cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Malignant hyperthermia associated with ryanodine receptor 1 (C7360G) mutation in Quarter Horses.

Background: Anesthetic-induced malignant hyperthermia (MH) has been documented in Quarter Horses with a single point mutation in the ryanodine receptor 1 gene (RyR1) at nucleotide C7360G, generating a R2454G amino acid substitution. However, there have been no reports of nonanesthetic manifestations of MH in horses with the C7360G mutation. Objective: To describe clinical manifestations of Quarter Horses with the C7360G mutation. Animals: Eleven Quarter Horses with the RyR1 C7360G mutation. Methods: This prospective study included horses with suspected MH, undetermined etiology of sudden death, death within hours of onset of rhabdomyolysis, muscle rigidity, stiffness, intermittent sweating, and persistent increases in serum muscle enzyme activities. Whole blood in EDTA and skeletal muscle were processed for genetic and histochemical analysis. Medical records and pedigrees were collected when available. Results: Both anesthetic- and non–anesthetic-associated myopathic manifestations of MH occurred in halter Quarter Horses with mutation of RyR1. The disease is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Clinical and laboratory abnormalities were similar in both forms. Rhabdomyolysis was a common finding in both groups of horses. Skeletal muscle histochemical findings were nonspecific and compatible with a noninflammatory myopathic process. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: MH is a potentially fatal disease of Quarter Horses that could be triggered by halogenated anesthetics and other nonanesthetic factors that may include exercise, stress, breeding, illnesses, and concurrent myopathies.
Simplified Impurity Calculation

The methods of previous papers by the authors are applied to a simplified impurity calculation. This is the case of a localized perturbation in a simple cubic lattice. We consider the effect of the perturbation on a single band which is describable in terms of a Wannier function which only has nearest neighbor interactions. The results of this calculation are compared with some approximate treatments of impurity calculations.
Identifying a high fraction of the human genome to be under selective constraint using GERP

Computational efforts to identify functional elements within genomes leverage comparative sequence information by looking for regions that exhibit evidence of selective constraint. One way of detecting constrained elements is to follow a bottom-up approach by computing constraint scores for individual positions of a multiple alignment and then defining constrained elements as segments of contiguous, highly scoring nucleotide positions. Here we present GERP++, a new tool that uses maximum likelihood evolutionary rate estimation for position-specific scoring and, in contrast to previous bottom-up methods, a novel dynamic programming approach to subsequently define constrained elements. GERP++ evaluates a richer set of candidate element breakpoints and ranks them based on statistical significance, eliminating the need for biased heuristic extension techniques. Using GERP++ we identify over 1.3 million constrained elements spanning over 7% of the human genome. We predict a higher fraction than earlier estimates largely due to the annotation of longer constrained elements, which improves one to one correspondence between predicted elements with known functional sequences. GERP++ is an efficient and effective tool to provide both nucleotide- and element-level constraint scores within deep multiple sequence alignments.
Digital video authentication with motion vector watermarking

As the sophistication and proliferation of digital media continues to increase, so to do methods which seek to compromise data integrity. Digital authentication can be a critical component to ensuring reliability and security in digital video surveillance platforms. A robust method of encoding video can provide authentication ensuring that data has not been compromised and is still reliable. By watermarking motion vectors in a video stream, it is possible to authenticate said video and ensure it has not been compromised. Our proposed authentication scheme provides a secure method of ensuring data integrity that is simple to encode yet difficult to emulate. The proposed method is not computationally complex, produces almost no visual distortion, and can be accomplished in real-time.
Parkin Is a Component of an SCF-like Ubiquitin Ligase Complex and Protects Postmitotic Neurons from Kainate Excitotoxicity

Mutations in parkin, which encodes a RING domain protein associated with ubiquitin ligase activity, lead to autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease characterized by midbrain dopamine neuron loss. Here we show that parkin functions in a multiprotein ubiquitin ligase complex that includes the F-box/WD repeat protein hSel-10 and Cullin-1. HSel-10 serves to target the parkin ubiquitin ligase activity to cyclin E, an hSel-10-interacting protein previously implicated in the regulation of neuronal apoptosis. Consistent with the notion that cyclin E is a substrate of the parkin ubiquitin ligase complex, parkin deficiency potentiates the accumulation of cyclin E in cultured postmitotic neurons exposed to the glutamatergic excitotoxin kainate and promotes their apoptosis. Furthermore, parkin overexpression attenuates the accumulation of cyclin E in toxin-treated primary neurons, including midbrain dopamine neurons, and protects them from apoptosis.
Effects of metacognitive instruction on low achievers in mathematics problems

Abstract This study investigates the effects of metacognitive instruction in mathematics on low-achieving third to eighth grade students. The study was conducted in 18 classes in two elementary schools from the same district with a majority of Hispanic population. Students were randomly assigned to the 18 classes. Twelve of these classes were randomly assigned to the experimental group. One class per grade level was assigned to the control group. Results on learning outcomes showed significant effects favoring the experimental group independent of grade level. These results indicate that metacognitive instruction could be tailored to regular classrooms where the majority are low-achievers. Recommendations on how regular classroom teachers might implement the methods are discussed.
Homopiperazine platinum(II) complexes containing substituted disulfide groups: crystal structure of [PtII(homopiperazine)(diphenylsulfide)Cl]NO3

Abstract A series of new cationic platinum(II) complexes of the type [Pt(L)(R′R″S)Cl]NO3 (where L=homopiperazine or 1-methylhomopiperazine and R′R″S=dimethylsulfide, diethylsulfide, dipropylsulfide, diisopropylsulfide, dibutylsulfide, diphenylsulfide, dibenzylsulfide, methylphenylsulfide, or methyl p-tolylsulfide) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and infrared, 1H and 195Pt nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Among the complexes synthesized, [PtII(homopiperazine)(diphenylsulfide)Cl]NO3 was examined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The slightly distorted square plane of the platinum complex included the amino groups of the homopiperazine molecule in a cis orientation, the sulfur atom of diphenyl sulfide, and a chloride ion. The homopiperazine molecule adopts a boat conformation and forms five- and six-membered chelating rings with platinum. Hydrogen bonding plays an important part in holding the crystal together.
Frequency-Domain Equalization for Coherent Optical Single-Carrier Transmission Systems

In this paper, we use frequency-domain equalization (FDE) to create coherent optical single-carrier (CO-SC) transmission systems that are very tolerant of chromatic dispersion (CD) and polarization mode dispersion (PMD). The efficient transmission of a 25-Gb/s NRZ-QPSK signal by using the proposed FDE is demonstrated under severe CD and PMD conditions. We also discuss the principle of FDE and some techniques suitable for implementing CO-SC-FDE. The results show that a CO-SC-FDE system is very tolerant of CD and PMD and can achieve high transmission rates over single mode fiber without optical dispersion compensation.
Potential-pH diagrams for complex systems

A generalized thermodynamic analysis and a geometric interpretation of potential-pH diagrams for multi-element systems are presented. The presence of reactive gases, e.g. CO2 and SO2, and complex-forming species, e.g. NH3 and Cl−, are expressly considered. The equilibrium state is described by a set of independent formation reactions of all species containing the active redox element, M. The formation reactions are written in terms of a user-specified set of primitive species, e.g. M, H2O, H+,e, X and Y, where X and Y could be CO2 and Cl− for example. Some of these primitive species, e.g. M ande, may be virtual species, that is, they do not have an independent existence as separate entities in the reaction mixture. This procedure permits an explicit algebraic solution for the potential-pH diagram. Examples of Pourbaix and predominance diagrams for complex uranium and chromium systems are given.
State-level advocacy for computing education reform (abstract only)

While it is exciting to see an increasing number of national efforts to reform computing education, such as those led by CSTA, Computing in the Core, ACM, NCWIT, code.org and many others, real change at the state, district and school level requires the active participation of individuals and local organizations to engage policy makers, superintendents and communities. The U.S. education system is highly distributed, with critical decisions pushed more to the community level and less at the national (or even state) level -- with large differences between neighboring states. The system is organized along pathways of elementary schools, middle and high schools, community colleges, four-year colleges, and universities. A reform process for improving computing education pathways will take place at multiple levels and state by state. This birds-of-a-feather session will bring together emerging leaders at the state level with representatives from national initiatives to share best practices for implementing change.
Inhibition of bacterial efflux pumps: a new strategy to combat increasing antimicrobial agent resistance.

Resistance to multiple drugs in medically important bacteria results in therapeutic challenges for the clinician. The mechanisms by which bacteria evade the effects of antimicrobial agents are many, but in recent years it has become apparent that efflux is a significant means of resistance and probably explains the intrinsic resistance to numerous drugs observed in species such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Drug efflux is mediated by membrane-based hydrophobic proteins belonging to several distinct families, the members of which are related by structural characteristics, mechanism of action and energy source for the transport process. The multi-drug efflux transporters are particularly problematic as they are capable of extruding numerous structurally dissimilar drugs. Inhibition of these pumps, and even those with more limited substrate specificity, has been shown to decrease intrinsic resistance, reverse acquired resistance and reduce the emergence of mutants with higher-level target-based mutational resis...
Acoustic change complexes recorded in adult cochlear implant listeners.

Objectives:The objectives of this study were to determine: 1) whether the acoustic change complex (ACC) could be reliably recorded in cochlear implant listeners and, 2) whether different speech sounds evoke distinct ACC patterns.Design:Eight adults wearing the Nucleus-24 cochlear implant (CI) were t
File allocation in a distributed database

A File allocation problem is studied in this paper. The problem formulated is to minimize transmission cost where the constraints are the number of files and the number of copies. The transmission cost also reflects concurrency control cost which is essential in a distributed database system. It is demonstrated that an optimal solution can be found by transforming this problem to a network flow problem.
The Owner of the Pet with Cancer

Cancer is an emotionally charged disease. During treatment, it is not uncommon for pet owners to engage veterinarians in frank discussions and emotional confrontations based on their fears and anxieties about cancer. Pet loss counseling skills are invaluable when dealing with clients after the death of their companion animal. Incorporating pet loss counseling into a veterinary practice is pragmatic as well as compassionate because clients who feel that they have received good emotional care in addition to medical care return to the veterinarian with new pets and recommend the practice to others.
“The Last Bullet for the Last Serb”:1 The Ustaša Genocide against Serbs: 1941–19452

While participating in Hitler's Holocaust against Jews and Roma, wartime Croatia's collaborationist government, the Ustasa (Insurgent),3 conducted its own genocide against the Serbs within its terr...
The kinetics of the oxidattve degradation of poly(aryl-ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK)

Abstract The kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition of poly(aryl-ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) in air have been investigated using an isothermal weight-loss method. The results from these studies indicate that the decomposition process is a complex one which proceeds in several overlapping stages. Calculation of the kinetic parameters by a variety of models suggests that at the lower isothermal temperatures the initial weight-loss process occurs with an apparent activation energy of about 100 kJ mol −1 . At higher isothermal temperatures, however, the rates appear to be controlled by diffusion factors and higher apparent activation energies are noted of around 185 kJ mol −1 for the earlier weight-loss fractions and of about 220 kJ mol −1 for the later weight-loss data. The analyses presented demonstrate the difficulties which can arise in determining meaningful mechanistic information from standard weight-loss data even when isothermal heating conditions are employed.
Complete Minors and Independence Number

Let $G$ be a graph with $n$ vertices and independence number $\alpha$. Hadwiger's conjecture implies that $G$ contains a clique minor of order at least $n/\alpha$. In 1982, Duchet and Meyniel proved that this bound holds within a factor 2. Our main result gives the first improvement on their bound by an absolute constant factor. We show that $G$ contains a clique minor of order larger than $.504n/\alpha$. We also prove related results giving lower bounds on the order of the largest clique minor.
Hormonal regulation of collagen degradation in the uterus: Inhibition of collagenase expression by progesterone and cyclic AMP

Abstract Dibutyryl cyclic AMP markedly increases the ability of progesterone to prevent the expression of collagenase activity in cultures of post-partum rat uterus. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP itself and, to a lesser extent, native cyclic AMP, are capable of producing a partial decrease in enzyme activity, but complete abolition is not observed at high cyclic nucleotide concentrations (5 mM) in the culture medium. Theophylline, when added to cultures, mimics the effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Other cyclic nucleotides were without effect on levels of collagenase activity in the uterine cultures. When non-inhibitory concentrations of either dibutyryl cyclic AMP (1 · 10 −4 M) or theophylline (1 · 10 −4 M) are added to cultures together with a non-inhibitory concentration of either progesterone (5 · 10 −6 M) or the potent progesterone analogue Provera (1 · 10 −8 M) the ability of the tissue to produce collagenase is decreased by 40–70%. Collagenase activity is consistently diminished more than additively by combinations of steroid and cyclic nucleotide. Theophylline mimics the effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP on steroid activity in culture. In the presence of dibutyryl cyclic AMP, diminution of collagenase activity can be observed at concentrations of steroid more than two orders of magnitude lower than the normal minimally inhibitory dose. Reduction of collagenase activity is reflected in all experiments by a concomitant decrease in the normal proteolytic degradation of collagen in the tissue ex-plants. The possibility that progesterone acts in the uterus to raise cyclic AMP levels is suggested by the fact that uterine tissue, when cultured in the presence of progesterone, contains reduced levels of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. These data suggest that, in some way a cyclic AMP-mediated system is critically involved in the control of collagenase activity by progesterone in the rat uterus.
E-beam patterning and stability study of sub-22nm HSQ pillars

E-beam exposed HSQ resist pillar (island) is commonly used as the hard mask for dry etching. However, HSQ pillar is prone to collapse without any substrate pre-treatment. CD resolution of HSQ pattern also depends on the aging effect. In this work, factors of (1) designed CD (DCD) (2) dose vs L/S ratio (3) beam current (4) underlayer (UL) (5) post-coat-delay (PCD) time before e-beam writing are studied for forming stable and reproducible sub-22 nm HSQ pillar. Three kinds of underlayer are evaluated, i.e. AR3-600, ZEP520A and TDUR-N700. Experimental results are summarized below. A wider dose window of forming sub-22 nm HSQ pillar with looser L/S ratio or smaller designed CD is obtained. CD variation for all pattern density conditions is due to the proximity effect from beam blur. AR3-600 is shown to be the most suitable UL for HSQ pillar. CD of HSQ pillar increases with thicker AR3-600 layer. PCD range for stable CDs of HSQ pillar with DCD of 20 nm is larger than that with 15 nm.
Viterbi Decoding Burst Errors and their Effects on Digital Communication Performance

The use of convolutional codes with Viterbi decoding has become commonplace in the design of military communication systems. An important characteristic of the Viterbi decoder is that errors occurring at the output tend to be of a bursty nature. This factor is often neglected in system performance analysis. The union bound and a computer search method are used to obtain the burst error probabilities for a variety of convolutional codes. Examples are given to illustrate the use of these statistics in system performance analysis.
Probing the Higgs Sector at the SSC: the Standard Model and Beyond

We survey recent developments in techniques for searching for the Standard Model Higgs boson. We also discuss theories that go beyond the Standard Model, and illustrate the extent to which Higgs search strategies must be altered, with respect to the Standard Model approaches, in order to probe the associated Higgs sectors.
Mobile Money Technology and the Fast Disappearing African Digital Divide

Africa had a late start in the race to acquire most technologies and more so the information communication technologies (ICT). This last place in the race, compared to other continents, created the largest and deepest digital divide ever recorded in any technology for Africa. But the wind of change has unexpectedly started blowing across the continent following the rapid developments in digital technologies in the last 20 years. This coupled with the new African quest for technological acquisition driven mostly by an unprecedented indigenous interest in technological development and the numerous and sometimes ambitious initiatives by NGOs, the donor community and African governments themselves who have made comparatively huge investments in human capital development, have all created an environment where, for the first time in the history of Africa, Africans are running abreast with the rest of the world in the development of some technological milestones, including the mobile money payment system technol...
A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Currently Approved Treatments for HBeAg-Positive Chronic Hepatitis B

Background: A variety of pharmaceuticals are currently approved for the treatment of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB), but their relative economic value is unclear. The goal of this analysis was to compare the cost effectiveness of adefovir, entecavir, lamivudine, pegylated interferon and telbivudine. Methods: We conducted a cost-utility analysis from a US payer perspective over a lifetime time horizon using a Markov model, in a hypothetical population with HBeAg-positive CHB and a mean age of 35 years. Disease progression probabilities, costs and quality-of-life data were derived from the literature. We assumed a treatment duration of 4 years, with the use of combination therapy for drug resistance. Nonresponders to pegylated interferon were assumed to receive entecavir in years 3–4. Sensitivity analyses, including probabilistic sensitivity analysis, were conducted to evaluate uncertainty in the results. All costs were valued in $US, year 2008 values. Costs and outcomes were discounted at 3% per anum. Results: The 10-year cumulative incidence of cirrhosis for no treatment was 26.1%, and ranged from 19.7% to 23.8% with treatment; undiscounted life-years were 36.2 for no treatment, or ranged from 36.82 to 37.54 with treatment. Initiation with entecavir (18.70 QALYs) and pegylated interferon (18.64 QALYs) provided the largest treatment benefits overall, followed by telbivudine (18.55 QALYs). The probabilities of the interventions being cost effective at a threshold of $US50 000 per QALY were 57%, 37% and 2% for initiation with entecavir, pegylated interferon and telbivudine, respectively. The results were dependent on baseline seroconversion rate and the effect of viral suppression on cirrhosis risk. Conclusions: Initiation of treatments for HBeAg-positive CHB with a favourable combination of seroconversion, viral suppression and resistance profile appear to offer the greatest clinical and economic value.
Cleavage of Anti-Apoptotic Bcl-2 Family Members after TCR Stimulation Contributes to the Decision between T Cell Activation and Apoptosis

Engagement of the TCR induces activation-induced cell death (AICD) of T cells that have been previously stimulated. However, a portion of these T cells can survive and undergo further activation. The molecular mechanism that decides whether a T cell will live or die after TCR re-engagement is unclear. We found that cross-linking of TCR in preactivated primary mouse T cells led to the cleavage of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in dying cells. Cleavage-resistant Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were more efficient than their wild-type counterparts in the inhibition of apoptosis in primary mouse T cells and in the H9 T cell line after TCR cross-linking. In contrast, the surviving T cells after TCR re-engagement displayed upregulation of Bcl-xL, and knockdown of Bcl-xL promoted AICD. This indicates that caspase-mediated cleavage of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL facilitates AICD in T cells, whereas upregulation of Bcl-xL promotes T cell survival and allows further T cell activation. Our data suggest that cleavage of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL contributes to the decision between T cell activation and apoptosis after TCR re-engagement.
Dynamic scene analysis and the 8-point algorithm

Some extended versions of the 8-point algorithm of H.C. Longuet-Higgins (1981, 1984) are presented. First, the algorithm is extended to (not necessarily rigid) affine transformations. Differentiable transformations are also discussed. Second, the solution of all the affine transformations for the 8-point algorithm, given any point correspondences, is shown to have dimension 9-r, where r is the rank of given point configuration. It is argued that degenerate cases considered by Longuet-Higgins are covered by present extended version. >
Acute and reproductive toxicity of nano-sized metal oxides (ZnO and TiO2) to earthworms (Eisenia fetida)

An increase in nanomaterial applications will likely lead to an increased probability of environmental exposures, raising concerns regarding the safety of these materials. Recent studies have indicated that manufactured nanomaterials, such as metal oxides, have the potential to be harmful to aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The majority of nano-metal oxide research addressing potential toxicological issues has been focused in aquatic environments with very little terrestrial data. This study characterized the acute and reproductive toxicity of zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) to earthworms (Eisenia fetida) in a terrestrial system. Following a 14 d exposure, nano-sized ZnO on filter paper was acutely toxic to E. fetida, while nano-sized TiO2 did not exhibit acute toxicity. In contrast, neither nano-sized ZnO nor TiO2 exhibited acute toxicity to earthworms in sand. Both nano-sized ZnO and TiO2, following a 4 week exposure, caused reproductive effects in earthworms in artificial soil. Overall, nano-sized ZnO exhibited greater toxicity than nano-sized TiO2 in Eisenia fetida.
Speed Dating and the Presentation of Self: A Teaching Exercise in Impression Management and Formation

This article presents an in-class exercise for teaching theories of the presentation of self that is organized around two key concepts, impression management and impression formation. By highlighting the interpretive, interactive aspects of the presentation of self, this exercise is also useful for teaching the major principles of symbolic interactionism. The exercise is a modified form of speed dating in which students are paired together in a rapid succession of brief interactions (three to five minutes). Rather than seeking a date, however, students are participant-observers paying careful attention to how they form impressions of others and manage the impressions others are forming of them. Because of its brief and repeated interactions, speed dating puts students in a good position to observe their interactions with some analytical distance. With this exercise, students become active learners, which has been evidence that the exercise helps students to develop a basic understanding of presentation-of-self concepts and symbolic interactionism more generally as well as an ability to apply them to their experience.
Single-walled carbon nanotubes increase pandemic influenza A H1N1 virus infectivity of lung epithelial cells.

Airborne exposure to nanomaterials from unintended occupational or environmental exposures or as a consequence of product use may lead to adverse health effects. Numerous studies have focused on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and their ability to cause pulmonary injury related to fibrosis, and cancer; however few studies have addressed their impact on infectious agents, particularly viruses that are known for causing severe disease. Here we have demonstrated the ability of pristine SWCNTs of diverse electronic structure to increase the susceptibility of small airway epithelial cells (SAEC) to pandemic influenza A H1N1 infection and discerned potential mechanisms of action driving this response. Small airway epithelial cells (SAEC) were exposed to three types of SWCNTs with varying electronic structure (SG65, SG76, CG200) followed by infection with A/Mexico/4108/2009 (pH1N1). Cells were then assayed for viral infectivity by immunofluorescence and viral titers. We quantified mRNA and protein levels of targets involved in inflammation and anti-viral activity (INFβ1, IL-8, RANTES/CCL5, IFIT2, IFIT3, ST3GAL4, ST6GAL1, IL-10), localized sialic acid receptors, and assessed mitochondrial function. Hyperspectral imaging analysis was performed to map the SWCNTs and virus particles in fixed SAEC preparations. We additionally performed characterization analysis to monitor SWCNT aggregate size and structure under biological conditions using dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS). Based on data from viral titer and immunofluorescence assays, we report that pre-treatment of SAEC with SWCNTs significantly enhances viral infectivity that is not dependent on SWCNT electronic structure and aggregate size within the range of 106 nm – 243 nm. We further provide evidence to support that this noted effect on infectivity is not likely due to direct interaction of the virus and nanoparticles, but rather a combination of suppression of pro-inflammatory (RANTES) and anti-viral (IFIT2, IFIT3) gene/protein expression, impaired mitochondrial function and modulation of viral receptors by SWCNTs. Results of this work reveal the potential for SWCNTs to increase susceptibility to viral infections as a mechanism of adverse effect. These data highlight the importance of investigating the ability of carbon-nanomaterials to modulate the immune system, including impacts on anti-viral mechanisms in lung cells, thereby increasing susceptibility to infectious agents.
Demographics, employment motivations, and roles of part‐time faculty at virtual universities

Faculty members working within virtual university settings are distinguished demographically and by their employment motivations and work roles.
Autonomous System on a Chip Adaptation through Partial Runtime Reconfiguration

This paper presents a prototype autonomous signal processing system on a chip. The system is architected such that high performance digital signal processing occurs in the FPGA?s configurable logic, while resulting higher level data products are monitored by cognitive algorithms residing on an embedded processor. The cognitive algorithms develop situational awareness about the platform?s environment, and use this information to modify and tune signal processing in real-time using active partial reconfiguration. This system was realized on a Xilinx Virtex4 FX 100 device on a pulse parameter measurement application utilizing a Bayesian Network cognitive algorithm. Changes in the RF environment were correctly detected 96.7% of the time and mitigation filters which resulted in at least 3dB interference rejection improvement were instanced 81% of the time. This system realizes a 71.4× reduction in size compared to static implementations and a 26-43× reduction in reaction times compared to human in the loop systems.
Short interval between symptom onset and medical care as an indication of rapid onset of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To assess how many patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBlS) obtain medical care soon after symptom onset, and to determine how these patients differ from those who have medical care later. PATIENTS AND METHODS In a risk-factor study of IC/PBlS, we recruited women with IC/PBlS symptoms of ≤12 months’ duration and carefully identified the onset date, first medical encounter and early clinical findings. RESULTS Of 138 women with IC/PBlS for ≤12 months, 49% sought medical care within 7 days and another 31% within 4 weeks. These patients had no easier access to medical care but rather experienced symptoms differently, with more evidence for discomfort and inflammation. However, subsequently they did not differ from those with more gradual onset in features indicative of IC/PBlS, i.e. Hunner’s ulcers, petechial haemorrhages, symptoms, medications, or quality of life. CONCLUSIONS A shorter time to the first medical encounter was not a function of greater access to medical care but instead was associated with more discomfort and evidence of inflammation, as distinct from those with more gradual onset. The 6-month follow-up of both groups indicated that no significant differences in IC/PBlS symptoms persisted. A careful study of rapid-onset IC/PBlS might provide clues to the pathogenesis of this enigmatic disease.
Histoplasma capsulatum utilizes siderophores for intracellular iron acquisition in macrophages

Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungal pathogen that survives and replicates within macrophages (Mϕ). Studies in human and murine Mϕ demonstrate that the intracellular growth of H. capsulatum yeasts is exquisitely sensitive to the availability of iron. As H. capsulatum produces hydroxamate siderophores, we sought to determine if siderophores were required for intracellular survival in Mϕ, and in a murine model of pulmonary histoplasmosis. The expression of SID1 (coding for L-ornithine-N5-monooxygenase) was silenced by RNA interference (RNAi) in H. capsulatum strain G217B, and abolished by gene targeting in strain G186AR. G217B SID1-silenced yeasts grew normally in rich medium, did not synthesize siderophores, and were unable to grow on apotransferrin-chelated medium. Their intracellular growth in human and murine Mϕ was significantly decreased compared to wild type (WT) yeasts, but growth was restored to WT levels by the addition of exogenous iron, or restoration of SID1 expression. Similar results ...
Accurate power control technique for handset PA modules with integrated directional couplers

This paper describes an accurate power control technique for handset PA modules (PAMs) with internal closed loop control. Our design approach is the first to include two integrated directional couplers in a handset RF PAM. It significantly improves power control accuracy over load variations. Directivity of the integrated couplers is also proved to be critical for establishing accurate power control over phase variations at high values of load VSWR. With our unique design we achieved directivity as high as 14.3 dB. When the load VSWR is equal to 6:1, we demonstrated that our design reduces output power variation to +/-1.2 dB. Under the same conditions, we measured two other major commercial modules that are not utilizing integrated directional couplers. They exhibited an output power variation of 5.5 dB.
Experimental development of efficacious task source relationships in interior lighting applications

Full-scale photometric simulation studies were conducted in order to examine the luminous environment within work-stations used in typical office environments. The objective of these experimental studies is to develop explicit geometric relationships between a visual task and a lighting layout that maintains visual quality and minimizes power required. Within these studies, a broad range of ceiling-integrated general and task lighting systems were examined in terms of their ability to maintain contrast and illuminance across the work plane. Within each lighting system studied, a range of furniture systems was used in order to determine potential obstruction effects as a function of orientation and position in respect to a particular lighting layout. Experimental data expressed in terms of luminance contrast and illuminance across the task plane show the importance of developing and specifying explicit geometric relationships between a visual task and a lighting system layout. The authors report on the ongoing experimental work and provide experimental data illustrating the variations in lighting quality as a function of geometry and task configuration. >
Cardiac involvement in patients with muscular dystrophies: magnetic resonance imaging phenotype and genotypic considerations.

Muscular dystrophy (MD) connotes a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders characterized by progressive wasting and weakness of the skeletal muscles. In several forms of MD, cardiac dysfunction occurs, and cardiac disease may even be the predominant manifestation of the underlying genetic myopathy. Cardiologists may be unfamiliar with these diseases owing to their low incidence; also, significant advances in respiratory care have only recently unmasked cardiomyopathy as a significant cause of death in MD.1 Early detection of MD-associated cardiomyopathy is important, because institution of cardioprotective medical therapies may slow adverse cardiac remodeling and attenuate heart failure symptoms in these patients.2–6 Although ECG and echocardiography are typically advocated for screening,7,8 cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has shown promise in revealing early cardiac involvement when standard cardiac evaluation is unremarkable.9,10 This review will focus on 4 groups of skeletal muscle disease most commonly associated with cardiac complications (the Table): (1) dystrophin-associated diseases such as Duchenne and Becker (DMD and BMD, respectively), (2) Emery-Dreifuss MD (EDMD), (3) limb-girdle MD (LGMD), and (4) myotonic dystrophy (DM). View this table: Table. Characteristics of the Types of MD ### Molecular and Genetic Features DMD and BMD are X-linked disorders affecting the synthesis of dystrophin, a large, sarcolemmal protein that is absent in DMD11 and reduced in amount or abnormal in size in BMD patients.12 Dystrophin provides the connection between a large, multimeric complex of glycoproteins in the muscle cell membrane (termed the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex) and intracellular actin filaments (Figure 1), thereby transmitting forces generated by sarcomere contraction to the extracellular matrix.13,14 Correlations between dystrophin mutations and the onset of cardiomyopathy have been noted15; some mutations result in only cardiomyopathy without skeletal myopathy.16 Other proteins not shown in Figure 1 that are particularly involved in both inside-out and outside-in transmission …
Effect of Patient Experience on the Results of Automated Perimetry in Glaucoma Suspect Patients

Abstract The first four Octopus-automated visual field examinations of 29 patients with elevated intraocular pressure but apparently normal optic discs and Goldmann visual fields were studied for the presence of a learning effect on the visual field parameters of mean sensitivity, number of disturbed test locations, total field loss, and short-term fluctuation. A learning effect, if present, would manifest itself as an improvement in the visual field as patients become more experienced with the test. There was no apparent effect of patient experience on the mean sensitivity of the whole visual fields or the mean sensitivity of the test locations within 20° of fixation. There was a significant ( P = 0.012) increase in mean sensitivity for the test locations outside 20° of fixation. There were significant ( P
How do climate and dispersal traits limit ranges of tree species along latitudinal and elevational gradients

Aim We compared the upper range limits of tree species along latitudinal and elevational gradients to assess the influence of specific climatic factors – winter temperature, summer temperature and growing season length – in determining species range limits. We analysed the degree and direction of climatic mismatches between latitudinal and elevational limits to determine whether mismatches could be explained by species dispersal traits. Location Eastern North America and the Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee and North Carolina), USA. Methods We determined the climatic limits for each of 28 common tree species along a latitudinal gradient in eastern North America and across an elevational gradient in the Great Smoky Mountains. We calculated the degree of climatic mismatch between species limits along the two gradients and tested for relationships with species dispersal traits (seed mass, maximum height, seed and pollen dispersal mode). Results We found strong positive relationships between species latitudinal and elevational climatic limits. Winter temperatures were much lower at species poleward limits compared with their upper elevational range limits, but there were close matches between limits for variables related to summer temperature and growing season length. The degree of climatic mismatch was influenced by species dispersal traits; species with unassisted seed dispersal and low maximum height tended to have lower latitudinal than elevational limits. Main conclusions Our results suggest that low summer temperatures and a short growing season length limit species distributions along both latitudinal and elevational gradients, whereas winter temperature does not play a critical role. The failure of some species with poor dispersal ability to grow as far poleward as expected based on their elevational limits supports the hypothesis that historical dispersal constraints may limit species distributions along the latitudinal gradient.
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey and beyond

Our collaboration with Jim Gray has created some of the world's largest astronomy databases, and has enabled us to test many avant-garde ideas in practice. The astronomers have been very receptive to these and embraced Jim as a 'card carrying member' of their community. Jim's contributions have made a permanent mark on astronomy, and eScience in general.
Interference mitigation in asynchronous slow frequency hopping Bluetooth networks

In asynchronous slow frequency hopping Bluetooth networks, packet collisions diminish the total link throughput. However, interference mitigation capability can reduce packet losses due to collisions. In this paper, an interference cancelling dual decision feedback (IC-DDF) Bluetooth receiver is proposed and its performance is evaluated for slow fading indoor channels. In addition to the bit error rate (BER) performance, the system level performance is evaluated by using the packet error rate (PER). To integrate the BER performance into PER performance, a new geometric interpretation of packet erasure rate using the received carrier to interference ratio (CIR) is introduced. Also, a generalized packet collision probability is derived to analyze total link throughput.
Functional significance of seminal receptacle length in Drosophila melanogaster

Despite its central role in post-copulatory sexual selection, the female reproductive tract is poorly understood. Here we provide the first experimental study of the adaptive significance of variation in female sperm-storage organ morphology. Using populations of Drosophila melanogaster artificially selected for longer or shorter seminal receptacles, we identify relationships between the length of this primary sperm-storage organ and the number of sperm stored, pattern of progeny production, rate of egg fertilization, remating interval, and pattern of sperm precedence. Costs and benefits of relatively short or long organs were identified. Benefits of longer receptacles include increased sperm-storage capacity and thus progeny production from a single insemination. Results suggest that longer receptacles have not naturally evolved because of developmental time costs and a correlated reduction in longevity of mated females. This latter cost may be a consequence of sexual conflict mediated by ejaculate toxicity. Receptacle length did not alter the pattern of sperm precedence, which is consistent with data on the co-evolution of sperm and female receptacle length, and a pattern of differential male fertilization success being principally determined by the interaction between these male and female traits.
Validation of Imbribryum (Bryaceae)

Abstract Imbribryum was previously accidentally invalidly published and is validly published here.
Virus-like Particle Vaccines for Norovirus Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis (GE) and its associated diarrheal diseases remain as one of the top causes of death in the world. Noroviruses (NoVs) are a group of genetically diverse RNA viruses that cause the great majority of nonbacterial gastroenteritis in humans. However, there is still no vaccine licensed for human use to prevent NoV GE. The lack of a tissue culture system and a small animal model further hinders the development of NoV vaccines.
ESTIMATING THE VOLATILITY OCCUPATION TIME VIA REGULARIZED LAPLACE INVERSION

We propose a consistent functional estimator for the occupation time of the spot variance of an asset price observed at discrete times on a finite interval with the mesh of the observation grid shrinking to zero. The asset price is modeled nonparametrically as a continuous-time Ito semimartingale with nonvanishing diffusion coefficient. The estimation procedure contains two steps. In the first step we estimate the Laplace transform of the volatility occupation time and, in the second step, we conduct a regularized Laplace inversion. Monte Carlo evidence suggests that the proposed estimator has good small-sample performance and in particular it is far better at estimating lower volatility quantiles and the volatility median than a direct estimator formed from the empirical cumulative distribution function of local spot volatility estimates. An empirical application shows the use of the developed techniques for nonparametric analysis of variation of volatility.
Patient Aggression in Real Time on Geriatric Inpatient Units

This study focused on verbal and physical aggression against nursing staff, in real time, by elderly patients. The aggressive incidents were recorded at the end of each shift when they were more likely to be accurately remembered. Before beginning the study, nursing staff were taught how to use the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) to identify aggressive acts. High rates of verbal and physical aggression among the elderly were observed by nurses, and data show that 75% of nursing staff experienced aggression on their shift. They either experienced aggression themselves or observed aggression on every single shift; that is at least five violent incidents in a work-week. Even if one is not the target of aggression, such observation is associated with elevated levels of stress.
Absolute Quantification of Enterococcal 23S rRNA Gene Using Digital PCR

We evaluated the ability of chip-based digital PCR (dPCR) to quantify enterococci, the fecal indicator recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for water-quality monitoring. dPCR uses Poisson statistics to estimate the number of DNA fragments in a sample with a specific sequence. Underestimation may occur when a gene is redundantly encoded in the genome and multiple copies of that gene are on one DNA fragment. When genomic DNA (gDNA) was extracted using two commercial DNA extraction kits, we confirmed that dPCR could discern individual copies of the redundant 23s rRNA gene in the enterococcal genome. dPCR quantification was accurate when compared to the nominal concentration inferred from fluorometer measurements (linear regression slope = 0.98, intercept = 0.03, R(2) = 0.99, and p value <0.0001). dPCR quantification was also consistent with quantitative PCR (qPCR) measurements as well as cell counts for BioBall reference standard and 24 environmental water samples. qPCR and dPCR quantification of enterococci in the 24 environmental samples were significantly correlated (linear regression slope =1.08, R(2) of 0.96, and p value <0.0001); the group mean of the qPCR measurements was 0.19 log units higher than that of the dPCR measurements. At environmentally relevant concentrations, dPCR quantification was more precise (i.e., had narrower 95% confidence intervals than qPCR quantification). We observed that humic acid caused a similar level of inhibition in both dPCR and qPCR, but calcium inhibited dPCR to a lesser degree than qPCR. Inhibition of dPCR was partially relieved when the number of thermal cycles was increased. Based on these results, we conclude that dPCR is a viable option for enumerating enterococci in ambient water.
The Expectations Gap: Has SAS58 Changed The Publics Perception Of The Independent Auditors Legal Responsibilities?

SAS58, one of the Expectation Gap auditing standards, changed the wording of the standard unqualified auditors report. The changes mandated by SAS58 do not reflect changes in the underlying auditing process or in the auditors responsibility for the audited financial statements. An experiment was conducted to determine whether these changes in the auditors report would affect jurors assessments of liability in an audit failure suit. No difference was found between liability assessments based on old and new forms of the report, suggesting that the changes mandated by SAS58 have no decision usefulness to report users.