cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-sectional computed tomographic assessment improves accuracy of aortic annular sizing for transcatheter aortic valve replacement and reduces the incidence of paravalvular aortic regurgitation.

Objectives In an effort to define the gold standard for annular sizing for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), we sought to critically analyze and compare the predictive value of multiple measures of the aortic annulus for post-TAVR paravalvular (PV) regurgitation and then assess the impact of a novel cross-sectional computed tomographic (CT) approach to annular sizing. Background Recent studies have shown clear discrepancies between conventional 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiographic and CT measurements. In terms of aortic annular measurement for TAVR, such findings have lacked the outcome analysis required to inform clinical practice. Methods The discriminatory value of multiple CT annular measures for post-TAVR PV aortic regurgitation was compared with 2D echocardiographic measures. TAVR outcomes with device selection according to aortic annular sizing using a traditional 2D transesophageal echocardiography–guided or a novel CT-guided approach were also studied. Results In receiver-operating characteristic models, cross-sectional CT parameters had the highest discriminatory value for post-TAVR PV regurgitation: This was with the area under the curve for [maximal cross-sectional diameter minus prosthesis size] of 0.82 (95% confidence interval: 0.69 to 0.94; p Conclusions Our data lend strong support to 3-dimensional cross-sectional measures, using CT as the new gold standard for aortic annular evaluation for TAVR with the Edwards SAPIEN device.
THE THEORY IS THE PRACTICE : AN EXEMPLAR

The centerpiece of this article is an exemplar of an elderly woman who makes a startling revelation to a clinical nurse specialist who is making a consultative home visit related to a physical condition. The exemplar illustrates the uniquely powerful contribution of the nurse work of intentionality, presencing, mutuality, knowing, and caring in helping patients to heal. Newman's theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness provides the framework for a paradigm shift from a curative to a healing practice of nursing.
Thin-layer chromatographic quantitative analysis

Abstract In this review, the various methods available in quantitative thin-layer chromatographic analysis are discussed. Advantages and disadvantages are pointed out with some suggestions to eliminate or minimize errors.
Minimizing total tardiness on one machine is NP-hard

The problem of minimizing the total tardiness for a set of independent jobs on one machine is considered. Lawler has given a pseudo-polynomial-time algorithm to solve this problem. In spite of extensive research efforts for more than a decade, the question of whether it can be solved in polynomial time or it is NP-hard in the ordinary sense remained open. In this paper the problem is shown to be NP-hard in the ordinary sense.
High phosphorous levels on zinc and other heavy metal concentrations in Hawkeye and PI54619–5–1 soybeans

Abstract Two soybean varieties were grown at different P levels to test tolerance to high levels of P. When Hawkeye and PI54619–5–1 soybeans, Glycine max (L.) Merr. Bragg, were grown in solution culture with NH4 H2 PO4 increasing from 10‐4 M to 3 × 10‐2 M, yields of Hawkeye were decreased more by the highest P levels than were those of PI54619–5–1. The high P also resulted in larger concentrations of Zn, Cu, and other heavy metals in Hawkeye man in PI54619–5–1. Phosphorous concentrations were generally higher for Hawkeye than for the PI54619–5–1 soybeans. PI54619–5–1 leaves contained less of most metals than the Hawkeye.
Influence of sampling properties of fast-waveform digitizers on neutron-gamma-ray, pulse-shape discrimination for organic scintillation detectors

Abstract One of the most important questions to be answered with regard to digital pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) systems based on organic scintillators is: What sampling properties are required for a fast-waveform digitizer used for digitizing neutron/gamma-ray pulses, while an accurate PSD is desired? Answering this question is the main objective of this paper. Specifically, the paper describes the influence of the resolution and sampling frequency of a waveform digitizer on the PSD performance of organic scintillators. The results presented in this paper are meant to help the reader choosing a waveform digitizer with appropriate bit resolution and sampling frequency. The results presented here show that a 12-bit, 250-MHz digitizer is a good choice for applications that require good PSD performance. However, when more accurate PSD performance is the main requirement, this paper presents PSD figures of merit to qualify the impact of further increasing either sampling frequency or resolution of the digitizer.
Expression and characterization of recombinant human secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) protein from Pichia pastoris.

The human secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) has been shown to possess anti-protease, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Its presence in saliva is believed to be a major deterrent to oral transmission of human immunodeficiency virus-1. The 11.7 kDa peptide is a secreted, nonglycosylated protein rich in disulfide bonds. Currently, recombinant SLPI is only available as an expensive bacterial expression product. We have investigated the utility of the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris to produce and secrete SLPI with C-terminal c-myc and polyhistidine tags. The post-transformational vector amplification protocol was used to isolate strains with increased copy number, and culturing parameters were varied to optimize SLPI expression. Modification of the purification procedure allowed the secreted, recombinant protein to be isolated from the cell-free fermentation medium with cobalt affinity chromatography. This yeast-derived SLPI was shown to have an anti-protease activity comparable to the commercially available bacterial product. Thus, P. pastoris provides an efficient, cost-effective system for producing SLPI for structure function analysis studies as well as a wide array of potential therapeutic applications.
Theoretical investigation of the decarboxylation and decarbonylation mechanism of propanoic acid over a Ru(0 0 0 1) model surface

Abstract The hydrodeoxygenation of organic acids is often found to be a rate-controlling process during upgrading of biomass feedstocks into fuels. We developed a microkinetic model based on data obtained from density functional theory calculations for the decarboxylation and decarbonylation mechanisms of propanoic acid (CH 3 CH 2 COOH) over a Ru(0 0 0 1) model surface. The model predicts that the decarbonylation mechanism is two orders of magnitude faster than the decarboxylation mechanism. The most favorable decarbonylation pathway proceeds via removal of the acid –OH group to produce propanoyl (CH 3 CH 2 CO) followed by C–CO bond scission of propanoyl to produce CH 3 CH 2 and CO. Finally, CH 3 CH 2 is hydrogenated to CH 3 CH 3 . Dehydrogenation reactions that have been observed to be important over Pd catalysts play no role over Ru(0 0 0 1), and a sensitivity analysis indicates that removal of the acid –OH group is the rate-controlling step in the deoxygenation. Overall, our results suggest that to improve the Ru catalyst performance for the decarbonylation of organic acids, the free site coverage needs to be increased by, for example, adding a catalyst promoter that decreases the hydrogen and CO adsorption strength (without significantly affecting the C–OH bond scission rate), or by raising the reaction temperature and operating at relatively low CO and H 2 partial pressures.
Testing in Radio Language Courses

Author's Summary.— Among the methods of estimating attendance in a radio language course are official enrollment figures, amount of correspondence received, quantity of texts bought from publishers, and number of tests mailed in. Tests probably furnish the most accurate means of estimating attendance and the degree of success of the course. They also direct the attention of the student toward the skills the instructor wishes to emphasize. They afford to the listener a frequent opportunity of asking questions and of making suggestions. But students must be persuaded to want to send in tests. This may be accomplished partly by making the taking of tests a requirement for receiving free material used in the course.
Optical system for EUV lithography

A four mirror imaging system for a prototype EUV lithography tool has been fabricated, assembled, and aligned using a preliminary set of ultra-precise mirror substrates. The optical elements include three aspheric surfaces and meet a figure accuracy requirement of 0.5 nm rms. These elements were assembled into a precision housing and were aligned using visible light interferometry and then validated using synchrotron radiation. Excellent agreement was recorded from these two measurements with a wavefront error of 1.67 nm rms, including higher-order terms. A second set of mirrors is being fabricated to achieve diffraction-limited imaging (λ = 13.4 nm).
Cortical Microhemorrhages Cause Local Inflammation but Do Not Trigger Widespread Dendrite Degeneration

Microhemorrhages are common in the aging brain, and their incidence is correlated with increased risk of neurodegenerative disease. Past work has shown that occlusion of individual cortical microvessels as well as large-scale hemorrhages can lead to degeneration of neurons and increased inflammation. Using two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy in anesthetized mice, we characterized the acute and chronic dynamics of vessel bleeding, tissue compression, blood flow change, neural degeneration, and inflammation following a microhemorrhage caused by rupturing a single penetrating arteriole with tightly-focused femtosecond laser pulses. We quantified the extravasation of red blood cells (RBCs) and blood plasma into the brain and determined that the bleeding was limited by clotting. The vascular bleeding formed a RBC-filled core that compressed the surrounding parenchymal tissue, but this compression was not sufficient to crush nearby brain capillaries, although blood flow speeds in these vessels was reduced by 20%. Imaging of cortical dendrites revealed no degeneration of the large-scale structure of the dendritic arbor up to 14 days after the microhemorrhage. Dendrites close to the RBC core were displaced by extravasating RBCs but began to relax back one day after the lesion. Finally, we observed a rapid inflammatory response characterized by morphology changes in microglia/macrophages up to 200 µm from the microhemorrhage as well as extension of cellular processes into the RBC core. This inflammation persisted over seven days. Taken together, our data suggest that a cortical microhemorrhage does not directly cause significant neural pathology but does trigger a sustained, local inflammatory response.
The reaction of tetra(allyl)uranium with Lewis bases

Abstract The reaction of the thermally unstable U(π-C 3 H 5 ) 4 with an excess of 2,2′-bipyridine leads to incorporation of three 2,2′-bipyridine ligands in the thermally more stable product in which transfer of two of the four allyl groups to one or two of the 2,2′-bipyridine ligands has occurred. The product has been characterized analytically, spectroscopically, magnetically, and by detailed studies of hydrolysis products.
Terminal deletion of 7q presenting in utero with a truncus arteriosus and nonimmune hydrops

Terminal deletion of 7q presents with variable anatomical and developmental findings. This case is the first reported in utero diagnosis based on cytogenetic findings and in utero demonstration of resolving congestive heart failure due to a truncus arteriosus.
Isolation and characterization of xnov, a Xenopus laevis ortholog of the chicken nov gene

We have isolated an ortholog (xnov) of the chicken nov gene (for nephroblastoma overexpressed; encoding a putative avian proto-oncogene) from Xenopus laevis (X1) by screening an Xl ovary cDNA library and genomic library using the entire coding region of human CTGF (encoding connective tissue growth factor) as a probe and by 5′RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends). xnov has the same genomic organization as chicken nov, mouse fisp12 and cyr61, but has a unique promoter sequence. The Xl open reading frame (ORF) encodes a 343-amino-acid (aa) polypeptide of 37.9 kDa. Xnov shows 62.9, 60.5, 52.2, 52.1, 47.6 and 45.8% identity with the chicken Nov, human NovH, human CTGF, mouse Fispl2, chicken Cef10 and mouse Cyr61 proteins, respectively. Xnov contains four aa domains which characterize the CTGF family. RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) analysis shows that the xnov mRNA is very low in abundance and appears to be present throughout early Xl development. Our results also indicate that xnov and nov are not orthologs of human CTGF
2. Average Predictive Comparisons for Models with Nonlinearity, Interactions, and Variance Components

In a predictive model, what is the expected difference in the outcome associated with a unit difference in one of the inputs? In a linear regression model without interactions, this average predictive comparison is simply a regression coefficient (with associated uncertainty). In a model with nonlinearity or interactions, however, the average predictive comparison in general depends on the values of the predictors. We consider various definitions based on averages over a population distribution of the predictors, and we compute standard errors based on uncertainty in model parameters. We illustrate with a study of criminal justice data for urban counties in the United States. The outcome of interest measures whether a convicted felon received a prison sentence rather than a jail or non-custodial sentence, with predictors available at both individual and county levels. We fit three models: (1) a hierarchical logistic regression with varying coefficients for the within-county intercepts as well as for each individual predictor; (2) a hierarchical model with varying intercepts only; and (3) a nonhierarchical model that ignores the multilevel nature of the data. The regression coefficients have different interpretations for the different models; in contrast, the models can be compared directly using predictive comparisons. Furthermore, predictive comparisons clarify the interplay between the individual and county predictors for the hierarchical models and also illustrate the relative size of varying county effects.
Hawkes Learning Systems

Over the past some 20 years I have had the opportunity to informally review a number of statistical learning applications, most of which were associated with a particular software com pany. Some impressed me more than others, and a few were very well thought out systems aimed at instructing students in learning elementary statistical methods. The Hawkes Learning Systems application for statistics, however, is different from the learning systems that I have looked at in the past. It is one often learning packages developed by the company, and is not associ ated with any statistical software company or application.
Immunomodulation by allergic contact sensitization: The dinitrochlorobenzene story

Abstract Dinitrochlorobenzene, the well-known occupational and experimental contact sensitizer, has been used to test for systemic immunodeficiency, especially in children, and to treat such recalcitrant diseases as warts, alopecia areata, and cutaneous metastatic malignant melanoma. This short review of basic science applied to clinical problems will focus on the growing body of information that supports the topical use of dinitrochlorobenzene to up-modulate the cellular immune system of patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.
Electrical Aspects of Adsorbing Colloid Flotation. IX. Effects of Surfactant Overdosing

Abstract The effect on flotation of excessively high surfactant concentrations is examined within the framework of the Fuerstenau-Somasundaran-Healy model. Statistical mechanical methods are used to calculate the adsorption isotherm of a second hemimicelle of surfactant on top of the hemimicelle in the primary adsorption layer. The resulting structure presents the charged ends of the surfactant ions to the water, making the coated surface hydrophilic. The effects of temperature, surfactant chain length and cross-sectional area, ionic strength, and ionic size are studied.
Expectancies as mediators in the differential-reward conditional discrimination performance of pigeons

In a series of within-subject experiments employing a two-choice delayed conditional discrimination task, pigeons chose correctly more often when kind of correct choice and kind of reinforcer were perfectly correlated than when uncorrelated. Correct choice behavior fell to chance levels when the correlation was reversed or when it was removed by using only one kind of reinforcer. Implications for mediation theories are discussed, with the conclusion being that, although the possibility that instrumental mediators are present in this situation cannot be dismissed, the overall pattern of results indicates that classical mediators are of principal importance in this type of task.
SEARCH FOR THE ac JOSEPHSON EFFECT IN LIQUID HELIUM.

In the presence of an ac sound field, we have found stable states of zero flow between two baths of liquid helium connected by a small orifice which we believe are the same as those which had been previously identified as the ac Josephson effect. We show that these states are not Josephson states.
Age and the rehabilitative care of stroke.

: Over a nine-year period, 1,223 patients with cerebrovascular accidents were admitted to Montebello State Hospital, a chronic disease institution. The findings of this study consistently reflect an adverse influence of rising age on the response of CVA patients to rehabilitation. The older patients (over 65) were more disabled on admission, improved less often while in the hospital and died more often than the younger patients. However, the better response of the younger patients did not reduce their length of stay in the hospital (21–23 weeks). It would be unfair for clinicians to reject for rehabilitation all older patients because of these disadvantages, since our adjustment analysis has shown one way (number of hospital-weeks of care required to obtain a living and improved patient) in which priorities can be balanced for different age groups. It would be premature, however, to apply these figures widely until larger groups of patients are studied in different rehabilitation centers. This can be done quickly if it is agreed that scientific rather than intuitive guidelines for selecting patients deserve urgent attention.
Use of Iodogen and sulfosuccinimidobiotin to identify and isolate cuticular proteins of the filarial parasite Brugia malayi

The cuticle of filarial nematodes is a dynamic structure which may be an important target for protective host immune responses. Prior studies have employed radioiodination of intact parasites to demonstrate that the collagenous cuticle of filariids contains relatively few exposed proteins, some of which are stage and/or species-specific. In the present study, we have used sulfo-NHS-biotin to label and affinity purify cuticular components of living adult Brugia malayi. Results obtained by this method were compared with the widely used Iodogen method of surface radioiodination by SDS-PAGE analysis of detergent-solubilized worms and by ultrastructural analysis. Both labeling methods produced very similar electrophoretic patterns with major doublets at 70 and 100 kDa, a major band at 25 kDa, and minor bands between 60-200 kDa. Ultrastructural analysis showed that both methods labeled components throughout all levels of the parasite cuticle; underlying somatic tissues were not labeled. The biotinylated components were isolated from the total parasite extract by affinity chromatography on an avidin matrix. Further characterization of these surface-associated proteins may lead to improved methods for the control of filariasis.
Studies on the antidiuretic action of mophine in the rat

Abstract Morphine sulfate (MS) given s.c. or i.v. produces a dose-response related decrease in urine flow in the alcohol-anesthetized-diuresing rat with a bladder fistula. The antidiuretic effect is not seen if the hydrating infusion contains mannitol instead of glucose-saline. These results are compatible with the proposal that the acute antidiuretic effect of morphine is mediated by the release of ADH from the neurohypophysis. Tolerance to the antidiuretic effect of MS rapidly develops in rats treated on an increasing schedule of MS. After 5 days of MS treatment, tolerance to the antidiuretic effect of MS given i.v. or s.c. is nearly complete and the initial response to MS becomes diuretic. At the same time renal sensitivity to Pitressin is unchanged. The development of tolerance to the antidiuretic effect of MS, seen after one or more doses, may be due to a morphine induced blockade of ADH release.
The Impact of Bid-Ask Prices on Market Anomalies

A substantial body of literature on security market anomalies has evolved since the articulation of the efficient markets hypothesis. These anomalies include the size, January, and weekend effects. The evidence of such anomalies has been based upon returns computed from closing prices. Although readily available, analysis of closing prices may not reflect returns obtainable by public traders utilizing market orders to execute trades. We have demonstrated elsewhere that returns computed from closing prices are biased upward compared with returns that would have resulted from using market orders. This study reexamines the evidence on two market anomalies using returns generated in a manner more consistent with the actual returns available to actual market participants.
How safe is safe enough

Hospitals are rather strange places to work. The rationale, after all, of purposely concentrating into close quarters the sick, the frail, and the contagious is elusive at times. Further compounding the situation is the introduction of healthcare workers into the mix, usually at the ratio of approximately five or six full-time employees for every hospital bed. In no other circumstance, except perhaps daycare or nursery schools, does a healthy person deliberately walk into an environment where billions of pathogens routinely are coughed and sneezed and excreted into the atmosphere.
Apigenin reactivates Nrf2 anti-oxidative stress signaling in mouse skin epidermal JB6 P + cells through epigenetics modifications.

Nrf2 is a crucial transcription factor that controls a critical anti-oxidative stress defense system and is implicated in skin homeostasis. Apigenin (API), a potent cancer chemopreventive agent, protects against skin carcinogenesis and elicits multiple molecular signaling pathways. However, the potential epigenetic effect of API in skin cancer chemoprotection is not known. In this study, bisulfite genomic DNA sequencing and methylated DNA immunoprecipitation were utilized to investigate the demethylation effect of API at 15 CpG sites in the Nrf2 promoter in mouse skin epidermal JB6 P + cells. In addition, qPCR and Western blot analyses were performed to evaluate the mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2 and the Nrf2 ARE downstream gene, NQO1. Finally, the protein expression levels of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) were evaluated using API and the DNMT/HDAC inhibitor 5-aza/ trichostatin A. Our results showed that API effectively reversed the hypermethylated status of the 15 CpG sites in the Nrf2 promoter in a dose-dependent manner. API enhanced the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and increased the mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2 and the Nrf2 downstream target gene, NQO1. Furthermore, API reduced the expression of the DNMT1, DNMT3a, and DNMT3b epigenetic proteins as well as the expression of some HDACs (1–8). Taken together, our results showed that API can restore the silenced status of Nrf2 in skin epidermal JB6 P + cells by CpG demethylation coupled with attenuated DNMT and HDAC activity. These results may provide new therapeutic insights into the prevention of skin cancer by dietary phytochemicals.
Folate transport in Lactobacillus casei: Solubilization and general properties of the binding protein☆

Abstract Intact cells of Lactobacillus casei grown in a medium containing a low level (5 nM) of folate have the capacity to bind (at 4°) appreciable quantities (0.35 nmoles/10 10 cells) of the vitamin. Folate binding is rapid, saturable (K d = 36 nM), insensitive to sulfhydryl reagents, and has a broad pH optimum. A folate-binding protein has been solubilized in high yield by sonic disruption of lysozyme-treated cells in the presence of [ 3 H]folate and Triton X-100. The protein-folate-Triton complex (MW 230,000 by filtration through Sephadex G-150) is stable to dialysis but dissociates upon heating (50% loss of bound folate after 5 min at 49°). Evidence is presented to suggest that the binding protein functions as the carrier of folate during its transport into the cells.
ESL Coteaching and Collaboration: Opportunities to Develop Teacher Leadership and Enhance Student Learning

This article presents seven English as a second language (ESL) coteaching models and explores other possibilities of collaboration between general education classroom teachers, content area teachers, and ESL specialists in the K‐12 context. Through authentic case vignettes, we illustrate how collaborative experiences and coteaching opportunities can lead to the emergence of teacher leaders and enhanced student learning. doi: 10.5054/tj.2010.214879
Magnetization of the oceanic crust

Summary. The magnetization of the oceanic crust can be studied both directly, by looking at the magnetization of rocks collected from the oceans, and also indirectly, by looking at the magnetic anomalies. These methods are discussed. Magnetic measurements on basement samples collected by the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) show that these samples have lower magnetizations than dredged samples. The DSDP results suggest that the layer causing the magnetic anomalies has to be much thicker than the normally assumed thickness of 0.5 km. A theoretical power spectrum for lineated magnetic anomalies is developed. It was assumed that the anomalies were caused by normally- and reversely-magnetized bands of magnetic material formed during periods of normal and reversed magnetic field, the lengths of the times of constant field polarity being assumed to be exponentially distributed. Comparison of this theoretical power spectrum with published power spectra also suggests that the magnetic anomaly sources are more deeply located within the oceanic crust. The rock types which may contribute to the magnetic anomalies are discussed.
Effects of electrical stimulation of acupuncture points on blood pressure.

Objective Arterial hypertension is considered a major contributor to coronary arterial disease. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of Hans electrical stimulation of acupuncture points on blood pressure.
Proof-of-concept for managing Meloidogyne hapla parasitic variability in carrot production soils

Summary – Without resistant cultivars, conducive cropping systems and heterogeneous soils, managing parasitic variability of Meloidogyne hapla is a major challenge in carrot production. In glasshouse studies we tested a hypothesis that knowledge of carrot cultivars’ degrees of host suitability to populations of M. hapla could lead to developing site-specific management strategies. ‘Sitespecific’ encompasses production practices, soil conditions and nematode problems. Interactions between the carrot cvs Abledo, Abundance, Enterprise, Eufora, Prodigy, Recoleta and Sugar Snax, and four M. hapla populations, Mh 1, Mh 2, Mh 3 and Mh 4, were examined. The tomato cv. Rutgers, in which the populations were cultured, was used as a nematode viability control. The first three populations were isolated from mineral soils and the fourth one from organic (muck) soil, all soils typical of carrot and other vegetable production in the US Midwest. While the reactions varied by population and by cultivar, the carrot cultivars proved to be hosts as suitable as, or more suitable than, cv. Rutgers tomato. All of the carrot cultivars were hosts as suitable as cv. Rutgers tomato to Mh 2 ,a ll but cv. Sugar Snax toMh 3 and all but cvs Sugar Snax and Abundance to Mh 1 .H owever, theMh 3 infection levels in cv. Sugar Snax were as high as the Mh 2 infection levels. The cvs Sugar Snax and Abundance were the least suitable hosts for Mh 4 and Mh 1, and cv. Prodigy for Mh 4. The results suggest that identifying the reproductive potential of a resident M. hapla population is critical to making decisions about what carrot cultivars to plant as well as to minimise inoculum build-up in an infested field. The implications of the results across rotation crops are discussed.
Relationship Between the Dynamic Geometry and Wall Thickness of a Human Coronary Artery

Objective— It is widely recognized that hemodynamic and wall mechanical forces are involved in the initiation and development of atherosclerosis. In the coronary vasculature, these forces are likely mediated by arterial dynamics and geometry. This research examines the hypothesis that coronary artery motion and geometry affect the local predisposition to disease, presumably through their influence on the stresses at and in the artery wall. Methods and Results— The dynamics of a human right coronary artery and the variation of wall thickness along its length were characterized from biplane cineangiograms and intravascular ultrasound records, respectively. The dynamic geometry parameters were distance along the vessel, cyclic displacement, axial strain, curvature, and torsion. Multiple regression analyses using principal components show that (1) no single dynamic geometry parameter has a dominant influence on wall thickness, (2) linear combinations of such parameters predict wall thickness measures with hig...
The burden of loss: unexpected death of a loved one and psychiatric disorders across the life course in a national study.

Unexpected death of a loved one was associated with heightened vulnerability for virtually all commonly occurring psychiatric disorders, including depression, PTSD, manic episodes, phobias, panic disorder, and substance use disorders in one of the first population-based studies to examine these relations across the lifespan.
Quantitative Comparison of Active and Latent Tuberculosis in the Cynomolgus Macaque Model

We previously described that low-dose Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in cynomolgus macaques results in a spectrum of disease similar to that of human infection: primary disease, latent infection, and reactivation tuberculosis (S. V. Capuano III, D. A. Croix, S. Pawar, A. Zinovik, A. Myers, P. L. Lin, S. Bissel, C. Fuhrman, E. Klein, and J. L. Flynn, Infect. Immun. 71:5831-5844, 2003). This is the only established model of latent infection, and it provides a unique opportunity to understand host and pathogen differences across of range of disease states. Here, we provide a more extensive and detailed characterization of the gross pathology, microscopic histopathology, and immunologic characteristics of monkeys in each clinical disease category. The data underscore the similarities between human and nonhuman primate M. tuberculosis infection. Furthermore, we describe novel methods of quantifying gross pathology and bacterial burden that distinguish between active disease and latent infection, and we extend the usefulness of this model for comparative studies. Early in infection, an abnormal chest X ray, M. tuberculosis growth by gastric aspirate, and increased mycobacterium-specific gamma interferon (IFN-γ) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells were associated with the development of active disease. At necropsy, disease was quantified with respect to pathology and bacterial numbers. Microscopically, a spectrum of granuloma types are seen and differ with disease type. At necropsy, monkeys with active disease had more lung T cells and more IFN-γ from PBMC, BAL, and mediastinal lymph nodes than monkeys with latent infection. Finally, we have observed a spectrum of disease not only in monkeys with active disease but also in those with latent infection that provides insight into human latent tuberculosis.
On the lower bound of the radiation Q for electrically small antennas

The fundamental question of the lower bound on the radiation Q of an electrically small antenna is of practical importance because of its relationship to the antenna bandwidth. Previous works predict a lower bound on the radiation Q that is usually too low and, hence, a bandwidth that can be optimistically large. This paper addresses why this is so and offers a new prediction for a realizable lower bound on the radiation Q. This new prediction is based on the far-field pattern, in both the visible and invisible spatial regions, in contrast to previous works based upon a near-field modal approach. Results for a linear dipole, bow-tie, and end-loaded dipole are presented to illustrate the validity of the lower bound presented herein. Radiation Q can be related to bandwidth provided the Q is adequately large. Implicit is the presence of a matching network as a part of the antenna system. Both the losses in the antenna and the losses in the matching network have an effect on the system bandwidth, the system efficiency and the system Q, of which the radiation Q is a part. These various relationships are also discussed.
A low cost, high quality embedded array DFT technique for high performance processors

This paper describes a low cost, high quality array DFT technique that will save overall manufacturing test time by /spl sim/50%. This technique integrates a programmable on-die test generation engine into the direct access test (DAT) controller via the parallel DAT interfaces. It can be used to test different types of embedded arrays at system speed. It has been validated on an Intel/spl reg/ high performance microprocessor design.
Wideband predistortion linearization system for RF power amplifiers using an envelope modulation technique

This paper proposes a wideband adaptive predistortion linearization system based on high-speed RF envelope modulation applied to the input signal of an RF power amplifier. An FPGA-based look-up table, fed by a digitized envelope power signal, controls the envelope modulation performed by an RF vector modulator. The advantages of this predistortion architecture over conventional baseband digital approaches are a wider bandwidth, and the elimination of the need for digital baseband I/Q streams. The predistortion system was implemented as a testbed. Using 3-carrier CDMA2000 and multi-tone signals, the linearization performances for a 0.5 W GaAs HFET and a 90 W peak envelope power (PEP) LDMOS power amplifier were examined on the testbed. In the third-order intermodulation distortion (IMD) region, the wideband multi-tone testing showed IMD suppressions of 9 to 13 dB over 63 MHz bandwidth and a range of 7 to 8 dB backoff. For the 90 W power amplifier, the system achieved adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) improvement of 13 dB output power backoff.
Effects of spatial segmentation in the continuous model of excitation propagation in cardiac muscle.

Spatial Segmentation in the Simulation of Propagation. Introduction: Spatial segmentation is essential for the numerical simulation of excitation propagation in cardiac muscle. Methods and Results: This study evaluated the effects of spatial segmentation on action potential and on the velocity of propagation in a continuous one-dimensional model of cardiac muscle [intracellular and extracellular resistivities along (L) and transverse (T) to the muscle fibers: 402 ωcm (Ri, L), 3,620 ωcm (Ri, T), 48 ωcm (Re, L), and 126 ωcm (Re, T), J of Physiol 255:335-346, 1976) and either Luo-Rudy (L-R, Circ Res 68:1501-1526, 1991) or Beeler-Reuter (B-R, J Physiol 268:177-210, 1977) ionic currents. Related cable equations for active membrane are derived. Spatial segmentations of < 31.2 μm (L, L-R), < 11.5 μm (T, L-R), < 44.7 μm (L, B-R), and < 16.5 μm (T, B-R) were required for < 1% errors in the characteristic parameters of action potential. Similarly, spatial segmentations of < 54.5 μm (L, L-R), < 20.1 μm (T, L-R), < 84.3 μm (L, B-R), and < 31.2 μm (T, B-R) were required for < 1% errors in the velocity of conduction. Conclusion: In general, spatial segmentations of < 26.9% and < 50.8% of the space constant of a fully activated membrane gave < 1.0% errors in the characteristic parameters of action potential and in the velocity of propagation, respectively, for both membranes. The action potential duration was relatively insensitive to the spatial segmentation. Our analysis suggests that λfull is a better criterion for the selection of spatial segmentation in numerical simulation than the space constant of the resting membrane.
Proteomic Analysis of Anaplasma phagocytophilum during Infection of Human Myeloid Cells Identifies a Protein That Is Pronouncedly Upregulated on the Infectious Dense-Cored Cell

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular bacterium that invades neutrophils to cause the emerging infectious disease human granulocytic anaplasmosis. A. phagocytophilum undergoes a biphasic developmental cycle, transitioning between an infectious dense-cored cell (DC) and a noninfectious reticulate cell (RC). To gain insights into the organism's biology and pathogenesis during human myeloid cell infection, we conducted proteomic analyses on A. phagocytophilum organisms purified from HL-60 cells. A total of 324 proteins were unambiguously identified, thereby verifying 23.7% of the predicted A. phagocytophilum proteome. Fifty-three identified proteins had been previously annotated as hypothetical or conserved hypothetical. The second most abundant gene product, after the well-studied major surface protein 2 (P44), was the hitherto hypothetical protein APH_1235. APH_1235 homologs are found in other Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species but not in other bacteria. The aph_1235 RNA level is increased 70-fold in the DC form relative to that in the RC form. Transcriptional upregulation of and our ability to detect APH_1235 correlate with RC to DC transition, DC exit from host cells, and subsequent DC binding and entry during the next round of infection. Immunoelectron microscopy pronouncedly detects APH_1235 on DC organisms, while detection on RC bacteria minimally, at best, exceeds background. This work represents an extensive study of the A. phagocytophilum proteome, discerns the complement of proteins that is generated during survival within human myeloid cells, and identifies APH_1235 as the first known protein that is pronouncedly upregulated on the infectious DC form.
ILLUSIONS OF POWER AND EMPIRE1

Subsequent to the end of the Cold War, analysts groped for an understanding of the overall structures of world politics that marked the emergence of a new epoch. As a result, the concept of empire became a major preoccupation, with the economic and military power of the United States considered sufficient for regarding it as an empire. Due to the proliferation of new microelectronic technologies and for a variety of other specified reasons, however, the constraints inherent in the new epoch make it seem highly unlikely that the U.S. or any other country can ever achieve the status of an empire. In effect, the substantial shrinkage of time and distance in the current period has led to the replacement of the age of the nation-state that originated with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 with the age of the networked individual. It is an age that has developed on a global scale and that has brought an end to the history of empires.
Synthetic Triterpenoids Can Protect against Toxicity without Reducing the Efficacy of Treatment with Carboplatin and Paclitaxel in Experimental Lung Cancer

Synthetic oleanane triterpenoids are multifunctional drugs being developed for the prevention and treatment of a variety of chronic diseases driven by inflammation and oxidative stress. Low nanomolar concentrations of triterpenoids inhibit the induction of inflammatory cytokines, and these drugs are potent activators of the Nrf2 cytoprotective pathway. In contrast, low micromolar concentrations of triterpenoids increased the production of ROS and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in malignant MCF10 CA1a breast cancer cells. Because cancer cells respond differently to ROS than normal cells, it should be possible to exploit these differences therapeutically. In an experimental model of lung cancer, the triterpenoids activated the Nrf2 pathway, as seen by induction of the cytoprotective enzyme NQO1, and reduced the toxicity of carboplatin and paclitaxel. The induction of the Nrf2 pathway in the lung did not suppress the efficacy of treatment with carboplatin and paclitaxel, as the average tumor burden in the group treated with the combination of CDDO-Me and carboplatin/paclitaxel decreased by 90% (P < 0.05 vs. the controls and both single treatment groups). Understanding the dose response of triterpenoids and related drugs will help provide the proper context for optimizing their potential clinical utility.
Generalized Bargmann-Wigner equations in curved space-time

The Bargmann-Wigner equations are formulated to represent bosonic fields in terms of fermionic fields in curved space-time. The bispinor field is explicitly studied including lower spin states. The correspondence among fermions and bosons through bispinors is applied to the superradiance problem in Kerr black-hole spacetime. Superradiance phenomena of the type of positive frequency (0 < ω) and negative momentum near the horizon (pH < 0) are shown not to occur.
Understanding the Impact of Poverty on Critical Events in Emerging Adulthood

Current trends have allowed some youth a lengthened transition to adulthood, in part because of demographic shifts that delay the time until adolescents assume adult roles. Although these trends are well documented, less research has examined how this impacts vulnerable subgroups. Using a sample of predominantly White youth (ages 18-33) from the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 1,517), this study traces the timing of critical events in emerging adulthood. Using survival analysis, results suggest poverty impacts youth experiences of home leaving, marriage, and parenthood. Low-income youth are at greater risk of early home leaving but less likely to leave after age 18. They are less likely to marry, though they have a greater risk of parenthood prior to age 25. Taken as whole, these outcomes can set youth up for negative trajectories throughout adulthood and may not allow poor youth the same opportunity for an extended period of emerging adulthood.
An abnormal speech pattern associated with an orofacial anomaly.

The speech of a 24-year old white female with multiple oralfacial anomalies was studied by articulations testing and connected speech samples. Speech physiological characteristics were investigated by using cinefluorographic analysis. The results of these studies, as well as the unique pattern of compensatory articulatory movements were reviewed.
Construct Transportability: A Choice That Matters

Construct Transportability is the conveyance of a latent construct from prior research for reuse in new theoretical models without the loss of meaning or reliance on the nomological network. The basis of construct transportability is fundamental to building upon existing literature. Recent reviews of the IS literature suggest inconsistencies in measurement models of similarly defined latent constructs. Their theoretical meaning appears to be neither inherently reflective nor formative thus creating a dilemma for researchers to determine the measurement model for reuse. This study addresses the construct transportability issue using IT Capabilities, which was represented empirically in the literature as four different latent constructs (1st and 2nd order constructs as both formative and reflective). We empirically evaluate these measurement representations. The tradeoffs of each representation are discussed with insights provided as to how construct selection impacts the research model and the loss of meaning that may accrue.
Matrix-dependent adhesion mediates network responses to physiological stimulation of the osteocyte cell process

Osteocytes are bone cells that form cellular networks that sense mechanical loads distributed throughout the bone tissue. Interstitial fluid flow in the lacunar canalicular system produces focal strains at localized attachment sites around the osteocyte cell process. These regions of periodic attachment between the osteocyte cell membrane and its canalicular wall are sites where pN-level fluid-flow induced forces are generated in vivo. In this study, we show that focally applied forces of this magnitude using a newly developed Stokesian fluid stimulus probe initiate rapid and transient intercellular electrical signals in vitro. Our experiments demonstrate both direct gap junction coupling and extracellular purinergic P2 receptor signaling between MLO-Y4 cells in a connected bone cell network. Intercellular signaling was initiated by pN-level forces applied at integrin attachment sites along both appositional and distal unapposed cell processes, but not initiated at their cell bodies with equivalent forces. Electrical coupling was evident in 58% of all cell pairs tested with appositional connections; coupling strength increased with the increasing number of junctional connections. Apyrase, a nucleotide-degrading enzyme, suppressed and abolished force-induced effector responses, indicating a contribution from ATP released by the stimulated cell. This work extends the understanding of how osteocytes modulate their microenvironment in response to mechanical signals and highlights mechanisms of intercellular relay of mechanoresponsive signals in the bone network.
Model-based target recognition using laser radar imagery

Autonomous target recognition can be assisted by using CO 2 laser radar data. Of these data, range data provide 3-D geometric information and Doppler data detect boundaries of moving targets. A powerful 3-D feature extraction algorithm based on the Hough transform is used to obtain the orientations and dimensions of the target. This information is then utilized by an inference procedure that recognizes targets based on the available evidence from the sensory data. The experimental results using actual laser radar imagery are successful and the procedure can be used for the future development of a model-based expert system for target recognition.
Prediction caches for superscalar processors

Processor cycle times are currently much faster than memory cycle times, and this gap continues to increase. Adding a high speed cache memory allows the processor to run at full speed, as long as the data it needs is present in the cache. However, memory latency still affects performance in the case of a cache miss. Prediction caches use a history of recent cache misses to predict future misses and to reduce the overall cache miss rate. This paper describes several prediction caches, and introduces a new kind of prediction cache, which combines the features of prefetching and victim caching. This new cache is shown to be more effective at reducing miss rate and improving performance than existing prediction caches.
Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation and Brain Freeze: A Case of Recurrent Co-Incident Precipitation From a Frozen Beverage.

Patient: Male, 29 Final Diagnosis: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation • cold-stimulus headache Symptoms: Palpitations • headache Medication: Diltiazem • Ibutilide Clinical Procedure: None Specialty: Emergency Medicine • Internal Medicine Objective: Unknown ethiology • Rare disease