cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The morbidity of constipation in patients with anorectal malformations

Abstract Background Constipation in anorectal malformations (ARM) is extremely common, particularly in the lower types. Failure to adequately treat it can lead to significant morbidity. Methods From our series of over 2000 patients with ARM, we reviewed 398 with good prognosis for bowel control and a tendency toward constipation; rectoperineal fistula (63), rectovestibular fistula (114), rectobulbar urethral fistula (104), imperforate anus with no fistula (46), rectal atresia or stenosis (9), and cloaca with a common channel below 3 cm (62). Those lost to follow-up, not yet toilet-trained ( Results Morbidities associated with constipation were higher in the referral group and included fecal impaction (7.8% vs 38.5%), overflow pseudoincontinence (4.9% vs 33.8%), and megacolon (14.6% vs 54.6%). A loop or transverse colostomy (4.9% vs 9.2%), stoma or anorectal stricture, or a stenotic fistula (2.2% vs 28.5%) were contributing factors. Adequate laxative treatment with, in certain cases, resection of a megarectosigmoid (2.6% vs 23.1%) enabled many pseudoincontinent children to achieve bowel control (reported previously). Unneeded colorectal biopsies (1.9% vs 16.2%), Hirschsprung's-type pullthroughs (0% vs 3.1%), and, in retrospect, unneeded antegrade continent enema procedures (0% vs 3.1%) were higher in Group B. Overall, 19.8% of Group A and 66.2% of Group B experienced constipation-related morbidities. Conclusion The morbidity of constipation in ARM includes fecal impaction, megacolon, incontinence, and performance of unneeded surgeries. Inadequate treatment, the type of the original colostomy, and postoperative anal or stomal stricture as well as stenotic fistulae were key contributing factors. Children with ARM and good prognosis for bowel control are at the greatest risk for severe constipation and its consequences. With recognition and aggressive, proactive treatment, we have found that these morbidities can be reduced.
Interactions between N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists and the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine in rats

NMDA receptor antagonists have previously been reported to alter some pharmacological and behavioral effects of acute and chronic opioid administration. The present study assessed the interactions of NMDA antagonists with the discriminative stimulus properties of morphine. Adult male Long Evans rats were trained to discriminate 3.2 mg/kg of s.c. morphine from water under a two-lever fixed-ratio 10 schedule of food reinforcement. During test sessions. I.p. injections of the noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine (0.03-0.2 mg/kg), the competitive antagonists NPC 17742 (1-16 mg/kg), and SDZ 220-581 (0.1-3 mg/kg), the polyamine site antagonist eliprodil (3-17.3 mg/kg), the glycine-site partial agonist (+)-HA-966 (3-56 mg/kg), and the nonselective glutamate antagonist kynurenic acid (30-150 mg/kg) were coadministered with s.c. morphine (1-3.2 mg/kg; interaction tests) or water (generalization tests). In generalization tests, none of the compounds completely substituted for morphine. Concurrent administration of morphine and NMDA antagonists did not greatly alter the discriminative stimulus properties of morphine. Various doses of NPC 17742, SDZ 220-581, or (+)-HA-966 somewhat increased levels of morphine-appropriate lever selection, whereas some attenuation of morphine-lever selection was obtained when morphine was coadministered with eliprodil. These results show that NMDA antagonists have minimal interactions with the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine.
Beta radiations fromFe59andCo60nuclei polarized in iron foils cooled by dilution refrigeration

Apparatus for observing the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ emissions from radioactive nuclides diffused into iron foils cooled to 25 mK by a simple dilution refrigerator is briefly described. Tests using $^{60}\mathrm{Co}$ gave a $\ensuremath{\beta}$ asymmetry coefficient $A=\ensuremath{-}0.80\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04$, compared with the theoretical value - 1, indicating the effect of scattering. For the $^{59}\mathrm{Fe}$ 467-keV $\ensuremath{\beta}$ transition the asymmetry was very small, (0.8 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.5)% at 30 mK; no convincing asymmetry could be observed for the 273-keV $\ensuremath{\beta}$ rays. This is ascribed to the recently determined small value of the magnetic moment of $^{59}\mathrm{Fe}$; the results are consistent with previous measurements of the $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ circular polarization correlations. An earlier experiment with $^{59}\mathrm{Fe}$ in rare earth double nitrate crystals is reevaluated. The magnitudes of the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ matrix elements are briefly compared with single-particle shell model estimates including configuration mixing. Various model estimates of the magnetic moment are also presented.
Gender schema theory revisited: men's stereotypes of American women

Bem's gender schema theory is reconsidered in terms of connections among schemas, stereotypes, and perceptions of self and others. The supposition that schematic, as opposed to aschematic persons, are more prone to think about others in stereotypic ways is tested. Primarily Caucasian adult men from all social classes (n=142), classified with the Bem Sex Role Inventory as masculine, androgynous, or undifferentiated, completed measures designed to assess strength of stereotypic views of American women and the tendency to think unidimensionally (the likelihood of perceiving women as feminine vs. androgynous). Results analyzed with multivariate analysis of variance, indicated significant differences among subject categories. Masculine (schematic) men were the most prone to see women as stereotypically high in femininity and low on masculinity. Androgynous men were more likely to perceive women as having androgynous characteristics.
Dynamic yield-strength determination at elevated temperatures after nanosecond pulse heating

An experimental method is described that has been used to determine the yield strength of 6061-T6 aluminum after extremely short times at elevated temperature. The method combines electron-beam pulse heating and onedimensional stress-wave loading. A 3.5-MeV pulsed electron-beam source (pulse width of 70 nanoseconds) is used to deposit energy uniformly through the thickness and along a limited region of a slender aluminum rod. An axial compressive stress wave, produced by projectile impact on one end of the rod, propagates into the heated region a few microseconds after energy deposition.
Building Addressable Libraries: Site-Selective Suzuki Reactions on Microelectrode Arrays

A site-selective Suzuki reaction has been developed for use on microelectrode arrays. The reaction conditions employed are similar to those used to achieve site-selective Heck reactions. The reacti...
FRET studies with Factor X mutants provide insight into the topography of the membrane-bound Factor X/Xa

FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) studies have shown that the vitamin K-dependent coagulation proteases bind to membrane surfaces perpendicularly, positioning their active sites above the membrane surfaces. To investigate whether EGF (epidermal growth factor) domains of these proteases play a spacer function in this model of the membrane interaction, we used FRET to measure the distance between the donor fluorescein dye in the active sites of Fl–FPR (fluorescein–D-Phe-Pro-Arg-chloromethane)-inhibited fXa (activated Factor Xa) and its N-terminal EGF deletion mutant (fXa-desEGF1), and the acceptor OR (octadecylrhodamine) dye incorporated into phospholipid vesicles composed of 80% phosphatidylcholine and 20% phosphatidylserine. The average distance of closest approach (L) between fluorescein in the active site and OR at the vesicle surface was determined to be 56±1 A (1 A=0.1 nm) and 63±1 A for fXa-desEGF1 compared with 72±2 A and 75±1 A for fXa, in the absence and presence of fVa (activated Factor V) respectively, assuming κ2=2/3. In comparison, an L value of 95±6 A was obtained for a S195C mutant of fXa in the absence of fVa in which fluorescein was attached directly to Cys195 of fXa. These results suggest that (i) EGF1 plays a spacer function in holding the active site of fXa above the membrane surface, (ii) the average distance between fluorescein attached to Fl–FPR in the active site of fXa and OR at the vesicle surface may not reflect the actual distance of the active-site residue relative to the membrane surface, and (iii) fVa alters the orientation and/or the height of residue 195 above the membrane surface.
Pulse laser deposition growth and spectroscopic properties of chromium doped ZnS crystalline thin films

It is demonstrated that pulsed laser deposition is a promising “alternative route” for synthesis of mid-IR laser media based on chromium doped ZnS crystalline thin films with a precisely controllable concentration of dopant.
Allantoinase in the marine polychaete Eudistylia vancouveri.

Allantoinase, an enzyme in the purine-urea cycle, was found inEudistylia vancouveri (Polychaeta). The enzyme had a pH optimum at 7.6 TheKm was 0.012M allantoin, and the Arrhenius energy of activation was 12.6 to 14.6 kcal/mol.
Varicella-zoster virus vasculopathy Immune characteristics of virus-infected arteries

ABSTRACT Objective: Pathologic changes in varicella-zoster virus (VZV)–infected arteries include inflammation, thickened intima, and paucity of smooth muscle cells. Since no criteria have been established for early vs late VZV vasculopathy, we examined inflammatory cells and their distribution in 6 normal arteries, and 2 VZV-infected arteries 3 days after onset of disease (early) and 10 months after protracted neurologic disease (late). Methods: VZV-infected temporal artery obtained 3 days after onset of ischemic optic neuropathy from an 80-year-old man, VZV-infected middle cerebral artery (MCA) obtained 10 months after protracted disease from a 73-year-old man, and 5 MCAs and 1 temporal artery from normal subjects, age 22–60 years, were examined histologically and immunohistochemically using antibodies against VZV and inflammatory cell subsets. Results: In both early and late VZV vasculopathy, T cells, activated macrophages, and rare B cells were found in adventitia and intima. In adventitia of early VZV vasculopathy, neutrophils and VZV antigen were abundant and a thickened intima was associated with inflammatory cells in vaso vasorum vessels. In media of late VZV vasculopathy, viral antigen, but not leukocytes, was found. VZV was not seen in inflammatory cells. Inflammatory cells were absent in control arteries. Conclusions: Both VZV and neutrophils exclusively in adventitia in early VZV vasculopathy indicate that disease begins there. Late VZV vasculopathy is distinguished by viral antigen without inflammation in media, revealing a human virus in an immunoprivileged arterial media. Association of thickened intima and inflammation in vaso vasorum vessels in early VZV vasculopathy support the role of virus-induced inflammation in vessel wall remodeling.
Fresnel zone transforms in spatially incoherent illumination.

Two-dimensional sine, cosine, and Fourier transforms are obtained for objects illuminated by spatially incoherent, bandlimited light. A lensless Fresnel zone processor consisting of a double-imaging interferometer, a CCD array, and a digital computer is described and analyzed. Excellent bias removal and shot-noise level performance are obtained using a 14-bit digitizer. Experimental optical transforms are presented for an offset circular aperture and for a binary zone plate transmittance. The space–bandwidth product is derived, and excellent comparison with experiment is obtained.
Computational inductive definability

It is shown that over any countable first-order structure, IND programs with dictionaries accept exactly the Π11 relations. This extends a result of Harel and Kozen (Inform. and Control 63 (1–2) (1984) 118) relating IND and Π11 over countable structures with some coding power, and provides a computational analog of a result of Barwise et al. (J. Symbolic Logic 36 (1971) 108) relating the Π11 relations on a countable structure to a certain family of inductively definable relations on the hereditarily finite sets over that structure.
Mitral Valve Surgery for Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Current Status and Future Roles

There are a large number of patients with functional mitral regurgitation resulting from dilated cardiomyopathy. The decision between surgical correction and medical management of severe mitral regurgitation in heart failure can be difficult. The data regarding long-term benefits and mortality after surgical intervention are contradictory. Recent data suggest that mitral regurgitation can be surgically corrected in heart failure with symptomatic improvements and beneficial reverse remodeling. Contrary to prior beliefs, mitral valve repair can be performed safely with minimal postoperative mortality. Data from multi-institutional, randomized prospective trials will help to elucidate many of the questions and concerns regarding repair of severe functional mitral regurgitation.
Dissociative chemisorption of hydrogen on Ir(111): Evidence for terminal site adsorption

Dissociative chemisorption of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ on the Ir(111) surface at liquid nitrogen temperature has been studied with high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy and thermal desorption mass spectrometry. Quantum delocalized motion of the H adatoms parallel to the surface is responsible for the absence of a significant isotopic frequency shift in the vibrational spectra collected for low surface coverages of H and D. Vibrational coupling between this delocalized motion and iridium phonon modes is suggested by the broad linewidth of these low frequency loss features. As the surface coverage is increased, hydrogen adatoms shift into the terminal adsorption site from the delocalized overlayer that is present at low coverage. The high vibrational frequency of 2030 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ (1460 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$) observed for high surface coverages of H (D) adatoms enables unambiguous assignment of this mode to the perpendicular motion of the adatoms adsorbed at the terminal site. This is evidence of terminal site hydrogen adsorption on unmodified single-crystalline transition metal surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum conditions.
Phospholipid, galactolipid, and steryl lipid composition of apple fruit cortical tissue following postharvest CaCl2 infiltration

Abstract Fruit firmness and membrane lipid composition were evaluated in outer cortical tissue of ‘Golden Delicious’ apples, which were pressure-infiltrated with distilled water, or 2 or 4% CaCl 2 solutions at harvest. After six months storage at 0°, fruit were held at 20° for 1,7 or 14 days and then evaluated. During storage at 0°, firmness had decreased by 20% in water-infiltrated fruit, but by only 6% in fruit infiltrated with 4% CaCl 2 . During the span of 7 to 14 days at 20°, firmness decreased more rapidly in water-infiltrated fruit compared with CaCl 2 -infiltrated fruit. Reductions in specific phospholipids (primarily phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol) occurred after transfer to 20°, but were largely independent of the infiltration treatment. Steryl glycosides, acylated steryl glycosides, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and digalactosyldiacylglycerol concentrations were positively correlated to CaCl 2 concentration of infiltration solutions, and a large, transient increase (35–37%) in acylated steryl glycoside concentration occurred during the first 7 days at 20° in CaCl 2 -infiltrated fruit. In contrast, acylated steryl glycosides decreased by 19% in water-infiltrated fruit over the same time interval. Overall, the results indicate that CaCl 2 infiltration may delay galactolipid breakdown, increase the rate of sterol conjugation, and thus affect membrane organization and function during postharvest life of apple fruit.
Program Evaluation for Secondary School Music Programs

How is the music program in your school evaluated? If evaluation is based on the success of your per forming groups, your system is proba bly flawed, according to this writer.
Identity Gene Expression in Proteus mirabilis

Swarming colonies of independent Proteus mirabilis isolates recognize each other as foreign and do not merge together, whereas apposing swarms of clonal isolates merge with each other. Swarms of mutants with deletions in the ids gene cluster do not merge with their parent. Thus, ids genes are involved in the ability of P. mirabilis to distinguish self from nonself. Here we have characterized expression of the ids genes. We show that idsABCDEF genes are transcribed as an operon, and we define the promoter region upstream of idsA by deletion analysis. Expression of the ids operon increased in late logarithmic and early stationary phases and appeared to be bistable. Approaching swarms of nonself populations led to increased ids expression and increased the abundance of ids-expressing cells in the bimodal population. This information on ids gene expression provides a foundation for further understanding the molecular details of self-nonself discrimination in P. mirabilis.
Combination Antifungal Therapy for Mold Infections: Much Ado about Nothing?

In general, mortality rates associated with systemic fungal infections have not improved much in more than a decade, although the number of antifungal agents available for the treatment of serious fungal infections has increased in the past few years. A possible approach to decreasing mortality rates associated with fungal infections may be to treat patients with combinations of different classes of antifungals. Recently, in vitro and animal studies evaluating different combinations of antifungal agents have demonstrated important synergistic and/or additive activity against many genera of fungi. However, prudence is required, because some antifungal combinations have demonstrated antagonistic activity. Well-controlled clinical trials are still necessary to define the most efficacious antifungal combination. In addition, these clinical trials should evaluate the adverse event profile of the combination regimens, as well as their pharmacoeconomic impact.
Intangible Returns, Accruals, and Return Reversal: A Multi-Period Examination of the Accrual Anomaly

Prior studies employ a two period empirical model and interpret the negative association between accruals in period one and returns in period two as evidence that investors misprice the information contained in accruals. In contrast to prior studies, I employ a three period log-linear model decomposed from a firm's book-to-market ratio and show that investors do not misprice the information contained in accruals. My study shows that in the four year period prior to accrual recognition, equity prices tend to be driven disproportionately by intangible returns, or returns not explained by accounting measures. Accordingly, the relation between prior period intangible returns and future period returns subsumes the relation between current period accruals and future returns. In addition, I link the accrual anomaly and the value/growth anomaly to a common economic mechanism (intangible returns) and show that a strong negative relation between external financing activities and future returns is not subsumed by the accrual anomaly.
Facies-Specific, Calcitic and Bimineralic Ooids from Middle and Upper Cambrian Platform Carbonates, Western Newfoundland, Canada

ABSTRACT Oolites in the Port au Port Group consist of intercalated gray oolite, deposited on the shallow-subtidal mobile fringe of ooid sand shoals, and brown oolite, which accumulated on intertidal sand flats along the shoal crests. Gray oolite is composed of finely and coarsely preserved radial ooids that were precipitated and deposited in situ and whose fabric was controlled in large part by suspension versus bedload transport. Brown oolite is composed of concentric ooids or superficial radial ooids that were either formed and deposited in situ or swept onto the sand flats from the mobile fringe. The present fabric of the ooids is the result of protracted burial diagenesis. Cortices of finely and coarsely preserved radial ooids, excluding radial-concentric ones, and superficial radial ooids were Mg calcite originally; they changed to calcite, still retaining fine fabric, and subsequently to a variety of cortical fabrics during shallow burial, and altered to blocky fabrics during deep burial. Concentric ooids and radial-concentric ooids were bimineralic originally, composed of aragonite (now micrite and blocky calcite) and Mg calcite (now radial-fibrous calcite). Primary aragonitic laminae were partially or completely dissolved and crushed during shallow burial; resulting voids were filled with blocky calcite during deep burial. Correlation of original ooid mineralogy, fabric, and environment of formation indicates that local physical conditions such as turbulence influenced ooid formation in Cambrian time. This correlation is absent in modern deposits, suggesting that more widespread chemical and organic controls now prevail.
Monetary Control: The Implementation Experience

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the implementation of monetary policy, in particular the control of monetary aggregates. The discussion centers around two themes. First, monetary policy in retrospect, that is, the record of the Federal Reserve during the recent past in achieving its stated objectives regarding the time path of monetary aggregates; and second, monetary policy in prospect, that is, suggestions for operating guidelines that would enhance the Federal Reserve’s chances of meeting stated objectives regarding the time path of aggregates in the future.
MODSIM III and CACI's applications

This tutorial introduces CACI's MODSIM III language, showing how its simulation "world view" together with its object-oriented architecture and built-in graphics contribute to successful simulation model building. The tutorial also provides an overview of CACI's domain-specific simulation tools, namely SIMPROCESS and COMNET III, that are developed using MODSIM III.
Total synthesis of (+)-azaspiracid-1. Part I: Synthesis of the fully elaborated ABCD aldehyde.

wede-scribeourefforts,whichculminatedinasynthesisof(+)-azaspiracid-1 (ent-2, Scheme1). This target requires onlyminimalchangesinouroriginalsynthesisplanthattargetedthe originally proposed structure 1 of ( )-azaspiracid-1,namely the design of a newAB ring fragment and thesynthesisoftheenantiomeroftheEringfragment.Hereinwe
Building collaborative teams in neonatal intensive care

The complex multidisciplinary nature of neonatal intensive care combined with the numerous hand-offs occurring in this shift-based environment, requires efficient and clear communication and collaboration among staff to provide optimal care. However, the skills required to function as a team are not typically assessed, discussed, or even taught on a regular basis among neonatal personnel. We developed a multidisciplinary, small group, interactive workshop based on Team STEPPS to provide staff with formal teamwork skills, and to introduce new team-based practices; 129 (95%) of the eligible 136 staff were trained. We then compared the results of the pretraining survey (completed by 114 (84%) of staff) with the post-training survey (completed by 104 (81%) of participants) 2 years later. We found an improvement in the overall teamwork score from 7.37 to 8.08 (p=<0.0001) based on a range of poor (1) to excellent (9). Respondents provided higher ratings in 9 out of 15 team-based categories after the training. Specifically, staff found improvements in communication (p=0.037), placed greater importance on situation awareness (p=<0.00010), and reported that they supported each other more (p=<0.0001). Staff satisfaction was rated higher post-training, with responses showing that staff had greater job fulfilment (p=<0.0001), believed that their abilities were being utilised properly (p=0.003), and felt more respected (p=0.0037). 90% of staff found the new practice of team meetings to help increase awareness of unit acuity, and 77% of staff noted that they had asked for help or offered assistance because of information shared during these meetings. In addition to summarising the results of our training programme, this paper also provides practical tools that may be of use in developing team training programmes in other neonatal units.
Automated component manufacture - some major requirements

When looking at the requirements for semiconductor component assembly we need to explore a wide range of issues: from ‘why introduce automation?’ through to the specifics of equipment, materials and people
Sources of sediment found in sea ice from the western Arctic Ocean, new insights into processes of entrainment and drift patterns

[1] The geochemical fingerprint of entrained Fe oxide mineral grains in Arctic Ocean sea ice is used to determine precise sources of this sediment. This approach substantiates the importance of the Laptev Sea as a source of sea ice and even the presence of Russian ice in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska. Fe oxide grains from the Laptev Sea were found in floes in the Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Borderland, and central Arctic Ocean, demonstrating the importance of sea ice in distributing itself throughout the Arctic Ocean and the potential of transporting sediment from Russian rivers to North American shelves. Banks Island shelf is the most important source of sediment sampled from ice floes in the Beaufort Sea, northern Chukchi Sea, and Chukchi Borderland area. Although most of the entrained sediment fits the criteria for suspension freezing in shallow water, the presence of winter polynyas with offshore winds and not the size of shallow areas appears to be the critical factor for sea ice entrainment. Seven of the 18 ice floes sampled contained Fe oxide grains from more than one source area. The two most common sources that are found in the same ice floes are Banks Island and the Laptev Sea. Multiple sources in ice floes suggest that either mingling of fragmented ice floes occurs or that a source area containing grains from both these sources has yet to be located. The addition of fine, sand-sized, windblown sediment is not thought to be significant.
Role of surface charge density in nanoparticle-templated assembly of bromovirus protein cages.

Self-assembling icosahedral protein cages have potencially useful physical and chemical characteristics for a variety of nanotechnology applications, ranging from therapeutic or diagnostic vectors to building blocks for hierarchical materials. For application-specific functional control of protein cage assemblies, a deeper understanding of the interaction between the protein cage and its payload is necessary. Protein-cage encapsulated nanoparticles, with their well-defined surface chemistry, allow for systematic control over key parameters of encapsulation such as the surface charge, hydrophobicity, and size. Independent control over these variables allows experimental testing of different assembly mechanism models. Previous studies done with Brome mosaic virus capsids and negatively charged gold nanoparticles indicated that the result of the self-assembly process depends on the diameter of the particle. However, in these experiments, the surface-ligand density was maintained at saturation levels, while t...
Plasmonics: Metal-worthy methods and materials in nanophotonics

Electrons and photons can coexist as a single entity called a surface plasmon—an elementary excitation found at the interface between a conductor and an insulator. Because of their hybrid electric and photonic nature, plasmons allow photons to be precisely controlled on the nanoscale. Plasmons are evident in the vivid hues of rose windows, which derive their color from small metallic nanoparticles embedded in the glass. They also provide the basis for color-changing biosensors (such as home pregnancy tests), photothermal cancer treatments, improved photovoltaic cell efficiencies, and nanoscale lasers. While surface plasmons were first identified nearly 55 years ago, many of their exciting applications are yet to come. This issue of MRS Bulletin reviews the progress and promise of plasmonics—from the characterization tools that have allowed nanometer-scale probing of plasmons to the new materials that may enable low-loss, active, and quantum plasmonics. Within reach are applications ranging from integrated plasmonic circuits for nanophotonic computation to plasmonic optical tweezers for manipulation of nano-sized particles and proteins.
Design and optimization of a digital microfluidic biochip for protein crystallization

Proteins crystallization is a commonly used technique for protein analysis and subsequent drug design. It predicts the three-dimensional arrangement of the constituent amino acids, which in turn indicates the specific biological function of a protein. Protein crystallization experiments are typically carried out manually on multi-well plates in the laboratory. These experiments are slow, expensive, and error-prone. We present the design of a multi-well plate microfluidic biochip for protein crystallization; this biochip can transfer protein samples, prepare candidate solutions, and carry out crystallization automatically. To reduce the manufacturing cost of such devices, we present an efficient algorithm to generate a pin-assignment plan for the proposed design. The resulting biochip enables control of a large number of on-chip electrodes using only a small number of pins. Based on the pin-constrained chip design, we present an efficient shuttle-passenger-like droplet manipulation method to achieve high-throughput and defect-tolerant well loading.
Chaotic attractors of an infinite-dimensional dynamical system

Abstract We study the chaotic attractors of a delay differential equation. The dimension of several attractors computed directly from the definition agrees to experimental resolution with the dimension computed from the spectrum of Lyapunov exponents according to a conjecture of Kaplan and Yorke. Assuming this conjecture to be valid, as the delay parameter is varied, from computations of the spectrum of Lyapunov exponents, we observe a roughly linear increase from two to twenty in the dimension, while the metric entropy remains roughly constant. These results are compared to a linear analysis, and the asymptotic behavior of the Lyapunov exponents is derived.
Culture of Campylobacter jejuni with Sodium Deoxycholate Induces Virulence Gene Expression

Campylobacter jejuni, a spiral-shaped gram-negative bacterium, is a leading bacterial cause of human food-borne illness. Acute disease is associated with C. jejuni invasion of the intestinal epithelium. Further, maximal host cell invasion requires the secretion of proteins termed Campylobacter invasion antigens (Cia). As bile acids are known to alter the pathogenic behavior of other gastrointestinal pathogens, we hypothesized that the virulence potential of Campylobacter may be triggered by the bile acid deoxycholate (DOC). In support of this hypothesis, culturing C. jejuni with a physiologically relevant concentration of DOC significantly altered the kinetics of cell invasion, as shown by gentamicin protection assays. In contrast to C. jejuni harvested from Mueller-Hinton (MH) agar plates, C. jejuni harvested from MH agar plates supplemented with DOC secreted the Cia proteins, as judged by metabolic labeling experiments. DOC was also found to induce the expression of the ciaB gene, as determined by β-galactosidase reporter, real-time reverse transcription-PCR, and microarray analyses. Microarray analysis further revealed that DOC induced the expression of virulence genes (ciaB, cmeABC, dccR, and tlyA). In summary, we demonstrated that it is possible to enhance the pathogenic behavior of C. jejuni by modifying the culture conditions. These results provide a foundation for identifying genes expressed by C. jejuni in response to in vivo-like culture conditions.
Use of shear lag for composite microstress analysis - Linear array

The task of finding stress distributions in damaged composites analytically by means of the theory of elasticity is prohibitively difficult, so approximate techniques are generally employed. The most widely used is shear lag theory. This theory contains a parameter representing the shear coupling between fibers that has been difficult to evaluate in the past. The present paper evaluates this parameter for a linear array of fibers. In the limiting case of small fiber diameter to fiber spacing ratio and large matrix thickness to fiber diameter ratio an analytical solution is possible and is provided in this paper. For other geometries the solution is obtained experimentally. It is found that the assumption usually made for the parameter is rather far off for most geometries of practical interest. d d{ d2 D0 FG
A comparison of the method of averaging and Grobner's integral equation†

Abstract The method of averaging is compared to Grobner's method of integral equations as applied to a weakly non-linear periodic system of differential equations. The first and second approximation to the solutions of the differential equations via both techniques are shown to be equivalent.
Optical Interconnection Networks

Call for Papers. Optical Interconnection Networks. Keren Bergman (editor), Columbia University, Gary Hughes (guest organizer), National Security Agency. Submission deadline: August 1, 2004. In current high-performance computing and communications systems an emerging need for ultra-high-capacity, low-latency interconnection networks has led investigators to consider insertion of optical-domain switching fabrics. The use of optical technology for the physical switching layer within data communication systems is clearly advantageous in providing maximum bandwidth per cable particularly through the exploitation of DWDM. Furthermore, the transparency offered in the optical domain allows potentially wide flexibility in the data encoding and protocols. However, many key challenges remain to the successful implementation of optical packet routing, as optical signals cannot be processed efficiently or buffered for an arbitrary time. Clearly, innovative architectures, switching fabrics, and packet processing subsystems that employ optical technologies in synergetic fashions with powerful electronic techniques would be poised to harvest the immense transmission bandwidth of optics creating the ultimate
Evaluation of Redundancy Driven Provisioning for Hypervisors with Locally Attached Storage

Virtualized data centers became ubiquitous and led to invention of new delivery model called cloud computing. Cloud service providers pursue high degree of automation for the management processes in order to make their services responsive and inexpensive. One of such critical processes is virtual machine provisioning. This article reports on our on-going research to evaluate the efficiency of the provisioning process that leverages virtual machine similarity to reduce the amount of data that has to be transferred from the storage server to the hyper visor on which the virtual machine is being instantiated. The simulation experiments point to conclusion that the redundancy based provisioning can provide very substantial reduction in terms of amount of data that needs to be copied from the storage server.
Essential histidine and tryptophan residues in CcsA, a system II polytopic cytochrome c biogenesis protein.

Three distinct systems (I, II, and III) for catalysis of heme attachment to c-type apocytochromes are known. The CcsA and Ccs1 proteins are required in system II for the assembly of bacterial and plastid cytochromes c. A tryptophan-rich signature motif (WWD), also occurring in CcmC and CcmF found in system I, and three histidinyl residues, all strictly conserved in CcsA suggest a function in heme handling. Topological analysis of plastid CcsA in bacteria using the PhoA andLacZα reporters placed the WWD motif, the conserved residues His212 and His347 on the lumen side of the membrane, whereas His309 was assigned a location on the stromal side. Functional analysis of CcsA through site-directed mutagenesis enabled the designation of the initiation codon of theccsA gene and established the functional importance of the WWD signature motif and the absolute requirement of all three histidines for the assembly of plastid c-type cytochromes. In a ccsA mutant, a 200-kDa Ccs1-containing complex is absent from solubilized thylakoid membranes, suggesting that CcsA operates together with Ccs1. We propose a model where the WWD motif and histidine residues function in relaying heme from stroma to lumen and we postulate the existence of a cytochrome c assembly machinery containing CcsA, Ccs1 and additional components.
The irrigation system in Brăila – a farmer economic focused approach

In the present context marked by ever increasing global climate changes, the use of irrigations in agriculture represents not only an option but more and more a necessity for ensuring a higher yield of agricultural products whose demand increases every year based on population growth. The present paper focuses on the specific elements of the irrigation systems from Braila County, the way the farmers have access to and the different implications derived by using these systems. The paper turns to quantitative analysis of available statistical data and qualitative analysis of the interviews with local farmers focused on economic efficiency of the water used for irrigations.
Organization of the Diabetic Foot Care Team

Diabetes is a multifaceted disease characterized by a multitude of complications. Patients with diabetes present not only with lower extremity complications, i.e., peripheral vascular disease and ulcerations, but also with chronic renal disease, cardiac disease, or gastrointestinal disturbances. For this reason, a multidisciplinary team is essential to the management of these complications even when patients are admitted for seemingly unrelated conditions. Failure to recognize and manage these comorbid conditions can lead to prolonged hospitalizations and less than optimal outcomes. This is not a new statement or concept. Clinical practice and reports strongly support the importance and efficacy of the team approach, whether it is for managing diabetic foot complications or other complications of diabetes.
Time Course and Predictors of Structural Disease Progression in Pulmonary Metastases Arising from Follicular Cell–Derived Thyroid Cancer

Background: With the advent of molecular targeted therapy for the management of radioactive iodine (RAI) refractory, progressive metastatic thyroid cancer, it becomes important to define the time course and risk factors for structural disease progression in follicular cell–derived thyroid cancer (FCDTC) patients. This will help in defining the optimal time to start these therapies and better define their impact on structural disease progression. Objectives: This retrospective review of 199 consecutive patients with FCDTC presenting with lung metastasis examined the progression-free survival (PFS) in thyroid cancer patients with lung metastasis treated with surgery and RAI, and who had not received molecular targeted therapy or chemotherapy. Results: The median overall survival (OS) was 10.45 years, while the median PFS was 3.65 years. A strong correlation was found between OS and PFS. PFS is shorter in patients with RAI refractory disease, poorly differentiated/Hurthle cell histologies, male sex, fluorode...
Numerical Taxonomy in Marketing Analysis: A Review Article:

Recent developments in numerical taxonomy appear to show applicability for many classification problems in marketing. This review article describes some of the approaches to numerical classificatio...
Studying Culture and History in Exotic Places and at Home

Studies of culture and history, although never central to environment—behavior (EB) research, have long enjoyed a place in a field largely influenced by environmental psychology. Considerations of culture, perhaps the broadest of all frameworks for examining human behavior, have been a significant area of continuous investigation, however, while historical approaches have traditionally been only a minor aspect of the work. This chapter critically examines a selected sample of cultural and historical studies from the perspective of an anthropologist working in the EB field and outlines major contributions to the study of culture—environment relations.
Chemical and Mechanical Properties of Wellbore Cement Altered by CO2-Rich Brine Using a Multianalytical Approach

Defining chemical and mechanical alteration of wellbore cement by CO2-rich brines is important for predicting the long-term integrity of wellbores in geologic CO2 environments. We reacted CO2-rich brines along a cement-caprock boundary at 60 °C and pCO2 = 3 MPa using flow-through experiments. The results show that distinct reaction zones form in response to reactions with the brine over the 8-day experiment. Detailed characterization of the crystalline and amorphous phases, and the solution chemistry show that the zones can be modeled as preferential portlandite dissolution in the depleted layer, concurrent calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) alteration to an amorphous zeolite and Ca-carbonate precipitation in the carbonate layer, and carbonate dissolution in the amorphous layer. Chemical reaction altered the mechanical properties of the core lowering the average Young’s moduli in the depleted, carbonate, and amorphous layers to approximately 75, 64, and 34% of the unaltered cement, respectively. The decreased...
Power Polarity In The Far Eastern World System, 1025 BCAD 1850: Narrative And 25-Year Interval Data

Power polarity in the Far Eastern macro-social system is assessed at twenty five year intervals 1050 BC-AD 1850. Consistent with analysis of Indic system data, there is no support for the theory that the normal world-system power configuration is multipolar, hegemonic, or universal-empire. Instead several different "stability epochs" are discerned.
Broadband Processing in a Noisy Shallow Ocean Environment: A Particle Filtering Approach

When a broadband source propagates sound in a shallow ocean the received data can become quite complicated due to temperature-related sound-speed variations and therefore a highly dispersive environment. Noise and uncertainties disrupt this already chaotic environment even further because disturbances propagate through the same inherent acoustic channel. The broadband (signal) estimation/detection problem can be decomposed into a set of narrowband solutions that are processed separately and then combined to achieve more enhancement of signal levels than that available from a single frequency, thereby allowing more information to be extracted leading to a more reliable source detection. A Bayesian solution to the broadband modal function tracking, pressure-field enhancement, and source detection problem is developed that leads to nonparametric estimates of desired posterior distributions enabling the estimation of useful statistics and an improved processor/detector. To investigate the processor capabilities, we synthesize an ensemble of noisy, broadband, shallow-ocean measurements to evaluate its overall performance using an information theoretical metric for the preprocessor and the receiver operating characteristic curve for the detector.
Macromineral absorption in sheep fed tetany-prone and non-tetany-prone hays.

Two experiments were conducted to determine some of the factors that led to hypomagnesemic tetany associated with the feeding of two orchardgrass hays. Sixteen mature Columbia and Suffolk wethers (62 to 72 kg), four of which were fitted with ruminal and abomasal cannulae, were fed one of two tetany-prone orchardgrass hays or a non-tetany-prone bromegrass hay. In Exp. 1, 12 wethers were used in a completely random design metabolism experiment to measure apparent absorption and retention of macrominerals. In Exp. 2, four wethers with ruminal and abomasal cannulae were used in a completely random design experiment to monitor pre-intestinal mineral absorption and ruminal characteristics. This experiment was replicated once, with wethers remaining on their diets for 16 d in each replication. In the metabolism experiment, apparent absorption and retention of Mg as a percentage of intake were lower (P less than .01 and P less than .05) for one tetany-prone orchardgrass hay compared with the other orchardgrass hay. Pre-intestinal absorption of Mg in the cannulated wethers was greater (P less than .01) for the orchardgrass hays than for the bromegrass hay. Pre-intestinal Mg absorption was higher (P less than .01), both in terms of grams per day and a percentage of intake for the orchardgrass hay with the highest Mg content. In the noncannulated wethers, the percentage of water-soluble Mg in the feces was lower (P less than .01) for the tetany-prone hays, indicating that a decrease in Mg solubility in the intestine may have influenced Mg apparent absorption.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Shame-related states of mind in psychotherapy.

Current theory on self-conscious emotions emphasizes the importance of shame-related phenomena in psychopathology and psycho- therapy. An appreciation of manifestations of shame in psychotherapy greatly deepens our ability to connect with and understand our patients' experience. The relative salience of the shame-prone patient's devalued-self or devaluing-other internalizations will have critical importance in the psychotherapy setting, guiding the types of interventions and stances that are most helpful. Knowledge of some predictable shame-related transactions involving envy, blaming, or overzealous probing can help the psychotherapist preempt mobilization of unnecessary levels of shame in treatment.
A Mechanical Image Model for Bayesian Tomographic Reconstruction

Abstract We present an explicit mechanical image model for Bayesian reconstruction from tomographic data. The image intensity of each pixel is modeled by a transverse motion of a so-called “pixtron” with unknown mass. A prior energy for Bayesian tomographic reconstruction is therefore interpreted as the total kinetic energy of a collection of pixtrons. With the log-likelihood as the potential energy restricting the motion of pixtrons, the minimization of a log-posterior is an analogue of the principle of least action in the classical mechanics. We show that the Gaussian Markov random field prior can be viewed as the kinetic energy of free motion of pixtrons. With the framework of the mechanical image model, we propose a novel image prior for Bayesian tomographic reconstruction based on level-set evolution of an image driven by the mean curvature motion. As it has been studied in image processing with nonlinear diffusion, this prior encourages the stabilization of an edge while the reconstructed image is smoothed along both sides of the edge. A distinguished feature of our approach is that the curvature term itself appears in the image prior rather than in the resulting differential equation derived from the total variation method. An algorithm of iterated coordinate descent has been implemented with the proposed prior using Brent's method for one-dimensional optimization. Our simulation results demonstrate that our algorithm can outperform existing priors for preserving sharp edges during tomographic reconstruction without introducing additional artifacts.