cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of Bleeding Diathesis: A Case-Based Approach

Disorders of coagulation can be inherited or acquired and can result in abnormal bruising or bleeding. Affected children may have significant morbidity or mortality if one of these disease processes goes unrecognized or is not treated appropriately and expeditiously. Any child presenting to the emergency department with bruising or bleeding should receive a careful physical examination to determine if the presentation correlates with history provided and to assess for nonaccidental trauma. Detailed personal and family history of easy bruising, bruising out of proportion to injury, or prolonged bleeding after minor procedures may aid the elucidation of a coagulation defect. This article discusses 3 cases of bleeding diathesis presenting in the emergency department, with a review of basic pathophysiology, initial evaluation, and management. Together, they are representative of the types of bleeding mechanisms to consider, although they do not represent all disorders which clinicians may encounter throughout their clinical work.
PKC, MAP kinases and the bcl-2 family of proteins as long-term targets for mood stabilizers.

The complexity of the unique biology of bipolar disorder—which includes the predisposition to episodic, and often progressive, mood disturbance—and the dynamic nature of compensatory processes in the brain, coupled with limitations in experimental design, have hindered our ability to identify the underlying pathophysiology of this fascinating neuropsychiatric disorder. Although we have yet to identify the specific abnormal genes in mood disorders, recent studies have implicated critical signal transduction pathways as being integral to the pathophysiology and treatment of bipolar disorder. In particular, a converging body of preclinical data has shown that chronic lithium and valproate, at therapeutically relevant concentrations, regulate the protein kinase C signaling cascade. This has led to the investigation of the antimanic efficacy of tamoxifen (at doses sufficient to inhibit protein kinase C), with very encouraging preliminary results. A growing body of data also suggests that impairments of neuroplasticity and cellular resilience may also underlie the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. It is thus noteworthy that mood stabilizers, such as lithium and valproate, indirectly regulate a number of factors involved in cell survival pathways—including cAMP response element binding protein, brain derived neurotrophic factor, bcl-2 and mitogen-activated protein kinases—and may thus bring about some of their delayed long-term beneficial effects via under-appreciated neurotrophic effects. The development of novel treatments, which more directly target molecules involved in critical central nervous system cell survival and cell death pathways, has the potential to enhance neuroplasticity and cellular resilience, thereby modulating the long-term course and trajectory of these devastating illnesses.
Humean Heroism: Value Commitments and the Source of Normativity

This paper addresses the question In virtue of what do practical reasons have normative force or justificatory power? There seems to be good reason to doubt that desires are the source of normativity. However, I argue that the reasons to be suspicious of desire-based accounts of normativity can be overcome by a sufficiently sophisticated account. The position I defend in this paper is one according to which desires, or more generally, pro-attitudes, do constitute values and provide rational justifications of actions when they are organized in the right way.
Spins of Excited States of Tl 208 from Alpha-Gamma Angular Correlations

Measurements have been made of the angular correlations of the 5.60-MeV $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ ray occurring in the decay of ${\mathrm{Bi}}^{212}$ to the fourth excited state of ${\mathrm{Tl}}^{208}$ with the subsequent 452-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ray, and of the 5.76-MeV $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ ray occurring in the decay to the second excited state with the subsequent competing 288- and 328-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays. The detectors employed were a 2-in.\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2-in. NaI (Tl) crystal for $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays, and a silicon surface barrier counter for $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ rays. The results of the angular correlation measurements were The ratio of the intensity of the 2.88-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ray to the intensity of the 328-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ was found to be 2.87\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.22. The multipolarities of the 288- and 328-keV transitions have been confirmed to be predominantly $M1$. A unique spin assignment of ${5}^{+}$ has been made to the 328-keV second excited state of ${\mathrm{Tl}}^{208}$. Moreover, consistent assignments of ${4}^{+}$, ${3}^{+}$, and ${6}^{+}$ are made to the third through fifth excited states.
Documenting framework behavior

Frameworks [Johnson, Foote, Sparks] promise to dramatically reduce the time and effort needed to develop complete applications. A framework F for a given application area typically provides the control flow among the various methods of the various classes. A developer who wants to use F to develop a complete application A need only provide the code for the various (pure) virtual methods1 in the various abstract base classes of F . But in order for the promise of frameworks to be truly realized, the framework F must include documentation that provides the application developer with suitable information about F . In the absence of such documentation, the application developer will be forced to go through the code of F to extract the information, thereby substantially negating the advantages that the use of frameworks was supposed to provide. In the rest of this article we point out the need for a new approach to the formal specification2 of the behavior of frameworks, sketch a possible approach, and briefly indicate how an application developer could combine such a specification of framework behavior with appropriate information about the code he supplies to arrive at a specification of the entire application.
Another metric suite for object-oriented programming

Abstract Chidamber and Kemerer (C&K) proposed six metrics for object-oriented programming. Discussions about the metrics were also reported. Recently, Kitchenham and her colleagues proposed a framework to validate software metrics. This paper evaluates C&K metrics by using Kitchenham's metric-evaluation framework and finds deficiencies in some of the C&K metrics. In order to remedy the deficiencies, this paper proposes another metric suite for object-oriented programming. The new metric suite, also six in number, includes Number of Ancestor Classes (NAC), Number of Local Methods (NLM), Class Method Complexity (CMC), Number of Descendent Classes (NDC), Coupling Through Abstract Data Type (CTA), and Coupling Through Message Passing (CTM).
Airborne disease: including chemical and biological warfare.

This contribution examines the influence of Alexander D. Langmuir's career on our knowledge and understanding of airborne disease. The historical background of airborne infection is presented first, followed by an assessment of Langmuir's contributions to this broad area. Several phases of his career can be identified insofar as they relate to airborne infections: 1) studies conducted in the 1940s during World War II under the auspices of the Commission on Acute Respiratory Diseases of the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board; 2) chemical and biological warfare considerations and the formation of the Epidemic Intelligence Service during the late 1940s and 1950s; 3) maturing views and the scientific basis for a theory of airborne disease during the late 1950s and 1960s; and 4) reconsideration of conventional epidemiologic theory during the 1970s and 1980s. Finally, the impact of Langmuir's unique contributions is assessed in relation to our present understanding of airborne infection and to future research directions. The recent history of understanding airborne infection can be appreciated only by understanding the beliefs that existed at the time Langmuir embarked on his professional career. Earlier views about the relative importance of the airborne route of disease transmission had been cyclic in nature (1). Early philosophers and writers acknowledged an important influence of air. Hippocrates (400 B.C.) believed that air, along with water and places, influenced health. Some 600 years later, Galen noted that one should consider the air that we breathe when many sicken and die at once. The occurrence of major epidemics such as the Black Death in Europe during the 14th century seemed to underscore his observations. For most of medieval and renaissance history, and lasting until the mid-nineteenth century, virtually all in-
Two new species of Microtrobicula (Acari: Trombiculidae) from the Philippines

Abstract Two new species of chiggers, Microtrombicula (Eltonella) dasia and M. (E.) lepidodactylus, are described from specimens collected from lizard hosts in the Philippines during the 1960s.
Postoperative Pain Trajectories in Chronic Pain Patients Undergoing Surgery: The Effects of Chronic Opioid Pharmacotherapy on Acute Pain

Abstract For 2 weeks following surgery, 55 patients with preexisting chronic pain (CP) reported daily postoperative pain with movement and at rest. Of these, 30 CP patients used opioid pharmacotherapy for CP management and 25 did not. We modeled pain resolution in each patient using a linear fit so that each patient yielded 2 scores for each pain rating: 1) an intercept, or initial level of pain, immediately after surgery; and 2) a slope, or rate of pain resolution. The patients not using opioid pharmacotherapy had a mean pain with movement intercept of 5.4 and a slope of −.20, while the patients using opioid pharmacotherapy had a significantly higher mean intercept of 7.68 ( P = .001) and a slope of −.21, sustaining higher pain levels over days. The opioid pharmacotherapy patients had the same rate of pain resolution as the other CP patients, and both groups resolved their pain more slowly than normal surgery patients. Preexisting CP may predispose a patient undergoing surgery to a slower rate of postoperative pain resolution. Chronic pain patients who use opioids share this predisposition but in addition, they are at risk for markedly higher postoperative pain across the entire pain resolution trajectory. Perspective This is an observational rather than a randomized controlled study, and as such is less definitive. Nonetheless, these findings are consistent with those of animal studies showing that prolonged exposure to opioids can produce opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Patients with opioid pharmacotherapy for chronic pain who undergo surgery merit special attention for acute pain management.
A method for automating the construction of irregular computational grids for storm surge forecast models

Abstract Irregular grids for computing storm surges can be generated from digital data defining the bathymetry and boundaries of the basins in which the surges occur. The method presented here for constructing these grids proceeds in two stages. First, a curvilinear grid is constructed to have boundaries which coincide with the curving coastlines of bays and barrier islands. In the second stage, a fully irregular grid is constructed by removing points from the curvilinear grid. Because the separation of neighboring points is proportional to the square root of the basin depth, the irregular grid provides for economical computations with a minimum of numerical dispersion. This method can be generalized for other purposes. It is possible to construct grids comprised of quadrilateral or triangular elements, corresponding to both curved and planar domains, to be used for a wide variety of calculations using either finite-difference or finite-element methods.
High-throughput fiber links for computercom interconnects

With some high-performance computers now deploying >105 fibers per machine, next-generation systems must increase levels of optical integration and bandwidth-per-fiber, decrease component power and cost, and maintain manageable complexity by leveraging automation where possible.
Detection of loops and singularities of surface intersections

Abstract Two surface patches intersecting each other generally at a set of points (singularities), form open curves or closed loops. While open curves are easily located by following the boundary curves of the two patches, closed loops and singularities pose a robustness challenge since such points or loops can easily be missed by any subdivision or marching-based intersection algorithms, especially when the intersecting patches are flat and ill-positioned. This paper presents a topological method to detect the existence of closed loops or singularities when two flat surface patches intersect each other. The algorithm is based on an oriented distance function defined between two intersecting surfaces. The distance function is evaluated in a vector field to identify the existence of singular points of the distance function since these singular points indicate possible existence of closed intersection loops. The algorithm detects the existence rather than the absence of closed loops and singularities. This algorithm requires general C 2 parametric surfaces.
Lariat ether alcohols based on dibenzo-16-crown-5

Synthetic routes to forty-four dibenzocrown ether alcohols are reported. The new crown ether com pounds are based on a sym-dibenzo-16-crown-5 platform. Most have a hydroxy group and an alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or perfluoroalkyl group on the central carbon of the three-carbon bridge. Others have substituted benzene rings and either a hydroxy or -O(CH2)nOH group attached to the central carbon of the three-carbon bridge.
Customizing Generalizations of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Goodness-of-fit Test

This paper presents a method of customizing goodness-of-fit tests that transforms the empirical distribution function in such a way as to create tests for certain alternatives. Using the @ , g transform described in Blom(1958), one can create non-parametric tests for an assortment of alternative distributions. As examples, three new ( f , g )-corrected Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests for goodness-of-fit are discussed. One of these tests is powerful for testing whether or not the data come from an alternative that is heavier in the tails. Another test identifies whether or not the data come from an alternative which is heavier in the middle of the distribution. The last test identifies if the data come from an alternative in which the first or third quartile is far from the corresponding quartile of the hypothesized distribution. The behavior of the three new tests is investigated through a power study.
A retrospective study of the relationship between biomarkers of atherosclerosis and erectile dysfunction in 988 men

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with clinical atherosclerosis and several atherosclerotic risk factors including smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity and sedentary lifestyle. Clinical atherosclerosis is also associated with these same risk factors and with biomarkers of inflammation, thrombosis, endothelial cell activation. We evaluated the cross-sectional association between the degree of ED and levels of atherosclerotic biomarkers. A subcohort of 988 US male health professionals between the ages 46 and 81 years as part of an ongoing epidemiologic study had atherosclerotic biomarkers measured from blood collected in 1994-1995. These same men had in 2000, been retrospectively asked about erectile function in 1995 and in 2000. Biennial questionnaires since 1986 assessed medical conditions, medications, smoking, physical activity, body mass index, alcohol intake. The retrospective assessment of erectile function in 2000 for 1995 in these 988 men ranged from very good - 28.2%, good - 25.1%, fair - 19.2%, poor - 13.6%, to very poor - 13.9%. Men with poor to very poor erectile function compared to men with good and very good erectile function had 2.9 the odds of having elevated Factor VII levels (P=0.03), 1.9 times the odds of having elevated vascular cell adhesion molecule (P=0.13) and 2.0 times the odds of having elevated intracellular adhesion molecule (P=0.06) and 2.1 times the odds of having elevated total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein ratio (P=0.02) comparing the top to bottom quintiles for each atherosclerotic biomarker after multivariate adjustment. Lipoprotein(a), homocysteine, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor receptor, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen were not associated with the degree of erectile function after adjustment. We conclude that selected biomarkers for endothelial function, thrombosis and dyslipidemia but not inflammation are associated with the degree of ED in this cross-sectional analysis. Future studies evaluating the prospective association of ED, endothelial function and cardiovascular disease appear warranted.
Troika of single particle tracking programing: SNR enhancement, particle identification, and mapping

Single particle tracking (SPT) techniques provide a microscopic approach to probe in vivo and in vitro structure and reactions. Automatic analysis of SPT data with high efficiency and accuracy spurs the development of SPT algorithms. In this perspective, we review a range of available techniques used in SPT analysis programs. In addition, we present an example SPT program step-by-step to provide a guide so that researchers can use, modify, and/or write a SPT program for their own purposes.
Exploring situational awareness in diagnostic errors in primary care

Objective: Diagnostic errors in primary care are harmful but poorly studied. To facilitate the understanding of diagnostic errors in real-world primary care settings that use electronic health records (EHRs), this study explored the use of the situational awareness (SA) framework from aviation human factors research. Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted involving reviews of EHR data followed by semistructured interviews of selected providers from two institutions in the USA. The study population included 380 consecutive patients with colorectal and lung cancers diagnosed between February 2008 and January 2009. Using a pre-tested data collection instrument, trained physicians identified diagnostic errors, defined as lack of timely action on one or more established indications for diagnostic work-up for lung and colorectal cancers. Twenty-six providers involved in cases with and without errors were interviewed. Interviews probed for providers’ lack of SA and how this may have influenced the diagnostic process. Results: Of 254 cases meeting inclusion criteria, errors were found in 30 of 92 (32.6%) lung cancer cases and 56 of 167 (33.5%) colorectal cancer cases. Analysis of interviews related to error cases revealed evidence of lack of one of four levels of SA applicable to primary care practice: information perception, information comprehension, forecasting future events, and choosing appropriate action based on the first three levels. In cases without error, application of the SA framework provided insight into processes involved in attention management. Conclusions: A framework of SA can help analyse and understand diagnostic errors in primary care settings that use EHRs.
Influence of specialty on pathology resource use in evaluation of cervical dysplasia.

Objective: Colposcopy is performed by different providers, including nurse practitioners, family physicians, and gynecologists. The training and experience of these providers vary. The fiscal impact of provider type is unknown. This study evaluates pathology resource use by gynecologists and nongynecologists at the time of colposcopy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed. Data were collected by review of pathology reports and records of all patients with cervical dysplasia treated with cervical excision by loop electrosurgical excision procedure or cold knife conization at our institution between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 1997. Data were analyzed according to type of provider performing the colposcopy before the cervical excision. Results: Gynecologists obtained a total of 190 biopsy specimens in 127 patients, with a mean number of 1.5 ± 0.75 per patient and a median of 1. Nongynecologists took a total of 148 biopsy specimens in 44 patients, with a mean of 3.4 ± 1.14 per patient and a median of 3 (P < .001). These differences persisted irrespective of presenting cytology. Nongynecologists were more likely to do endocervical curettage than gynecologists (95% compared with 82%, respectively, P < .001). Cervical dysplasia was diagnosed equally well, even though fewer biopsies were taken by gynecologists. Conclusion: Both groups of providers were equally capable of identifying dysplastic lesions. Despite equivalent diagnostic accuracy, nongynecologists used two to three times more pathology resources. If this pattern of use of resources exists at other clinical sites, patients with cervical dysplasia and payers would be better served by gynecologic rather than nongynecologic care.
Incidence and significance of pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead masses discovered during transesophageal echocardiography.

Background Pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator device infections are feared complications. The finding of a lead-associated mass on transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) raises concern for endocarditis. However, the incidence and clinical importance of lead masses is not currently known. Methods Consecutive patients with transvenous leads undergoing TEE from July 1, 2003, to June 30, 2005, were identified and assessed for a clinical diagnosis of endocarditis. An echocardiographer blinded to clinical information reviewed all TEEs. Results Of 177 TEEs performed on 153 patients, a visible mass on a device lead was observed in 25 (14%), including 11 TEEs showing a lead vegetation, 13 TEEs showing lead strands, and one study showing both. Seventeen patients were adjudicated to have endocarditis, of which eight had a mass seen on a lead during TEE. Thus, 72% of patients (18 of 25) with a lead-associated mass did not have evidence of an infection. In TEEs performed for indications other than to rule out endocarditis, lead masses were seen in 13 of 136 studies (10%), with only one patient adjudicated to clinically have an infected device. Conclusion During this 2-year study of consecutive patients with a tranvenous lead undergoing TEE, lead-associated masses were found in 14% of patients. In 72% of patients, the mass did not prove to be secondary to infectious causes. Thus, masses attached to a device lead should be interpreted in the overall clinical context and, in the absence of concomitant evidence of endocarditis, should not mandate device and lead removal.
Inter-Active Graphic Methods for Automating Mechanical Engineering Design and Analyses

Automating of mechanical engineering design, drafting, structural modelling and analyses is being implemented at EOSC with interactive graphic time share terminals. It was recognized that for reducing costs in mechanical engineering tasks and to stay competitive in the industry, these tasks had to be automated. Previously these tasks used labor intensive manual design and drafting methods, and structural modelling with batch processing. Trade-off evaluations and vendor surveys were conducted of several automated drafting and structural modelling systems. The decisions made after the evaluations was to use currently available soft-ware and Tektronix terminal equipment for inter-active communications with host computers. This paper discusses how mechanical design, and structural modelling and analyses have been automated at EOSC using inter-active graphics and time-share terminals.
Tissue Factor and PAR2 Signaling in the Tumor Microenvironment

Diverse oncogenic transformations result in the constitutive expression of tissue factor (TF) in cancer cells. The local and systemic activation of the coagulation cascade has long been a recognized hallmark for aggressive cancer, but genetic mouse models and new experimental therapeutics have only recently demonstrated crucial roles for TF initiated cell signaling in the pathogenesis of cancer. On tumor cells, the TF-VIIa binary complex mediates activation of protease activated receptor (PAR) 2 and thereby shapes the tumor microenvironment by inducing an array of proangiogenic and immune modulating cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. PAR2 also uniquely triggers tumor cell migration by G protein–independent pathways through β-arrestin scaffolding. Metastatic tumor cells use additional signaling networks of the coagulation cascade by activating PAR1 through thrombin or the ternary TF-VIIa-Xa signaling complex in the vascular and potentially lymphatic system. Selective antagonists of TF-VIIa-PAR2 signaling may be used as antiangiogenic therapy without increasing the risk of bleeding, whereas coagulation and associated signaling pathways on platelets and other host cells may be targeted for therapeutic benefit in advanced cancer and metastatic disease.
Electrical Coupling Between Endothelial Cells and Smooth Muscle Cells in Hamster Feed Arteries Role in Vasomotor Control

Abstract—Endothelial cells (ECs) govern smooth muscle cell (SMC) tone via the release of paracrine factors (eg, NO and metabolites of arachidonic acid). We tested the hypothesis that ECs can promote SMC relaxation or contraction via direct electrical coupling. Vessels (resting diameter, 57±3 μm; length, 4 mm) were isolated, cannulated, and pressurized (75 mm Hg; 37°C). Two microelectrodes were used to simultaneously impale 2 cells (ECs or SMCs) in the vessel wall separated by 500 μm. Impalements of one EC and one SMC (n=26) displayed equivalent membrane potentials at rest, during spontaneous oscillations, and during hyperpolarization and vasodilation to acetylcholine. Injection of −0.8 nA into an EC caused hyperpolarization (≈5 mV) and relaxation of SMCs (dilation, ≈5 μm) along the vessel segment. In a reciprocal manner, +0.8 nA caused depolarization (≈2 mV) of SMCs with constriction (≈2 μm). Current injection into SMCs while recording from ECs produced similar results. We conclude that ECs and SMCs are e...
A dose-response study of the effects of dietary cholesterol on fasting and postprandial lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in healthy young men.

Despite many previous studies, controversy remains concerning the effects of dietary cholesterol on plasma cholesterol concentrations. In addition, the focus of previous studies has been fasting lipid and lipoprotein concentrations; there are no published studies with postprandial measurements. We studied the effects of four levels of dietary cholesterol intake on fasting lipid, lipoprotein, and apoprotein levels, as well as postprandial lipid levels, in a group of young, healthy men who were otherwise eating a low-fat, American Heart Association step 1 diet. Twenty young, healthy men completed a randomized, four-way crossover design study to test the effects of an American Heart Association step 1 diet containing 0, 1, 2, or 4 eggs per day. Dietary cholesterol ranged from 128 to 858 mg cholesterol per day. Each diet was eaten for 8 weeks, with a break between diets. Three fasting blood samples were obtained at the end of each diet period. In addition, blood samples were obtained just before and 2, 4, and 6 hours after ingestion of a standard lunch containing the various amounts of egg cholesterol. We also obtained blood 4 and 8 hours after the subjects ingested a standard, high-fat formula. Fasting plasma total cholesterol concentrations increased by 1.47 mg/dL (0.038 mmol/L) for every 100 mg dietary cholesterol added to the diet (P < .001). Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol increased in parallel. Responsiveness varied but appeared to be normally distributed. Fasting plasma apoprotein B concentrations increased approximately 10% between the 0- and 4-egg diets and were correlated with changes in total and LDL cholesterol concentrations. Although there was a trend toward a greater response in men with an apoprotein E4 allele, this was not statistically significant. Fasting plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein levels were higher only on the 4-egg diet, and changes in cholesteryl ester transfer protein levels between the 0- and 4-egg diets correlated with changes in total and LDL cholesterol. There were no differences in the postlunch or post-fat-formula responses of plasma lipids across the diets. Incubation of the 4-hour postlunch serum with J774 macrophages did not affect cell cholesteryl ester content at any level of dietary cholesterol. Cellular free cholesterol levels were slightly higher on each of the egg-containing diets versus the 0-egg diet. In summary, increases in dietary cholesterol resulted in linear increases in fasting total and LDL cholesterol in young, healthy men.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
RELIABILITY, SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BRAVOTM CAPSULE: A CATHETER-FREE PH MONITORING SYSTEM FOR EVALUATION OF GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE IN CHILDREN

BACKGROUND Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common problem seen in pediatrics and adolescents. The Bravo™ pH Monitoring System is a capsule that detects and quantifies the severity of reflux disease. This test is also valuable for evaluation of patients with extra-gastrointestinal manifestations of GERD such as asthma, chronic cough, hoarseness, aspiration pneumonia, and pre/post fundoplication surgery. This study evaluates the safety and reliability of this procedure in children. METHODS
Characterization of an epoxide hydrolase from the Florida red tide dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis.

Epoxide hydrolases (EH, EC 3.3.2.3) have been proposed to be key enzymes in the biosynthesis of polyether (PE) ladder compounds such as the brevetoxins which are produced by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. These enzymes have the potential to catalyze kinetically disfavored endo-tet cyclization reactions. Data mining of K. brevis transcriptome libraries revealed two classes of epoxide hydrolases: microsomal and leukotriene A4 (LTA4) hydrolases. A microsomal EH was cloned and expressed for characterization. The enzyme is a monomeric protein with molecular weight 44 kDa. Kinetic parameters were evaluated using a variety of epoxide substrates to assess substrate selectivity and enantioselectivity, as well as its potential to catalyze the critical endo-tet cyclization of epoxy alcohols. Monitoring of EH activity in high and low toxin producing cultures of K. brevis over a three week period showed consistently higher activity in the high toxin producing culture implicating the involvement of one or more EH in brevetoxin biosynthesis.
Human trafficking and contemporary slavery

The article begins with a discussion of definitional issues regarding human trafficking and modern slavery and then briefly critiques some popular claims regarding each problem. Examples of macro-level research are critically evaluated, followed by a review of micro-level studies that illustrate tremendous variation and complexity in structural arrangements and individuals’ lived experiences. These studies suggest that in this field micro-level research has at least three advantages over grand, macro-level meta-analyses—advantages that are quantitative (i.e., estimating the magnitude of the problem within a measurable universe), qualitative (i.e., documenting complexities in lived experiences), and well suited to formulating contextually appropriate policy and enforcement responses.
Reactive deformation roadmaps: motion planning of multiple robots in dynamic environments

We present a novel algorithm for motion planning of multiple robots amongst dynamic obstacles. Our approach is based on a new roadmap representation that uses deformable links and dynamically retracts to capture the connectivity of the free space. We use Newtonian physics and Hooke's Law to update the position of the milestones and deform the links in response to the motion of other robots and the obstacles. Based on this roadmap representation, we describe our planning algorithms that can compute collision-free paths for tens of robots in complex dynamic environments.
Creating RZ data modulation formats using parallel silicon microring modulators for pulse carving in DPSK

We propose ultra-small silicon microring-based pulse carvers operated at 10 Gb/s. RZ-DPSK transmitter is obtained in chip-size of only tens of mum2 and exhibits lower power-penalty than MZM-based one by 1.7 dB in data transmission.
Eliminating a polysilicon hole defect created during oxide removal

Gate Oxide failure analysis during technology qualification led to discovery of the polysilicon hole defects in large (>200K μm2) PMOS capacitors. In-line KLA inspections confirmed that polysilicon holes were formed during the salicide block process module. It is hypothesized that a three way interaction between the P+ source/drain implanted boron, heat added during salicide block mask deposition, and NH4+ in the BOE causes the polysilicon hole. By replacing the BOE (Buffered Oxide Etchant) with a 100:1 HF solution, the creation of polysilicon holes was eliminated as confirmed by KLA and VBD testing.
Onset Times and Detection of Colored Signal Lights

Light sources used in signal lights for transportation applications have a variety of temporal onset characteristics, including a wide range of onset times. These characteristics, along with luminous intensity and color characteristics, can have important impacts on the ability to detect and respond to colored signal lights. Studies of the impact of these factors on responses to colored signals are reviewed, along with potential implications for the selection of light sources used in traffic and vehicle signals. The onset characteristics of recently developed light sources might offer significant potential to improve visual detection of signal lights. Nonetheless, it is important to understand the context in which a signal light is presented to determine whether such improvements in visual detection have practical significance.
Design and Analysis of a Performance-Optimized CMOS UWB Distributed LNA

In this paper, the systematic design and analysis of a CMOS performance-optimized distributed low-noise amplifier (DLNA) comprising bandwidth-enhanced cascode cells will be presented. Each cascode cell employs an inductor between the common-source and common-gate devices to enhance the bandwidth, while reducing the high-frequency input-referred noise. The noise analysis and optimization of the DLNA accurately accounts for the impact of thermal noise of line terminations and all device noise sources of each CMOS cascode cell including flicker noise, correlated gate-induced noise and channel thermal noise on the overall noise figure. A three-stage performance-optimized wideband DLNA has been designed and fabricated in a 0.18-mum SiGe process, where only MOS transistors were utilized. Measurements of the test chip show a flat noise figure of 2.9 dB, a forward gain of 8 dB, and input and output return losses below -12 dB and -10 dB, respectively, across the 7.5 GHz UWB band. The circuit exhibits an average IIP3 of -3.55 dBm. The 872 mum times 872 mum DLNA chip consumes 12 mA of current from a 1.8-V DC voltage.
Biomarker Identification by Knowledge-Driven Multi-Level ICA and Motif Analysis

Many statistical methods often fail to identify biologically meaningful biomarkers related to a specific disease under study from expression data alone. In this paper, we develop a novel strategy, namely knowledge-driven multi-level independent component analysis (ICA), to infer regulatory signals and identify biologically relevant biomarkers from microarray data. Specifically, based on multi-level clustering results and partial prior knowledge, we apply ICA to find stable disease specific linear regulatory modes and then extract associated biomarker genes. A statistical test is designed to evaluate the significance of transcription factor enrichment for extracted gene set based on motif information. The experimental results on an Rsf-1 induced microarray data set show that our knowledge-driven method can extract more biologically meaningful biomarkers with significant enrichment of transcription factors related to ovarian cancer compared to other gene selection methods with/without prior knowledge.
Survey of Test Security Practices

How common are securitg breaches in state testing programs? What problems are most frequently encountered? Does the number of problems seem small or large, given the nature of the tests and how they are used?
Absolute band strengths of halocarbons F‐11 and F‐12 in the 8‐ to 16‐μm region

The infrared strengths of three vibrational band systems of halocarbon F-11 and four vibrational band systems of halocarbon F-12 in the 'atmospheric window' between 8 and 16 microns were measured at 296 + or - 1 K using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. These results were obtained at a maximum instrumental resolution of 0.06/cm. The measurements of the total infrared band strengths for F-11 and F-12 would indicate approximately 17% and 5% greater absorbance, respectively, than those strengths used in recent greenhouse warming calculations by Ramanathan (1975), Wang et al. (1976), and Lacis et al. (1981), and consequently, a corresponding increase in the possible atmospheric warming effect by these halocarbons.
The Impact of Childcare and Parent–Child Interactions on School Readiness and Social Skills Development for Low-Income African American Children

Abstract Low-income and African American children are at increased risk for school readiness deficits in terms of both cognitive and social development. This study examined the roles of childcare involvement and parent–child interaction quality on the development of school readiness and social skills among a low-income, minority sample of kindergarten children. Findings provide mixed evidence on the role of childcare exposure, with early entry into childcare predicting higher levels of social skills ratings and increased time per week in such settings predicting lower levels of social skills development. Childcare exposure had positive, although trend-level, relationships with other readiness-related outcomes after accounting for demographic characteristics of children and their families. Parent–child interactions characterized as structured and responsive to the child's needs and emotions were positively related to school readiness, social skills, and receptive communication skills development after accounting for demographic characteristics and childcare exposure. Implications for preventive intervention program development and the role of school psychologists in the areas of consultation and intervention are discussed.
Tailored synthesis of superparamagnetic gold nanoshells with tunable optical properties.

Multifunctional Au nanoshells with tunable optical properties and fast magnetic response have been fabricated through a sequence of sol-gel, surface-protected etching, and seed-mediated growth processes. The use of a porous silica layer enhances the uniformity of nanoshell growth, the reproducibility of the synthesis, and the structural and optical stability of the products.
Computational methods to identify miRNA targets

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNA molecules that regulate the post-transcriptional expression of their target genes. This regulation may take the form of stable translational or degradation of the target transcript, although the mechanisms governing the outcome of miRNA-mediated regulation remain largely unknown. While it is becoming clear that miRNAs are core components of gene regulatory networks, elucidating precise roles for each miRNA within these networks will require an accurate means of identifying target genes and assessing the impact of miRNAs on individual targets. Numerous computational methods for predicting targets are currently available. These methods vary widely in their emphasis, accuracy, and ease of use for researchers. This review will focus on a comparison of the available computational methods in animals, with an emphasis on approaches that are informed by experimental analysis of microRNA:target complexes.
Salvation or destruction: Metaphors of the Internet

People use metaphors routinely to express their thoughts regarding the Internet’s nature and potential. In a study of editorials over a three month period, writers used metaphors of physical space, physical speed, salvation, and destruction to describe the Internet. We need to understand what these metaphors imply and how they impact the Internet’s future.
Consumer Associative Networks as Process-Tracing Measures of Brand Feedback Effects

In this Paper, we investigate the concept of brand feedback ejfects (i.e., brand dilution or enhancement). The potential dilution or enhancement of brand equity is a key concern for managers when they consider extending an existing product. Previous research has investigated this issue by evaluating changes in affective judgments (Aaker/Keller 1990; Bridges et al. 2000) or changes in traditional cognitive judgments and beliefs measures (Loken/John 1993; Broniarczyk/Alba 1994; John et al. 1998). In this chapter, we present a more process-oriented approach to detect changes in brand image and therefore brand equity. Consumer associative networks have been used as an important means of representing consumer perceptions of brands and therefore we employ them to detect the occurrence of feedback effects.
The role of definition in supporting mathematical activity

Definition is a form of mathematical activity that is fundamental to the profession's emphasis on conjecture, theorem and proof, yet is often treated in school as rote memory. We describe an alternative approach in which sixth-graders invented and revised definitions during investigations of space and geometry. Defining led to contest about taken-for-granted intuitions. A mathematical system emerged as relations among defined objects were constructed and extended, first by conjecture and later by theorem and proof.
Quantification of normal vaginal constituents using a new wet preparation technique.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate a new method for preparing vaginal wet preparations to enable quantification of cells and lactobacilli. The current nonstandardized technique allows for a variable amount of vaginal fluid collected, diluted by a variable amount of saline/KOH, and no quantification of constituents. MATERIALS The vaginal fluids from 100 randomly selected women without vulvovaginitis symptoms presenting to the author's practice at Mayo Clinic underwent analysis by the quantification technique. Women were excluded if they were younger than 18 years, had antibiotics within the past 2 months, currently on their period, had placed anything in the vagina for the past 24 hours, used Depo-Provera, or were lactating. METHODS All the wet preparations were made by mixing the natural vaginal fluids with 3 mL of sterile normal saline. Spinal diluting fluid was added to the saline preparation. The saline and KOH mixtures were injected into separate wells of KOVA Glasstic Grid Slide and analyzed with a phase-contrast microscope at 40× and 60×. The concentration of leukocytes, lactobacilli, and squamous cells and the degree of maturation of the majority (>50%) of squamous cells were assessed, and it was determined whether there was excessive non-lactobacilli bacteria (EB) as evident by clumps of bacteria in the background fluid and speckling on the squamous cells. RESULTS The 3 most common patterns to occur were as follows: First, 51% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 41%-60%) of the total specimens had abundant lactobacilli, no leukocytes, more than 50% fully maturated squamous cells, and no EB. Second, 22% (95% CI = 14%-32%) of the total specimens had low lactobacilli counts, no leukocytes, more than 50% undermaturated squamous cells, and no EB. Third, 12% (95% CI = 6%-20%) of the total specimens had abundant lactobacilli, leukocytes, more than 50% fully maturated squamous cells, and no EB. CONCLUSIONS It is imperative to be able to objectively quantify normal vaginal secretion constituents so that (1) the abnormal patterns can be demarcated and (2) treatment targets of what constitutes healthy vaginal conditions can be provided.
Metabolic burden in recombinant CHO cells: effect ofdhfr gene amplification andlacZ expression.

Foreign protein production levels in two recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines were compared in cells transfected with different expression vectors. One vector pNL1 contained the gene for neomycin resistance (neo r ) and thelacZ gene which codes for intracellular β-galactosidase, with both genes controlled by the constitutive simian virus (SV40) promoter. The other vector CDβG contained the amplifiabledhfr gene andlacZ gene, controlled by the constitutive SV40 and cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoters, respectively. Cell growth and β-galactosidase expression were compared quantitatively after cells were selected in different concentrations of the neomycin analog G418 and methotrexate, respectively. A 62% reduction in growth rate occurred in recombinant CHO cells in which thelacZ anddhfr genes were highly amplified and expressed. In contrast, the combined effects of the unamplifiedneo r gene andlacZ gene expression on the growth kinetics were small. Any metabolic burden caused bylacZ gene expression, which was evaluated separately from the effect ofneo r gene expression, must be negligible, as higher expression of β-galactosidase (1.5×10−6 units/cell) occurred in unamplified cells compared to the cells in whichlacZ was amplified by thedhfr-containing vector (3×10−7 units/cell). Thus, the main factor causing severe growth reduction (“metabolic burden”) in cells containing the amplifieddhfr gene system was not overexpression of β-galactosidase butdhfr andlacZ gene co-amplification anddhfr gene expression.
Heat treatments modify the tribological properties of nickel boron coatings.

The effects of annealing temperature on the tribological properties of electroless nickel–boron coatings have been investigated. The coatings were annealed in a tube furnace under a flow (0.0094 N m3/min) of oxygen gas at temperatures of 250, 400, 550, and 700 °C for 3 h. Using scanning electron microscopy, images of the annealed coatings documented changes in surface morphology. From this it was seen that the higher annealing temperatures produced marked changes, moving from the nodular structure of nickel–boron coatings to a flaked surface morphology. The chemical effect of the annealing temperature was studied via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The XPS data indicated that after annealing at the temperatures of 550 and 700 °C, an accumulation of boron oxide species could be seen at the surface as well as a complete loss of nickel signal. An analysis of Raman spectra collected across the surface further identified the predominant species to be boric acid. The tribological ...