cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of efflux pump(s) in intrinsic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: active efflux as a contributing factor to beta-lactam resistance.

Wild-type strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are more resistant to various beta-lactam antibiotics as well as other agents than most enteric bacteria. Although resistance to compounds of earlier generations is explained by the synergism between the outer membrane barrier and the inducible beta-lactamase, it was puzzling to see significant levels of resistance to compounds that do not act as inducers or are not hydrolyzed rapidly by the chromosomally encoded enzyme. This intrinsic-resistance phenotype becomes enhanced in those strains with the so-called intrinsic carbenicillin resistance. In the accompanying paper (X.-Z. Li, D. M. Livermore, and H. Nikaido, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 38:1732-1741, 1994), we showed that active efflux played a role in the resistance, to various non-beta-lactam agents, of P. aeruginosa strains in general and that the efflux was enhanced in intrinsically carbenicillin-resistant strains. We show in this paper that, in comparison with the drug-hypersusceptible mutant K799/61, less benzylpenicillin was accumulated in wild-type strains of P. aeruginosa and that the accumulation levels were even lower in intrinsically carbenicillin-resistant strains. Deenergization by the addition of a proton conductor increased the accumulation level to that expected for equilibration across the cytoplasmic membrane. In intrinsically carbenicillin-resistant isolates, there was no evidence that either nonspecific or specific permeation rates of beta-lactams across the outer membrane were lowered in comparison with those of the more susceptible isolates. Furthermore, these carbenicillin-resistant isolates were previously shown to have no alteration in the level or the inducibility of beta-lactamase and in the affinity of penicillin-binding proteins. These data together suggest the involvement of an active efflux mechanism also in the resistance to beta-lactams. Hydrophilic beta-lactams with more than one charged group did not cross the cytoplasmic membrane readily. Yet one such compound, ceftriaxone, appeared to be extruded from the cells of more-resistant strains, although with this compound effects of proton conductors could not be shown. We postulate that wild-type strains of P. aeruginosa pump out such hydrophilic beta-lactams either from the periplasm or from the outer leaflet of the lipid bilayer of the cytoplasmic membrane, in a manner analogous to that hypothesized for multidrug resistance protein of human cancer cells (M.M. Gottesman and I. Pastan, Annu. Rev. Biochem. 62:385-427, 1993).
The Cost‐Benefit Transfer Model: An Adaptation from Medicine

How does transfer work? When is transfer likely to come about, and when is it likely to fail? Several theorists view transfer as a complex process involving the interaction of multiple variables. The cost-benefit transfer model which we introduce in this article is in keeping with the trend to consider transfer a complex process accounting for a performer's perceptions. The model considers a performer's perception of need, sensibility, and effort to determine the likelihood of putting to use an idea learned in training. In contrast to existing models, the cost-benefit transfer model focuses on the perception of the performer and broadens the definition of the notion of use. The model predicts use through an elegant mathematical formula—specifically, the product of need and sensibility divided by effort. In support of this model, we cite case evidence of academic physicians who used what they learned from a yearlong training program.
Interaction of manganese with fragments, complementary fragment recombinations, and whole molecules of yeast phenylalanine specific transfer RNA.

Abstract Binding of Mn2+ to the whole molecule, fragments and complementary fragment recombinations of yeast tRNAPhe, and to synthetic polynucleotides was studied by equilibrium dialysis. The comparison of the binding patterns of the fragments, fragment recombinations and synthetic polynucleotides with that of intact tRNAPhe permits reasonable conclusions concerning the nature and location of the various classes of sites on tRNAPhe. Binding of Mn2+ to intact tRNAPhe consists of a co-operative and a non-co-operative phase. There are about 17 “strong” sites and several “weak” ones. Five of the 17 strong sites are associated with the co-operative phase. This phase is completely lacking in the binding of Mn2+ to tRNAPhe fragments (5′- 1 2 , 3′- 1 2 , 5′- 3 5 , 3′- 2 5 ), poly-(A):poly(U) and poly(I):poly(C) helices, and single stranded poly(A) and poly(U). This argues that the co-operative sites arise from the tRNA tertiary structure. This conclusion is further strengthened by the observation that cooperativity is present in a tRNAPhe molecule which has been split in the anticodon loop, but it is absent in one which has been split in the extra loop. It is in the vicinity of the latter loop, but not the former, that tertiary interactions are seen in the crystal structure. The remaining 12 strong sites are “independent” and appear to be associated with cloverleaf helical sections.
Effects of rotary inertia and shear on natural frequencies of continuous circular curved beams

Abstract The dynamic stiffness matrix for circular curved members of constant section has been derived for the determination of natural frequencies of continuous curved beams undergoing in-plane vibrations. An example of a two-span curved beam is given to illustrate the application of the proposed method and to show the effects of rotary inertia, shear and the central angle of the arc upon the natural frequencies of the beam.
Alkaline fuel cell membranes from xylylene block ionenes

Abstract A new class of anion-exchange membranes, based on xylylene ionene segmented block copolymers, has been fabricated and characterized for possible use in alkaline fuel cells. The ionene materials were composed of non-polar blocks which, in principle, conferred mechanical strength and water swelling control to the membrane, and polar blocks with quaternary dibenzyl dimethyl ammonium groups located on the polymer backbone which served as anion-exchange sites. The best non-polar block material, in terms of its thermal properties and solubility in normal membrane casting solvents, contained 4,4′-(9-fluorenylidene)-diphenol (FDP) and sulfonyldiphenol (SDP) moieties. Membrane conductivity and water uptake were found to be independent of the FDP/SDP ratio in the non-polar blocks, but correlated well with membrane ion-exchange capacity (IEC) up to an IEC of 2.34 mmol/g (where the room temperature OH− ion conductivity and water swelling were 0.05 S/cm and 180%, respectively). At a higher IEC, the ionic conductivity decreased due to excessive membrane swelling which diluted the polymer's quaternary ammonium charged groups. The mechanical properties of ionene segmented block copolymers films with FDP/SDP non-polar blocks improved with increasing non-polar block length, e.g., a stress at break of 16.8 MPa and 5.0% elongation at break for membranes with a non-polar block containing 12 repeat FDP/SDP units. To improve membrane properties, ionene segmented block copolymers were embedded into a porous polypropylene support with a porosity of 0.50. The resulting composite films were flexible, their conductivity was half that of the neat ionene, and there was no loss of conductivity after a 7 day immersion in 1 M NaOH at 60 °C.
Growth rate of Chilostoma faustinum (Rossmässler, 1835) (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Helicidae) under natural conditions

Growth of Chilostoma faustinum (Rossmassler, 1835) was recorded under natural conditions in Romincka Forest (NE. Poland), one of the northernmost localities of the species. During the growing season (April–October) the average growth rate was 0.22 whorl/month. In the local conditions Ch. faustinum needs three growing seasons to complete its shell growth. Shells of Ch. faustinum from Romincka Forest are slightly smaller than in the other studied populations: their average width is 16.5 mm (range 13–19 mm); and the average number of whorls is 4.5 (range 4–5).
Nuclear coupling constants obtained by the equation-of-motion coupled cluster theory

Abstract The coupled cluster (CC) treatment of a second-order property is expressed, analytically, by a generalized sum over state formulation based upon the equation of motion CC intermediate state wavefunctions. The method is applied to calculate the Fermi contact contribution to the indirect spin-spin coupling constants (J) of several molecules; ethane, cyclopropane, cyclobutane, bicyclobutane, ethylene and hydrogen fluoride. The excellent results obtained are very close to experiment and that obtained by the full-CC response theory, but in a computationally more convenient format. We also consider, numerically, the Karplus relation for 3J(H-H).
Validation of Activity Coefficient Models Using Resonances in Light Scattering from Evaporating Multicomponent Droplets

We present a technique for determining parameters of any activity coefficient model from the times at which resonances appear in light scattering spectra from an evaporating multicomponent droplet ...
Shielding effects of the D-Phe aromatic ring in the 1H NMR spectrum of gramicidin S

Abstract Analysis of the side-chain coupling constants for the D-Phe residue of gramicidin S shows that the rotamer predicted for the minimum-energy structure is the predominant one. The aromatic ring of D-Phe shields the Pro C δ hydrogens, and the calculated shielding closely matches that found in the 1 H NMR spectrum. As the temperature is raised, the rotamer population changes and the shielding is reduced accordingly. The shielding is absent in the saturated analogue of gramicidin S in which the aromatic rings were hydrogenated without changing the conformation of the rest of the molecule.
Renal sodium excretion in sons of hypertensive parents.

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether renal excretion of sodium is impaired and whether tubular reabsorption of sodium is increased in normotensive white men with a familial predisposition to develop essential hypertension. We compared 11 normotensive sons of two hypertensive parents (SOHT) with 11 normotensive sons of two normotensive parents (SONT); renal sodium handling was assessed after 1 week of low-sodium diet (10 mmol/d) and after 1 week of high-sodium diet (200 mmol/d). The SOHT were on average 5.5 years older than the SONT (46.9 +/- 5.2 [SD] vs 41.4 +/- 4.1, P = .012). On the sixth day of each diet, mean urinary sodium excretion did not differ between the two groups (12.9 +/- 6.3 vs 12.7 +/- 6.7 mmol/d on low-sodium diet, P = .930; 197 +/- 25 vs 200 +/- 27 mmol/d on high-sodium diet, P = .817). On the seventh day of each diet, baseline means for filtered load of sodium, absolute excretion of sodium, fractional excretion of sodium (an index of total tubular sodium reabsorption), and fractional excretion of lithium (an inverse index of proximal tubular sodium reabsorption) also did not differ between the groups. To assess renal sodium handling under non-steady-state conditions, we infused 2 L normal saline intravenously over a 2-hour period. The means for absolute excretion of sodium, fractional excretion of sodium, and fractional excretion of lithium increased from baseline, but the increases did not differ in magnitude between the groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Mixed Methods Analysis of Learning in Online Teacher Professional Development: A Case Report

Web-based learning has been proposed as a convenient way to provide professional development experiences. Despite quantitative evidence that online instruction is equivalent to traditional methods (Russell, 2001), the efficiency of this approach has not been extensively studied among teachers. This case report describes learning in an online biology course designed to help teachers prepare for science certification exams. A mixed methodology approach was utilized to analyze the manner in which course participants learned and how the online environment influenced this process. Concept maps scored by two different methods and objective pre- and postcourse examinations were contrasted as representations of assimilated knowledge, while unstructured interviews reflected participants' perceptions of their experiences. Findings indicate that participants experienced gains in declarative knowledge, but little improvement with respect to more complex levels of understanding. Qualitative examination of concept maps demonstrated gaps in participants' understandings of key course ideas. Engagement in the use of online resources varied according to participants’ attitudes toward online learning. Subjects also reported a lack of motivation to fully engage in the course due to busy schedules, lack of extrinsic rewards, and the absence of personal accountability.
The Tryptophan Conjugates of Jasmonic and Indole-3-Acetic Acids Are Endogenous Auxin Inhibitors

Most conjugates of plant hormones are inactive, and some function to reduce the active hormone pool. This study characterized the activity of the tryptophan (Trp) conjugate of jasmonic acid (JA-Trp) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Unexpectedly, JA-Trp caused agravitropic root growth in seedlings, unlike JA or nine other JA-amino acid conjugates. The response was dose dependent from 1 to100 μm, was independent of the COI1 jasmonate signaling locus, and unlike the jasmonate signal JA-isoleucine, JA-Trp minimally inhibited root growth. The Trp conjugate with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA-Trp) produced a similar response, while Trp alone and conjugates with benzoic and cinnamic acids did not. JA-Trp and IAA-Trp at 25 μm nearly eliminated seedling root inhibition caused by 2 μm IAA. The TIR1 auxin receptor is required for activity because roots of tir1-1 grew only approximately 60% of wild-type length on IAA plus JA-Trp, even though tir1-1 is auxin resistant. However, neither JA-Trp nor IAA-Trp interfered with IAA-dependent interaction between TIR1 and Aux/IAA7 in cell-free assays. Trp conjugates inhibited IAA-stimulated lateral root production and DR5-β-glucuronidase gene expression. JA-deficient mutants were hypersensitive to IAA and a Trp-overaccumulating mutant was less sensitive, suggesting endogenous conjugates affect auxin sensitivity. Conjugates were present at 5.8 pmol g−1 fresh weight or less in roots, seedlings, leaves, and flowers, and the values increased approximately 10-fold in roots incubated in 25 μm Trp and IAA or JA at 2 μm. These results show that JA-Trp and IAA-Trp constitute a previously unrecognized mechanism to regulate auxin action.
MODELING SEPARATED FORCED CONVECTION IN LAMINAR FLOW PAST CAVITIES

Abstract This study involves simulation of separated, laminar forced convection in a heated cavity located on a flat plate. The velocity vector plots indicate that a single large vortex occupies the entire cavity but has no effect outside the cavity. The temperature distributions along the cavity length show a remarkable similarity in their profiles. The ha vg and hmax are calculated on the cavity floor, and a correlation is derived between Nu¯s, based on havg( on the cavity floor, and Re, as Nu¯s, = 0.0031(Res)0.52. The results are compared with experimental values in the literature.
A framework for raising the level of abstraction of explicit parallelization

In this research, a Framework for Synthesizing Parallel Applications (FraSPA) in a user-guided manner is being developed. The FraSPA would facilitate the synthesis of parallel applications from existing sequential applications and middleware components for multiple-platforms and diverse domains. The framework design is based upon design patterns and generative programming techniques. The main goal of this research is to raise the level of abstraction of the widely used low-level parallel programming approaches. A technique to separate parallel and sequential concerns will be demonstrated through this work. Other contributions will be in the area of design patterns and Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) for parallel computing. The design patterns, along with the DSLs, will promote code reuse and code correctness. There would be a reduction in code complexity and code maintenance would become easy. The productivity of the end-users will increase. This research can be broadly classified as “Software Engineering for High Performance Computing”.
Reviews and critiques of school psychology materials Douglas T. Brown, Associate Editor

Abstract This review addresses two instruments, the Reiss Scales for Children's Dual Diagnosis and the Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behavior, that are commonly used with persons who are mentally retarded. An analysis of the psychometric properties of each instrument is provided. The circumstances under which each instrument could be appropriately used are discussed. It is concluded that both scales are useful as screening devices, especially given the lack of instrumentation for evaluation of social and emotional status in the mentally retarded. Concern is expressed in regard to the need for a more comprehensive set of items in each test and to the author's rationale for cut scores.
The Role of Carnitine Supplementation during Valproic Acid Therapy

OBJECTIVE:To review the pathophysiology and significance of valproic acid–induced carnitine deficiency; to present and evaluate the literature pertaining to carnitine supplementation in pediatric patients receiving valproic acid; and to present the consensus guidelines for carnitine supplementation during valproic acid therapy.DATA SOURCES:A MEDLINE search (1966–December 1998) restricted to English-language literature, using MeSH headings of carnitine and valproic acid, was conducted to identify clinically relevant articles. Selected articles and references focusing on the pediatric population were included for review.DATA EXTRACTION:Study design, patient population, methods, and clinical outcomes were evaluated.DATA SYNTHESIS:Valproic acid, a widely used antiepileptic agent in the pediatric population, is limited by a 1/800 incidence of fatal hepatotoxicity in children under the age of two years. Carnitine is an essential amino acid necessary in β-oxidation of fatty acids and energy production in cellula...
Pay to Switch or Pay to Stay: Preference-Based Price Discrimination in Markets with Switching Costs

In many markets, firms can price discriminate between their own customers and their rivals' customers, charging one price to consumers who prefer their own product and another price to consumers who prefer a rival's product. We find that when demand is symmetric, charging a lower price to a rival's customers is always optimal. When demand is asymmetric, however, it may be more profitable to charge a lower price to one's own customers. Surprisingly, price discrimination can lead to lower prices to all consumers, not only to the group that is more elastic, but also to the less elastic group.
Track-before-detect processing for an airborne type radar

A real-time feasible track-before-detect process for a scanning pulsed Doppler airborne-type radar is described. Robust distribution-free based ranking is applied in range separately for each Doppler. A dynamic programming process is used to select a best tentative track passing through each range, azimuth, and Doppler cell. The process sequentially optimizes smoothed rank as the field of view is scanned. Results of a simulation are presented for a system with multiple bursts at a given pulse repetition frequency. Track detections are obtained with probability 0.5 at a signal-to-noise ratio of about 5 dB for a Rician signal pulse noise model as measured at the Doppler outputs. The corresponding false track generation rate is estimated to be 5*10/sup -5/ per processed resolution cell. >
Bacteriological Analysis and Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern of Blood Culture Isolates in Kanti Children Hospital

Introduction: As antibiotic sensitivity pattern to common pathogen has been changing day by day, so it has been necessary to study about bacteriological analysis and antibiotic sensitivity pattern. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze on data on bacteremia in children, the pathogen involved and sensitivity pattern. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the bacteriological profile and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of blood culture isolates from Kanti Children Hospital. Method: All blood culture reports (n=9856) during one year period (April 2007 to March 2008) included in the study were analyzed and the sensitivity pattern were recorded. In this retrospective study, we reviewed records of patients from Kanti Children Hospital from April 2007 to March 2008. Results: The positivity of blood culture was 4.2% (414/9856). Out of them, 269 (65%) were positive for Staphylococcus aures, 121(29.3%) E coli, 13(3.1%) Klebsiella pneumonia, 6(1.4%) Streptococcus pneumonia and 5(1.2%) Streptococcus viridence. Staphylococcus aureus was found most sensitive to Chloramphenicol (88.8%) followed by Amikacin (87.5%), Ofloxacin (76.5%), Ciprofloxacin (72%) and least sensitive to Ampicillin, Cloxacillin and Penicillin. E.coli was found most sensitive to Amikacin (74.7%) followed by Ofloxacin (69.9%), Ciprofloxacin (56.4%) and least sensitive to Cephalexin, Gentamycin and Ampicillin. Klebsiella pneumoniae was found most sensitive to Amikacin (91.7%) followed by Ofloxacin (87.5%), Chloramphenical (81.8%) and least sensitive to Cotrimoxazole and Gentamycin. It is 100% resistance to Ampicillin and Erythromycin. Streptococcus pneumoniae was most sensitive to Penicillin, Chloramphenical (100%) followed by Ampicillin and Erythromycin (83.3%) and least sensitive to Cotrimoxazole. Streptococcus viridence was most sensitive to Chloramphenical (100%) followed by Erythromycin (80%), Penicillin (75%) and least sensitive to Cotrimoxazole. Conclusion: This highlights the variable nature of antibiotic susceptibility patterns both in time and location around different geographical locations and within the same country as well. Therefore, it is advisable to continuously evaluate the sensitivity-resistance pattern of isolates so as to make a rational use of antibiotics. Key words: Antibiotic sensitivity; bacteremia; blood culture; neonatal sepsis. DOI: 10.3126/jnps.v30i2.2482 J. Nepal Paediatr. Soc. May-August, 2010 Vol 30(2) 94-97
Mississippian Ups and Downs

Political Structure and Change in the Prehistoric Southeastern United States. John F. Scarry. ed. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1996. 324 pp. Mississippian Communities and Households. J. Daniel Rogers and Bruce D. Smith. eds. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1995. 310 pp.
Jail Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program Reduces Recidivism in Nonviolent Offenders: A Longitudinal Study of Monroe County, New York’s, Jail Treatment Drug and Alcohol Program

Substance abuse treatment has become the new fashion for reducing recidivism among inmates. But the question is, does this work? Various studies have been done tracking the same cohort of inmates over time to assess the validity of treatment. This study assesses one treatment program's success over 5 years to determine if drug and alcohol treatment reduces recidivism among nonviolent, short-term (sentence of less than a year) inmates. Monroe County's drug treatment program demonstrates that for 1 year after receiving the treatment, three different cohorts of nonviolent, short-term inmates (1995, 1998, and 2000) were found to be substantially less likely to be recidivists than control group inmates.
Simplevisgrid: Grid services for visualization of diverse biomedical knowledge and molecular systems data

Biomedical data visualization is a great challenge due to the scale, complexity, and diversity of systems, system component interactions and experimental data. Standards for interoperable data are a good start to addressing these problems, but standardization of visualization technologies is an emerging topic. SimpleVisGrid builds on Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG) common infrastructure for cancer research, and clearly specifies and extends three standard data formats for inputs and outputs to grid services: comma-separated values (CSV), Portable Network Graphics (PNG), and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). Four prototype visualizations are available: 2D array data quality visualization, correlation heatmaps between high-dimensional data and associated meta-data, feature landscapes, and biochemical or semantic network graphs. The services and data model are prepared for submission for caBIG Silver-level compatibility review and for integration into automated research workflows. Making these tools available to caBIG developers and ultimately to biomedical researchers can (1) help with biomedical communication, discovery, and decision-making, (2) encourage more research on standardization of visualization formats, and (3) improve the efficiency of large data transfers across the grid.
Polymorphism, compressibility and thermal expansion of thallous iodide☆

Abstract Thallous iodide (TlI) transforms from a layer orthorhombic (Cmcm) structure to a cubic CsCl-type structure with increasing temperature and/or pressure. We have studied the transition as a function of combined hydrostatic pressure and temperature. We also measured the compressibility (at 20°) and thermal expansion (at 1 bar) of both phases, as well as the latent heat of transformation. With increasing temperature at 1 bar, the transition temperature is 169±2°. The average transition temperature of the increasing and decreasing temperature cycles is 156±2°, and it decreases monotonically with increasing pressure with an initial slope of −53±3°/ kbar . At 25°, the transition to the cubic phase occurs at 4.70±0.10 kbar and the reverse transition at 1.15±0.10 kbar . The initial volume compressibility of the orthorhombic phase is (7.55 ± 0.20) × 10 −3 kbar −1 , and the compressibility of the cubic phase at 6 kbar is (5.10±0.20) × 10 −3 kbar −1 . The volume decreases 3.3 per cent at the transition. The lattice parameters of both phases increase linearly with temperature over the range covered. The mean linear coefficients of thermal expansion for the orthorhombic phase between 23 and 170° in units of 10 −6 o C −1 are: α a = 15-9±0.5, α b , = 48.7±0.3, and α c = 60.4±0.6. That of the cubic phase between 170 and 300° is α a = (51.0±0.3) × 10 −6 o C −1 . The measured latent heat is 293±38 cal / gm mole where 321 cal/gm mole is calculated from the Clapeyron equation. The structural and thermodynamic aspects of the transformation are discussed.
60-Year-Old Man With Chronic Diarrhea and Peptic Ulcer Disease

Resident in Internal Medicine (D.K.C.) and Fellow in Gastroenterology (D.A.S.), Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Adviser to resident and fellow and Consultant in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (S.C.H.). A 60-year-old man was transferred to our hospital with a 5-year history of worsening daily watery, nonbloody, nongreasy diarrhea. One year previously, recurrent vomiting had developed. Over the month preceding the current admission, he experienced 4 episodes of intractable, largevolume diarrhea with abdominal pain, upper and lower extremity muscle cramping, and orthostatic light-headedness. His diarrhea did not improve with fasting, and each of these episodes required hospitalization for intravenous fluid and electrolyte replacement. On the fourth episode, he was transferred to our institution for further diagnostic evaluation. The patient reported no symptomatic correlation to dietary habits and no associated fever, gastrointestinal bleeding, flushing, arthralgia, or rash. He had not experienced fecal incontinence. His medical history was notable for gastroesophageal reflux disease diagnosed 4 years previously and treated with 40 mg of esomeprazole daily. He had no surgical history. His only other medication was lisinopril for hypertension, and he reported no recent medication changes or antibiotic therapy. His family history did not include any gastrointestinal illness or malignant neoplasms, and he did not use tobacco or alcohol. His last screening colonoscopy was within the past 5 years and yielded normal findings. The patient had been stabilized with intravenous fluids before arrival at our institution, and physical examination at presentation revealed a well-nourished man with a body mass index of 26.3 kg/m, normal orthostatic vital signs, and normal physical examination findings, including no evidence of rash, abdominal tenderness, fecal impaction, or other abnormality. The results of laboratory studies including red and white blood cell count, complete metabolic profile, calcium level, liver function tests, total protein, albumin, thyrotropin, and tissue transglutaminase antibody values, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein
The Modeling Process and Model Validation

The safety assessment of underground disposal of nuclear or toxic wastes requires the use of models. Such models need to be validated to ensure, as much as possible, that they are a good representation of the actual processes occurring in the real system. In this paper an attempt is made to take a broad view by reviewing step by step the modeling process and bringing out the need for validating every step of this process. Thus, model validation includes not only comparison of modeling results with data from selected experiments, but also evaluation of procedures for the construction of conceptual models and calculational models as well as methodologies for studying data and parameter correlation. The need for advancing basic scientific knowledge in related fields, for multiple assessment groups, and for presenting our modeling efforts in open literature for public scrutiny is also emphasized.
Dual-number transformation and its applications to robotics

In robotics, to deal with coordinate transformation in three-dimensional (3D) Cartesian space, the homogeneous transformation is usually applied. It is defined in the four-dimensional space, and its matrix multiplication performs the simultaneous rotation and translation. The homogeneous transformation, however, is a point transformation. In contrast, a line transformation can also naturally be defined in 3D Cartesian space, in which the transformed element is a line in 3D space instead of a point. In robotic kinematics and dynamics, the velocity and acceleration vectors are often the direct targets of analysis. The line transformation will have advantages over the ordinary point transformation, since the combination of the linear and angular quantities can be represented by lines in 3D space. Since a line in 3D space is determined by four independent parameters, finding an appropriate type of "number representation" which combines two real variables is the first key prerequisite. The dual number is chosen for the line representation, and lemmas and theorems indicating relavent properties of the dual number, dual vector, and dual matrix are proposed. This is followed by the transformation and manipulation for the robotic applications. The presented procedure offers an algorithm which deals with the symbolic analysis for both rotation and translation. In particular, it can effectively be used for direct determination of Jacobian matrices and their derivatives. It is shown that the proposed procedure contributes a simplified approach to the formulation of the robotic kinematics, dynamics, and control system modeling.
Compliance With Hormonal Therapy in Elderly Women With Early Breast Cancer Who Were Not Treated With Adjuvant Radiation Following Lumpectomy

own group. Categories used for statistical analysis and planning target volume (PTV) ranges included 205 SAVI devices (29-114 cc), 235 SAVI 61 mini devices (17-53 cc), 59 Contura (38-153 cc), 10 Mammosite multilumen balloons (ML) (55-101 cc), and 34 Mammosite single lumen balloons (SL) (77-148 cc). Patients were treated to a total of 34 Gy (3.4 Gy x 10 fractions over 5 days delivered BID) targeting a PTV 1cm beyond the lumpectomy cavity using a high dose rate source. Minimum treatment planning goals for the planning target volume were initially D90 > 90%; in October 2011, PTV coverage goals adjusted to D95 > 95%. Results: PTV was compared to numerous factors using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (Table). Max dose 100% was seen in SAVI, SAVI 6-1 mini, MammositeML,Mammosite SL, andContura patients, 63%, 45%, 40%, 38%, and 25% of the time for skin dose and 71%, 70%, 20%, 35%, and 46% for rib dose. Max dose from 100.01-125% was seen in SAVI, SAVI 6-1 mini, MammositeML,Mammosite SL, andContura patients, 36%, 53%, 20%, 29%, and 44% of the time for skin dose and 26%, 28%, 40%, 12%, and 25% for rib dose. Max dose > 125% was seen in SAVI, SAVI 6-1 mini, Mammosite ML, Mammosite SL, and Contura patients, 1%, 4%, 40%, 32%, and 31% of the time for skin dose and 3%, 2%, 40%, 53%, and 29% for rib dose. Conclusions: The data from this study shows PTV is positively correlated with max skin dose and max rib dose and negatively correlated with D95 across the strut based and multi-channel balloon applicators. Strut based applicators are significantly more effective in keeping skin and rib dose constraints under 125% and 100% when compared to any balloon based applicator. Author Disclosure: Z.H. Rana: None. N. Nasr: None. H. Ji: None. V. Lorio: None. S. Akbari: None. M. Sebastian: None. M. Martin: None. R.L. Hong: None.
Steroid-responsive confusion associated with thyroiditis

Received May 25, 2001; revised June 1, 2001; accepted June 8, 2001. From the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Bostwick, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, W11A, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Copyright 2001 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Thyroid dysfunction is associated with several psychiatric disorders, among which the least understood and probably most underdiagnosed is Hashimoto’s encephalopathy, also known as delirium or reversible dementia associated with Hashimoto thyroiditis. Brain et al. postulated that Hashimoto’s encephalopathy is a distinct clinical entity, and reports have substantiated the hypothesis that it represents a unique condition involving a central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis. Features suggesting both neurologic and psychiatric illness are prominent in typical presentations, and the correct diagnosis may elude detection as other causes of rapidly progressive dementia or delirium are pursued. We present the case of a middle-age woman with 6 weeks of escalating confusion associated with presumed Hashimoto thyroiditis. Because she had no obvious neurologic findings other than confusion, she was initially treated as if she had a psychotic depression. Despite antidepressant and antipsychotic treatment, her condition continued to deteriorate. By the time of transfer to our medical center, she had a working diagnosis of rapidly progressive dementia of unknown etiology. We were unable to find reports in the literature of confusional states associated with thyroiditis that presented with no classic neurologic findings and uniquely with psychiatric manifestations.
The Role of Pore Size and Stationary Phase Composition in Preventing Aqueous-Induced Retention Time Loss in Reversed-Phase HPLC

The phenomenon of aqueous mobile phase induced retention time loss, which has also been referred to as phase-collapse behavior, is investigated using a variety of stationary phases with an aqueous mobile phase. The loss of retention of several water-soluble B vitamins is measured as a function of silica pore size, bonded-phase chemistry, and bonded stationary phase density. It is found that these variables influence the magnitude of the retention time loss behavior and that controlling/optimizing these variables can result in a stationary phase with sufficient retention of the analyte without the column exhibiting the so-called phase-collapse behavior.
The Languages of Japan

The Languages of Japan. Masayoshi Shibatani. Cambridge Language Series. Cambridge University Press, 1990.411 pp. $59.50 (cloth), $22.95 (paper)
Optimal Spending In A Private Foundation

Private foundations are subject to an income tax of either 1% or 2% on their net investment income. The choice of whether to apply the 1% or 2% is based on a percentage derived by taking the funds expended divided by the asset base. If the percentage expended in the current year was greater than the average percentage for the last five years the foundation qualifies for the reduced percentage. Optimal spending is defined as the amount necessary to be expended in the current year to qualify for the reduced tax rate. The only accurate way to calculate the percentage is after the year is over. While accurate, this is not helpful for the private foundation that wishes to proactively try to qualify for the reduced percentage. Therefore, a number of assumptions must be made in performance of the calculation. Previous research has treated the assumptions as constants, based on the best estimate by an organization. This paper will lift this constraint, using confidence intervals to develop a useful tool to allow an organization to scale their spending to the necessary level to achieve the reduced tax rate.
Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging at High and Ultra-high Fields

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been established as a primary imaging module in clinical practices. The usefulness of MR contrast agents to improve visualization of MR imaging is firmly established. Extracellular gadolinium(Gd)-based contrast agents are the most widely used MR contrast media. The Gd-based contrast agent is intravenously injected, follows the pathway of blood circulation, enters into extravascular space, and then diffuses back into the vasculature, thereby acting as a probe to visualize microcirculatory properties. Functional dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) uses T1-weighted acquisition to observe the uptake of contrast agents. The use of DCE-MRI has become increasingly widespread for quantifying and visualizing microvascular characteristics such as microvessel density and vascular permeability. Pharmacokinetic analysis of DCE-MRI can assess pathophysiological permeability changes in cancerous tissues with abnormal angiogenesis. Different kinetic models of DCE-MRI were used, including a modified two-compartment pharmacokinetic model based on more realistic model assumptions. Using all of these pharmacokinetic models to investigate the predictors of imaging biomarkers were performed at 1.5T, 3T and 7T MRI systems. Total 45 patients with metastasis thyroid carcinomas were enrolled in a clinical trial study using a RAF/VEGF-R inhibitor drug. DCE-MRI was performed in a
Do NASDAQ Market Makers Paint the Tape

We examine NASD compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) mandate that all trades be reported within 90 seconds of completion and in sequence. We find a substantial number of out-of-sequence trades both on an absolute level and when compared to out-of-sequence reporting on the combined centralized exchanges. We investigate possible explanations and find little or no support for the NASD sanctioned violations of lost trading ticket, computer malfunction, or abnormal volume, and only minimal support for firm size and trade size hypotheses. Evidence exists suggesting dealers could use late trades for management of margin accounts, delay of information, or for hiding inventory adjustments.
Lipids of virus infected cells. II. Lipid analysis of HeLa cells infected with vaccinia virus.

SummaryThe lipid composition of HeLa cells infected with vaccinia virus as well as non-infected cells is described. The results indicate that virus infection in a serum-free medium does not alter the lipid composition of the cells. However, the incorporation of P32 into the phospholipids of virus infected HeLa cells was greater than that observed in non-infected cells, a finding that appears to be generally applicable to virus infected cells.
Dhegihan History: A Personal Journey

During a time of growing cooperation between anthropologists and Native Americans, this Native author uses his anthropological training to shed light on the history and prehistory of his tribe. Family history, ethnohistory, linguistics, archaeology, and inferences are woven together to demonstrate that, despite some two hundred fifty years of contact with Europeans and Euro-Americans and forced assimilation policies by the United States government, Ponca families have preserved some key features of aboriginal culture. Some of these features derive from practices that took place before the Ponca and their Dhegihan cognate tribes left their Woodland homes to live on the eastern fringes of the Great Plains.
Influence of adrenalectomy and gonadectomy on capacity of rats to excrete an acid load.

SummaryExcretion of ammonia and of titrable acid after an acid load has been measured in intact male and female rats and in male and female rats after adrenalectomy and after adrenalectomy plus gonadectomy. After adrenalectomy, female rats excreted significantly more ammonia and more titrable acid than did males. When both the adrenals and the gonads were removed, the females excreted more ammonia than did the males, but there was no significant difference in the excretion of titrable acid between the males and the females. The adrenalectomized-gonadectomized rats were treated with either progesterone or testosterone and the capacity to handle an acid load measured. The excretion of both ammonia and titrable acid was approximately the same for both males and females after therapy with either hormone.
Method Based on Fuzzy Entropy with Interval-valued Intuitionist Fuzzy Set for Group Decision Making

With respect to multiple attribute group decision making( MAGDM) problems in which the attribute values given by the decision makers are the interval-valued intuitionist fuzzy set( IVIFS) and the weights of the decision makers are unknown,a new fuzzy entropy measure is proposed. We define the fuzzy degree of the information given by decision makers using fuzzy entropy of the interval-valued intuitionist fuzzy set,and determine the weights of the decision makers; We get the ranking results of each decision maker by calculating the ideal and the anti- ideal measure of IVIFS fuzzy cross entropy distance. Then we get the ranking results of the group decision makers by using arithmetic weighted method and geometric weighted method of generating,The illustrated examples verify the efficiency of the method.
Development of Open-Set Word Recognition in Children: Speech-Shaped Noise and Two-Talker Speech Maskers.

Objective The goal of this study was to establish the developmental trajectories for children's open-set recognition of monosyllabic words in each of two maskers: two-talker speech and speech-shaped noise. Design Listeners were 56 children (5 to 16 years) and 16 adults, all with normal hearing. Thresholds for 50% correct recognition of monosyllabic words were measured in a two-talker speech or a speech-shaped noise masker in the sound field using an open-set task. Target words were presented at a fixed level of 65 dB SPL throughout testing, while the masker level was adapted. A repeated-measures design was used to compare the performance of three age groups of children (5 to 7 years, 8 to 12 years, and 13 to 16 years) and a group of adults. The pattern of age-related changes during childhood was also compared between the two masker conditions. Results Listeners in all four age groups performed more poorly in the two-talker speech than the speech-shaped noise masker, but the developmental trajectories differed for the two masker conditions. For the speech-shaped noise masker, children's performance improved with age until about 10 years of age, with little systematic child-adult differences thereafter. In contrast, for the two-talker speech masker, children's thresholds gradually improved between 5 and 13 years of age, followed by an abrupt improvement in performance to adult-like levels. Children's thresholds in the two masker conditions were uncorrelated. Conclusions Younger children require a more advantageous signal-to-noise ratio than older children and adults to achieve 50% correct word recognition in both masker conditions. However, children's ability to recognize words appears to take longer to mature and follows a different developmental trajectory for the two-talker speech masker than the speech-shaped noise masker. These findings highlight the importance of considering both age and masker type when evaluating children's masked speech perception abilities.
Community arts: (Re)contextualizing the narrative of teaching and learning

ABSTRACTEducation in the United States is often characterized by testing and standardized outcomes, and bears little relevance to the culture and the community that surrounds both students and teachers. Conversely, community arts connect the philosophies of art and education to the larger spheres of culture and community. The community thus becomes an educational space in which both the teachers and students are motivated to learn from each other through a reciprocal relationship that changes the dynamic of both teaching and learning. Consequently, the (re)contextualization of art and education within culture and community has distinct policy implications regarding both what we teach and the way we teach it. There is an opportunity to increase the significance of art education in a democratic society if we embrace practices that empower preservice teachers to analyze how artmaking practices shape their own sensibilities and those of the communities in which they live. This article suggests a field experie...
Conclusion: Ice Machines, Steamboats, and Education: Handhelds in a Wider Context

Every revolutionary technology starts with a whimper. Its full revolutionary impact is realized only later, after fundamental structural changes are made to accommodate the new technology.
The Labour Law System, Capitalist Hegemony and Class Politics in China

This article investigates how the Chinese labour law system has helped to reproduce capitalist hegemony, i.e. the ethico-political, moral and cultural leadership of the ruling class. Based on intensive fieldwork in the Pearl River Delta and 115 interviews with migrant workers, this article shows that the labour law system has exercised a double hegemonic effect with regards to capital–labour relations and state–labour relations. Through normalizing, countervailing, concealing and transmuting mechanisms, the labour law system has been able to buffer both the market economy and the party-state from workers’ radical and fundamental criticism. However, the double hegemony mediated through the labour law system has influenced the Chinese migrant workers in an uneven manner: some of them have granted active consent to the ruling class leadership; some have only rendered passive consent; and some have refused to give any consent at all.
Power Archipelago for Filtering Power Plane Noise

Noise coupling in mixed-signal systems from shared power distribution networks (PDNs) can be a critical problem. Sensitive radio-frequency integrated circuits have to be isolated from voltage fluctuations caused by simultaneously switching drivers. This paper introduces the concept of the power archipelago, a new methodology for filtering the power plane noise. The power archipelago is essentially a lumped element microwave filter in which the discrete elements have been translated to embedded elements, effectively filtering out noise from the PDN. This paper demonstrates the increased isolation achieved by the power archipelago by hardware measurements and simulation correlations.