cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetic resonance neurography of common peroneal (fibular) neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE To examine diagnostic accuracy of semiquantitative and qualitative magnetic resonance neurography criteria in common peroneal nerve (CPN) neuropathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Institutional review board approval was obtained with a waiver of informed consent for this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant retrospective study. A review of 28 knees in 28 subjects (12 males and 16 females; age range, 13-84 years; mean [SD] age, 42 [20] years) who had undergone magnetic resonance neurography of the knee was performed. Thirteen patients who had a final diagnosis of CPN were classified as cases, and 15 patients who lacked a final diagnosis of CPN neuropathy were classified as controls. Morphological characteristics of the CPN, including nerve T2 signal intensity, nerve size, nerve course, fascicles morphology, regional muscle edema, and fatty infiltration, and an overall assessment of the CPN as being normal or abnormal were evaluated by 2 independent radiologists blinded to the clinical history. Overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy compared against our reference standards were expressed as percentages. Interobserver agreements were assessed using linear weighted κ statistics. RESULTS Common peroneal nerve T2 signal abnormality had the highest sensitivity (77%) in identifying CPN neuropathy. Except for T2 signal abnormality, overall specificity for the nerve morphological parameters and muscle denervation change assessed was fairly high, ranging from 94% to 100%. The consensus accuracy ranged from 68% to 79% for the morphological characteristics assessed. The interobserver reproducibility was very good (k = 0.90 to 0.91) for assessment of regional muscle denervation changes and moderate (k = 0.46 to 0.59) for morphological CPN characteristics. CONCLUSION Magnetic resonance neurography is a useful modality in supplementing the diagnosis of CPN. Using predefined classification criteria helps standardize the morphological criteria of CPN neuropathy diagnosis.
Actin recovery and bud emergence in osmotically stressed cells requires the conserved actin interacting mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase Ssk2p/MTK1 and the scaffold protein Spa2p.

Osmotic stress causes actin cytoskeleton disassembly, a cell cycle arrest, and activation of the high osmolarity growth mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. A previous study showed that Ssk2p, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase of the high osmolarity growth pathway, promotes actin cytoskeleton recovery to the neck of late cell cycle, osmotically stressed yeast cells. Data presented herein examined the role of Ssk2p in actin recovery early in the cell cycle. We found that actin recovery at all stages of the cell cycle is not controlled by Ssk1p, the known activator of Ssk2p, but required a polarized distribution of Ssk2p as well as its actin-interacting and kinase activity. Stress-induced localization of Ssk2p to the neck required the septin Shs1p, whereas localization to the bud cortex depended on the polarity scaffold protein Spa2p. spa2Δ cells, like ssk2Δ cells, were defective for actin recovery from osmotic stress. These spa2Δ defects could be suppressed by overexpression of catalytically active Ssk2p. Furthermore, Spa2p could be precipitated by GST-Ssk2p from extracts of osmotically stressed cells. The Ssk2p mediated actin recovery pathway seems to be conserved; MTK1, a human mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase of the p38 stress response pathway and Ssk2p homolog, was also able to localize at polarized growth sites, form a complex with actin and Spa2p, and complement actin recovery defects in osmotically stressed ssk2Δ and spa2Δ yeast cells. We hypothesize that osmotic stress-induced actin disassembly leads to the formation of an Ssk2p–actin complex and the polarized localization of Ssk2p. Polarized Ssk2p associates with the scaffold protein Spa2p in the bud and Shs1p in the neck, allowing Ssk2p to regulate substrates involved in polarized actin assembly.
Consumer discount rates implied by purchases of energy-efficient refrigerators

Abstract Consumer purchasing patterns for a standard and an energy-efficient refrigerator are presented. These models differed only in their initial cost and electricity consumption. Consumers tended to buy the more efficient model in regions with higher electricity prices. A distribution of implied consumer discount rates is constructed. Roughly 2 5 of the consumers behaved as if they had real discount rates above 60%, 1 5 between 35 and 60%, and 2 5 less than 35%.
Compliance Rhetoric and the Impoverishment of Context

The approach to health care advocated by compliance-gaining research asserts a vision of technology-mediated life that sees mostly advancements, improvements, and benefits brought about through biotechnology. A closer analysis offers a more problematic view of the body and biotechnology, one marked by disruption, contradiction, and transformation. Because of the growing importance of the self-regulation of illness and disability, the health communication and medical education fields have focused on compliance and compliance-gaining strategies as the means to empower patients in the recovery of lost health. This view of patient agency is limited by its exclusive focus on interpersonal, dyadic relationships and the presumption that agency can be transferred from one individual to another through an exchange of certified knowledge, skills, and technologies. Such a model of agency impoverishes what counts as context. This article analyzes three examples that capture elements of a world saturated with science and technology and finds that biotechnology offers a direct challenge to compliance because of its effects on context.
Force field comparisons of the heat capacity of carbon nanotubes

The force fields Tersoff, CHARMM, COMPASS, CVFF and PCFF are compared using molecular calculations and simulations of SWNT thermal properties. The heat capacity results from the force fields vary significantly in the low (room) temperature range. The COMPASS force field best reproduces the phonon frequencies calculated from density functional theory and is consistent with the Raman scattering results. The temperature dependent behavior of SWNT heat capacity is investigated using harmonic and quasi-harmonic dynamics theories. The impact of quasi-harmonic analysis is not significant in the low and intermediate temperature range (below 500 K). Thus, force field comparisons based on the harmonic approximation are valid in that temperature range. Above 500 K, heat capacity results based on the Tersoff force field using a quasi-harmonic approximation are further investigated.
Adenosine's role in hypercapnia-evoked cerebral vasodilation in the rat.

Abstract Carbon dioxide induces a rapid dilation of cerebral arterioles, enabling local blood flow to match increasing metabolic requirements of tissue. Amongst the vasodilatory substances released by cortical tissue in response to CO 2 are adenosine and nitric oxide. Here we report that selective adenosine A 2A receptor antagonists, applied topically using a rat cortical window technique, significantly depressed the CO 2 -evoked increase in arteriolar diameter, measured using video microscopy, as well as attenuating the CO 2 and pH reactivity of the cortical arterioles. Two non-selective inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase also significantly depressed the hypercapnia-evoked increase in arteriolar diameter.
Successful Community-Government Collaborative Policy Making: A Case Study of a Workgroup to Improve Income Support Services to Victims of Intimate Violence

Collaborative policy making has considerable value in creating innovative, responsive policies; however, substantial barriers to collaboration exist within government. Little is known empirically about what is necessary to promote successful policy collaboration, especially when policy decision-making authority remains with the state. To help fill this knowledge gap, this article presents the results of a case study of a successful collaborative policy initiative concerning income support services for victims of intimate violence. Drawing from multiple data sources, I identify eight factors that facilitated the collaborative group's success, including realizing progressive policy change responsive to victims' needs. Related to several of these factors are the actions of strategic government actors indirectly and directly involved in the collaborative workgroup.
Site-specific folate conjugation to a cytotoxic protein

Conjugation to folic acid is known to enhance the uptake of molecules by human cells that over-produce folate receptors. Variants of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase A) that have attenuated affinity for the endogenous ribonuclease inhibitor protein (RI) are toxic to mammalian cells. Here, the random acylation of amino groups in wild-type RNase A with folic acid is shown to decrease its catalytic activity dramatically, presumably because of the alteration to a key active-site residue, Lys41. To effect site-specific coupling, Nδ-bromoacetyl-Nα-pteroyl-l-ornithine, which is a folate analogue with an electrophilic bromoacetamido group, was synthesized and used to S-alkylate Cys88 of the G88C variant of RNase A. The pendant folate moiety does not decrease enzymatic activity, enables RI-evasion, and endows toxicity for cancer cells that over-produce the folate receptor. These data reveal a propitious means for targeting proteins and other molecules to cancer cells.
Inguinal uterus, fallopian tube, and ovary associated with adult Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome

Objective To report a case of Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) with a utero-ovarian inguinal hernia, and to present a review of the pertinent literature. Design Case report and literature review. Setting Hospital clinic. Patient(s) A 31-year-old married woman. Intervention(s) Ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, intravenous pyelography, hormone analysis, peripheral karyotyping, ovarian biopsy, repositioning of the uterus, fallopian tube, and ovary, herniorrhaphy, and Williams vulvovaginoplasty. Main Outcome Measure(s) Accuracy of diagnosis, preservation of ovarian function, hernia repair and creation of neovagina. Result(s) Our patient represented an adult case of MRKH syndrome associated with renal abnormality and utero-ovarian inguinal hernia. Our English-language literature search for similar well-documented cases revealed only two. Our management consisted of thorough counseling, and successful one-step ovarian biopsy, repositioning of the uterus, fallopian tube, and ovary, herniorrhaphy, and Williams vulvovaginoplasty. Conclusion(s) This is the third case of adult 46,XX MRKH with utero-ovarian inguinal hernia in the English literature. Genital repositioning is mandatory to avoid torsion and preserve ovarian function. The choice of the type of hernia repair and vaginoplasty or any other procedure should be individualized to the patient's medical status.
Evaluation of Poisson solvation models using a hybrid explicit/implicit solvent method.

Implicit solvent methods have become popular tools in the field of protein dynamics simulations, yet evaluation of their validity has been primarily limited to comparisons with experimental and theoretical data for small molecules. In this paper, we use a recently developed hybrid explicit/implicit solvent methodology to evaluate the accuracy of several Poisson-based implicit solvent models. Specifically, we focus on the calculation of electrostatic solvation free energies of various fixed conformations for two proteins. We show that, among various dielectric boundary definitions, the Lee−Richards molecular surface has the best agreement with hybrid solvent results. Furthermore, certain modifications of the molecular surface Poisson protocol provide varied results. For instance, simple modifications of atomic radii on charged residues generally improve absolute errors but do not significantly reduce relative errors among conformations. On the other hand, using a water-probe radius of 1.0 A, as opposed to ...
Triplet H−C−SiHCl2: Combined Matrix-IR and CCSD(T) Identification, and the Role of the Open-Shell Singlet State

Triplet carbene H−C−SiHCl2 (1), prepared by a photochemical [1,2]H-shift from 1,1-dichlorosilaethylene, was identified by matching experimental and [CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ] infrared absorptions. Parts of the potential energy surface were explored utilizing CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ and B3LYP/6-311+G** computations. DFT reproduces the experimental features and CCSD(T) computations for the triplet surface but fails in the description of the open-shell singlet state of 1. We emphasize the notion of electropositive heterosubstitution for the generation of persistent ground-state triplet carbenes.
SINUS NODE DYSFUNCTION IN TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS

Tuberous sclerosis is an autosomal dominant disease with potential for involvement of the skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and heart. A case of prolonged sinus node pause and episodes of unresponsiveness in a 21-week-old infant with tuberous sclerosis is described. The infant subsequently underwent placement of an epicardial pacemaker. This case illustrates the importance of electrocar-diographic studies in infants with tuberous sclerosis and seizure-like episodes.
A technique for locating the center of mass and principal axes of the lower limb

The position of the human body in space is typically recorded using a fixed inertial coordinate system, often referred to as a laboratory coordinate system. Although these fixed reference axes simplify the collection and reduction of such position data, the results produced often have little or no anatomical significance. The purpose of this study was to develop the methods, both experimental and analytical, to construct a set of orthogonal principal axes for each the foot, shank, and thigh segments of the lower limb for use in motion analysis. The axes chosen were determined by targeting specific bony landmarks as suggested by the literature and forming the principal axes with respect to these landmarks. The location of the center of mass of each segment was also determined from these anatomical landmarks. It was found that the foot, due to its less rigid nature and more complex geometry, required a more extensive analysis using a single frame of standing data prior to the analysis of the motion data. The axes formed do not attempt to solve the problems of joint rotation axes, but provide an initial, anatomically significant set of reference axes that may be easily reproduced and utilized in further analyses.
THE INFLUENCE OF OESTRIN ON THE GONAD-STIMULATING COMPLEX OF THE ANTERIOR PITUITARY OF CASTRATED MALE AND FEMALE RATS†

The results of the researches of Smith and Engle (1927), Zondek and Aschheim (1927) and many others have demonstrated the dependence of the function of the gonad upon the anterior pituitary gland. One very characteristic quality of the function of the gonad, the ovary in particular, is its rhythmical activity. This quality suggests a parallel activity in the anterior pituitary and the probability of pituitary-gonadal interrelationship. Such a relationship was first suggested by Engle (1929a) in the publication of his study on the gonad-stimulating hormones of the anterior pituitary of the gonadectomized rat in Avhich he stated that the release of gonad-stimulating complex from the anterior pituitary depended upon the presence of the gonad (ovary). In a more recent publication he has discussed the evidence supporting this idea and indicated that the oestrous hormone may be the factor which effects the release of the gonad-stimulating complex (Engle, 1931).
Combined aerobic heterotrophic oxidation, nitrification and denitrification in a permeable-support biofilm

Abstract A biofilm reactor, termed the permeable-support biofilm (PSB), was developed in which oxygen was supplied to the interior of the biofilm through a permeable membrane. The reactor was tested on filtered sewage supplemented with nutrient broth; the bulk solution was anoxic and the interior of the biofilm was supplied with pure oxygen. All tests were performed on a non-steady state biofilm with a depth of 1 mm. Mass balances on total organic carbon, ammonia, organic nitrogen and nitrate showed that combined heterotrophic oxidation of organics, denitrification and nitrification occurred simultaneously within the biofilm. The advantages of such a reactor are discussed.
Foreword: Hazardous Waste Regulation under the New Administration - Braking Past Progress

Environmental law relating to hazardous wastes is evolving through the political and social processes, raising questions that require new concepts and approaches. The developments reported in four essays (in this issue of ELQ) on the subject trace recent patterns in dealing with the hazardous waste problems that reflect our greater skill in data processing than in fact gathering and our persistence in a linear system that exploits, uses, and discards materials. Problems in locating discard sites, particularly for chemical wastes, require positive management and control, yet the Administration is taking steps that will degrade the environment and slow pollution-control innovations. 4 references. (DCK)
Asking the Patient About Patient-Centered Medical Homes: A Qualitative Analysis

Background What patients perceive and experience within a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is an understudied area, and to date, the patient perspective has not been an integral component of existing PCMH measurement standards. However, upcoming guidelines necessitate the use of patient-reported experiences and satisfaction in evaluations of practice and provider performance.
Signal processing for improving gas sensor response time

In this paper, we describe a system for reducing the response time of gas sensor arrays. The system uses analog signal processing techniques to analyze the transient response of sensory inputs sufficiently to discriminate among chemicals of interest before steady state is reached. The signal processing thresholds the sensory inputs at periodic intervals during the transient response, thereby producing a binary wavefront that is stored and retained for discrimination tasks. Experimental results described in this paper effectively reduce the response time of an array of discrete tin-oxide gas sensors from 10 to 2 s; experimental data are consistent across a range of concentrations for a variety of reducing gases. We expect that equivalent improvements in response time will also be possible for integrated microsensor systems using the same techniques described in this work.
NON-INVASIVE ESTIMATION OF LEFT TO RIGHT SHUNTS USING ECHOCARDIOGRAMS AND RADIONUCLIDE ANGIOCARDIOGRAPHY

NON-INVASIVE ESTIMATION OF LEFT TO RIGHT SHUNTS USING ECHOCARDIOGRAMS AND RADIONUCLIDE ANGIOCARDIOGRAPHY
Post-training Unilateral Vagal Stimulation Enhances Retention Performance in the Rat

Many peripherally administered substances which modulate memory do not freely enter the brain. Such compounds may act through peripheral receptors that send messages centrally through vagal afferents. To explore this hypothesis, rats were chronically implanted with cuff electrodes on the left cervical vagus nerve. Each animal was trained 48 h after surgery on a one-trial inhibitory-avoidance task with a 0.75-mA, 1.0-s footshock. Immediately following training, each animal received either no stimulation or vagal stimulation (0.5-ms biphasic pulses; 20 Hz, 30 s) at one of three intensities (0.2, 0.4, 0.8 mA; eight animals per group). Retention was tested 24 h later. Neither the 0.2-in or 0.8-mA groups (22.1-s; 53.7-s median latency) showed altered retention performances, whereas the 0.4-mA group showed significantly improved retention (881.0 s) compared to unstimulated controls (21.1 s; U = 6, p < .01). This inverted-U shaped function indicates that vagal activation during memory consolidation modulates retention for memory tasks.
LHRH pathways in rat brain: 'deafferentation' spares a sub-chiasmatic LHRH projection to the median eminence.

Abstract Localization of luteotrophic hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) was examined by immunocytochemistry in untreated male rats and rats that received an anterior hypothalamic deafferentation. Gonadotrophic function was assessed by examining testicular weight and morphology. All of the antisera used in this study were able to reveal LHRH cell bodies and fibers. Cells from the medial preoptic area, (particularly the preoptic periventricular or median preoptic nuclei) and lateral anterior hypothalamus sent axons to the median eminence. The fiber tracts were loosely organized into (1) a tract that coursed through the organum vasculum of the lamina terminalis between the optic nerves and along the ventral surface of the optic chiasm; (2) a tract that coursed to the organum vasculum from the preoptic area and then traversed along the floor of the third ventricle; (3) a tract that coursed from the medial preoptic area to the median eminence along the lateral walls of the third ventricle; and (4) a tract that arose from the more caudal portions of the LHRH cell field in the lateral preoptic and lateral anterior hypothalamus, coursed along with the fibers of the medial forebrain bundle and turned medially at the caudal hypothalamus to enter the median eminence. An anterior cut which severed most of the connections between the medial preoptic area and hypothalamus but did not penetrate through the optic chiasm severed tract 3 and most of tracts 2 and 4, but spared the subchiasmatic projection (tract 1). The fibers that remained in the median eminence were sufficient to retain gonadotrophic function. This study provides an explanation for the variable effects of deafferentation and lesions of the anterior hypothalamus and preoptic area on gonadotrophic function.
TU-G-BRB-01: Continuous Path Optimization for Non-Coplanar Variant SAD IMRT Delivery Using C-Arm Machines.

Purpose: To develop and investigate a continuous path optimization methodology to traverse prescribed non‐coplanar IMRT beams with variant SADs, by orchestrating the couch and gantry movement with zero‐collision, minimal patient motion consequence and machine travel time. Methods: We convert the given collision zone definition and the prescribed beam location/angles to a tumor‐centric coordinate, and represent the traversing path as a continuous open curve. We proceed to optimize a composite objective function consisting of (1) a strong attraction energy to ensure all prescribed beams are en‐route, (2) a penalty for patient‐motion inducing couch motion, and (3) a penalty for travel‐time inducing overall path‐length. Feasibility manifold is defined as complement to collision zone and the optimization is performed with a level set representation evolved with variational flows. The proposed method has been implemented and tested on clinically derived data. In the absence of any existing solutions for the same problem, we validate by: (1) visual inspecting the generated path rendered in the 3D tumor‐centric coordinates, and (2) comparing with a traveling‐salesman (TSP) solution obtained from relaxing the variant SADs and continuous collision‐avoidance requirement. Results: The proposed method has generated delivery paths that are smooth and intuitively appealing. Under relaxed settings, our results outperform the generic TSP solutions and agree with specially tuned versions. Conclusions: We have proposed a novel systematic approach that automatically determines the continuous path to cover non‐coplanar, varying SADIMRT beams. The proposed approach accommodates patient‐specific collision zone definition and ensures its avoidance continuously. The differential penalty to couch and gantry motions allows customizable tradeoff between patient geometry stability and delivery efficiency. This development paves the path to achieve safe, accurate and efficient non‐coplanar IMRT delivery with the advanced robotic controls in new‐generation C‐arm systems, enabling practical harvesting of the dose benefit offered by non‐coplanar, variant SADIMRT treatment.
Solvent effects on the energetics and dynamics of ultrafast electron transfer in chlorophyll-porphyrin-acceptor triads

Abstract The photochemistry and electron transfer kinetics of two fixed distance and fixed orientation triad systems are studied. The two molecules are a zinc-chlorophyll-zinc-porphyrin-naphthoquinone (ZCZPNQ) system and a zinc-chlorophyll-zinc-porphyrin-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxydiimide (ZCZPPER) system. Optical excitation of ZC with a 190 fs pulse at 585 nm results in charge transfer and the formation of ZC + ZPNQ − (PER − ). The chromophores are chosen to minimize spectral overlap of the radical ion products, so that the analysis of the kinetic data is unambiguous. The kinetics of charge transfer are monitored by ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy, and the role that the central porphyrin plays in mediating electron transfer is discussed. We find that solvent relaxation also plays a role in determining the rates of both charge separation and recombination in polar solvents. Differing mechanisms for solvent relaxation are discussed.
Effects of methotrexate on RNA and purine synthesis of astrocytes in primary culture.

There is increasing evidence to indicate that astrocytes are primary targets for methotrexate (MTX) neurotoxicity. However, the mechanism by which MTX exerts its deleterious effect on astroglial cells is not known. Methotrexate acts by inhibiting dihydrofolate reductase and in other cell systems has been reported to inhibit thymidylate synthesis, purine synthesis or both. To determine the mechanism involved in MTX-induced toxicity to the nervous system, RNA synthesis was studied in two week-old primary astrocyte cultures by measuring [3H]Uridine (Urd) incorporation 24 hours after exposure to varying concentrations of MTX. De novo purine synthesis was also studied by measuring incorporation of [14C]glycine and [14C]formate in cultured astrocytes. The radioactivity level of incorporated Urd in culture decreased to 48%, 53% and 43% after exposure to 1, 10 and 100 μM MTX. Total [14C]glycine incorporation was not affected while incorporation of [14]formate was almost completely inhibited by MTX. The MTX-induced inhibition of [3H]Urd incorporation was not reversed by concomitant addition of exogenous purine bases (1 and 10 μM adenine, guanine and hypoxanthine) or nucleosides (1 and 10 μM adenosine, guanosine and inosine) to the MTX-treated cultures. On the other hand, addition of formyl-tetrahydrofolate reversed the MTX-induced reduction in [3H]Urd incorporation, indicating that the RNA inhibition was due to depletion of folate-dependent substrates for purine synthesis. Our results provide evidence that inhibition of purine and RNA synthesis may be the underlying mechanism involved in MTX-induced injury to the astrocytes, and may be important in the pathogenesis of MTX encephalopathy
An optimization approach to the Witsenhausen counterexample

We examine the structure of the Witsenhausen counterexample/ problem and its solution. In particular, we find it useful to work with the associated quantile function, rather than the controller itself or its distribution. With this transformation, the problem is reduced to minimization of a certain criterion over a particular function space. The optimization criterion is the sum of two functionals. The first, representing the control cost, is a simple quadratic. The second, representing the expected squared estimation error, has a more complex structure over this space. Nonetheless, it has a unique minimum (i.e., no other local minima). The problem of determining the parameter region over which the total cost criterion has a unique minimum remains open, although numerical experimentation suggests that this may “typically” be the case. Numerical results also indicate the form of the solution.
Regulation of ADP-glucose synthetase, the rate-limiting enzyme of bacterial glycogen synthesis, by the pleiotropic nucleotides ppGpp and pppGpp.

Summary Stimulated physiological concentrations of guanosine 5′-diphosphate 3′-diphosphate (ppGpp) and guanosine 5′-triphosphate 3′-diphosphate (pppGpp) cause a marked inhibition of ADP-glucose synthetase activity in crude extracts of Escherichia coli W4597(K) but basal cellular concentrations only weakly affect the activity. Inhibitory concentrations decrease the maximal velocity and increase the amount of fructose-P 2 and glucose-1-P needed for half-maximal activity. ADP-glucose synthetase is apparently the rate-limiting enzyme in bacterial glycogen synthesis. Thus, the data presented here provide the first evidence that the highly phosphorylated guanine nucleotides may play a role in the regulation of bacterial glycogen synthesis.
Scorecard on winter weather forecast

A comparison of the observed temperatures and precipitation for this past winter (maps on left) with predicted temperatures and precipitation (maps on right) shows that the National Weather Service (NWS) temperature prediction was below par, but that the NWS precipitation forecast was ‘quite good,’ according to Don L. Gilman, chief of the NWS long-range forecast branch. The predictions, issued November 29, 1982 (Eos, December 14, 1982, p. 1211), covered December, January, and February. NWS long-range forecasters had thought that frigid Arctic air would swoop far south to bring below-normal temperatures to the western United States. Instead, an east Pacific trough, which may have been the strongest since 1900, brought a strong influx of air from the west, according to Gilman. The intense, low-pressure anomaly in the east Pacific, with the strong westerly winds, teamed with heavy rains south and southwest of Hawaii and warm equatorial Pacific waters to bring warm, wet air to the western United States. The results (see maps): Throughout most of the country, observed temperatures were above normal (A) or normal (N), while observed precipitation was heavy (H) o r normal (no code). Below-normal temperatures (B) occurred only in a portion of the southcentral U.S. and the Florida Keys. Light precipitation (L) fell over two patches in the northern plains, in the Appalachian region, and along the Maine coast.
The Role of Social Identification in Pro-Customer Rule Breaking Behaviors

This study examined the relationship between three relevant forms of social identification and pro-customer rule breaking behaviors. Social identification theory proposes a motivational framework w...
Younger teens' mode choice for school trips: Do parents' attitudes toward safety and traffic conditions along the school route matter?

ABSTRACTWalking, bicycling, and all other alternative-to-driving modes of transportation used by teenagers promote physical activity, which is important for creating a healthy and sustainable community. On the other hand, most younger U.S. teens are being driven by their parents to and from school and other activities, which gives them fewer opportunities for physical activities. This research investigates factors affecting the mode choice of younger teens. The focus of the study is to analyze the effect parents' views of the safety and traffic conditions along school routes have on younger teens' mode choice. The study uses the 2009 U.S. National Household Travel Survey (NHTS; USDOT, 2009). Younger teens in this study are defined as the age group from 12 to 16 years old, which is a nondriving, active age group. The results of the study show that there is a strong correlation between parental attitude and younger teens' mode choice. Factors that affect parents' decisions to drive their teens to and from s...
A decision support system for capital budgeting and allocation

Abstract This paper presents a capital budgeting and allocation decision support system (CBA-DSS) for big organizations that have many planning units (branch offices and/or departments). This CBA-DSS is designed to be generalized so that it can be used by many organizations in the real world. Two types of budgets, project type and flexible type , are considered to cater to different types of categories. Three modeling techniques are used in the development of this DSS: zero-one integer linear programming is used to get the optimal solutions; forecasting techniques provide the predicted values through historical data; and fuzzy sets approach is used to assign weighting factors to selected criteria in determining the flexible type budget. Two useful capabilities are included: “ HELP ” screens and demonstration programs. The users can understand the basic operations of CBA-DSS through demonstration programs and “ HELP ” screens without reading a bulky manual. CBA-DSS, which is designed to be highly user-friendly, menu-driven and interactive, will help the managers (of medium as well as top level) in their decision making process of planning and allocating limited budget to their planning units effectively and efficiently.
Morphomic analysis as an aid for preoperative risk stratification in patients undergoing major head and neck cancer surgery.

Background Patients undergoing major head and neck cancer surgery (MHNCS) may develop significant postoperative complications. To minimize the risk of complications, clinicians often assess multiple measures of preoperative health in terms of medical comorbidities. One emerging method to decrease surgical complications is preoperative assessment of patient frailty measured by specific tissue characteristics. We hypothesize that morphomic characteristics of the temporalis region serve as predictive markers for the development of complications after MHNCS.
The Effect of Positive Goal and Resource Interdependence on Individual Performance

Abstract The effects of two types of positive interdependence (goal and resource) and attentional temptation on individual performance were compared for teamwork and taskwork situations. Fifty-eight U.S. 5th graders were randomly assigned to one of the following conditions—positive goal interdependence, positive resource interdependence, positive goal interdependence/positive resource interdependence, and no goal interdependence/no resource interdependence (individual)—stratified for gender, ability, and minority status. The students received 45 min of social studies instruction daily, for 24 days. Although the students in conditions without goal interdependence initially performed better than the students in conditions with goal interdependence, these results were reversed after a 5-week period. The dual responsibilities of taskwork and teamwork seemed to conflict with each other at first, but after the participants became more skilled at teamwork, the combination of taskwork and teamwork resulted in bet...
A synthetic anticoagulant: a polysulfuric acid ester of polyanhydromannuronic acid (paritol); experience with its use in man.

The effects of the use of Paritol administered intravenously to 35 individuals are herein reported. This synthetic anticoagulant produces a prolongation of the clotting time similar to that produced by heparin but of longer duration, if appropriate dosage is used. As with heparin, at therapeutic clotting time levels, the prothrombin time is slightly prolonged. Certain untoward effects have been noted and are described. Further studies with Paritol appear justified in order to evaluate its usefulness as a rapidly acting anticoagulant.
Myeloperoxidase levels predict accelerated progression of coronary atherosclerosis in diabetic patients: Insights from intravascular ultrasound

Objective While inflammation has been proposed to contribute to the adverse cardiovascular outcome in diabetic patients, the specific pathways involved have not been elucidated. The leukocyte derived product, myeloperoxidase (MPO), has been implicated in all stages of atherosclerosis. The relationship between MPO and accelerated disease progression observed in diabetic patients has not been studied.
Two-level Jaynes-Cummings Hamiltonian as a supersymmetric quantum-mechanical system.

Using a realization of the noncompact orthosymplectic superalgebra Osp(22, R), the two-level Jaynes-Cummings Hamiltonian is shown to be a supersymmetric quantum-mechanical system in the sense of Witten. The existence of the supersymmetry is shown to place a restriction on the physical parameters of the Hamiltonian.
From genes to community: exploring translational science in adolescent health research: proceedings from a research symposium.

Addressing complex adolescent health problems such as youth violence and teen pregnancy requires innovative strategies to promote protective social environments, increase healthier behaviors, and reduce the impact of health risk behaviors into adulthood. Multilevel, interdisciplinary, and translational approaches are needed to address these challenges in adolescent health. In May 2012, a group of adolescent health researchers participated in a 1-day research symposium titled "From Genes to Community: Exploring Translational Science in Adolescent Health Research," sponsored by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) of the University of Pittsburgh and the Division of Adolescent Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The research symposium offered opportunities for adolescent health researchers to share examples of translational research as well as to identify potential collaborations to promote translational research. This and subsequent issues of Clinical and Translational Science will include papers from this symposium. The studies and reviews presented range from how basic biobehavioral sciences such as functional neuroimaging and decision science can be made relevant for intervention development as well as improving strategies for community-partnered knowledge transfer of cutting-edge research findings to promote adolescent health and well-being. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 480-481. Language: en
Structure of PhoE porin in projection at 3.5 A resolution.

Abstract The structure of PhoE porin in projection normal to the membrane plane has been determined to a resolution of about 3.5 A by electron crystallographic techniques. The purified protein was reconstituted with lipid to form two-dimensional crystals. High resolution images and electron diffraction patterns of these specimens embedded in trehalose were recorded to obtain respectively the structure factor phase information and the more accurate values of the amplitude. The projection map shows interesting features that are not seen in the earlier map at 6.5 A. Details of the trimeric ring-like structures in our earlier map are now resolved. Each ring-like structure consists of “beads” with interbead spacings of about 4–6 A. These beads are interpreted as the projections of β-strands along the strands' axes. At the center of the trimeric structure, there is a low density region that we proposed previously to be the location of lipopolysaccharide. Within each ring-like structure, there are complicated features which may play an important role in the size, selectivity, and stability of the channel.
Instrumentation for high-resolution spectropolarimetry in the visible and far-ultraviolet

Linear spectropolarimetry of spectral lines is a neglected field in astronomy, largely because of the lack of instrumentation. Techniques that have been applied, but rarely, include investigation of the dynamics of scattering envelopes through the polarization of electron- or dust-scattered nebular light. Untried techniques include promising new magnetic diagnostics like the Hanle Effect in the far-ultraviolet and magnetic realignment in the visible. The University of Wisconsin Space Astronomy Lab is developing instrumentation for such investigations. In the visible, the Prime Focus Imaging Spectrograph (PFIS) is a first light instrument for the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), which at an aperture of 11m will be the largest single telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. Scheduled for commissioning in late 2004, PFIS is a versatile high-throughput imaging spectrograph using volume-phase holographic gratings for spectroscopic programs from 320nm to 900nm at resolutions of R=500 to R=6000. A dual-etalon Fabry-Perot subsystem enables imaging spectroscopy at R=500 and R=3000 or 12,500. The polarization subsystem, consisting of a very large calcite polarizing beam-splitter used in conjunction with half- and quarter-wave Pancharatnam superachromatic plates, allow linear or circular polarimetric measurements in any of the spectroscopic modes. In the FUV, the Far-Ultraviolet SpectroPolarimeter (FUSP) is a sounding rocket payload, scheduled for its first flight in 2003, that will obtain the first high-precision spectropolarimetry from 105 - 150 nm, and the first astronomical polarimetry of any kind below 130 nm. The 50 cm primary mirror of the telescope is F/2.5. At the prime focus are the polarimetric optics, a stressed lithium fluoride rotating waveplate, followed by a synthetic diamond Brewster-angle mirror. The spectrometer uses an aberration-corrected spherical holographic grating and a UV-sensitized CCD detector, for a spectral resolution of R=1800.
SMART designs in cancer research: Past, present, and future.

BackgroundCancer affects millions of people worldwide each year. Patients require sequences of treatment based on their response to previous treatments to combat cancer and fight metastases. Physic...
Mesh partitioning for implicit computations via iterative domain decomposition: Impact and optimization of the subdomain aspect ratio

Optimal domain decomposition methods have emerged as powerful iterative algorithms for parallel implicit computations. Their key preprocessing step is mesh partitioning, where research has focused so far on the automatic generation of load-balanced subdomains with minimum interface nodes. In this paper, we emphasize the importance of the subdomain aspect ratio as a mesh partitioning factor, and highlight its impact on the convergence rate of an optimal domain decomposition based iterative method. We also present a fast optimization algorithm for improving the aspect ratio of existing mesh partitions, and illustrate it with several examples from fluid dynamics and structural mechanics applications. For a stiffened shell problem decomposed by the optimal Recursive Spectral Bisection scheme and solved by the FETI method, this optimization algorithm is shown to improve the solution time by a factor equal to 1·54 and to restore numerical scalability.
Major differences in isoforms of starch-branching enzyme between developing embryos of round- and wrinkled-seeded peas (Pisum sativum L.)

In order to determine whether round-and wrinkled-seeded peas (Pisum sativum L.) differ in the activity and properties of starch-branching enzyme (1,4-α-D-glucan, 1,4-α-D-glucan-6-glycosyl transferase; EC 2.4.1.18) in their developing embryos, essentially isogenic lines of peas, differing only at the r (rugosus) locus that confers the round (RR, Rr) or wrinkled (rr) phenotype, were studied. Activity of the enzyme rises rapidly from an early stage of development in embryos of round peas, but only at later stages in embryos of wrinkled peas. The purified enzyme from mature embryos of round peas can be resolved into two isoforms that differ in molecular weight and in their ability to branch amylose. The purified enzyme from mature embryos of wrinkled peas is a single protein with the same molecular weight and branching properties as one of the isoforms from embryos of round peas. The difference in activity of starch-branching enzyme between embryos of round and wrinkled peas is likely to be due to the absence from embryos of wrinkled peas of one of the isoforms occurring in embryos of round peas.
Effect of varied extracellular P O 2 on muscle performance inXenopus single skeletal muscle fibers

The purpose of this study was to examine the development of fatigue in isolated, single skeletal muscle fibers when O2 availability was reduced but not to levels considered rate limiting to mitocho...
Effective vertical beam patterns for ocean acoustic reverberation calculations

A description is given of a concept for using effective vertical beam patterns to perform reverberation calculations in underwater acoustics when the source or receiver has both horizontal and vertical directivity. The concept involves integrating the 3-D beam pattern B( theta , phi ) over azimuthal angles phi to obtain an effective vertical beam pattern that depends only on the vertical angle theta and gives the same reverberation response as the 3-D beam pattern. These effective vertical beam patterns have both computational and conceptual advantages. By precomputing the effective beam patterns, sonar models that normally handle only vertical directivity can be readily extended to handle general beam patterns. The concept is also very useful to the sonar engineer. The effective beam patterns are essentially equivalent to the gain against reverberation as a function of vertical angle; alternatively, they are a measure of the horizontal beamwidth of the array, as a function of vertical angle. To illustrate the concept, effective vertical beam patterns are calculated for several steering directions of a horizontal line array receiver, and bottom reverberation calculations are interpreted using these effective beam patterns. >
High Volume Production Growth of GaAs on Silicon Substrates

A high-volume epitaxial reactor has been used to investigate the feasibility for the production growth of GaAs on silicon substrates. The reactor is a customized system which has a maximum capacity of 39 three-inch diameter wafers and can accommodate substrates as large as eight inches in diameter. The MOCVD material growth technique was used to grow GaAs directly on p-type, (100) silicon substrates, three and five inches in diameter. The GaAs surfaces were textured with antiphase boundaries. Double-cyrstal rocking curve measurements showed single-cyrstal GaAs with an average FWHMof 520 arc seconds measured at four points over the wafer surface. Within-wafer thickness uniformity was ± 4% with a wafer-to-wafer uniformity of ± 2%. Photoluminescence spectra showed Tour peaks at 1.500, 1.483, 1.464, and 1.440 ev. Schottky diodes were fabricated on the GaAs on silicon material.
RHIC transverse injection damping

Since the beginning of the currently ongoing RHIC run a transverse injection damper is available. The damper is based on a fast kicker module in combination with a HV power supply and fast HV switches. This system can damp one injected bunch at the time with a given kick amplitude ("bang-bang mode") for several hundred turns. This report gives an overview of the injection damping system and summarizes its performance and our experience during the first months of usage.
Loss of Lrig1 leads to expansion of Brunner glands followed by duodenal adenomas with gastric metaplasia.

Leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains 1 (LRIG1) is a pan-ErbB negative regulator and intestinal stem cell marker down-regulated in many malignancies. We previously reported that 14 of 16 Lrig1-CreERT2/CreERT2 (Lrig1−/−) mice developed duodenal adenomas, providing the first in vivo evidence that Lrig1 acts as a tumor suppressor. We extended this study to a larger cohort and found that 49 of 54 Lrig1−/− mice develop duodenal adenomas beginning at 3 months. Most adenomas were histologically low grade and overlaid expanded Brunner glands. There was morphologic and biochemical blurring of the boundary between the epithelium and Brunner glands with glandular coexpression of ErbB2, which is normally restricted to the epithelium, and the Brunner gland marker Mucin6. Some adenomas were high grade with reduced Brunner glands. At age 4 to 5 weeks, before adenoma formation, we observed enhanced proliferation in Brunner glands and, at 2 months, an increase in the size of the Brunner gland compartment. Elevated expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) ligands amphiregulin and β-cellulin, as well as Egfr and phosphorylated Egfr, was detected in adenomas compared with adjacent normal tissue. These adenomas expressed the gastric-specific genes gastrokine1 and mucin5ac, indicating gastric metaplasia. Moreover, we found that a subset of human duodenal tumors exhibited features of LRIG1−/− adenomas, including loss of LRIG1, gastric metaplasia (MUCIN5AC and MUCIN6), and increased amphiregulin and Egfr activity.