cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification of Immunogenically Active Ribonucleic Acid Preparations of Salmonella typhimurium: Molecular-Sieve and Anion-Exchange Chromatography

Immunogenic Salmonella typhimurium ribonucleic acid (RNA) preparations, prepared by differential centrifugation, phenol extraction at 65 C, and ethanol precipitation from 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate solution, maintained their immunogenicity through lyophilization. As measured by survival, differential pathogen counts 5 days postchallenge, or clearance of the infecting organism from the tissues, immunization with 50 mug (dry weight) of the lyophilized preparation proved as effective as immunization with 0.1 LD(50) of attenuated S. typhimurium cells. Chromatography of the immunogenic fraction through Biogel P-6 (exclusion limit > 4,600) or through Biogel P-300 (exclusion limit > 300,000) resulted in only one immunogenically active protein of the eluate found in the void volume of the columns. Diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose anion-exchange chromatography of the RNA preparations showed that the immunogenic activity was eluted from the column at 0.8 to 1.0 m NaCl in a linear 0.1 to 2.0 m NaCl gradient. Nonimmunogenic, protein-containing minor peaks were eluted at 0.1 to 0.5 m NaCl. Serial fractionation of the crude RNA preparations over Biogel P-6 to DEAE cellulose to Biogel P-300 molecular-sieve or anion-exchange columns did not alter the immunogenicity of the RNA preparation. Incorporation of the column fractions into Freund's incomplete adjuvant did not increase their relative effectiveness in eliciting anti-salmonella resistance. Chemical analysis of the immunogenic preparations indicated that they were lacking in detectable protein, lipid, and deoxyribonucleic acid. These results suggest that the immunogenic moiety of the crude nucleic acid fraction is either RNA or an as yet undefined polysaccharide of greater than 300,000 molecular weight.
Review of Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial Quality of Care Measures: Considerations for Assessing Accountable Care Organizations

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) have proliferated under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). If ACOs are to improve health care quality and lower costs, quality measures will be increasingly important in determining if provider consolidations associated with the development of ACOs are achieving their intended purpose. This article assesses quality measurement across public and private sectors. We reviewed available quality measures for a subset of programs in six organizations and assessed the number and domain of measures (structure, process, outcomes, and patient experience). Two-thirds of all quality measures were categorized as process measures. Outcome measures made up nearly 20 percent of measures. Patient experience and structure measures made up approximately 8 percent and 7 percent, respectively. We propose further improvements to quality measurement initiatives. For example, programs that reward providers should consider reward size and distribution within the organization. Quality improvement initiatives should consider what encourages provider buy-in and participation and the effects on populations with disproportionate health care needs. As the focus of quality initiatives may change from year to year, measures should be periodically revisited to ensure continued improvement and sustainability. Finally, we suggest quality measures that regulators could use prior to ACO formation or in the year or two following formation.
Avatars and Security Clearances: How can we reconcile the two?

Government and military personnel in positions of trust are required to obtain and retain security clearances as part of conducting their duties within those positions. Part of obtaining a clearance requires personnel to report on any foreign contacts or business interests they may have. During the time that they hold such a position, personnel must report any significant contact with citizens of various countries to ensure they have not been targeted as part of a foreign intelligence collection effort. As more cleared personnel begin actively participating in virtual worlds, and as more personnel already active in virtual worlds begin applying for positions of trust, how will vetting agencies reconcile the borderless nature of virtual worlds with the requirements set forth for establishing and maintaining security clearances? Legislation has historically not kept pace with rapidly developing community technologies, and bureaucracies may make a choice between taking online relationships too seriously, and not taking them seriously enough. In the past, foreign relationships were easily defined, with physical travel, face-to-face contact, phone, and postal connections being the norm. Today, the global nature of online gaming and virtual environments make these definitions less clear. In order to ensure personnel continue to be effectively screened, virtual worlds and relationships, however benign, may need to be taken into account as part of the vetting process. If so, they will need to be properly understood by the investigating agencies. This paper proposes to outline some of the relevant issues involved in a rapidly evolving online community.
The wisdom of Solomon: Criteria for child custody from the legal and clinical points of view.

The results of the analyses of items common to two separate surveys, one with judges/commissioners and one with mental health professionals, regarding the standards to be used in determining child custody in a divorce are reported. Although there were more areas of agreement between the two groups, group differences did emerge on a few items. Mental health professionals tended to give significantly greater emphasis to the quality of the relationship between parent and child, whereas the judiciary tended to give more emphasis to the legal/biological status of the parent-child relationship and to traditional family roles and structures. The implications of the findings are discussed.
How to prepare and present a scientific talk. A primer.

BACKGROUND. How to organize a scientific paper and present it at a forum of one's peers is not a skill presently taught at many training programs in dermatology. OBJECTIVE. To enumerate the principles, rules, impressions, and helpful hints that will help in the preparation and delivery of a scientific talk. METHODS. An attempt has been made, from the authors experience, to assimilate and codify the requisite organizational and delivery skills necessary to accomplish this. CONCLUSIONS. Organization must begin early. The key is to keep in mind that new information is being conveyed to the audience. The speaker must prepare an outline, develop visual aids, and rehearse diligently to hone speaking skills and ensure the talk is within time parameters. have an opportunity, often for the first time, to present important papers before a sophisticated and discerning audience. Often, despite having wonderful information to convey, inexperience leads to a less than wonderful performance. Excluding an expected degree of nervousness, many of the talks suffer from an unclear conception on the part of the speaker of what constitutes a good presentation. Equally to blame is an obvious lack of thorough preparation and rehearsal. It does not make sense that the final act of a research project, which includes designing the study, compiling the data, and scouring the literature for background material, should end poorly in a public forum. It has been my experience in three different training programs that little attention is given to the formal instruction of residents or fellows-in-training on the principles, preparation, and presentation of a scientific speech to one's peers.
Caenurgia Erechtea (Cram) (Noctuidae) as an Alfalfa Pest in Kansas

A common insect in alfalfa, clover and pastures of Kansas; occasionally numerous but not seriously injurious. The name "Forage looper" is proposed for it. Overwinters as a pupa and possibly as a partly grown larva. Three and a partial fourth generations annually. All stages described and biological data summarized. Natural enemies effective. Cutting alfalfa results in death of many of the larvae.
A global bifurcation theorem for Darwinian matrix models

Motivated by models from evolutionary population dynamics, we study a general class of nonlinear difference equations called matrix models. Under the assumption that the projection matrix is non-negative and irreducible, we prove a theorem that establishes the global existence of a continuum with positive equilibria that bifurcates from an extinction equilibrium at a value of a model parameter at which the extinction equilibrium destabilizes. We give criteria for the global shape of the continuum, including local direction of bifurcation and its relationship to the local stability of the bifurcating positive equilibria. We discuss a relationship between backward bifurcations and Allee effects. Illustrative examples are given.
A multiplex connecting rod drive mechanism Design and Application

According to the requirements,the passage designed a multiplex space connecting rod drive mechanism,and the 3D mode was constructed based on the UG,there used a symmetric eccentric a-gencies cleverly in the design to achieve a composite transmission of the straight moving and differential drive motor function,their relations were analyzed and discussed,The paper analysis the characteristics and applications of the underwater high-speed navigating body control system As the ADAMS dynamic simulation and engineering check showing,the drive structure have many advantages such as design ratio-nal,small size,light weight,big torque,It will plays a great project value roll in the various navigation body attitude control system
Study on the level of Anti-HBs and carrying status of HbsAg in preschool children in Manas county in Xinjiang province

Objective:The aim of the study was to investigate the level of Anti-HBs and carrying status of HbsAg of preschool children in Manas county in Xinjiang province.Methods:510 children were picked out by using stratified random sampling method in twelve towns and city proper,then their blood samples were analyzed.Results:The positive rate of Anti-HBs of children was 72.75%,and the positive rate of each age group ranged from 62.71% to 89.01%,it decreased with the growth of age(χ2=20.23,P0.01).The positive rate of city proper was higher than that of the towns,and the rate of Han nationality was higher than the minority group.10 samples were positive in HBsAg test,the HBsAg carrying rate was 1.96%,and the quantity of HBsAg retained at low levels.The differences among different regions,nationalities and genders had no statistical significance in the two tests.Conclusion:The positive rate of Anti-HBs of children in Manas county is not high and the management of hepatitis B vaccine should be noticed.
Yeats and de Valera: the Old Poet in the New Ireland

Irish writers of the late twenties and early thirties almost habitually thought their country a barren, constricted place. Older writers, in the way of older writers, felt keenly that something had changed for the worse. ‘What is it all now but a bitther noise of cadgin’ mercy from heaven, an’ a sour handlin’ o’ life for a cushion’d seat in a corner?’, complained a character in Sean O’Casey’s Purple Dust, echoing the complaints in O’Casey’s own autobiographies.1 In Oliver St John Gogarty’s loosely autobiographical works of the thirties, As I Was Going Down Sackville Street and Going Native, the writer’s natural charm and grace are frequently tossed aside by eruptions about ‘the havoc and destruction’ brought to ‘the comely life in Ireland’ by ‘the common man’s malevolence’.2 George Russell complained in a letter to Yeats of ‘a nation run by louts’3 and once, in the company of Frank O’Connor, stopped in the street to raise his fists and cry, ‘I have to get out of this country before it drives me mad.’4 The young writers, their imaginations formed in the terror and excitement of war, saw little in the routines of post-war Irish life save what was drab or painfully circumscribed. To Yeats, at least, it seemed that such novels as Francis Stuart’s The Coloured Dome, Frank O’Connor’s The Saint and Mary Kate and Liam O’Flaherty’s Mr Gilhooley and The Puritan looked directly at ‘the actual Ireland of their day’ (as his own generation of writers had not, preferring the heroic past) and ‘attacked everything that had made it possible …’.5
Towards a natural language programming interface for smart homes

Recently several major industry players have introduced smart home personal assistants to the Internet of Things market. However, these products are often little more than voice interfaces to device control apps. More focus is needed on supporting the high-level applications and goals that end users express in natural language. In this preliminary work, we collect and analyze over 1,600 utterances from nontechnical end users encompassing a variety of smart home interactions. We find that given the right context, end users voluntarily use computational language in response to open-ended prompts. From these commands and queries, we extract the computational structures and the entities, actions, and conditions that end users employ when interacting with the home. Our preliminary results suggest a path forward for end-to-end architectures that automatically map natural language utterances to executable smart home programs. We hope to help bring natural language interfaces for the home into alignment with end users' mental models.
Modification of a Geiger-Muller Survey Meter for Continuous Usage

Four Geiger-Muller (G-M) type survey meters were modified for continuous use in routine clinical monitoring and emergency preparedness situations. The meters were modified using readily available components from a local electronics store at minimum cost and labor. Pre- and post-modification meter calibrations indicate no change in instrument response. After 6 mo of testing the systems to determine reliability and constancy, all were found to be in good working order
Applying dynamic species distribution modelling to lek‐mating species

Aim Lek-mating species, in which males congregate to display and copulate with females, are of long-standing behavioural, economic and conservation interest. Monitoring programs often target areas in which these species aggregate for mating (lek arenas) because of the often cryptic behaviours of these species when away from lek arenas. Due to survey methodologies and the ecology of many lek-mating species, the building of species distribution models (SDMs) requires researchers to consider issues that are generally absent when modelling distributions of non-lek-mating species. We describe these considerations and illustrate the advantages of employing dynamic SDMs to address non-equilibrium between a lek-mating species (Lesser Prairie-Chicken Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and its environment. Location New Mexico, U.S.A. Methods We employed a 27-year data set of 2771 lek surveys from a T. pallidicinctus metapopulation to build dynamic SDMs using multi-season occupancy modelling. We considered covariates (1) indexing past abundance and distribution patterns expected to influence dispersal and local persistence, (2) describing landscape and weather dynamics expected to influence local recruitment, and (3) describing survey-level conditions expected to influence lek attendance. Results The most supported dynamic SDM indicated an overall decline in occurrence and an ending distribution more restricted to the northern part of the 1222 km2 study area. Local colonization was best predicted by weather and landscape dynamics, while local extinction was best predicted by population processes and weather. Main conclusions Conservation of T. pallidicinctus will likely face challenges from (1) the reduced likelihood of colonization in areas of historical shrub-targeting herbicide application and (2) projected patterns of seasonal temperature and precipitation under climate change. In considering lek-mating species in general, we recommend the use of dynamic SDMs for an improved understanding of factors influencing distributions through time. Our approach and related efforts represent an important step in forecasting distributions under projected scenarios of environmental change to assist the conservation of these species.
Proteome rebalancing in transgenic Camelina occurs within the enlarged proteome induced by β-carotene accumulation and storage protein suppression

Oilseed crops are global commodities for their oil and protein seed content. We have engineered the oilseed Camelina sativa to exhibit increased protein content with a slight decrease in oil content. The introduction of a phytoene synthase gene with an RNAi cassette directed to suppress the storage protein 2S albumin resulted in seeds with an 11–24 % elevation in overall protein. The phytoene synthase cassette alone produced enhanced β-carotene content of an average 275 ± 6.10 μg/g dry seed and an overall altered seed composition of 11 % less protein and comparable nontransgenic amounts of both oil and carbohydrates. Stacking an RNAi to suppress the major 2S storage protein resulted in seeds that contain elevated protein and slight decrease in oil and carbohydrate amounts showing that Camelina rebalances its proteome within an enlarged protein content genotype. In both β-carotene enhanced seeds with/without RNAi2S suppression, the seed size was noticeably enlarged compared to nontransgenic counterpart seeds. Metabolic analysis of maturing seeds indicate that the enhanced β-carotene trait had the larger effect than the RNAi2S suppression on the seed metabolome. The use of a GRAS (generally regarded as safe) β-carotene as a visual marker in a floral dip transformation system, such as Camelina, might eliminate the need for costly regulatory and controversial antibiotic resistance markers. β-carotene enhanced RNAi2S suppressed Camelina seeds could be further developed as a rapid heterologous protein production platform in a nonfood crop leveraging its enlarged protein content and visual marker.
Conservative management of pelvic abscess following sacrocolpopexy: a report of three cases and review of the literature.

Introduction and hypothesis After sacrocolpopexy, intra-abdominal pelvic abscesses are often managed with intravenous antibiotics, excision of the mesh involved, and debridement of compromised tissue.
Can anything be done to prevent pregnancy after endometrial ablation

Validation of a computerised algorithm to quantify fetal heart rate deceleration area : An observational study
Maximizing Power in Phylogenetics and Phylogenomics: A Perspective Illuminated by Fungal Big Data

Since its original inception over 150 years ago by Darwin, we have made tremendous progress toward the reconstruction of the Tree of Life. In particular, the transition from analyzing datasets comprised of small numbers of loci to those comprised of hundreds of loci, if not entire genomes, has aided in resolving some of the most vexing of evolutionary problems while giving us a new perspective on biodiversity. Correspondingly, phylogenetic trees have taken a central role in fields that span ecology, conservation, and medicine. However, the rise of big data has also presented phylogenomicists with a new set of challenges to experimental design, quantitative analyses, and computation. The sequencing of a number of very first genomes presented significant challenges to phylogenetic inference, leading fungal phylogenomicists to begin addressing pitfalls and postulating solutions to the issues that arise from genome-scale analyses relevant to any lineage across the Tree of Life. Here we highlight insights from fungal phylogenomics for topics including systematics and species delimitation, ecological and phenotypic diversification, and biogeography while providing an overview of progress made on the reconstruction of the fungal Tree of Life. Finally, we provide a review of considerations to phylogenomic experimental design for robust tree inference. We hope that this special issue of Advances in Genetics not only excites the continued progress of fungal evolutionary biology but also motivates the interdisciplinary development of new theory and methods designed to maximize the power of genomic scale data in phylogenetic analyses.
An 18–26 GHz range calibrated linear synthetic aperture radar prototype suitable for security applications

This paper presents the design and implementation of a K band, linear synthetic aperture radar (SAR) prototype imaging system suitable for short-range security screening applications. Linear SAR data is acquired over a length of 30 cm using a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar with 8 GHz bandwidth. A calibration algorithm is implemented to correct for signal distortions introduced in the RF front end followed by SAR signal processing using the range migration algorithm (RMA). System performance is compared with and without the calibration algorithm to show improvement in the image generated with calibration. The calibrated SAR imaging system achieves a range resolution of 2.5 cm and a cross range resolution of 4.5 cm at a measurement distance of 2 m.
Effect of Particulate Contamination on Pole Tip Recession in a Linear Tape Drive

Three-body abrasion is the cause of differential wear in magnetic tape heads resulting in recession of the magnetic poles with respect to the head substrate; this is called pole tip recession (PTR). The increasing head--tape spacing caused by PTR results in a lower write density, so the recession must be minimized. The three-body particles that may interact with the head--tape interface can originate from the operating environment (contaminant particles) and from the interface itself (debris particles). The effect of airborne particulate contaminants trapped at the head--tape interface (particle concentration, size, and hardness), which results in three-body abrasion, on PTR growth is studied experimentally. PTR increases with increases in any of the following: particle concentration, size, and hardness. Analytical modeling supports the experimental results. Possible mechanisms responsible for the observed behavior are discussed.
Pluriclosed flow and the geometrization of complex surfaces

We recall fundamental aspects of the pluriclosed flow equation and survey various existence and convergence results, and the various analytic techniques used to establish them. Building on this, we formulate a precise conjectural description of the long time behavior of the flow on complex surfaces. This suggests an attendant geometrization conjecture which has implications for the topology of complex surfaces and the classification of generalized Kahler structures.
A Digital Bang-Bang Phase-Locked Loop with Background Injection Timing Calibration and Automatic Loop Gain Control in 7NM FinFET CMOS

This paper presents a digital bang-bang phase-locked loop that employs background injection timing calibration and automatic loop gain control to enhance the jitter and spur performance against PVT variations. The chip is fabricated in 7nm FinFET technology. This bang-bang phase-locked loop achieves $426.5\text{fs}_{\text{rms}}$ integrated Jitter and −61dBc reference spurs, occupying an area of 0. $018\text{mm}^{2}(120\mu \text{m}\times 150\mu \text{m})$. The FOM is −239.4dB at 4GHz output frequency.
Robustness of Maximal $\alpha$-Leakage to Side Information

Maximal $\alpha$-leakage is a tunable measure of information leakage based on the accuracy of guessing an arbitrary function of private data based on public data. The parameter $\alpha$ determines the loss function used to measure the accuracy of a belief, ranging from log-loss at $\alpha=1$ to the probability of error at $\alpha=\infty$. To study the effect of side information on this measure, we introduce and define conditional maximal $\alpha$-leakage. We show that, for a chosen mapping (channel) from the actual (viewed as private) data to the released (public) data and some side information, the conditional maximal $\alpha$-leakage is the supremum (over all side information) of the conditional Arimoto channel capacity where the conditioning is on the side information. We prove that if the side information is conditionally independent of the public data given the private data, the side information cannot increase the information leakage.
Theory of superplasticity and fatigue of polycrystalline materials based on nanomechanics of fracturing and failure

Fracture nanomechanics is the study of the interconnected process of the growth and birth of cracks and dislocations in the nanoscale. In this paper, it is applied to superplasticity and fatigue of metals and other polycrystalline materials in order to derive the basic equations describing some main features of these phenomena, namely, the fatigue threshold and the enormous neck-free superplastic elongation. It is shown that in most metals and alloys the fatigue threshold is greater than one per cent of the value of fracture toughness. Using the concepts of fracture nanomechanics, we study the superplastic deformation and fracturing of polycrystalline materials under uniaxial extension and calculate the neck-free elongation to failure in terms of strain rate, stress and temperature. Then, we determine the optimum strain rate of the maximum superplastic elongation in terms of temperature, creep index and other material constants. Further, we estimate the critical size o f ultrafine grains necessary to stop the growth of microcracks and open way to the superplastic flow, and find the superplastic deformation of grains, their maximum-possible elongation and the activation energy of superplastic state. Also, we introduce the dimensionless A-number in order to characterize the capability of different materials in yielding the superplastic flow. A t a very high elongation the alloying boundary of grains proves to be broken by a periodical system o f dead fractures of some definite period. It is shown that experimental results of the testing of the Pb-62% Sn eutectic alloy and Zn-22% A l eutectoid alloy at T = 473 K have substantially supported the theory of superplasticity advanced herewith.
Synthesis Paper: Targeted Livestock Grazing: Prescription for Healthy Rangelands

Abstract Targeted livestock grazing is a proven tool for manipulating rangeland vegetation, and current knowledge about targeted livestock grazing is extensive and expanding rapidly. Targeted grazing prescriptions optimize the timing, frequency, intensity, and selectivity of grazing (or browsing) in combinations that purposely exert grazing/browsing pressure on specific plant species or portions of the landscape. Targeted grazing differs from traditional grazing management in that the goal of targeted grazing is to apply defoliation or trampling to achieve specific vegetation management objectives, whereas the goal of traditional livestock grazing management is generally the production of livestock commodities. A shared aim of targeted livestock grazing and traditional grazing management is to sustain healthy soils, flora, fauna, and water resources that, in turn, can sustain natural ecological processes (e.g., nutrient cycle, water cycle, energy flow). Targeted grazing prescriptions integrate knowledge of plant ecology, livestock nutrition, and livestock foraging behavior. Livestock can be focused on target areas through fencing, herding, or supplement placement. Although practices can be developed to minimize the impact of toxins contained in target plants, the welfare of the animals used in targeted grazing must be a priority. Monitoring is needed to determine if targeted grazing is successful and to refine techniques to improve efficacy and efficiency. Examples of previous research studies and approaches are presented to highlight the ecological benefits that can be achieved when targeted grazing is applied properly. These cases include ways to suppress invasive plants and ways to enhance wildlife habitat and biodiversity. Future research should address the potential to select more adapted and effective livestock for targeted grazing and the associated animal welfare concerns with this practice. Targeted livestock grazing provides land managers a viable alternative to mechanical, chemical, and prescribed fire treatments to manipulate rangeland vegetation.
Demonstration of a Sub-GHz Flat-Top Comb-Based RF-Photonic Filter Enabled by Fourth-Order Dispersion Compensation

We demonstrate a sub-GHz RF-photonic filter based on phase and amplitude control of a wideband all-fiber frequency parametric comb with 25-GHz tone spacing. The narrow bandwidth filter construction based on 221 comb tones was enabled by fourth-order dispersion compensation of the dispersive element. The filter integrity was further tested by retrieval of a set of digital modulated RF channels.
University Student Perceptions of Social Media as a Learning Resource in China and the U.S.A.

The purpose of this study was to investigate university students’ perceptions of social media as a learning resource (SM-LR) in China and the USA in terms of their attitudes, perceived usefulness and behavioral intentions. An instrument used for this study was adapted from a prior validated survey based on the Technology Acceptance Model. The sample population consisted of 241 respondents from universities in China and the USA. The results suggested that most respondents (>75%) from each nation had used social media for learning purposes and that they shared similar understandings and definitions of social media. However, significant differences by nation were found concerning students’ attitudes, perceived usefulness and behavioral intentions. Most respondents from China were more positive about SM-LR than their counterparts from the USA. Also, respondents who had previously used social media for learning were more positive about SM-LR. No correlations were found between students’ self-reported academic performance and their attitudes, perceived usefulness, or behavioral intentions. Proposed areas of future research are discussed.
I-PASS handover system: a decade of evidence demands action.

In this issue of BMJ Quality and Safety , Jorro-Baron and colleagues1 report the findings of a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial (SW-CRT) to evaluate the implementation of the I-PASS handover system among six paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) at five Argentinian hospitals between July 2018 and May 2019. According to the authors, prior to the intervention there were complaints that handovers were ‘…lengthy, disorganized, …participants experienced problems with interruptions, distractions, and … senior professionals had problems accepting dissent’. Adverse events were assessed by two independent reviewers using the Global Assessment of Pediatric Patient Safety instrument. Study results demonstrated significantly improved handover compliance in the intervention group, validating Kirkpatrick Level 3 (behavioural change)2 effectiveness of the training initiative. Notably, however, on the primary outcome there were no differences between control and intervention groups regarding preventable adverse events per 1000 days of hospitalisation (control 60.4 (37.5–97.4) vs intervention 60.4 (33.2–109.9), p=0.998, risk ratio: 1.0 (0.74–1.34)). Regarding balancing measures, there was no observed difference in the ‘full-shift’ handover duration (control 35.7 min (29.6–41.8); intervention 34.7 min (26.5–42.1), p=0.490), although more time was spent on individual patient handovers in the intervention period (7.29 min (5.77–8.81); control 5.96 min (4.69–7.23); p=0.001). From the provider perspective, preintervention and postintervention Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) safety culture surveys did not show significant differences in their responses to communication-focused questions before and after the intervention. Thus, consistent with all previous studies, I-PASS was implemented successfully and handover quality improved. However, is the lack of association of I-PASS implementation with clinical outcomes and adverse events in this study a concern? To answer this question, it is necessary to review the origins of I-PASS more than a decade ago and its continually expanding evidence base. Handovers are among the most vulnerable reoccurring processes in healthcare. In …
Short communication: Postpartum plasma amino acid concentration in primi- and multiparous Holstein cows

Abstract A better understanding of changes in plasma amino acid (AA) concentrations during the transition period may help optimize nutrition to improve health, welfare, and production in dairy cows. The aim of this study was to assess changes in plasma AA during the transition period in Holstein cows and first-lactation heifers. Blood samples for AA analysis were collected from the tail vein/artery of 9 multi- and 8 primiparous cows 3 weeks prior to and at weeks 1, 2, and 3 post-calving. Concentration of the sum of essential AA (EAA) was similar between primiparous and multiparous cows before calving but was 17.0% lower in multiparous vs. primiparous cows postpartum, which was related to both greater milk production and imbalance in estimated metabolizable protein supply vs. demand in the multiparous group of cows. In both parity groups, EAA concentrations declined by 20.0% from week 1 to week 3 postpartum. The sum of non-essential protein and non-protein AA increased linearly in the weeks after calving and was similar between primi- and multiparous cows. Compared with prepartum, plasma His concentration decreased 13.1% postpartum in both primiparous and multiparous cows but primiparous cows had 7.6% greater plasma His concentration than multiparous cows pre- and postpartum. Methionine and Lys concentrations were not affected by parity, but concentrations of both AA decreased (22.0% and 24.5%, respectively) after calving. Overall, plasma concentration of EAA decreased after calving, indicating a negative EAA balance (supply vs. demand) around parturition. Lower postpartum plasma concentrations of EAA in multiparous cows likely reflect an overall negative EAA balance due to decreased supply and increased demand to sustain greater milk production, compared with primiparous cows.
Characterization and Crystallization of the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis trmD

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS TRMD By Zohal Hamidi Bachelor of Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 2006 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master’s of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Major Director: Dr. Walter M. Holmes Biochemistry Professor in Department of Microbiology & Immunology One third of the world’s population is affected by Tuberculosis (TB), a disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The emergence of multidrugresistant MtB makes this disease a major public health concern. New agents are needed to treat TB infections in a manner that circumvents existing pathways of resistance. One strategy is to target the organism at the translational level by inhibiting vital modifications of RNA. One gene responsible for these modifications is the tRNA (guanosine-1)methyltransferase, trmD, which has been shown to be essential in several bacteria. The eukaryotic and bacterial m 1 G methyltransferases are structurally dissimilar, making this enzyme an ideal target for selective anti-TB agents. viii One strategy for TrmD inhibitor design is to target the catalytic center of the enzyme. Existing inhibitors such as Sinefungin exhibit poor selectivity due to the substrate’s role, SAM, as a universal methyl donor in many biological processes. Structure/activity relationships for inhibitory compounds are sparse, impeding the design of novel antimicrobials. Crystallographic data would identify molecular features unique to TrmD, and allow design of agents complimentary to the TrmD active site with minimal differential toxicity. Presently, no crystal structure for Mycobacterium tuberculosis TrmD
Quantitative Measures of Security

To the casual, yet interested, reader, one of the most striking properties of the Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria [1] and its international successors is that none of these documents contain any attempt to relate their evaluation levels to a measure of how much effort must be expended to break into a system. [2] As a consequence, it’s impossible to evaluate rationally the marginal benefit of spending the extra money necessary to obtain a higher rating than a lower one.
Catheter ultrasound for cross-sectional imaging and drug delivery to vessel wall

Current methods for delivery of an anti-restenosis drug to an arterial vessel wall post-percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement are limited in terms of drug choice, dosing level, and ability to assure drug coverage between the struts of a drug eluting stent. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) provides real-time, radiation-free, imaging and assessment of atherosclerotic disease in terms of anatomical, functional and molecular information. In this presentation, the design of a dual imaging / therapy IVUS catheter is described and results documenting gene and drug delivery reported. Microbubbles and drug / gene (shell associated or co-injected) are dispensed from the catheter tip. Using this approach, it becomes possible to address the need for complete vessel wall coverage and achieve delivery in regions poorly addressed using conventional stent-based approaches. A range of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo results are presented. Our most recent results involve a demonstration in a pig model of coronary balloon angioplasty that produced a 33% reduction in neointima formation versus a drug plus microbubble, but no ultrasound, control.
Mortgage Terminations: The Role of Conditional Volatility

This article is the winner of the Real Estate Finance manuscript prize (sponsored by Fannie Mae Foundation) presented at the 2001 American Real Estate Society Annual Meeting.Studies of mortgage termination decisions typically rely on a competing risks framework comparing defaults and prepayments. While useful tools have been developed to approximate the values of these competing default and prepayment options, the available metrics do not adequately account for the role of the conditional volatility of interest rates and housing prices in option valuation. Using a sample of 1,428 mortgage loan payment histories, this study finds that exponential GARCH estimates of the conditional volatility of housing prices and interest rates influence mortgage termination decisions in a predictable manner. Specifically, increased housing price volatility is shown to enhance default option values, while increased interest rate volatility is shown to enhance prepayment option values. Therefore, it would appear that condit...
The Causes and Consequences of Initial Public Straight Debt Offers

Using a sample of young, high-growth, firms, this study documents that information, monitoring, contracting and agency costs, as captured by firm size, the investment opportunity set, profitability and the current need for funds, influence the likelihood that a firm transitions from no long-term debt, to private long-term, to public long-term debt. This study also provides new evidence on the ex post operating consequences of firms following the debt IPO that is consistent with the negative stock price reaction at offer announcement. Consistent with the signaling models of debt maturity choice, asset efficiency, profitability, and capital expenditures decline significantly following the debt IPO. However, sales growth is unaffected by the change in financial policy. Consistent with Myers (1977), growth opportunities, as measured by the market-to-book ratio, decline significantly following the debt IPO, suggesting that straight debt offers are made when the agency costs of debt are expected to decline. Together, the findings are consistent with the negative stock price reaction at offer announcement and provide strong support for predictions of debt maturity structure theories. These results are robust to whether or not the firm has a banking relationship prior to the debt offer, or whether the firm issues investment grade or high-yield debt.
Identification of a functional glucocorticoid response element in the phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase promoter using fusion genes introduced into chromaffin cells in primary culture

The rat gene encoding phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) was cloned and a consensus sequence for a glucocorticoid response element (GRE) was found at -513 bp, 5' to the transcriptional start site. In order to define the function of this element, fusion genes containing the PNMT promoter and a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene were constructed. These constructs did not express after transfection into any of 7 continuous cell lines, none of which endogenously produce PNMT. A system for transfecting chromaffin cells in primary culture was therefore devised using constructs containing 200 bp of the proenkephalin (ENK) promoter, whose expression characteristics are well known. pENK beta GAL-1, containing the ENK promoter with a lac Z reporter, was introduced into these cells and beta-galactosidase activity was visualized in situ. Approximately 90% of cells transfected were chromaffin; transfection efficiency was 5%. High levels of CAT activity were measured in chromaffin cells transfected with pENKAT12, possessing a CAT reporter. In contrast to tumor cell lines, pENKAT12 induction in these cells by forskolin and phorbol esters did not require a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. In this chromaffin system, both basal and regulated expression of the PNMT fusion genes were detected. Dexamethasone (dex) induced expression of pPNMT3000 and pPNMT900, containing the putative GRE and 3000 bp or 863 bp of PNMT promoter sequence, 4- to 10-fold. Expression of pPNMT300 and pPNMT100, which lack the GRE and contain 273 bp or 99 bp of PNMT promoter sequence, was unaffected by dex. Addition of the PNMT region spanning -490 to -863 bp conferred full dex responsiveness to a thymidine kinase promoter. Deletion of the putative GRE sequence by site-directed mutagenesis abolished the dex response. These data identify the sequence at -513 bp in the rat PNMT gene as a functional, positively acting GRE. Primary cultures of bovine chromaffin cells provide a biologically relevant expression system for transcriptional studies of catecholamine genes and their related neuropeptides.
The Cost of Diversity: Endogenous Property Rights and Growth

Well-specified property rightsenhance economic performance but vary considerably across countries.The failure of numerous nation-states to adopt growth-enhancinginstitutions is paradoxical. This paper examines the role ofethnic and linguistic diversity in retarding the developmentof growth-enhancing property rights and in-turn economic growth.The data show that property rights are attenuated in more diversepolities and economic growth is correspondingly lower.
Computational Thermodynamics and Experimental Investigation of Mg-Al-Ca Alloys

The thermodynamic properties of the ternary Mg-Al-Ca system are investigated, based on the three binary systems, i.e. the Al-Mg, Ca-Mg and Al-Ca systems. The ternary system contains six different intermetallic compounds with five of them treated as stoichiometric compounds. The calculated ternary system and Scheil simulations are used to understand the microstructures and phase relationships during solidification. Metallographic samples are prepared for the optical microscopy and SEM observations. The phase amounts were measured and compared with the calculated results. The calculations will be used to direct new experiments in the project for fine-tuning of the phase relationships.
The At-Temperature Mechanical Properties of Lead-Tin Based Alloys

The mechanical properties (elastic modulus, yield point, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation) of five Pb-Sn solder alloys (63Sn/37Pb, 62Sn/36Pb/2Ag, 96Sn/4Ag, 5Sn/95Pb, and 10Sn/90Pb) commonly used in electronic packaging have been determined over the temperature range of -200 to 150°C using uniaxial tensile test and an acoustic pulse method. It was found that the elastic moduli measured acoustically were 10 to 30 times greater than those measured mechanically, however, it is believed that the viscoelastic response of the materials may make the uniaxial tension test inaccurate for these types of alloys.
Corresponding residue systems in nonnormal extensions of prime degree

Abstract Let K1 and K2 be number fields and F = K 1 ⋔ K 2 . Suppose K 1 F and K 2 F are of prime degree p but are not necessarily normal. Let N1 and N2 be the normal closures of K1 and K2 over F, respectively, L = K1K2, N = N1N2, and B be a prime divisor of N which divides p and is totally ramified in K 1 F and K 2 F . Let N L be the ramification index of B in N L , t L F be the total ramification number of B in L F , and t= min {t K 1 F , t K 2 F } . Then M (K1, K2) is exactly divisible by B M, where M = e N L [e L K 1 (t + 1) 2 − t L F ] .
Decreased helpfulness with increased group size through lessening the effects of the needy individual's dependency1

The present experiment attempted to integrate the research on helpfulness in which subjects work for someone else in an artificial laboratory setting (Berkowitz & Daniels, 1963; Berkowitz, 1972) with the bystander-intervention-in-emergencies studies often carried out under more realistic conditions (e.g., Latane & Darley, 1970; Schwartz & Clausen, 1970; Clark & Word, 1972). Fifty-six university women in a 2 × 2 factorial design were led to think they were working for a same-sex peer who could win a cash prize, although there was “nothing in it for them.” Half were told that the other's chance of getting the prize was greatly dependent upon their effort while the remaining participants were informed that the other did not need their-work very much. Moreover, half of the subjects thought they were the only ones working for the other whereas the remaining people believed there were two other co-workers and that the output from all three would be averaged. It was expected that the participants would feel the greatest personal responsibility to help the other and would work hardest for her when she was greatly dependent upon their productivity and they were the only worker, while the subjects would feel the lowest level of personal responsibility for their peer and would be least helpful to her when she was not particularly dependent upon them and there were two other co-workers. The findings are generally in accord with these expectations.
Sulfuryl Transfer: The Catalytic Mechanism of Human Estrogen Sulfotransferase

Estrogen sulfotransferase (EST) catalyzes the transfer of the sulfuryl group from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to 17beta-estradiol (E2). The sulfation of E2 prevents it from binding to, and thereby activating, the estrogen receptor. The regulation of EST appears to be causally linked to tumorigenesis in the breast and endometrium. In this study, recombinant human EST is characterized, and the catalytic mechanism of the transfer reaction is investigated in ligand binding and initial rate experiments. The native enzyme is a dimer of 35-kDa subunits. The apparent equilibrium constant for transfer to E2 is (4.5 +/- 0.2) x 10(3) at pH 6.3 and T = 25 +/- 2 degrees C. Initial rate studies provide the kinetic constants for the reaction and suggest a sequential mechanism. E2 is a partial substrate inhibitor (Ki = 80 +/- 5 nM). The binding of two E2 per EST subunit suggests that the partial inhibition occurs through binding at an allosteric site. In addition to providing the dissociation constants for the ligand-enzyme complexes, binding studies demonstrate that each substrate binds independently to the enzyme and that both the E.PAP.E2S and E.PAP.E2 dead-end complexes form. These results strongly suggest a Random Bi Bi mechanism with two dead-end complexes.