cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contrasting pediatric and adult methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates

We performed a prospective study of all inpatient and outpatient methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates identified at the University of Chicago Hospitals from November 2003 through November 2004. Differences in resistance to non-beta-lactam antimicrobial drugs were determined after stratification of the 578 MRSA isolates into 4 groups by patient age (pediatric vs. adult) and onset location (community vs. hospital). Non-beta-lactam resistance was significantly greater among the 288 adult than the 177 pediatric community-associated isolates for erythromycin (93.2 vs. 87.0%, p = 0.03), clindamycin (51.8 vs. 7.3%, p<0.001), ciprofloxacin (62.1 vs. 10.7%, p<0.001), gentamicin (11.1 vs. 1.1%, p<0.001), and tetracycline (19.9 vs. 6.4%, p<0.001). In contrast, hospital-associated MRSA isolates from children and adults had similar rates of non-beta-lactam antimicrobial drug resistance. In our region, clindamycin is an appropriate empiric therapy of community-associated MRSA infection in children but should be used with caution in adults.
A technique for creating and initializing hidden units for neural net pattern classification problems

Summary form only given, as follows. A significant problem associated with the application of the standard backpropagation algorithm for pattern classification is the lack of a rationale for determining the number of hidden units necessary to obtain an acceptable level of performance. A procedure is presented for developing neural networks that estimate from the training data the number of hidden units needed for a given two-class problem and also provide an initial estimate of the weights of all hidden units in the first layer of the network. The method is developed for the general case where the underlying input space is n-dimensional. Computer simulations are given for a neural network with a single layer of hidden units and a two-dimensional pattern space. >
Bela H. Banathy: a short story of my life

This article reflects an autobiographical account of Bela H. Banathy's life, providing a recorded history of his accomplishments, personally and professionally. Importantly, Bela's story provides insight into his early life and the historicity of his origins as a systems and design scientist. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Developmental regulation of laminin accumulation in the extracellular matrix of a mouse muscle cell line

We have investigated the synthesis, accumulation, and secretion of laminin, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, during differentiation of the C2 mouse skeletal muscle cell line in culture. Myoblasts actively synthesized laminin, as measured by incorporation of [35S]methionine and by a dot-immunobinding assay. In myoblast cultures laminin accumulated in an intracellular compartment and could be extracted with a physiological salt solution containing the detergent Triton X-100. After the culture medium was replaced to promote differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes, laminin synthesis was increased, and laminin began to accumulate in the medium in soluble form. During differentiation, laminin also accumulated in an insoluble cell-associated fraction that required guanidinium chloride for extraction. Indirect immunofluorescence and immunobinding assays showed that myotubes but not myoblasts contained laminin on their external surface. The time course of increase in surface laminin paralleled that of the accumulation of insoluble laminin. These results suggest that the insoluble fraction represents laminin bound to the extracellular matrix at the cell surface. Our experiments demonstrate, contrary to previous observations, that myotube cultures synthesize and accumulate laminin, and further, that the differentiation of proliferating myoblasts to multinucleated myotubes is accompanied by increased laminin synthesis, by secretion of laminin into the medium, and by the deposition of laminin into an extracellular matrix on the myotube surface.
Polarization-Induced Hole Doping in Wide–Band-Gap Uniaxial Semiconductor Heterostructures

Impurity-based p-type doping in wide-band-gap semiconductors is inefficient at room temperature for applications such as lasers because the positive-charge carriers (holes) have a large thermal activation energy. We demonstrate high-efficiency p-type doping by ionizing acceptor dopants using the built-in electronic polarization in bulk uniaxial semiconductor crystals. Because the mobile hole gases are field-ionized, they are robust to thermal freezeout effects and lead to major improvements in p-type electrical conductivity. The new doping technique results in improved optical emission efficiency in prototype ultraviolet light-emitting-diode structures. Polarization-induced doping provides an attractive solution to both p- and n-type doping problems in wide-band-gap semiconductors and offers an unconventional path for the development of solid-state deep-ultraviolet optoelectronic devices and wide-band-gap bipolar electronic devices of the future.
Amino acid utilization by isolated adipose tissue of meal-fed rats.

SummaryMeal-feeding (limiting access to food to 2 hours per day) in the rat stimulated the utilization of leucine- and lysine-14C by isolated adipose tissue. Epididymal adipose tissue from meal-fed rats incorporated significantly more amino acid carbon into protein and fatty acids than did similar tissue from nibbling (ad libitum-ied) animals. Greater quantities of amino acids were also oxidized by adipose tissue of meal-fed rats. The incorporation of leucine- and lysine-14C into protein and fatty acids was stimulated by addition of glucose to the incubation medium, and insulin addition resulted in a further stimulation. The possible regulatory mechanisms involved are discussed in light of available knowledge concerning adipose tissue metabolism.
Uniform decay estimates and the lorentz invariance of the classical wave equation

On etudie le comportement asymptotique des solutions de □u=0 ou □=∂ t 2 −∂ 1 2 ...−∂ n 2 pour des conditions initiales u=0, u t =g(x) en t=0, avec g reguliere a support compact dans R n
The sequential adsorption of noble-metal and alkali-metal layers on Ru(001): a combined MQS and TDS study

Abstract The deposition of Ag or Cu layers on K or Li monolayers on Ru(001) was studied to investigate the effect of underlying alkali layers on noble metal properties. The surface electronic structure was probed using metastable quenching spectroscopy (MQS). CO was also used as a chemical probe of the surface properties, using MQS and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). It was found that large amounts ( ∼ 8 ML, referenced to clean Ru) of Ag or Cu are needed to cover a K monolayer at 88 K, showing that K is displaced from Ru and rapidly diffuses into the noble metal during deposition. Li behaves quite differently; 1 ML of Ag on 1 ML Li/Ru is found to nearly eliminate the Li MQ peak at 88 K. Annealing Ag-covered Li and K monolayers on Ru causes diffusion of the alkali metal atoms to the Ag surface. For coadsorbed K and Cu monolayers on Ru, MQS detects no significant difference in the electronic structure of surfaces prepared by dosing K on Cu versus Cu on K. However, a substantial difference between these surfaces is observed with both MQS and TDS by using CO as a surface probe. Four different KCO codesorption states as well as a low-temperature CO desorption feature are observed from the Cu/Ru system.
1007 SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF INTRAVENTRICULAR GENTAMYCIN IN CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM INFECTIONS

1007 SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF INTRAVENTRICULAR GENTAMYCIN IN CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM INFECTIONS
Self-consistent theory of dendritic growth with convection

Abstract A theory is described which treats dentritic growth with forced convection in the melt as a free boundary problem. This approach yields self-consistent solutions for the rate of propagation of an isothermal interface and the temperature and velocity fields surrounding it. The solutions to the free boundary problem reduce to Ivantsov's pure conduction solution when the Reynolds number is zero. It is shown that the Oseen, Stokes and potential flow approximation of the Navier-Stokes equations for convection in a subcooled melt yield exact solutions for the shape preserving growth of a parabolic dendrite. The results given here, and our previous results, yield an infinite family of solutions. Therefore microscopic solvability theory is used to separate the growth velocity, V G , and tip radius, R , for a fixed subcooling, Δ T . The theoretical results which include convection and the solvability relationship agree well with the experimental data of Huang and Glicksman and with the results of Ananth and Gill who used the experimental data directly with the convection theory to separate V G and R . In contrast, Ivantsov's theory, which neglects convection, yields large errors when compared with these experiments, which are correlated well by 2αd 0 V G R 2.1 = 0.03 . This implies that the solvability relationship, 2αd 0 V G R 2 = 60 ϵ 7 4 , in contrast to the heat transfer calculation, is not affected profoundly by convection in the melt in the range of the subcooling used in the experiments. However, the value of V G R 2 decreases slightly, for a fixed degree of anisotropy, ϵ, as the subcooling gets smaller and convection increases in intensity. Forced flow experiments in which flow velocities are orders of magnitude larger than those in natural convection, would help to clarify the effect of convection on interfacial stability.
Empirical Analysis of the Activity-Planning Process

The processes underlying activity planning were analyzed. The analysis focused on when activities and the attributes of those activities were planned in relation to each other and to the final activity schedule by using the concept of the activity plan horizon extended to the individual attributes. An Internet-based prompted-recall survey using Global Positioning System data was designed to elicit the planning horizons from the survey respondents. The retrospective reports of activity plan times were compared with prospective accounts of activity planning given by the same respondents in a separate survey. The understanding of the activity-planning process, especially how activities are preplanned and in what order the attributes of the activities are decided, can potentially result in more realistic and theoretically sound models of the activity-planning process.
Palliative sclerosis of intra-abdominal cystic ovarian or peritoneal carcinoma

Three patients with platinum- and paclitaxel-resistant predominantly cystic intra-abdominal recurrences of ovarian or peritoneal carcinoma were treated with CT-guided percutaneous catheter drainage and subsequent sclerosis. This relieved colonic or ureteral obstruction and provided significant relief from symptoms. In one case repeated sclerosis was performed. Sclerosis of cystic recurrences may provide additional palliation.
RECTIFICATION EFFECT IN THIN-FILM SUPERCONDUCTORS IN SMALL, OSCILLATORY MAGNETIC FIELDS.

We have observed the generation of dc voltages across super conducting films of lead and tin due to the presence of a static magnetic fieldH0 upon which a small, oscillatory magnetic field component is superimposed. The voltages are created without an external current passing though the samples. They change sign with a reversal of the static fieldH0. The voltages are related to superconductivity and seem to be caused by a nonsymmetric penetration into the specimen of the magnetic field variation. During one cycle of the magnetic field oscillation a small fraction of the total flux entering and leaving the sample appears to be “pumped across” the specimen in a preferential direction. The thickness of the films ranged between 0.16 and 2.5 µm. The frequency ω and the amplitudeH1 of the oscillatory field was varied from 5 to 120 kHz and from 0 to 2 G rms, respectively. The rectified voltage varies between the different samples and depends uponH0, ω,H1, and the orientation of the film relative to the magnetic field. It generally shows a sharp peak near the critical magnetic field. Small rectified voltages caused by the oscillatory field were observed far above the nominal, critical magnetic fields of the films. Apparently, these voltages were associated with the film edges and the enhancement of the critical field at the edges.
Visualizing building energy demand for building peak energy analysis

Abstract To better identify how to reduce peak demand charges for a university campus, we investigated the relationship between individual building peak demand and the campus peak energy use by evaluating the pattern of energy use across time and day. To facilitate this evaluation, we developed a pivot table analysis tool that enables ready cross-building comparisons in a visually intuitive display. We used a university campus as an example to facilitate potential peak demand charge savings based on analysis of which buildings contribute to peak energy demand, and understanding the factors contributing to that building-dependent energy demand.
Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in Hemoglobins: Distinct Aggregation Mechanisms of the β6 Mutants

Reversible liquid-liquid (L-L) phase separation in the form of high concentration hemoglobin (Hb) solution droplets is favored in an equilibrium with a low-concentration Hb solution when induced by inositol-hexaphosphate in the presence of polyethylene glycol 4000 at pH 6.35 HEPES (50 mM). The L-L phase separation of Hb serves as a model to elucidate intermolecular interactions that may give rise to accelerated nucleation kinetics of liganded HbC (β6 Lys) compared to HbS (β6 Val) and HbA (β6 Glu). Under conditions of low pH (pH 6.35) in the presence of inositol-hexaphosphate, COHb assumes an altered R-state. The phase lines for the three Hb variants in concentration and temperature coordinates indicate that liganded HbC exhibits a stronger net intermolecular attraction with a longer range than liganded HbS and HbA. Over time, L-L phase separation gives rise to amorphous aggregation and subsequent formation of crystals of different kinetics and habits, unique to the individual Hb. The composite of R- and T-like solution aggregation behavior indicates that this is a conformationally driven event. These results indicate that specific contact sites, thermodynamics, and kinetics all play a role in L-L phase separation and differ for the β6 mutant hemoglobins compared to HbA. In addition, the dense liquid droplet interface or aggregate interface noticeably participates in crystal nucleation.
Jets and Orography: Idealized Experiments with Tip Jets and Lighthill Blocking

Abstract This paper describes qualitative features of the generation of jetlike concentrated circulations, wakes, and blocks by simple mountainlike orography, both from idealized laboratory experiments and shallow-water numerical simulations on a sphere. The experiments are unstratified with barotropic lee Rossby waves, and jets induced by mountain orography. A persistent pattern of lee jet formation and lee cyclogenesis owes its origins to arrested topographic Rossby waves above the mountain and potential vorticity (PV) advection through them. The wake jet occurs on the equatorward, eastern flank of the topography. A strong upstream blocking of the westerly flow occurs in a Lighthill mode of long Rossby wave propagation, which depends on βa2/U, the ratio of Rossby wave speed based on the scale of the mountain, to zonal advection speed, U (β is the meridional potential vorticity gradient, f is the Coriolis frequency, and a is the diameter of the mountain). Mountains wider (north–south) than the east–west ...
La Chercheuse d'Esprit: Gender, Mobility, and the Crisis of Authorship in J. M. R. Lenz's Conception of Soldiers' Marriages

Taking as its starting point the title page from Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz's essay on soldiers' marriages, this article explores the notion of authorship, i.e. the negotiation of author positions in literary, military, and sexual discourses in Lenz's play Die Soldaten (1776) and his essay ‘Uber die Soldatenehen’ (posthumously published in 1913). In the play, authorship is an emancipatory concept associated with the female protagonist, Marie, and her attempts to assume a position in society that would allow her to articulate desire and liberate herself from male domination. In ‘Uber die Soldatenehen’ this position is retracted and replaced by a male author position, in which authorship is identified with masculinity and the political power it serves to advance. While Lenz's national agenda is politically progressive, it is, at the same time, based on exploitation of female sexuality, which renders it anti-emancipatory. Lenz's decision to designate his essay as ‘par un Allemand’ is contradictory, insofar as Lenz's own emancipatory conceptualisation of authorship is at odds with the writer's submission to the political demands of the day. Ultimately, Lenz's designation implies the denial of that which it asserts.
Pyrolysis temperature-dependent release of dissolved organic carbon from plant, manure, and biorefinery wastes

Abstract Limited information is available to understand the chemical structure of biochar's labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fraction that will alter soil organic carbon (SOC) composition. This study utilized the high sensitivity of fluorescence excitation–emission (EEM) spectrophotometry to understand the structural changes in biochar-derived DOC as a function of (1) chemical property of feedstock and (2) pyrolysis temperature (350–800 °C). Regardless of feedstock (almond shell, broiler litter, lignin, cottonseed hull, and pecan shell), low temperature (350–400 °C) pyrolysis shifted EEM of hot water (80 °C for 16 h) extracts toward longer emission wavelengths, higher aromaticity regions. Five component parallel factor (PARAFAC) modeling of EEM afforded: (C1) (poly)phenolic pyrolysis products and other water-soluble aromatic structures similar to fulvic-like SOC; (C2–C3) aromatic structures similar to humic-like SOC having low water solubility that decomposed above 350 °C; (C4) carboxyl and other transient thermochemical conversion intermediates that decomposed above 500 °C; and (C5) thermally stable DOC fraction of lignin-rich biomass (pecan shell and lignin). Relative contribution of fulvic-like component exceeded that of humic-like components, and increased as a function of pyrolysis temperature. The C4 showed disproportionately high contributions to 500 °C broiler litter and cottonseed hull biochars. The carboxyl-enriched DOC of biochars pyrolyzed at 350–500 °C can have diverse environmental consequences, including the mobilization of heavy metals.
Radioactive pulmonary emboli in rats.

Abstract Blood clots were made from rat's blood, mixed with rat fibrinogen, labeled with radioactive iodine (I 131 ), and clotted in polyethylene tubing to produce clots of uniform diameter. Varying lengths of these clots, when injected into the jugular or femoral veins or the inferior vena cava, were located most often in the more cauded parts of the lungs. In this respect, the cauded parts of the rat lung are comparable to the inferior lobes of human lungs. Rats have a lysing agent for fibrin in their blood, which lyses most of the clot during the first two days after the clot is injected. The lysing activity varies with age, pregnancy, and the physical environment in which the animals are kept. A prepared lysing agent (Thrombolysin) ® accelerated the lysis of the clots in the majority of the animals tested. Pulmonary infarcts were not found after injecting various sized clots into normal animals, or into animals with pulmonary circulation slowed by: the inhalation or injection of nitrites, hypothermia, pulmonary edema from injected alpha-naphthyl-thiourea, cr cardiac damage due to repeated cardiac puncture.
Ethics in the clinical application of neural implants.

Once a neural implant has shown some efficacy during initial research trials, it begins to enter the world of clinical application. This culminates when the implant becomes approved for a particular indication. However, the ethical challenges continue as the technology is adopted as a standard of practice. Patient eligibility criteria, as documented by inclusion and exclusion criteria with any new treatment, are not always clearly quantified and defined. These vagaries can result in considerable debate regarding who should or should not proceed with surgery. There is often considerable room for clinical judgment that can result in extension of the treatment to a wider range of patients. The ethical questions that arise in clinical decisionmaking differ significantly from those inherent in engineering design and research development.
Effects of reserpine on fast, intermediate and slow axonal transport of proteins in rat locus coeruleus neurons

Abstract The effects of a single injection of reserpine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) on protein turnover and axonal transport (AT) in locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons was investigated in the rat. Reserpine pretreatment, at intervals of 1–21 days prior to [ 3 H]-fucose or leucine injection into the LC, resulted in marked alterations in the turnover of [ 3 H]glycoproteins and proteins in the LC and hypothalamus which were present for up to 14 days and varied according to the time after reserpine pretreatment. Reserpine produced an intermittent blockade, of variable degree, in rapidly and intermediately transported proteins for up to 2 weeks following injection. Slow AT was uniformly decreased over the first 10 post-treatment days to 2–42% of controls. Blockade and not a change in the rate or time of onset of transport appeared to be responsible for the observed changes. The suggested mechanism for these alterations is a re-ordering of metabolic priorities in the synthesis and transport of proteins in these noradrenergic cells secondary to a reserpine-induced depletion of norepinephrine in the nerve terminals.
The Impact of Temporal Presentation on Clinical and Pathological Outcomes for Patients with Sporadic Bilateral Renal Masses

Abstract Background The origin of bilateral renal masses has not been definitively established to date. As limited studies on the genetics of bilateral tumors exist, defining the clinical behavior of these lesions remains important. Objective To evaluate the impact of synchronous versus metachronous presentation on clinicopathological outcomes of patients with bilateral renal masses. Design, Setting, and Participants We identified 310 patients who were treated at the Mayo Clinic for sporadic bilateral renal masses between 1970–2003, including 148 (47.7%) with synchronous tumors and 162 (52.3%) with metachronous lesions. Intervention Patients underwent surgical resection of bilateral renal tumors. Measurements Clinicopathological features of synchronous and metachronous tumors were compared. Survival rates for patients with synchronous ( n =92) and metachronous ( n =100) renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log rank test. Results and Limitations Metachronous tumors had a greater degree of pathological concordance than synchronous lesions, with 87.7% of metachronous tumors representing bilateral RCC, compared to 69.2% of synchronous masses ( p =0.002). Patients with synchronous RCC tended to have an increased incidence of papillary RCC compared to patients with metachronous RCC, who were more likely to have bilateral clear-cell RCC ( p =0.076). A longer interval between tumors was inversely associated with the risk of cancer death for patients with metachronous RCC (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.81–0.99, p =0.039). Compared to patients with metachronous RCC, patients with synchronous bilateral RCC had similar 10-yr CSS (70.5% vs. 69.4%, p =0.51) and OS (47.5% vs. 51.2%, p =0.58). We nevertheless recognize that these findings may be limited by the study's retrospective, single-institution design. Conclusions Metachronous bilateral solid renal masses have a greater degree of pathological concordance and were more likely to represent malignancy. Surgical resection may provide durable cancer control for patients with bilateral RCC, with no difference in survival noted between synchronous and metachronous cancers.
Two-column gas chromatography of trimethylsilyl derivatives of biochemically significant compounds

Abstract Gas chromatographic (GC) retention data as methylene unit (MU) values are presented for the trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives of 250 biochemically significant compounds on two different GC stationary phases (OV-1 and OV-17). A ΔMU value is calculated for the difference in MU values on the moderately polar OV-17 and the nonpolar OV-1 columns. Some relationships between ΔMU values and structure are discussed; in general highly polar compounds have large ΔMU values and those compounds forming derivatives containing several TMS groups have low ΔMU values. Compounds in the following categories were studied: amino acids; organic acids; aromatic acids, amines, and glycine conjugates; and purines, pyrimidines, and other nitrogen heterocyclic compounds.
Globalization and Language Policies of Multilingual Societies: Some Case Studies of South East Asia

Over the past few decades, significant economic and political changes have taken place around the world. These changes also have put a significant mark on language teaching and learning practices across the globe. There is a clear movement towards multilingual practices in the world, which is also evident in the title of UNESCO 2003 education position paper, "Education in a multilingual world." Given the long-standing history of multilingual contexts of the Himalayan region and the emergence of the two major global economic power centers of 21 st century, China and India, language policies and practices of the region have become a great matter of interests for linguists and policy makers around the world. This paper uses case studies to investigate how globalization influences language education policies and practices in multilingual countries. The case studies that we have drawn from the four nations of South East Asia - Afghanistan, China, India, and Nepal offer insights for other multilingual nations of the world, as they portray the influences of globalization on language policies and practices of multilingual countries. This paper suggests more research on comparative studies of multilingual education across multilingual nations in the world.
Advances in our understanding of cystic neoplasms of the pancreas

Our changing understanding of cystic abnormalities within the pancreas, and especially for cystic neoplasms of the pancreas, has led to a sea change in recognition, management, and interest in these lesions over the last 30 years. Unimagined improvements in cross-sectional imaging, better understanding of the natural biology, aggressiveness of mucinous versus serous epithelial neoplasms, and acknowledgment of the premalignant mucinous neoplasm led to tremendous interest in cystic neoplasms in all realms of pancreatology, including gastroenterologists, radiologists, pathologists, and surgeons alike. The introduction of evermore-sensitive imaging modalities, diagnostic maneuvers, and laboratory tests have led to new considerations in management, no longer limited to mucinous versus serous epithelial pathologies. The following unanswered questions remain: (1) How aggressively should small (<3 cm) asymptomatic lesions be approached and managed? (2) Are intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) a localized field defect or a global abnormality potentially affecting the entire pancreatic ductal tree? (3) Does IPMN involve a different etiopathogenesis than the pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PANin) progression? (4) Is there a familial form of IPMN involving a genomic or epigenetic change? and (5) Does the predilection to extrapancreatic neoplasms in patients with IPMN involve an underlying, more global genomic or epigenetic phenomena? This treatise will address these concepts.
Homomorphisms between stochastic sequential machines and related problems

The problem of finding a stochastic sequential machine with minimal number of states and homomorphic to a given machine is studied in various aspects. The methods used for investigating the above problem are based upon the properties of a certain convex polyhedron associated with the given machine.
Pathways involved in synchronization of sympathetic nerve discharge to lung inflation.

In urethane-anesthetized cats, we tested the hypothesis that sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) is synchronized to lung inflation, in part, over a vagal afferent pathway that bypasses the central respiratory oscillator. For this purpose, partial coherence analysis was used to mathematically remove the portion of the relationship between intratracheal pressure (ITP; index of lung inflation) and inferior cardiac SND that was common to that between ITP and phrenic nerve activity (PNA; index of central respiratory cycle). ITP-SND partial coherence (PNA-related component removed) at the frequency of breathing should be significantly different from zero if a bypass pathway exists. This was found to be the case in paralyzed, artificially ventilated cats when lung inflation and rhythmic PNA were coupled in various ratios (e.g. 1:1, 3:1) and in spontaneously breathing cats. As expected, surgical vagotomy eliminated ITP-SND coherence in artificially ventilated cats. These findings support the view that a portion of the relationship between ITP and SND is independent of the influences of pulmonary stretch receptors on central respiratory networks.
Comparison of different modes of two-dimensional reverse-correlation NMR for the study of proteins

Different two-dimensional NMR schemes for generating ‘H-detected ‘H-“N and ‘H13C correlation spectra are compared. It is shown that the resolution in the dimension that represents the “C or “N chemical shift depends on the type of correlation scheme used. For “N NMR studies of proteins, it is found that experiments that involve “N single-quantum coherence offer improved resolution compared to multiple-quantum correlation experiments, mainly because the ‘H- ‘H dipolar broadening of the multiplequantum coherence is stronger than the heteronuclear dipolar broadening of “N, but also because ofthe presence ofunresolved Jsplittings in the F, dimension ofthe multiplequantum correlation spectra. For 13C, the heteronuclear dipolar interaction is much larger and the ‘H-13C multiple-quantum relaxation is slower than the “C transverse relaxation; however, because of the presence of ‘H- ‘H Jcouplings in the F, dimension of such spectra, in practice the multiplequantum type correlation experiments often offer no gain or even a small loss in resolution, compared to experiments that use transverse 13C magnetization during the evolution period. A modified pulse scheme that increases F, resolution by elimination of scalar relaxation of the second kind is proposed. Experiments for the proteins calmodulin, uniformly enriched with “N, and staphylococcal nuclease, labeled with 13C in the Ca position of all Pro residues are demonstrated.
Bone Saw for Calcified Peyronie's Disease Plaques.

Objectives To determine the incidence of calcified Peyronie's disease plaque that cannot be cut with a blade in a 100-case series and to describe the use of a soft tissue-protecting bone saw for plaque incision. Methods Chart reviews were done of all surgically treated Peyronie's disease patients at our center between October 1996 and December 2012. 100 cases were included. We evaluated our novel technique of tissue-protecting bone saw surgical use. Results 100 consecutive patients underwent surgery for Peyronie's disease, and 6 required transverse bone saw plaque incision due to the severity of calcification that could not be cut with a blade. Four of those 6 underwent grafting procedures with porcine submucosal intestinal substance (SIS) and 2 underwent placement of inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) after plaque incision. There were no surgical complications. Both IPP patients had functioning prosthesis 4 and 7.3 years after surgery. One SIS-graft patient required re-operation for more proximal curvature 11 months later and ultimately required multiple plaque incisions and an IPP. Conclusion Densely calcified plaques occurred in 6% of a surgical series of Peyronie's disease patients. The vibrating bone saw is a novel technique to incise calcified plaques before grafting or IPP placement.
Resources for physical activity participation: Does availability and accessibility differ by neighborhood socioeconomic status?

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the availability and accessibility of physical activity resources differed by neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) in a small U.S. city (population = 133,046). U.S. census tracts (N = 32) were used to represent neighborhoods and categorized into high, medium, or low SES on the basis of the percentage of unemployed individuals, per capita income, and percentage of the population below the poverty threshold. We developed a geographic information system to generate a comprehensive list of physical activity resources available within each census tract in the city. We identified 112 parks, 33 sport facilities, 15 fitness clubs, 11 community centers, and 5 walking/biking trails. The total number of physical activity resources varied by neighborhood SES (p > .05); low-SES (M = 4.5±2.3) and medium-SES (M = 4.9±2.6) neighborhoods had significantly fewer resources than high-SES (M = 8.4±3.5) neighborhoods. Low-, medium-, and high-SES neighborhoods did not differ on the number of pay-for-use facilities; however, low-SES (M = 3.1±1.5) and medium-SES (M = 3.8±1.6) neighborhoods had significantly fewer free-for-use resources than high- (M = 6.1±2.4) SES neighborhoods (p > .01). Data suggest that individuals from lower SES neighborhoods may have limited ability to control their physical activity in the face of inaccessible environments. Community research and promotion efforts should include assessment and targeting of available and accessible physical activity resources.
Commentary: Targeting Colorectal Cancer Through Molecular Biology

Multiple growth factor receptor pathways are deregulated in colon cancer, presenting potential targets for therapeutic intervention. In colon cancer cells, epithelial growth factor receptor activation is associated with the potential for deregulation of both angiogenesis and motility-related characteristics as cell cytoskeleton and cell-cell junction structure. Growth factor activation of receptors can result in increased cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and consequent upregulation of prostaglandin E2; this, in turn, results in localization of urokinase proteolytic activity that promotes directional motility and invasiveness of cancer cells. Optimal therapeutic strategies to inhibit cancer cell motility, invasiveness, and angiogenesis may involve combinations of growth factor receptor inhibitors, COX-2 inhibitors, and urokinase inhibitors.
Fast and easy systematic and stochastic odometry calibration

A method of odometry calibration is proposed and validated which is designed to be as convenient as possible. Convenience is enhanced by reducing both the amount of software to be written and the amount of measurements to be made to a minimum. The path dependent nature of odometry can be exploited to reduce the amount of ground truth information to as little as a single known point. Existing odometry and covariance estimation functions themselves would be used to extract first order parameter variation. Linearization would be performed about the approximate available trajectory rather than the unknown ground truth one. While multiple trajectories would be required to calibrate variance models, it would not be required that they be the same or even similar. The technique is general enough to apply to any form of odometry and it is general enough to be used for the extraction of unknown parameters of either systematic odometry models or stochastic error models. The derivation and experimental validation of the technique are presented.
The Efficacy of a Manualized Group Treatment Protocol for Changing God Image, Attachment to God, Religious Coping, and Love of God, Others, and Self

This study compared the efficacy of a manualized group treatment protocol on God image and attachment to God to a manualized Christian Bible study and a waiting list control group in a sample of un...
Selected analyses of TRMM instantaneous rainfall data

Distributions of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Version 5 (V5) and Version 6 (V6) data are presented. The fraction of pixels determined by the Precipitation Radar (PR) to be convective has increased by 5% from V5 to V6. In V6, PR contributes more rain in medium ( 4 to 20 mm/hr) but less in heavy ( >20 mm/hr) rainfall rates than the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). Joint probability distributions show the V6 TRMM Combined Instrument rainfall more strongly related to PR than to TMI.
Multidimensional signal analysis and measurements for cognitive radio systems

This paper suggests a roadmap for signal intelligence and multidimensional signal analysis in Cognitive Radio and Software-Defined radio (CR/SDR). The paper reviews some methods of linear and quadratic time frequency representation (TFR) as an initiative for multidimensional signal analysis. The paper also addresses recent developments in the use of TFR for CR/SDR applications.
High Frequency Graphene Transistors Using Large-Area Cvd Graphene and Advanced Dielectrics

Graphene transistors using large area chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) monolayer graphene and advanced dielectric stacks are constructed and examined. Top-gated devices with a SiO2/Al2O3 gate-dielectric have a Dirac Point (DP) located at less than 5 V and asymmetric electron/hole mobility. In contrast, devices based on an advanced AlN interfacial layer have a DP located near 0V and a near symmetric carrier mobility- characteristics that could be more suitable for applications that require ambipolar behavior and low-power operation. For the first time, a measured RF cut-off frequency range of 1GHz is measured for top-gated transistors using CVD graphene. The results are of importance for the realization of graphene based, wafer-scale, high frequency electronics.
Pruritus associated with nocturnal wakenings: Organic or psychogenic?

Pruritus that interferes with sleep is generally diagnosed as having an organic rather than a psychogenic basis. We compared the dermatologic and psychosocial parameters of 79 inpatients with psoriasis with moderate to severe pururitus with (W group; n = 46) and without (NW group; n = 33) wakenings from sleep in association with pruritus. At the time of the patients' admission, compared with the NW group the W group had more severe depressive psychopathologic features (p
Life in Configuration Space

This paper investigates the tenability of wavefunction realism, according to which the quantum mechanical wavefunction is not just a convenient predictive tool, but is a real entity figuring in physical explanations of our measurement results. An apparent difficulty with this position is that the wavefunction exists in a many-dimensional configuration space, whereas the world appears to us to be three-dimensional. I consider the arguments that have been given for and against the tenability of wavefunction realism, and note that both the proponents and opponents assume that quantum mechanical configuration space is many-dimensional in exactly the same sense in which classical space is three-dimensional. I argue that this assumption is mistaken, and that configuration space can be taken as three-dimensional in a relevant sense. I conclude that wavefunction realism is far less problematic than it has been taken to be.
Existence of solutions for the Ericksen-Leslie system

We study the general Ericksen-Leslie system, which describes the flow of liquid crystal materials. The dissipation property of the system is established and is used to prove the global existence of weak solutions. We also study the existence of classical solutions and the asymptotic stability of the solutions.
Substratification of stage T1c prostate cancer based on the probability of biochemical recurrence.

Objectives To evaluate the influence of preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA), biopsy Gleason sum, and prostate biopsy quantitative histologic findings on the probability of biochemical failure in an attempt to identify criteria to substratify Stage T1c prostate cancer more accurately. Methods We reviewed the records of 1149 patients who underwent prostatectomy for T1c disease between 1988 and 2000. Biochemical recurrence (PSA 0.2 ng/mL or greater) defined the endpoint in this study. Recursive partitioning analysis was used to establish cutpoints for preoperative PSA level, biopsy Gleason sum, number of positive biopsy cores, and maximal percentage of any single biopsy core involved with cancer. These cutoff values were then evaluated using Kaplan-Meier estimations to determine the probability of remaining biochemically recurrence free. Results Using a PSA cutpoint of 10 ng/mL or a biopsy Gleason sum of 7, two groups of patients were identified (T1cI and T1cII). The rate of freedom from PSA recurrence at 3, 5, and 10 years after surgery for T1cI was 98%, 96%, and 96%, respectively, and for T1cII was 86%, 83%, and 73%, respectively (P <0.001). For T1cII patients, the greatest percentage of cancer in a single biopsy core was found to be a predictor of biochemical failure on multivariate analysis and, using a cutoff value of 50%, further stratified the PSA recurrence-free rates for the men in group T1cII (90% and 85% versus 75% and 56% at 5 and 10 years after surgery, respectively, P = 0.03). Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate that within Stage T1c there are two populations of patients with significantly different recurrence probabilities: T1cI (Gleason sum less than 7 and PSA 10 ng/mL or less) and T1cII (Gleason sum 7 or greater or PSA greater than 10 ng/mL). Furthermore, using a cutpoint of 50% of cancer in a single core of biopsy tissue, additional risk stratification is afforded to men with higher risk “T1cII” cancer.
A Yoffe crack/cohesive zone model for a steady state moving crack

Abstract A Yoffe crack/cohesive zone model is presented to investigate steady state crack propagation in an infinite medium. In the current model, the rear crack tip closes and a cohesive zone exists only at the front crack tip during crack propagation, which eliminates the dilemma in the standard Yoffe crack/Dugdale zone model that the crack length remains constant but the rear crack tip opens up. The cohesive zone length and the crack tip opening displacement (CTOD, the opening at the physical crack tip) are determined in closed forms using a Fourier transform/integral equation approach. It is found that the cohesive zone length and CTOD differ significantly from those in the standard Yoffe crack/Dugdale model in which two cohesive zones exist at both crack tips during crack propagation.
Reliability of Refraction in Polar Astronavigation

The use of radiosonde data offers the possibility of overcoming restrictions imposed by the polar environment and of establishing the reliability of existing refraction tables for use in the Arctic and Antarctic. Analysis of limited radiosonde data from the Arctic indicates that with the exception of extremely large zenith angles there exists a high degree of correlation between the actual refraction and refraction values obtained from radiosonde data. Navigators and surveyors operating in the polar regions are often forced to rely on solar observations for their position determinations. The inherently large zenith angles and the resulting large refraction corrections associated with such observations have led many people to question the reliability of positions determined by such means. Reduction of radiosonde data from Thule Air Base, Greenland for a 7-week summer period shows a high degree of reliability for the refraction corrections.
Data collection techniques: observation

Use of observation as a measurement procedure, assigning numerals to human behavioral acts, is discussed. Observation has important advantages which makes it best suited for certain kinds of studies, and some limitations which preclude its use in others. The central problems in the use of observation are: (1) the effect of the observer on the observed, which is usually not severe and can be minimized; (2) observer inference, which is a crucial strength and a crucial weakness; and (3) the unit of behavior to be used, which involves the molar-molecular problem. The considerations in planning both unstructured and structured observation studies are discussed, including what to observe, how to record it, how to maximize validity and reliability, and how to handle the relationship between the observer and the observed. Behavior is usually sampled using event sampling or time sampling. The uses and weaknesses of rating scales to assess perceived behavior are summarized.
A Note on the Effect of Data Clustering on the Multiple-Imputation Variance Estimator: A Theoretical Addendum to the Lewis et al. article in JOS 2014

Multiple imputation is a popular approach to handling missing data. Although it was originally motivated by survey nonresponse problems, it has been readily applied to other data settings. However, its general behavior still remains unclear when applied to survey data with complex sample designs, including clustering. Recently, Lewis et al. (2014) compared single- and multiple-imputation analyses for certain incomplete variables in the 2008 National Ambulatory Medicare Care Survey, which has a nationally representative, multistage, and clustered sampling design. Their study results suggested that the increase of the variance estimate due to multiple imputation compared with single imputation largely disappears for estimates with large design effects. We complement their empirical research by providing some theoretical reasoning. We consider data sampled from an equally weighted, single-stage cluster design and characterize the process using a balanced, one-way normal random-effects model. Assuming that the missingness is completely at random, we derive analytic expressions for the within- and between-multiple-imputation variance estimators for the mean estimator, and thus conveniently reveal the impact of design effects on these variance estimators. We propose approximations for the fraction of missing information in clustered samples, extending previous results for simple random samples. We discuss some generalizations of this research and its practical implications for data release by statistical agencies.
Groin Pain: An Overview of the Broad Differential Diagnosis

Groin pain can be disabling for patients, and complex to diagnose and treat for physicians. Various processes can lead to local inflammation, nerve irritation or injury, or referred pain, and present as groin pain. This includes primary processes such as inguinal and femoral hernias, urologic and gynecologic pathology, and hip and lumbar pathology. Secondary groin pain can occur following inguinal hernia repair and lumbar spine surgery.