cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The posthospital experience of elderly Medicare home health users.

This study describes the home health experience of 295 Medicare elderly persons following hospitalization. While a subset of persons improve medically and functionally during the home health service period, some declined on one or both dimensions and many showed not change. The most heavily utilized, non-Medicare, services were personal care and homemaker/chore, reflecting the functional needs of some posthospital elderly. One-fifth of Medicare home health users were reinstitutionalized or died during the service period. Those discharged lo home had a range of continuing service needs, both medical and functional, after home health discharge.
Chemical studies of L chondrites—II. Shock-induced trace element mobilization

Data for 13 trace elements in 14 L4-6 chondrites of established shock history are reported and discussed. These data are combined with data for an additional 13 L4-6 chondrites to delineate the full extent of losses by shock. Trace element contents vary with petrologic type, S/Fe subgroup, and shock history, the last dominating strongly. Absolute abundances and interelement relationships for the six or seven most mobile elements vary with degree of shock-loading established from mineralogic and petrologic study. Shock-heating, previously known to have affected radiogenic Ar-40 and/or He-4 in meteorites but not other elements, apparently was at least as effective as other open-system processes in establishing mobile trace element contents of L chondrites and probably others.
Evidence for the requirement of methionyl tRNA modification for in vitro polypeptide initiation in Streptococcus faecium.

Abstract Extracts of folate-deficient Streptococcus faecium have been examined for their ability to dispense with the normal requirement of formylation of methionyl-tRNA to initiate polypeptide biosynthesis. [35S]Methionyl-tRNA's prepared from Escherichia coli or S. faecium both require formylation to bind to S. faecium ribosomes in the presence of endogenous mRNA and AUG. Formation of the puromycin derivative of the initiator by S. faecium components is similarly formylation dependent. Spermine promotes a further, but non-specific, Mg2+-independent ribosomal binding of both methionyl-tRNA and formylmethionyl tRNA. The cell-free system differs from the intact cell which can utilize formylated or unformylated initiator, and from the eucaryote cytoplasm which does not formylate the initiator. A factor of the intact cell of S. faecium is postulated to substitute for formylation of methionyl tRNA for folateless protein initiation.
Geoid anomalies over the Canary Islands Group

The Canary Islands geoid anomaly shows only a short-wavelength high associated with island topography. The predicted anomaly best matches the observed geoid when we assume that the lithosphere is a very stiff plate. We find no evidence for shallow reheating or a mantle plume, since there is no evidence of a midplate swell and the corresponding elastic thickness is appropriate for the age of the seafloor on which the island group rests.
Rationale for Surgical Therapy of Barrett Esophagus

Objectives Barrett esophagus has malignant potential and seems to be an acquired abnormality. It is associated with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease and represents its severest form. The literature comparing medical treatment with antireflux surgery was reviewed. Questions regarding the advantages of surgery, who should undergo surgery, whether surgery can change the course of Barrett esophagus, the change in cancer risk, who needs surveillance, and cost-effectiveness were addressed. The incidence of developing Barrett cancer was 1 in 145 patient-years in reviewing 2032 patient-years of medical therapy compared with 1 in 294 patient-years in reviewing 4122 patient-years after surgery. Median follow-up time in the 2 groups was 2.7 years in the medically treated patients and 4.0 years in the surgically treated patients. Surveillance of Barrett esophagus is required irrespective of treatment. Laparoscopic antireflux surgery was found to be cost-effective after 7 years. Although these data do not prove that surgery is superior to medical treatment in the prevention of cancer related to Barrett esophagus, we found a tendency for surgery to be better than medical therapy to prevent the development and progression of Barrett carcinoma.
Stereospecific interactions of chiral cobalt(III)-amine complexes with guanosine 5′-monophosphate

Abstract The interactions of two chiral cobalt(III)-amine complex cations, [Co(sep)]3+ where sep = sepulchrate (1, 3, 6, 8,10,13,16,19-octaazabicyclo[6.6.6]eicosane), and [Co(tetren)(OH)]2+ where tetren = tetraethylene-pentaamine (1,4,7,10,13-pentaazatridecane), with guanosine 5′-monophospbate (5′-GMP) were characterized in the solid state and in aqueous solution. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (AMR,) studies show that interactions persist even in dilute solutions of this compound. The 1H NMR spectrum of the products formed when racemic [Co(sep)]3+ reacts with β- d -5′-GMP reveals a splitting o the AB multiplet of the methylene bridge protons of [CO(sep)]3+ into two AB multiplets of equal intensity. This is shown to be the result of the formation of the diastereomers [Λ-(+)-Co(sep)]2(β- d -GMP)3 and [δ-(−)-Co(sep)]2(β- d -5′-GMP)3. The phosphate is not involved in covalent bonding, but could be participating in hydrogen bonding. Fourier transform infrared data of solid [Co(sep)]2(5′-GMP)3 · 12H20 suggest the possibility of hydrogen bonding of N-H sites on the cobalt ligands with N7 and 06 of the guanine base. The compound {[Co(tetren)]2(5′-GMP)}(ClO4)4 · 6H20 was synthesized and it was found that the phosphate was covalently bonded to the Co(III). The solid decomposes into [Co(tetren) (5′-GMP)]+ in aqueous solution. Di-astereomer formation is observed in the 31P NMR when [Co(tetren)(5′-GMP)]+ is formed in solution from racemic [Co(tetren)(OH)]2+ and β- d -5′-GMP2−, and 1H NMR reveals interactions between the etbylenic protons and guanine moiety. The K′assoc for [Co(tetren (5′-GMP)]+ is 0.17 ± 0.05. Molecular modeling was done and the structures determined correlated well with the experimental data. These Co(III)-amine complex ions illustrate the variety of highly specific interactions which can occur with biomolecules.
Reflections on semantics in generative grammar

En considerant a la fois le cote linguistique et le cote philosophique de la semantique, l'A. situe la semantique telle qu'elle est concue dans la grammaire generative, les objections que cette these a suscitees et les reponses qu'il est possible d'apporter a ces objections
Autoradiography of cellular glycoproteins reveals histogenesis of bronchogenic adenocarcinomas

Primary and metastatic human bronchogenic adenocarcinomas, excluding bronchioloalveolar and large cell types, and normal bronchi were studied to find out if the tumors displayed a common type of glyco-protein metabolism that was also shared by one or more bronchial epithelial cell types. For comparison, the glycoprotein metabolism of a metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma was also investigated. Tissues were maintained in vitro, and the cellular distribution of glycoproteins, metabolically labelled with 3H-glucosamine, was determined by light and electron microscopic autoradiography. Intense reactions in the form of silver grains over luminal surfaces of primary bronchogenic adenocarcinomas and those metastatic to pleural fluids indicated that the synthesis of cell coat (glycocalyx) glycoproteins predominated. In the pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the synthesis of secretory glycoproteins predominated, reflecting a histogenesis from secretory epithelium. In bronchi, only ciliated epithelium exhibited a distribution of newly synthesized glycoproteins similar to that observed in the bronchogenic adenocarcinomas. These observations suggest that bronchogenic adenocarcinomas share a common histogenesis and most likely arise from a cell type committed to differentiation into ciliated epithelium.
Emergent vs urgent appendectomy in children: a study of outcomes.

Abstract Background Emergent appendectomy (EA) in children is still considered surgical dogma and continues to be recommended as a standard of care. This study examined whether emergent operation has any outcome advantages over urgent operation. Methods The charts of children treated for appendicitis during a recent 28-month period at 2 children's hospitals, where appendectomies are not performed between midnight and 7 am , were reviewed. Outcomes were compared between patients who underwent EA (within 8 hours of presentation) vs those who underwent urgent appendectomy (UA, after 8 hours). Results Three hundred sixty-five children met the criteria for the study. One hundred sixty-one (44%) were in the EA group (5.3 ± 2.1 hours), and 204 (56%) were in the UA group (16.8 ± 9.7 hours). The incidence of gangrenous or perforated appendicitis was significantly higher in the EA group (47% vs 36%, P = .04). There were no significant differences between EA and UA in postoperative outcomes, including readmissions (3.7% vs 1.0%, P = .08), wound infections (0.6% vs 2.4%, P = .17), or postoperative abscesses (1.9% vs 1.5%, P = .77). There were no significant differences in average hospital stay or average hospital charges between EA and UA (3.2 days for both, $14,775 vs $14,850), respectively. Conclusions Emergent appendectomy in children has no advantages over UA with respect to gangrene and perforation rates, readmissions, postoperative complications, hospital stay, or hospital charges. Performance of a UA at a time convenient to the surgeon should be considered within the standard of care.
Single-molecule fluorescence probes dynamics of barrier crossing

Kramers developed the theory on how chemical reaction rates are influenced by the viscosity of the medium. At the viscosity of water, the kinetics of unimolecular reactions are described by diffusion of a Brownian particle over a free-energy barrier separating reactants and products. For reactions in solution this famous theory extended Eyring's transition state theory, and is widely applied in physics, chemistry and biology, including to reactions as complex as protein folding. Because the diffusion coefficient of Kramers' theory is determined by the dynamics in the sparsely populated region of the barrier top, its properties have not been directly measured for any molecular system. Here we show that the Kramers diffusion coefficient and free-energy barrier can be characterized by measuring the temperature- and viscosity-dependence of the transition path time for protein folding. The transition path is the small fraction of an equilibrium trajectory for a single molecule when the free-energy barrier separating two states is actually crossed. Its duration, the transition path time, can now be determined from photon trajectories for single protein molecules undergoing folding/unfolding transitions. Our finding of a long transition path time with an unusually small solvent viscosity dependence suggests that internal friction as well as solvent friction determine the Kramers diffusion coefficient for α-helical proteins, as opposed to a breakdown of his theory, which occurs for many small-molecule reactions. It is noteworthy that the new and fundamental information concerning Kramers' theory and the dynamics of barrier crossings obtained here come from experiments on a protein rather than a much simpler chemical or physical system.
Carbon paste electrodes application to anodic voltammetry

Abstract The use of carbon paste electrodes (carbon of graphite intimately mixed with an organic liquid) as substitutes for noble metal electrodes is described This method offers several distinct advantages in solid electrode voltammetry and can be applied to routine analysis using standard techniques of anodic voltammetry,
Capturing human data in a letter counting task: Accessibility and action-centeredness in representing cognitive skills

This work presents an integrated model of skill learning that takes into account both implicit and explicit processes and both action-centered and non-action-centered knowledge. The existing distinction between procedural and declarative knowledge unnecessarily confounds these two aspects (action-centeredness and accessibility), and can be made clearer through separating the two aspects. The model is used to simulate human data in a letter counting task. The work shows how the data in this task may be captured using either action-centered knowledge alone or both action-centered and non-action-centered knowledge, though the combined approach produced a better fit. The results demonstrate the difference between these approaches and provide a new perspective on skill learning.
COMPUTER MEDIATED WORD RECOGNITION: POISED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

(2001). COMPUTER MEDIATED WORD RECOGNITION: POISED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Reading & Writing Quarterly: Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 99-102.
Marketing Social Marketing: Getting Inside Those “Big Dogs’ Heads” and Other Challenges:

Social marketing provides a powerful process for planning and implementing public health programs. Although often applied to the promotion of healthier lifestyles, social marketing can also be used to promote utilization of direct services or policy changes. Despite growing popularity among public health professionals, resistance by senior management, community advocates, policy makers, and others can create barriers to the use of the social marketing model. This article draws on the authors’ observations, practice experiences, extensive training interactions, and qualitative studies with public health practitioners across the nation. It examines some of the key reasons that public health practitioners encounter resistance to using social marketing and discusses how a logic model can be used to market social marketing in organizations and communities.
Operational estimators for the length of a traveling salesman tour

Abstract We define several estimators that can be used to obtain approximations for the length of a traveling salesman tour based on the actual locations of customers and the depot. We perform extensive Monte Carlo experiments to determine the “best” multiplier values that should be used with the estimators, and compute average approximation errors of the estimators. Sensitivity analysis that examines the robustness of the estimators with different shapes of the service region is also conducted. The results show that very accurate and robust tour length approximations can be obtained using one of the proposed estimators.
Co-exposure to cigarette smoke and alcohol decreases airway epithelial cell cilia beating in a protein kinase Cε-dependent manner.

Alcohol use disorders are associated with increased lung infections and exacerbations of chronic lung diseases. Whereas the effects of cigarette smoke are well recognized, the interplay of smoke and alcohol in modulating lung diseases is not clear. Because innate lung defense is mechanically maintained by airway cilia action and protein kinase C (PKC)-activating agents slow ciliary beat frequency (CBF), we hypothesized that the combination of smoke and alcohol would decrease CBF in a PKC-dependent manner. Primary ciliated bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to 5% cigarette smoke extract plus100 mmol/L ethanol for up to 24 hours and assayed for CBF and PKCe. Smoke and alcohol co-exposure activated PKCe by 1 hour and decreased both CBF and total number of beating cilia by 6 hours. A specific activator of PKCe, DCP-LA, slowed CBF after maximal PKCe activation. Interestingly, activation of PKCe by smoke and alcohol was only observed in ciliated cells, not basal bronchial epithelium. In precision-cut mouse lung slices treated with smoke and alcohol, PKCe activation preceded CBF slowing. Correspondingly, increased PKCe activity and cilia slowing were only observed in mice co-exposed to smoke and alcohol, regardless of the sequence of the combination exposure. No decreases in CBF were observed in PKCe knockout mice co-exposed to smoke and alcohol. These data identify PKCe as a key regulator of cilia slowing in response to combined smoke and alcohol-induced lung injury.
THE EFFECT OF IONIZING RADIATION ON PHAGOCYTOSIS AND THE BACTERICIDAL POWER OF THE BLOOD I. THE EFFECT OF RADIATION ON MIGRATION OF LEUCOCYTES

Exposure of rats to 600 r total body radiation did not influence either the rate or the extent of migration of their leucocytes 1 day after irradiation, but did decrease their migration on the 2nd and the 5th postirradiation day. Migration of rat leucocytes was not altered by infection of the animal with M. aureus. Leucocytes of rabbits irradiated with 100 r showed a normal rate and extent of migration. However rabbits exposed to 500 r or 800 r showed depression of leucocyte migration at two postirradiation intervals, on the 3rd to 5th and the 10th to 13th days after irradiation, with normal activity intervening. By the 21st postirradiation day the ability of leucocytes to migrate returned to normal. The effect of radiation on total and differential W.B.C. counts and the relationship of this effect to migration is discussed. The decrease in leucocyte migration could not be ascribed either to leucopenia or to plasma factors.
Optimal linear precoding with theoretical and practical data rates in high-speed serial-link backplane communication

Multi-Gb/s high-speed links face significant challenges in keeping up with the increase in desired data rates. In the evaluation of achievable data rates, it is necessary to include both link-specific noise sources and implementation driven constraints. We construct models of these noise sources and constraints in order to estimate the theoretical limits of typical high-speed link channels. In order to estimate the data rates of practical baseband architectures, we solve the power constrained optimal linear precoding problem and formulate a bit-error rate (BER) driven optimization, including all link-specific noise sources. The problem is shown to be quasiconcave, hence, a globally optimal solution is guaranteed. Using this optimization framework, we show that practical data rates are mainly limited by inter-symbol interference (ISI) due to complexity constraints on the number of precoder and equalizer taps. After these constraints are removed, we further show that slicer resolution and sampling jitter are limiting the higher bandwidth utilization provided by multi-level modulations. Better circuits are needed to improve the bandwidth utilization to more than 2bits/dimension in baseband.
German agrarian institutions at the beginning of the sixteenth century: Upper Swabia as an example

This paper deals with three dynamic factors leading to rural social change in the years before 1525. The rise of population changed man/land ratios, brought alterations in inheritance customs, and helped create a class of landless agricultural labourers. Alterations in the nature of market relationships changed the balance between city and country and introduced new wage relationships in the countryside with the putting out system. Increasing articulation of state institutions led to attempts to rationalise armed force, brought taxation to pay for larger and more complex armies, and changed the relationships between central authority and subjects. The effects of these changes should be investigated regionally before generalisations about all of Central Europe are made, and the paper shows how one such regional study might be done.
Countering code-injection attacks with instruction-set randomization

We describe a new, general approach for safeguarding systems against any type of code-injection attack. We apply Kerckhoff's principle, by creating process-specific randomized instruction sets (e.g., machine instructions) of the system executing potentially vulnerable software. An attacker who does not know the key to the randomization algorithm will inject code that is invalid for that randomized processor, causing a runtime exception. To determine the difficulty of integrating support for the proposed mechanism in the operating system, we modified the Linux kernel, the GNU binutils tools, and the bochs-x86 emulator. Although the performance penalty is significant, our prototype demonstrates the feasibility of the approach, and should be directly usable on a suitable-modified processor (e.g., the Transmeta Crusoe).Our approach is equally applicable against code-injecting attacks in scripting and interpreted languages, e.g., web-based SQL injection. We demonstrate this by modifying the Perl interpreter to permit randomized script execution. The performance penalty in this case is minimal. Where our proposed approach is feasible (i.e., in an emulated environment, in the presence of programmable or specialized hardware, or in interpreted languages), it can serve as a low-overhead protection mechanism, and can easily complement other mechanisms.
Computer Usage by Children with Down Syndrome: Challenges and Future Research

Children with Down syndrome, like neurotypical children, are growing up with extensive exposure to computer technology. Computers and computer-related devices have the potential to help these children in education, career development, and independent living. Our understanding of computer usage by this population is quite limited. Most of the software, games, and Web sites that children with Down syndrome interact with are designed without consideration of their special needs, making the applications less effective or completely inaccessible. We conducted a large-scale survey that collected computer usage information from the parents of approximately six hundred children with Down syndrome. This article reports the text responses collected in the survey and is intended as a step towards understanding the difficulties children with Down syndrome experience while using computers. The relationship between the age and the specific type of difficulties, as well as related design challenges are also reported. A number of potential research directions and hypotheses are identified for future studies. Due to limitations in survey methodology, the findings need to be further validated through hypothesis-driven, empirical studies.
Dilophic acid, a diterpenoid from the tropical brown seaweed Dilophus guineensis

Abstract A new xenicane-type diterpenoid containing a carboxylic acid has been isolated from the tropical brown alga Dilophus guineensis. Its structure was established via spectroscopic arguments including the use of two-dimensional proton—proton and proton—carbon COSY experiments. This new diterpene shows slight Gram-positive antimicrobial activity and is weakly ichthyotoxic.
Performance after cochlear implantation in DFNB1 patients

Objective To evaluate the speech perception and language development with cochlear implants (CI) of DFNB1 children in comparison with non-DFNB1 deaf children. Study Design Retrospective case series. Setting Academic tertiary center. Results Thirty-one congenitally deafened children, screened for GJB2 allele variants, were followed for an average 32 months after CI. With the use of age-appropriate testing, 75% of DFNB1 and 53% of non-DFNB1 children achieved open set word recognition (speech perception category [SPC] level 6). Multivariate analysis showed that SPC was primarily dependent on duration of CI use, but not on the cause of hearing loss. In Reynell language tests, DFNB1 children showed more consistent and quicker gains than non-DFNB1 children. Conclusion Although children with CI with DFNB1 show faster gains in Reynell scores, duration of CI use appears to have a greater effect on speech perception than DFNB1 status. Significance Identification of DFNB1 children is useful in counseling of CI outcomes.
Drift Compensation and Acceleration Resolution for a Rotating Platform IMU

Theme T Delco Carousel IMU in the Titan IIIC vehicle is similar to the conventional inertial platform except that two sets of the inertial instruments are mounted on a platform which rotates at 1 rpm about an inertially fixed axis. Derivations of navigation equations for acceleration resolution and drift compensation for the IMU are presented. The equations have been checked out and implemented in the flight computer.
Defect chemistry and electrical properties of a Pr-CeO 2 solid solution: From nano- to micro-scale

In nano-crystalline ceramics, the grain boundary volume fraction is large relative to that in micro-crystalline materials and can therefore become the dominant factor in determining its electrical, chemical, and mechanical properties. Reduced enthalpies of defect formation for nanocrystalline Pr0.1Ce0.9O2-δ , derived from thermo-gravimetric and impedance spectroscopy measurements, are reported. In addition, observations of cerium carbonate formation on nanoporous materials and implications for thermo-gravimetric analysis are discussed.
Countertransference, Supervised Analysis, and Psychoanalytic Training Requirements:

Because psychoanalysts have an ever expanding appreciation for the many factors that contribute to the psychoanalytic treatment process, they no longer view themselves simply as the receiver of the patient's transferences. When patient and analyst meet in the consulting room, they bring along with them a blend of intrapsychic and external ingredients— including countertransference—that make up the analytic soup. Candidates in psychoanalytic training must contend with even more sources of indirect countertransference reactions (Racker 1968) than experienced graduate analysts, due to aspects of the training experience itself.The author contends that minimum graduation requirements for supervised analyses are one such source of indirect countertransference. Four clinical examples of control analyses demonstrate this form of indirect countertransference during the assessment, opening, middle, and termination phases. These examples are followed by implications and recommendations for didactic psychoanalytic tr...
Farm Evaluation of Alternative Molting Procedures

Abstract Recent interest in poultry welfare as it relates to the practice of induced molting in laying flocks has resulted in a request by several organizations to review existing induced molting recommendations and to develop new molting procedures to replace the traditional feed removal programs. Five field tests, using paired houses on 3 California commercial egg farms, were used to study the relative flock performance of flocks molted by traditional feed removal methods compared with using diets with low levels of sodium, calcium, and protein. In general, egg production and BW losses differed between the 2 methods during the first 4 wk of the tests, but performance after the molt period was similar. An economic evaluation favored the low-nutrient method on 1 farm with 2 consecutive flocks but favored the traditional feed removal methods on the other 2 farms with 3 flocks. The problems of evaluating and recommending new management programs on the farm were discussed.
The Deubiquitinating Enzyme USP10 Regulates the Post-endocytic Sorting of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator in Airway Epithelial Cells

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a member of the ABC transporter superfamily, is a cyclic AMP-regulated chloride channel and a regulator of other ion channels and transporters. In epithelial cells CFTR is rapidly endocytosed from the apical plasma membrane and efficiently recycles back to the plasma membrane. Because ubiquitination targets endocytosed CFTR for degradation in the lysosome, deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) are likely to facilitate CFTR recycling. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to identify DUBs that regulate the post-endocytic sorting of CFTR. Using an activity-based chemical screen to identify active DUBs in human airway epithelial cells, we demonstrated that Ubiquitin Specific Protease-10 (USP10) is located in early endosomes and regulates the deubiquitination of CFTR and its trafficking in the post-endocytic compartment. small interference RNA-mediated knockdown of USP10 increased the amount of ubiquitinated CFTR and its degradation in lysosomes, and reduced both apical membrane CFTR and CFTR-mediated chloride secretion. Moreover, a dominant negative USP10 (USP10-C424A) increased the amount of ubiquitinated CFTR and its degradation, whereas overexpression of wt-USP10 decreased the amount of ubiquitinated CFTR and increased the abundance of CFTR. These studies demonstrate a novel function for USP10 in facilitating the deubiquitination of CFTR in early endosomes and thereby enhancing the endocytic recycling of CFTR.
SCALAR POTENTIAL DEPOLARIZING DYAD ARTIFACT FOR A UNIAXIAL MEDIUM

A scalar potential formulation for a uniaxial anisotropic medium is succinctly derived through the exclusive use of Helmholtz's theorem and subsequent identiflcation of operator orthogonality. The resulting formulation is shown to be identical to prior published research, with the notable exception that certain scalar potential flelds not considered in previous work are rigorously demonstrated to be unimportant in the fleld recovery process, thus ensuring uniqueness. In addition, it is revealed that both a physically expected and unexpected depolarizing dyad contribution appears in the development. Using a Green's function spectral domain analysis and subsequent careful application of Leibnitz's rule it is shown that, for an unbounded homogeneous uniaxial medium, the unexpected depolarizing dyad term is canceled, leading to a mathematically and physically consistent and correct theory.
Modeling Disease Severity in Multiple Sclerosis Using Electronic Health Records

Objective: To optimally leverage the scalability and unique features of the electronic health records (EHR) for research that would ultimately improve patient care, we need to accurately identify patients and extract clinically meaningful measures. Using multiple sclerosis (MS) as a proof of principle, we showcased how to leverage routinely collected EHR data to identify patients with a complex neurological disorder and derive an important surrogate measure of disease severity heretofore only available in research settings. Methods: In a cross-sectional observational study, 5,495 MS patients were identified from the EHR systems of two major referral hospitals using an algorithm that includes codified and narrative information extracted using natural language processing. In the subset of patients who receive neurological care at a MS Center where disease measures have been collected, we used routinely collected EHR data to extract two aggregate indicators of MS severity of clinical relevance multiple sclerosis severity score (MSSS) and brain parenchymal fraction (BPF, a measure of whole brain volume). Results: The EHR algorithm that identifies MS patients has an area under the curve of 0.958, 83% sensitivity, 92% positive predictive value, and 89% negative predictive value when a 95% specificity threshold is used. The correlation between EHRderived and true MSSS has a mean R 2 =0.3860.05, and that between EHR-derived and true BPF has a mean R 2 =0.2260.08. To illustrate its clinical relevance, derived MSSS captures the expected difference in disease severity between relapsingremitting and progressive MS patients after adjusting for sex, age of symptom onset and disease duration (p=1.56610 212 ). Conclusion: Incorporation of sophisticated codified and narrative EHR data accurately identifies MS patients and provides estimation of a well-accepted indicator of MS severity that is widely used in research settings but not part of the routine medical records. Similar approaches could be applied to other complex neurological disorders.
Lossy dielectrics in FDTD

The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method easily includes materials with constant values of permittivity and conductivity. However, most lossy dielectrics are described over a band of frequencies by a constant complex permittivity. For a transient FDTD calculation, constant real permittivity and conductivity values provide a poor approximation for such a material. Frequency-dependent FDTD can provide a better approximation to a constant complex permittivity over a band of frequencies. The article provides a simple approach for determining the calculation parameters and illustrates the resulting improvement in accuracy. >
Probing local environments in paramagnetic europium-substituted Keggin solids by 31P magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy.

Paramagnetic Eu-substituted Keggin oxopolytungstates crystallize in different forms, determined by the nature of the counterions. The crystal packing is in turn responsible for the variations in the geometry of paramagnetic Eu sites with respect to the anion core. We probed the paramagnetic environments in a series of Eu-substituted Keggin solids, by 31P magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. 31P spinning sideband envelopes are dominated by the electron−nuclear dipolar interaction. For the compounds under investigation, both the magnitude and the asymmetry parameter of the electron−nuclear dipolar coupling tensor are sensitive to the mutual arrangements of paramagnetic Eu sites in the crystal lattice. and also report on the stoichiometry of the anion. The electron−nuclear dipolar coupling tensors were calculated from the crystallographic coordinates and the experimentally determined effective magnetic moments, assuming a point dipole approximation. The computed tensors are in very good agreement with the ...
Determination of Physical Structure and Modeling

Much of our understanding of the way cells and tissues behave reflects to a first approximation the behavior of isolated single macromolecules. For example, the resistance of tendon to deformation reflects the high axial ratio of the collagen molecule and the packing of these molecules into parallel arrays in collagen fibrils and fibers. Although much information is gained from studying molecular structure by X-ray diffraction, from which the average atomic coordinates of molecules in a crystal can be determined, other information is needed to get an exact picture of the molecular structure.
Hybrid Electric Vehicle Power Management Solutions Based on Isolated and Nonisolated Configurations of Multilevel Modular Capacitor-Clamped Converter

This paper presents the various configurations of a multilevel modular capacitor-clamped converter (MMCCC), and it reveals many useful and new formations of the original MMCCC for transferring power in either an isolated or nonisolated manner. The various features of the original MMCCC circuit are best suited for a multibus system in future plug-in hybrid or fuel-cell-powered vehicles' drive train. The original MMCCC is capable of bidirectional power transfer using multilevel modular structure with capacitor-clamped topology. It has a nonisolated structure, and it offers very high efficiency even at partial loads. This circuit was modified to integrate single or multiple high-frequency transformers by using the intermediate voltage nodes of the converter. On the other hand, a special formation of the MMCCC can exhibit dc outputs offering limited isolation without using any isolation transformer. This modified version can produce a high conversion ratio from a limited number of components and has several useful applications in providing power to multiple low-voltage loads in a hybrid or electric automobile. This paper will investigate the origin of generating ac outputs from the MMCCC and shows how the transformer-free version can be modified to create limited isolation from the circuit. In addition, this paper will compare various modified forms of the MMCCC topology with existing dc-dc converter circuits from compactness and component utilization perspectives.
Shifts in Soviet Views on the Proper Focus of Military Development

There is a widespread view in the West that Soviet strategic doctrine has not changed much since the early 1960s, and still concentrates on fighting and winning an all-out nuclear war. The Soviets are said to be reluctant to recognize thresholds, and therefore have no limited nuclear options, much less a true conventional war-fighting option. To the extent they do have a conventional option, it is contingent on surprise and a two-week blitzkrieg; if the war is not won quickly, they will have to escalate.
Primary lateral sclerosis with HIV-1 infection.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (also referred to as motor neuron disease [MND]) is characterized clinically by progressive weakness of limb, bulbar, and respiratory muscles. Clinically definite ALS is characterized by the presence of mixed upper and lower motor neuron deficits in three or more anatomic areas. Patients with isolated upper motor neuron disorder (primary lateral sclerosis [PLS]) or lower motor neuron disorder (progressive muscular atrophy [PMA]) exhibit a relatively benign clinical course compared to that in classic ALS. A viral etiology of ALS has been hypothesized for over four decades. Retroviral hypothesis of MND is particularly attractive because retroviruses replicate by synthesizing and integrating a DNA copy that persists into the host genome. HIV type 1 (henceforth called HIV)–associated ALS or PMA have been previously reported.1–5 We describe HIV-associated PLS in two patients. ### Case reports. #### Case 1. A 57-year-old man was first hospitalized for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in December 2001. Laboratory testing revealed that he was HIV seropositive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis. In early 2004, he …
An Expedite State Dissemination Mechanism for MMOGs

Massively multiuser online game, i.e. MMOG, is an active research especially to integrate players to perform routing task with the intention of keeping the game deployment cost to a minimum. This paper proposes a novel state dissemination mechanism for MMOG in the context of hybrid P2P architecture by exploiting the idle period of the participating players. The proposed approach performs such task well ahead of other traditional approaches with the identical environmental setup. It expedites the task of state sharing even with heterogeneous environment. The performance of this technique is compared with the most popular multi-tree dissemination method. The measurement validates its superiority.
First record of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Sphecodes from Puerto Rico (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

The cleptoparasitic bee genus Sphecodes Latreille (Halictinae: Halictini) is recorded from Puerto Rico for the first time. Sphecodes ( Austrosphecodes ) tainoi Engel was previously known from western Cuba but is here recorded from a series of males and females captured in south-central, central, and western Puerto Rico. Images of the species are provided along with brief remarks on observed variations and possible future directions of study into their natural history.
HIV and Hepatitis C Virus: Special Concerns for Patients With Cirrhosis

Since the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy, liver disease has been a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Chronic viral hepatitis accounts for >80% of liver-related mortality. Liver-related morbidity is due to acceleration of hepatitis C virus (HCV) disease, drug-induced hepatotoxicity, and, possibly, direct damage from HIV infection itself. As a consequence of this complex interaction, end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma are frequent complications in patients with HIV infection. Infectious diseases physicians who care for HIV-infected patients with advanced HCV-related liver disease need to know how to assess for advanced fibrosis, to know when to refer a patient for endoscopic screening for varices, and to enroll patients in a screening program for hepatocellular carcinoma.
Comparison of Ovarian Function and Circulating Steroids in Estrous Cycles of Holstein Heifers and Lactating Cows

Ovarian function was compared between nulliparous heifers (n = 29; 10 to 16 mo old) and lactating Holstein cows (n = 31; 55.9 +/- 3.5 d postpartum). Follicular dynamics, corpus luteum growth, and regression, and serum steroid concentrations were evaluated through ultrasonography and daily blood sampling. Most heifers (27 of 29) but only 14 of 31 cows had typical spontaneous estrous cycles after cycles were initiated. Twelve cows had atypical cycles, and 5 became anovulatory during the study. The 12 cows with atypical estrous cycles had low serum estradiol after luteolysis and failed to ovulate the dominant follicle present at luteolysis. Heifers and cows with typical cycles were compared directly. Interovulatory intervals were similar between heifers (22.0 +/- 0.4 d) and cows (22.9 +/- 0.7 d). Those animals had estrous cycles with either 2 (15 heifers; 11 cows), 3 (9 heifers; 2 cows), or 4 follicular waves (3 heifers; 1 cow). Cows ovulated later after luteolysis than heifers (5.2 +/- 0.2 vs. 4.6 +/- 0.1 d, respectively), and had more multiple ovulations (17.9 vs. 1.9%). Maximal serum estradiol concentration preceding ovulation was lower in cows than in heifers (7.9 +/- 0.8 vs. 11.3 +/- 0.6 pg/mL) even though ovulatory follicles were larger in cows (16.8 +/- 0.5 vs. 14.9 +/- 0.2 mm). Similarly, maximal serum progesterone concentration was lower for cows (5.6 +/- 0.5 vs. 7.3 +/- 0.4 ng/mL), whereas maximal volume of luteal tissue was larger for cows than heifers (11,120 +/- 678 vs. 7303 +/- 308 mm3). Thus, higher incidence of reproductive anomalies in lactating cows, such as low conception rate, ovulation failure, delayed ovulation, and multiple ovulations, may be due to lower circulating steroid concentrations in spite of larger ovulatory follicles and luteal structures.
Position and velocity tracking in mobile cellular networks using the particle filter

This paper presents a new method for tracking a mobile based on Aulin's wave scattering model This model takes into account non line of sight and multipath propagation environments, which are usually encountered in wireless fading channels. According to Aulin's model, the received instantaneous electric field at the base station is a nonlinear function of the mobile location and velocity. A method based on particle filtering (sequential Monte Carlo methods) that copes with nonlinearities in order to estimate the mobile location and velocity is proposed. In contrast to standard target tracking literature we do not rely on linearized motion models, measurement relations, and Gaussian assumptions. Numerical results are presented to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method. They demonstrate significant accuracy improvement over known algorithms
Retrieval of subpixel snow-covered area and grain size from imaging spectrometer data

We describe and validate an automated model that retrieves subpixel snow-covered area and effective grain size from Airborne Visible/ Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data. The model analyzes multiple endmember spectral mixtures with a spectral library of snow, vegetation, rock, and soil. We derive snow spectral endmembers of varying grain size from a radiative transfer model; spectra for vegetation, rock, and soil were collected in the field and laboratory. For three AVIRIS images of Mammoth Mountain, California that span common snow conditions for winter through spring, we validate the estimates of snow-covered area with fine-resolution aerial photographs and validate the estimates of grain size with stereological analysis of snow samples collected within 2 h of the AVIRIS overpasses. The RMS error for snowcovered area retrieved from AVIRIS for the combined set of three images was 4%. The RMS error for snow grain size retrieved from a 3 � 3 window of AVIRIS data for the combined set of three images is 48 Am, and the RMS error for reflectance integrated over the solar spectrum and over all hemispherical reflectance angles is 0.018. D 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
Regulation of Cancer Invasion by Reactive Oxygen Species and Tks Family Scaffold Proteins

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are increasingly recognized as important signaling regulators. The family of the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases (Nox’s) is responsible for the production of most signaling ROS in cells. An emerging paradigm is that individual Nox family members are organized and activated at distinct subcellular locations for specific functions. Tyrosine kinase substrate (Tks) family adaptor proteins have now been identified as Nox organizer proteins that enhance the production of ROS at invadopodia and podosomes, which are subcellular adhesion structures associated with extracellular matrix degradation. ROS production is also shown to be required for invadopodia and podosome formation. These findings broaden the known signaling roles of ROS and identify a potential mechanism for the correlation of ROS production with cancer invasion.
Examining financial statement fraud: causes, warning signs, and the future

For the world, 2002 was a big year for financial fraud. Bankruptcy followed bankruptcy starting with Enron succeeded by Tyco and WorldCom. While there are many different types of fraud, financial statement fraud represents the largest amount of dollar loss to fraudulent activities. With revenue recognition representing over half of financial statement fraud schemes, most fraud schemes are initiated by upper management with complicity from others like employees and external entities. With people involved at different levels, the signs of fraud are disguised making fraud schemes incredibly difficult to detect. Fortunately, there are warning signs present that analysts and auditors can use to determine a company’s financial stability. However, neither of these tools is easy to use without disclosure of pertinent information from management. Certain information relating to factors and conditions within the company are imperative to giving their financial statements into context. Utilising these signs along with environment inside the company shows the future of the company as a going concern.
Placental TNF-α Signaling in Illness-Induced Complications of Pregnancy

Maternal infections are implicated in a variety of complications during pregnancy, including pregnancy loss, prematurity, and increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the child. Here, we show in mice that even mild innate immune activation by low-dose lipopolysaccharide in early pregnancy causes hemorrhages in the placenta and increases the risk of pregnancy loss. Surviving fetuses exhibit hypoxia in the brain and impaired fetal neurogenesis. Maternal Toll-like receptor 4 signaling is a critical mediator of this process, and its activation is accompanied by elevated proinflammatory cytokines in the placenta. We evaluated the role of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) signaling and show that TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) is necessary for the illness-induced placental pathology, accompanying fetal hypoxia, and neuroproliferative defects in the fetal brain. We also show that placental TNFR1 in the absence of maternal TNFR1 is sufficient for placental pathology to develop and that a clinically relevant TNF-α antagonist prevents placental pathology and fetal loss. Our observations suggest that the placenta is highly sensitive to proinflammatory signaling in early pregnancy and that TNF-α is an effective target for preventing illness-related placental defects and related risks to the fetus and fetal brain development.