cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Age, Gender, Race, Diabetes and Obesity on Clinical Outcomes in a Large Cohort of Patients Hospitalized for Covid-19 in Metropolitan Detroit

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 infection has resulted in a global pandemic with survival statistics 95–99%, however severe disease has been described. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients gage 18 admitted to Henry Ford Health System in Detroit from March 1 - June 1, 2020 for COVID-19 infection with aims to: 1. Determine the incidence of poor outcomes (mechanical ventilation (MV), ICU admission, death, and venous thromboembolism (VTE)), 2. Describe the clinical characteristics of this group, and 3. Evaluate relationships between demographics, diabetes mellitus (DM), obesity, and inflammatory markers on outcomes. We hypothesized that older age, male gender, African American ethnicity, DM, obesity, and elevated inflammatory markers would predict poor outcomes. 8751 inpatients were included, of whom 682 (7.79%) required MV, 867 (9.91%) were admitted to the ICU, 753 (8.6%) died, and 430 (4.91%) had VTE. 4447 (50.8%) were African American, 4951 (56.6%) female, 5152 (58.9%) gage 50, and 2068 (23.6%) had DM. Of those who had BMI and A1c recorded, 2556 (50.2%) had BMI g30 kg/m2 and 1138 (74.3%) had A1c g5.7%. Analyses controlling for demographics and comorbidities found that age and male gender were significant predictors of MV (OR = 1.031;CI= 1.025–1.037;P l0.0001, OR =2.023;CI= 1.700–2.407;Pl0.0001), ICU admission (OR 1.024;CI= 1.018–1.029;Pl0.0001, OR 1.824;CI= 1.561–2.130;Pl0.001), death (OR 1.077;CI= 1.069–1.085;Pl0.0001, OR 1.823;CI= 1.521–2.185;Pl0.0001), and VTE (OR 1.021;CI= 1.014–1.028;Pl0.001, OR 1.293;CI= 1.043–1.603;P=0.0193). African American, compared to Caucasian ethnicity, was significantly associated with MV (OR 1.437;CI= 1.131–1.825;P=0.0009) and ICU admission (OR 1.428;CI= 1.150–1.773;P=0.0002), but not VTE. African Americans had significantly lower odds of death relative to Caucasians (OR 0.765;CI=0.604–0.969;P=0.0200). DM predicted MV (OR 1.999;CI= 1.677–2.383;Pl0.0001), ICU admission (OR 2.014;CI= 1.717–2.364;Pl0.0001), death (OR 1.501;CI= 1.250–1.803;Pl0.0001), and VTE (OR 1.468;CI= 1.171–1.840;P=0.0009). Obesity predicted MV (OR 1.540;CI= 1.284–1.847;Pl0.0001) and ICU admission (OR 1.395;CI= 1.186–1.642;Pl0.0001) but not death or VTE. All inflammatory markers (D-dimer, ferritin, CRP, IL-6 and procalcitonin) were significantly correlated with MV and death. 3 of the 5 markers were also predictive of both ICU admission and VTE. This large retrospective study of a diverse population with a significant proportion of African Americans highlights the importance of taking age, male gender, African American ethnicity, presence of DM and obesity into account when determining risk of poor outcomes. These results contribute to the growing data on disparities in health care which have become more evident during this pandemic and the need to address this when designing public policy.
Oxaliplatin-resistant colorectal cancer models for nanoparticle hyperthermia.

Metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) is complicated by chemotherapy-resistant cell populations. Oxaliplatin is used in heated intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion (HIPEC) for treatment of diss...
Incremental Visual Occlusion During Split-Belt Treadmill Walking Has No Gradient Effect on Adaptation or Retention.

Split-belt treadmills have become an increasingly popular means of quantifying ambulation adaptability. Multiple sensory feedback mechanisms, including vision, contribute to task execution and adap...
Efficient loading of reduced data ensembles produced at ORNL SNS/HFIR neutron time-of-flight facilities.

We present algorithmic improvements to the loading operations of certain reduced data ensembles produced from neutron scattering experiments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) facilities. Ensembles from multiple measurements are required to cover a wide range of the phase space of a sample material of interest. They are stored using the standard NeXus schema on individual HDF5 files. This makes it a scalability challenge, as the number of experiments stored increases in a single ensemble file. The present work follows up on our previous efforts on data management algorithms, to address identified input output (I/O) bottlenecks in Mantid, an open-source data analysis framework used across several neutron science facilities around the world. We reuse an in-memory binary-tree metadata index that resembles data access patterns, to provide a scalable search and extraction mechanism. In addition, several memory operations are refactored and optimized for the current common use cases, ranging most frequently from 10 to 180, and up to 360 separate measurement configurations. Results from this work show consistent speed ups in wall-clock time on the Mantid LoadMD routine, ranging from 19\% to 23\% on average, on ORNL production computing systems. The latter depends on the complexity of the targeted instrument-specific data and the system I/O and compute variability for the shared computational resources available to users of ORNL's Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) and the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) instruments. Nevertheless, we continue to highlight the need for more research to address reduction challenges as experimental data volumes, user time and processing costs increase.
Learning Critical Legal Theory Across the Curriculum: An Innovative Course in Applied Feminism

In law schools, we are so accustomed to a single professor teaching each substantive class that we rarely question this method of teaching. Imagine instead a class taught by fourteen professors, each of whom teaches for one week to share their substantive expertise through the lens of critical legal theory. At the University of Baltimore School of Law, we offer such a course, entitled Special Topics in Applied Feminism. Throughout the semester, students are exposed to feminist legal perspectives on a wide range of substantive topics, including tax law, international law, immigration law, employment law, and many others.The course is sponsored and organized by our Center on Applied Feminism, which seeks to apply feminist legal theory to real-world problems in order to promote gender equality. The Center's activities range from sponsoring an annual conference to advocating for law reform to advising students on career choices. We sought to add an academic component for students that harnessed the talent of our colleagues outside their usual substantive course silos. We have offered the course every other year since 2010. Based on this experience and the responses of students, we recommend that more law schools offer collaborative courses.
Electronic Medical Records

An electronic health record (EHR), also known as an electronic medical record (EMR), is a patient’s medical chart accessed and modified in digital format. While an EMR is under the direct control of a hospital system or health care organization, a personal health record (PHR) is controlled by the patient. Increasingly more health care facilities and clinical practices are using EMRs. In the USA, EMR adoption has been accelerated by federal legislation that enforces clinicians to achieve “meaningful use” with certified EMRs. As a result, physicians are progressively placing more electronic orders for lab tests in the EMR. They also prefer to look up their patients’ results in the EMR. Since this paperless clinical practice is beginning to impact cytology, it is essential for cytopathology laboratories to be aware of this informatics trend.
Juvenile Justice and the Punishment of Recidivists Under California's Three Strikes Law

The inclusion of juvenile adjudications as prior strikes under California's Three Strikes law sets up an inevitable clash between the remaining rehabilitative purposes of the juvenile justice system and the punitive intent that motivated Three Strikes. The California Supreme Court, faced with a poorly written statute, has dealt with the statute's ambiguities in a way that has further confused the rules and obfuscated the rationales behind them. In People v. Davis, the court ignored traditional canons of statutory construction and unjustifiably expanded the number of juvenile adjudications that can count as strikes. In People v. Garcia, when the court finally recognized a distinction for the use of juvenile adjudications as strikes, it did so reluctantly and without acknowledging that it was in effect overruling Davis. The supreme court should expressly overrule Davis; including its methods of statutory interpretation and its broadening of the scope of juvenile adjudications that qualify as prior strikes. Trial and appellate courts should use their discretion to dismiss prior juvenile adjudication strikes and resolve the tension created by Three Strikes's application to juvenile adjudications and exacerbated by the Davis and Garcia opinions. This Comment also suggests a number of other ways that juvenile court judges, criminal court judges, and legislators can reduce the conflict between the juvenile justice system and the Three Strikes fueled criminal justice system in California. Language: en
Integrating Web Usage and Content Mining for More Effective Personalization

Recent proposals have suggested Web usage mining as an enabling mechanism to overcome the problems associated with more traditional Web personalization techniques such as collaborative or content-based filtering. These problems include lack of scalability, reliance on subjective user ratings or static profiles, and the inability to capture a richer set of semantic relationships among objects (in content-based systems). Yet, usage-based personalization can be problematic when little usage data is available pertaining to some objects or when the site content changes regularly. For more effective personalization, both usage and content attributes of a site must be integrated into a Web mining framework and used by the recommendation engine in a uniform manner. In this paper we present such a framework, distinguishing between the offine tasks of data preparation and mining, and the online process of customizing Web pages based on a user's active session. We describe effective techniques based on clustering to obtain a uniform representation for both site usage and site content profiles, and we show how these profiles can be used to perform real-time personalization.
Intrinsic Variability of Ocular Dominance Column Periodicity in Normal Macaque Monkeys

Little is known about intrinsic variation from animal to animal in the periodicity of columnar systems within various regions of the mammalian cerebral cortex. To address this issue, complete mosaics of the ocular dominance columns were reconstructed from flat-mounts of the left and right striate cortex (V1) in six normal adult macaques ( Macaca fascicularis ). To identify the columns, we enucleated the right eye and subsequently processed striate cortex for cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity. Average column areas for the intact eye and the missing eye were nearly equal, confirming that monocular enucleation in adult macaques produces negligible column shrinkage. The contralateral eye’s columns occupied more territory than the ipsilateral eye’s columns, even in the central visual field representation (0° to 8°), where they predominated by 52 to 48%. The column mosaics showed remarkable variation in periodicity. The number of column pairs along the V1/V2 border ranged from 101 sets in one monkey to 154 sets in another. Average column width along the V1/V2 border ranged between 670 and 395 μm, a nearly twofold difference. The widest columns were found in the foveal representation. This high degree of innate variability should be taken into account when considering the effects of various sensory manipulations (e.g., strabismus, anisometropia), which have been reported to alter the periodicity of ocular dominance columns. We found pronounced intrinsic variation in the width and number of ocular dominance columns in a sample of six M . fascicularis , indicating that the number of hypercolumns within a given cortical area can range widely among normal members of the same species.
Fault masking in tri-redundant systems

A tri-redundant version of a system S is a system T that is specified from S as follows. First, system T has the same number of processes and the same topology as system S. Second, each variable x in a process in system S is replaced by three variables x, x′, and x″ in the corresponding process in system T. Third, the actions in each process in system S are modified before they are added to the corresponding process in system T and some new actions are added to the corresponding process in system T. In this paper, we show that a tri-redundant version T of a system S has interesting stabilization and fault-masking properties. In particular, we show that if S is stabilizing, then T is also stabilizing. We also show that if T ever reaches stabilization, and then a "visible fault" occurs, then the effect of the fault is masked and the reached stabilization of T remains in effect.
Interannual differences of Geosat altimeter heights and sea level: The importance of a datum

Sea surface height data from the Geosat altimeter are compared with island sea level data from 18 gages in the western and central tropical Pacific during December 1986 to November 1987. Care was taken to ensure that the two data sets are referenced to the same mean surface. This was done by requiring that both data sets have a zero mean sea level over the period April 1985 to April 1986. When the annual means are computed at each station in the later time period, it is found that the annual mean sea surface height values have drifted away from the corresponding sea level values by as much as 16 cm. Further, the pattern of differences that develop between the two data sets is not random but is spatially coherent with a strong east-west gradient. These observations illustrate the necessity for sea surface height data to be referred to a well-defined zero point, a datum, in order to reliably monitor interannual changes in the sea surface topography. Until these differences can be eliminated, it will be necessary to use tide gage data as benchmarks for the altimeter sea surface height data.
Probing dimer interface stabilization within a four-helix bundle of the GrpE protein from Escherichia coli via internal deletion mutants: Conversion of a dimer to monomer

Insight into protein stability and folding remains an important area for protein research, in particular protein-protein interactions and the self-assembly of homodimers. The GrpE protein from Escherichia coli is a homodimer with a four-helix bundle at the dimer interface. Each monomer contributes a helix-loop-helix to the bundle. To probe the interface stabilization requirements, in terms of the amount of buried residues in the bundle necessary for dimer formation, internal deletion mutants (IDMs) were created that sequentially truncate each of the two helices in the helix-loop-helix region. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy showed that all IDM's still contained a significant amount of α-helical secondary structure. IDM's that contained 11 or fewer of 22 residues originally present in the helices, or those that lost at least 50% of residues with less than 20% the solvent accessible surfaces (that is, hydrophobic residues) were unable to form a significant amount of dimer species as shown by chemical cross-linking. Gel filtration studies of IDM3.0 (one that retains 10 residues in each helix) show this variant to be mainly monomeric.
Observations of Flux Transfer Events: Are Ftes Flux Ropes, Islands, or Surface Waves?

A reexamination is conducted of evidence for the suggestion that flux-transfer events (FTEs) are related to a nontime-stationary reconnection process, giving attention to the ways in which combined field and plasma variations imply that FTEs are magnetic flux ropes. Both time-varying single x-line and multiple x-line reconnection are able to disturb the surrounding plasma, generating a signature that mimics the flux rope while lacking its topology. While any localized perturbation of the magnetopause surface can produce such a signature, evidence can be adduced against a surface-wave explanation of FTEs.
Sensitivity of Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stouti, to mammalian insulin

Abstract Long-lasting hypoglycemia and depression of plasma amino nitrogen levels were produced in Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stouti, by injection of as little as 0.1 to 0.5 IU/kg of bovine insulin. This, in contrast with earlier information from Myxine glutinosa, indicates that the metabolic sensitivity of Eptatretus to mammalian insulin is at least as great as that in most higher vertebrates. However, the long-lasting character of the hypoglycemia and depressed plasma amino nitrogen argue for poorly developed antihypoglycemic metabolic mechanisms in this cyclostome.
Receptor mediated glucocorticoid inhibition of protein synthesis in isolated bone cells.

Abstract Dexamethasone at concentrations of 1.5 × 10 −8 M and higher inhibited the incorporation of [ 14 C]-proline into proline and hydroxyproline-containing protein fractions of freshly-isolated bone cells. Amino acid incorporation was only partially blocked by 1.5 × 10 −8 M dexamethasone after a 5 h incubation, although incorporation could be completely blocked with puromycin. Parathyroid hormone enhanced [ 14 C]-proline incorporation into total protein after a 3 h incubation, an effect which was abolished by simultaneous treatment with dexamethasone. Other steroids and vitamin A were tested alone and in combination with dexamethasone to determine whether the effects of these agents on bone cell protein synthesis reflected their affinities for bone cytosol binding sites previously demonstrated. At the concentrations tested, progesterone, the spirolactone SC-26304 and vitamin A all inhibited incorporation; cortexolone and estradiol did not. Cortexolone, progesterone and SC-26304 reversed the inhibitory effects of dexamethasone. These results are consistent with the earlier binding studies, and suggest that the effects of glucocorticoids on bone cell protein synthesis are mediated by cytosol receptors.
Shared Leadership for Teacher and Student Learning

The article synthesizes research findings from studies examining how principals and teachers contribute to shared instructional leadership and the relationship of shared instructional leadership to teacher and student learning. Principals and teachers contribute to the leadership equation in each school in different ways, according to school context and personnel, but an important finding is that the ways in which teachers and principals lead are in tension. It is this tension, however, that is characteristic of leadership in schools that make steady, incremental, and effective instructional improvement. Teachers learn more when teachers and principals find balance in the gradual movement between the status quo and intentional change. Two other factors enhance teacher learning: the shared belief that teachers can and must educate every student, and respectful and open relationships among colleagues. With these conditions, teachers learn to be better teachers and student achievement increases.
Divided consciousness and dissociation

Abstract The well-known behaviorist revolt against consciousness is largely in the past, although that does not mean that the new interest in consciousness is without many unsolved problems. Cognitive psychology, as an alternative, is not necessarily a consciousness psychology, and humanistic psychology, friendly to consciousness, has difficulty in maintaining scientific status. One approach to consciousness is by way of dissociation, the phenomena of which can be found in everyday experience but can be studied in more detail through hypnosis. One aspect of hypnosis research has led to the concept of a “hidden observer,” a metaphor used to indicate that some information is processed and has consequences without being in the focus of consciousness at the time, but is recoverable through hypnosis. The evidence comes mostly from subjects highly responsive to hypnosis, so that generalizations must be used with caution. The divisions of consciousness lead to consideration of its executive and monitoring functions-normal functions, but subject to some alterations through hypnosis.
How Efficient Can the Dairy Cow Become?1: Efficiency Results from Improvements in All Phases of Production

The dairy cow has long been proclaimed as the most efficient of the farm animals. Research results show that a dairy cow has no peer in converting 100 lb. of feed nutrients into essential protein for hunmn consumption. However, individual cows vary greatly as to the efficiency with which they produce milk, from both a physical and economic point of view. Recent studies conducted at Michigan State College show that the quantity of concentrates used in producing 100 lb. of milk varied from only 20 to more than 50 lb. The cost of the feed needed to produce this 100 lb. of milk ranged from $1.18 to $2.35.
Chromosomal variation and zoogeography inAteles

Karyotypes are reported from 21 spider monkeys distributed among five taxa of the genus Ateles.G- and C- banding techniques revealed variations between taxa. Two variants were discovered for chromosome 5, for chromosome 7, and for the Y chromosome. Four forms of chromosome 6 were seen. The variations are all probably pericentric inversions. One individual was heteromorphic at position 6. The data are compared with prebanding reports of Ateleschromosomes and reports of five animals studied with banding techniques. The variation in Ateleschromosomes is similar in degree to that found in other ceboid genera. The variants may be related to forest refugia formed during the Plio-Pleistocene. Karyotyping of many New World primates is required to ensure a homogeneous experimental group.
Meso-ionic compounds. XI, photochromic 4-halogeno-3-(3-pyridyl)sydnones†

Halogenation of 3-(3-pyridyl)sydnone with N-halosuccinimides in chloroform afforded the 4-halogeno-3-(3-pyridyl)sydnones where X = CI, Br, I. The 4-chloro- and 4-bromopyridylsydnones were photochromic. 3-(3-Pyridyl)sydnone was obtained in both high yield and purity by dehydration of N-nitroso-N-(3-pyridyl)glycine with trifluoroacetic anhydride.
Effect of Blood and High Density Lipoprotein Preparations upon Lipase Distribution and Spontaneous Lipolysis in Bovine Milk

Abstract The mechanism by which high density lipoprotein promotes spontaneous lipolysis in milk was investigated. Spontaneous milk samples were characterized by an elevated cream-associated lipoprotein lipase activity compared with nonspontaneous milk samples. This cream lipase activity was correlated (.70) with cold storage acid degree value. Blood preparations (serum, plasma) added to warm milk, upon milk cooling, caused correlated (.89) increases in cream lipase activity and acid degree values. Total milk lipase activity was not correlated with level of cold storage lipolysis; however, skim milk lipase activity was negatively correlated (–.38). Addition of high density lipoprotein to recombined milk caused transfer of active lipoprotein lipase from unheated skim milk onto fat globules, which had been recovered from milk heated to inactivate cream-associated lipoprotein lipase. Transfer of lipoprotein lipase to fat globules by high density lipoprotein occurred in a dose-response manner with a correlation of .68 between high density lipoprotein added and cream lipase activity. These observations supported the concept that biological variation in high density lipoprotein content of milk can contribute to the variability in spontaneous lipolysis observed among milk samples. This contribution by high density lipoprotein is mediated primarily through its ability to redistribute lipoprotein lipase toward fat globules rather than activation of the lipoprotein lipase that was initially associated with fat globules.
Numerical orbits near the triangular lunar libration points

Abstract The behavior of a test particle placed at a triangular libration point of the Earth-Moon system is calculated using Newton's equations for the four-body problem, with arbitrarily chosen initial conditions. If the orbits of the massive bodies have their real eccentricities, then the test particle leaves the vicinity of the libration point in three years, much faster than if the orbits were circular. Very small particles are affected by solar radiation pressure, and may leave even faster.
Bam Lipoproteins Assemble BamA in Vitro

The Bam machine assembles β-barrel membrane proteins into the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. The central component of the Bam complex, BamA, is a β-barrel that is conserved in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. We have previously reported an in vitro assay for studying the assembly of β-barrel proteins by the Bam complex and now apply this assay to identify the specific components that are required for BamA assembly. We establish that BamB and BamD, two lipoprotein components of the complex, bind to the unfolded BamA substrate and are sufficient to accelerate its assembly into the membrane.
Cardiovascular risk factors and confounders among nondrinking and moderate-drinking U.S. adults.

Background Studies suggest that moderate drinkers have lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality than nondrinkers and heavy drinkers, but there have been no randomized trials on this topic. Although most observational studies control for major cardiac risk factors, CVD is independently associated with other factors that could explain the CVD benefits ascribed to moderate drinking. Methods Data from the 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a population-based telephone survey of U.S. adults, was used to assess the prevalence of CVD risk factors and potential confounders among moderate drinkers and nondrinkers. Moderate drinkers were defined as men who drank an average of two drinks per day or fewer, or women who drank one drink or fewer per day. Results After adjusting for age and gender, nondrinkers were more likely to have characteristics associated with increased CVD mortality in terms of demographic factors, social factors, behavioral factors, access to health care, and health-related conditions. Of the 30 CVD-associated factors or groups of factors that we assessed, 27 (90%) were significantly more prevalent among nondrinkers. Among factors with multiple categories (e.g., body weight), those in higher-risk groups were progressively more likely to be nondrinkers. Removing those with poor health status or a history of CVD did not affect the results. Conclusions These findings suggest that some or all of the apparent protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption on CVD may be due to residual or unmeasured confounding. Given their limitations, nonrandomized studies about the health effects of moderate drinking should be interpreted with caution, particularly since excessive alcohol consumption is a leading health hazard in the United States.
Aligned rank tests for linear models with autocorrelated error terms

Linear models in which the unobserved error constitutes a realization of some stationary ARMA process or, equivalently, ARMA processes with a linear regression trend, are considered under unspecified innovation densities. Due to serial dependence among the observations, the classical rank-based techniques, which have been developed for linear models with independent observations and unspecified error densities, do not apply; nor do the existing rank-based procedures for serial dependence problems, where the observations are assumed to be stationary in the mean (or the median). Moreover, all problems of practical interest (testing the significance of a subset of regression coefficients, identifying the orders p and q of the ARMA (p, q) dependence, overall diagnostic checking of the model,...) involve nuisance parameters. Typically, one is interested either in the regression trend, and the serial dependence parameters are nuisance parameters; or the serial dependence structure is the main concern, and trend somehow has to be removed. A rank-based approach to such problems thus not only requires extending the classical Hajek-type theory of rank tests to serially dependent situations, it also requires a generalized theory of aligned rank tests. This is the purpose of the present paper. The key result is a local asymptotic normality (LAN) result involving a rank-measurable central sequence; depending on the model considered (with symmetric or totally unspecified innovation densities), the ranks to be used are either signed or unsigned. This LAN result, along with a particular local asymptotic linearity property, implies the local asymptotic sufficiency of (aligned) ranks for a broad class of testing problems-mainly, testing linear restrictions on the parameters of the model. Asymptotically invariant aligned rank tests which are locally asymptotically most stringent similarly are derived. Unlike former results on aligned rank tests for linear models with independent observations, the present ones are entirely obtained from the LAN structure of the underlying problem, and provide a remarkable illustration of the power and appropriateness of LeCam′s approach in nonparametric inference. They generalize and reinforce most previous results on rank-based tests for general linear models, as well as the few available ones on rank-based inference for time series analysis. The resulting testing procedures are invariant or asymptotically invariant, hence (asymptotically) distribution-free. They also are as powerful as (often, strictly more powerful than) their classical, correlogram-based counterparts. In addition, they are considerably more robust, and remain fully reliable in the presence of outliers, heavy-tailed distributions, atypical startup behavior, etc.
Novel device to sample the esophageal microbiome--the esophageal string test.

A growing number of studies implicate the microbiome in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation. Previous work has shown that adults with esophagitis related to gastroesophageal reflux disease have altered esophageal microbiota compared to those who do not have esophagitis. In these studies, sampling of the esophageal microbiome was accomplished by isolating DNA from esophageal biopsies obtained at the time of upper endoscopy. The aim of the current study was to identify the esophageal microbiome in pediatric individuals with normal esophageal mucosa using a minimally invasive, capsule-based string technology, the Enterotest™. We used the proximal segment of the Enterotest string to sample the esophagus, and term this the “Esophageal String Test” (EST). We hypothesized that the less invasive EST would capture mucosal adherent bacteria present in the esophagus in a similar fashion as mucosal biopsy. EST samples and mucosal biopsies were collected from children with no esophageal inflammation (n = 15) and their microbiome composition determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Microbiota from esophageal biopsies and ESTs produced nearly identical profiles of bacterial genera and were different from the bacterial contents of samples collected from the nasal and oral cavity. We conclude that the minimally invasive EST can serve as a useful device for study of the esophageal microbiome.
Reproduction of the melon fly: mating activity and mating compatibility of flies treated to function in sterile-release programs

Mating activity of untreated Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett and of flies irradiated with 10 krad of gamma irradiation at 2 days before adult eclosion and then exposed to semianerobic packaging of the pupae began the 4th evening of adult life. However, the untreated population expressed full mating activity the 7th evening, and the treated populations expressed full but reduced mating activity the 8th and 9th evenings. Gamma irradiation thus affected the rate of sexual development and time of peak mating activity, but the semi-anerobic packaging did not compound this injury. Protein had an important effect on the sexual activity of the males; when hydrolyzed protein was omitted from the diet, sexual drive, as expressed by mating, was greatly reduced.
The effects of spatial and temporal video distortion on lie detection performance

In various types of interactions, individuals may attempt to determine whether their communication partners are being honest or deceptive. Judgments of honesty rely, in part, on assessments of nonverbal behavior. With the increased use of videoconferencing technology, many traditionally face-to-face interactions now take place over sub-optimal video connections. In these connections, reduced spatial and temporal video quality may affect the ability to detect whether others are lying or telling the truth. In the current study we examined the effects of varying levels of temporal and spacial distortion on lie detection performance. Consistent with earlier work, we found that a slight distortion of video signal impaired lie detection performance. Surprisingly, performance improved when the video was severely spatially degraded.
Coordinating production planning in cellular manufacturing environment using Tabu search

In this paper, an integrated model for production planning in cellular manufacturing (CM) systems is proposed. The model considers general CM features such as quadratic terms for inter-cell material handling and decisions for manufacturing cell construction. In addition, the solution of the model will provide production planning decisions such as times to start part processing and levels of finished part inventory. The model is then transformed to equivalent simpler models and is solved by Tabu search based procedure. Results from testing numerical examples show encouraging behaviors of the developed model and algorithm.
Discovery and design of novel vasopressin hypotensive peptide agonists.

AbstractThis presentation will trace the serendipitous discovery of novel vasopressin (VP) hypotensive agonists d(CH2)5[D-Tyr(Et)2,X3]VAVP (where X = Arg, Lys). These peptides were uncovered as part of an ongoing program aimed at the design of potent and selective VP antidiuretic (V2 receptor) antagonists. We will also present highlights of our subsequent preliminary studies seeking (i) to design high affinity radioiodinatable ligands for the localization and characterization of the putative VP vasodilatory (V1c ?) receptor; (ii) to identify the structural features of selective and non-selective cyclic and linear VP and oxytocin (OT) antagonists of the V2 receptor, the vascular (V1a) receptor and of the uterine (OT) receptor required for hypotensive agonism and; (iii) to enhance hypotensive potency. These novel VP hypotensive agonists could serve as valuable research tools in studies on the roles of VP in blood pressure regulation and may also lead to the development of a new class of therapeutically usef...
The Effects of Personality Traits and Optimum Stimulation Level on Text-Messaging Activities and M-commerce Intention

Mobile phones provide the freedom to participate in a variety of communication styles, ranging from simple voice-based communications to advanced text-messaging services. The decision to perform complex usage activities is determined by the interrelations of three personality traits. Using the optimum stimulation framework, the study hypothesizes that personal innovativeness and individual playfulness increase an individual's optimum stimulation level (OSL). Survey data from 246 text-messaging users showed that personal innovativeness, playful personality, and OSL can predict complex mobile usage patterns. Future research can append personality traits to existing IT adoption frameworks. Practitioners can incorporate their conclusions from the personality traits into device designs and applications while enhancing the widespread use of m-commerce and entertainment services.
NMR Analysis of Pharmaceuticals XII: Determination of Amantadine Hydrochloride in Soft Gelatin Capsules and Syrups

An NMR procedure is described by which amantadine hydrochloride is determined in soft gelatin capsules and syrup preparations. A standard deviation of 0.8% was obtained on eight synthetic mixtures. Analysis of capsule and syrup preparations by NMR and NF XIII procedures indicates a maximum difference of 1.6%, but generally a difference of less than 1.0% was obtained. The NMR spectrum provides a very specific means of identification of amantadine hydrochloride.
Compilations of Presidential Documents

The Office of the Federal Register introduced on January 20, 2009, the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents, a new serial that replaces its weekly counterpart and provides immediate coverage of presidential activities. This article examines its provenance, its predecessor, and the compilations in print and electronic editions. A portion of the article deals with presidential inaugural addresses, past and present.
Adenotonsillectomy for upper airway obstruction carries increased risk in children with a history of prematurity.

To define better the clinical presentation and perioperative outcome in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy (T&A) for relief of upper airway obstruction (UAO), we reviewed the hospital records of 60 consecutive, otherwise normal children aged 12 years or younger. Seven patients with trisomy 21, neurologic impairments, or preoperative corpulmonale were excluded. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were experienced by 15 (34%) and 13 (25%), respectively, of the 53 children with preoperative UAO. The most severe complications comprised pulmonary edema and prolonged postoperative oxyhemoglobin desaturation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found a history of prematurity and/or low birth weight to be the most significant risk factors related to the occurrence of complications. Twenty-eight % of the study population had a history of prematurity and they had approximately 85% of the perioperative complications seen in children with UAO undergoing T&A. Other significant risk factors included adenoidal facies and evidence of respiratory distress at the time of surgery. It appears that T&A poses significant risk for children with UAO who were born prematurely and have evidence of abnormal facial development or respiratory distress preoperatively. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Mixed Methods Study of the Sexual Health Needs of New England Transmen Who Have Sex with Nontransgender Men

Abstract The sexual health of transmen—individuals born or assigned female at birth and who identify as male—remains understudied. Given the increasing rates of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among gay and bisexual men in the United States, understanding the sexual practices of transmen who have sex with men (TMSM) may be particularly important to promote sexual health or develop focused HIV prevention interventions. Between May and September 2009, 16 transmen who reported sexual behavior with nontransgender men completed a qualitative interview and a brief interviewer-administered survey. Interviews were conducted until redundancy in responses was achieved. Participants (mean age, 32.5, standard deviation [SD] = 11.1; 87.5% white; 75.0% “queer”) perceived themselves at moderately high risk for HIV and STDs, although 43.8% reported unprotected sex with an unknown HIV serostatus nontransgender male partner in the past 12 months. The majority (62.5%) had used the Internet to meet sexual partne...
Mass spectral characterization of the methyl derivative of 3‐chloro‐4‐(dichloromethyl)‐5‐hydroxy‐2(5H)‐furanone (MX)

Previous interpretations of the electron impact mass spectrum of the methyl derivative 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX) has suggested that the isotope cluster beginning at m/z 199 is due solely to the (M OCH3) fragment ion. The relative abundance of the ratio among the ions at m/z 199, 201 and 203 deviates, however, from the theoretical ratio of ions in a three-chlorine isotope cluster. We hypothesized that the cluster arises from two distinct pathways and is composed of two fragment ions, each containing three chlorine atoms. Accordingly, we deconvoluted the original cluster at m/z 199 by assuming the presence of one three-chlorine isotope cluster at m/z 199 and another three-chlorine cluster at m/z 201. The result was that we obtained good agreement between the calculated and theoretical relative abundances of the ions. The presence of these two fragment ions was confirmed by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry at a resolving power of 20000. The mass spectrum of MX, methylated with deuterated methanol, showed two fragment ions, one which arose from the loss of −OCD3 (m/z 199) and the other from the loss of −OCH (m/z 204). Tandem mass spectrometry of the m/z 229 [M 1]+ fragment ion of the methyl derivative of MX showed a product ion at m/z 201. The fragment ion at m/z 201 is formed by the loss of −H from the molecular ion and the subsequent loss of −CO from the [M 1]+ ion. The ion at m/z 199 originates from the molecular ion.
Direct azygos vein and superior vena cava cannulation for parenteral nutrition

As a result of superior vena cava thrombosis and ligation of the inferior vena cava, central venous access was limited in a patient with large, recurrent, intestinal fistulas. Transthoracic catheterization of the azygos vein provided a successful route for parenteral nutrition for 9 wk on one occasion, and transthoracic catheterization of the superior vena cava allowed parenteral nutrition for over 9 months on another.
Cold-Sensitive Assembly of a Mutant Manganese-Stabilizing Protein Caused by a Val to Ala Replacement†

Photosystem II (PSII) is a multisubunit transmembrane protein complex that oxidizes water and evolves O2. A tetranuclear manganese cluster associated with integral membrane subunits of PSII catalyzes water oxidation. The 33-kDa water-soluble PSII subunit, or manganese-stabilizing protein (MSP), stabilizes the O2-evolving manganese cluster and accelerates O2 evolution. Spinach PSII can be depleted of native MSP under conditions which retain a functional manganese cluster. Reconstition of MSP-depleted PSII with recombinant MSP was equally efficient at 4 and 22 degrees C. Replacement of Val235 (a conserved residue near the C-terminus of MSP) with Ala inhibited assembly of MSP at 4 degrees C, but not at 22 degrees C. Once assembled, [V235A]MSP remained bound to PSII even at 4 degrees C and in the presence of low concentrations of urea. Results from far-UV circular dichroism spectrometry indicated that [V235A]-MSP was destabilized by low temperature to a greater extent than the wild-type protein. However, the effect of temperature on the secondary structure of both the mutant and wild-type proteins was small compared to the temperature-independent destabilization of secondary structure induced by the mutation. These results demonstrate that the V235A mutation introduces an activation energy barrier for assembly of MSP into PSII, and it is suggested that the mutation acts by inhibiting isomerization of one or more prolyl peptide bonds required for assembly.
Glucose homeostasis in a guinea pig model of hemorrhagic shock.

Abstract This study aimed to define the interrelationships of hepatic mitochondrial energy-linked dysfunction, glucose homeostasis, and hepatic adenine nucleotide content in a guinea pig model of hemorrhagic shock. Hepatic mitochondria from shocked animals demonstrated significant decreases in state 3 respiratory rate with each of several substrates. Uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation was detected in mitochondrial preparations from 14 of the 21 hemorrhaged animals. Substrates linked to the cytochrome chain via NADH/NAD+ were more sensitive in detecting mitochondrial function than succinate. Hepatic glycogen depletion was a prominent feature following shock but the sequence of glycogen exhaustion and hypoglycemia occurred independently of the status of oxidative phosphorylation. There was no significant difference in the correlation coefficient between the log of the hepatic glycogen content and the blood glucose correlation in those animals with coupled (0.84) and uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation (0.87). ATP decreased significantly in shocked animals (0.41 ± 0.03 μmole/g) compared with controls (1.37 ± 0.10, P
A unique ultrarefractory inclusion from the Murchison meteorite

— Through freeze-thaw disaggregation of the Murchison meteorite, we have recovered a refractory inclusion, HIB-11, that is unique in terms of its texture, mineral compositions, and bulk composition. It consists of anhedral, Y-rich (1.6 wt% Y2O3) perovskite and lathlike spinel grains enclosed in a matrix of fine-grained, Sc-rich (10.5 wt% SC2O3 avg.), Ti-rich (12.6 wt% TiO2 avg., reporting all Ti as TiO2) clinopyroxene. The chondrite-normalized rare earth element (REE) pattern is complex, with light REE (LREE) at ∼10× C1, abundances increasing from Gd through Ho (the latter at ∼104× C1), decreasing through Yb at 200× C1, and Lu at ∼400× C1. The pattern reflects several stages of high-temperature volatility fractionation. Removal of Lu and Er from the source gas in the first condensation event was followed by partial to complete removal of the somewhat less refractory heavy REE, Gd through Ho, in the HIB-11 precursors by condensation from the fractionated residual gas in a second event. Both of these events probably reflect condensation of REE into ZrO2 or a mixed Zr-, Sc-, Ti-, Y-oxide at temperatures too high for hibonite stability. A second, lower-temperature component, which was subsequently added, had fractionated (Nd-poor, Ce-rich) LREE abundances that resulted from condensation from a gas that had undergone prior removal of the more refractory LREE, resulting in enrichment in Ce and the most volatile REE, Eu and Yb. The aggregate was then melted and quickly cooled, forming a fine-grained spherule. This is the first reported inclusion in which the two most refractory REE, Lu and Er, are strongly fractionated from the other REE. An absence of mass fractionation among the Ti isotopes indicates that HIB-11 is not an evaporative residue, implying that volatility fractionation of trace elements took place during condensation. The fact that the two most refractory heavy REE could be separated from the other, only slightly less refractory heavy REE suggests that a wide variety of REE patterns is possible, and that ultrarefractory inclusions with other unusual REE patterns, important recorders of nebular condensation, may yet be discovered.
A model for adhesion-producing interactions of zinc oxide surfaces with alcohols, amines, and alkenes

The interactions between paint/adhesive polymers and metal surfaces that are critical for adhesion have been studied theoretically. This study used zinc oxide as a model of a galvanized steel surface, and ammonia, water, and ethylene as models for amino, hydroxy, and unsaturated functionalities in paint/adhesive polymers. Ab initio molecular orbital calculations were carried out on zinc oxide and zinc oxide dimer. Geometries were optimized at the HF/3-21G level and relative energies were calculated by CASSCF/3-21G and by MP2 with the DZP basis set of Wachters and Hay. Ethylene forms a stable complex with zinc oxide dimer that has a stabilization energy of 24.9 kcal/mol. Insertion of ethylene into zinc oxide dimer to form a stable six-membered ring adduct occurs with a surprisingly low activation energy of 8.8 kcal/mol. The binding energy of ammonia with zinc oxide dimer is 38.5 kcal/mol and the activation energy for insertion of ammonia forming covalent Zn-NH2 and O-H bonds is calculated to be 9.6 kcal/mo...
Theory of proximity-effect sandwiches with magnetic impurities

We extend the theory of proximity-effect sandwiches consisting of a thin normal ($N$) metal in perfect planar contact with a thick superconducting ($S$) metal to the case in which the $N$ metal contains magnetic as well as nonmagnetic impurities. We consider dilute concentrations of antiferromagnetic impurities, adapting the theory of Zittartz, Bringer, and M\"uller-Hartmann for magnetic impurities in superconductors to proximity systems. We discuss the influences of Kondo-effect impurities in this proximity system. We compare our theory with the experimental results of Dumoulin, Guyon, and Nedellec, and suggest possible cases in which new phenomena, such as the presence of three gaps in the density of states, might be observed.