cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical aspects of antimicrobial resistance

Soon after penicillin was introduced into clinical use, an enzyme (penicillinase) that inactivated it was discovered. Since then, the variety of antimicrobial agents has increased substantially, along with a parallel increase in resistant pathogenic microorganisms. Resistance is now recognized against all available antimicrobial agents. Factors influencing the emergence of resistance include indiscriminate use of antibiotics, prolonged hospitalizations, increasing numbers of immunocompromised patients, and medical progress resulting in increased use of invasive procedures and devices. This article provides an update on clinical aspects of a few commonly found resistant microorganisms relevant to day-to-day clinical practice. A discussion of all resistant organisms is beyond the scope of this report. Both viral and mycobacterial resistance have been addressed in previous articles in this symposium.
Successive reversals of a position response in isopods

In a Y maze isopods, Porcellio scaber, learned a position discrimination and six reversals; a light was presented following incorrect responses. There was no significant decrease in the number of errors or trials to criterion over the seven discriminations.
Performance differences in visually and internally guided continuous manual tracking movements

Control of familiar visually guided movements involves internal plans as well as visual and other online sensory information, though how visual and internal plans combine for reaching movements remain unclear. Traditional motor sequence learning tasks, such as the serial reaction time task, use stereotyped movements and measure only reaction time. Here, we used a continuous sequential reaching task comprised of naturalistic movements, in order to provide detailed kinematic performance measures. When we embedded pre-learned trajectories (those presumably having an internal plan) within similar but unpredictable movement sequences, participants performed the two kinds of movements with remarkable similarity, and position error alone could not reliably identify the epoch. For such embedded movements, performance during pre-learned sequences showed statistically significant but trivial decreases in measures of kinematic error, compared to performance during novel sequences. However, different sets of kinematic error variables changed significantly between learned and novel sequences for individual participants, suggesting that each participant used distinct motor strategies favoring different kinematic variables during each of the two movement types. Algorithms that incorporated multiple kinematic variables identified transitions between the two movement types well but imperfectly. Hidden Markov model classification differentiated learned and novel movements on single trials based on the above kinematic error variables with 82 ± 5% accuracy within 244 ± 696 ms, despite the limited extent of changes in those errors. These results suggest that the motor system can achieve markedly similar performance whether or not an internal plan is present, as only subtle changes arise from any difference between the neural substrates involved in those two conditions.
Nematode response to methyl bromide and 1,3‐dichloropropene soil fumigation at different temperatures

Several heat-based methods, such as soil solarization, are being developed as alternative practices for managing soil-borne pests and pathogens. The effectiveness of these practices is often inconsistent or marginal, thus commanding the need for their integration with other methods. The main objective of this study was to determine synergistic interaction between soil fumigants and temperature. Soil infested with citrus nematode Tylenchulus semipenetrans was exposed to methyl bromide or 1,3-dichloropropene at various temperatures. Fumigant degradation was concurrently measured and concentration-time index (ct) was calculated and correlated to the recovered nematode population. In untreated soil, nematode survival was not affected by temperatures of 20–30 °C, but was strongly reduced at ≥ 40 °C. In fumigated soil, nematode suppression was much greater at 30 °C than at 20 °C, and the ct required for nematode elimination at 30 °C was < 50% of that needed at 20 °C for both fumigants. These results suggest that these fumigants became more active with increasing temperature in the sub-lethal temperature range. It also implies that, when integrated with a heat-based practice, reduced rates of fumigants may provide adequate pest control, thus minimizing the environmental input of chemical fumigants. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry
Functional Analysis of Long-chain Acyl-CoA Synthetase 1 in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

ACSL1 (acyl-CoA synthetase 1), the major acyl-CoA synthetase of adipocytes, has been proposed to function in adipocytes as mediating free fatty acid influx, esterification, and storage as triglyceride. To test this hypothesis, ACSL1 was stably silenced (knockdown (kd)) in 3T3-L1 cells, differentiated into adipocytes, and evaluated for changes in lipid metabolism. Surprisingly, ACSL1-silenced adipocytes exhibited no significant changes in basal or insulin-stimulated long-chain fatty acid uptake, lipid droplet size, or tri-, di-, or monoacylglycerol levels when compared with a control adipocyte line. However, ACSL1 kd adipocytes displayed a 7-fold increase in basal and a ∼15% increase in forskolin-stimulated fatty acid efflux without any change in glycerol release, indicating a role for the protein in fatty acid reesterification following lipolysis. Consistent with this proposition, ACSL1 kd cells exhibited a decrease in activation and phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase and its primary substrate acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Moreover, ACSL1 kd adipocytes displayed an increase in phosphorylated protein kinase Cθ and phosphorylated JNK, attenuated insulin signaling, and a decrease in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. These findings identify a primary role of ACSL1 in adipocytes not in control of lipid influx, as previously considered, but in lipid efflux and fatty acid-induced insulin resistance.
A multiple cause mixture model for unsupervised learning

This paper presents a formulation for unsupervised learning of clusters reflecting multiple causal structure in binary data. Unlike the "hard" k-means clustering algorithm and the "soft" mixture model, each of which assumes that a single hidden event generates each data point, a multiple cause model accounts for observed data by combining assertions from many hidden causes, each of which can pertain to varying degree to any subset of the observable dimensions. We employ an objective function and iterative gradient descent learning algorithm resembling the conventional mixture model. A crucial issue is the mixing function for combining beliefs from different cluster centers in order to generate data predictions whose errors are minimized both during recognition and learning. The mixing function constitutes a prior assumption about underlying structural regularities of the data domain; we demonstrate a weakness inherent to the popular weighted sum followed by sigmoid squashing, and offer alternative forms of the nonlinearity for two types of data domain. Results are presented demonstrating the algorithm's ability successfully to discover coherent multiple causal representations in several experimental data sets.
Oxidative Modification of Mitochondrial Integrity and Nerve Fiber Density in the Ischemic Overactive Bladder

Purpose: To our knowledge the mechanism of neurodegeneration in the overactive bladder remains unknown. We examined mitochondrial integrity and searched for markers of oxidative neural injury in the ischemic overactive bladder.Materials and Methods: A rabbit model of overactive bladder was developed by inducing moderate pelvic ischemia. After 16 weeks cystometrograms and blood flow recordings from overactive bladders were compared with those in age matched controls. Bladder tissues were processed to assess oxidative products, oxidative stress sensitive genes and nerve fiber density using enzyme immunoassay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. Tissue ultrastructure was examined by transmission electron microscopy.Results: Ischemia increased spontaneous bladder contractions and led to cyclic ischemia-reperfusion. Tissue levels of oxidative and nitrosative products, and oxidative stress sensitive genes encoding superoxide dismutase and aldose reduc...
Single-Event Multiple-Transient Characterization and Mitigation via Alternative Standard Cell Placement Methods

As fabrication technology scales towards smaller transistor sizes and lower critical charge, single-event radiation effects are more likely to cause errant behavior in multiple, physically adjacent devices in modern integrated circuits (ICs), and with higher operating frequencies, this risk increasingly impacts design logic over memory as well. In order to increase future system reliability, circuit designers need greater awareness of multiple-transient charge-sharing effects during the early stages of their design flow with standard cell placement and routing. To measure the propagation and observability of multiple transients from single radiation events, this work uses several intra-pipeline combinational logic circuits at the 32nm technology node, investigates several different standard cell placements of each design, and analyzes those placements with a novel, physically realistic transient injection and simulation method. It is shown that (1) this simulation methodology, informed by experimental data, provides an increased realism over other works in traditional fault injection fields, (2) different placements of the same circuit where standard cells are grouped by logical hierarchy can result in different reliability behavior and benefits especially useful within the area of approximate computing, and (3) improved reliability through charge-sharing transient mitigation can be gained with no area penalty and minimal speed and power penalties by adjusting the placement of standard cells.
A Typology for Attitude Verbs and Their Anaphoric Properties

Application de la semantique des representations discursives aux proprietes anaphoriques des verbes d'attitudes propositionnelles, comme connaitre, douter, dire, desirer. L'objectif poursuivi par l'A. est de montrer comment les proprietes anaphoriques sont systematiquement correlees a la logique des constructions avec verbes d'attitudes propositionnelles. L'A. commence par rappeler les grandes lignes de la semantique des representations discursives avant d'etudier des proprietes de ce type de verbe
Cdk1 Activity Is Required for Mitotic Activation of Aurora A during G2/M Transition of Human Cells

In mammalian cells entry into and progression through mitosis are regulated by multiple mitotic kinases. How mitotic kinases interact with each other and coordinately regulate mitosis remains to be fully understood. Here we employed a chemical biology approach using selective small molecule kinase inhibitors to dissect the relationship between Cdk1 and Aurora A kinases during G2/M transition. We find that activation of Aurora A first occurs at centrosomes at late G2 and is required for centrosome separation independently of Cdk1 activity. Upon entry into mitosis, Aurora A then becomes fully activated downstream of Cdk1 activation. Inactivation of Aurora A or Plk1 individually during a synchronized cell cycle shows no significant effect on Cdk1 activation and entry into mitosis. However, simultaneous inactivation of both Aurora A and Plk1 markedly delays Cdk1 activation and entry into mitosis, suggesting that Aurora A and Plk1 have redundant functions in the feedback activation of Cdk1. Together, our data suggest that Cdk1, Aurora A, and Plk1 mitotic kinases participate in a feedback activation loop and that activation of Cdk1 initiates the feedback loop activity, leading to rapid and timely entry into mitosis in human cells. In addition, live cell imaging reveals that the nuclear cycle of cells becomes uncoupled from cytokinesis upon inactivation of both Aurora A and Aurora B kinases and continues to oscillate in a Cdk1-dependent manner in the absence of cytokinesis, resulting in multinucleated, polyploidy cells.
Pertussis seroprevalence in emergency department staff

Study objective: The purpose of this study was to look at the prevalence of pertussis immunity in emergency department employees. Design: Prospective, observational study conducted in September 1992. Setting: A university hospital ED. Participants: A convenience sample of 73 ED employees. Interventions: Blood was collected from ED staff and assayed for antibody to pertussis toxin and filmentous hemagglutinin. Results: Ninety-nine percent of the subjects reported childhood immunization. Geometric mean titers were 3.6 (geometric SD, 3.2) enzyme-liked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) units for pertussis toxin and 12.1 (geometric SD, 3.3.) ELISA units for filamentous hemagglutinin. These titers are comparable to those previously reported in other adults not immunized since childhood and are substantially lower than the levels commonly seen in children or adults following immunization. Titers did not differ significantly between mate and female subjects or between subjects with or without a recent prolonged cough, family members with a cough, or small children in the household. Conclusion: Most ED staff members have low levels of antibody to pertussis and may be at risk for acquiring the disease from infected children or adults, whith subsequent risk of trans-mission to susceptible patients. Booster immunization with an acellular pertussis vaccine has been shown to be safe and immunogenic in adults and may be appropriate for adult ED personnel to reduce these risks.
Singular perturbation of the Popov-Kaiman-Yakubovich lemma

Absolute stability of linear time-invariant single-input, single-output (LTI-SISO) singularly perturbed systems with a time varying feedback element is examined via the Popov-Kalman-Yakubovich (PKY) lemma. If the reduced-order ‘slow’ subsystem is absolutely stable, then so is the full system, provided the parasitics are sufficiently ‘fast’ and stable.
Dietary choice behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans

Animals have evolved diverse behaviors that serve the purpose of finding food in the environment. We investigated the food seeking strategy of the soil bacteria-eating nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. C. elegans bacterial food varies in quality: some species are easy to eat and support worm growth well, while others do not. We show that worms exhibit dietary choice: they hunt for high quality food and leave hard-to-eat bacteria. This food seeking behavior is enhanced in animals that have already experienced good food. When hunting for good food, worms alternate between two modes of locomotion, known as dwelling: movement with frequent stops and reversals; and roaming: straight rapid movement. On good food, roaming is very rare, while on bad food it is common. Using laser ablations and mutant analysis, we show that the AIY neurons serve to extend roaming periods, and are essential for efficient food seeking.
Human Apolipoprotein E4 Domain Interaction ARGININE 61 AND GLUTAMIC ACID 255 INTERACT TO DIRECT THE PREFERENCE FOR VERY LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEINS

Human apolipoprotein (apo) E contains an amino- and a carboxyl-terminal domain, which are connected by a hinge region (approximately residues 165 to 215). The interaction of the two domains has been suggested to be responsible for the apoE4-binding preference for very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). In the absence of this interaction in apoE3, the preference is for high density lipoproteins (HDL). To exclude the possibility that the interaction of apoE with other apolipoproteins on the native particles may contribute to the isoform-specific preferences, VLDL-like emulsion particles were incubated with apoE, and the lipid-bound apoE was separated from free apoE on a Superose 6 column. The apoE4 bound more effectively to these particles than did apoE3, indicating that the apoE4 preference for VLDL is due not to interactions with other apolipoproteins but to an intrinsic property of apoE4, likely related to domain interaction. Previously, arginine 61 was shown to be critical for the isoform preferences, suggesting that it interacted with an acidic residue(s) in the carboxyl terminus. Substitution of arginine 61 with lysine did not alter the preference of apoE4 for VLDL, demonstrating that a positive charge rather than a specific requirement for arginine is critical for domain interaction. To identify the acidic residue(s) in the carboxyl terminus interacting with arginine 61, the six acidic residues (244, 245, 255, 266, 270, and 271) in a region known to be important for both lipoprotein association and isoform-specific preferences were substituted individually with alanine in apoE4. Only substitution of glutamic acid 255 altered the preference of apoE4 from VLDL to HDL, indicating that this was the sole residue in the carboxyl terminus that interacts with arginine 61. The participation of the hinge region in domain interaction was examined with internal deletion mutants. Deletion of the residues 186-202 or 186-223, representing major portions of the hinge region, had no effect on the apoE4 preference for VLDL. This suggests that the hinge region may act as a spacer that connects the two domains. Further deletion into the carboxyl-terminal domain (to residue 244) results in a loss of apoE4 VLDL binding. These studies establish that interaction of arginine 61 and glutamic acid 255 mediates apoE4 domain interaction.
Micromachining and material change characterization using femtosecond laser oscillators

We use third harmonic generation (THG) microscopy to image waveguides and single-shot structural modifications produced in bulk glass using femtosecond laser pulses. THG microscopy reveals the internal structure of waveguides written with a femtosecond laser oscillator, and gives a three-dimensional view of the complicated morphology of the structural changes produced with single, above-threshold femtosecond pulses. We find that THG microscopy is as sensitive to refractive index change as differential interference contrast microscopy, while also offering the three-dimensional sectioning capabilities of a nonlinear microscopy technique. It is now possible to micromachine three-dimensional optical devices and to image these structures in three dimensions, all with a single femtosecond laser oscillator.
Lunar Moments, Tides, Orientation, and Coordinate Frames

Abstract To determine the lunar moments of inertia (A (C − A) B and (B − A) C come from Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) measurement of the lunar orientation Spacecraft or lunar orbit perturbations provide J2 Combining five reported J2 results gives a normalized polar moment of inertia C MR 2 = 0.3929 ± 0.0009 Solid-body tides displace the surface about 0.1 m, but can perturb the orbit of a Moon-orbiting spacecraft. The selenocentric coordinates of four lunar retroreflectors are accurately known and can serve as reference points. The orientation and orbit of the Moon are very well known for the time span of the LLR data.
Automation of data collection for PWAS-based structural health monitoring

Crack detection with piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) is emerging as an effective and powerful technique in structural health monitoring (SHM). Because of the piezoelectric properties of the PWAS, they act as both transmitters and receivers of guided Lamb waves for such applications. With arrays of PWAS attached to the structure, excitation signals are sent to one of the PWAS and wave signals from the structure are received at all the PWAS. The signals are analyzed to detect the position of cracks. One important issue associated with the PWAS-assisted SHM is the connectivity between the PWAS arrays and the measurement instruments. An automatic signal collection unit is necessary to send the excitation signals to PWAS and acquire the response signal from another PWAS. Such a program-controlled switching unit can quickly and precisely execute the data collection in a way which is more efficient and reliable than the manual switching operations. In this paper, we present an innovative design of a LabVIEW controlled automatic signal collection unit (ASCU) for PWAS-assisted SHM. The hardware circuit construction and the control LabVIEW program are discussed. As a conduit between the phase array of PWAS and the signal instruments (signal generators, oscilloscopes etc.), the ASCU provides a convenient way to switch excitation and echo signals automatically to the selected PWAS transducers with the help of GUI in the LabVIEW control program. The control program is easy to implement and can be integrated into an upper level program that executes the whole task of signal acquisition and analysis. Because of the concise design of the hardware, the ASCU concept of the auto signal switch has been extended to other application cases such as the electromechanical (E/M) impedance measurement for SHM.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ibandronate: once-monthly and intravenous dosing options for osteoporosis treatment

Ibandronate is a potent nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate that is currently available as a daily and once-monthly oral formulation for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. It has recently been approved for intermittent intravenous administration. The oral iBandronate Osteoporosis vertebral fracture trial in North America and Europe (BONE), Monthly Oral iBandronate In LadiEs (MOBILE), and Dosing IntraVenous Administration (DIVA) trials demonstrated that long-term daily and intermittent administration of ibandronate was efficacious for increasing bone mineral density and reducing markers of bone turnover. BONE demonstrated that ibandronate reduced the risk of new vertebral fractures and reduced the relative risk of nonvertebral fractures in higher-risk patients. Histomorphometric evaluations in the BONE and DIVA trials have demonstrated that bone quality is maintained following treatment. Giving patients the option of choosing their dose regimen and route of administration may increase overall adherence to treatment, leading to enhanced fracture protection in patients with osteoporosis.
Analysis of Current Status and Strategies of Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening during 6 Years in Local Regions of China: Implication and Caution.

Purpose. To understand the current status of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening in a province of North China. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed 5651 cases with ROP screening in the Provincial Screening Center of Hebei Province from January 2008 to December 2013. Results. 14.98% of all ROP patients and 1.56% of severe ROP patients required treatment. All the severe ROP patients met the criteria of screening. Severe ROP patients were detected at recommended initial screening time (4–6 weeks after birth). The frequency of other ocular diseases was 8.03%, in which the main disease was fundus hemorrhage. In 2665 more mature and unqualified infants, only 2 retinoblastoma and 2 familial exudative vitreoretinopathy were detected, which indicates the advantage of early diagnosis and treatment based on fundus examination. Conclusions. It is suggested that the standard of GA < 32 weeks and/or BW < 1800 g could be served as the screening criteria in the local region for ROP screening. 4 weeks after birth is the most appropriate time for initial screening.
The Human POLD1 Gene IDENTIFICATION OF AN UPSTREAM ACTIVATOR SEQUENCE, ACTIVATION BY Sp1 AND Sp3, AND CELL CYCLE REGULATION

The promoter of the human POLD1 gene encoding the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase δ is G/C-rich and does not contain a TATA box. Transient transfection analysis in HeLa cells employing POLD1-luciferase chimeric plasmids revealed a core promoter region extending 328 base pairs (bp) from the major transcription initiation site. Multiple elements in this region including two 11-bp direct repeats located between nucleotide positions −92 and −22, play an important role in POLD1 promoter activity. Deletion or linker-replacement mutations of the repeats drastically reduced the promoter activity. A 70-bp DNA fragment containing the two repeats could stimulate the expression of the POLD1 or a heterologous promoter in an orientation-independent manner. DNase I footprinting and band-shift assays showed that HeLa nuclear extracts contained proteins specifically binding to the repeat sequences. Southwestern blot and UV cross-linking analyses identified Sp1 and two 85-kDa proteins that bound to the repeats. Additionally, screening of HeLa cDNA expression libraries for the sequence-specific DNA-binding protein using the 11-bp repeat sequences as the probe, identified a cDNA that corresponds to Sp3, a member of the Sp1 family. Cotransfection studies in Drosophila SL2 cells showed that both Sp1 and Sp3, but not Sp2, could activate the POLD1 promoter through the repeat sequences. The POLD1 promoter activity was induced about 4-fold at the late G1/S boundary in serum-stimulated cells. The 11-bp repeats together with an E2F-like sequence, located adjacent to the major transcription initiation site, were important for the stimulation. Taken together, this study provides a direct evidence for transcriptional regulation of the human POLD1 gene.
Relaxed Eddy Accumulation Simulations of Aerosol Number Fluxes and Potential Proxy Scalars

Direct eddy-covariance measurements of aerosol number fluxes obtained during the 2007 CHATS field experiment in Dixon, California, USA are compared with relaxed eddy accumulation simulations using temperature and water vapour concentration as proxy scalars. After a brief discussion of the limited time response of the aerosol measurement, the applicability of temperature and water vapour concentration as proxy scalars for aerosol number concentration is investigated by evaluating scalar and spectral correlation coefficients as simple measures of scalar similarity. In addition, the proportionality factor b, which compensates for the use of a constant sampling flow in relaxed eddy accumulation, is derived from the time series of aerosol number, temperature and water vapour, and its variability is analyzed. The reduction of the b factor due to application of a deadband, i.e. the rejection of data when the vertical wind speed is close to zero, is evaluated for all three studied scalars, and compared with published functional relationships. In this study, using temperature or water vapour as proxy scalars for aerosol number shows no advantage over the use of a constant b factor. Thus, it is suggested to apply a deadband H REA = w′/σ w = 0.6 to 0.8 (where w′ is the vertical velocity fluctuation and σ w is its standard deviation), to use a theoretical b factor based on a parameterization that includes a stability dependence, and to calculate the deadband effect according to a derived relation for aerosol relaxed eddy accumulation.
Use of Water as an Internal Standard in the Direct Monitoring of Emulsion Polymerization by Fiber-Optic Raman Spectroscopy

Direct analysis of the organic phase of an emulsion polymerization is described. Quantification uses the bending mode peak of water, which makes up the bulk of the reaction medium, as an internal standard. Although demonstrated with methyl methacrylate, the process is generally applicable to emulsion polymerizations. It does not require the introduction of an extraneous internal standard component into the reaction mixture.
The video assessment of simulated encounters (VASE): Development and validation of a group-administered method for evaluating clinician skills in motivational interviewing

The authors developed and evaluated a group-administered method for measuring motivational interviewing (MI) skills. The video assessment of simulated encounters (VASE) consists of three videotaped vignettes of actors playing substance abusers. Each vignette is followed by eight questions asking examinees to generate written responses consistent with MI principles. Twenty-two clinicians completed the VASE questionnaire and two other measures of MI skill: a paper-and-pencil measure that elicited responses to written scenarios and an audiotaped interaction with a standardized patient (SP), subsequently scored for MI skill by independent tape raters. Psychometric analyses of this original VASE scale evaluated: (1) scoring reliability of the 24 VASE items; (2) internal reliability of the VASE full-scale score, seven subscale scores and the three vignettes; and (3) concurrent validity with aforementioned indices of MI skill. Analyses informed the removal of two subscales, redesign of a third and revisions to a fourth. The resulting 18-item VASE-R scale retains its three-vignette format, and assesses overall MI skill as well as the following five MI "microskills": reflective listening, responding to resistance, summarizing, eliciting change talk and developing discrepancy. The VASE-R requires further analysis to evaluate these revisions, but shows promise as a cost-effective alternative for use in MI skill assessment in a variety of training and research contexts.
Tucaresol down-modulation of MUC1-stimulated human mononuclear cells.

Interaction between antigen presenting cells and T lymphocytes, through receptors and co-stimulatory molecules present on the surface of these cells, is one of the key means to modulate the adaptive immune system. Tucaresol, a Schiff-base-forming chemical, can be used as a substitute for the physiological donor of carbonyl groups of antigen presenting cells, which can interact with the amine groups of T lymphocytes to modulate the adaptive immune system. This study was done to determine whether tucaresol can enhance killing of cancer cells in vitro as well as protect non-obese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient mice from tumor development by mucin 1 stimulated human mononuclear cells through the adaptive immune system. The expected hypothesis was not supported. Percent specific lysis of MCF-7 tumor cells by mucin 1 stimulated human mononuclear cells was reduced by tucaresol. Furthermore, tucaresol abolished the protective effect of mucin 1 stimulated human mononuclear cells against MCF-7 breast canc...
Selective-repeat ARQ: the joint distribution of the transmitter and the receiver resequencing buffer occupancies

A selective-repeat automatic-repeat request (SR ARQ) system model in which packets arrive at the transmitter according to a general renewal process is analyzed. The overall delay of a packet in a system that operates under the SR ARQ protocol consists of the queuing delay at the transmitter and the resequencing delay at the receiver. The joint distribution of the buffer occupancies at the transmitter and at the receiver is derived, and the tow types of delay are compared using numerical examples. >
Reduced Radiation Tolerance of Penile Structures Associated With Dose-escalated Hypofractionated Prostate Radiotherapy

Objective To investigate the effect of hypofractionated external beam radiation therapy (RT) on sexual function in patients treated for localized prostate cancer, and also to determine the effect of radiation dose to the penile bulb or crura of the corpus cavernosum on sexual function outcome. Materials and Methods Forty-one patients treated with hypofractionated RT without androgen deprivation were prescribed 67.6-70.2 Gy to the prostate, delivered in 26-28 fractions. The primary endpoint was erectile dysfunction (ED) category based on the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) score closest to 2 years from RT. The penile bulb and crura were contoured and mean radiation dose calculated for each structure. Results The mean pretreatment SHIM score was 19.8, and the mean posttreatment SHIM score was 15.1. The ED category was decreased by ≥2 in 50% of patients with a mean penile bulb of >20 Gy compared with that in 9% of patients with a mean penile bulb dose of ≤20 Gy ( P = .003). Mean dose to the crura was highly correlated with mean dose to the penile bulb (Pearson correlation = 0.842; P Conclusion Radiation dose to the penile bulb is predictive of posttreatment ED in patients treated with dose-escalated hypofractionated prostate RT. The cutpoint at which this effect was observed with this treatment is substantially lower than the previous reports.
A simple alopecia scoring system for use in colony management of laboratory-housed primates.

Background Alopecia in captive primates continues to receive attention from animal care personnel and regulatory agencies. However, a method that enables personnel to reliably score alopecia over time and under various conditions has proven difficult to achieve. Methods The scoring system developed by the behavioral and veterinary staffs at the Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) uses the rule of 9s to estimate the percentage of the body affected with alopecia (severity) and how the alopecia presents itself (pattern). Training and scoring can conveniently be managed using photographic images, cage-side observations, and/or physical examinations. Results Personnel with varying degrees of experience were quickly trained with reliability scores ranging from 0.82 to 0.96 for severity and 0.82 to 0.89 for pattern using Cohen's κ. Conclusions This system allows for reliable and consistent scoring across species, sex, age, housing condition, seasons, clinical or behavioral treatments, and level of personnel experience.
DNA SEQUENCE COMPARISON AMONG CLOSELY RELATED DROSOPHILA SPECIES IN THE MULLERI COMPLEX

DNA hybridization was used to establish DNA sequence relationships among seven Drosophila species. Single-copy DNA was isolated from four species within the Drosophila mulleri complex, D. mojavensis, D. arizonensis, D. ritae and D. starmeri. These single-copy DNAs were used as tracers to be hybridized with each other and one additional member of the mulleri complex, D. aldrichi, a member of a closely related complex, D. hydei, and a distantly related species, D. melanogaster. Two methods have been used to determine the relatedness between these species: (1) the extent of duplex formed as measured by binding to hydroxyapatite and (2) the thermal stability of the duplexed DNA. Moderately repetitive DNA was purified from these species and used similarly to determine the divergence of this family of sequences. The rate of nucleotide substitution was estimated to be 0.2 +/-, 0.1% base pair change per million years for both single-copy and middle-repetitive DNAs. The size of the D. arizonensis genome, a representative of the mulleri complex, was calculated to be 2.2 X 10(8) base pairs from its kinetic complexity similar to that of D. hydei. The relative amounts (18%) and average reiteration frequency (100 copies) of the middle-repetitive DNA are similar for all Drosophila species studied. Finally, the data are presented in a phylogenetic tree.
Exemestane in the prevention setting

Aromatase inhibitors are well-established therapies in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant and metastatic settings for breast cancer. In adjuvant trials, this class of drugs has shown preventative properties by decreasing the rate of contralateral breast cancer. Recently, the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group MAP.3 study evaluated exemestane as a breast cancer prevention agent for women with specified higher risks of developing breast cancer. We review the history of exemestane and evaluate the available evidence of its use for breast cancer prevention.
Endovascular therapy yields significantly superior outcomes for large vessel occlusions compared with intravenous thrombolysis: is it time to randomize?

Background and purpose We compared outcomes between endovascular (EV) therapy and intravenous (IV) thrombolysis in large vessel strokes. Methods 223 patients who had received either IV (n=100) or EV (n=123) therapy were analyzed. Only patients with strokes involving the internal carotid artery terminus (ICA-T, n=45), the middle cerebral artery (M1, n=107) or the bifurcation branches (M2, n=71) were included. The primary endpoint was 3 month outcome based on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, good-outcome defined as mRS ≤2. Results The good outcome was 44.7% in the EV group and 26% in the IV group (p=0.003, OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.3 to 4.1). There was no difference in mortality or hemorrhage. For ICA-T occlusions, the good outcome was 27.6% in the EV and 0% in the IV group (p=0.004); for M1 occlusions, 40.6% in the EV versus 10.5% in the IV group (p=0.0006, OR 5.8, 95% CI 1.9 to 18.2); and for M2 occlusions, 76% in the EV versus 47.8% in the IV group (p=0.01, OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.2 to 10.2). For M1 occlusions, the death rate was 27.5% for the EV compared with 57.9% for the IV group (p=0.002, OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.6 to 8.3) with no difference observed in mortality for ICA-T or M2 occlusions. In the univariate analysis, age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and occlusion site were significant predictors of outcome and mortality (p Conclusions There are significantly higher odds of a favorable outcome with EV compared with IV therapy for large vessel strokes. The data support the rationale of a randomized trial for large vessel occlusions.
Multihop Routing in Ad Hoc Networks

This paper presents a dual method of closed-form analysis and lightweight simulation that enables an evaluation of the performance of mobile ad hoc networks that is more realistic, efficient, and accurate than those found in existing publications. Some features accommodated by the new analysis are shadowing, exclusion and guard zones, and distance-dependent fading. Three routing protocols are examined: least-delay, nearest-neighbor, and maximum-progress routing. The tradeoffs among the path reliabilities, average conditional delays, average conditional number of hops, and area spectral efficiencies are examined.
THE GENUS CRESSOCHILUS BANKS (HYMENOPTERA, POMPILIDAE)

Banks distinguished Cressochilus from other genera by its having a somewhat acute marginal cell and the apical margin of the clypeus biconcave. In the females the biconcave margin of the clypeus may be very weakly indicated, but in the males it is usually stronger, there being often a well-marked median tooth.
Developing a short form of the simple Rathus assertiveness schedule using a sample of adults with sickle cell disease.

Purpose: Ethnic and cultural norms influence an individual’s assertiveness. In health care, assertiveness may play an important role in health outcomes, especially for predominantly minority popula...
Johnson Noise Thermometry Measurement of the Boltzmann Constant With a 200 $\Omega$ Sense Resistor

In 2010, the National Institute of Standards and Technology measured the Boltzmann constant $k$ with an electronic technique that measured the Johnson noise of a 100 $\Omega$ resistor at the triple point of water and used a voltage waveform synthesized with a quantized voltage noise source (QVNS) as a reference. In this paper, we present measurements of $k$ using a 200 $\Omega$ sense resistor and an appropriately modified QVNS circuit and waveform. Preliminary results show agreement with the previous value within the statistical uncertainty. An analysis is presented, where the largest source of uncertainty is identified, which is the frequency dependence in the constant term $a_{0}$ of the two-parameter fit.
Teaming discrete-event simulation and geographic information systems to solve a temporal/spatial business problem

Although discrete-event simulation has pedagogically been rooted in computer science, and the practicality of geographic information systems in geography, the combined use of both in the business world allows solving some very challenging temporal/spatial (time and space dependent) business problems. The discrete-event simulation language WebGPSS, an ideal simulation environment for the business person, is teamed with Microsoft MapPoint, a GIS (geographic information system) designed to bring powerful mapping and analysis techniques to corporate office desktops. The result is the ability to solve innovative business strategy problems before implementing them in the real world. This paper focuses on one such problem by using WebGPSS to drive a simulation that provides geographic data for display by MapPoint, and ultimately map animations showing spatial and temporal business changes.
Effect of Progressive Failure on Measured Shear Strength of Geomembrane/GCL Interface

This paper presents experimental data and numerical modeling results that illustrate the effects of progressive failure on the measured shear strength of a textured geomembrane/geosynthetic clay liner (GMX/GCL) interface. Large direct shear tests were conducted using different specimen gripping/clamping systems to isolate the effects of progressive failure. These tests indicate that progressive failure causes a reduction in measured peak shear strength, an increase in the displacement at peak, an increase in large displacement shear strength, and significant distortion of the shear stress–displacement relationship. A numerical model was developed to simulate progressive failure of a GMX/GCL interface. Measured and simulated shear stress–displacement relationships are in good-to-excellent agreement at four normal stress levels. The model was then used to investigate mechanisms of progressive interface failure and factors that control its significance. The results indicate that accurate measurements of shea...
Investigating Differences in Wiki-based Collaborative Activities between Student Engagement Profiles in CS1

Introductory computer science courses are being increasingly taught using technology-mediated instruction and e-learning environments. The software and technology in such courses could benefit from the use of student models to inform and guide customized support tailored to the needs of individual students. In this paper, we investigate how student motivated engagement profiles developed in educational research can be used as such models to predict student behaviors. These models are advantageous over those learned directly from observing individual students, as they rely on different data that can be available a priori before students use the technology. Using tracked behaviors of 249 students from 7 CS1 courses over the span of 3 semesters, we discover that students with different engagement profiles indeed behave differently in an online, wiki-based CSCL system while performing collaborative creative thinking exercises, and the differences between students are primarily as expected based on the differences in the profiles. Thus, such profiles could be useful as student models for providing customized support in e-learning environments in CS1 courses.
Compliance with a multilayered nonpharmaceutical intervention in an urban elementary school setting.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent school-aged children can learn hygiene-based nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and persist in these behavioral changes over the duration of an influenza season. If this can be done successfully, it may be a preferable pandemic mitigation strategy to much more disruptive strategies such as whole-scale school closure. Methods The Pittsburgh Influenza Prevention Project (PIPP) is a prospective, controlled, randomized trial of the effectiveness of a suite of hygiene-based NPIs in controlling influenza and related illnesses in elementary schools in the City of Pittsburgh. During the 2007-08 school year, the project measured adoption of NPIs by students in five elementary schools through surveys of home-room teachers before, during, and after influenza season. Results Results showed highly statistically significant improvement in students' daily practice of nearly all of the NPIs, including hand washing and sanitizer use and covering coughs and sneezes. Conclusions The study provides evidence that children can learn, implement, and persist in the behaviors of a multilayered suite of NPIs over a typical flu season. These results will be useful to public health policy makers and practitioners considering methods of infectious disease prevention in school-based settings.
Riemann Integral of cos x

(1989). Riemann Integral of cos x. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 237-237.
ABANDONED MINE SAFETY REMEDIATION: CLOSING THE HOLES IN NEVADA

Nevada has an estimated 300,000 abandoned mine land (AML) features, of which about 50,000 represent significant risks to public safety. Almost every year there are injuries or deaths related to AML sites, from causes ranging from falls and collapses to drownings, asphyxiations, and motor vehicle accidents. The BLM Nevada State Director has established a goal of securing or eliminating such hazards near population and recreation centers, and other areas of high public use. A GIS project was developed to locate, analyze, and prioritize hazards. A programmatic Environmental Assessment was developed to expedite NEPA compliance. Extensive clearances for land and mining claim status, bats and other wildlife, protected plants, and cultural resources are required prior to backfilling. Spreadsheets track clearances and resources. The State of Nevada AML program includes inventory and fencing by Nevada Division of Minerals staff, summer interns and volunteers from prospecting organizations and Eagle Scouts, as well as public education (Stay Out and Stay Alive), all of which are integral to the remediation process. An innovative cooperative effort to do clearances and actual dirtwork for permanent closures includes representatives from the Nevada Division of Minerals, the Nevada Mining Association, the Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Bat Conservation International, heavy equipment dealers, individual active mines, trucking companies, and others. This team works closely with a minimum of formality to rapidly clear and close dangerous sites. Over 80 backfills were done last year. Options for temporary and permanent mitigation, including gating, will be discussed. Obstacles and the means to overcome them will be presented, with specific lessons learned. Emerging future hazard issues related to pit lakes will be brought forward. Additional
No apartheid, just a bit different

Every institution and every individual has sediments, traces of its past, especially its most traumatic moments, the high water marks of struggle. And South Africa has as many, or more, than any country, overlaid in the present and visible in the strange mosaic of separateness still observable in its three main race groups. Three cultures walking around nearly as one, but just not quite.
A design method for remote integrity checking of complex PCBs

Modern, complex printed circuit boards contain high-end commercial off-the-shelf components such as high-capacity FPGAs and expensive peripherals. This paper describes a strategy to build a hardware attestation protocol for such a board. The owner or operator of the PCB wants to achieve the assurance that the board installed in the field is physically the same as the one that was originally deployed. Our methodology builds a unique identifier for the PCB by cryptographically linking individual component-level identifiers from the board. The component-level identifiers are implemented using Physical Unclonable Functions (PUF) within the components of the board. We discuss a generic methodology for design and dimensioning of the critical post-processing parameters of the PUF, and we present several strategies to combine multiple PUF into a combined Fusion PUF. We present a prototype of the proposed technique on an FPGA board running µClinux, and we characterize its performance on a population of 22 PCBs.
Discuss the Integrated Ecosystem Management

The integrated ecosystem management is a kind of all new management principle and methods.At present there are different understandings to it not only in authorities and but also in educational circles. This text based on the item background of integrated ecosystem management,with the angle of view that the environment and resource law science makes a thorough study on the concept,contents,characteristics and functions of the integrated ecosystem carried on the thorough study,to expect to inspire the academic study and the legal construction of our country's integrated ecosystem management.