cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tuberculosis Genotyping Information Management System: Enhancing Tuberculosis Surveillance in the United States

Abstract Molecular characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates (genotyping) can be used by public health programs to more readily identify tuberculosis (TB) transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Tuberculosis Genotyping Service has offered M. tuberculosis genotyping for every culture-confirmed case in the United States since 2004. The TB Genotyping Information Management System (TB GIMS), launched in March 2010, is a secure online database containing genotype results linked with case characteristics from the national TB registry for state and local TB programs to access, manage and analyze these data. As of September 2011, TB GIMS contains genotype results for 89% of all culture-positive TB cases for 2010. Over 400 users can generate local and national reports and maps using TB GIMS. Automated alerts on geospatially concentrated cases with matching genotypes that may represent outbreaks are also generated by TB GIMS. TB genotyping results are available to enhance national TB surveillance and apply genotyping results to conduct TB control activities in the United States.
Breakdown of particle–hole symmetry in the lowest Landau level revealed by tunneling spectroscopy

Tunneling measurements on 2D electron gases at high magnetic field reveal a qualitative difference between the two spin sublevels of the lowest Landau level. While the tunneling current–voltage characteristic at filling factor ν=1/2 is a single peak shifted from zero bias by a Coulomb pseudogap, the spectrum at ν=3/2 shows a well-resolved double peak structure. This difference is present regardless of whether ν=1/2 and ν=3/2 occur at the same or different magnetic fields. No analogous effect is seen at ν=5/2 and 7/2 in the first excited Landau level.
K2P1 Assembles with K2P3 or K2P9 to Form SUMO-Regulated Task Background Channels in Cerebellar Granule Neurons

Cell-surface K2P1 channels are most often electrically quiet despite their widespread expression in excitable tissues. Previously, we studied human K2P1 expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells and found one small ubiquitin-like modifier protein (SUMO) conjugated to one K2P1 subunit to be sufficient to silence the dimeric channels (Plant et al., 2010, PNAS 107). Here, we assess K2P1 sumoylation in cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons (CGN). K2P channels have been posited to produce IKso (the standing outward potassium current responsive to changes in pH and volatile anesthetics) in CGN. First, we developed a fluorescent method to count single mRNA transcripts and showed that those for KCNK1, KCNK3 and KCNK9 (encoding K2P1, K2P3 and K2P9, respectively) were present together in individual CGNs at a ratio of 2:8:1. Next, using antibody-mediated FRET, we observed native K2P1, K2P3 and K2P9 to interact with SUMO1 at the neuronal surface whereas native K2P2 (TREK1) did not. Unlike channels with K2P1, the function of channels with K2P3, K2P9 or K2P2 were found to be insensitive to SUMO1. We reconciled the apparently discrepant findings by showing that K2P1 subunits are incorporated into mixed assemblies with K2P3 or K2P9 (but not K2P2) to form novel two P domain, acid-sensitive (TASK) channels. Channels with just one K2P1 subunit were held in silent reserve at the CGN surface by sumoylation. Accordingly, intracellular application of the desumoylating enzyme SENP1 to CGN doubled the magnitude of IKso (decreasing excitability via expected shifts in resting membrane potential and resistance) and tripled the response to halothane. Because K2P1, K2P3 and K2P9 are expressed together throughout the body and the SUMO pathway is ubiquitous this mechanism of regulation is expected be common.
The wavelength dependence of 8-methoxypsoralen photosensitization of radiation-enhanced reactivation in a mammalian cell-virus system

Abstract The combined effect of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the ability of an irradiated mammalian cell (CV-1) to reactivate UV-irradiated mammalian virus (Herpes simplex) was tested. Prior treatment of cells with 8-MOP was found to increase Radiation-Enhanced Reactivation (RER) at one wavelength (297 nm) in the far ultraviolet but not at others (240–289 nm). This same treatment induced RER in the near UV (302–370 nm) and the visible region (380–400 nm). An action spectrum for the photosensitized induction of this cellular parameter was obtained. This action spectrum is consistent with the absorption spectrum for 8-MOP and the theory that damage to DNA is, at least in part, responsible for Radiation-Enhanced Reactivation.
Drug Interaction between Sirolimus and Ranolazine in a Kidney Transplant Patient

Purpose. The case of a kidney transplant recipient who experienced a probable drug interaction between sirolimus and ranolazine is reported. Summary. The narrow therapeutic window of immunosuppressive therapy in transplant recipients requires close monitoring for potential drug-drug interactions. The patient, a 57-year-old Caucasian male kidney transplant recipient, was stable for years on sirolimus as his primary immunosuppressive agent and had a history of chronic angina, for which he was prescribed ranolazine. Upon addition and dose escalation of ranolazine, whole blood sirolimus levels more than tripled, rising to immeasurably high concentrations. After holding sirolimus on multiple occasions and reducing dosage more than 50%, blood levels returned to therapeutic range, while continuing ranolazine. Conclusion. Since ranolazine is a documented P-GP and CYP3A inhibitor, and sirolimus a known substrate for both pathways, it is proposed that ranolazine inhibition of P-GP and CYP3A4 contributed to the significant elevation in sirolimus exposure. No alternative causes for the rise in sirolimus exposure were found, and assessment with the Drug Interaction Probability Scale finds this interaction to be probable. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for this interaction to cause elevated sirolimus exposure and subsequent increase in clinical effect or toxicity, in this case overimmunosuppression.
On the weakening of Hurricane Lili, October 2002

This paper addresses the weakening of Hurricane Lili of October 2002 just before it made landfall in Louisiana. This hurricane weakened from a category 4 storm on October 3, 2002 at 0000 UTC to a category 1 storm on October 3, 2002 at 1300 UTC. This sudden drop in intensity has been a subject of considerable interest. In this paper we explore a forecast model diagnostic approach that explores the contribution to the hurricane intensity changes arising from a number of dynamical and physical possibilities. Running several versions of a global model at very high resolution, the relative contribution to the intensity drop of Lili arising from cooler sea surface temperatures, dry air advection into the storm, advective non-linear dynamics, non-advective dynamics, and shallow and deep cumulus convection was examined. This line of inquiry led to the conclusion that dry air advection from the north into the storm and the slightly cold sea surface temperatures were not the primary contribution to the observed pressure rise by 22 hPa. The primary contribution to the pressure rise was found to be the ‘rest of dynamics’ (the non-advective dynamics). The shallow convection contributed slightly to an overall cooling, i.e. a weakening of the warm core of Lili. The effects of deep cumulus convection appeared to be opposite, i.e. towards maintaining a strong storm. A primary term in the ‘rest of dynamics’, the advection of Earth’s angular momentum into the storm, is identified as a major contributor for the intensity change in the analysis. This feature resembles an intrusion of dry air into the core of the storm. This intrusion contributes to a reduction of spin and an overall rapid weakening of the hurricane. The angular momentum partitioning appears quite revealing on the sudden demise of Lili.
EVE′s energy in aesthetic experience: a Bayesian basis for haiku humour

EVE′ is a mathematical model of aesthetic experience, founded on Bayesian probability and grounded in cognitive psychology. The model addresses three stages of cognitive processing: starting with expectations (E) of signals, which produce pleasure; followed by violations (V) of expectations, which produce tension; and ending with explanations (E ′) of meaning, which produce pleasure-prime. This creates a tradeoff to be optimized in the design of artworks, because an audience can only obtain pleasure-prime from E ′ at the expense of pleasure from E. A total measure of aesthetic pleasure X is derived as the product of two terms, X = Y * Z, where Y is a measure of entropy in violations, and Z is a measure of how completely entropy is converted to energy in explanations. The model is applied to the art of humour in haiku form, by evaluating one poem in detail and by generating additional poems as exemplars.
Development of Performance Specifications for Shrinkage of Portland Cement Concrete

During its service life, concrete experiences volume changes. One of the types of deformation experienced by concrete is shrinkage. There are four main types of shrinkage associated with concrete: plastic, autogenous, carbonation, and drying shrinkage. The volume changes in concrete from shrinkage can lead to the cracking of the concrete. In the case of reinforced concrete, cracks in the cover concrete provide a direct path for chloride ions to reach and corrode the reinforcing steel. The development of concrete drying-shrinkage performance specifications with an associated test procedure was assessed for concrete mixtures purchased by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Five existing shrinkage-prediction models were also assessed to determine the accuracy and precision of each model as it pertains to the VDOT mixtures used in this study. The five models are the ACI 209 Code model, CEB90 Code model, Bazant B3 model, Gardner-Lockman model, and Sakata model. The percentage length change limits for the portland cement concrete mixtures were found to be 0.0300% at 28 days and 0.0400% at 90 days. The CEB90 Code model was judged as the best prediction model for the VDOT portland cement concrete mixtures.
A violation of assumptions: Why TQM won't work in the ivory tower

Abstract This paper argues that the assumptions underlying Total Quality Management (TQM) suggest that implementation of TQM into the academic function of teaching in higher education is problematical at best. The authors examine the assumptions of continuous improvement, customer focus and management systems needed to implement TQM. It's concluded that those assumptions do not fit the higher education context or culture.
THE OMNIMATE : A GUIDEWIRE- AND BEACON-FREE AGV FOR HIGHLY RECONFIGURABLE APPLICATIONS

This paper introduces a new automated guided vehicle (AGV) for guidewire-free industrial applications where rapid reconfiguration is required. The AGV, called OmniMate, has full omnidirectional motion capabilities, can correct odometry errors without external references, and offers a large 183 x 91 cm (72 x 36 in) loading deck. A patented, so-called compliant linkage avoids the excessive wheel slippage often found in other omnidirectional platforms. The paper describes the kinematic design and the control system of the platform and explains its unique odometry error correction method, called internal position error correction (IPEC). IPEC renders the OmniMate's odometry almost completely insensitive to even severe irregularities of the floor, such as bumps, cracks, or traversable objects. Dead-reckoning is enhanced further by the addition of a fibre-optics gyroscope. Because of its extraordinary dead-reckoning capabilities the OmniMate can travel over extended distances while following a pre-programmed pa...
Tertiary Mineralization in Part of Grants Mineral Belt, New Mexico: ABSTRACT

Mineralization in the Grants mineral belt, except for minor occurrences of secondary minerals, is commonly attributed to several distinct periods: (a) early epigenetic (Late Jurassic), (b) early redistributed (middle Cretaceous), or (c) late redistributed (Laramide). Previous geochronologic studies have supported the geologic data favoring these periods of mineralization. More recent geologic studies indicate post-Laramide mineralization, although the source for the uranium may well have been from an older, destroyed deposit as opposed to an entirely new supply of uraniferous solutions. Work on clay minerals formed penecontemporaneously with uranium mineralization at the Silver Spur Mine (host rocks, Dakota) and the Doris Mine (host rocks, Morrison) yield Rb-Sr isochron a es of 41 ± 9 m.y.B.P. with initial Sr(87/86) = 0.715 ± 0.001 and 44 ± 7 m.y.B.P. with initial Sr(87/86) = 0.724 ± 0.001. These clay minerals formed in the presence of fairly radiogenic 87Sr as Sr(87/86) from pre-ore, host-rock calcites yields 0.709 ± 0.001; thus simple, in-situ rehomogenization of Sr isotopes did not occur. Further, at least two other suspected occurrences of Tertiary mineralization in the Churchrock district do not yield isochrons at all, but the preceding Rb-Sr data plot references 135, 120, and 90 m.y.B.P. isochrons with initial Sr(87/86) = 0.710. These data suggest incomplete rehomogenization of Sr isotopes during the Tertiary. At present the data suggest, but do not prove, a period of Tertiary mineralization in the Grants mineral elt at about 35 to 50 m.y.B.P. End_of_Article - Last_Page 556------------
Comments on the suggested implementation of tasking facilities in the "rationale for the design of the ADA programming language"

This paper points out errors and omissions in the suggested implementation of tasking facilities in the "Rationale for the Design of the Ada Programming Language." Apprehension of these mistakes is vital to the correct implementation of Ada compilers.
Two-dimensional recall: Immediate identification of clusters in episodic and semantic memory

To show the organization of recall, items that are remembered together can be written on the same line of a two-dimensional (2D) grid. Such 2D recall does not induce the clustering it reveals. Two-dimensional recall on all trials is essentially the same as standard sequential free recall followed by unexpected 2D recall. The clustering in standard free recall is shown by identifying clusters that emerge in 2D recall. Clustering increases until most of recall is clustered. Two-dimensional recall shows that the number of clustered items increases more rapidly than the number of clusters, and that most of the increasing recall during learning is due to the increasing number of extra items recalled as part of a cluster.
Prevention effects ameliorate the prospective association between nonsupportive parenting and diminished telomere length.

Telomere length (TL) is an indicator of general systemic aging, with diminished TL associated with several chronic diseases of aging and with heightened mortality risk. Research has begun to focus on the ways in which stress contributes to telomere attrition. The purposes of this study were (a) to establish whether exposure to nonsupportive parenting, defined as high levels of conflict and rancor with low levels of warmth and emotional support, at age 17 would forecast TL 5 years later; and (b) to determine whether participation in an efficacious family-centered prevention program could ameliorate any associations that emerged. Rural African American adolescents participated in the Adults in the Making (AIM) program or a control condition. Primary caregivers provided data on nonsupportive parenting during a pretest when adolescents were age 17. Adolescents provided data on anger at the pretest and at a posttest administered 7 months later. When the youths were age 22, TL was assayed from a blood draw. The results indicated that heightened nonsupportive parenting forecast diminished TL among young adults in the control condition but not among those who participated in AIM; socioeconomic status risk, life stress, and the use of alcohol and cigarettes at age 17, and blood pressure and body mass index at age 22, were controlled. Subsequent exploratory analyses suggested that AIM-induced reductions in adolescents’ anger served as a mediator connecting group assignment to TL. The results suggest that the cellular-level sequelae of nonsupportive parenting and stress are not immutable.
Large-scale isolation of the Neurospora plasma membrane H+-ATPase

Abstract A method for the purification of relatively large quantities of the Neurospora crassa plasma membrane proton translocating ATPase is described. Cells of the cell wall-less sl strain of Neurospora grown under O 2 to increase cell yields are treated with concanavalin A to stabilize the plasma membrane and homogenized in deoxycholate, and the resulting lysate is centrifuged at 13,500g. The pellet obtained consists almost solely of concanavalin A-stabilized plasma membrane sheets greatly enriched in the H + -ATPase. After removal of the bulk of the concanavalin A by treatment of the sheets with α-methylmannoside, the membranes are treated with lysolecithin, which preferentially extracts the H + -ATPase. Purification of the lysolecithin-solubilized ATPase by glycerol density gradient sedimentation yields approximately 50 mg of enzyme that is 91% free of other proteins as judged by quantitative densitometry of Coomassie blue-stained gels. The specific activity of the enzyme at this stage is about 33 μmol of P i released/min/mg of protein at 30°C. A second glycerol density gradient sedimentation step yields ATPase that is about 97% pure with a specific activity of about 35. For chemical studies or other investigations that do not require catalytically active ATPase, virtually pure enzyme can be prepared by exclusion chromatography of the sodium dodecyl sulfate-disaggregated, gradient-purified ATPase on Sephacryl S-300.
Electrostriction and its relationship to other properties in perovskite-type crystals

Abstract Measurements of the fourth and sixth-order electrostriction constants have been performed on several fluoride perovskite single crystals. The results are compared with those observed in other similar materials, and the relationships between electrostriction and some physical properties are examined.
Improving distribution network utilization in Optical Flow Switching

Optical Flow Switching (OFS) is an end-to-end optical circuit oriented network in which optical circuits are created on demand to directly connect pairs of end-users. Circuits are established across three network segments: the access (distribution), the metro and the wide area network. Once the circuit is reserved, the end-user can then fully utilize the optical channel for large data transfers using efficient and specially designed transport protocols. Scheduling of optical flow transmissions (i.e., optical circuit set up and tear down operations) is a critical component of OFS as resources across the three network segments must be lined up and synchronized to form the end-to-end circuit. The current scheduling solution [1], [2] is designed to be simple and efficient in achieving high utilization of both WAN and Metro optical channels. Its downside is that the distribution network channel utilization must remain low. The contribution of this paper is to improve the OFS scheduling procedure in such a way that medium-high utilization of the distribution network is attainable too. This objective is achieved by adding moderate complexity to the original optical flow scheduling and signaling procedure in order to retain the scalability property of the same. With the proposed extension of the OFS scheduler, the distribution network channel utilization is increased manyfolds.
Mechanisms of tinnitus generation.

Purpose of review The current understanding of mechanisms of tinnitus generation is continuing to advance. This review is intended to outline new knowledge in the areas of neuroanatomy, physiology, psychophysics, and brain imaging that are revealing novel mechanisms of tinnitus development. Advances in these areas will open new avenues for effective treatment of tinnitus. Recent findings Application of high-pulse train electrical stimulation to the cochlea may be effective in restoring the normal pattern of spontaneous activity from the periphery that is interpreted by the auditory brainstem as coding for silence. Clinical and laboratory evidence for a significant interaction between the somatosensory and auditory systems has important implications for understanding and treating tinnitus. Application of principles of neuroplasticity and novel imaging techniques has expanded our understanding of tinnitus through analogous approaches to phantom limb pain. Finally, a novel receptor type recently located in auditory neurovascular structures has opened a new field of study of inflammatory mechanisms contributing to tinnitus. Summary Our understanding of the mechanisms that lead to a phantom auditory perception, and the associated debilitating consequences of this sensory experience, is continuing to improve. Tinnitus appears to be significantly affected in complex ways by somatosensory, limbic, and motor influences. Effective treatments will certainly emerge from these new areas of research.
Complementary DNA cloning and nucleotide sequence of rabbit serum amyloid A protein.

Abstract A complementary DNA clone encoding serum amyloid A protein has been isolated from an acute rabbit liver cDNA library. Complete nucleotide sequence analysis reveals that the cloned gene contains a 24 bases 5′ untranslated region, 369 bases coding region and a 106 bases 3′ untraslated region. Primer extension analysis indicates that the full-length 5′ untranslated region contains 80 nucleotides. Northern blot analysis of mRNA from normal and acute rabbit livers demonstrates that this gene is expressed constitutively at a low level and undergoes induction of transcription in response to acute inflammation by the administration of turpentine.
Metabolism of selenocyanate in the rat

Rats injected subcutaneously with 2 mg Se/kg body weight of [75Se]selenocyanate or [14C,75Se]selenocyanate excreted dimethylselenide (DMSe) in the breath and trimethylselenonium ion (TMSe) in the urine. The 24-h respiratory DMSe and urinary TMSe excretions were 26.8 ± 8.1 and 14.5 ± 5.1% of the dose, respectively. Tissue concentrations of 75Se were highest in the kidneys (1.89 ± 0.2% dose/g), liver (1.46 ± 0.2% dose/g), and blood (0.50 ± 0.05% dose/ml), and lower (<0.3% dose/g) in the other tissues. Trimethylselenonium was the major form (61%) of selenium in urine. Approximately 2% of the dose of doubly labeled SeCN− was excreted unchanged in urine (about 12% of urinary Se). 14C from doubly labeled SeCN− was not present in the methylated selenium metabolites, but a major 14C urinary metabolite was identified as thiocyanate. These results indicate that a substantial part of selenocyanate in the body undergoes metabolism and Se is excreted in methylated forms following scission of the CSe bond.
Do Disclosure Attempts Influence Claim Believability and Perceived Advertiser Credibility

Comparative messages, two-sided messages, and messages containing product performance test results represent several methods by which advertisers may attempt to provide greater amounts of information to buyers. The use of one or more of these methods may have positive or negative influence on several dimensions of advertisement effectiveness. The purpose of the factorial-designed laboratory study reported here was to explore the effects on these information disclosure attempts in print advertisements on a reader's confidence in product claims and on his or her perceived credibility of the advertiser.
Phase II study of lenalidomide in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND. Lenalidomide (LEN) is a structural and functional analogue of thalidomide that has demonstrated enhanced immunomodulatory properties and a more favorable toxicity profile. A Phase II, open-label study of LEN in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) was conducted to determine its safety and clinical activity. METHODS. Patients with metastatic RCC received LEN orally at a dose of 25 mg daily for the first 21 days of a 28-day cycle. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate. Time to treatment failure, safety, and survival were secondary endpoints. RESULTS. In total, 28 patients participated in the trial and were included in the current analysis. Three of 28 patients (11%) demonstrated partial responses and continued to be progression-free for >15 months. Eleven patients (39%) had stable disease that lasted >3 months, including 8 patients who had tumor shrinkage. In total, 6 patients (21%) remained on the trial, and 5 additional patients continued to be followed for survival. The median follow-up for those 11 patients was 13.5 months (range, 8.3–17.0 months). The median survival had not been reached at the time of the current report. Serious adverse events included fatigue (11%), skin toxicity (11%), and neutropenia (36%). CONCLUSIONS. LEN demonstrated an antitumor effect in metastatic RCC, as evidenced by durable partial responses. LEN toxicities were manageable. Further studies will be required to assess the overall activity of LEN in patients with metastatic RCC. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
THE ORIGIN OF NATIVE G-ACTIN-BOUND ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE.

Abstract Acetone-dried rabbit-muscle powder, prepared according to classical procedures as a source of G-actin, contains only residual quantities of ATP. Water extraction of such powders, however, yields solutions of G-actin containing many times the initial level of ATP in association with the protein. The mechanism of synthesis of the newly formed ATP was investigated and found to be the result of residual ATP: AMP phosphotransferase (adenylate kinase, EC 2.7.4.3) action on the ADP retained in the powder.
Methods of Loading and Releasing Low Molecular Weight Cationic Molecules in Weak Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films

This work studied the loading capabilities and release behavior of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) multilayer films, using methylene blue dye (MB) as an indicator. PAA/PAH multilayers assembled at pH = 2.5/2.5 loaded MB throughout the multilayers due to available binding sites and a permeable structure. The amount of MB loaded increased linearly with increasing film thickness. Use of buffered MB solutions enabled faster and more uniform MB loading into the multilayers, because ions within the MB solution caused further swelling of the multilayer film. Release studies demonstrated a pH-sensitive release mechanism, where lower pH environments increased the release rate. Buffered environments also increased the release rate of MB from the multilayer films. By assembling capping layers of PAA/PAH at pH 6.5/6.5 on top of 2.5/2.5 PAA/PAH multilayers, the diffusion of MB through the multilayers was better controlled under nonbuffered conditions. Under buffered conditions, howeve...
Evaluation of the Level of Gaseous Fuel-Bound Sulfur on Fine Particulate Emission From a Low Emission Gas Turbine Engine

The present work investigates the effect of natural gas fuel sulfur on particulate emissions from stationary gas turbine engines used for electricity generation. Fuel sulfur from standard line gas was scrubbed using a system of fluidized reactor beds containing a specially designed activated carbon purposely built for sulfur absorption. A sulfur injection system using sonic orifices was designed and constructed to inject methyl mercaptan into the scrubbed gas stream at varying concentrations. Using these systems, particulate emissions created by various fuel sulfur levels between 0 and 15 ppmv were investigated. Particulate samples were collected from a Capstone C65 microturbine generator system using a Horiba MDLT-1302TA micro dilution tunnel and analyzed using a Horiba MEXA-1370PM particulate analyzer. In addition, ambient air samples were collected to determine incoming particulate levels in the combustion air. The Capstone C65 engine air filter was also tested for particulate removal efficiency by sampling downstream of the filter. To further differentiate the particulate entering the engine in the combustion air from particulate being emitted from the exhaust stack, two high efficiency HEPA filters were installed to eliminate a large portion of incoming particulate. Variable fuel sulfur testing showed that there was a strong correlation between total particulate emission factor and fuel sulfur concentration. Using eleven variable sulfur tests, it was determined that an increase of 1 ppmv fuel sulfur will produce an increase of approximately 2.8 μg/m3 total particulate. Also, the correlation predicted that, for this particular engine, the total particulate emission factor for zero fuel sulfur was approximately 19.1 μg/m3. With the EC and OC data removed, the correlation became 2.5 μg/m3 of sulfur particulate produced for each ppmv of fuel sulfur. The correlation also predicted that with no fuel sulfur present, 7.8 μg/m3 of particulate will be produced by sulfur passing through the engine air filter.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Robust and fast abdominal aortic aneurysm centerline detection for rupture risk prediction

This work describes a robust and fast semi-automatic approach for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) centerline detection. AAA is a vascular disease accompanied by progressive enlargement of the abdominal aorta, which leads to rupture if left untreated, an event that accounts for the 13th leading cause of death in the U.S. The lumen centerline can be used to provide the initial starting points for thrombus segmentation. Different from other methods, which are mostly based on region growing and suffer from problems of leakage and heavy computational burden, we propose a novel method based on online classification. An online version of the adaboost classifier based on steerable features is applied to AAA MRI data sets with a rectangular box enclosing the lumen in the first slice. The classifier is updated during the tracking process by using the testing result of the previous image as the new training data. Unlike traditional offline versions, the online classifier can adjust parameters automatically when a leakage occurs. With the help of integral images on the computation of haar-like features, the method can achieve nearly real time processing (about 2 seconds per image on a standard workstation). Ten ruptured and ten unruptured AAA data sets were processed and the tortuosity of the 20 centerlines was calculated. The correlation coefficient of the tortuosity was calculated to illustrate the significance of the prediction with the proposed method. The mean relative accuracy is 95.68% with a standard deviation of 0.89% when compared to a manual segmentation procedure. The correlation coefficient is 0.394.
Monitoring heart period variability changes during seizures. II. Diversity and trends

Seizures may prompt autonomically mediated changes in heart period. Heart period variability (HPV) is a sensitive tool for quantification of autonomic control over the cardiac cycle. We used analysis of HPV to evaluate changes in the time and frequency domain autonomic regulation of heart period during seizure activity in 44 seizures from 12 patients with epilepsy: 16% of seizures were associated with changes in heart rate and variability preceding behavioral and surface electroencephalographic (EEG) onset. Patients with consecutive partial seizures had variable HPV changes. Seizures of left-sided EEG onset were associated with no change or a decrease in the power of the 0.2- to 0.4-Hz band, whereas seizures of right-sided EEG onset were associated with no change or a decrease in the power of the 0.04- to 0.12-Hz band. We believe that time- and frequency-domain analysis of HPV may provide valuable information about the temporal and spatial onset of seizure activity. Additional study using invasive EEG recordings will be needed to evaluate the reliability of HPV to lateralize or localize seizure foci.
Investigation of mean platelet volume as a predictor of acute versus chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura in children: An exploratory analysis

Current difficulty remains in predicting acute versus chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in children at the time of diagnosis. The purpose of this exploratory retrospective study was to determine the relationship between mean platelet value (MPV) and initial platelet count at time of diagnosis on prediction of acute versus chronic ITP among pediatric patients. When odds ratios were calculated, initial platelet count less than 10,000/μl was the only statistically significant predictor of acute ITP ( i.e. , case resolution). MPV < 8 fl was not a statistically significant predictor of acute ITP, although clinical trends suggested that those with acute ITP had lower MPV at time of diagnosis. This exploratory study does suggest that multi-center prospective study designs are needed for further study to describe if there is a relationship between MPV in determining acute versus chronic ITP. Adequately predicting acute versus chronic ITP at diagnosis could have numerous implications for children and families as they prepare for treatment and help nurses deliver patient-centered interventions.
Chronic Antidepressant Treatment Prevents Accumulation of Gsα in Cholesterol-Rich, Cytoskeletal-Associated, Plasma Membrane Domains (Lipid Rafts)

Previous studies demonstrated that Gsalpha migrates from a Triton X-100 (TTX-100) insoluble membrane domain to a TTX-100 soluble membrane domain in response to chronic treatment with the antidepressants desipramine and fluoxetine. Antidepressant treatment also causes a Gsalpha redistribution in cells as seen by confocal microscopy. The current studies have focused on examining the possibility that the association between Gsalpha and the plasma membrane and/or cytoskeleton is altered in response to antidepressant treatment, and that this is relevant to both Gsalpha redistribution and the increased coupling between Gsalpha and adenylyl cyclase seen after chronic antidepressant treatment. Chronic treatment of C6 cells with two fuctionally and structurally distinct antidepressants, desipramine and fluoxetine, decreased the Gsalpha content of TTX-100 insoluble membrane domains by as much as 60%, while the inactive fluoxetine analog LY368514 had no effect. Disruption of these membrane domains with the cholesterol chelator methyl-beta-cyclodextrin altered the localization of many proteins involved in the cAMP signaling cascade, but only Gsalpha localization was altered by antidepressant treatment. In addition, microtubule disruption with colchicine elicited the movement of Gsalpha out of detergent-resistant membrane domains in a manner identical to that seen with antidepressant treatment. The data presented here further substantiate the role of Gsalpha as a major player in antidepressant-induced modification of neuronal signaling and also raise the possibility that an interaction between Gsalpha and the cytoskeleton is involved in this process.
Methods for LiDAR point cloud classification using local neighborhood statistics

LiDAR data are available in a variety of publicly-accessible forums, providing high-resolution, accurate 3- dimensional information about objects at the Earth's surface. Automatic extraction of information from LiDAR point clouds, however, remains a challenging problem. The focus of this research is to develop methods for point cloud classification and object detection which can be customized for specific applications. The methods presented rely on analysis of statistics of local neighborhoods of LiDAR points. A multi-dimensional vector composed of these statistics can be classified using traditional data classification routines. Local neighborhood statistics are defined, and examples are given of the methods for specific applications such as building extraction and vegetation classification. Results indicate the feasibility of the local neighborhood statistics approach and provide a framework for the design of customized classification or object detection routines for LiDAR point clouds.
Standard Gibbs free energies of formation at the temperature 303.15 K of four uranyl silicates: soddyite, uranophane, sodium boltwoodite, and sodium weeksite

The solubility products and standard molar Gibbs free energies of formation were obtained from solubility measurements at 303.15 K for the following synthetic uranium-silicate phases: soddyite, (UO2)2SiO4·2H2O; uranophane, Ca(H3O)2(UO2)2(SiO4)2·3H2O; sodium boltwoodite, Na(H3O)(UO2)SiO4·H2O; and sodium weeksite, Na2(UO2)2(Si2O5)3·7H2O. These phases were identified as uranium precipitates likely to form near a high-level nuclear waste repository. The experimental standard molar Gibbs free energies of formation for soddyite, uranophane, sodium boltwoodite, and sodium weeksite are: −(3658.0±4.8) kJ·mol−1, −(6210.6±7.6)kJ·mol−1, −(2966.0±3.6)kJ·mol−1, and −(9088.5±18.4) kJ·mol−1, respectively. The value for sodium boltwoodite is a lower bound and therefore should be used with caution.
Meaning, categories and subjectivity in the early Heidegger

It has been suggested recently that Heidegger’s philosophy entails a linguistic idealism because it is committed to the thesis that meaning determines reference. I argue that a careful consideration of the relationship between meaning and signification in Heidegger’s work does not support the strong sense of determination required by this thesis. By examining Heidegger’s development of Husserl’s phenomenology, I show that discourse involves a logic that articulates meaning into significations. Further analysis of Heidegger’s phenomenological method at work shows that while meaning serves as a condition of possibility of signification in the sense that all possibilities for a term’s signification are latent in the meaning of that term, meaning under-determines signification and hence reference.
The influence of a program of reading on children's language development

Abstract Stories were read from illustrated children's story books to a group of two-year-olds of low-income, urban families for 20 min a day, five days a week, for a period of three months. These stories were read in a manner designed to approximate the operations a conscientious mother might employ in reading to a child of this age. Straight reading of these stories in the words in which they were written was therefore supplemented by attempts at establishing word-referent associations and also by the conscious application of operant conditioning principles with respect to these children's use of language. Initial and final language tests were administered and comparisons made with a control group. Analysis of the results disclosed that the experimental children evinced a significantly greater improvement than the control children in terms of vocabulary growth but not in terms of utterance of ‘expression unit’ length.
Early age conductive hearing loss causes audiogenic seizure and hyperacusis behavior

Recent clinical reports found a high incidence of recurrent otitis media in children suffering hyperacusis, a marked intolerance to an otherwise ordinary environmental sound. However, it is unclear whether the conductive hearing loss caused by otitis media in early age will affect sound tolerance later in life. Thus, we have tested the effects of tympanic membrane (TM) damage at an early age on sound perception development in rats. Two weeks after the TM perforation, more than 80% of the rats showed audiogenic seizure (AGS) when exposed to loud sound (120 dB SPL white noise, < 1 min). The susceptibility of AGS lasted at least sixteen weeks after the TM damage, even the hearing loss recovered. The TM damaged rats also showed significantly enhanced acoustic startle responses compared to the rats without TM damage. These results suggest that early age conductive hearing loss may cause an impaired sound tolerance during development. In addition, the AGS can be suppressed by the treatment of vigabatrin, acute injections (250 mg/kg) or oral intakes (60 mg/kg/day for 7 days), an antiepileptic drug that inhibits the catabolism of GABA. c-Fos staining showed a strong staining in the inferior colliculus (IC) in the TM damaged rats, not in the control rats, after exposed to loud sound, indicating a hyper-excitability in the IC during AGS. These results indicate that early age conductive hearing loss can impair sound tolerance by reducing GABA inhibition in the IC, which may be related to hyperacusis seen in children with otitis media.
Remission in Cushing's syndrome with o,p'-DDD.

o,p′-DDD was administered orally in doses of 1–10 g daily to 2 subjects with Cushing's syndrome (one with nontumorous adrenocortical hyperfunction and one with metastatic adrenal carcinoma). The patients were treated for 199 and 125 days, respectively. Steroid studies were carried out before and at intervals during treatment with the drug. In the subject with nontumorous adrenocortical hyperfunction the studies were continued for 143 days after discontinuation of therapy. In both subjects the administration of o,p′-DDD resulted in a striking remission in the clinical and biochemical features of Cushing's syndrome. There was a prompt reduction in the urinary excretion of 7-hydroxycorticoids (17-OH-CS) and in the early weeks of therapy this occurred in the absence of a commensurate decrease in the plasma levels of 17-OH-CS and in the cortisol secretion rate. The diminution in urinary 17-OH-CS correlated well with a decrease in the percentage of injected cortisol excreted as the glucuronide and in the urinar...
Glass Forming Ability and Crystallization Kinetics of Al-Mg-Ni-La Metallic Glasses

Glass forming ability and crystallization kinetics of Al-Mg-Ni-La alloys have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The maximum thickness achievable in glasses of Al76Mg11Ni8La5 and Al69Mg18Ni8La5 ribbons were 200 and 120 μm, respectively. The crystallization temperature and peak temperature indicated by DSC measurements displayed dependence on the heating rate during continuous heating, and were coincident with Lanoka’s relationship. The activation energies for the crystallization reaction Ex were obtained from the Kissinger’s equation. The results show the Mg addition is beneficial to the thermal stability of the amorphous phase.
Interaction of Lipids with the Plasma Membrane of Sperm Cells. III. Antifusigenic Effect by Phosphatidylserine

Addition of 10% phosphatidylserine to dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine liposomes, containing 3H-cholesterol or 14C-pnosphatidylcholine, inhibited interactions between liposomes and rabbit spermatozoa. Phosphatidylserine also caused an apparent decrease in the inhibitory effect of cholesterol-bearing liposomes on sperm fertilizing ability.
Mutuality and preparedness moderate the effects of caregiving demand on cancer family caregiver outcomes

• Background: Family caregiving researchers have explored the moderating or stress-buffering effects of variables such as coping and social support. However, the quality of the family caregiver patient relationship and preparedness for caregiving have received little attention as potential moderators. • Objective: To explore whether relationship quality and preparedness moderate the effects of caregiving demand on caregiver outcomes during cancer treatment, • Methods: Eighty-seven fami'y caregivers of patients receiving treatment for cancer completed the Demand and Difficulty subscales of the Caregiving Burden Scale, Mutuality and Preparedness Scales of the Family Care Inventory, and the short form of the Profile of Mood States. Using hierarchical multiple regression analyses, caregiving difficulty and total mood disturbance were regressed on two- and three-way interaction terms for demand, mutuality, and preparedness, controlling for caregiver age and gender, and the simple effect of each independent variable. • Results: Negligible effects for two-way interactions were found. However, the three-way interaction between demand, mutuality, and preparedness explained statistically significant variance in both perceived difficulty of caregiving and total mood disturbance. High mutuality in combination with high preparedness protected caregivers from adverse outcomes when demand was high. When either mutuality or preparedness was low, caregivers were at greater risk for negative outcomes when demand was high, but not when demand was low. When both mutuality and preparedness were low, caregivers were at risk for mood disturbance even when demand was low. • Discussion: Analysis of three-way interactions provided new theoretical insights into the protective effects of mutuality and preparedness and demonstrated conditions under which caregivers are at increased risk for negative outcomes.
Functional gene array–based analysis of microbial communities in heavy metals‐contaminated lake sediments

Lake DePue (IL, USA) has been contaminated for > 80 years by an adjacent Zn-smelting facility. Previous work indicated that sulfate reduction increased and biomass declined as pore-water metal concentrations increased, while 16S rRNA gene profiles remained relatively stable. To better understand this phenomenon, the sediment microbial community structure and functional potential were investigated using a functional gene microarray (GeoChip) targeting > 10 000 functional genes. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling and clustering analyses showed that the overall community structure was similar across all sites based on the relative abundance of all detected genes, but some individual gene categories did show differences. A subset of sulfate reduction genes (dsr) and the most relevant metal resistance genes were more abundant than other categories and were highly correlated with metal contamination. The most significant correlations were between pore-water metal concentrations and dsr, with Zn, Cd, and Mn as the most predictive for the presence of dsr. These results suggest that metal contamination influences sediment microbial community structure and function by increasing the abundance of relevant metal-resistant and sulfate-reducing populations. These populations therefore appear to contribute significantly to the resistance and stability of the microbial communities throughout the gradient of metal contamination in Lake DePue.
Possible origin of oscillations and exponential fall-off in high-energy large-angle pp scattering

Recently SCHR~PP and SCHI~I~PP (1) have observed that, contrary to popular belief, high-energy large-angle pp scattering is well described by exponential fall-off in transverse momentum. In fact, the exponential fall-off fits the data over a wider range of energy than the power fall-off based on the consti tuent models, i.e. the quarkpar ton models (3). Furthermore, they found oscillations in the large-angle differential cross-sections with a period 2g/R, where R is roughly the diffraction radius. The appearance of the diffraction radius in the large-angle behavior is somewhat of a surprise, since one usually expects the diffraction effects to be important only for the small-angle scattering. That oscillations governed by the diffraction radius R appear in large-angle pp scattering has also been independently noted by H~DRY (a). SCHR~MPr and SC~REMPP point out that one may conclude from the exponential fall-off and oscillations that a geometrical picture is emerging, and there is no evidence of constituents, i.e. quarks. In this note we, however, take a different view of their analysis. We first suggest that the oscillations are due to a sudden change in absorption from b R seen by the large-angle scattering process in the impact-parameter plane (R = diffraction radius). We then suggest that the exponential fall-off of the large-angle amplitude is due to the existence of a nucleon core, which can be identified as a quark bag. Thus, we conclude that the exponential fall-off can be regarded as evidence for the coherent scattering of quarks in one nucleon off those of the other. We begin with the eikonal representation of the elastic-scattering amplitude