cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Asymptotic series and Stieltjes continued fractions for a gamma function ratio

Abstract An analysis is given for the expansion (60 terms) of a gamma function ratio discussed by Stieltjes and others. A Stieltjes continued fraction is derived, affording lower and upper bound (but lacking a rigorous proof), along with continued fraction for the odd and even series.
Nano Electro Mechanics of Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube

The effect of a flattening distortion on the electronic properties of a semiconducting carbon nanotube is investigated through first-principles calculations. As a function of the mechanical deformation, electronic bandgap is reduced leading to a semiconductor-metal transition. However, further deformation reopens the bandgap and induces a metal-semiconductor transition. The semiconductor?metal transitions take place as a result of curvature-induced hybridization effects, and this finding can be applied to develop novel nano electro mechanical systems. ©2002 ASME
A risk evaluation of the neuropsychological effects of childhood lead toxicity

As part of a risk evaluation of the neurobehavioral toxicity of lead in children, research findings were summarized from various human epidemiological studies according to the type of design used. Irrespective of whether the research evidence being considered is from medical case series studies, case‐control, cross‐sectional retrospective cohort, or prospective longitudinal cohort research, the findings consistently support a relationship between lead exposure and cognitive impairment in children, even at lower blood levels (10 to 15 μg/dl). Furthermore, experimental research in primates suggests that these exposure levels disrupt more complex perceptual discrimination ability in subtle and permanent ways, perhaps by fundamentally disrupting attentional processes when lead alters synaptogenesis in the developing brain. If considering the research evidence in its entirety, the epidemiologic criteria are met for causality in terms of the effects of lead exposure on neurobehavioral development and attentiona...
The Precedence of Global Features in the Perception of Map Symbols

This research was an investigation of how global processing of visual stimuli affect the speed and accuracy of map symbol perception in a search and locate task. It addresses the role of symbol str...
Alienation Among Research Scientists

Abstract Institutional researchers face many organizational barriers to creativity, and many feel alienated from the organization. The present study examined (a) the relationship between psychological climate and feelings of alienation and (b) the extent to which individual disposition toward delaying gratification moderates the relationship between climate and alienation. Hierarchical moderated multiple regression analysis on data collected from 76 workers at a United States Department of Defense research and development laboratory indicated that, although climate may have been important in the development of alienation among individuals with a long-delay orientation, it was virtually irrelevant to those with a short-delay orientation.
Residential Preferences, Quality of Life, and the Population Turnaround

The author discusses the role of residential preferences and the search for a better quality of life as determinants of urban-rural migration in the United States (ANNOTATION)
Pediatric Stroke Recovery: A Descriptive Analysis

Abstract Kim C-T, Han J, Kim H. Pediatric stroke recovery: a descriptive analysis. Objective To investigate recovery patterns and potential prognostic factors of pediatric stroke. Design Retrospective study. Setting Acute rehabilitation at a university-based children's hospital. Participants Children (N=44; 25 boys, 19 girls; age range, 8mo–17y) with diagnosis of first-ever stroke. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Functional outcomes at discharge and 1-year follow-up. Modified Brunnstrom stages, Gross Motor Function Classification System, activities of daily living (ADLs), swallowing, speech, and sphincter function were measured. Results Recovery of swallowing function occurred earlier than other functions in the first 2 to 3 months poststroke. Less than half of the patients were able to use the affected arms and legs without assistive devices. Eleven of 32 patients who initially had poor body control became ambulatory without assistive devices. A total of 18 of 44 patients were able to walk without assistive devices. Bilateral hemisphere lesions and flaccid muscle tone of the affected extremity at stroke onset had a less favorable prognosis in terms of ambulation and ADLs. Hemorrhagic strokes without surgical complications had a better prognosis than nonhemorrhagic strokes. Conclusions Similar to the adult stroke population, most of the functional recovery in pediatric stroke occurs within the first 2 to 3 months after stroke, but the quality of functional recovery was better in the pediatric population. The lesion size of the stroke was found to be related to prognosis. Additional large cohort studies are suggested to understand the complex similarities and differences in recovery between pediatric and adult stroke.
Interstitial brachytherapy as boost for locally advanced T4 head and neck cancer.

Abstract Purpose Locally advanced squamous cell cancers of the head and neck (SCCHN) with bone and cartilage invasion (BCI) or those with soft-tissue invasion (STI) have been treated with resection followedup with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) or definitive CRT. However, locoregional recurrence remained a large component of treatment failure. High-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (BT) has been used for dose escalation to further prevent local relapse. This is a review of our experience. Methods and Materials T4N0-3M0 locally advanced oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA) patients underwent definitive CRT or radiotherapy (RT) followedup with brachytherapy (BT). RT doses ranged from 45 to 50.4 Gy. The patients were reassessed at this dose and if response was inadequate, patients underwent BT. BT doses ranged from 24 to 30 Gy at 3–4 Gy per fraction BID with 6 h in between fractions. Concurrent chemotherapy was platinum based. Results Twenty patients were treated with CRT or RT alone followed by BT. Thirteen patients had STI and 7 had BCI; 14 patients were treated with CRT followed by BT; and 6 patients were treated with RT alone followed by BT. Five-year locoregional control was 61%. Five-year overall survival was 29%. When we excluded the patients treated with RT alone, 5-year overall survival was 36%. Nodal status was the only prognostic factor. Conclusions This study suggests CRT followedup with BT for patients with T4 locally advanced SCCHN of the oral cavity, and oropharynx is a feasible treatment option. In patients with poor response to CRT, BT may be used for dose escalation to increase locoregional control.
Arterial Oxygen Consumption After Hemorrhagic Shock: The Effect of β-Adrenergic Agonist

Oxygen consumption of the rabbit femoral artery after hemorrhagic shock was studied. Hemorrhagic shock was initiated and maintained at 60 mm Hg of systolic blood pressure for 2 hours. A significant reduction in femoral artery oxygen consumption was observed after hemorrhagic shock (1.64 ± 0.14 μl/g/hr) when compared to oxygen consumption in the normal condition (2.52 ± 0.22 μl/g/hr). Application of the β-agonist isoproterenol significantly increased oxygen consumption in the isolated femoral artery after hemorrhagic shock (2.66 ± 0.20 μl/g/hr), but did not exceed the normal values recorded without stimulation. Also, isoproterenol significantly increased oxygen consumption in the femoral artery of nonhemorrhagic condition (4.84 ± 0.42 μl/g/hr). The increase in oxygen consumption conditioned by isoproterenol was significantly lower after hemorrhagic shock compared with values in the nonhemorrhagic state. The data suggest that oxygen consumption is regulated by β-adrenergic receptors, and the phenomenon of diminished oxygen consumption after hemorrhagic shock probably occurs because of changes in β-adrenergic receptors, causing the appearance of change in the mechanism of oxygen consumption.
Retrospective analysis of risk factors in patients with treatment-emergent diabetes during clinical trials of antipsychotic medications.

Aims In this retrospective analysis, we assessed the short-term risk of treatment-emergent diabetes (TED) among patients with schizophrenia during clinical trials of antipsychotic medications. Method From a non-diabetic cohort of patients with schizophrenia ( n =5013), the relationship between baseline non-fasting glucose measurement, presence at baseline of risk factors for diabetes, weight gain and therapy assignment on the risk of treatment-emergent diabetes were assessed. Results At the baseline assessment, about a third of patients identified with TED during treatment had non-fasting glucose levels over 7.8 mmol/l and two-thirds had multiple diabetes risk factors. Both baseline non-fasting glucose level and the presence of multiple pre-existing diabetes risk factors appeared to have a major impact on the risk of developing diabetes. Conclusions Overall, risk factors for diabetes in patients with schizophrenia overlap those in the general population. The results also suggest that many patients identified with TED might have had pre-existing glycaemic abnormalities or a high baseline burden of diabetes risk factors.
Multiple user access and testing for PreNotiS: a fast mobile event reporting solution

The PreNotiS (preventive notification system) was proposed to address the current lack in consumer prevention and disaster informatics systems. The underscore of this letter is to propose PreNotiS as a provision of trusted proxies of information sourcing to be integral to the disaster informatics framework. To promote loose coupling among subsystems, PreNotiS has evolved into a model-view-controller (MVC) architecture via object-oriented incremental prototyping. The MVC specifies how all subsystems and how they interact with each other. A testing framework is also proposed for the PreNotiS to verify multiple concurrent user access which might be observable during disasters. The framework relies on conceptually similar self-test modules to help with serviceability.
Soil properties are useful to examine denitrification function development in created mitigation wetlands

We investigated structural soil attributes, the development of denitrification potential (DP), and their relations in created and natural non-tidal freshwater wetlands in Virginia. Soil attributes included soil organic matter (SOM), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), pH, gravimetric soil moisture (GSM), and bulk density (Db). A subset of soil attributes were analyzed across the sites, using Euclidean cluster analysis, resulting in three soil condition (SC) groups of increasing wetland soil development (i.e., SC1 < SC2 < SC3 less to more developed) as measured by accumulation of TOC and TN, the increase of GSM, and the decrease of Db. Denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) was measured for DP. DEA rates were somewhat different by wetland site, but with no age-based trajectory. No significant difference was seen in DEA rates by sampling period (p = 0.06). However, DEA rates were clearly differentiated by SC groups, with the highest rates in SC3 followed by SC1 and lowest in SC2. The lowest DEA rates in SC2 seemed associated with a higher soil pH (∼6.6) in the group than that (∼5.3) of the other SC groups, but it needs a further investigation. The principal component analysis (PCA) of soil physicochemical properties and average DP showed the association between the development of denitrification function and the maturation of soil conditions in wetlands. The outcome of the study suggests that the use of a suite of simple soil properties may be useful to examine the development of denitrification function in created mitigation wetlands. The inclusion of soil properties in post-construction monitoring should be required to enhance our understanding and prediction of the functional development of created mitigation wetlands.
A strategic approach for improving rural air transport in the United States

Abstract Commercial air transport in rural and remote areas of the United States has a long history. After the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, carriers were free to serve any cities and routes they wished. In anticipation of carriers gravitating toward large urban markets, the Essential Air Service (EAS) program was created to maintain commercial service in smaller and more geographically isolated locales throughout the United States. EAS has been continuously funded since 1978, but has recently attracted the attention of many fiscal hawks. Serving only six passengers per flight, on average, with costs approaching $200 million, there are long held concerns that EAS is a poor use of federal monies. The purpose of this paper is to highlight costs of the EAS program and identify systemic inefficiencies in the allocation of EAS resources. We show that service redundancies exist, with EAS markets being cannibalized by both peer EAS airports and other commercial alternatives. Further, we highlight strategic consolidation possibilities for EAS allocations and services, facilitating federal appropriations reduction without sacrificing existing geographic service needs.
Café Nostalgia: Art and Exile

The novel Cafe nostalgia oscillates between past and present, between Cuban life and exiled existence, and finally between the protagonist’s life and a work of art, a tapestry. The technique of de-centering, used by Severo Sarduy to describe the neobaroque and by Linda Hutcheon to describe postmodernism, are an intricate part of the dual, sometimes multidimensional, nature of this novel. To study afe nostalgia by only looking at the relationship between the novel and the collection of tapestries,The Lady and the Unicorn, is to concentrate only on the relationship of the individual to the collective past. To examine the novel as only an exile experience is to contemplate only the singular experience of the individual. In order to be able to understand the complexity of the novel, one must look at the theme of exile as a revelation of the individual’s past in conjunction with the art that reveals the collective past of the human experience. The interplay between art and life echoes the protagonist’s search for meaningful interaction in her new home, Paris. The tapestries connect her to the cultural heritage of Western societies and give the protagonist a new lease on life.
Artificial immunity to Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae): vaccination using tick antigens.

Resistance to adult Dermacentor variabilis was investigated in rats following immunization with extracts derived from whole ticks or tick midguts. Female ticks infesting hosts immunized with midgut extracts demonstrated delayed attachment, reduced engorgement weights, lengthened preoviposition periods, and disturbed egg production compared to ticks fed on nonimmunized control hosts. Also, the percentage hatchability of the eggs from female ticks fed on midgut-immunized hosts was below normal. Similar effects were not noted for ticks fed on hosts immunized with whole tick extracts. The relationship between artificial induction of resistance to ticks via vaccination and acquired resistance sometimes observed in animals repeatedly infested is discussed.
INCIDENCE OF HYPERTENSION IN OXYGEN-DEPENDENT INFANTS WITH BPD. † 1811

Systemic hypertension is said to occur in up to 50% of oxygen-dependent infants with BPD, and to be linked to the severity of pulmonary disease and/or to the use of certain drugs. To ascertain the current incidence of hypertension in such infants, we reviewed the records of all oxygen-dependent infants who attended our BPD Follow-up program from October 1995 through December 1996. Infants were evaluated every 1-4 weeks until supplemental oxygen therapy and other drugs had been discontinued for at least 1 month. Systolic blood pressure was obtained during each visit by the same individual using an automated oscillometric method; blood pressure was not recorded if the infant was uncooperative. The blood pressure of each infant was compared with published norms (Horan, Pediatrics 79:1, 1987). We defined hypertension as a systolic blood pressure > 95%ile for post-conceptional age on more than one occasion. As suggested by the Blood Pressure Task Force, we also identified those infants with high-normal blood pressure as those infants whose blood pressure was between the 90th and the 95th%iles on more than one occasion. We evaluated 132 blood pressures in 40 consecutive infants with BPD, 26 males and 14 females. Their birth weight averaged 1133±683 g (range: 480-4140) and gestational age was 28±4 weeks (range: 23-41). They were discharged from the NICU at 11±5 weeks of age and followed for an average of 22±18 wks (Range: 3-75). None of the infants was noted to be hypertensive in the NICU or at NICU discharge. Of the 40 infants, 2 (1 male, 1 female) had hypertension and 2 (1 male, 1 female) had high-normal blood pressure. In both males, the elevation in blood pressure was transient and resolved without therapy within 8 weeks of onset. One female had sustained hypertension and the other female had sustained high-normal blood pressure. For the entire group, if BP was compared to chronologic age instead of post-conceptional age, only one female of the 40 infants could be classified as hypertensive and one male had high-normal blood pressure. In the entire group, BP was not associated with BPD severity, renal or cardiovascular disease or the use of oxygen, diuretics, bronchodilators or corticosteroids. We conclude that, contrary to previous reports, hypertension occurs in less than 5% of oxygen-dependent infants with BPD and when it occurs, is unrelated to drugs or disease severity.
Some notes on adjectival articles in Albanian

Abstract In Albanian, class-2 adjectives are always preceded by an adjectival article, which agrees in gender, number, case and definiteness with the noun they modify. I will argue that the complex system of Albanian adjectival articles can be easily accounted for if we assume that there are two types of adjectival articles: those that have a full set of agreement features and those that do not. I will show that those that do not have a full set of features require adjacency to a noun inflected with the definite article, resorting to the last resort form “te” when this adjacency requirement fails. Adjacency will be shown to be a result of a cliticization process, necessary for the adjectival article to acquire a full set of agreement features.
Overcoming a collective action frame in the remaking of an antinuclear opposition

Recent research on social movements considers collective action frames and collective identities to be resources or achievements of social movement activity because they symbolicly link individuals to a collective cause. This paper maintains that a collective action frame operates at a sociocultural level and can be redefined by groups external to a movement. Nuclear power proponents worked to suppress the first cycle of protest against nuclear plants by redefining the movements' collective identity, such that individuals were unable to recognize movement organizations as representative of their interests. Citizens within the Ten Mile Radius, a group opposed to the licensing of the Seabrook nuclear power plant, initiated a second cycle of protest by overcoming the collective action frame imposed on the movement. This case suggests that the articulation and the representation of dissent is constrained due to the inability of social movement groups to retain control over their own collective identity.
Signal-dependent regulation of the sea urchin skeletogenic gene regulatory network

The endoskeleton of the sea urchin embryo is produced by primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs). Maternal inputs activate a complex gene regulatory network (GRN) in the PMC lineage in a cell-autonomous fashion during early development, initially creating a uniform population of prospective skeleton-forming cells. Previous studies showed that at post-blastula stages of development, several effector genes in the network exhibit non-uniform patterns of expression, suggesting that their regulation becomes subject to local, extrinsic cues. Other studies have identified the VEGF and MAPK pathways as regulators of PMC migration, gene expression, and biomineralization. In this study, we used whole mount in situ hybridization (WMISH) to examine the spatial expression patterns of 39 PMC-specific/enriched mRNAs in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus embryos at the late gastrula, early prism and pluteus stages. We found that all 39 mRNAs (including several regulatory genes) showed non-uniform patterns of expression within the PMC syncytium, revealing a global shift in the regulation of the skeletogenic GRN from a cell-autonomous to a signal-dependent mode. In general, localized regions of elevated gene expression corresponded to sites of rapid biomineral deposition. We used a VEGFR inhibitor (axitinib) and a MEK inhibitor (U0126) to show that VEGF signaling and the MAPK pathway are essential for maintaining high levels of gene expression in PMCs at the tips of rods that extend from the ventral region of the embryo. These inhibitors affected gene expression in the PMCs in similar ways, suggesting that VEGF acts via the MAPK pathway. In contrast, axitinib and U0126 did not affect the localized expression of genes in PMCs at the tips of the body rods, which form on the dorsal side of the embryo. Our results therefore indicate that multiple signaling pathways regulate the skeletogenic GRN during late stages of embryogenesis-VEGF/MAPK signaling on the ventral side and a separate, unidentified pathway on the dorsal side. These two signaling pathways appear to be activated sequentially (ventral followed by dorsal) and many effector genes are subject to regulation by both pathways.
Psychometric Investigation of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire—Short-Form

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire—Short Form (SCSRFQ-SF). Participants were 226 undergraduate students (168 female) at a large public university enrolled in randomly selected undergraduate courses. A principal components analysis of the SCSRFQ-SF supported the hypothesized one-factor structure. In addition, the internal consistency was high and the convergent validity of the SCSRFQ-SF was supported with significantly positive relations with the Duke Religion Index. These findings provide initial support for the reliability and construct validity of the SCSRFQ-SF.
Blood Donor Groups and Crossing Over-Reply

In Reply.— With reference to Dr Fawcett's point that blood centers from "areas regarded as foci of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome" did not participate in the data collection, we did not intend that their information should be used as a national average. The purpose was, rather, to see if there were differences in the prevalence of infectious markers between groups of donors (volunteer, autologous, and directed) who were donating for dissimilar reasons. We agree that the decision to crossover untransfused units should be made on the basis of patient safety. In this regard, it is not possible to ignore the fact that autologous blood available for crossover has a greater likelihood of being positive for some markers of infectious disease.
Response of rat superior salivatory units to chorda tympani stimulation

Abstract Unit responses to chorda tympani stimulation in urethane anesthetized rats were characterized by response latency and frequency following ability. One hundred and fifty one units responded with constant latencies, mean: 16.9 msec, S.D.: 7.8 msec. Responses recorded from within the superior salivatory nucleus (SSN) had significantly longer latencies (18.8 ± 6.8, n = 94) than those from surrounding areas (13.5 ± 8.3, n = 50) ( p 100 Hz) frequency following, had a mean latency of 20.5 msec. The estimated conduction velocity for these presumed preganglionic, parasympathetic neurons is 0.85 M/sec ± 0.25, significantly slower than that reported for similar responses in cats. The antidromic nature of these responses requires confirmation.
The role of thermal diffusivity in the machining performance of oxide ceramic cutting tool materials

Abstract The machining performance of oxide ceramic cutting tools was correlated with their values of thermal diffusivity, hardness and density. It was found that high crater wear resistance requires high values of the thermal diffusivity, hardness and density. High flank wear resistance requires a high value of thermal diffusivity, but is independent of hardness. In contrast, a good surface finish of the steel workpiece (AISI 4340) requires a combination of low thermal diffusivity and low hardness.
Mechanistic Differences in RNA-dependent DNA Polymerization and Fidelity between Murine Leukemia Virus and HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptases

We compared the mechanistic and kinetic properties of murine leukemia virus (MuLV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptases (RTs) during RNA-dependent DNA polymerization and mutation synthesis using pre-steady-state kinetic analysis. First, MuLV RT showed 6.5–121.6-fold lower binding affinity (Kd) to deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) substrates than HIV-1 RT, although the two RTs have similar incorporation rates (kpol). Second, compared with HIV-1 RT, MuLV RT showed dramatic reduction during multiple dNTP incorporations at low dNTP concentrations. Presumably, due to its low dNTP binding affinity, the dNTP binding step becomes rate-limiting in the multiple rounds of the dNTP incorporation by MuLV RT, especially at low dNTP concentrations. Third, similar fold differences between MuLV and HIV-1 RTs in the Kd and kpol values to correct and incorrect dNTPs were observed. This indicates that these two RT proteins have similar misinsertion fidelities. Fourth, these two RT proteins have different mechanistic capabilities regarding mismatch extension. MuLV RT has a 3.1-fold lower mismatch extension fidelity, compared with HIV-1 RT. Finally, MuLV RT has a 3.8-fold lower binding affinity to mismatched template/primer (T/P) substrate compared with HIV-1 RT. Our data suggest that the active site of MuLV RT has an intrinsically low dNTP binding affinity, compared with HIV-1 RT. In addition, instead of the misinsertion step, the mismatch extension step, which varies between MuLV and HIV-1 RTs, contributes to their fidelity differences. The implications of these kinetic differences between MuLV and HIV-1 RTs on viral cell type specificity and mutagenesis are discussed.
Differential Quadrature Method in Computational Mechanics: A Review

The differential quadrature method is a numerical solution technique for initial and/or boundary problems. It was developed by the late Richard Bellman and his associates in the early 70s and, since then, the technique has been successfully employed in a variety of problems in engineering and physical sciences. The method has been projected by its proponents as a potential alternative to the conventional numerical solution techniques such as the finite difference and finite element methods. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of the differential quadrature method, which should be of general interest to the computational mechanics community.
Optical Spectra Observed during Ion-Molecule Collisions Using Low-Energy N, + and Ar+ Beams

A survey has shown that light emission from low-energy ( 1 keV) ion-molecule reactions is a common occurrence. ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{+}$ and $\mathrm{N}_{2}^{+}$ were used with target gases of Ar, ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$, CO, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, NO, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$O, C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, and ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$; in addition, He, Ne, and Kr were used as $\mathrm{N}_{2}^{+}$ targets. Electronically excited states were produced by charge transfer and ionization with simultaneous excitation, conversion of translational to electronic energy of the incident ion or target, and dissociation with simultaneous excitation. For several collision partners, more than one of these reactions was seen. In general, charge-transfer reactions had the largest cross sections, to 2 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, for ion laboratory energies of several hundred eV. Cross sections for the strongest features in the other types of reactions were about (1-5) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}17}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$.
The novel benzopyran class of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors. Part III: The three microdose candidates

Abstract In this manuscript, we report the discovery of the substituted 2-trifluoromethyl-2H-benzopyran-3-carboxylic acids as a novel series of potent and selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. We provide the structure–activity relationships, optimization of design, testing criteria, and human half-life data. The challenge of a surprisingly long half-life (t1/2 = 360 h) of the first clinical candidate 1 and human t1/2 had been difficult to predict based on allometric scaling for this class of highly ppb compounds. We used a microdose strategy which led to the discovery of clinical agents 18c-(S), 29b-(S), and 34b-(S) with human half-life of 57, 13, and 11 h.
Midazolam Challenge Reinduces Neurological Deficits After Transient Ischemic Attack

Background and Purpose— A transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the brain is classically considered a syndrome lasting <24 hours. Having previously shown that an experimental challenge with the GABAA agonist midazolam in recovered stroke patients can reinduce the acute clinical state, we determined whether TIA patients would demonstrate a similar effect. Methods— Four right-handed patients participated: 3 with clinical TIA presumed to have affected the left hemisphere within the previous 24 to 72 hours and no evidence of a new lesion on diffusion-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging, and 1 patient with an asymptomatic temporal arteriovenous malformation. The TIA duration ranged from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Each patient underwent baseline testing for motor function and aphasia, after which intravenous midazolam was delivered until mild drowsiness was detected. Patients were tested during the peak drug effect and again after 2 hours when sedation had dissipated. Results— No patient showed we...
Membrane transport of ammonium and alkylammonium cations using macrocyclic carriers

Abstract Rates of transport of NH4+, CH3NH3+, (CH3)2NH2+, (C2H5)2 NH2+, and (CH3)3NH+ through stirred chloroform membranes were determined using crown ether carriers. When all other factors were held constant, the transport rate was found to decrease with a decrease in the number of hydrogen bonds between the ammonium cation and the crown ether carrier. Consequently, only NH4+ and the primary ammonium cation CH3NH3+ were transported to a high degree. Using the carrier 18-crown-6, an anion effect similar to that reported previously for metal ion transport was found for CH3NH3+ transport. Leakage of ammonium salts through membranes containing no carrier was found to increase to relatively high levels as the degree of aliphatic substitution on the cation increased. Rates of transport of NH4+ and CH3NH3+ with three crown ether carriers were found to decrease in the order 18-crown-6 > 21-crown-7 > 15-crown-5. Substitution of pyridyl nitrogen or sulfur for oxygen in 18-crown-6 resulted in a decrease in transport rates of NH4+ and CH3NH3+.
Nonlinear structural mechanics and dynamics of azobenzene polymer network film

Azobenzene liquid crystal polymer networks have recently drawn significant attention due to their novel photomechanical material behavior for developing remotely actuated adaptive structures. The photoisomerization of this material leads to large polymer network deformation since the liquid crystals are synthesized within the network. The amount of deformation may also be changed by applying polarized light and rotating the polarization relative to the liquid crystal orientation. A nonlinear photomechanical shell model is developed to understand polarized light induced bending deformation and structural dynamics of these photomechanical films. The large deformation finite element shell model within the Finite Element Analysis Program (FEAP) is extended to accommodate nonlinear liquid crystal photomechanics and structural dynamics. Nonlinear light-induced bending strain is incorporated into the model as a function of angle dependent light reflection and absorption and nonlinear liquid crystal absorption. The results illustrate changes in light induced bending deformation with respect to the incident angle of light with the material surface for moderate to large bending angles. A set of material parameters are identified to compare the static and structural dynamic model predictions with measurements given in the literature.
In-Service Shear and Moment Girder Distribution Factors in Simple-Span Prestressed Concrete Girder Bridge: Measured with Built-in Optical Fiber Sensor System

An optical fiber monitoring system was designed and built into the I-25 bridge at the Dona Ana exit in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The bridge is a simple-span, high-performance prestressed concrete girder bridge. The girders are six BT-63 high-performance-concrete girders with a span length of 112.5 ft (34.2 m). Fiber Bragg grating optical fiber deformation sensors along with thermocouples were embedded in the girders during fabrication. Sensors were installed along the top and bottom flanges and at midspan and quarter spans. Pairs of crossed sensors in a rosette configuration were embedded in the webs at the supports. The bridge was monitored for 2 years, from transfer of the prestressing force through service. The sensor data were analyzed to evaluate shear and moment girder distribution factors, in situ material properties, prestress losses, camber, dynamic load allowance, and bridge performance under traffic loads. This study focuses on the lateral load distribution in the bridge. Shear and moment girder distribution factors are obtained from a finite element model, sensor measurements under a live load test, as well as regular traffic loading and compared with the values specified by the AASHTO standard specifications (2002) and the AASHTO load and resistance factor design specifications (2007).
Influenza Virus-Induced Glucocorticoids Compromise Innate Host Defense against a Secondary Bacterial Infection

Multicellular organisms are continuously exposed to many different pathogens. Because different classes of pathogens require different types of immune responses, understanding how an ongoing immune response to one type of infection affects the host's ability to respond to another pathogen is essential for a complete understanding of host-pathogen interactions. Here, we used a mouse model of coinfection to gain insight into the effect of respiratory influenza virus infection on a subsequent systemic bacterial infection. We found that influenza infection triggered a generalized stress response leading to a sustained increase in serum glucocorticoid levels, resulting in a systemic suppression of immune responses. However, virus-induced glucocorticoid production was necessary to control the inflammatory response and prevent lethal immunopathology during coinfection. This study demonstrates that activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis controls the balance between immune defense and immunopathology and is an important component of the host response to coinfection.
An all-digital frequency locked loop (ADFLL) with a pulse output direct digital frequency synthesizer (DDFS) and an adaptive phase estimator

An algorithm for frequency synthesizing all-digital frequency locked loops (ADFLLs) with fast frequency acquisition is presented in this paper. A Pulse Output Direct Digital Frequency Synthesizer (DDFS) with reduced hardware cost and architecture, full digitization, easy design and implementation is proposed. An adaptive phase estimator is also proposed. The DDFS has 16-bit binary weighted control and the simulations show that the ADFLL can operate in the frequency range between 50 MHz and 500 MHz.
Multiple homoplasious insertions and deletions of a Triticeae (Poaceae) DNA transposon: a phylogenetic perspective

Stowaway elements are short, non-autonomous DNA transposons categorized as miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs). The high MITE copy number in grass genomes suggests an active history of amplification and insertion, but ongoing MITE activity has only rarely been seen, and ongoing Stowaway activity has never been observed. Thus, a phylogenetic perspective on presence vs. absence of elements in an aligned data set can provide valuable historical insights into the dynamics of MITE acquisition and loss. A Stowaway-like element resides within the fourth intron of a β-amylase gene in representatives of five genera in the wheat tribe, Triticeae. Its presence vs. absence was examined with reference to the β-amylase gene tree topology, and in light of sequence comparisons of the β-amylase elements to Triticeae Stowaway elements in the Entrez nucleotide database. Among the sequences lacking the element, there are five distinct putative excision footprints (one widespread and four restricted to unrelated lineages) and two flanking deletions. The sequences that do contain elements are polyphyletic on the β-amylase tree, and their elements are divergent at the sequence level. The β-amylase elements do not form a monophyletic group relative to other Stowaway elements in Entrez; most are more similar to elements from other loci in other Triticeae genomes than they are to one another. Combined, the phylogenetic distribution, sequence variation, and Entrez database comparisons indicate that a Stowaway-like element has undergone multiple deletions from and insertions into the same site in β-amylase intron 4 during the history of the tribe. The elements currently at the site represent multiple, distinct lineages that transcend generic boundaries. While patterns of Stowaway polymorphism across a phylogenetic data set do not allow evolutionary mechanisms to be inferred with certainty, they do provide insights into the dynamics of element evolution over an extended time scale. The historical perspective provided by a phylogenetic approach is complementary to the few studies in which ongoing MITE activity has been documented.
A 12 bit analog to digital converter for VLSI applications in nuclear science

A high-density monolithic analog-to-digital converter (ADC) has been designed and tested. The ADC features small silicon area and low power consumption for use in multichannel circuits for massively parallel particle physics detectors. The tested chip contains a linear ramp, precision high-speed comparators, a pipelined counter, and double buffering storage latches fabricated in a 2- mu m, two polysilicon CMOS technology. The prototype integrated circuit successfully combines digital frequencies in excess of 70 MHz with analog signals smaller than 1 mV. Test results show 1/4096 root-mean-square errors at conversion rates above 30 kHz, with less than 4 mW/channel power dissipation. >
Comprehensive, open-source resource usage measurement and analysis for HPC systems

The important role high-performance computing HPC resources play in science and engineering research, coupled with its high cost capital, power and manpower, short life and oversubscription, requires us to optimize its usage - an outcome that is only possible if adequate analytical data are collected and used to drive systems management at different granularities - job, application, user and system. This paper presents a method for comprehensive job, application and system-level resource use measurement, and analysis and its implementation. The steps in the method are system-wide collection of comprehensive resource use and performance statistics at the job and node levels in a uniform format across all resources, mapping and storage of the resultant job-wise data to a relational database, which enables further implementation and transformation of the data to the formats required by specific statistical and analytical algorithms. Analyses can be carried out at different levels of granularity: job, user, application or system-wide. Measurements are based on a new lightweight job-centric measurement tool 'TACC_Stats', which gathers a comprehensive set of resource use metrics on all compute nodes and data logged by the system scheduler. The data mapping and analysis tools are an extension of the XDMoD project. The method is illustrated with analyses of resource use for the Texas Advanced Computing Center's Lonestar4, Ranger and Stampede supercomputers and the HPC cluster at the Center for Computational Research. The illustrations are focused on resource use at the system, job and application levels and reveal many interesting insights into system usage patterns and also anomalous behavior due to failure/misuse. The method can be applied to any system that runs the TACC_Stats measurement tool and a tool to extract job execution environment data from the system scheduler. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The CREB Coactivator CRTC2 Is a Lymphoma Tumor Suppressor that Preserves Genome Integrity through Transcription of DNA Mismatch Repair Genes

The CREB-regulated transcription coactivator CRTC2 stimulates CREB target gene expression and has a well-established role in modulating glucose and lipid metabolism. Here, we find, unexpectedly, that loss of CRTC2, as well as CREB1 and its coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP), results in a deficiency in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) and a resultant increased mutation frequency. We show that CRTC2, CREB1, and CBP are transcriptional activators of well-established MMR genes, including EXO1, MSH6, PMS1, and POLD2. Mining of expression profiling databases and analysis of patient samples reveal that CRTC2 and its target MMR genes are downregulated in specific T cell lymphoma subtypes, which are microsatellite unstable. The levels of acetylated histone H3 on the CRTC2 promoter are significantly reduced in lymphoma in comparison to normal tissue, explaining the decreased CRTC2 expression. Our results establish a role for CRTC2 as a lymphoma tumor suppressor gene that preserves genome integrity by stimulating transcription of MMR genes.
Temporal dynamics of human auditory selective attention.

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from human subjects in response to short trains of rapidly presented tone pips of two frequencies. Subjects listened selectively to tones of one frequency as directed by a visual cue prior to each train and responded to occasional longer-duration target tones of that frequency. The early negative difference (Nd) between ERPs elicited by the tones when attended versus unattended was minimal for the first stimulus in each train but developed rapidly, attaining stable values by about the third stimulus. The development of this early Nd was most rapid when two attended tones began a train. Long time-base averages revealed the concomitant development of a standing negativity over the course of each train. In contrast, late positive ERPs distinguished attended from unattended target tones even when they occurred in the first position of a train, prior to the development of Nd. The latency of this late positivity together with the reaction time to the targets decreased substantially as the Nd developed. It was concluded that subjects can select stimuli at various stages of analysis, but employment of the early selection mechanism indexed by Nd enables an economy of processing and faster and more accurate task performance. This mode of early selection is not pre-set in advance of a stimulus train, however, at least under the present conditions.
Orthogonal array optimization method for multiuser detection in DS-CDMA systems

Due to the high computational cost of the maximum likelihood detector, most existing works have investigated simplified, linearized, and/or sub-optimal solutions that have fewer computational requirements. In our approach, we use the Taguchi method that involves the use of orthogonal arrays in estimating the gradient of the likelihood function. In this work, we choose the likelihood function as the cost function in the Taguchi method. The Taguchi method leads to efficient algorithms that can find a satisfactory solution by maximizing the likelihood function in a small number of iterations. Simulation results show that the Taguchi multiuser detector significantly outperforms the conventional receivers, is insensitive to initial values of parameters, and has performance close to that of MMSE detectors and decorrelating detectors. In addition, our algorithm is suitable for parallel implementations.
Revisiting smoking bans in restaurants: Canadian employees perspectives.

The issue of smoking in restaurants and other food service outlets continues to be hotly debated, especially with the bourgeoning interest in, and use of electronic cigarettes. While hospitality re...
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Fracture in Amorphous Silica

Fracture in amorphous silica is studied using million-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The dynamics of crack propagation, internal stress fields, and the morphology of fracture surfaces are examined as a function of temperature and strain rate. At 300K and 600K we observe brittle fracture: internal stress increases to a critical value (typically 2 - 3 GPa) and then turns over when the crack reaches a terminal speed on the order of half the Rayleigh wave speed. At 900K crack propagation slows down dramatically due to plastic deformation and the material becomes ductile.
Determination of Cocaine Usage in Pregnant Women by a Urinary EMIT Drug Screen and GC-MS Analyses

In mothers who had no prenatal care and in their newborns, the presence of cocaine and benzoylecgonine (BE) was determined in urine, hair, and meconium. Samples of urine and hair were obtained from pregnant women who entered the hospital for delivery. Cocaine usage was assessed by a urinary enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-MS was used to detect the presence of cocaine and BE in maternal urine and hair and in meconium and hair obtained from their newborns. In this study of 40 women, the EMIT assay for urinary BE identified 17 (42.5%) of the women as having used cocaine. Of these 17 women, all of their newborns were exposed to cocaine during gestation, based on the analysis of neonatal hair and meconium for cocaine or BE. From the maternal samples that were assayed for cocaine and BE by GC-MS, it appears that hair analysis identified the most cocaine users (70%) of the 40 women who participated in the study. When GC-MS was used to analyze the various samples from mothers and their newborns, 80% of the neonates showed exposure to cocaine. This study shows that women with no prenatal care who have a positive urinary drug screen by EMIT for BE have exposed their newborns to cocaine. The data from pregnant women with a negative drug screen for BE show that 52.2% of their newborns had prior fetal exposure to cocaine.
The Impact of Molecular Diagnostics on Women's Health

Abstract Molecular diagnostics has impacted nearly every discipline in the laboratory. Specifically, molecular infectious disease testing has revolutionized the diagnosis of viral infections, sexually transmitted infections, and emerging pathogens. The impact has been felt in a wide variety of patient populations, including HIV-infected individuals, transplant recipients, pediatrics, and women. This article reviews the impact of molecular diagnostics on women's health, including a discussion of public health indicators and molecular testing for group B streptococci, human papillomavirus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis , and HIV.