cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Vertex Model for Supersymmetric LLT Polynomials.

We describe a Yang-Baxter integrable vertex model, which can be realized as a degeneration of a vertex model introduced by Aggarwal, Borodin, and Wheeler. From this vertex model, we construct a certain class of partition functions that we show are essentially equal to the super ribbon functions of Lam. Using the vertex model formalism, we give proofs of many properties of these polynomials, namely a Cauchy identity and generalizations of known identities for supersymmetric Schur polynomials.
Remdesivir;molecular and functional measures of mitochondrial safety

Remdesivir is one of a few antiviral drugs approved for treating severe cases of coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in hospitalized patients. The prodrug is a nucleoside analog that interferes with viral replication by inhibiting viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The drug has also been shown to be a weak inhibitor of human mitochondrial RNA polymerase, leaving open the possibility of mitochondrial off-targets and toxicity. The investigation was designed to explore whether remdesivir causes mitochondrial toxicity, using both genomic and functional parameters in the assessment. Human-derived HepG2 liver cells were exposed for up to 48 h in culture to increasing concentrations of remdesivir. At sub-cytotoxic concentrations (<1 μM), the drug failed to alter either the number of copies or the expression of the mitochondrial genome. mtDNA copy number was unaffected as was the relative rates of expression of mtDNA-encoded and nuclear encoded subunits of complexes I and IV of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Consistent with this is the observation that remdesivir was without effect on mitochondrial respiration, including basal respiration, proton leak, maximum uncoupled respiration, spare respiratory capacity or coupling efficiency. We conclude that although remdesivir has weak inhibitory activity towards mitochondrial RNA polymerase, mitochondria are not primary off-targets for the mechanism of cytotoxicity of the drug.
Packaging and Embedded Electronics for the Next Generation

This viewgraph presentation describes examples of electronic packaging that protects an electronic element from handling, contamination, shock, vibration and light penetration. The use of Hermetic and non-hermetic packaging is also discussed. The topics include: 1) What is Electronic Packaging? 2) Why Package Electronic Parts? 3) Evolution of Packaging; 4) General Packaging Discussion; 5) Advanced non-hermetic packages; 6) Discussion of Hermeticity; 7) The Class Y Concept and Possible Extensions; 8) Embedded Technologies; and 9) NEPP Activities.
Moreau Lislet: The Man Behind the Digest of 1808

The Louisiana legal system is unique in the United States and legal scholars have been interested in learning how this situation came to pass. Most assume that the origin of this system is the Code Napoleon and even legal scholars steeped in Louisiana law have a hard time answering the question of the roots of the Louisiana legal system. This book solves the riddle through painstaking research into the life of Lois Moreau Lislet, the driving force behind the Digest of 1808.
Ligand-directed Cancer Gene Therapy to Angiogenic Vasculature

Gene therapy strategies in cancer have remained an active area of preclinical and clinical research. One of the current limitations to successful trials is the relative transduction efficiency to produce a therapeutic effect. While intratumoral injections are the mainstay of many treatment regimens to date, this approach is hindered by hydrostatic pressures within the tumor and is not always applicable to all tumor subtypes. Vascular-targeting strategies introduce an alternative method to deliver vectors with higher local concentrations and minimization of systemic toxicity. Moreover, therapeutic targeting of angiogenic vasculature often leads to enhanced bystander effects, improving efficacy. While identification of functional and systemically accessible molecular targets is challenging, approaches, such as in vivo phage display and phage-based viral delivery vectors, provide a platform upon which vascular targeting of vectors may become a viable and translational approach.
Phase diagram of CuCrO2 in a magnetic field.

A simplified model is used to construct the magnetic phase diagram of CuCrO2 as a function of magnetic field and easy-axis anisotropy. Neglecting the weak interactions between hexagonal layers, CuCrO2 is predicted to undergo transitions between three different 3-sublattice (SL) phases with increasing field: from a chiral, non-collinear phase that exhibits multiferroic behavior, to a collinear phase, to a non-chiral, non-collinear phase. The phase diagram also contains 1-SL, 4-SL, and 5-SL collinear phases, some of which may be accessible in the nonstoichiometric compound CuCrO2+δ.
COLBERT: a scoring based graphical model for expert identification

In recent years a number of graphical models have been proposed for Topic discovery in various contexts and network analysis. However there is one class of document corpus, documents with ratings, where the problem of topic discovery has not been explored in much detail. In such document corpuses reviews and ratings of documents in addition to the documents themselves are also available. In this paper we address the problem of discovery of latent structures in document-review corpus which can then be used to construct a social network of experts. We present a graphical model COLBERT that automatically discovers latent topics based on the contents of the document, the review of the document and the ratings of the review.
A novel assist-as-needed control method to guide pelvic trajectory for gait rehabilitation

Pelvic motion plays an important role in human locomotion. Any abnormality of the pelvic motion during walking, such as asymmetry or altered range of motion, can affect gait stability and energy consumption [1]. In this work, we propose a new control methodology to guide and correct the human pelvic motion in the transverse plane during walking. An assist-as-needed paradigm was used to generate forces on the pelvis to guide a person to follow a new pelvic trajectory. An experiment was conducted with healthy subjects to follow an extended version of their baseline pelvic trajectory using the proposed control strategy. During the experiment, a cable-driven pelvic robot was used to apply the guidance forces in the transverse plane without adding external kinematic constraints on the pelvis. Experimental results showed that the subjects adapted their pelvic motion and retained the modified pelvic trajectory after the training. These results suggest that this strategy may be explored to correct abnormal pelvic trajectory of different patient groups.
Zero-Clairvoyant scheduling with inter-period constraints

This paper introduces two new mathematical modelingparadigms called Periodic Linear Programming and Periodic Quantified Linear Programming. The former is an extension of traditional Linear Programming, whereas the latter extends Quantified Linear Programming. We use these tools to capture the specifications of real-time embedded systems, which are characterized by uncertainty, complex timing constraints and periodicity. The strength of the modeling techniques lies in the ease with which these specifications can be represented and analyzed.
Activity of octreotide acetate in a total nutrient admixture

The activity of octreotide acetate in a total nutrient admixture (TNA) and the effect of the drug on the stability of lipid emulsion in the TNA were studied. Octreotide acetate injection was added to a standard solution containing 3% lipids, amino acids, dextrose, electrolytes, vitamins, and trace elements to achieve a theoretical concentration of 45 micrograms/dL. Samples were stored at room temperature for 48 hours. Octreotide concentrations were determined in triplicate by radioimmunoassay; physical stability of the solutions was assessed by lipid particle-size determination, pH measurement, and visual observation of emulsion integrity at 0, 12, 24, and 48 hours. The activity of octreotide in two samples of each solution (with and without lipid) was analyzed immediately after preparation and after seven days under refrigeration. There was no evidence of emulsion breakdown or pH change in any solution over the study period. In addition, particle-size distributions at 48 hours and 7 days were comparable to those at time zero, suggesting physical stability. Octreotide acetate activity was not consistently greater than 90% (mean +/- S.D.) after storage for 48 hours. Octreotide acetate at a theoretical concentration of 45 micrograms/dL in a TNA solution containing 3% lipids appeared to be physically compatible for 48 hours at room temperature and for 7 days under refrigeration. However, the chemical activity of octreotide in TNA was not consistent after storage for 48 hours.
Woolf Farming and Processing

Woolf Farming Company, a privately owned family farming business in California's Central Valley, found its business threatened by a lack of water, brought on by a combination of drought, poor quality well water and unavailability of surface water due to federally imposed pumping restrictions. Woolf had been farming crops for more than 30 years, but this was the first time they suffered a water shortage so severe that crops had to be abandoned in the field. Even if there was short-term relief in the form of an increased allocation of water from the government, Woolf was concerned about water reliability and the need for additional infrastructure to provide long term water security to the region. If convinced that the water problem would be resolved, then Woolf should move quickly to purchase more land which was currently available at distressed prices. Yet some board members questioned the logic of additional investment in the region whose resources were so uncertain and wondered whether it was more prudent to pursue growth elsewhere. At the same time, some of Woolf's owners began to believe that more of the company's resources should be prioritized for dividends and other distributions as opposed to purely growth. What, if anything, could Woolf and other farmers do to influence the outcome? Learning Objective: To understand the criticality of water for agriculture.
CALBINDIND28K- AND PARVALBUMIN-IMMUNOREACTIVE NEURONS FORM COMPLEMENTARY SUBLAMINAE IN THE RAT SUPERIOR COLLICULUS

By using light microscopic immunocytochemistry and computer analysis, we have mapped the distributions of two calcium-binding proteins (CaBPs), calbindinD28k (CB) and parvalbumin (PV), in the rat superior colliculus (SC). The patterns of CaBP expression were complementary. A band of heavily labeled, medium-sized CB-immunoreactive cells (CB-cells) was centered in the optic layer (OL), whereas PV-immunoreactive cells (PV-cells) were found predominantly in the intermediate gray layer (IGL), where they were clustered within patches of PV-labeled fibers. The superficial gray layer (SGL) could be divided into two sublaminae. CB-cells were found mostly in the dorsal half of the SGL, whereas PV-cells were scattered throughout the ventral SGL and the dorsal OL. Most of the CaBP-immunoreactive cells in the SGL were small bipolar cells with vertically oriented dendrites; however, there were also some PV-cells with horizontally oriented dendrites. Quantitative analysis of the CaBP distributions reinforced our observations that these cells are distributed in complementary tiers that are not restricted to the traditional laminae. The size and shape of some of these tiers were determined from a three-dimensional reconstruction of serial sections. The complementarity of the CaBP-immunoreactive tiers was also confirmed by fluorescence microscopy of double-labeled sections, in which few if any double-labeled neurons were observed. Complementary tiers of CB-cells and PV-cells have been observed previously in the SC of the cat. The present results demonstrate them in another species and further suggest that there are functional sublaminae in the SC that can be distinguished by CaBP content.
A cross-validation of the sn scale on the psychological screening inventory with female hitchhikers

Tested 17 nonhitchhiking, 14 occasional hitchhiking, and 18 frequent hitchhiking females of high school and college age with the Psychological Sereening Inventory in an attempt to study the validity of the Social Nonconformity (Sn) scale. The frequent hitchhikers scored significantly higher than both of the other groups on Sn. These results suggest that Sn has validity for detecting relatively minor variations in socially nonconforming behavior.
Controls on the chemistry of springs at Teels Marsh, Mineral County, Nevada

Abstract Evaporative process plays a dominant role in determining the water chemistry of the springs at Teels Marsh, a closed basin in western Nevada. Analysis of the spring waters indicates that calcium, magnesium, sulfate, and silica are removed from solution during dry periods, even though groundwater is undersaturated with respect to gypsum, amorphous silica, and sepiolite. The removal mechanism is precipitation of authigenic phases such as gypsum above the water table, in the vadose zone. In episodes of rain and snowfall in which none of the waters enters the phreatic zone, ions in the rain and snow accumulate near the ground surface. This accumulation of material, together with the sparse rain and snowfall, inhibits chemical weathering of silicate minerals. Only at high elevations in the basin is there sufficient fluxing of water through the alluvium for silicate weathering to make a significant contribution to the sodium content of the springs. When a sufficiently heavy rainfall occurs, salts are partially dissolved and the ions transported to the permanent groundwater. The kinetics of dissolution of secondary phases in the vadose zone exert an important control on the composition of the springs.
Preliminary Results from an Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging Polarimeter

We present results from a SWIR/MWIR infrared hyperspectral imaging polarimeter (IHIP). The sensor includes a pair of sapphire Wollaston prisms and several high order retarders to form an imaging Fourier transform spectropolarimeter. The Wollaston prisms serve as a birefringent interferometer with reduced sensitivity to vibration versus an unequal path interferometer, such as a Michelson. Polarimetric data are acquired through the use of channeled spectropolarimetry to modulate the spectrum with the Stokes parameter information. We discuss the operation of the IHIP sensor, in addition to our calibration techniques. Lastly, spectropolarimetric results from the laboratory and outdoor tests are presented.
Racial Differences in Spatial Job Search Patterns: Exploring the Causes and Consequences*

AbstractIn this paper, we present an analysis of the spatial job search patterns of black, white, and Latino workers in Los Angeles. We find that blacks and Latinos tend to search in areas where employment growth is low, whereas whites tend to search in areas where it is high. Moreover, over half of the mean racial and ethnic differences in the quality of spatial job search (as measured by mean employment growth in areas searched) is explained by racial residential segregation. In addition, racial segregation is a more important explanation of racial differences in spatial job search quality than systematic differences in social networks and job search methods, though these factors matter. Spatial job search quality has a positive and significant effect on the employment of whites and blacks, but not Latinos, and explains nearly 40 percent of the difference between white and black employment rates. These results are consistent with the existence of spatial mismatch in urban labor markets and imply that ra...
Mutation of Cys105 Inhibits Dimerization of p12CDK2-AP1 and Its Growth Suppressor Effect

p12(CDK2-AP1) (p12) is a CDK2-associated protein that negatively regulates its kinase activity. Growth arrest of normal diploid cells by contact inhibition resulted in an induction of p27(kip1) and reduction of CDK2 levels. Interestingly, we observed concomitantly in growth-arrested cells, there was a reduction of nuclear p12 and the appearance of a nuclear 25-kDa molecule (p25) recognized by anti-p12 polyclonal antibody. Biochemical analysis showed that bacterial His-tagged p12 could be converted into a dimeric p25 in a reducing agent-dependent manner, and mutating the only cysteine residue of p12 (Cys(105) --> Ala(105)) abolished the dimerization. Transient transfection of wild type p12 into U2OS cells showed a reducing agent-sensitive dimerization that was also abolished by the C105A mutation. Furthermore, reduction of p12 expression by a short interfering RNA resulted in a parallel reduction of p25. These data supports the possibility that p25 is a homodimeric form of p12 through the cysteine residue. More interestingly, transient transfection of p12 (C105A) into the normal diploid lung fibroblast CCD18LU cells resulted in a reduction of the growth-inhibitory effect of p12 and abolished the inhibitory effect of p12 on CDK2 kinase activity. In addition, we found that the C105A mutation did not alter nuclear localization of p12, but it prevented association with CDK2. Taken together, our data suggest that p12 forms a nuclear homodimers in contact inhibited normal diploid cells and dimerization of p12 is a necessary process for the growth inhibition effect by p12.
The suitability of the VAX for a course in assembly language

This paper describes the assembly language course we teach, using a Digital Equipment Corporation VAX-11/780 minicomputer, in which structured programming is stressed. It also discusses the relative merits and disadvantages of choosing the VAX as the computer to be used in such a course.The first section of the paper provides a quick survey of the VAX architecture. The second describes our course in assembly language, including our method of structuring assembly language programs. The final section details some of the positive and negative aspects we discovered in using the VAX in our course.
Effect of retinoic acid, butylated hydroxytoluene, propylgallate and selenium on 2-acetylaminofluorene induced hepatotoxicity

Abstract Rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were administered 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) in different diet regimens to ascertain the effect of retinoic acid(RA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propylgallate (PG), and selenium on induced hepatotoxicity. In the first study, groups of young male albino rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were fed a diet containing 0.05% 2-AAF. Carcinogen was added to the diet for 3 weeks, omitted 1 week, added 2 weeks, omitted 2 weeks, added 3 weeks, and omitted for the final 4 weeks. Animals were terminated at the end of 15 weeks. Supplementation of the diet by 0.5% BHT, PG or 4 ppm selenium as sodium selenite in the drinking water either throughout the entire feeding period or only during the administration of the carcinogen-free diet greatly inhibited the hepatotoxicity of 2-AAF. In contrast, addition of 0.02% RA to the diet in the above feeding regimens enhanced the hepatotoxicity of 2-AAF. In the second study, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered a diet containing 0.03% 2-AAF for 16 weeks or a diet containing 0.03% 2-AAF supplemented with 0.02% RA for the first 4 weeks and the last 6 weeks of the 16-week feeding period. Addition of the 0.02% RA to the diet enhanced the hepatotoxicity of 2-AAF, especially in the female rats.
Accuracy of parameter extraction from sample-averaged sea-echo Doppler spectra

The mean, standard deviation, and confidence limits are obtained for quotients of random-variable sums. Such quotients are formed in the extraction of sea-state parameters from high-frequency (HF) radar Doppler spectra. An equivalent chi-squared process is shown to represent a spectral integration having a varying mean based on central-limit theorem arguments. The error of estimating the centroid of a spectral peak is derived and shown to depend only on the total length of the time series, not on how it is segmented into coherent spectra and incoherent averages. Finally, error in estimation of waveheight using a power-law relationship is analyzed and is seen to depend on how one does the averaging. When individual spectra contain varying path losses and/or system gains, averages of quotients for each spectrum remove such unknown factors; in this case spectra with greater frequency resolution lead to lower waveheight estimation errors.
Optical parameters of Zn1−xMgxO nanowires in THz regime

Abstract We report experimental characterization of optical and dielectric constants of ZnO and ZnMgO nanowires (NWs) with Mg mole fraction of 9%, 18%, 29% and volume fraction 43.5% in terahertz (THz) region using terahertz time domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). Measured index of refraction and absorption coefficient for ZnO nanowires are 1.12 and 10.7 cm−1 at 1.5 THz which increases by 32% and 132% for ZnMgO nanowires with Mg mole fraction of 29%. Real and imaginary dielectric constants for ZnO NWs are 1.122 and 0.01 at 1.5 THz which increases by 32% and 58% for Zn0.71Mg0.29O nanowires. Time resolved terahertz spectroscopy (TRTS) of ZnO nanowires provides real and imaginary conductivity of 0.1 and 0.008 (S/cm), respectively which increased by 294% and 58% for Zn0.71Mg0.29O nanowires. The measured parameters are extrapolated to obtain characteristics of MgO nanowires in the terahertz regime. Observed theoretical values of dielectric constant of MgO nanowires (2.25) are smaller than those of bulk MgO (6.6) which is attributed to an air–nanowire composite in the nanowire samples. Bruggeman effective medium theory was implemented to extract permittivity of bulk MgO from composite which is in excellent agreement with reported data. With the increase of nanowire density or volume fraction, optical properties of nanowires more resemble those of bulk.
Fatal Massive Hemoptysis Secondary to Intralobar Sequestration

We report the case of a 29-year-old woman who died of massive hemoptysis due to hemorrhage from an intralobar pulmonary sequestration into the tracheobronchial tree. The sequestration had been diagnosed in childhood but had been managed nonoperatively. This case emphasizes the need for early surgical treatment of pulmonary sequestration.
On the Concerted Ring Opening of Protonated Squalene Oxide and A-Ring Formation in the Biosynthesis of Lanosterol

Density functional calculations were performed on a model system of squalene oxide to study the mechanism of the formation of ring A in the biosynthesis of lanosterol from squalene. When (2 Z )-6,7-epoxy-3,7-dimethyloct-2-ene was protonated, it was calculated to undergo a very facile ring opening of the oxirane in concert with the formation of the six-membered ring of the 4-(hydroxymethyl)-1,2,3,3-tetramethy1cyclohexyl cation. A study of the reaction pathway (IRC) indicates a very early transition structure in which the carbon- carbon double bond participates anchimerically in the ring-opening of the protonated oxirane. It is suggested that the primary role of the enzyme in this first step of the biosynthesis of lanosterol is protonation of the oxirane ring along with holding the substrate in the proper conformation for the concerted ring-closure to occur. The similarity between this mechanism and that recently proposed for concerted C-ring expansion and D-ring formation in the biosynthesis of lanosterol is discussed.
Ensuring correct self-reconfiguration in safety-critical applications by verified result checking

The application of Organic Computing techniques, which often involves nature-inspired algorithms, to safety-critical systems depends mainly on whether behavioral guarantees can be provided or not. Self-x algorithms sometimes return incorrect results. For example, if learning or similar methods are involved. To allow the use of such algorithms even if they sometimes return incorrect results, adequate techniques are needed. Verified result checking which is presented in this paper provides an approach to ensure during runtime that only valid results are applied to the system, despite the uncertainty provided by the use of self-x algorithms. It allows to give formal proofs and thereby to give guarantees about the system's behavior. This approach enables verification at design time, independently of the self-x algorithms used at runtime. In this paper an architecture for Organic Computing systems which accommodates these concepts is presented. First the components of the architecture and integration of a result checker are described. The systematic development of a result checker based on a system model is shown for the application domain of self-organizing resource-flow systems. Further its formal verification and an implementation are roughly sketched.
Globorotalia truncatulinoides (dextral) Mg/Ca as a proxy for Gulf of Mexico winter mixed-layer temperature: Evidence from a sediment trap in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Three years of weekly- to biweekly-resolved sediment-trap data show that almost 90% of the total flux of tests of the planktic foraminifer Globorotalia truncatulinoides to sediments in the northern Gulf of Mexico occurs in January and February. Comparison of δ 18 O from tests of non-encrusted Gl. truncatulinoides in sediment-trap samples with calculated calcification depths indicates that the non-encrusted individuals secrete their test in the winter surface-mixed layer, most likely at the bottom of the surface mixed zone. Mg/Ca-temperature estimates from non-encrusted Gl. truncatulinoides in sediment-trap samples are consistent with observed temperatures at the calcification depths inferred from the δ 18 O data. In contrast, Mg/Ca-temperature estimates from encrusted Gl. truncatulinoides in sediment-trap samples indicate the crust is formed in cooler (deeper) waters. A preliminary study in a core recovered near the sediment-trap site demonstrates that non-encrusted and encrusted forms of Gl. truncatulinoides in sediment samples show a similar offset in Mg/Ca values as observed in sediment-trap samples. A short (~ 100 years) Mg/Ca record from non-encrusted Gl. truncatulinoides indicates a warming trend that coincides with a warming trend in mean-annual sea-surface temperature recorded by Mg/Ca in Globigerinoides ruber (white) from the same core. These findings suggest Mg/Ca from non-encrusted Gl. truncatulinoides has clear potential as a proxy for past winter mixed-layer temperature.
Integrating multiple ‘omics’ analyses identifies serological protein biomarkers for preeclampsia

Background Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-related vascular disorder which is the leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. We sought to identify novel serological protein markers to diagnose PE with a multi-’omics’ based discovery approach.
EXPERIENCE IN THERMAL TREATMENT OF LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES

ABSTRACT Thermal treatment of low-level radioactive wastes. LLRW, can be effective in managing a wide variety of wastes. However, the detailed information describing current operating and performance characteristics of modern equipment, e.g. incinerators, has not been widely disseminated. The treatment techniques including incineration (combustion), calcination and other methods like pyrolysis, and acid digestion are reviewed. Latest reports on the experience with such equipment are presented.
Theoretical investigation of the effect of an internal heat source on turbulent liquid metal heat transfer in a channel with uniform heat flux.

The effect of an internal heat source on the heat transfer characteristics for turbulent liquid metal flow between parallel plates is studied analytically. The analysis is carried out for the conditions of uniform internal heat generation, uniform wall heat flux, and fully established temperature and velocity profiles. Consideration is given both to the uniform or slug flow approximation and the power law approximation for the turbulent velocity profile. Allowance is made for turbulent eddying within the liquid metal through the use of an idealized eddy diffusivity function. It is found that the Nusselt number is unaffected by the heat source strength when the velocity profile is assumed to be uniform over the channel cross section. In the case of a 1/7-power velocity expression, the Nusselt numbers are lower than those in the absence of internal heat generation, and decrease with diminishing eddy conduction. Nusselt numbers, in the absence of an internal heat source, are compared with existing calculations, and indications are that the present results are adequate for preliminary design purposes.
Similarity as a risk factor in drug-name confusion errors: the look-alike (orthographic) and sound-alike (phonetic) model.

Background.One of every four medication errors reported in the United States is a name-confusion error. The rate of name-confusion errors might be reduced if new and confusing names were not allowed on the market and if safeguards could be put in place to avoid confusion between existing names.Objec
Racial differences in the economic advantages of U.S. physician board certification

Abstract Building on signaling theory, previous research suggests that the income advantage from U.S. physicians' board certification is greater for females. New data permits extending the examination to racial minorities at entry level. While this change in focus presents an additional test of the theory, the past econometric approach is modified to generate analyses that include a nonrandom process, a system of simultaneous equations and a specification that accounts for racial differences in specialty. All estimations show that, consistent with signaling theory, the advantage for minorities is much larger than that for whites.
The Analysis of Pairwise Data

Linear models are available for describing dominance and composition judgments. These models include parameters for the scale values of the stimuli, response order bias, and interaction between sti...
MEDICAL RESOURCE UTILIZATION AMONG PATIENTS WITH VENTILATOR-ASSOCIATED PNEUMONIA: POOLED ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED STUDIES OF DORIPENEM VERSUS COMPARATORS

Introduction: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is associated with increased medical resource utilization, but few randomized studies have been conducted to evaluate the effect of initial antibiotic therapy. To assess medical resource utilization in patients with VAP, we conducted a pooled analysis of two prospective, randomized, open-label, multicenter, phase III studies, which also showed that doripenem was clinically noninferior to comparators. Methods: We assessed durations of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and hospitalization in patients with VAP who received at least 1 dose of doripenem or a comparator in the phase III studies. Comparators were piperacillin/tazobactam (study 1) and imipenem (study 2). We analyzed between-group differences in medical resource utilization endpoints by comparison of Kaplan-Meier curves with generalized Wilcoxon test and in microbiologic eradication rates by two-sided Fisher's exact test. Results: 625 patients with VAP were evaluated and received at least 1 dose of doripenem (n = 312) or a comparator (n = 313). Median durations of mechanical ventilation (7 versus 10 days; P = 0.008) and hospitalization (22 versus 26 days; P = 0.010) were shorter for doripenem than comparators; corresponding ICU stays were 12 and 13 days (P = 0.065). Allcause, overall mortality rates were similar (51/312 [16%] versus 47/313 [15%]; P = 0.648). MIC 90 values against Pseudomonas aeruginosa for doripenem versus imipenem were 4 versus 16 μg/mL in study 2. P. aeruginosa was eradicated from 16/24 (67%) doripenem recipients and 10/24 (42%) comparator recipients (P = 0.147). In patients with P. aeruginosa at baseline, median durations of mechanical ventilation (7 versus 13 days; P = 0.031) and ICU stay (13 versus 21 days; P = 0.027) were shorter for doripenem; corresponding hospital stays were 24 and 35 days (P = 0.129). Conclusions: Doripenem was associated with lower medical resource utilization than comparators. Differences in antipseudomonal activity may have contributed to these findings. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00211003 (study 1) and NCT00211016 (study 2).
The effects of intraduodenal bile acid administration on biliary secretion of ionized calcium and carbonate in man

The importance of calcium in gallstone formation is increasingly recognized. Calcium carbonate is an important constituent of gallbladder stones and may be present in the nidus of cholesterol stones. Secondary deposition of calcium carbonate on the surface of cholesterol gallstones is an important reason for failure of oral bile acid dissolution therapy. We sought to determine the effects of bile acids on the crystallization conditions of calcium carbonate in bile. We studied 18 patients with choledocholithiasis with a percutaneous or endoscopically placed catheter high in the biliary tree. Samples of bile in the basal state and following replacement of the bile acid pool with cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid were analyzed for total calcium, ionized calcium, bicarbonate and carbonate, and the saturation index for calcium carbonate was calculated. Hepatic bile in the basal state was supersaturated with calcium carbonate. Total calcium concentrations rose linearly with rising bile acid concentrations but ionized calcium was maintained in a relatively narrow range. These data are consistent with an important role for bile acids in binding calcium. Extrapolation of the linear regressions between bile acid concentration and calcium concentrations suggested that in the absence of bile acids, biliary calcium concentrations are in passive equilibrium with plasma. Chenodeoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid caused a bicarbonate-rich choleresis and significantly augmented the saturation index for calcium carbonate, whereas cholic acid caused no change. In contrast with animal models, the apparent choleretic activity of cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid was similar, and no hyper-choleresis was observed with ursodeoxycholic acid. Chenodeoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid therefore increase the thermodynamic possibility for calcium carbonate precipitation.
RADTI: Regression analyses of diffusion tensor images

Diffusion tensor image (DTI) is a powerful tool for quantitatively assessing the integrity of anatomical connectivity in white matter in clinical populations. The prevalent methods for group-level analysis of DTI are statistical analyses of invariant measures (e.g., fractional anisotropy) and principal directions across groups. The invariant measures and principal directions, however, do not capture all information in full diffusion tensor, which can decrease the statistical power of DTI in detecting subtle changes of white matters. Thus, it is very desirable to develop new statistical methods for analyzing full diffusion tensors. In this paper, we develop a set of toolbox, called RADTI, for the analysis of the full diffusion tensors as responses and establish their association with a set of covariates. The key idea is to use the recent development of log-Euclidean metric and then transform diffusion tensors in a nonlinear space into their matrix logarithms in a Euclidean space. Our regression model is a semiparametric model, which avoids any specific parametric assumptions. We develop an estimation procedure and a test procedure based on score statistics and a resampling method to simultaneously assess the statistical significance of linear hypotheses across a large region of interest. Monte Carlo simulations are used to examine the finite sample performance of the test procedure for controlling the family-wise error rate. We apply our methods to the detection of statistical significance of diagnostic and age effects on the integrity of white matter in a diffusion tensor study of human immunodeficiency virus.
Sociality, stress, and the corpus striatum of the green anolis lizard

The green anolis lizard, Anolis carolinensis, is a uniquely convenient species with great potential for providing insights about the causes and consequences of social behavior from an evolutionary perspective. In this species, social interactions are mediated by visual displays in which specific units of behavior are combined in various ways to communicate several more-or-less specific messages. Two related research programs that utilize this species converge in provocative ways to provide insight into this phenomenon. The first program is centered on the basal ganglia, now known to be crucial to the expression of aggressive territoriality in this species, and the second research program examines the way the physiological stress response is involved in aggression and its subsequent adaptive outcomes. Both the neural and the neuroendocrine systems affect the progress of social interactions as well as the subsequent social dominance relationships when combatants subsequently live together. Further, because body color depends almost exclusively on the stress response, skin color provides a unique in situ bioassay of otherwise inaccessible information about the animal's internal state. The fullest understanding of the physiological ethology of this model species will depend on an interdisciplinary approach that considers both proximate (physiological) and ultimate (evolutionary) causes of displays. Questions thus arising include how the nervous system controls and assembles the specific units of behavior-motor patterns and autonomic reflexes-into displays that are adaptive in specific contexts.
A Noninteractive Beam Position and Size Monitor for Heavy Ions

The Ion Beam Fusion development program at Argonne National Laboratory requires noninteractive size measurements of a pulsed, 30 mA, Xe+l particle beam. Pulses of 100 ?s duration will be produced by the 1.5 MV preaccelerator; therefore, fast response diagnostics are required. Techniques of utilizing residual gas ionization to profile particle beams have been reported before. This paper discusses the development of vertical and horizontal beam profile monitors that are synchronously clocked to interface with oscilloscopes and computers. Modern integrated circuitry is utilized which boosts performance to a point where pulses as short as 20 ?s can be analyzed. A small, simple ionization chamber is shown which provides sixteen channels of position resolution over 12 cm of aperture.
Role of calcium in fibrin formation.

THE conversion of a fibrinolytic factor to a clotting factor, both extracted from fibrin clots, was shown to occur in oxalated plasma without calcium chloride1. Larger amounts of lytic factor prevented plasma coagulation with or without this salt2, presumably due to an insufficient amount of the converting enzyme in plasma. Calcium chloride was reported to have two effects: (1) it accelerated the coagulation of oxalated plasma with clotting factor1; (2) it rendered clots formed from fibrinogen and clotting factor less soluble in 30 per cent urea than control clots without the salt3. Clots containing oxalate, on the other hand, dissolved more rapidly in urea than control clots.
New Interferometric Method for Studying Periodic Spectra Using a Fabry–Perot Interferometer*

The realization of a multiplex advantage using a Fabry–Perot interferometer has been demonstrated in the investigation of periodic spectra. Regularly spaced spectral lines can be simultaneously transmitted by a Fabry–Perot interferometer when the free spectral range is equal to the frequency difference between adjacent spectral lines. This new spectroscopic technique has been applied to the study of rotational Raman scattering in gases. Analysis of the interferograms provides a direct determination of the rotational B constant without having first to transform the interferogram. Experimental results for N2O are: (a) neglecting centrifugal distortion effects, B = (0.418 71 ± 0.000 03) cm−1; (b) correcting for centrifugal-distortion effects using the microwave value for DJ, B = (0.419 04 ± 0.000 03) cm−1. The corrected B value agrees with the microwave B value to within 0.000 04 cm−1. The advantages of this new interferometric method are high resolution, excellent sensitivity, simple, compact design, and the ability to obtain the rotational constant directly from the interferogram.
Subjective hunger relationships with meal patterns in the spontaneous feeding behavior of humans: evidence for a causal connection

The relationship between the subjective state of hunger and objective food intake was investigated using a diary self-report method. Thirty-one adult humans were paid to record in a diary, for 7 consecutive days, everything that they either ate or drank, the time that they ingested it, and how hungry they were on a seven point scale. The diary entries were encoded and entered into a computer. Meals were identified according to 5 different definitions and meal compositions, estimated stomach contents, and intermeal intervals calculated. Univariate and multiple linear regression predictions of self-reported hunger and meal size were calculated from these data. Self-reported hunger was found to be related negatively to the energy content and the proportion of protein in the stomach at the time of meal ingestion. Meal size was also found to be related to these same factors and also positively to self-rated hunger. These results suggest that protein has a unique satiating property beyond its contribution to total food energy. When self-rated hunger and the premeal stomach contents were all used in a multiple regression prediction of meal size the premeal stomach contents influence became nonsignificant leaving subjective hunger as the only significant predictor of meal size. These results suggest that subjective hunger represents an intermediary step in the cause-effect sequence between gut filling and cessation of meal ingestion.
Sound-Pressure Correlates of the Aortic Ejection Sound An Intracardiac Sound Study

The sound-pressure correlates of the aortic ejection sound (AES) were studied in six patients without aortic valve disease (group 1) and in nine patients with valvular aortic stenosis (group 2) during diagnostic left heart catheterization. Aortic root sound and pressure events were recorded by a catheter-tip micromanometer simultaneously with the external phonocardiogram, indirect carotid pulse, and electrocardiogram. The AES in group 1 patients was coincident with the onset of pressure rise in the aortic root. This relationship was not altered by drug administration, although variations in the amplitude of the AES occurred. It was concluded that the AES in patients without aortic valvular disease is an exaggerated ejection component of the normal first heart sound, and that it is a root phenomenon related to the forceful ejection of blood into the aorta. The AES in group 2 patients was delayed 24 to 40 msec after the onset of pressure rise in the aortic root, was coincident with the anacrotic notch, and ...
Three-Dimensional in vivo Reflectance and Fluorescence Imaging by a Handheld Dual-Axes Confocal Microscope

We demonstrate reflectance and fluorescence imaging with a handheld dual-axes confocal microscope based on a two-dimensional microelectromechanical system scanner. Three-dimensional imaging capability is shown in tissue, and in vivo imaging of a mouse is performed.
Measurable triples and cardinal measurement

Abstract An axiom system is presented for a measurement structure incorporating homothetic and “Gorman polar form” weak orders as special cases. Representation theorems establish: (1) an operational method of constructing a numerical representation of such structures, and (2) that cardinal, rather than ordinal, measurement is obtained in that: (a) a class of elements is identified in the domain of the weak order which can play the same role as a yardstick in the measurement of length, and (b) the representation obtained is generally a ratio scale. Some simple special cases are also developed as are some implications for the theory of demand.
FBH1 promotes DNA double-strand breakage and apoptosis in response to DNA replication stress.

Proper resolution of stalled replication forks is essential for genome stability. Purification of FBH1, a UvrD DNA helicase, identified a physical interaction with replication protein A (RPA), the major cellular single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)–binding protein complex. Compared with control cells, FBH1-depleted cells responded to replication stress with considerably fewer double-strand breaks (DSBs), a dramatic reduction in the activation of ATM and DNA-PK and phosphorylation of RPA2 and p53, and a significantly increased rate of survival. A minor decrease in ssDNA levels was also observed. All these phenotypes were rescued by wild-type FBH1, but not a FBH1 mutant lacking helicase activity. FBH1 depletion had no effect on other forms of genotoxic stress in which DSBs form by means that do not require ssDNA intermediates. In response to catastrophic genotoxic stress, apoptosis prevents the persistence and propagation of DNA lesions. Our findings show that FBH1 helicase activity is required for the efficient induction of DSBs and apoptosis specifically in response to DNA replication stress.
Minority Caregivers of Dementia Victims: A Comparison of Black and Hispanic Families:

The experiences of 31 Black and 19 Hispanic families caring for dementia victims at home were examined through data collected in two interviews six months apart. Caregivers'health status, mental well-being, attitudes towards caregiving, and use of informal and formal supports were measured. Data were also collected on the patient's degree of mental and physical impairment. The findings indicate that both groups maintain strong feelings of filial support for the aged and have actively involved informal support networks. Formal services are also used, although the attitudes towards them and the factors related to their use varied between the Black and Hispanic respondents. For both groups, the increased use of formal services at the second interview was related to a decrease in informal supports. Health of the caregivers did not appear to be affected although the Hispanics gave evidence of depression. The article discusses implications of these findings.
Recombinant Marek's disease virus (MDV) lacking the Meq oncogene confers protection against challenge with a very virulent plus strain of MDV

Marek's disease virus (MDV) encodes a basic leucine-zipper protein, Meq, that shares homology with the Jun/Fos family of transcriptional factors. Conclusive evidence that Meq is an oncogene of MDV came from recent studies of a Meq-null virus, rMd5 Delta Meq. This virus replicated well in vitro, but was non-oncogenic in vivo. Further characterization of this virus in vivo indicated that the meq gene is dispensable for cytolytic infection since it replicated well in the lymphoid organs and feather follicular epithelium. Since rMd5 Delta Meq virus was apathogenic for chickens, we set out to investigate whether this virus could be a good candidate vaccine. Vaccine efficacy experiments conducted in Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory (ADOL) 15I(5)x 7(1) chickens vaccinated with rMd5 Delta Meq virus or an ADOL preparation of CVI988/Rispens indicated that the Meq-null virus provided protection superior to CVI988/Rispens, the most efficacious vaccine presently available, following challenge with a very virulent (rMd5) and a very virulent plus (648A) MDV strains.