cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of an Artificial Intelligence System to Optimize Clinician Review of Patient Records.

Importance Physicians are required to work with rapidly growing amounts of medical data. Approximately 62% of time per patient is devoted to reviewing electronic health records (EHRs), with clinical data review being the most time-consuming portion. Objective To determine whether an artificial intelligence (AI) system developed to organize and display new patient referral records would improve a clinician's ability to extract patient information compared with the current standard of care. Design, setting, and participants In this prognostic study, an AI system was created to organize patient records and improve data retrieval. To evaluate the system on time and accuracy, a nonblinded, prospective study was conducted at a single academic medical center. Recruitment emails were sent to all physicians in the gastroenterology division, and 12 clinicians agreed to participate. Each of the clinicians participating in the study received 2 referral records: 1 AI-optimized patient record and 1 standard (non-AI-optimized) patient record. For each record, clinicians were asked 22 questions requiring them to search the assigned record for clinically relevant information. Clinicians reviewed records from June 1 to August 30, 2020. Main outcomes and measures The time required to answer each question, along with accuracy, was measured for both records, with and without AI optimization. Participants were asked to assess overall satisfaction with the AI system, their preferred review method (AI-optimized vs standard), and other topics to assess clinical utility. Results Twelve gastroenterology physicians/fellows completed the study. Compared with standard (non-AI-optimized) patient record review, the AI system saved first-time physician users 18% of the time used to answer the clinical questions (10.5 [95% CI, 8.5-12.6] vs 12.8 [95% CI, 9.4-16.2] minutes; P = .02). There was no significant decrease in accuracy when physicians retrieved important patient information (83.7% [95% CI, 79.3%-88.2%] with the AI-optimized vs 86.0% [95% CI, 81.8%-90.2%] without the AI-optimized record; P = .81). Survey responses from physicians were generally positive across all questions. Eleven of 12 physicians (92%) preferred the AI-optimized record review to standard review. Despite a learning curve pointed out by respondents, 11 of 12 physicians believed that the technology would save them time to assess new patient records and were interested in using this technology in their clinic. Conclusions and relevance In this prognostic study, an AI system helped physicians extract relevant patient information in a shorter time while maintaining high accuracy. This finding is particularly germane to the ever-increasing amounts of medical data and increased stressors on clinicians. Increased user familiarity with the AI system, along with further enhancements in the system itself, hold promise to further improve physician data extraction from large quantities of patient health records.
Visualization of Oscillating Heat Pipes

As described in previous chapters, fluid flow and heat transfer in an oscillating heat pipe is very complex. To better understand thermally excited oscillating flow, a number of visualization methods have been used to study fluid flow of liquid plugs and vapor bubbles in OHPs. Three typical visualization methods include visible imaging technique, neutron and proton radiographs (Ph.D. dissertation, Missouri). Visible imaging technique is the most widely used but is limited due to the fact that the OHP tubes needed for this method must be made of transparent material only such as glass or OHPs covered with transparent materials. Neutron radiography is used to visualize the movements of liquid plugs and vapor bubbles in an OHP made of metallic materials such as copper and aluminum. With neutron imaging, images of liquid plugs and vapor bubbles can be seen through metallic walls. Proton radiography is also used to image the movement of liquid plugs and vapor bubbles of OHPs and can successfully visualize both liquid and vapor motions. In this chapter, these three visualization methods, which have been used to study oscillating flows in OHPs, will be presented including their observation results of oscillating motions in OHPs.
Anetoderma arising in Reed syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

Anetoderma is a cutaneous disorder characterized by loss of dermal elastic tissue resulting in papules from herniation of subcutaneous tissue or circumscribed areas of atrophic, wrinkled skin. Familial leiomyomatosis cutis et uteri (Reed syndrome) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by cutaneous and uterine leiomyomas. We report a 23-year-old male with Reed syndrome who presented with asymptomatic pearly white, atrophic, flaccid papules on the upper back and shoulder that depressed when palpated. Pathologic examination showed an unremarkable epidermis and central loss of dermal elastin, bordered by clumped elastin, as revealed with an elastin stain. The correlation of clinical and pathologic findings indicated a diagnosis of anetoderma arising in a patient with Reed syndrome.
Penalty functions and the knapsack problem

This paper reports on a study of the effectiveness of penalty functions used with a standard genetic algorithm to solve a problem with constraints. Twelve different penalty functions were created and tested using a genetic algorithm to solve the zero-one knapsack problem. In addition to a comparison of the penalty functions, the relationship between the size of the solution space and the size of the search space was also considered. >
Redistricting and Representation: Why Competitive Elections are Bad for America

1. Introduction 2. Theories of Democracy and Representation 3. Voters Prefer to Win Elections 4. Modern Redistricting Principles 5. Beneficial Effects of Packed Districts 6. Addressing Critiques of Packed Districts 7. Conclusion
Renal adenocarcinoma: Prognostics and treatment reflected by survival

A retrospective study of 164 patients with renal adenocarcinoma has reconfirmed the highly malignant potential of this neoplasm. Stage and size of the tumor appear to be the best prognostic parameters. Radical surgery appears to have improved survival statistics. Follow-up must be indefinite since late metastases are not uncommon.
Innovation in Experiential Business Ethics Training

Ethics training has undergone dramatic changes in the past decade. Global business growth and increased technological change have played a role in the increasing sophistication and development of ethics programs and communication devices. These training initiatives are based on organizational ethical decision making theories and empirical research indicating the benefits of training in developing an ethical organizational culture. In this article, we discuss the issues important in developing effective ethics training, examine the goals and methods currently used in training, introduce an ethics training behavioral simulation, and discuss its implementation and evaluation.
Addressing the Complex Needs of Students With Attachment Disorders

Attachment disorders are a relatively rare condition affecting children. This is particularly true for those who are adopted or living in foster care, and are thought to be attributed to an interru...
Paving the Way for Change: Visionary Leadership in Action at the Middle Level:

This qualitative case study explored visionary leadership in action by focusing on the strategies that some middle school principals use before implementing schoolwide reforms. Ninety-eight middle ...
On optimal e ∞ to e ∞ filtering

Abstract In this paper we consider the problem of finding a filter that minimizes the worst case magnitude (l ∞ ) of the estimation error in the case of linear time-invariant systems subjected to unknown but magnitude-bounded (l ∞ ) inputs. These inputs consist of process and observation noise, as well as initial conditions; also, the optimization problem is considered over an infinite time horizon. Taking a model matching approach, suboptimal solutions are presented that stem from the resulting l ∞ -induced norm-minimization problem.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOME AND EDUCATIONAL ADJUSTMENT TO FIRST GRADE OF ECMO-TREATED NEONATES. |[dagger]| 1684

One hundred and fifty-two 5 year-old ECMO survivors and 53 normal controls were given a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery and kindergarten screening. Mean Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) for the ECMO group was significantly lower than that of the Control group (94 ± 21 vs 108± 19, p<.001). Eighteen ECMO (12%) and 0 Controls had FSIQ < 70 (Mentally Retarded range). Academic Risk (as defined by FSIQ <80 or presence of neuropsychological deficits or failed kindergarten screen) was significantly higher among the ECMO children compared to Controls (50% vs 34%, p<.05). We obtained reports of school performance from parents of 101 of the 115 (88%) ECMO survivors when they should have completed first grade. Thirty-seven of the 101 (37%) children had experienced Academic Problems, as defined by either grade retention or having received special education resources. Seventy percent of the children with Academic Problems had been classified as Academic Risk on neuropsychological testing at age five. Eighty percent of the children classified at age five as No-Academic Risk were promoted to second grade without special education services. Stepwise regression analyses were computed with Academic Problems as the dependent variable. FSIQ,Academic Risk, and Neonatal Neuroimaging Score were entered as independent variables. Within the ECMO group (N=101), only FSIQ accounted for a significant proportion of the variance (43%). When only ECMO subjects with normal IQ were included in the analyses (N=91), only Academic Risk status accounted for a significant portion of the variance (29%). We conclude that neuropsychological testing for five year-old ECMO survivors can significantly enhance our ability to predict school difficulties. This study was funded by NIH/NINDS.
Green water impact pressure on a three-dimensional model structure

Green water impact pressure due to plunging breaking waves impinging on a simplified, three-dimensional model structure was investigated in the laboratory. Two breaking wave conditions were tested: one with waves impinging on the vertical wall of the model at the still water level and the other with waves impinging on the horizontal deck surface. Pressure measurements were taken at locations in two vertical planes on the deck surface with one at centerline of deck and the other between the centerline and an edge. Impact pressure was found to be quite different between the two wave conditions even though the incoming waves are essentially identical. Two types of pressure variations were observed—impulsive type and non-impulsive type. Much higher pressure was observed for the deck impingement wave condition, even though the flow velocities were quite close. Void fraction was also measured at selected points. Impact pressure was correlated with the mean kinetic energy calculated based on the measured mean velocities and void fraction. Impact coefficient, defined as the ratio between the maximum pressure at a given point and the corresponding mean kinetic energy, was obtained. For the wall impingement wave condition, the relationship between impact pressure and mean kinetic energy is linear with the impact coefficient close to 1.3. For the deck impingement wave condition, the above relationship does not show good correlation; the impact coefficient was between 0.6 and 7. The impact coefficient was found to be a function of the rate of pressure rise.
Investigation of Three-Dimensional Shock/Boundary-Layer Interactions at Swept Compression Corners

This paper presents the first phase of an experimental study of a three-dimensional shock wave/turbulent boundary-layer interaction at a swept compression corner. Compression corners of 16 and 24 deg angles, whkh cause near-incipient and well-separated two-dimensional flows at Much 3, are systematically swept through angles up to 50 deg while maintaining a constant streamwise corner angle. The resulting three-dimensional flows are studied by way of detailed surface measurements and a few exploratory flowfield surveys. Tests of four Reynolds numbers reveal that a Reynolds number influence on the interaction length remains in effect across the available range of sweep. Cylindrical symmetry is obtained along the compression corner at many of the conditions tested. The corner flow differs little from the two-dimensional case for sweep angles less than about 10 deg, above which the interaction length begins to increase dramatically. This increase agrees qualitatively with the assumption of two-dimension al flow normal to the swept corner. Flowfield surveys show that the boundary layer breaks away from the surface to form a free layer at sweep angles up to at least 40 deg. Further, measured yaw angles within the swept interaction deviate only a few degrees from the streamwise direction except near the model surface.
Introduction: Research on Writing—Knowledge Development, Effective Interventions, and Assessment

In this issue of Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties, three areas of writing research are addressed: writing knowledge development, effective writing interventions, and wr...
The ideological agenda in class-structured private and public schools: A case study in Mexico City

Abstract This chapter deals with two key variables: school administration and communication patterns, and teacher recruitment processes, defined in order to understand the relationship between schooling and the reproduction of the social division of labor in Mexico City, Mexico. The study was based on views of schools organizing their internal structures and activities in order to fulfill underlying requirements dictated by the social division of labor. Selected schools were obtained according to availability rather than random sampling. Results confirmed assumptions made regarding ways in which Authority behaves according to the social classes served in those schools. The same can be stated for the teacher recruitment process.
Pyrimidine auxotrophy and the complementation map of the rudimentary locus of Drosophila melanogaster.

The complementation pattern of twelve rudimentary mutations has been analyzed at two different levels. When analyzed on the basis of complementation for a wing abnormality the mutations can be divided into three groups, each of which is believed to affect the activity of one of the first three enzymes of pyrimidine synthesis (Norby, 1973; Jarry and Falk, 1974; Rawls and Fristrom, 1975). However, when the mutants are analyzed for complementation on the basis of a second phenotype, pyrimidine auxotrophy, the distinction between two of these three groups is not evident. The disparity in the two patterns probably reflects a different threshold of gene activity required for the detection of an auxotrophic phenotype as compared to that at which a wing abnormality is detectable.
Becoming an urban science educator

This autobiography examines research in which I was involved while learning to teach science in an inner city high school. As an experienced science educator I had mainly experienced schools associated with students from the middle class. When I came to a university in an inner city environment I had to learn first how to be streetwise in the city and then, when I began to teach, I had to negotiate with students my right to teach them. Most students were very resistant to my efforts to teach them science. The paper describes many of the difficulties I experienced as I endeavoured to teach science to students who were ethnically, curriculum to the interests and extant knowledge of students is emphasised. Implications of my experiences are described for three aspects of urban high schools: teaching science, identifying and enacting appropriae science curricula, and educating prospective science teachers.
Empirical testing of subpixel detection of fire

Typical existing fire detection algorithms for airborne and satellite based imagers employ the Planckian radiation in the 3.5 -5 μm and 8 - 14 μm spectral regions. These algorithms can have high false alarm rates and furthermore, the issue of validation of subpixel detection is a lingering problem. We present an empirical testing of fire detection algorithms for controlled and uniform burning and hot targets of known area. Image data sets of the targets were captured at different altitudes with the Modular Imaging Spectrometer Instrument (MISI). MISI captures hyperspectral VNIR and multispectral SWIR/MWIR/LWIR imagery. The known range of target areas ranges from larger than the MISI IFOV to less than 0.5% of the IFOV. The in situ temperatures were monitored with thermocouples and pyrometers. Spectroradiometric data of targets and backgrounds were also collected during the experiment. The data were analysed using existing algorithms as well as novel approaches. The algorithms are compared by determining the minimum resolvable fire pixel fraction.
The roots of homelessness

The authors of three examinations of the problem all see the homelessness phenomenon chiefly through the prism of the housing market, rather than focusing on the personal pathologies of the homeless themselves. The three diverge, however, as to the role which government intervention has played in causing the crisis or should play in solving it. James D. Wright argues there has been insufficient public intervention and subsidy; William Tucker contends that intervention causes homelessness; Charles Hoch and Robert A. Slayton imply that a less regulated market may prevent homelessness, if not necessarily by providing the safest or most comfortable dwellings.
Acute and chronic psychological risk factors for coronary syndromes: moderating effects of coronary artery disease severity.

This article provides a selective review of the effects of psychosocial factors and responses to acute mental stress on the onset of acute coronary syndromes. The literature suggests that the relationship between the anatomical severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and likelihood of subsequent cardiac events, such as myocardial infarction, is not linear. Furthermore, evidence will be provided that the age-dependent associations between psychosocial factors and risk of cardiac events is at least in part mediated through the severity of underlying CAD. Finally, research will be summarized that supports the importance of both chronic psychosocial factors (e.g., low socioeconomic status and/or high hostility) and episodic psychological distress syndromes, such as vital exhaustion and depression. In reviewing this literature, two perspectives will be focused on: (1) the relationship between psychosocial factors and progressive CAD; and (2) the evidence concerning underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.
Making Military Might: Why Do States Fail and Succeed?: A Review Essay

Dan Reiter and Allan C. Stam III, Democracies at War. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2002. Throughout history, states have exhibited a puzzling degree of variation in their capacities to create military power. Some consistently excel at warfare. Germany in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, for example, has long been singled out for its military's exceptional tactical proficiency, especially in the battles of both world wars. Others-such as Italy in those same conflicts-often perform poorly, demonstrating endemic weaknesses in their abilities to generate military force.' Yet a third category of states exhibits curious variation in military effectiveness over time. Most analysts, for example, count Egypt's performance in the 1967 Six Day War against Israel among the most dismal of contemporary military history. They also tend to agree, however, that in the 1973 October War Egypt was able to dramatically improve its effectiveness, manifest most vividly in the military's textbook crossing of the Suez Canal. Why are some states, at some times, better able to translate their basic material and human strengths into military power? Sociologists and military historians have long been interested in this question, often focusing on the human relations among soldiers and quality of leaders that make some militaries exceptional. More recently, political scientists have evinced growing interest in
Effect of quinolinate on aminotransferases

Abstract Quinolinate inhibits several aminotransferases (ornithine, alanine, and aspartate). However, it is considerably more potent as an inhibitor of liver and heart cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase. It is a much less potent inhibitor of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferases. Quinolinate is bound to the active site of cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase. It has a much greater affinity for the pyridoximine-P than the pyridoxal-P form of the enzyme. According to kinetic results, the inhibition or dissociation constant of quinolinate is 0.2 and 20 m m , respectively, for the pyridoxamine-P and the pyridoxal-P forms of the enzyme. Since quinolinate is mainly bound to the pyridoxamine-P form: (a) it is a potent competitive inhibitor of α-ketoglutarate but has little effect when α-ketoglutarate is saturating even if the level of aspartate is low; (b) it decreases the effect of α-ketoglutarate on the absorption spectrum of the pyridoxamine-P form; and (c) it enhances the effect of glutamate on the absorption spectrum of the pyridoxal-P form. Quinolinate is also apparently bound to the apoenzyme since it inhibits reconstitution by either pyridoxamine-P or pyridoxal-P. Since quinolinate is a competitive inhibitor of α-ketoglutarate, it is possible that part of the inhibitory effect of quinolinate on hepatic gluconeogenesis could result from quinolinate inhibiting the conversion of aspartate to oxalacetate by the cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase. Quinolinate has no effect on either rat or bovine liver glutamate dehydrogenase or on kidney glutamate dehydrogenase.
The dynamics of water at DNA interfaces: computational studies of Hoechst 33258 bound to DNA.

Together, spectroscopy combined with computational studies that relate directly to the experimental measurements have the potential to provide unprecedented insight into the dynamics of important biological processes. Recent time-resolved fluorescence experiments have shown that the time scales for collective reorganization at the interface of proteins and DNA with water are more than an order of magnitude slower than in bulk aqueous solution. The molecular interpretation of this change in the collective response is somewhat controversial — some attribute the slower reorganization to dramatically retarded water motion, while others describe rapid water dynamics combined with a slower biomolecular response. To connect directly to solvation dynamics experiments of the fluorescent probe Hoechst 33258 (H33258) bound to DNA, we have generated 770 ns of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and calculated the equilibrium and nonequilibrium solvation response to excitation of the probe. The calculated time scales ...
Sex-specific glands in tephritid fruit flies of the genera Anastrepha, Ceratitis, Dacus and Rhagoletis (Diptera : Tephritidae)

Abstract The objectives of this work were to systematically examine males and females of tephritid fruit flies from the genera Anastrepha, Ceratitis, Dacus and Rhagoletis for the presence of possible sex pheromone glands, and to determine whether particular glands may be characteristic of certain genera. Flies from the 4 genera were examined from paraffin embedded histological sections. Pleural epidermal glands and sexually dimorphic, enlarged salivary glands were found in males, but not in females, of 7 species of Anastrepha and in 2 species of Ceratitis. Females of these species do not develop the pleural epidermal glands at all, and although they have salivary glands, the glands do not have the large glandular mass of tissue that is found in males. The pleural glands were similar in all the males, and consisted of a single layer of enlarged, columnar epidermal cells in the pleural region of abdominal segments 3, 4 and 5. The salivary glands of males were divided into 4 types based upon structure. Pleural glands and enlarged salivary glands were searched for, but were not found, in 2 species of Rhagoletis and in 3 species of Dacus. Anal glands, opening externally on the last segment, were confirmed in C. capitata, and were found in C. rosa. Anal glands were not found in any of the other species. A diverticulum from the rectum, the rectal pouch or gland, was confirmed in D. dorsalis, D. cucurbitae and D. tryoni as already published, but this gland was not found in species of other genera. Growth of the pleural glands and salivary glands in males of A. ludens, A. fraterculus and C. capitata was described as a function of age of flies.
Co-operative interactions between troponin-tropomyosin units extend the length of the thin filament in skeletal muscle.

Abstract Ca2+ binding to troponin C (TnC), a subunit of the thin filament regulatory strand, activates vertebrate skeletal muscle contraction. Tension, however, increases with Ca2+ too abruptly to be the result of binding to sites on individual TnCs. Because extraction of one TnC on average per regulatory strand dramatically reduces the slope of the tension/Ca2+ relationship, we proposed that all 26 troponin-tropomyosin complexes of the regulatory strand form a co-operative system. This study of permeabilized (chemically skinned) rabbit psoas fibers analyzes the extraction time-course, the distribution of extraction sites on regulatory strands and the effects of extraction on the co-operativity of the tension/Ca2+ relationship. Two components of TnC are resolved in the time-course of extraction: a “rapidly extracting” component that can be selectively removed without affecting tension or co-operativity, and a “slowly extracting” component whose loss reduces tension and co-operativity. Extraction of [14C]TnC shows that the slowly extracting component is lost randomly, so that, after removal of 5% of the TnC, most extracted strands have lost one TnC. Extraction interrupts the transmission of co-operativity by dividing the regulatory strand into smaller, independent co-operative systems; it reduces tension by preventing Ca2+ activation of TnC-depleted regulatory units. Co-operativity of the tension/Ca2+ relationship is modeled with the concerted-transition formalism for intact systems of 26 regulatory units, and for the smaller systems in extracted fibers.
Regulatory focus and work-related outcomes: a review and meta-analysis.

Regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997) has received growing attention in organizational psychology,necessitating a quantitative review that synthesizes its effects on important criteria. In addition, there isneed for theoretical integration of regulatory focus theory with personality research. Theoretical integrationis particularly relevant, since personality traits and dispositions are distal factors that are unlikelyto have direct effects on work behaviors, yet they may have indirect effects via regulatory focus. Thecurrent meta-analysis introduces an integrative framework in which the effects of personality on workbehaviors are best understood when considered in conjunction with more proximal motivational processessuch as regulatory focus. Using a distal–proximal approach, we identify personality antecedentsand work-related consequences of regulatory foci in a framework that considers both general andwork-specific regulatory foci as proximal motivational processes. We present meta-analytic results forrelations of regulatory focus with its antecedents (approach and avoid temperaments, conscientiousness,openness to experience, agreeableness, self-esteem, and self-efficacy) and its consequences (workbehaviors and attitudes). In addition to estimates of bivariate relationships, we support a meta-analyticpath model in which distal personality traits relate to work behaviors via the mediating effects of generaland work-specific regulatory focus. Results from tests of incremental and relative validity indicated thatregulatory foci predict unique variance in work behaviors after controlling for established personality,motivation, and attitudinal predictors. Consistent with regulatory focus theory and our integrativetheoretical framework, regulatory focus has meaningful relations with work outcomes and is notredundant with other individual difference variables.
Architecture Adaptive Routability-Driven Placement for FPGAs (abstract only)

Current FPGA placement algorithms estimate the routability of a placement using architecture-specific metrics. The shortcoming of using architecture-specific routability estimates is limited adaptability. A placement algorithm that is targeted to a class of architecturally similar FPGAs may not be easily adapted to other architectures. The subject of this paper is the development of a routability-driven architecture adaptive FPGA placement algorithm called Independence. The core of the Independence algorithm is a simultaneous place-and-route approach that tightly couples a simulated annealing placement algorithm with an architecture adaptive FPGA router (Pathfinder). The results of our experiments demonstrate Independence's adaptability to island-style and hierarchical FPGA architectures. The quality of the placements produced by Independence is within 5% of the quality of VPR's placements and 17% better than the placements produced by HSRA's place-and-route tool. Further, our results show that Independence produces clearly superior placements on routing-poor island-style FPGA architectures.
Influence of plasma beta on the generation of lower hybrid and whistler waves by an ion velocity ring distribution

We present results of three-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulations of the lower hybrid ion ring instability, similar to our earlier results [D. Winske and W. Daughton, Phys. Plasma 19, 072109 (2012)], but at higher electron beta (βe = ratio of electron thermal pressure to magnetic pressure = 0.06, rather than at 0.006) with Ti = Te. At higher electron beta, the level of lower hybrid waves at saturation normalized to the ion thermal energy (βi = 0.06 also) is only slightly smaller, but the corresponding magnetic fluctuations are about an order of magnitude larger, consistent with linear theory. After saturation, the waves evolve into whistler waves, through a number of possible mechanisms, with an average growth rate considerably smaller than the linear growth rate of the lower hybrid waves, to a peak fluctuation level that is about 20% above the lower hybrid wave saturation level. The ratio of the peak magnetic fluctuations associated with the whistler waves relative to those of the satu...
Activity of ticarcillin/clavulanate and piperacillin/tazobactam (YTR 830; CL-298,741) against clinical isolates and against mutants derepressed for class I beta-lactamase

Abstract Piperacillin/tazobactam (YTR 830; CL-298,741) was tested against fresh and stock clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacilli, as well as against Gram-negative bacilli that had stably derepressed Class I beta-lactamases or that were hyperproductive of non-Class I beta-lactamases. Of 63 clinical isolates of the Enterobacteriaceae with ticarcillin (plus clavulanate) minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ⩾128 μ g/ml, 16 had piperacillin/tazobactam MICs of ⩽162 μg/ml. Of 48 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas spp. with ticarcillin (plus clavulanate) MICs of ⩾128 μ g/ml, 35 had piperacillin/tazobactam MICs of ⩽648 μg/ml. Tazobactam generally reduced piperacillin MICs by two- to ⩾eightfold against stably derepressed mutants for Class I beta-lactamases.
High-performance micromachined thermopile linear arrays

Linear thermopile infrared detector arrays have been produced with D* values as high as 2.2 x 10(sup 9 cmHz)sup(1/2)/W for 83 ms response times.
Amino acid residues Arg659, Arg660, and Tyr661 in the spacer domain of ADAMTS13 are critical for cleavage of von Willebrand factor

Previous studies have shown that ADAMTS13 spacer domain is required for cleavage of von Willebrand factor (VWF). However, the exact amino acid residues within this domain critical for substrate recognition are not known. Epitope mapping of anti-ADAMTS13 immunoglobulin G from patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and sequence alignment of the ADAMTS13 spacer domains of human, mouse, and zebrafish with these of human and murine ADAMTS1, a closely related member of ADAMTS family, have provided hints to investigate the role of the amino acid residues between Arg659 and Glu664 of the ADAMTS13 spacer domain in substrate recognition. A deletion of all these 6 amino acid residues (ie, Arg659-Glu664) from the ADAMTS13 spacer domain resulted in dramatically reduced proteolytic activity toward VWF73 peptides, guanidine-HCl denatured VWF, and native VWF under fluid shear stress, as well as ultralarge VWF on endothelial cells. Site-directed mutagenesis, kinetic analyses, and peptide inhibition assays have further identified a role for amino acid residues Arg659, Arg660, and Tyr661 in proteolytic cleavage of various substrates under static and fluid shear stress conditions. These findings may provide novel insight into the structural-function relationship of ADAMTS13 and help us to understand pathogenesis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and other arterial thromboses associated with compromised VWF proteolysis.
Efficient preloading of the ventricles by a properly timed atrial contraction underlies stroke work improvement in the acute response to cardiac resynchronization therapy

Background The acute response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been shown to be due to 3 mechanisms: resynchronization of ventricular contraction, efficient preloading of the ventricles by a properly timed atrial contraction, and mitral regurgitation reduction. However, the contribution of each of the 3 mechanisms to the acute response to CRT, specifically stroke work improvement, has not been quantified. Objective To use a magnetic resonance image-based anatomically accurate 3-dimensional model of failing canine ventricular electromechanics to quantify the contribution of each of the 3 mechanisms to stroke work improvement and identify the predominant mechanisms. Methods An MRI-based electromechanical model of the failing canine ventricles assembled previously by our group was further developed and modified. Three different protocols were used to dissect the contribution of each of the 3 mechanisms to stroke work improvement. Results Resynchronization of ventricular contraction did not lead to a significant stroke work improvement. Efficient preloading of the ventricles by a properly timed atrial contraction was the predominant mechanism underlying stroke work improvement. Stroke work improvement peaked at an intermediate atrioventricular delay, as it allowed ventricular filling by atrial contraction to occur at a low diastolic left ventricular pressure but also provided adequate time for ventricular filling before ventricular contraction. Reduction of mitral regurgitation by CRT led to stroke work worsening instead of improvement. Conclusion Efficient preloading of the ventricles by a properly timed atrial contraction is responsible for a significant stroke work improvement in the acute CRT response.
Comparative Study of the Leak Characteristics of Two Ceramic/Glass Composite Seals for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have the potential to play a significant role in a future clean energy economy. However, SOFCs still face major obstacles before they can be commercialized, with efficient sealing being among the most prominent. The present research focuses on the comparative study of microstructure, crystal phase evolution, and leak rates, for two ceramic/glass seals used in an SOFC. The leak test apparatus is a controlled facility designed to incorporate different mechanical loading, stack configurations, and thermal cycles. Simultaneous leak testing with an acoustic emission (AE) sensor was also used to identify any micro-damage in seals. A two-level factorial design was applied to the first sealing composition to identify the main and the interactive factors for leak rates. MINITAB® was also used to determine a linear regression-based leak rate model. The second seal formulation employed a more stable glass which led to reduced leak rates. Additional factors in a two-level factorial design were investigated for the second seal formulation. Based on multiple experiments with different stack components, it was determined that the number of interfaces is most critical for leak rate, showing that even in the presence of thermal cycling, leakage is an interfacial dominated phenomenon.
Prognostic factors after combined modality treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Introduction In a previous study of prognostic factors in patients with loco-regionally advanced adenocarcinoma of the esophagus treated with chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) followed by resection, we found that residual nodal disease was most prognostic of outcome. In this study, we evaluated prognostic factors among patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus who have undergone a similar treatment regimen. Methods A retrospective review of patients with SCC of the esophagus who received CRT before esophagectomy. Data collected included demographics, CRT details, pathologic findings, and survival. Statistical methods included recursive partitioning and Kaplan-Meier analyses. Results From 1996 to 2006, 91 patients were appropriate for this analysis. Complete pathologic response in the primary tumor (pt-pCR) occurred in 49 patients (53.8%), including 10 of 91 (10.9%) who had a pt-pCR but residual nodal disease. Recursive partitioning analysis identified three prognostic groups: (1) group 1 (n = 52), patients with minimal residual local disease (pt-pCR and T1-N any); (2) group 2 (n = 28), patients with residual T2 disease (N0 and N1) and patients with T3-4N0 disease; and (3) group 3 (n = 11), patients with residual T3-4N1 disease. Three-year survival was 68.4% in group 1, 45.6% in group 2, and 0 % in group 3 (p Conclusions Unlike adenocarcinoma, in which residual nodal disease after CRT is the most significant predictor of survival, in SCC of the esophagus, pt-pCR or minimal residual local disease after CRT predicts the best survival. These findings aid the design of future clinical trials.
A Marginal Structural Modeling Approach with Super Learning for a Study on Oral Bisphosphonate Therapy and Atrial Fibrillation

Purpose: Observational studies designed to investigate the safety of a drug in a postmarketing setting typically aim to examine rare and non-acute adverse effects in a population that is not restricted to particular patient subgroups for which the therapy, typically a drug, was originally approved. Large healthcare databases and, in particular, rich electronic medical record (EMR) databases, are well suited for the conduct of these safety studies since they can provide detailed longitudinal information on drug exposure, confounders, and outcomes for large and representative samples of patients that are considered for treatment in clinical settings. Analytic efforts for drawing valid causal inferences in such studies are faced with three challenges: (1) the formal definition of relevant effect measures addressing the safety question of interest; (2) the development of analytic protocols to estimate such effects based on causal methodologies that can properly address the problems of time-dependent confounding and selection bias due to informative censoring, and (3) the practical implementation of such protocols in a large clinical/medical database setting. In this article, we describe an effort to specifically address these challenges with marginal structural modeling based on inverse probability weighting with data reduction and super learning.
Divide-and-conquer approach to Japanese text segmentation

This paper presents a robust text segmentation algorithm for printed Japanese documents. A divide-and-conquer approach is proposed to handle a large variety of image qualities and print styles. The approach can adapt its processing strategies according to the text quality, i.e., a method using diverse knowledge sources will be exploited to segment degraded text while a fast simple method will be used for good quality text. Since the algorithm can adaptively select the methods for different scenarios, the segmentation is highly efficient in terms of speed and accuracy. The segmenter has tree modules for image preprocessing, line segmentation, and character segmentation. The preprocessor uses the statistical information of the image connected components to globally estimate character size and uses projection profile to determine image quality. The line segmenter requires a `thresholding and smoothing' step prior to line extraction if the image is noisy. During character segmentation, the character segmenter first tries to locate components which contain touching characters. If touching characters exist, an algorithm which includes a profile-based splitting and classifier-based multiple hypothesis processing will be invoked to perform the segmentation.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dissecting the thermodynamics and cooperativity of ligand binding in cytochrome P450eryF.

Conformational flexibility and cooperativity in ligand recognition are two key aspects of the catalytic diversity of cytochrome P450 enzymes. In this study, we dissect the ligand binding stoichiometry and energetics of the soluble bacterial P450eryF by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) using three allosteric and two non-allosteric ligands of diverse chemistry. Complementary spectral binding studies and sequential, two-ligand docking simulations were performed to help assign the binding sites. Binding of 4-phenylpyridine (4-PP) or 4-(4-chlorophenyl)imidazole (4-CPI) showed 1:1 stoichiometry in ITC, consistent with the lack of cooperativity observed in spectral binding studies. The larger ligands 9-aminophenanthrene (9-AP), 1-pyrenebutanol (1-PB), and α-naphthoflavone (ANF) show cooperative spectral binding and yielded 2:1 stoichiometry. The associated thermodynamic parameters for the sites were calculated using a sequential binding mechanism. The binding constant (KD) for the first site was almost two...
Phosphatidylinositol-inositol exchange in rabbit lung

Abstract A microsomal fraction prepared from rabbit lung tissue was found to catalyze CDPdiacylglycerol-independent incorporation of [ 3 H]inositol into phosphatidylinositol. This incorporation resulted from CMP-dependent phosphatidylinositol-inositol exchange and did not constitute a net synthesis of phosphatidylinositol. The phosphatidylinositol-inositol exchange activity was distinct from the phospholipid-base exchange enzymes and was specific for inositol. Optimal in vitro phosphatidylinositol-inositol exchange activity was observed at pH 8.5–8.8 and either Mn 2+ or Mg 2+ was essential for activity. Mercaptoethanol stimulated phosphatidylinositol-inositol exchange and Hg 2+ inhibited this activity. In the absence of CMP, no phosphatidylinositol-inositol exchange was observed. CDP (and to a smaller extent CTP) also supported phosphatidylinositol-inositol exchange and this appeared to occur via the generation of CMP during incubations. The apparent K m values of the phosphatidylinositol-inositol exchange enzyme for CMP and inositol were 0.4 mM and 11 μM, respectively. When CDPdiacylglycerol was present at a concentration optimal for CDPdiacylglycerol: inositol transferase activity, CMP-dependent phosphatidylinositol-inositol exchange activity was still observed. However, in the presence of Hg 2+ CDPdiacylglycerol inhibited phosphatidylinositol-inositol exchange activity. Several properties of the phosphatidylinositol-inositol exchange enzyme resemble those of CDPdiacylglycerol: inositol transferase, but the two enzymes appear distinct on the basis of different degrees of inhibition by either Ca 2+ , Hg 2+ or heat, and on the basis of different changes in activity during lung development.
Commodification and Privacy: A Lockean Perspective

This paper defends the thesis that privacy as a right is derived from fundamental rights to life, liberty, and property and does not permit restricting the commodification of bodily material; however, privacy as life, liberty, property does require conventions that ensure a robust and just market in bodily material. The analysis proceeds by defending a general commitment to liberty and markets, but not in the manner one might expect from a ‘doctrinaire’ libertarian. Ethical concerns about commodification are legitimate in the context of new medical and information technologies, but these concerns are not sufficiently well defined to justify political conclusions, since not every ethical concern is in itself a political concern, and the best way to resolve certain ethical difficulties is to draw up political boundaries that facilitate the discovery and testing of various solutions to our ethical puzzles. To illustrate the point, I will indicate how privacy as life, liberty, property defines such a dynamic solution to the problems of commodification of human bodily material and slippery information in insurance markets.
In search of television viewing styles

A variety of viewing measures were constructed to tap the ways people moved through an evening of television viewing, with particular focus on transitions between programs and channels. Based on these behaviors, five different styles of viewing were identified in a sample of adolescents. Of these, only one appeared to correspond to stereotypes of viewers as exercising little choice and just watching what was available. The viewing behaviors of the other four groups all indicate different ways of being active viewers.
Investigation of a Bioinspired Whisker-Like Fluid Motion Sensor

Sensors and sensing technologies to obtain flow information at near real time for the control of new underwater morphing structure applications are being investigated. Inspiration for a new type of fluid motion sensor finds its origin in the vibrissae (whiskers) of seals. Recent research has shown the remarkable sensitivity and specificity of these biological sensors to detect hydrodynamic trails left by potential prey. The impressive sensory performance characteristics of seal whiskers suggest the developmental potential for corresponding synthetic fluid motion sensors. An analytical study of the dynamic response of a synthetic whisker-like beam has been carried out to understand its response to predefined vortical flow fields. A parametric study has been conducted to examine how the geometrical and material parameters (i.e. length, cross-section, and stiffness) can be manipulated to produce characteristic responses for different applications. This theoretical understanding is being used in a companion experimental study to develop a synthetic whisker-like sensor. The performance characteristics of the experimental sensor are compared to the beam model predictions.Copyright © 2006 by ASME