cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative X-Ray Microanalysis in the Analytical Electron Microscope

The analytical electron microscope (AEM) is related to the transmission electron microscope (TEM) in a manner closely analogous to the relationship between the electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). While the term “analytical electron microscopy” is ill-defined, it is generally taken to mean quantitative elemental and structural analysis of thin (electron-transparent) specimens. This analysis is invariably performed in a probe-forming, scanning TEM, or STEM, at an accelerating voltage in the range 100–400 kV, substantially higher than in an SEM/EPMA. In this paper we will emphasize only the aspect of the AEM concerned with quantitative analysis of x rays using an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) interfaced to a STEM. However, it is important to recognize that there are many other signals generated when an electron beam traverses a thin sample, as shown in figure 1. In particular, the electron energy-loss signal and the convergent-beam electron diffraction pattern are important analytical tools, which in many ways complement the x-ray spectral information. In addition, of course, the AEM is also capable of generating the many forms of images traditionally associated with a conventional TEM (and SEM). In fact, it is arguable that the development of the AEM has prevented the TEM from declining in importance as a tool for materials characterization.
Development of an Average Chest Shape for Objective Evaluation of the Aesthetic Outcome in the Nuss Procedure Planning Process

The Nuss procedure is a minimally invasive surgery for correcting pectus excavatum. Pectus excavatum (PE), also called sunken or funnel chest, is a congenital chest wall deformity which is characterized by a deep depression of the sternum. This condition affects primarily children and young adults and is responsible for about 90% of congenital chest wall abnormalities.
Marker-Facilitated Selection for a Major QTL Associated with Root Rot Resistance in Snap Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The use of molecular markers associated with quantitative trait loci (QTL) can improve the effi ciency of breeding programs. In previous research, randomly amplifi ed polymorphic DNA marker alleles AD9.950 + derived from the root rot resistant snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar Puebla 152 and S18.1500 – derived from the susceptible cultivar Eagle were linked in repulsion phase and mapped to the same locus. The alleles were associated with a major QTL that explained 25 and 49% of the variation for the root rot complex for plant vigor and plant biomass, respectively. The objective of the current study was to estimate the average effect of allelic substitution in BC 1 F 3 families that were indirectly selected for root rot resistance or susceptibility based on the AD9.950 and S18.1500 marker phenotypes. Four BC 1 F 3 inbred backcross populations were developed by crossing two susceptible snap bean cultivars (Hercules and Nicelo) with two root rot resistant donor inbred lines. When evaluated in a fi eld with high levels of root rot inocula, families carrying the AD9.950 + / S18.1500 – marker alleles had a mean plant vigor of 3.95 ± 0.96 and mean plant biomass of 25.09 ± 0.89 g plant –1 compared with 7.01 ± 0.96 and 7.05 ± 0.90, respectively, in families that lacked these alleles. Realized gains in plant biomass and plant vigor validate the effectiveness of substituting the AD9.950 + and the S18.1500 – marker alleles to introgress root rot resistance into susceptible genetic backgrounds.
Meropenem–vaborbactam for adults with complicated urinary tract and other invasive infections

Introduction: Complicated urinary tract infections are increasingly caused by multidrug-resistant organisms. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) constitute a rising threat among uropathogens with significant morbidity and mortality. Meropenem–vaborbactam is a novel carbapenem and cyclic boronic acid-based beta-lactamase inhibitor combination with potent activity against subtypes of CRE.Areas covered: This article reviews mechanisms of carbapenem resistance, existing treatment options for CRE, and the current evidence to support the use of meropenem–vaborbactam for the treatment of infections caused by subtypes of CRE including complicated urinary tract infections.Expert commentary: Meropenem–vaborbactam is a superior treatment option for infections secondary to Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing CRE. It is associated with higher rates of treatment success and lower rates of toxicity than traditional agents and demonstrates a potentially higher barrier to acquired antimic...
Determining desirable levels of ecosystem services per capita

Ecosystem services are the numerous, essential processes that natural ecosystems provide free to human societies. Examples include the maintenance of breathable air; the movement, storage, and purification of water; the breakdown of wastes; and the provision of food, building materials, and medicines. However, the exponential increases in human population and concomitant environmental destruction make it likely that the level of ecosystem services available per capita will decline. There are three possible scenarios. First, if present practices continue, ecosystem services per capita will surely decline. Second, if a no-net-loss policy is implemented for habitats and species, ecosystem services per capita will still decline due to increases in human population, but the declines will be less precipitous. Third, if habitat is restored (including concomitant ecosystem services) at a rate exceeding that of destruction, then, perhaps the current level of ecosystem services per capita can be maintained, or even expanded to provide increased levels of ecosystem services per capita to more of the world's people.
Piperazine-Derivative MMV665917: An Effective Drug in the Diarrheic Piglet Model of Cryptosporidium hominis.

Background Cryptosporidiosis, an enteric protozoon, causes substantial morbidity and mortality associated with diarrhea in children 75% of diarrhea reported in these children. Methods Gnotobiotic piglets were orally challenged with C hominis oocysts, and oral treatment with MMV665917 was commenced 3 days after challenge. Oocyst excretion and diarrhea severity were observed daily, and mucosal colonization and lesions were recorded after necropsy. Results MMV665917 significantly reduced fecal oocyst excretion, parasite colonization and damage to the intestinal mucosa, and peak diarrheal symptoms, compared with infected untreated controls. A dose of 20 mg/kg twice daily for 7 days was more effective than 10 mg/kg. There were no signs of organ toxicity at either dose, but 20 mg/kg was associated with slightly elevated blood cholesterol and monocytes at euthanasia. Conclusions These results demonstrate the effectiveness of this drug against C hominis. Piperazine-derivative MMV665917 may potentially be used to treat human cryptosporidiosis; however, further investigations are required.
Nonadherence in Childhood Disorders: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Despite effective treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder to significantly ameliorate symptoms and improve quality of life for patients and families, treatment adherence and continuity are frequently inadequate to yield satisfactory outcomes. This chapter describes attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, its course, and features of its optimal treatment; reviews data on pharmacotherapy adherence; and discusses factors influencing treatment adherence, including those pertaining to the medication regimen, service delivery, patient characteristics, family factors, and developmental issues. Adherence improves when diagnostic evaluations are thorough rather than perfunctory, and with simpler medication regimens, prompt follow-up to adjust treatment and address adverse effects, and ongoing encouragement of communication and concerns by parents and patients.
Patient Outreaches for Clinical Pharmacy Services: A Population Health Management Program Assessment.

Background:Pharmacists in ambulatory care can utilize population health approaches to identify patients needing disease management and improve outcomes. However, population health is only effective...
Catholics v. the Interstates: The fight to protect Catholic institutions from Interstate Highways in Birmingham, Alabama:

This article analyses the conflicts between Catholic churches and Interstate Highway routing during the civil rights era, looking at three Catholic institutions in Birmingham, Alabama, that were ad...
Diastereoselective Pictet–Spengler Based Synthesis of a Chiral Tetrahydroisoquinoline D1 Potentiator

A practical synthesis of a D1 potentiator chiral tetrahydroisoquinoline has been accomplished employing diastereoselective Pictet-Spengler methodology to access the required trans-stereochemistry. A dynamic kinetic resolution by crystallization gives high yields of a N-(phenylsulfonyl)alkyloxazolidinone that is converted to an acyl iminium ion when exposed to a variety of Lewis acids resulting in a highly diastereoselective Pictet-Spengler cyclization. An eight-step linear synthesis that starts with commercially available R-2-bromophenylalanine affords the chiral tetrahydroisoquinoline 1 in 54% overall yield.
The processes of learning and doing writing in macrosocial spaces: understanding how international STEM graduate students deploy spatial repertoires

Analyzing a segment of data from a larger study, this article discusses how international graduate students in the STEM fields deploy macrosocial spatial repertoires as they go about learning and d...
Dynamic effects of calcium on in vivo and ex vivo platelet behavior after trauma.

BACKGROUND Mobilization of intra and extracellular calcium is required for platelet activation, aggregation, and degranulation. However, the importance of alterations in the calcium-platelet axis after injury is unknown. We hypothesized that in injured patients, in vivo initial calcium concentrations (pretransfusion) predict ex vivo platelet activation and aggregation, viscoelastic clot strength, and transfusion of blood products. We additionally hypothesized that increasing calcium concentrations ex vivo increases the expression of platelet activation surface receptors and platelet aggregation responses to agonist stimulation in healthy donor blood. METHODS Blood samples were collected from 538 trauma patients on arrival to the emergency department. Standard assays (including calcium), platelet aggregometry (PA) and thromboelastometry (ROTEM) were performed. In PA, platelet activation (prestimulation impedance [Ω]) and aggregation responses to agonist stimulation (area under the aggregation curve [AUC]) with adenosine diphosphate (ADP), thrombin receptor-activating peptide, arachidonic acid (AA), and collagen (COL) were measured. Multivariable regression tested the associations of calcium with PA, ROTEM, and transfusions. To further examine the calcium-platelet axis, calcium was titrated in healthy blood. Platelet aggregometry and ROTEM were performed, and expression of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa and P-selectin was measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS The patients were moderately injured with normal calcium and platelet counts. Higher calcium on arrival (pretransfusion) was independently associated with increased platelet activation (prestimulation, Ω; p < 0.001), aggregation (ADP-stimulated, AUC; p = 0.002; thrombin receptor-activating peptide-stimulated, AUC; p = 0.038), and clot strength (ROTEM max clot firmness; p < 0.001), and inversely associated with 24-hour transfusions of blood, plasma, and platelets (all p < 0.005). Up-titrating calcium in healthy blood increased platelet activation (prestimulation, Ω; p < 0.001), aggregation (ADP, AA, COL-stimulated AUCs; p < 0.050), and expression of P-selectin (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION Initial calcium concentrations (pretransfusion) are independently associated with platelet activation, aggregation, clot-strength, and transfusions after injury. These changes may be mediated by calcium driven expression of surface receptors necessary for platelet activation and aggregation. However, the therapeutic benefit of early, empiric calcium repletion in trauma patients remains undefined. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic, level V.
Comparison of Treatment Timing between Aggregate Base and Full-Depth Asphalt Roads

AbstractAggregate base-course (ABC) pavements and full-depth asphalt (FDA) pavements are the two most commonly used types of asphalt pavements. During pavement design and pavement management, engin...
Transverse vibrations of cantilever beams: Analytical solutions with general steady-state forcing

Abstract Novel theoretical approach for characterization of transverse vibrations of cantilever beams under continuous spatially distributed load is proposed. Four beam theories (Euler–Bernoulli, Euler–Bernoulli with dissipation, shear and shear with dissipation) are considered. Explicit analytical solutions are obtained for three of them and simplification algorithm for the fourth is proposed. Despite several limitations implied (time-independent loading, homogeneous boundary conditions) the solution developed is general enough and is applicable for a wide class of space-dependent loads. The approach is verified with available experimental data and shown to be applicable in a wide scale range.
Maintaining access to maternal fetal medicine care by telemedicine during a global pandemic.

ObjectiveThis study aims to compare a conventional medical treatment model with a telehealth platform for Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) outpatient care during the global novel coronavirus pandemic....
On the Role of State Estimation in Real-time Scheduling

Abstract We formally introduce the concept of “state” of a batch in production scheduling, we examine how this state impacts the scheduling process, and propose an approach to estimate it based on real-time plant information. We present an online scheduling algorithm based on a state-space resource task network (RTN) formulation and show why and how the resource-task interaction coefficients (which have always been thought to be constants) should be updated based on the state of the executed batches, using real-time information, to obtain better implemented solutions.
Protein, Bypass Protein and the Fate of Nitrogen

The price of feeds have increased significantly in the last few years. Farmers are continuing to try to find ways to cut feed costs. Several things have happened in ration formulation that are going to allow us to formulate rations less expensively. We are improving our knowledge on balancing for nonstructural carbohydrate, NDF, fat and protein fractions. This will allow us to improve our accuracy in formulating rations to optimize rumen fermentation and reduce the purchase of expensive protein and fat sources. The discussion of the protein system needs to be in terms of the carbohydrates consumed. We can then examine the opportunities to fine tune the protein fractions and save money.
Aspiration fluid cytology during single operator cholangioscopy with targeted biopsy to improves the diagnostic yield in indeterminate biliary strictures

Introduction Sensitivities of various sampling methods to detect malignant biliary strictures remain suboptimal. Irrigation during digital single operator cholangioscopy (dSOC) is done routinely for visualization of the duct. The aim of this study was to evaluate improvement of the sensitivity for detecting malignant biliary strictures when adding aspiration fluid cytology (AFC) from the irrigated fluid during cholangioscopy to cholangioscopic biopsy (CBx). Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients at a tertiary medical center who underwent CBx for evaluation of their biliary strictures. We included patients who had aspiration of fluid from the bile duct after CBx and were sent for cytology from January 2017 to October 2017. Diagnosis was made on the basis of final pathology or follow-up over 9 months. Results Fifty-six patients had CBx obtained, out of which 35 patients had AFC in conjunction. Twenty-two (62%) patients were male and the average age was 65 years. Considering atypical cells as benign, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) for CBx were 62.5%, 100%, 100%, and 76% respectively. When CBx combined with AFC, the above statistics went up to 81.25%, 100%, 100%, and 86.36% respectively. When atypical cells were considered malignant, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for CBx were 81.25%, 84.21%, 81.25%, 84.21% and increased to 93.75%, 78.94%, 78.94%, and 93.75% respectively after adding AFC results. Conclusion For patients with biliary stricture, addition of AFC dSOC guided biopsies, significantly improves the sensitivity for detecting malignancy.
Federalism and CERCLA: Re-Thinking the Role of Federal Law in Private Cleanup Cost Disputes

Voluntary cleanups are essential to addressing the hundreds of thousands of contaminated sites that still require remediation in the United States, as government agencies lack the resources to conduct these cleanups themselves or to file thousands of lawsuits compelling private party cleanups. Most sites have been contaminated by the acts of more than one potentially responsible party (PRP). For two decades, PRPs voluntarily cleaned up sites assuming they could then seek cleanup cost contribution from other PRPs under CERCLA (the "Superfund" statute). The December 2004 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Cooper Industries, Inc. v. Aviall Services, Inc. caused a sea change in environmental law, upsetting the reliance interests of regulatory agencies and PRPs by holding that a PRP in most situations cannot sue other PRPs for their fair share of cleanup costs under CERCLA's contribution provision. Aviall called into question whether federal law would play any role in most private cleanup cost disputes. This article examines the normative question of whether federal or state law should serve as the primary rule of decision in private cleanup cost disputes. It concludes that a uniform federal rule of decision is superior to the incoherent patchwork quilt of current state law remedies as a tool for facilitating voluntary cleanups, providing a "safety net" assuring the availability of cleanup cost contribution rights to PRPs in every state.
Substance use disorder and homelessness among American Indians and Alaska Natives in California

American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities have higher rates of substance use than other racial and ethnic groups. Substance use disorder (SUD) is tied to the increased risk of experienci...
Increased Risk of Status Epilepticus in Post-stroke Epilepsy Patients on Coumadin (P2.5-024)

Objective: Identify risk factors for Status Epilepticus in post-stroke epilepsy. Background: Cerebrovascular disease is the most common cause of epilepsy in elderly patients, with estimates of post-stroke epilepsy ranging between 8–12%. Status epilepticus (SE) in older patients has a higher mortality rate when compared to younger patients. Many patients with a history of stroke are started on anticoagulation (Coumadin or one of novel oral anticoagulants) for either secondary stroke prevention or treatment of post-stroke complications, potentially leading to unforeseen clinical complications. Scarce data has been published thus far. Design/Methods: Upon IRB approval, data was retrospectively reviewed for patients >60 years, seen from 1/31/11–12/31/16, who had a history of stroke and seizure(s). Individuals with history of epilepsy prior to stroke were excluded. Data included patient demographics, stroke characteristics, seizure onset, history of SE, and information about anti-epileptics and anticoagulants. Results: Out of 70 patients, the proportion developing SE was similar regardless of use of anticoagulation (including Coumadin and NOACs), 43.75% vs 53.85% respectively. The majority of patients on anticoagulation who developed SE were taking Coumadin, (14.3% vs. 66.7%, p Conclusions: Patients on anticoagulation (specifically Coumadin) developed SE much sooner than patients not on anticoagulation, despite no differences between lifetime strokes, number of antiepileptics, age at seizure onset. While no known adverse events were reported for this cohort regarding outcomes, our data suggests clinicians should be cautious when managing post-stroke epilepsy in older patients on anticoagulants. Disclosure: Dr. Stepien has nothing to disclose. Dr. Manske has nothing to disclose. Dr. Smith has nothing to disclose. Dr. O’Dwyer has nothing to disclose.
Winged Immortals and Heavenly Beings Across the East Asian Skies

In the mid-sixth century, Buddhism and with it its pantheon of deities arrived in Japan. This paper focuses on the flying or heavenly beings represented around Buddhas and bodhisattvas. In spite of being quite conspicuous in early Buddhist temples and on icons, such beings are seldom the subject of study, perhaps because they are not the focus of devotion. Their role seems to be to enhance the radiance of the Buddhist world. The aim of this paper is to trace the origins of these heavenly beings and their arrival in Japan. Through the analysis of visual and textual material, this paper demonstrates that the type of heavenly being that came to Japan was a composite being created in China that combined the Indian prototype of flying beings with the Chinese idea of immortal beings soaring through the skies on clouds.
A Review of: “Colin S. Gray, Strategy and History: Essays on Theory and Practice”

Leading American and British strategist Colin Gray's latest book, Strategy and History: Essays on Theory and Practice, offers a unique and diverse compilation of some of his most outstanding and re...
Cost-Effectiveness of Referring Patients to Centers of Excellence for Mitral Valve Surgery

BACKGROUNDThe 2014 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Valvular Heart Disease Guidelines state that mitral valve diseases should be repaired at a Center of Excellence (CoE). We evaluate the cost-effectiveness of such referrals. METHODSWe estimate patients’ life expectancy based on projected survival of patients after mitral valve surgery and develop a cost model to calculate short- and long-term benefits and costs to both patients and payers. Benefits include increased life expectancy and avoidance of medical complications for patients. Short-term costs include all upfront payments by patients and payers at the time of discharge. Long-term costs include all payments associated with the condition that prompted the surgical procedure incurred during the remainder of a patient’s life. We assess cost-effectiveness of treating patients with various ages and major comorbidities at CoEs vs non-CoEs. RESULTSFull implementation of the guidelines would result in an increase in the percentage of patients obtaining mitral valve repair instead of valve replacement from 58% to 72%. Depending on the patient’s age and comorbidities, it would also result in a 6.64% to 12.47% reduction in mortality, 7.85% to 9.97% reduction in reoperation, 9.97% to 17.16% reduction in stroke, and an average gain of 3.77 to 9.88 months of life expectancy. Finally, greater reliance on CoEs results in financial savings to payers, due to avoidance of the costs of future complications.CONCLUSIONPatients benefit from mitral valve surgery at a CoE regardless of their age or comorbidities. Payers may incur additional short-term costs when patients are referred to a CoE, but these are fully offset by long-term savings at the current repair rate gap of 24% between CoEs and non-CoEs in New York State. Redesigning co-pay structures and/or refining the set of patients who are referred to CoEs could further align the incentives of patients and payers on a case-by-case basis and achieve an even more desirable social outcome.
Tensors in NMR

Interaction Hamiltonians in NMR spectroscopy are typically described as contractions or scalar products of spatial and spin tensors. These expressions arise naturally from expressing the interactions first using vectors and cartesian tensors, and then finding the appropriate spherical tensor formulation. The latter form is used pervasively in NMR literature. Here, we describe how spherical tensors arise from their cartesian counterparts, and how one can arrive at the Hamiltonian expressions in the form of spherical tensor formulations. Keywords: NMR; cartesian tensor; spherical tensor; irreducible tensor; Hamiltonian
Results of a Canadian shipborne radar search and rescue detection experiment

A marine radar shipborne search and rescue detection experiment was undertaken off Nova Scotia using the Canadian Coast Guard ship Sir William Alexander and US Coast Guard visual search experiment methodology. The targets were 4- and 6-man life rafts, some with 2 m/sup 2/ Luneburg lenses mounted on high-flyer buoys at a height equal to that of the canopy top of 4-man life rafts, and a small search and rescue radar transponder deployed on the ocean surface. The radar systems were the Sperry 340, the Sperry 4016, and the Raytheon Pathfinder ST radar. The number of searches and the target type varied for each radar. The sweep widths were very narrow for all but the radar transponder. >
A systolic IIR decimator

A discussion is presented of several methods of providing complex pole pairs in the transfer function of a decimator for oversampled converters. Utilization of pole cancellation with added compensating zeros yields a systolic structure that is easily implemented. Decomposition of the coefficient terms of the IIR decimator by means of a high radix modified Booths algorithm recording scheme is shown to be efficient. An extension to the Agarwal and Burrus transformation for poles close to the z=1 point on the z-plane is shown to allow a reduction in the precision of the coefficients. >
Iowa State University Horse Teaching Farm

The first horse barn at ISU was built in 1870. Since that time, equine studies have been an integral part of the animal sciences. The current facilities for the horse unit were constructed in 1926 and have existed with little modification since that time. The faculty and staff endeavor to provide the highest quality active learning environment that promotes life-long learning in both career and life skills for students and to serve the equine community through extension and outreach activities. The farm unit maintains a horse herd of 45 head to support at least 10 courses on an annual basis. The unit also stands several studs for breeding mares from the university and private clientele.
Optimizing Border Patrol Operations Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The most common approach for border patrol operations is the use of human personnel and manned ground vehicles, which is expensive, at times inefficient and sometimes even hazardous to people involved. A better approach would be using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in combination with such ground sensors. This would help improve the overall effectiveness of the surveillance system as a UAV could first scan the alert area before sending in personnel and vehicles, if deemed necessary. We propose border surveillance using multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in combination with alert stations consisting of Unattended Ground Sensors (UGSs) along the border line/fence. Upon detecting an event, an alert would be triggered by any UGS. We simulate this process by reading probability data for different timestamps from a text file. And, based on utility values of each station, two UAVs decide on which alert station to service.
Adult metaxalone ingestions reported to Texas poison control centers, 2000-2006.

Few data exist on potentially adverse metaxalone (Skelaxin®) ingestions in adults. All metaxalone ingestions involving patients aged ≥20 years during 2000-2006 were retrieved from Texas poison control centers. Exclusion criteria were lack of follow-up or multiple substance ingestion. Cases were analyzed for selected demographic and clinical factors. Of the 142 patients, 66.2% were female. Dose ingested was reported for 61 patients. Of those cases with a reported dose, distribution by management site was 29.5% on-site, 59.0% already at/en route to health care facility, and 11.5% referred to health care facility. Final medical outcome was ‘no effect’ for 50.8% cases, ‘minor effect’ for 31.1%, and ‘moderate effect’ for 18.0%. The more common adverse clinical effects reported were drowsiness (27.9%), tachycardia (6.6%), agitation (6.6%), nausea (4.9%), dizziness (4.9%), slurred speech (4.9%), and tremor (4.9%). A moderate medical outcome occurred in 13.6% of ingestions of ≤2400 mg and 20.5% of ingestions of >...
What Does Spirituality Mean to You? Mapping the Spiritual Discourses of Psychotherapy Graduate Students

In this qualitative study, we explored spirituality discourses using survey responses of 141 psychotherapy masters and doctoral students to the following open-ended request: “Please describe how you define spirituality for yourself.” Findings indicated that spirituality discourses played out in the following areas: (a) spirituality as relational connection, (b) spirituality as individually defined, (c) spirituality as relative and unspecific, and (d) spirituality as manifestation of power dynamics. We discussed how these results fit with extant literature on clinical training and spirituality, and we delineated how clinical supervisors and mental health educators can apply these results to their work with graduate students.
Myosin Stiffness and Cross-Bridge Kinetics are Influenced by Five Drosophila Alternative Converters

The converter has been proposed to be the myosin elastic element that sets cross-bridge stiffness. According to most cross-bridge models, the elastic element's stiffness should influence muscle fiber type force and power generation levels. We tested these hypotheses by exploiting the natural variation in converter regions found in Drosophila muscle types. In Drosophila, myosin isoforms are generated by alternative splicing from a single myosin heavy chain gene. The converter region is encoded by five alternative versions. We forced the four non-native versions to be expressed in Drosophila indirect flight muscle (IFM) and found that two of the three versions tested to date, 11b and 11e (found in larval and adult body wall muscles) significantly decreased IFM rigor stiffness by 63% and 43%, respectively. This supports the hypothesis that the converter is at least part of the elastic element of myosin. The converters influenced more than myosin stiffness, as all three converters slowed the super fast IFM fiber kinetics. 11b, 11d, and 11e decreased the frequency at which maximum power was generated (fmax) by 28%, 40%, and 53%, respectively. All three decreased apparent rate constant 2πb (set by myosin attachment and Pi release kinetics). However, 11d and 11e increased 2πc (set by detachment kinetics). Differences in force generation are minimal, likely due to myosin stiffness changes being offset by changes in duty ratio. With little to no force differences, power almost directly correlated with fmax, and the optimal percent ML amplitude for power inversely correlated with fmax. All three lines showed reduced wing beat frequency, with flight performance better correlating with fiber fmax than rigor stiffness. Thus, the converter is critical for muscle fiber type diversity as it helps set myosin stiffness, cross-bridge kinetics and power generation.
Will Technology Defeat Your Auditor

Enron is only the latest of a growing list of frauds that went undetected for years. Even if your auditor is honest, the widespread use of technology makes it tougher for him to find the crime—and make the bad guys do the time. But what do you have a right to expect from your auditor? © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Scattering Amplitudes in Quantum Electrodynamics at Infinite Energy, and Possible Implications for Hadron Physics

We study in pure quantum electrodynamics the scattering amplitudes at infinite energy due to multiphoton exchange, with interactions among the exchange photons. Such processes, elastic or inelastic, lead to logarithmic dependence on $s$. The $\mathrm{ln}s$ dependence is found to be associated with the invariance of subgraphs under a boost along the direction of the high-energy collision. Theoretically, our results lead towards a more efficient way of handling a large class of diagrams, and a better understanding of $j$-plane cut behavior. We speculate that several features of our results generalize to hadron physics. Among these are features in common with the limiting fragmentation hypothesis, and the appearance of pionization in a many-fireball structure. Finally, in the absence of radiative corrections, we demonstrate that the ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, ${e}^{\ensuremath{\mp}}$ elastic scattering amplitude can be expressed as an eikonal form, with $\ensuremath{\chi}(\mathbf{b})$ being generated by the sum of all connected pieces.
Spiral Methanol to Hydrogen Micro-Reformer for Fuel Cell Applications

A spiral microchannel methanol reformer has been developed to provide power in conjunction with a micro fuel cell for a portable, low-power device. The design is optimized for low pumping power and rapid operation as well as thermal efficiency, overall size, and complete generation of the available hydrogen. An iterative, implicit, finite-element solution code, which locates the boundaries between liquid, two-phase, and gaseous flow, provides a complete solution of the fluid and heat transfer properties throughout the device. The solution employs experimentally verified available microchannel fluid dynamics relations to develop accurate results. Based on this analysis, the proposed microreformer design will have an overall maximum energy efficiency of 70%.
Interpersonal communication competence in context: Assessing performance in the selection interview

This study examined the relationship between interpersonal communication competence dispositions and situated outcomes in the job selection interview. Students in an upper‐division interviewing course participated in simulated selection interviews. Scores on measures of interpersonal communication competence, communication flexibility, and rhetorical sensitivity were compared with evaluations of interviewee communication performance. Results indicate that interpersonal competence was not related to evaluations of applicant performance. The findings suggest that we rethink the role of cross‐situational approaches to communication competence in light of context‐specific approaches.
Starch-Gel Electrophoresis of Human Tissue Enzymes Which Hydrolyze L-Leucyl-β-Naphthylamide

Electrophoretically distinct formls of the enzyme or enzymes which catalyze the hydrolysis of L -leucyl-β-naphthylamide were demonstrated in various human tissues. There were characteristic patterns for different tissues. Unlike the enzymes found in normnal serum, some tissue-specific enzymes were unaffected or activated L -methionine.
Suspected ciliary block associated with Viscoat use

Abstract Ciliary block or malignant glaucoma is thought to be caused by the misdirection ofaqueous into the vitreous. It is refractory to medical treatment and often requires vitreous aspiration. We present a case of ciliary block glaucoma caused by sodium chondroitin sulfate-sodium hyaluronate (Viscoat®) gaining access to the vitreous through an unsuspected, small zonular dialysis. Vitrectomy performed through a peripheral iridectomy resolved this severe condition.
Contouring of a free oil surface

A non-contact (i.e., optical) technique is required to measure the deformation of a free oil surface under the influence of a localized thermal load. This deformation is caused by surface tension driven thermal convective flow inside the fluid, and can be as large as 250 micrometers . Therefore, conventional interferometry is not possible. Instead, a Ronchi technique is proposed for contour mapping the oil surface. This paper presents a design concept for a two channel Ronchi instrument and some preliminary results from a feasibility study using a single channel Ronchi instrument.
On the “Duel” Nature of History: Revisiting Contingency versus Determinism

What is the relationship between external—physical and biological—influences on increasingly complex matter over billions of years? In his most recent book, Islands in the Cosmos: the Evolution of Life on Land, Dale Russell attempts to answer this question. Russell is the senior curator of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and, among other things, is well known for proposing in 1971 an extraterrestrial cause for the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs [2]. This places Russell among the first paleontologists to consider this extinction as a relatively sudden event in Earth’s history. Dale Russell has spent his lifetime pondering grand evolutionary questions, and it is a quest that Islands in the Cosmos well illustrates. His central thesis explains that evolutionary theory (as he views it)—based on ‘‘random mutations’’ and ‘‘adaptation to irregular changes in the physical environment’’—inadequately accounts for longterm trends in the competitive abilities of organisms and the ultimate appearance of sentient beings (e.g., Homo sapiens) in the cosmos. Russell instead proposes that even though mutations are random, because ‘‘...the effects of natural selection are not random, and modulated by adaptive responses to irregular changes in the physical environment,’’ properties of matter and feedback in biotic competition have established a deterministic trajectory in the history of life. His argument distills to the following interrelated points:
“Combination” method of fast HEVC encoding

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), one of the latest video compression schemes proposed by Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC) which is a partnership between International Telecommunication Union Video Coding Experts Group (ITU T-VCEG) and International Organization for Standardization Moving Picture Experts Group (ISO/IEC MPEG), has been promoted to Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) on January 25, 2013. With three profiles: main, main10 and still-frame, it achieves far better compression ratio than already existing schemes, while maintaining visual quality. However, this superior bitrate savings is achieved at the expense of huge computational complexity which in turn means higher encoding time. One of the aspects of encoding is intra prediction. A fast intra prediction method has been explored in this paper. Residual quadtree (RQT) coding is another computation intensive step before intra prediction. A fast RQT method has been combined with the fast intra prediction method to achieve better encoding time. A decrease of about 50% in encoding time can be seen with combining the fast intra prediction method and fast RQT into a single codebase for encoding the raw YUV videos while maintaining the visual quality.
Acid-Base and Electrolyte Changes Following Maximal and Submaximal Exercise in Hemodialysis Patients

Maximal treadmill exercise was conducted in nine hemodialysis patients and in 15 unconditioned healthy subjects. Exercise capacity in the dialysis patients, as measured by duration of exercise, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), and workload achieved (METS) was approximately 50% of that of the nonuremic volunteers. Four of the dialysis patients were studied on both dialysis (predialysis) and nondialysis days and also at 60% of VO2 max for 30 minutes on a nondialysis day. In these individuals, serum electrolytes, acid-base, and biochemical parameters were analyzed preexercise and at regular intervals following cessation of treadmill exercise. Transient metabolic acidosis and mild hyperkalemia developed after maximal exercise but not after prolonged submaximal exercise. Patients were slightly more acidotic and hyperkalemic on a dialysis day compared to a nondialysis day. Cardiopulmonary performance was similar on both days. These changes in serum electrolytes and acid-base parameters provide documentation of the extent of biochemical changes that develop following exercise in dialysis patients.
Unphosphorylated STAT and heterochromatin protect genome stability

Heterochromatin is a form of highly compacted chromatin associated with epigenetic gene silencing and chromosome organization. We have previously shown that unphosphorylated nuclear signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) physically interacts with heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) to promote heterochromatin stability. To understand whether STAT and heterochromatin are important for maintenance of genome stability, we genetically manipulated the levels of unphosphorylated STAT and HP1 [encoded by Su(var)205] in Drosophila and examined the effects on chromosomal morphology and resistance to DNA damage under conditions of genotoxic stress. Here we show that, compared with wild-type controls, Drosophila mutants with reduced levels of unphosphorylated STAT or heterochromatin are more sensitive to radiation-induced cell cycle arrest, have higher levels of spontaneous and radiation-induced DNA damage, and exhibit defects in chromosomal compaction and segregation during mitosis. Conversely, animals with increased levels of heterochromatin exhibit less DNA damage and increased survival rate after irradiation. These results suggest that maintaining genome stability by heterochromatin formation and correct chromosomal packaging is essential for normal cellular functions and for survival of animals under genotoxic stress.
Lexical and phonological effects in early word production.

Purpose This study examines the influence of word frequency, phonological neighborhood density (PND), age of acquisition (AoA), and phonotactic probability on production variability and accuracy of known words by toddlers with no history of speech, hearing, or language disorders. Method Fifteen toddlers between 2;0 (years;months) and 2;5 produced monosyllabic target words varying in word frequency, PND, AoA, and phonotactic probability. Phonetic transcription was used to determine (a) whole-word variability and (b) proportion of whole-word proximity (PWP; Ingram, 2002) of each target word produced. Results Results show a significant effect of PND on PWP and variability (words from dense neighborhoods had higher PWP and lower variability than those from sparse neighborhoods), a significant effect of word frequency on variability (high-frequency words were less variable) but not proximity, and a significant effect of AoA on proximity (earlier acquired words had lower PWP) but not variability. Conclusions Re...
Extensions and Corollaries of the Thermodynamic Solvate Difference Rule

The ever-growing requirement to develop new materials for highly specific applications is making major demands for thermodynamic data which have not, to date, been measured. This, in turn, means that, increasingly, estimated values are required to make thermodynamic interpretations and feasibility studies of reactions involving these materials. In this vein, four further extensions of, and insights into, the Thermodynamic Solvate Difference Rule, are presented here and tested. The result is the provision of valuable, albeit approximate, rules useful for many areas of organic/inorganic chemisty to predict thermodynamic data in cases where experimental data have not yet been determined. These extended rules take the form P{MpXq·jL,p}+P{M′pX′q′·kL,p}≈P{MpXq·dL,p}+P{M′pX′q′·sL,p} where j + k = d + s and the salt M′pX′q can be the same as MpXq. P represents any of the individual thermodynamic properties: ΔfH°, ΔfG°, ΔfS°, S°, etc. Also P{MpXq·jL,p}+P{M′pX′q′·kL,p}≈P{MpXq·kL,p}+P{M′pX′q′·jL,p} For salts MpXq, M...
Construction of non-linear semi-groups using product formulas

Under certain circumstances, the Trotter-Lie formulaWt=lim(Ut/nVt/n)n is used to construct a non-linear semi-groupWt on closed subsets ofLP, 1≦p<∞. In particular we consider the situation whereUt=etA is a positivity preservingC0 (linear) semi-group andVt is generated by a (non-linear) functionF with certain monotonicity properties. In general,A andF are “singular” onLp and no requirement is made that one of them be “relatively bounded” with respect to the other. The generator of the resulting semi-groupWt turns out to be an extension ofA +F restricted to a suitable domain.
Prenatal sickle cell screening education effect on the follow-up rates of infants with sickle cell trait.

Abstract Objective: To assess the effect of prenatal education about newborn sickle cell screening on parents’ compliance with the follow-up for infants with sickle cell trait. Subjects: Expectant mothers whose prenatal education included information about newborn sickle cell screening were the study group, and those whose prenatal education did not include such information were the control group. Methods: Mothers of infants with sickle cell trait were given the opportunity for in-person notification of screening results and follow-up counseling/education. Follow-up rates, anxiety and retention of information were assessed for the case-control study. Results: There were a total of 15 670 infants born in the region, and 647 infants were identified with sickle cell trait. The follow-up rate for parents of infants with sickle cell trait was significantly higher (76%) for study group than the control group (49%) ( P =0.0006). Parents whose prenatal education included sickle cell hemoglobinopathy information retained significantly more of the information given during the post-natal education than did controls. Conclusion: Our data suggest that prenatal education for expectant mothers which includes information about newborn sickle cell screening significantly increases the follow-up rate for infants with sickle cell trait and contributes to a greater retention of information.
Profit through Knowledge: The Application of Academic Research to Information Technology Organizations

This paper examines the application of academic research to information technology IT organizations by examining the roles and behaviors of academic researchers and IT practitioners to determine areas of mutual opportunity. A practitioner Information-Gathering Model is developed to explore the manner in which IT professionals remain current on technological advances. This model subsequently is utilized to formulate specific recommendations to improve knowledge transfer.
RECURRING ERRORS IN MEDICAL LATIN

This paper records and classifies a number of common errors in the grammar and pronunciation of medical Latin, including several that appear in medical dictionaries. Most of these errors arise through mistaken analogy with unrelated grammatical forms or phonetic patterns. A discussion of their implications for communication leads to the conclusion that, although they pose little threat to the accurate preservation and transfer of data, they represent a breakdown in the coherence and consistency of a unified language system and, in some instances, a violation of internationally codified nomenclatural rules.
Flip-flopping membrane proteins.

Some membrane proteins can adopt multiple topologies, forcing us to think more expansively about membrane protein architecture.
Radiocarbon Dating of Biogenetic Opal

Approximately 75 grams of biogenetic opal were isolated from 45 kilograms of soil by employing gross particle-size and sink-float specific gravity fractionation procedures. After pretreatment of the sample to remove extraneous organic and inorganic carbon contaminants, the carbon occluded within opal phytoliths was dated at 13,300 ± 450 years before the present. Therefore, biogenetic opal is stable for relatively long periods.