cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tuberculin Skin Test Versus the Interferon-γ Release Assays: Out With the Old, In With the New.

* Abbreviations: BCG — : Bacillus Calmette-Guerin IGRA — : interferon-γ release assay QFT — : QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube TST — : tuberculin skin test The tuberculin skin test (TST) for determining if a person is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been the dominant test for a century. The interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) have been available for a decade; dozens of studies have compared the performance of the 2 types of tests in a variety of settings. The advantages of the IGRAs have led some experts to recommend the “retirement” of the TST, even in pediatrics.1 However, the best use of the IGRAs in young children remains controversial because of a paucity of data.2 Both test types depend on the cellular immune response to mycobacterial antigens. Purified protein derivative, the solution used in the TST, has dozens of antigens, some of which are also found on many species of nontuberculous mycobacteria and the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccines, leading to low test specificity. The IGRAs use only 2 or 3 antigens that do not cross-react with most nontuberculous mycobacteria and BCG and consistently have higher specificity than the TST.3 Unfortunately, both test types have lower sensitivity in individuals with diminished cellular immunity who are at high risk of having tuberculosis infection progress to disease, and neither test type … Address correspondence to Jeffrey R. Starke, MD, FAAP, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, MC 3-2371, Bates Ave, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: jstarke{at}bcm.edu
Isolation protocol for a COVID-2019 patient requiring emergent surgical intervention: Case presentation

The concerns of the highly contagious and morbid nature of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-2019) have prompted healthcare workers to implement strict droplet and contact isolation precautions. Unfortunately, some patients who may be or presumptively or confirmed as infected with COVID-2019 may also require emergent surgical procedures. As such, given the high-risk for exposure of many healthcare workers involved the complex requirements for appropriate isolation must be adhered to. We present our experience with a 77-year-old who required emergency cardiac surgery for a presumed acute aortic syndrome in the setting of a presumed, and eventually confirmed, COVID-2019 infection. We outline the necessary steps to maintain strict isolation precautions to limit potential exposure to the surgical Team. We hereby provide our algorithm for emergent surgical procedures in critically-ill patients with presumptive or confirmed infection with COVID-2019. The insights from this case report can potentially be templated to other facilities in order to uphold high standards of infection prevention and patient safety in surgery during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The rates of second lung cancers and the survival of surgically-resected second primary lung cancers in patients undergoing resection of an initial primary lung cancer

Abstract Background The Lung Cancer Screening Trial demonstrated improved overall survival (OS) and lung cancer specific survival (LCSS), likely due to finding early-stage NSCLC. The purpose of our investigation is to evaluate whether long-term surveillance strategies (4+ years after surgical resection of the initial lung cancer(1LC)) would be beneficial in NSCLC patients by assessing the rates of second lung cancers(2LC) and the OS/LCSS in patients undergoing definitive surgery in 1LC as compared to 2LC (>48 months after 1LC) populations. Methods SEER13/18 database was reviewed for patients during 1998–2013. Log-rank tests were used to determine the OS/LCSS differences between the 1LC and 2LC in the entire surgical group(EG) and in those having an early-stage resectable tumors (ESR, tumors Results The rate of 2LCs was significantly less than all other second cancers until 2001 when the incidence of 2LCs increased sharply and became significantly greater than all other second cancers in females starting in year 2005 and in men starting in year 2010. OS/LCSS, adjusted for propensity score by using inverse probability weighting, demonstrated similar OS, but worse LCSS for 2LCs in the EG, but similar OS/LCSSs in the ESR group. Conclusion Because the rate of 2LCs are increasing and because the OS/LCSS of the 1LC and 2LC are similar in early-stage lesions, we feel that continued surveillance of patients in order to find early-stage disease may be beneficial.
Sonographic Evaluation of a Perpetual Penetrating Retained Wood Splinter, Ulnar Artery Occlusion, and Soft Tissue Swelling in the Left Arm:

Penetrating foreign bodies are frequently encountered, most commonly wood, glass, or metal slivers. Retained foreign bodies are often overlooked on initial examination and only 15% of wooden foreig...
Beckett's Thing: Painting and Theatre

Explores Samuel Beckett's relation to painting and the visual imagination that informs his theatrical work.Beckett was deeply engaged with the visual arts and individual painters, including Jack B. Yeats, Bram van Velde, and Avigdor Arikha. In this monograph, David Lloyd explores what Beckett saw in their paintings. He explains what visual resources Beckett found in these particular painters rather than in the surrealism of Masson or the abstraction of Kandinsky or Mondrian. The analysis of Beckett's visual imagination is based on his criticism and on close analysis of the paintings he viewed. Lloyd shows how Beckett's fascination with these painters illuminates the 'painterly' qualities of his theatre and the philosophical, political and aesthetic implications of Beckett's highly visual dramatic work.Key FeaturesDiscusses Beckett's relationship with three painters crucial to his life-long dialogue with the visual artsThe first book to examine the paintings that Beckett would have known and on which he based his critical remarksAccounts for the increasing visuality of Beckett's theatre in relation to his evolving appreciation of painting and the formal questions posed by that mediumExplores Beckett's anticipation of European phenomenology and psychoanalysis in relation to Heidegger and Lacan
Missions to the Outer Solar System

The planets in our Solar System all have been visited by robotic probes, and we now have a good sense of their appearance and composition. As we consider manned missions to planets beyond Mars, the tremendous distances involved necessitate the presence of additional stressors that have major psychological ramifications. These will be discussed, along with possible countermeasures (such as more rapid propulsion systems and suspended animation).
Endogenous Inhibitor of Na,K-ATPase: “Endodigin”

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses endogenous inhibitor of Na, K-ATPase—that is, “Endodigin.” Recently there have been reports of acid-acetone extracts of mammalian brain that have been shown to inhibit various parameters of Na,K-ATPase function. Interpretation of these reports is limited by the impurities of the enzyme preparation employed and the types of measurements made. The endogenous substance must, in a dose­dependent and digitalis-like manner for specific reasons: (1) bind to the ouabain receptor, (2) inhibit Na,K-ATPase activity specifically, and (3) cause positive inotropy. The ability of the extracts to inhibit Na,K-ATPase activity, [3H]ouabain association and dissociation with the purified lamb kidney Na, K-ATPase, as well as ca2+– ATPase activity of rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum, was determined. Guinea pig and rabbit atrial muscle strips were used to assess the effect of extracts on contractility. Total phospholipid was determined from aliquots of the lipid phases and phospholipid composition assessed by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography (TLC).
RGS16 function is regulated by epidermal growth factor receptor-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation.

Gαi-coupled receptor stimulation results in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation and MAPK activation. Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS proteins) inhibit G protein-dependent signal transduction by accelerating Gαi GTP hydrolysis, shortening the duration of G protein effector stimulation. RGS16 contains two conserved tyrosine residues in the RGS box, Tyr168 and Tyr177, which are predicted sites of phosphorylation. RGS16 underwent phosphorylation in response to m2 muscarinic receptor or EGFR stimulation in HEK 293T or COS-7 cells, which required EGFR kinase activity. Mutational analysis suggested that RGS16 was phosphorylated on both tyrosine residues (Tyr168 ≫ Tyr177) after EGF stimulation. RGS16 co-immunoprecipitated with EGFR, and the interaction did not require EGFR activation. Purified EGFR phosphorylated only recombinant RGS16 wild-type or Y177F in vitro, implying that EGFR-mediated phosphorylation depended on residue Tyr168. Phosphorylated RGS16 demonstrated enhanced GTPase accelerating (GAP) activity on Gαi. Mutation of Tyr168 to phenylalanine resulted in a 30% diminution in RGS16 GAP activity but completely eliminated its ability to regulate Gi-mediated MAPK activation or adenylyl cyclase inhibition in HEK 293T cells. In contrast, mutation of Tyr177 to phenylalanine had no effect on RGS16 GAP activity but also abolished its regulation of Gi-mediated signal transduction in these cells. These data suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation regulates RGS16 function and that EGFR may potentially inhibit Gαi-dependent MAPK activation in a feedback loop by enhancing RGS16 activity through tyrosine phosphorylation.
Conservative Versus Operative Management for Lumbosacral Radiculopathy With Motor Deficit

A 28-year-old man with no significant medical history presents to the spine clinic after sustaining a skiing-related injury. He jumped out of a helicopter to ski the back bowls of Vail and developed immediate lower back pain but was able to ski down the mountain. The same evening, he noticed radiating pain from the right lower back, buttock, and posterolateral thigh to the right calf. In addition he reported an antalgic gait and decreased toe push-off strength. The patient presents in the clinic 5 days after the onset of symptoms and reports nearcomplete resolution of pain with no bowel/bladder involvement, and he does not report getting any weaker. On examination, the patient has an absent right Achilles reflex. He is unable to complete 1 single-leg heel raise on the right, although he is able to dorsiflex his ankle and his extensor hallicus longus strength is 4/5. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine reveals a right L5-S1 paracentral disk extrusion compressing the S1 nerve root in the lateral recess, but relative sparing of the remainder of the spinal canal. At this point, what do you recommend: surgery or continued nonsurgical care? Drs Sayed Wahezi and Andrew Lederman will argue that this patient likely suffers from a self-limiting radiculopathy and, with nonoperative care, should regain full function. Dr Eric H. Elowitz suggests that early operative management will deliver the greatest functional outcome in this case scenario.
New Biomechanical Models for Automobile Seat Design

This paper describes the development and potential use of biomechanical models for seating design that were new in 1994. They superseded the SAE 2-D drafting template and SAE 3-D H-point machine, which were the only representation then widely used to show how to accommodate people in cars. This research was based on the fact that people buying a car have a very personal viewpoint about its seats; they develop a love-hate relationship with the comfort of their seats and how they support and position them. The paper discusses the following aspects of the research: (1) the use of anthropometry of the human torso to develop anthropometric dummies; (2) the 'JOHN' computer models of 'average' males; (3) the placement of JOHN in a design space; (4) using JOHN in a typical seat layout; (5) JOHN's drafting template; (6) the 'JANE' model for small females; (7) the 'JERRY' model for large males; (8) muscle and body contour modelling; and (9) body mass distribution. It was found that the geometric characteristics of people and people's geometric interactions with seats are directly related to the physiological factors of seating comfort.
Real-Time Erosion Using Shallow Water Simulation

We present a new real-time hydraulic erosion simulation for Computer Graphics. In our system water runs over the surface and disintegrates the underlying layer of soil. The grit is simulated as a fluid with higher viscosity and moves on the ground of the water pool. When water evaporates, or the dissolved soil exceeds a critical level, the dissolved matter is deposited back on the ground for accumulation to occur. The grit motion as well as the water simulation are calculated by the shallow water simulation that is a 2D simplification of Navier-Stokes equations. This simulation has proven to be useful in many Computer Graphics applications because of the speed of calculation and the visual plausibility of the results. Our experiments show that the shallow water-based erosion is suitable for real-time simulation of a wide variety of phenomena including river and lake formation due to rain and evaporation, erosion of surfaces affected by a sudden splash of high level of water, mountain erosion, etc. The speed of simulation makes the algorithm suitable for real-time surface modeling and editing.
ON THE (SAMPLE) CONDORCET EFFICIENCY OF MAJORITY RULE: AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF MAJORITY CYCLES AND SOCIAL HOMOGENEITY

The Condorcet efficiency of a social choice procedure is usually defined as the probability that this procedure coincides with the majority winner (or majority ordering) in random samples, given a majority winner exists (or given the majority ordering is transitive). Consequently, it is in effect a conditional probability that two sample statistics coincide, given certain side conditions. We raise a different issue of Condorcet efficiencies: What is the probability that a social choice procedure applied to a sample matches with the majority preferences of the population from which the sample was drawn? We investigate the canonical case where the sample statistic is itself also majority rule and the samples are drawn from real world distributions gathered from national election surveys in Germany, France, and the United States. We relate the results to the existing literature on majority cycles and social homogeneity. We find that these samples rarely display majority cycles, whereas the probability that a sample misrepresents the majority preferences of the underlying population varies dramatically and always exceeds the probability that the sample displays cyclic majority preferences. Social homogeneity plays a fundamental role in the type of Condorcet efficiency investigated here.
Travelling-wave excitation for 16.4T small-bore MRI

In this paper, we present the design of a probe for a travelling-wave 16.4T small-bore animal research MRI system. The probe is a 698-MHz coaxially-fed microstrip patch designed to give a circularly polarized magnetic field when placed in the bore cavity. Images of a water phantom using the patch probe are obtained and compared with simulations. Additionally, a periodic axial strip cylinder is inserted into the bore, resulting in a 7-fold increase in SNR, and enabling both gradient recalled echo and spin echo imaging of the phantom. The modified mode content in the image is compared to full-wave simulations.
Sodium N-chloro-p-nitrobenzenesulfonamide (chloramine-N) as a new redox titrant: I. The status of chloramine-N as a titrimetric reagent

Abstract The status of sodium N-chloro-p-nitrobenzenesulfonamide (chloramine-N) as a new redox titrant is examined. Analytical applications of CAN as a potential titrimetric reagent in the direct determination of diverse reducing agents such as glutathione, thioglycolic acid, thiourea, ascorbic acid, methionine, sulfite, and arsenite have been described. CAN has been synthesized and its structure elucidated from the spectral data and elemental analyses. The ultraviolet and infrared spectra and Fourier transform 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data have been presented.
The Use of Machine-Readable Astronomical Catalogs at Small Observatories

The development of computer controlled telescopes at small observatories has dramatically increased the demand for and potential usefulness of astronomical catalogs in machine-readable form. The compilation and storage of catalogs containing program and standard stars are obvious necessities for the operation of an automatic telescope, but to date most observers have been collecting their own data and manually entering them into microcomputer disk storage. (This is clear from the small number of machine catalogs distributed by the ADC to smaller observatories.) Astronomical data centers located in several countries around the world currently archive, maintain and disseminate a wide variety of machine catalogs in virtually every discipline of astronomy, and these facilities can provide observers with nearly any kind of data needed for controlling telescopes (positional catalogs), reducing data (catalogs of all types of photometry, spectroscopy, etc.) and providing access to fundamental quantities needed for the interpretation of observations (catalogs of binaries, variables, radial and rotational velocities, etc.). The ADC presently has approximately 450 machine catalogs in its archives and these are available to observatories upon request. Procedures for obtaining data from the ADC and policies for distribution are described in this paper, while a list of all catalogs available can be obtained by contacting the ADC.
Estimated rank pruning and Java-based speech recognition

Most speech recognition systems search through large finite state machines to find the most likely path, or hypothesis. Efficient search in these large spaces requires pruning of some hypotheses. Popular pruning techniques include probability pruning which keeps only hypotheses whose probability falls within a prescribed factor from the most likely one, and rank pruning which keeps only a prescribed number of the most probable hypotheses. Rank pruning provides better control over memory use and search complexity, but it requires sorting of the hypotheses, a time consuming task that may slow the recognition process. We propose a pruning technique which combines the advantages of probability and rank pruning. Its time complexity is similar to that of probability pruning and its search-space size, memory consumption, and recognition accuracy are comparable to those of rank pruning. We also describe a research-motivated Java-based speech recognition system that is being built at UCSD.
Orange is the Same White

Orange is the New Black, the Netflix series, is a mass cultural product that is quite uneven in its normative connotations. It differs sharply in this respect from the excellent prison memoir writt...
Twilight, Darkness, and Dawn

The classical era of Greek mathematical development stretched over a period of approximately ten centuries, from about 600 B.C. to 400 A.D. However, it reached an early climax in the third century B.C. with the work of Archimedes and that of his younger contemporary Apollonius, who elaborated a comprehensive theory of the conic sections. Coincident with the establishment of Roman power in the Mediterranean area during the second century B.C., Hellenistic culture in general, and Greek theoretical mathematics in particular, began a period of decline that produced no new contributions comparable to those of Eudoxus, Euclid, Archimedes, and Apollonius.
PENTACOORDINATE ACYCLIC AND CYCLIC ANIONIC OXYSILICATES. A 29Si NMR AND X-RAY STRUCTURAL STUDY

Abstract Variable temperature 29Si NMR spectral measurements revealed the formation of acyclic anionic silicates, [R'nSi(OR)5-n] [K, 18-crown-6], n = 0-3, from reactions of alkoxy and aryloxysilanes with the respective potassium alkoxide or potassium aryloxide in the presence of 18-crown-6. This elusive class of substances has been proposed as model intermediates in the sol-gel process. In the case of [PhSi(OCH2CF3)4][K, 18-crown-6], isolation as a crystalline solid was achieved. The29Si chemical shifts move progressively downfield from Si(OR)5 to R'Si(OR)4 − to R'2Si(OR)3 −. Pentaalkoxysilicate anions react rapidly with pinacol to form the corresponding five-coordinated bicyclic anionic silicate. Independent synthesis and an X-ray structural study verified the formation of the bis(pinacolate), [(Me4C2O2)2SiO-i-Pr][K, 18-c-6] (1). For comparison of structural distortions, the synthetic and X-ray characterization of the related anionic oxysilicates, [(C6H4(CF3)2CO)2SiC6H11][Et4N] (2) and [(CH4O2)2SiC6H11][...
Observability of NEIALs with the Sondrestrom and Poker Flat incoherent scatter radars

Abstract We present coordinated optical and radar observations using the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) in Alaska and the Sondrestrom radar in Greenland. Several cases were examined where intense, similar-looking dynamic auroral structures were observed in the magnetic zenith. The presence or absence of Naturally Enhanced Ion Acoustic Lines (NEIALs) was investigated in both sets of radar data. In all cases, the aurora exhibited small-scale ( ∼ 0.1 –1 km), dynamic features that were observed with both all-sky and narrow-field of view (19°) imagers. In all of the cases examined, the PFISR radar observed NEIALs while the Sondrestrom radar did not, despite similar auroral morphology. The main difference between the radars, namely the probing wave number, provides strong evidence for a limiting spatial scale of between 10 and 15 cm for the enhanced wave activity responsible for NEIALs. This has implications for constraining the models of NEIAL generation mechanisms.
Enzymes of Fatty Acid β-Oxidation in Developing Brain

: Developmental profiles were determined for the activities of eight enzymes involved in fatty acid β-oxida-tion in rat brain. The enzymes studied were the palmitoyl-CoA, octanoyl-CoA, butyryl-CoA, glutaryl-CoA, and 3-hy-droxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenases, the enoyl-CoA hydratase (crotonase), and the C4- and C10-thiolases. With the exception of the thiolases, all of the activities (expressed on the basis of brain weight) increased during the postnatal period of brain maturation. The activity of octanoyl-CoA dehy-drogenase was elevated markedly compared to that of pal-mitoyl-CoA dehydrogenase at all developmental stages and in all brain regions in the rat. A similar relationship between these enzymes was observed in various regions of adult human brain. Comparisons of the activities of the β-oxidation enzymes in human brain versus human skeletal muscle and in cultured neural cell lines (neuroblastoma and glioma) versus cultured skin fibroblasts revealed that the elevated activity of octanoyl-CoA dehydrogenase relative to palmitoyl-CoA dehydrogenase was specific to the neural tissues. This relationship was particularly evident when the enzyme activities were normalized to the activity of crotonase. The data support previous findings with ra-diochemical tracers, indicating that the brain is capable of utilizing fatty acids as substrates for oxidative energy metabolism. The relatively high activity of the medium-chain fatty acyl-CoA dehydrogenase in neural tissue may represent an adaptive mechanism to protect the brain from the known encephalopathic effects of octanoate and other medium-chain fatty acids that readily cross the blood-brain barrier.
Using partial information to update materialized views

Abstract This paper lays the theoretical foundations for identifying classes of views and data partitioning strategies that allow efficient incremental view maintenance using “partial information” about the underlying base relations. We present necessary and sufficient conditions for determining how a materialized select-project-join view can be updated using only the view definition, the current view materialization, and the update (i.e., no base relations); and also how to update views using only the view definition, the update, and the updated base relation (i.e., not the other base relations). We generalize the above results to use an arbitrary subset of the base relations and the current view materialization. Our results are especially useful in distributed databases, in disconnected and mobile computing environments where the underlying database is not always accessible, and in data warehousing applications. Our techniques can be used to minimize remote data access and often to completely avoid remote access. This paper gives the intuition and theory necessary for identifying and designing views that are efficiently maintainable using partial information.
Positive Behavior Supports and Interventions in Early Childhood Education

This commentary introduces a special issue of NHSA Dialog dedicated to the implementation of Positive Behavior Supports and Interventions in early childhood settings by establishing the importance of designing service delivery systems that infuse mental health and social emotional programming into all aspects of program planning and forwarding Program-Wide Positive Behavior Support as a potentially effective practice to accomplish this goal. Next, a summary of the articles included in the special issue is provided.
Civic Education, Civil Society, and Political Mistrust in a Developing Democracy: The Case of the Dominican Republic

Abstract The paper explores the effect of donor-supported civic education programs on levels of citizen trust in institutions in the Dominican Republic. Using attitudinal surveys of control and treatment groups the paper demonstrates that civic education had a direct, negative effect on participants’ levels of institutional trust, with the greatest negative effects on trust in governmental bodies such as the army and the judicial system. The paper argues that this stems from the type of groups that conduct civic education in democratizing countries, many of which are not politically or socially neutral. The paper concludes with a discussion of these findings for theories of democracy and civil society and for donor-supported civic education programs.
Factors affecting compliance with allergen immunotherapy at a military medical center.

Background Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a safe and effective treatment for certain allergic disorders; however, noncompliance with therapy is common. We evaluated the compliance rates among groups receiving AIT at a military medical center and identified factors affecting compliance. Methods The charts of the 381 actively enrolled patients in our AIT program were evaluated for patient compliance. Noncompliant patients were contacted to determine the reason for stopping therapy. Patients were then grouped by diagnosis, age, sex, military status, and schedule of AIT and evaluated for differences. Results The overall compliance rate was 77.4%. The most common reasons for noncompliance included inconvenience, precluding medical condition, and adverse systemic reaction. There were no differences in compliance rates by diagnosis or sex. Noncompliant patients were younger than compliant patients, 35.4 years versus 42.4 years ( P = 0.001); however, when patients were divided into three age categories ( 45 years), the youngest and oldest groups were more compliant ( P P = 0.004). Patients receiving a conventional schedule of AIT were more compliant than those on a rush schedule, 80.0% versus 48.4% ( P Conclusions Factors found to affect patient compliance with an AIT regimen at our military medical center include age, military status, and schedule of AIT. The most common reasons for noncompliance included inconvenience, precluding medical conditions, and adverse systemic reactions. Clinicians need to be aware of the factors limiting patient compliance with AIT in an attempt to maximize treatment effectiveness.
The phenotype of mutations of the base-pair C2658.G2663 that closes the tetraloop in the sarcin/ricin domain of Escherichia coli 23 S ribosomal RNA.

Abstract The sarcin/ricin domain (SRD) in Escherichia coli 23 S rRNA is a part of the site for the association of elongation factors with ribosomes and for that reason is critical for the binding of aminoacyl-tRNA and for translocation during the reiterative elongation reactions of protein synthesis. The SRD has a GAGA tetraloop that is shut off by a Watson-Crick C2658·G2663 pair. The contribution of this pair to the function of the ribosome has been evaluated by constructing mutations in the nucleotides and determining their phenotype. Constitutive expression of a plasmid-encoded rrn B operon with a G2663C transversion mutation that disrupts the Watson-Crick pair was lethal. Double transversion mutations, C2658G·G2663C and C2658A·G2663U, that reverse the polarity of the pyrimidine and the purine but restore the potential to form a canonical pair, were also lethal. Induction of transcription of 23 S rRNA with the same mutations, but encoded in a plasmid with a λP L promoter and expressed at a lower level, retarded growth. The sedimentation profiles of ribosomes with transversion mutations in C2658 and/or G2663 are altered; the ratio of 50 S subunits to 30 S particles is changed and polysomes are reduced. Ribosomes with a G2663C, a C2658G·G2663C, or a C2658A·G2663U mutation in 23 S rRNA were not active in protein synthesis, indeed, they appeared to inhibit the activity of ribosomes with wild-type 23 S rRNA. Transversion mutations in the analogs of C2658 and G2663 decreased binding of EF-G to SRD oligoribonucleotides; the same mutations in 23 S rRNA decreased binding of the factor to intact ribosomes. The most severe phenotype, in growth, in protein synthesis, and in the binding of EF-G, was associated with a C2658G·G2663C mutation; it is surprising that this was more severe than an analogous C2658A·G2663U mutation. A double transition mutation, C2658U·G2663A, which is not known to have occurred in nature, had no effect on the growth of cells or on the function of ribosomes. The lethal phenotype of transversion mutations in C2658 and G2663 appears to derive from a loss of the capacity of ribosomes to bind EF-G and by indirection the EF-Tu ternary complex.
Partial nephrectomy after previous radio frequency ablation: the National Cancer Institute experience.

Purpose: Development of new renal tumors or recurrence after radio frequency ablation not amendable for repeat ablation presents a difficult therapeutic dilemma. We report on the outcomes of partial nephrectomy on kidneys previously treated with radio frequency ablation.Materials and Methods: We performed a chart review of 13 patients who underwent 16 attempted partial nephrectomies following radio frequency ablation. Hospital records and operative reports were reviewed for demographic data, perioperative data and outcomes. The outcomes of the present series were compared to historical controls of published studies in similar patient populations.Results: No cases were converted to radical nephrectomy. Median time from radio frequency ablation to surgery was 2.75 years (range 1 to 7.1). A median of 7 tumors (range 2 to 40) were removed with a median estimated blood loss of 1,500 ml (range 500 to 3,500) and a median operative time of 7.8 hours (range 5 to 10.7). Operative notes commented on the presence of ...
PROS: a peer-to-peer system for location privacy protection on road networks

The k-anonymity technique is widely used to provide location privacy protection for accessing location-based services (LBS), i.e., the exact location of a query initiator is cloaked into a spatial region that contains at least k indistinguishable users. However, a centralized location anonymizer may pose serious privacy threats and could be the system bottleneck. Moreover, many cloaking methods are developed for the Euclidean space and fail to consider the features of road networks. In this demonstration, we present the technologies and implementations which protect location privacy by peer-to-peer based cloaking on road networks. We name the prototype system as PROS. With PROS, a mobile user forms a cloaked road segment set by collaborating with her peers when she needs to retrieve information from location-based service providers. Afterward, the cloaked road segment set is sent to the service provider for query processing and an inclusive query result set is returned to the query initiator after the query evaluation.
Parallel computer architectures

Parallel processing is becoming a dominant way in which very high performance is being achieved in modern supercomputer systems. It is therefore becoming increasingly important that scientists and engineers know how supercomputers achieve parallelism in order to take advantage of the computers enormous problem solving capability. A computer solution to a problem must often be expressed so that the parallelism provided by the machine is reflected in the implementation of the program. Otherwise the system will not perform at even a fraction of its potential speed since the computing resources will not be used efficiently to solve the problem. In this paper, several ways in which computers are organized to achieve parallelism will be described. The descriptions are primarily conceptual and would be a useful introduction for someone wishing to make effective use of a machine that uses one or more of the parallel processing techniques.
Time-reversal focusing of elastic waves in inhomogeneous media: an application to an elastic-wave landmine detection system

Time-reversal focusing is studied in the context of an elastic-wave landmine-detection system. Time-reversal focusing has been previously applied to the system and proven to be useful in focusing energy to targets in inhomogeneous media with discrete non-uniform scattering objects. In earlier experiments, these scattering objects took the form of multiple rocks buried throughout the region of interest. In this study, the performance of time-reversal focusing is evaluated for the case of uniform discrete scattering objects. Cylindrical and spherical scatterers are buried below the surface to provide uniform scattering. In other media, high concentrations of uniform scatterers have been observed to produce super-resolution of the time-reversal focus point. In this paper, the super-resolution phenomenon is examined in the context of the elastic wave landmine detection system operating in a soil medium.
A hyperknowledge framework of decision support systems

Abstract We present a hyperknowledge framework of decision support systems as a basis for subsequent research and development in the field. It aims to be a comprehensive foundational framework that integrates and expands on previous DSS research efforts. This framework consists of a formal expression of fundamental concepts and principles about decision support systems. It formalizes specifics about system functionality, representation of knowledge, navigation of the knowledge system, and userinterface traits as elements of a DSS environment that conforms closely to human cognitive processes in decision making. This research is a step towards obtaining a prescriptive mapping between decision support systems and their effects on the decisionmaking process.
Teaching software development skills early in the Curriculum through software engineering

Software engineering is commonly taught as an upper level course in students in computer science. There are many software development skills that can be taught in a software engineering course that are useful in other courses. The development of this course has greatly influenced the types of projects and assignments that are required in the upper level courses. The upper level courses have been able to (1) develop more challenging projects and (2) reduce or eliminate the time spent on teaching development skills.
Turbulence Correlation Length-Scale Relationships for the Prediction of Aeroacoustic Response

Expressions to describe the correlation length scales of turbulent inflow to an aerodynamic body are derived as functions of the classic integral length scale and anisotropy correction factors. These one-point parameters are significantly easier to determine experimentally than traditional correlation-scale measurement techniques, which involve multiple probes at multiple locations. As such correlation scales are necessary to properly estimate the aeroacoustic response of the body, such a technique could have substantial benefit in a wide variety of applications. The approach is applied to a recent experimental study examining the response of a stator downstream of a propeller that is itself ingesting broadband turbulence. Results suggest that the derived expressions not only accurately represent correlation length scales, but also enable the accurate prediction of the acoustic output of the stator.
Opioid-like properties of seven dynorphin (1-10) analogs.

Abstract In order to disassociate the κ action of dynorphin from its other actions, seven analogs were synthesized and evaluated for pharmacologic activity in comparison with dynorphin (1–13) and dynorphin amide (1–10). Dynorphin (1–10) was modified by protecting the terminal carboxy group, incorporating thioproline at position 10 and substituting methionine for leucine at position 5. All analogs exhibited the ability to inhibit electrically-induced twitches of the guinea pig ileum and mouse vas deferens in a manner that was dose dependent and naloxone reversible. The decapeptide terminating with a pyrrolidine group showed the highest potency in the ilea and mouse vas deferens. None of the analogs showed analgetic activity by the mouse tail flick test. Binding studies using mouse brain synaptosomes showed that all seven analogs can displace the binding of tritiated dihydromorphine (DHM), ethylketocyclazocine (EKC) and D-Ala-D-Leucine enkephalin (DADL). The alterations in chemical structure affected affinity of the analogs to the opiate receptor and their pharmacologic properties differently, suggesting that different opiate subtypes may be involved.
Affective Consequences of Social Power: Powerholder and Target Expectancies Associated with Different Types of Power

An experiment examined expectancies for powerholders and targets for target compliance and satisfaction with compliance following a request by a powerholder. Degree of expected target compliance and satisfaction was expected to be influenced by the type of social power used. 30 head and 60 staff hospital nurses read a series of 6 scenarios each describing a request by a head nurse (powerholder) for compliance by staff nurse (target) and each scenario involving a different type of social power. Head and staff nurses were asked to role-play the head or staff nurse, respectively, in each scenario. Results indicated that legitimate, coercive, and expert power generally led to low expectancies for compliance and satisfaction, whereas informational, referent, and rewarding power led to high expectancies. Further, head nurses expected more compliance and satisfaction with compliance than the staff nurses expected. Finally, staff nurses' expectancies were much more sensitive to the type of power used than were he...
Phototoxicity ofCitrus jambhiri to fungi under enhanced UV-B radiation: Role of furanocoumarins

Extracts ofCitrus jambhiri foliage exposed to and shielded from UV-B radiation were assayed for phytochemical changes and phototoxicity against four fungal pathogens, two of which (Fusarium solani andF. oxysporum) are causative agents of root rots and two of which (Penicillium italicum andP. digitatum) are associated with fruit rots. Conidial pigment mutants of these four fungal species were assayed to determine whether pigments play a role in protecting fungi against plant photosensitizers. Exposure to 10.2 kJ/ day UV-B radiation for 95 days significantly reduced phototoxicity of leaf extracts to fungi. Although furanocoumarin levels were reduced by UV-B, analysis of covariance revealed that variation in phototoxicity of the extracts cannot be attributed entirely to variation in furanocoumarin content; thus, the possibility exists that nonfuranocoumarin phototoxic constituents, as yet unidentified, respond to UV-B exposure and contribute to overall phototoxic defense ofC. jambhiri against pathogens. Root rot fungi were substantially more sensitive to furanocoumarin phototoxicity than were fruit rot fungi, a pattern consistent with the amount of light exposure normally experienced by these fungi when associated with phototoxic plants. Although pigmented strains of all four species displayed greater resistance to phototoxicity of pure furanocoumarins, no strain differences were detected in assays of foliar extracts; this finding also suggests that nonfuranocoumarin constituents may be involved in the phototoxic defense ofC. jambhiri against pathogens.
A high-pressure mass-spectrometric study of ion-molecule reactions in C2H5F and C2H5Cl

Abstract The gas-phase ion-molecule reactions of C 2 H 5 Cl have been studied at 200 eV and those of C 2 H 5 F at 14 eV and 200 eV electron-impact energies up to a pressure of I torr in a conventional magnetic-field-free single ion source quadrupole mass spectrometer. The ions C 2 H 5 Cl + and C 2 H 5 + mainly protonate C 2 H 5 Cl to form C 2 H 6 Cl + which then condenses with C 2 H 5 Cl to produce C 4 H 10 Cl + up to as much as 75% of total ionization at a pressure of 1 torr. In C 2 H 5 F, CH 2 F + and C 2 H 4 F + mainly react with C 2 H 5 F by fluoride transfer to produce C 2 H 5 + which then reacts with C 2 H 5 F to form C 4 H 9 + up to as much as 70% of total ionization. As with C 2 H 5 Cl, C 2 H 5 F + and C 2 H 5 + protonate C 2 H 5 F to form C 2 H 6 F + which then condenses to produce C 4 H 10 F + . The mechanisms of ion—molecule reactions are quite similar in C 2 H 3 F, despite the fact that different electron energies (14 eV and 200 eV) are employed. Reaction paths, product distribution, and rate constants have been determined for the majority of ions from C 2 H 5 Cl and C 2 H 5 F.
Polymerized crystalline colloidal array chemical-sensing materials for detection of lead in body fluids

We have developed intelligent polymerized crystalline colloidal array (IPCCA) chemical-sensing materials for detection of Pb2+ in high ionic-strength environments such as body fluids with a detection limit of <500 nmol L–1 Pb2+ (100 ppb). This IPCCA lead sensor consists of a mesoscopically periodic array of colloidal particles polymerized into an acrylamide hydrogel. The array Bragg-diffracts light in the visible spectral region because of the periodic spacing of the colloidal particles. This material also contains a crown ether chelating agent for Pb2+. Chelation of Pb2+ by the IPCCA in low-ionic-strength solutions results in a Donnan potential that swells the gel, which red-shifts the diffracted light in proportion to the Pb2+ concentration. At high ionic strength the Donnan potential is, unfortunately, swamped and no static response occurs for these sensors. We demonstrate, however, that we can determine Pb2+ at high ionic strength by incubating these IPCCA in a sample solution and then measuring their transient response on exposure to pure water. The non-complexed ions diffuse from the IPCCA faster than the bound Pb2+. The resulting transient IPCCA diffraction red-shift is proportional to the concentration of Pb2+ in the sample. These IPCCA sensors can thus be used as sensing materials in optrodes to determine Pb2+ in high-ionic-strength solutions such as body fluids.
SDP-based extremum seeking energy management strategy for a power-split hybrid electric vehicle

The pursuit of high fuel efficiency and low emissions has inspired a lot of research efforts on automotive powertrain hybridization. Targeted at developing a real-time hybrid energy management strategy, a stochastic dynamic programming — extremum seeking (SDP-ES) optimization algorithm with both the system states and output feedback is investigated in this paper. This SDP-ES algorithm utilizes a state-feedback control, which is offline generated by the stochastic dynamic programming (SDP), as a reference term to ensure the approximate global energy optimality and battery state-of-charge (SOC) sustainability. And in real-time, this algorithm injects a “local” feedback term via extremum seeking (ES), which is a non-model-based nonlinear optimization method, to compensate the control commands from the SDP and generate more fuel-efficient operation points along the specific SOC sustaining line, by leveraging the real-time measurement of system outputs (fuel consumption and emissions). The simulation results show the SDP-ES algorithm can provide desirable improvement of fuel economy based on the original SDP.
Locoregional fibrinolytic treatment in renal artery embolism: Case report and literature review

The authors report a case of renal artery embolism (RAE) treated after 42 hours from onset of symptoms with locoregional rt-PA fibrinolysis followed by a 30% recovery of function of the involved kidney. The literature on the surgical and fibrinolytic treatment of the RAE has been reviewed. The experience suggests that rt-PA fibrinolysis is effective for treating the renal artery embolism with good results regarding the patency of the vessel and the functional recovery, and with low risk of mortality and major complications compared with surgical embolectomy.
Effects of work zone configurations and traffic density on performance variables and subjective workload

This paper investigates the effect of changing work zone configurations and traffic density on performance variables and subjective workload. Data regarding travel time, average speed, maximum percent braking force and location of lane changes were collected by using a full size driving simulator. The NASA-TLX was used to measure self-reported workload ratings during the driving task. Conventional lane merge (CLM) and joint lane merge (JLM) were modeled in a driving simulator, and thirty participants (seven female and 23 male), navigated through the two configurations with two levels of traffic density. The mean maximum braking forces was 34% lower in the JLM configuration, and drivers going through the JLM configuration remained in the closed lane longer. However, no significant differences in speed were found between the two merge configurations. The analysis of self-reported workload ratings show that participants reported 15.3% lower total workload when driving through the JLM. In conclusion, the implemented changes in the JLM make it a more favorable merge configuration in both high and low traffic densities in terms of optimizing traffic flow by increasing the time and distance cars use both lanes, and in terms of improving safety due to lower braking forces and lower reported workload.
Composition, Intake, Digestibility, and Prediction of Digestibility of Coastal Bermudagrass Hays

Summary The composition, digestibility, and intake of 15 Coastal Bermudagrass hays were studied. Ranges in composition of the hays were large, CP (6.1 to 14.7%), CF (28.5 to 36.9%), lignin (9.3 to 11.4%), ash (3.7 to 6.2%), Ca (0.29 to 0.97%), P (0.15 to 0.41%), and Mg (0.08 to 0.22%). The DP content of the hays ranged from 2.5 to 9.4% and could be estimated with a high degree of accuracy from CP by the prediction equation % EDP=(0.821) (% CP) — 2.57. Mean TDN content of the hays was 54.9%, with a range of 52.3 to 62.2%. The equation used in the Pennsylvania system of forage evaluation overestimated TDN content of the hays an average of 2.6%. Another equation, % ETDN=[3079 + (% EDP×14)−(% CF×36.84) ÷ 3563]×100, resulted in agreement between TDN and ETDN contents of the hays. The TDN contents of the hays were correlated negatively with crude fiber, cellulose, and lignin, and were correlated positively with total and invert sugars, and cold- and hot-water extractables of the hays (P