is consistent with passive diffusion in both directions and vesicular transport in one direction across the monolayer at 5.2 times the rate of passive diffusion.
Carbon sequestration in dryland soils and plant residue as influenced by tillage and crop rotation.

Long-term use of conventional tillage and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–fallow systems in the northern Great Plains have resulted in low soil organic carbon (SOC) levels. We examined the effects of two tillage practices [conventional till (CT) and no-till (NT)], five crop rotations [continuous spring wheat (CW), spring wheat– fallow (W–F), spring wheat–lentil (Lens culinaris Medic.) (W–L), spring wheat–spring wheat–fallow (W–W–F), and spring wheat–pea (Pisum sativum L.)–fallow (W–P–F)], and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) planting on plant C input, SOC, and particulate organic carbon (POC). A field experiment was conducted in a mixture of Scobey clay loam (fine-loamy, mixed, Aridic Argiborolls) and Kevin clay loam (fine, montmorillonitic, Aridic Argiborolls) from 1998 to 2003 in Havre, MT. Total plant biomass returned to the soil from 1998 to 2003 was greater in CW (15.5 Mg ha 21 ) than in other rotations. Residue cover, amount, and C content in 2004 were 33 to 86% greater in NT than in CT and greater in CRP than in crop rotations. Residue amount (2.47 Mg ha 21 ) and C content (0.96 Mg ha 21 ) were greater in NT with CW than in other treatments, except in CT with CRP and W–F and in NT with CRP and W–W–F. The SOC at the 0- to 5-cm depth was 23% greater in NT (6.4 Mg ha 21 ) than in CT. The POC was not influenced by tillage and crop rotation, but POC to SOC ratio at the 0- to 20-cm depth was greater in NT with W–L (369 g kg 21 SOC) than in CTwith CW, W–F, and W–L. From 1998 to 2003, SOC at the 0to 20-cm depth decreased by 4% in CT but increased by 3% in NT. Carbon can be sequestered in dryland soils and plant residue in areas previously under CRP using reduced tillage and increased cropping intensity, such as NT with CW, compared with traditional practice, such as CTwith W–F system, and the content can be similar to that in CRP planting.
OXIDATIVE CAPACITY OF RAT MASSETER MUSCLE AFTER IMPLANTATION OF THYROTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE MICROSPHERES IN PROXIMITY TO TRIGEMINAL MOTONEURONES

Abstract Earlier work has shown that two important consequences of implanting thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) microspheres near motoneurones within the trigeminal motor nucleus of actively growing rats are increased muscle mass and a darkening of the implant-side masticatory muscles. These phenomena have been associated with altered neuromuscular activity patterns and biomechanical forces that directly influence craniofacial growth and development. Now, whether the implantation of TRH microspheres in proximity to trigeminal motoneurones would affect the oxidative capacity of the implant-side masseter muscles was investigated. Cytochrome C oxidase (COX) assays were carried out for both implant- and non-implant-side masseters of TRH (n=5) and blank microsphere (n=6) Sprague–Dawley rats after stereotactic surgery at 35 days of age. Analyses of both groups at 14 days post-implantation revealed that the COX activity levels of implant-side masseters in TRH-implanted rats was significantly (P≤0.05) greater than that of non-implant-side masseters; rats implanted with blank microsphere exhibited no significant difference between implant- and non-implant-side masseter COX activity levels. The stated null hypothesis was therefore rejected. These data suggest that TRH implants in proximity to trigeminal motoneurones effect increased oxidative capacity of the masseter muscle as measured by COX activity.
Maximal Errors due to Use of Equivalent Properties for Sublaminates

Sublaminates are often used in design optimization to reduce the complexity of the design task, to simplify modeling, to reduce data input to analytical models, and to provide confidence in failure prediction. Sublaminates selected for design often use fixed ratios of ply orientations that have been previously tested and are well characterized. Because ratios of the ply orientations are fixed, designers approximate the properties of sublaminates using equivalent orthotropic properties. The maximal errors in bending stiffness and buckling loads due to use of equivalent properties are investigated. It is found that repeating half of the sublaminate on either side of the symmetry plane results in larger errors than repeating the entire sublaminate. For the former case, errors of up to about 20% are found even with four sublaminate repetitions, whereas for the latter case, errors were under 6%. Predicted buckling loads exhibit the largest errors when equivalent properties are used for plates with large aspect and load ratios.
Effects of acute and chronic interactions of diazepam and d-amphetamine on punished behavior of rats.

Drinking of water-deprived rats was punished by delivery of either 0.03 or 0.1 mA shocks through the drinking tube during the last 5 of 7-s tone components during a 15-min daily exposure to water. These sessions consisted of 66 alternating components marked by the presence or absence of a tone. Drinking was not punished during the 33 components without tones or during the first 2 s of each tone. The baseline number of shocks accepted by the rats at 0.1 mA was less than half that at 0.03 mA. Acute diazepam markedly increased shocks delivered from the baseline values for both shock intensities, while acute d-amphetamine either had no effect or decreased the number of shocks accepted. The combination of acute diazepam and d-amphetamine caused a decrease in shock rates as compared to diazepam alone. Daily treatment with the combination of 10 mg/kg diazepam and 1 mg/kg d-amphetamine caused a gradual increase in punished responding over 25 days under either shock intensity. Gross observation of these rats after daily treatments indicated the development of hyperreactivity and a pattern resembling stereotyped behavior. At the end of the chronic treatment with the drug combination the shock rates were significantly greater than those caused by diazepam alone. Nevertheless, neither the effect of diazepam nor that of d-amphetamine, when administered singly after the period of chronic treatment with the combination, differed significantly from initial effect of the respective drugs on punished responding.
Metabolic profiling of opioid peptides in tooth pulp by HPLC and radioreceptor assay.

Abstract A analytical system using a combination of gradient RP-HPLC and radioreceptor assay as the HPLC-detector is used to analyze the peptide-rich fraction extracted from a canine tooth pulp homogenate and to provide a metabolic profile of endogenous receptoractive peptides. The gradient RP-HPLC effectively separates the endogenous peptide mixture into a range of hydrophobicities that corresponds to a spectrum of peptide sizes. The receptor preparation is derived from a canine limbic system synaptosome fraction. 3H-DADL serves as the ligand in the RRA. The RP-HPLC RRA data indicate canine tooth pulp contains a wide range of peptides that interact with the opioid peptide receptor preparation and displace the delta-receptor preferring ligand D2-ala, D5-Leu leucine enkephalin.
Words Matter: The Importance of Issue Framing and the Case of Affordable Housing

Problem: Does how planners talk about issues have an impact on public support? Purpose: I examine whether the words used to describe a policy make a difference for the level of acceptance of that policy. Methods: I conducted a random survey of suburban residents. One-half of the sample were randomly chosen to answer a question about their support for affordable housing; the other half were asked to answer the identical question except that it substituted the words lifecycle housing for the previous phrase. Results and conclusions: The difference in wording produced a difference in public opinion of more than 30 percentage points, with those whose question referred to lifecycle housing expressing greater support. This difference was significant among White, non-Hispanic respondents; there was no significant difference among other (non-White) respondents. The phrase affordable housing seems to be stigmatized and perhaps associated with race among the residents of this affluent, White suburb. This study exam...
Accidental symmetry: The first and last episodes of Beroul's Roman de Tristran

Beroul's telling of the story of Tristran and Yseut is in a most regrettable state, the single manuscript in which it is preserved lacking both beginning and ending and its graphies offering many challenges. It is an odd coincidence that the long remaining fragment is framed by scenes that, themselves incomplete, are strikingly alike in situation and in the use of deceptive speech. Two dangerous trysts are spied upon by a third and hostile party, whose presence is detected by the lovers who act in consort to outwit him. The first rendez-vous, with pine-tree and fountain, is very well-known and often depicted in art; the second has received little commentary and to my knowledge no illustration. This essay concentrates on this final scene and on certain technical terms that contribute to an understanding of the action.
Hydrodynamics selects the pathway for displacive transformations in DNA-linked colloidal crystallites

The degree to which DNA-linked particle crystals, particularly those composed of micrometer-scale colloids, are able to dynamically evolve or whether they are kinetically arrested after formation remains poorly understood. Here, we study a recently observed displacive transformation in colloidal binary superlattice crystals, whereby a body-centered cubic to face-centered cubic transformation is found to proceed spontaneously under some annealing conditions. Using a comprehensive suite of computer simulation tools, we develop a framework for analyzing the many displacive transformation pathways corresponding to distinct, but energetically degenerate, random hexagonal close-packed end states. Due to the short-ranged, spherically symmetric nature of the particle interactions the pathways are all barrierless, suggesting that all end states should be equally likely. Instead, we find that hydrodynamic correlations between particles result in anisotropic mobility along the various possible displacive pathways, strongly selecting for pathways that lead to the fcc-CuAu-I configuration, explaining recent experimental observations. This finding may provide clues for discovering new approaches for controlling structure in this emerging class of materials.
Spatial perception of blind people by auditory maps on a tablet PC

Although a tablet PC is designed mainly for sighted people, there are potential applications for the blind. An auditory map system for the blind is proposed as one of the applications on a tablet PC. The proposed application requires no additional devices or software other than a table PC, which would be a cheap alternative to expensive existing tools for the blind people. With the frame work of dimensionality from geography, point-line-area, more systematic testing is conducted with 20 totally blind people, to provide valuable information about the potential implementation of an auditory interface on a geographic information system for the blind. Moreover, since the participants are totally blind and the number of them is much more than other research on the blind, it will provide more valid information and conditions necessary for the implementation.
Relation of auditory attention and complex sentence comprehension in children with specific language impairment: A preliminary study

We investigated the relation of two dimensions of attentional functioning (sustained auditory attention and resource capacity/allocation) and complex sentence comprehension of children with specific language impairment (SLI) and a group of typically developing (TD) children matched for age. Twenty-six school-age children with SLI and 26 TD peers completed an auditory continuous performance task (ACPT, measure of sustained attention), a concurrent verbal processing-storage task (measure of resource capacity/allocation), and a picture pointing comprehension task. Correlation analyses were run to determine the association between the measures of attention and sentence comprehension. The SLI group performed more poorly than the TD group across all tasks. For the SLI group, even after removing the effects of age, ACPT score and performance on the concurrent processing-storage task still significantly correlated with complex sentence comprehension. Sustained attention also correlated with simple sentence comprehension. Neither attention variable correlated with sentence comprehension in the TD children. For children with SLI, the comprehension of complex grammar appears to involve significant use of sustained attention and resource capacity/allocation. Even simple sentence comprehension requires significant auditory vigilance. In the case of TD children, neither complex nor simple sentence comprehension appears to invoke significant attentional involvement.
Bioconjugation with Stable Luminescent Lanthanide(III) Chelates Comprising Pyridine Subunits

The use of long-lifetime emitting lanthanide(III) chelate labels or probes together with time-resolved fluorometry in detection provides a method to generate sensitive bioaffinity assays. However, the use of stable chelates demands very complicated optimization of the chelate structure. A great number of chelates have been synthesized, but usually, only the most prominent structures were then converted to corresponding biomolecule labeling reactants. This review covers the syntheses of luminescent lanthanide chelates comprising a pyridine subunit that allow solution and solid-phase bioconjugation.
A comparative study of interatomic potentials for copper and aluminum gas phase sputter atom transport simulations

Abstract A comparative study of interatomic potential models for use in gas phase sputter atom transport simulations is presented. Quantum chemical interatomic potentials for argon–copper and argon–aluminum are calculated using Kohn–Sham density functional theory utilizing the PW91 functional. These potentials (PW91) are compared to the commonly used Born–Mayer potentials calculated by Abrahamson [Phys. Rev. 178 (1969) 76] using the Thomas–Fermi–Dirac model (TFD) and the screened Coulomb potentials derived from the “universal” form calculated by Ziegler, Biersack and Littmark (ZBL). Monte Carlo simulations of gas phase sputter atom transport were performed to determine the average energy of atoms arriving at the substrate versus pressure for the three potential models. Overall, the ZBL potential gave results in much better agreement with the PW91 potential than the TFD potential. A characteristic thermalization pressure–distance product of ∼0.11 mTorr cm was found for both copper and aluminum using the PW91 potential.
Similarities and differences in perceptons of initial intracultural and intercultural encounters: An exploratory investigation

The purpose of the research presented in this paper was to explore similarities and differences in uncertainty reduction and predictability of behavior in initial intracultural and intercultural encounters. Subjects were assigned to one of two conditions: (1) reporting how they would behave when introduced to a stranger from the same culture, or (2) reporting how they would behave when introduced to a stranger from another culture.
Space/error tradeoffs for lossy wavelet reconstruction

Discrete Wavelet Transforms have proven to be a very effective tool for compressing large data sets. Previous research has sought to select a subset of wavelet coefficients based on a given space constraint. These approaches require non-negligible overhead to maintain location information associated with the retained coefficients. Our approach identifies entire wavelet coefficient subbands that can be eliminated based on minimizing the total error introduced into the reconstruction. We can get further space reduction (with more error) by encoding some or all of the saved coefficients as a byte index into a floating point lookup table. We demonstrate how our approach can yield the same global sum error using less space than traditional MR implementations.
Investigation of a coaxial boosted-output hollow-cathode lamp for atomic absorption

Abstract A version of the boosted-output, hollow-cathode lamp has been studied as a possible light source for atomic absorption. Our version of this lamp utilizes a secondary electrical discharge to enhance the emission. passing axially through the center of an open cylindrical cathode. Eventually the increase in intensity is accompanied by a decrease in the absorbance of test solutions due to line-broadening in the lamp. Using the criterion of equivalent absorbance, lamps of this design provided ten to twenty times the intensity of commercial hollow-cathode lamps for the elements studied: aluminum, molybdenum, titanium vanadium and copper.
A MICRO METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF PYRIDOXAL PHOSPHATE IN LEUKOCYTES AND LIVER.

Abstract A micro method utilizing the enzyme apotryptophanase in a reaction to determine the pyridoxal phosphate content of leukocytes from human and rat blood and of rat liver is described.
Postischemic infusion of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase or SOD:Tet451 reduces cerebral infarction following focal ischemia/reperfusion in rats.

Abstract Oxygen-free radicals play a major role in neuronal cell injury following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. The free-radical scavenging enzyme, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD-1), ameliorates various types of brain injury resulting from temporary CNS ischemia. We have compared the cerebroprotective properties of human SOD-1 (hSOD-1) with a novel recombinant SOD-1 hybrid protein, SOD:Tet451, composed of hSOD-1 linked to the neuronal binding fragment of tetanus toxin (TTxC). Following 2 h of temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion, rats infused with equivalent activities of either hSOD-1 or SOD:Tet451 for the initial 3 h of reperfusion showed reductions in cerebral infarct volume of 43 and 57%, respectively, compared to saline-treated controls (P
Package and Board Level Study for a Thin Small Outline Package (TSOP) Using Compact Components

A detail model of 54 lead Thin Small Outline Package (TSOP) was created in Flotherm and validated against experimental data for natural convection and forced convection environments. Next, a compact two-resistor (2R) model was created in Flotherm using compact smart parts. Values of junction-to-case and junction-to-board resistances were taken from experiments. Both the detailed model and the compact model were mounted on a 4-layered standard JEDEC board for natural convection in a standard JEDEC enclosure. With a nominal power of 0.75W applied at the junction, the detailed model and the 2R compact model showed a very good agreement. The results also compared well with experimental data. Next, two models were developed; a detailed model and a corresponding equivalent 2R compact model were mounted on a 4-layered standard JEDEC board and simulated for forced convection with an air velocity of 1 m/s. With a nominal power of 0.75 W applied at the junction, maximum junction temperatures were computed and once again showed very good agreement. Experimental data for forced convection indicated that the maximum junction temperature was in good agreement to the compact model. The study was further extended to do a board level analysis where the detailed TSOP models were mounted on a 6-layered standard DIMM board. In the single sided board arrangement nine such compact models were mounted on one side of the board and maximum junction temperature was noted. Then, the detailed models were replaced by compact models and simulated for forced convection with an air velocity of 1 m/s. Good agreement between detailed model and compact model was seen for the board level analysis. Further the compact models were simulated for a double-sided arrangement in which eighteen such compact models were mounted nine on each sided of the board. The assembly was simulated for forced convection with an air velocity of 1 m/s. Nominal power applied at junction for each of the eighteen modules was 0.3 W. Maximum temperature for the double sided arrangement of DIMM board was thus computed.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Distribution and cluster analysis of predicted intrinsically disordered protein Pfam domains

The Pfam database groups regions of proteins by how well hidden Markov models (HMMs) can be trained to recognize similarities among them. Conservation pressure is probably in play here. The Pfam seed training set includes sequence and structure information, being drawn largely from the PDB. A long standing hypothesis among intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) investigators has held that conservation pressures are also at play in the evolution of different kinds of intrinsic disorder, but we find that predicted intrinsic disorder (PID) is not always conserved across Pfam domains. Here we analyze distributions and clusters of PID regions in 193024 members of the version 23.0 Pfam seed database. To include the maximum information available for proteins that remain unfolded in solution, we employ the 10 linearly independent Kidera factors1-3 for the amino acids, combined with PONDR4 predictions of disorder tendency, to transform the sequences of these Pfam members into an 11 column matrix where the number of rows is the length of each Pfam region. Cluster analyses of the set of all regions, including those that are folded, show 6 groupings of domains. Cluster analyses of domains with mean VSL2b scores greater than 0.5 (half predicted disorder or more) show at least 3 separated groups. It is hypothesized that grouping sets into shorter sequences with more uniform length will reveal more information about intrinsic disorder and lead to more finely structured and perhaps more accurate predictions. HMMs could be trained to include this information.
Oxide superconductors and ferroelectrics. Materials for a new generation of tunable microwave devices

We describe materials deposition and characterization for a broad class of tunable microwave devices using high-temperature oxide superconductor and voltage-tunable oxide ferroelectric thin-film multilayer structures. Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O thin films deposited by sputtering ore-beam evaporation were patterned into microwave resonators, each consisting of two colinear microstrip line sections separated by a 5–20μm gap. A Ba0.1Sr0.9TiO3 (BST) layer was then over-coated to fill the gap. The relative dielectric constant of the BST films deposited by physical vapor or chemical techniques was measured at 77 K in the 1–10 MHz range and found to vary by up to a factor of 2 or more with voltage bias in test capacitor structures using Pt electrodes. In the BST (variable capacitor)-HTSC microwave resonator structures, the change of the relative dielectric constant of the BST under voltage bias has allowed variation of the fundamental frequency of up to 80 MHz in the 5–10 GHz range at 4 K. Film deposition by various techniques and associated structural, morphological, and electronic properties, as well as materials compatibility issues, are discussed.
Semantic confusions by aphasic patients.

Summary Verbal paraphasias occur in a number of aphasic syndromes; they can provide some information about the organization of the lexicon or ‘mental dictionary.’ Analysis suggests that there is both phonological and semantic structure to the neurological representations of words. A classification of semantic confusions based upon a literature survey is offered and it is shown that these paraphasias are by no means random substitutions. Semantic confusions were then compared to published data on word associations (normal subjects) and it was noted that the two kinds of data are remarkably similar. Apparently word association experiments on normal subjects and semantic confusions by aphasic patients follow analogous semantic organizational patterns of the lexicon. A preliminary classification of some of these semantic structures is presented in which it is noted that there are generally features common to the confusion pair as well as features which differentiate them. Some possible explanations for the basis of the confusion are offered.
A prospective evaluation of intracorporeal laparoscopic small bowel anastomosis during gastric bypass.

Background: We evaluated the safety and feasibility of performing a laparoscopic intracorporeal end-toside small bowel anastomosis using a stapling technique as part of a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass operation (RYGBP). Methods: 80 consecutive patients who underwent RYGBP with laparoscopic jejunojejunostomy were evaluated. Operative time and intraoperative and postoperative complications directly related to the jejunojejunostomy anastomosis were recorded. Results: All 80 laparoscopic jejunojejunostomy procedures were successfully performed without conversion to laparotomy. Mean operative time was longer for the first 40 laparoscopic RYGBP than for the last 40 RYGBP (32±18 min vs 21±14 min, respectively, p<0.05). Intraoperative complications were staple-line bleeding (2 patients) and narrowing of the anastomosis (1 patient). Postoperative complications were four small bowel obstructions: technical narrowing at jejunojejunostomy site (2 patients), angulation of the afferent limb (1 patient), and food impaction at the jejunojejunostomy anastomosis (1 patient). These four patients underwent successful laparoscopic re-exploration and creation of another jejunojejunostomy proximal to the original anastomosis. There were no small bowel anastomotic leaks. The median time to resuming oral diet was 2 days. Conclusions: Laparoscopic jejunojejunostomy as part of the RYGBP operation is a safe and technically feasible procedure. Postoperative small bowel obstruction is a potential complication, which can be prevented by avoiding technical narrowing of the afferent limb.
Playing House Participants' experiences of Big Brother Finland

Reality television has inspired a vast amount of theorizing and research. Nevertheless, although speculations and popular accounts of participants' experiences of processes of reality television ma...
Merkel cell carcinoma with pagetoid spread.

A case of Merkel cell carcinoma showing epidermo-tropism is presented. The neoplastic cells displayed dotlike immunoreactivity for cytokeratins and strong immunoreactivity for neuron-specific eno-lase. Although no neuroendocrine granules were found, characteristic paranuclear fibrous bodies were present.
Psychosocial Homeostasis and Jen: Conceptual Tools for Advancing Psychological Anthropology

Personality is a Western concept rooted in individualism. The basic importance accorded it in psychological anthropology has obscured our understanding of how Western man lives in Western society and culture, or how any man lives in any society and culture. What is missing is the central ingredient in the human mode of existence: man's relationship with his fellow men. The concepts of psychosocial homeostasis and jen are designed to extricate our subdiscipline from this intellectual prison. The first describes the process whereby every human individual tends to seek certain kinds of affective involvement with some of his fellow humans. The second refers to the internal and external limits of the individual's affective involvement. With the aid of five major hypotheses based on these concepts, a review is made in a new light of familiar facts drawn from China, the United States, and Japan.
University Museums as Laboratories for Experiential Learning and Engaged Practice

This article describes how faculty in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Denver have used collections and exhibitions in the Museum of Anthropology as a pedagogical tool to provide students with experiential and socially engaged learning opportunities and to show how anthropologists use different forms of tangible and intangible culture to investigate and represent topics of anthropological interest. I discuss how the renewal of material and sensory engagement in anthropology as well as anthropologists’ growing interest in the turn in contemporary art practice toward the use of ethnographic fieldwork methods have inspired me to experiment with new pedagogical methods. On the whole, the article highlights not only the things one can do with objects in university museums but also the importance of animating the agency of both objects and exhibitions through experimentation with participatory, multisensory, and dialogical approaches. [museum pedagogy, material culture, public anthropology, social practice art]
Bounding L2 gain system error generated by approximations of the nonlinear vector field

Typical nonlinear model order reduction approaches need to address two issues: reducing the order of the model, and approximating the vector field. In this paper we focus exclusively on the second issue, and present results characterizing the repercussions at the system level of vector field approximations. The error assessment problem is formulated as the L2 gain upper bounding problem of a scaled feedback interconnection. Applying the small gain theorem in the proposed setup, we prove that the L2 gain of the error system is upper bounded by the L2 gain of the vector field approximation error, provided it is small. In addition, the paper also presents a numerical procedure, based on the IQC/LMI approach, to perform the error estimation task with less conservatism. A numerical example is given in this paper to demonstrate the practical implications of the presented results.
Conceptual design of a gyrotron-driven superconducting ECR ion source

The conceptual design for a superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) is presented. It is designed to take advantage of frequency scaling in ECRIS and be driven at 28 GHz by a laboratory scale gyrotron. The basic superconducting coil configuration for the gyrotron-driven ECR (GECR) using four solenoid coils and a set of sextupole coils is illustrated. These coils are surrounded by a warm bore iron yoke. Possible applications include cyclotrons, ion implantation in semiconductors, and experiments in atomic physics. >
FUS regulates genes coding for RNA-binding proteins in neurons by binding to their highly conserved introns

Dominant mutations and mislocalization or aggregation of Fused in Sarcoma (FUS), an RNA-binding protein (RBP), cause neuronal degeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), two incurable neurological diseases. However, the function of FUS in neurons is not well understood. To uncover the impact of FUS in the neuronal transcriptome, we used high-throughput sequencing of immunoprecipitated and cross-linked RNA (HITS–CLIP) of FUS in human brains and mouse neurons differentiated from embryonic stem cells, coupled with RNA-seq and FUS knockdowns. We report conserved neuronal RNA targets and networks that are regulated by FUS. We find that FUS regulates splicing of genes coding for RBPs by binding to their highly conserved introns. Our findings have important implications for understanding the impact of FUS in neurodegenerative diseases and suggest that perturbations of FUS can impact the neuronal transcriptome via perturbations of RBP transcripts.
Stock Market Mispricing: Money Illusion or Resale Option?

We examine two hypotheses to explain stock mispricing: i) the money illusion hypothesis (Modigliani and Cohn (1979)) and ii) the resale option hypothesis (Scheinkman and Xiong (2003)). We find that the money illusion hypothesis may explain the level, but not the volatility, of mispricing in the U.S. market. In contrast, the stock resale option hypothesis, which stems from heterogeneous beliefs about future dividend growth rates and short-sale constraints, can explain both the level and the volatility of mispricing. The evidence suggests that while the two hypotheses complement each other in explaining the level of mispricing, the resale option hypothesis provides a more coherent explanation for asset price bubbles, in which extraordinarily high price levels are often accompanied by excessive volatility and frenzied trading.
Pharmacoeconomic Considerations Associated with the Use of Intravenous-to-Oral Moxifloxacin for Community-Acquired Pneumonia

BACKGROUND Intravenous-to-oral (iv/po) conversion is one cost-effective approach to the management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS Consecutive patients with CAP were enrolled during 3 study periods (January-March of 2001, 2002, and 2004) with different pharmacy intervention (PI) strategies: iv beta -lactam plus a macrolide (no PI), iv beta-lactam plus a macrolide with iv/po PI (PI switch), and iv moxifloxacin with pharmacist-initiated automatic po moxifloxacin conversion (PI sequential). Costs and outcomes were compared among groups. RESULTS Two hundred fifty-one patients were enrolled. The average Fine score was 75, and the mean age of patients was 51 years. In the PI groups, the duration of treatment with iv antibiotics was decreased. Clinical success on day 3 of therapy was improved in the PI sequential group but was similar in all 3 groups on day 7 of therapy and at the end of therapy. The length of stay in the hospital was similar for patients in all 3 groups (mean, 4.39 days). Antibiotic costs were significantly reduced, by $110/patient, in the PI sequential group. CONCLUSIONS Conversion from iv to po therapy was accomplished more quickly when converting to the same agent with pharmacist-initiated automatic iv/po conversion, thus reducing the associated cost without compromising efficacy.