cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Proteomic Analysis of Spider Dragline Silk from Black Widows: A Recipe to Build Synthetic Silk Fibers

The outstanding material properties of spider dragline silk fibers have been attributed to two spidroins, major ampullate spidroins 1 and 2 (MaSp1 and MaSp2). Although dragline silk fibers have been treated with different chemical solvents to elucidate the relationship between protein structure and fiber mechanics, there has not been a comprehensive proteomic analysis of the major ampullate (MA) gland, its spinning dope, and dragline silk using a wide range of chaotropic agents, inorganic salts, and fluorinated alcohols to elucidate their complete molecular constituents. In these studies, we perform in-solution tryptic digestions of solubilized MA glands, spinning dope and dragline silk fibers using five different solvents, followed by nano liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis with an Orbitrap Fusion™ Tribrid™. To improve protein identification, we employed three different tryptic peptide fragmentation modes, which included collision-induced dissociation (CID), electron transfer dissociation (ETD), and high energy collision dissociation (HCD) to discover proteins involved in the silk assembly pathway and silk fiber. In addition to MaSp1 and MaSp2, we confirmed the presence of a third spidroin, aciniform spidroin 1 (AcSp1), widely recognized as the major constituent of wrapping silk, as a product of dragline silk. Our findings also reveal that MA glands, spinning dope, and dragline silk contain at least seven common proteins: three members of the Cysteine-Rich Protein Family (CRP1, CRP2 and CRP4), cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP3), fasciclin and two uncharacterized proteins. In summary, this study provides a proteomic blueprint to construct synthetic silk fibers that most closely mimic natural fibers.
Early Childhood Assessment: An Integrative Framework

Early childhood assessment is a valuable prevention-based area of practice for school and clinical psychologists. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a thorough and practical foundation and framework for assessment of infants, toddlers, and young children for a variety of purposes. This framework integrates several key principles that guide best practices in early childhood assessment. Effective assessment of this population calls for a comprehensive approach involving the collection of information across multiple developmental domains and from parents, teachers, and other caregivers. Clinicians conducting early childhood assessments need to be comfortable and skilled in utilizing a variety of methods including interviews, observations, and standardized testing. They must also be competent in applying and integrating naturalistic approaches that involve collection of data in everyday contexts. In addition to expanding upon basic tenets that lead to sound assessment practices, this chapter discusses relevant legal standards as well as classification systems that might apply to children in the 0–6 population.
Transport of Fresh Produce

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by C.B. Watkins, volume 2, pp. 835–845, © 2003, Elsevier Ltd.
An Analytical Study of Nonuniformly-Spaced Two Dimensional Adaptive Antenna Arrays

This paper describes a study of the physical limitations of adaptive antenna arrays using analytical methods. It is shown how the antenna pattern of an N-element array can be calculated from the complex array weights. The available degrees of freedom of the array can be used to null up to N-1 jammers while maintaining gain in the direction of the desired signal. Alternatively, some degrees of freedom can be used to specify other properties of the antenna pattern. As an example, the antenna pattern of a four element two-dimensional array with large, nonuniform element spacing is calculated for the case of three jammers and a desired signal and shown to be superior to the pattern obtained with uniform spacing. It is then shown how further improvements can be obtained by using some of the available degrees of freedom to constrain the first derivative of the pattern in the vicinity of the desired signal. This method produces a "maximally flat" antenna response and eliminates some of the adverse effects of grating lobes. Finally, some other applications of this methodology are mentioned.
Immunosuppression for Myelodysplastic Syndrome: Association between a Score Based on Presenting Features and Long-Term Survival.

Immunosuppressive therapy (IST) can improve cytopenias in selected patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Between 1998 and 2004, 133 patients with MDS (FAB classification RA, RA, or RARS ) were enrolled in NHLBI IST protocols: 74 received ATG (Pharmacia, 40mg/kg x 4 days); 43 received a combination of ATG and CsA Fourteen received cyclosporine (CsA) to maintain levels above 100 ng/ml for up to 6 months. Average follow-up was 41 months (range 1 week to 10 years). Previously, we reported that responses to ATG alone were most likely in HLA DR15 individuals of younger age and with a shorter duration of red cell transfusion-dependence. We applied a score based on these factors to assign patients into high probability (HP) and low probability (LP) of response to immunosuppression. Here, we use the score to analyze effectiveness of different IST and compare survival, response, and leukemic progression in HP and LP patients. Patients with HP were more likely to respond to any IST schedule than were patients with LP (85% vs 8%; p<0.0001) and they had longer survival when compared to LP patients (90% vs 38% alive at 3 years; P<0.0001). There were no differences in response or survival between HP patients treated with ATG or with ATG/CsA; CsA-alone treated patients were too few for survival evaluation. Other factors positively affecting survival were response to therapy (p=.0004) and female sex (p=0.03). Neither bone marrow cellularity nor cytogenetics independently affected response or survival; patients with monosomy 7 and 5q- were in the LP group while patients with trisomy 8 predominated in the HP group. In general, patients with trisomy 8 and 5q- survived comparably to patients with normal cytogenetics, but patients with monosomy 7 had statistically shorter survival (p=0.007) than patients with normal cytogenetics or trisomy 8. The scoring system further segregated 95 patients within IPSS int-1 into a HP group with 92% 3 year survival vs 39% for LP patients (p<.0001). Mortality in the HP group was a consequence of cytopenias, while most deaths in the LP were from leukemia: only 2/50 (4%) of patients in the HP group developed leukemia compared with 30% of LP patients followed for a mean of 57 months (hazard ratio = 11; 95% CI 2.566 to 12.18; p< P<0.0001). These findings suggest that immunological characteristics may be independent factors determining the outcome of IST in patients with MDS. ![Figure][1] Figure [1]: pending:yes
Selection efficiency of high inorganic phosphorus-low stachyose lines from soybean breeding populations of different genetic backgrounds

ABSTRACTReducing the antinutritional components of soybean (Glycine max) seed is necessary for producing animal feed with increased metabolizable energy and nutrient availability. The objective of this study was to evaluate marker-assisted and phenotypic selection for the high inorganic phosphorus (Pi) and low stachyose traits controlled by the Lpa and MIPS1 mutations in six breeding populations. Phenotypic selection for low phytate individuals carrying Lpa mutations using Pi was reliable, but the assay should include parental genotypes to construct thresholds before performing selections, as the effect of Lpa on Pi depends on genetic background. Phenotypic selection for low phytate individuals carrying MIPS1 using Pi should be complemented with sugar data because selection based solely on Pi may be inefficient, as this trait is not environmentally stable in MIPS1 germplasm. Marker-assisted selection for simple sequence repeat (SSR) linked to Lpa2 (Satt527, Satt561) depended on the pedigree of the populat...
Seasonality of salt foraging in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

1. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) prefer foraging at compound-rich, ‘dirty’, water sources over clean water sources. As a honey bee's main floral diet only contains trace amounts of micronutrients – likely not enough to sustain an entire colony – it was hypothesised that honey bees forage in dirty water for physiologically essential minerals that their floral diet, and thus the colony, may lack. 2. While there are many studies regarding macronutrient requirements of honey bees, few investigate micronutrient needs. For this study, from 2013 to 2015, a series of preference assays were conducted in both summer and autumn. 3. During all field seasons, honey bees exhibited a strong preference for sodium in comparison to deionised water. There was, however, a notable switch in preferences for other minerals between seasons. 4. Calcium, magnesium, and potassium – three minerals most commonly found in pollen – were preferred in autumn when pollen was scarce, but were avoided in summer when pollen was abundant. Thus, as floral resources change in distribution and abundance, honey bees similarly change their water-foraging preferences. 5. Our data suggest that, although they are generalists with relatively few gustatory receptor genes, honey bee foragers are fine-tuned to search for micronutrients. This ability likely helps the foragers in their search for a balanced diet for the colony as a whole.
Associated factors of readiness to change in young adult risky drinkers.

ABSTRACTBackground: Readiness to change alcohol use has been associated with a number of predictors including emotional distress, drinking severity, and consequence severity, as well as with static demographic factors such as gender and race/ethnicity. Objective: To examine the relationships among these variables and readiness to change alcohol use in young adults. Methods: Structural equation modeling was used to test pathways of readiness to change in 1,256 young adult patients (78% male/22% female) ages 18–29 who were provided screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) as part of a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Treatment Capacity Expansion Project. Results: The strongest relationships were between emotional distress, drinking severity, and consequence severity with readiness to change. Results indicated that participants with more severe alcohol problems demonstrated higher levels of readiness to change alcohol use and therefore, may be more ame...
When Can You Factor a Quadratic Form

SummaryConsider the problem of determining, without using a computer or calculator, whether a given quadratic form factors into the product of two linear forms. A solution derived by inspection is often highly nontrivial; however, we can take advantage of equivalent conditions. In this article, we prove the equivalence of five such conditions. Furthermore, we discuss vocabulary such as “reducible,” “degenerate,” and “singular” that are used in the literature to describe these conditions, highlighting the inconsistency with which this vocabulary is applied.
Subgenual Cingulate Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Abstract Neuroimaging studies in patients with depression have been critical in identifying a network of brain regions involved in the symptomatology and treatment of depression. Since a substantial proportion of patients are resistant to conventional treatments, including antidepressant and psychological therapy, these studies have spurred attempts to reregulate the network via targeted neuromodulation, including deep brain stimulation of the subgenual cingulate cortex.
Personality and crime: Mediating the agreeableness–offending and conscientiousness–offending relationships with proactive and reactive criminal thinking

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether the personality dimensions of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness are linked to future offending by way of criminal thinking. Participants were 1294 (1115 boys, 179 girls) adjudicated delinquents from the Pathways to Desistance study. The Agreeableness and Conscientiousness scales of the NEO-PI-SF served as the independent variables in this study, proactive (moral disengagement) and reactive (cognitive impulsivity) criminal thinking served as mediator variables, and the total offending variety score from the Self-Reported Offending (SRO) scale served as the dependent variable. Contrasting target (Agreeableness → moral disengagement → offending; Conscientiousness → cognitive impulsivity → offending) and control (Agreeableness → cognitive impulsivity → offending; Conscientiousness → moral disengagement → offending) pathways, it was determined that proactive but not reactive criminal thinking mediated the Agreeableness–offending relationship and that reactive but not proactive criminal thinking mediated the Conscientiousness–offending relationship.
Freedom in the Space of Nothingness

This chapter contends that freedom can exist and thrive only in the space of nothingness. The latter is the antithesis of physical and metaphysical restraint in so far as freedom seems definable only as “the absence of restraint.” The presence of this absence makes freedom what it is. While freedom is rooted in and desired by every sentient being, human and non-human, this chapter focuses only on the human side, the side that immediately involves personal as well as socio-political areas of life in the context of briefly discussing the national politics of a few States, with some consequential international issues.
Isotope studies on citrate-condensing enzyme.

Citrate-condensing enzyme catalyzes the reaction Acetyl-CoA + Oxaloacetate−2 + H2O = Citrate−3 + CoASH + H This enzyme was first crystallized from pig heart by Ochoa and coworkers [1], and since that time a number of different workers have studied the mechanism of the reaction it catalyzes. Two different chemical reactions occur during the course of the reaction. The first is an aldol condensation between the methyl carbon of acetyl-CoA and the ketocarbon of oxaloacetate, preceded by removal of hydrogen from the acetyl-CoA. The second is a hydrolysis of the thioester bond in the acetyl-CoA portion of the molecule to yield free CoA. As a result of this last reaction, the equilibrium of the reaction is far toward citrate formation. For this, as for most other enzyme-catalyzed reactions, no complete mechanistic picture of the enzyme-catalyzed reaction can yet be drawn. This enzyme has been studied with a wide variety of isotopic techniques and serves as a good example for showing how information relating to enzyme mechanism can be obtained using isotopic methods.
Involvement of annexin II in exocytosis of lamellar bodies from alveolar epithelial type II cells

Annexins are a family of Ca(2+)- and phospholipid-binding proteins that have been implicated in exocytosis. In the present study, we investigated the participation of selected annexins in exocytosis of lamellar bodies by examining their liposome aggregation property and ability to reconstitute surfactant secretion from permeabilized rat lung alveolar type II cells. Annexins I, II, III, and VI were demonstrated in type II cells by immunoblot analysis, but annexin IV and V were not found. Annexins I-IV mediated liposome aggregation in the presence of 1 mM Ca2+. However, only annexin II tetramer had aggregation activity at 10 microM Ca2+. Annexins V and VI had negligible aggregation activity at any Ca2+ concentrations (up to 1 mM Ca2+). To study reconstitution of secretion by annexins, isolated type II cells were permeabilized with 40 microM beta-escin. Under these conditions, the permeabilized cells released approximately 30-40% lactic acid dehydrogenase into the medium. An underestimated fraction of cellular annexin content was lost during permeabilization. However, lamellar bodies in the permeabilized type II cells stained appropriately with the fluorescent dyes Nile red and quinacrine, indicating that they were intact. These permeabilized cells were secretion competent, since phosphatidylcholine (PC) secretion was stimulated by 0.2-1.0 microM Ca2+. Addition of an exogenous annexin mixture enhanced PC secretion from the permeabilized type II cells with maximal stimulation at 0.5 microM Ca2+. Of six purified annexins (I-VI) tested for their ability to reconstitute secretion from permeabilized cells, only annexin II was effective. Our results suggest that annexin II is not necessary for exocytosis of lamellar bodies.
Using RNA Mimics of GFP to Image RNA Dynamics in Mammalian Cells

Abstract Our laboratory recently developed Spinach, an RNA mimic of GFP, which can be used to tag RNAs of interest for live-cell imaging experiments. However, although very bright in vitro, Spinach displays reduced fluorescence in the cellular environment. For this reason, we carried out systematic mutagenesis to create Spinach2, a superfolding derivative of Spinach. We demonstrate that Spinach2 is brighter than Spinach in mammalian cells and describe its use in tagging toxic trinucleotide-repeat-containing RNAs associated with fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). We reveal the dynamic nature of the RNA component of the aggregates formed by CGG-repeat-containing RNAs and study the effect of small-molecule drugs on aggregate formation and stability. We also discuss in detail a general strategy for tagging RNAs of interest with Spinach2 along with considerations for troubleshooting experimental procedures. We end by elaborating on the future of Spinach-based technology.
Prolonged standing increases lower limb arterial stiffness.

Standing workstations have recently been promoted as a healthy alternative to sitting. However, it is unknown how prolonged standing affects arterial stiffness, a prognostic indicator of cardiovascular health. The purpose of this study was twofold: to observe changes in arterial stiffness, as assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV), with a 2-h bout of standing, and to determine if short, intermittent walking bouts provide a comparative advantage to standing alone. Nineteen adults had arterial stiffness assessed by pulse wave velocity. Central (CPWV), upper peripheral (UPWV), and lower peripheral (LPWV) PWV were assessed before (supine), during standing (min 10, 60, and 120), and after (supine) the 2-h standing bout. In one trial, the participants stood at a standing desk immobile for 2 h. In the other trial, participants performed 5-min walking breaks after every 25 min of standing. After 2-h of standing, supine (85.8 ± 90.1 cm/s) and standing (303.4 ± 390.2 cm/s), LPWV increased independent of trial (i.e., main effect of time; p 0.05). These findings indicate that prolonged standing increases the measures of arterial stiffness and there is no evidence that walk breaks attenuate this response.
Identidades nacionales en América Latina: Discursos, saberes, representaciones: edited by Katharina Motzkau, Vanessa Höse and Antonio Sáez-Arance, Stuttgart, Hans-Dieter Heinz Akademischer Verlag, 2017, 331 pp., 34.00 euros (paperback), ISBN 978 38 809 970 80

Identidades nacionales en America Latina is a collection of essays which considers the diffusion of discourses of national identity in Latin America during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A...
Numerical Simulation of Instabilities in the Boundary-Layer Transition Experiment Flowfield

The development of disturbances in the boundary-layer transition (BoLT) flight experiment flowfield is investigated using a recently developed “quiet direct numerical simulation (DNS)” approach. By...
Accelerating Large Garbled Circuits on an FPGA-enabled Cloud

Garbled Circuits (GC) is a technique for ensuring the privacy of inputs from users and is particularly well suited for FPGA implementations in the cloud where data analytics is frequently run. Secure Function Evaluation, such as that enabled by GC, is orders of magnitude slower than processing in the clear. We present our best implementation of GC on Amazon Web Services (AWS) that implements garbling on Amazon’s FPGA enabled F1 instances. In this paper we present the largest problems garbled to date on FPGA instances, which includes problems that are represented by over four million gates. Our implementation speeds up garbling 20 times over software over a range of different circuit sizes.
Talking the cat: Footing lamination in a Korean livestream of cats mukbang

Abstract Bringing together Goffman's (1974, 1981) notions of footing, lamination, and frames, Gordon's (2009) identification of different frame laminations, and Tannen's (1986, 2004, 2007) idea of constructed dialogue, I examine the complexity of footing dynamics where different footings interact with each other, creating “footing lamination”, in cats mukbang. Cats mukbang is a Korean livestream where people watch stray cats eating, while communicating with each other through a text-based live chatroom. Footing lamination occurs as participants: 1) shift their footings with the use of exclamations like oh when cats show up (reframing) and when a cat successfully catches a fish (rekeying), 2) multimodally co-construct a joint footing through recruitments, made up of chat messages and the host's spoken and bodily actions, creating “constructed action”, 3) embed one footing into another through pretend-play where people type not only as and to cats but also as sports commentators for a cat catching fish, and 4) humorously blend two simultaneous emotive footings when either a dog or cicada suddenly appears on the screen and breaks the general frame of cats mukbang. The study examines footing dynamics through four types of footing lamination, thus extending the literature on frame lamination within interactive online multimodal discourse. (199/200 words)
Competencies for the Competent Person: Defining Workplace Examiner Competencies from the Health and Safety Leader’s Perspective

The ability to identify hazards during a workplace examination is a critical skill for mineworkers to have in order to maintain a safe workplace. While research suggests that being able to successfully recognize hazards requires a complex set of competencies, it is unclear which competencies are most critical to adequately perform a workplace examination. This paper presents a hazard recognition competencies framework as an explanation of the competencies that affect mineworker hazard recognition. To better understand how the industry is selecting and preparing workplace examiners, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) interviewed nine health and safety (H&S) professionals at surface stone, sand, and gravel mine sites throughout the USA. A primary purpose of these interviews was to verify the competencies included in the hazard recognition competencies framework and to understand why these competencies are critical. Finally, the results of this study are presented within the context of current NIOSH research findings related to hazard recognition.
Cost-effectiveness of projects and policies

Abstract As outlined in this book, policies and projects aimed at reducing emissions leading to improved air quality and health can have substantial and wide-ranging benefits. However, those policies and projects can also be costly and those costs should be compared to their benefits. This chapter explores issues surrounding the estimation of the cost-effectiveness of policies or projects that impact air quality and health. It begins with a discussion of why monetary values are needed for nonpecuniary items such as air quality and health. Different methods of quantifying the benefits of improved air quality are then explored. Next, different methods of calculating cost-effectiveness are examined with a focus on one of the most common: the benefit-cost analysis. The chapter finishes with an example where the benefits from improved air quality due to a parking pricing project in San Francisco are estimated.
Damage to cardiac vasculature may be associated with breast cancer treatment-induced cardiotoxicity

Breast cancer is the most common female cancer worldwide. Effective therapies including doxorubicin and trastuzumab have improved survival, but are associated with a substantial risk of cardiovascular disease. Mechanisms underlying cancer treatment-induced cardiotoxicity (CTC) are poorly understood and have largely focused on cardiomyocyte damage, although other cellular populations in the heart such as the cardiac endothelium, may play an important role in cardiac damage. We treated a breast tumor-bearing mouse model with doxorubicin and trastuzumab to investigate the role of the cardiac endothelium in the development of CTC. Immune compromised mice were inoculated in the 4th mammary fat pad with human breast cancer cells overexpressing HER2 (BT474). When tumors were palpable, mice were treated weekly with doxorubicin (5 mg/kg) and trastuzumab (4 mg/kg). The cardiac phenotype of mice was assessed by echocardiography and histological evaluation of the heart. Cardiac vascular damage was assayed by in vivo permeability assays and primary cultures of murine cardiac endothelial cells were used to assay doxorubicin toxicity in vitro. The growth of BT474 breast tumors in Balb/c Nude mice was suppressed upon treatment with doxorubicin and trastuzumab. Mice treated for 4 months with doxorubicin and trastuzumab maintained body weights, but demonstrated an echocardiographic phenotype consistent with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, decreased LV mass and increased filling pressures (E/e’). Histological staining with Masson’s trichrome and Picrosirius red showed extensive fibrosis and increased collagen deposition in the ventricular myocardium surrounding blood vessels of treated mice compared to untreated mice. Evans blue permeability assays demonstrated increased cardiac vasculature permeability while primary cardiac endothelial cells exposed to doxorubicin in vitro showed increased cell death as compared to lung or liver endothelial cells. An orthotopic mouse model of human breast cancer in Nude mice treated with doxorubicin and trastuzumab resulted in a cardiac vascular defect accompanied by preserved LV ejection fraction, decreased LV mass, suggesting mild diastolic dysfunction and cardiac remodeling consistent with subclinical cardiotoxicity. Our data suggest that cardiac endothelium is more sensitive to doxorubicin therapy as compared to other organ endothelium and cardiac endothelial damage may correlate with breast cancer treatment-induced cardiotoxicity.
Historical Origins of Global Mental Health

This chapter traces the emergence of global mental health as an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on achieving equity in mental health for all people worldwide. It identifies the shortages of mental health services worldwide and the strategies that are being employed to address those shortages, notably task shifting/task sharing. It traces the contributions of various disciplines from anthropology to psychiatry and highlights the important interpretations that accompany psychiatric diagnosing. Critiques of the global mental health movement are identified as well as links made to the ethical principles that underlie it.
Byzantine Medical Problems: Decision Making with Misleading, Imperfect Information

Medical diagnosis and treatment decision making traditionally hinges on clinical judgment, available evidence from the literature and “test results”. This information is highly imperfect and can be erroneous or frankly misleading. This chapter borrows from digital fly-by wire paradigms for processing information from unreliable sources for guiding diagnosis and treatment. A brief overview of the principles and architectures used in Airbus and Boeing Fly-By Wire systems is presented. The relevant architectures are used to inspire similar methods of thinking for medical diagnosis and treatment. This chapter extends the theory of fault tree analysis and probabilistic methods developed in prior chapters for guiding decision making in the face of uncertainty and misleading clinical information. Costs and treatment risks are incorporated into uncertainty associated with poor quality information. Medical examples are presented.
Localization under random measurements with application to radiation sources

We consider the problem of estimating the location of a target in 2D using random measurements of sensorspsila distance-differences to it. The linear algebraic solution to this problem becomes incomplete under random measurement errors, while the geometric method that always returns a solution has been developed only for 3-sensor configurations. We present three methods to extend the geometric method to a larger number of sensors, and compare their performance using simulations. We then consider two cases where measurements are collected over the same time-window at all sensors: (a) measurements are time-synchronized, and (b) measurements are independently collected within the time-window. We present the localization methods, mean of estimators and mean of measurements for case (a) and (b), respectively, and compare them using simulations.We describe a method for localizing point radiation sources from intensity measurements which uses the localization as a component. Based on simulation and test-bed results, our estimatorspsila performance improves with the number of sensors, and the mean of estimators method offers a better overall performance.
Out-of-Plane Non-linear Warping of a Slice into Volume

Non-linear 3D warping is implemented for registration of a planar (2D) image into an anatomical reference volume space for accurate spatial mapping. The mutual information based automatic warping algorithm is expanded to include the 2D-to-3D mapping of slice images exhibiting localized out-of-plane geometric deformations. Presented in this work is demonstration and evaluation of the control point based 3D thin-plate-spline (TPS) function applied to the correction of local deformations in MR slice images. Automated 3D warping of a slice into an anatomical reference volume space is achieved by optimization of the mutual information cost function calculated from the gray values of the image pair, i.e., the reference volume and a slice. Accuracy in spatial mapping was assessed by using the simulated MR data sets in a standard anatomical coordinate system and locally induced deformations in a slice image with known TPS transformation parameters. The results indicate the sensitivity of the final optimization to DOF and selected control point locations.
Enteric-coated cysteamine for the treatment of paediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 33: 1036–1044 Summary Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common cause of liver disease in children. Hepatic fat accumulation and oxidative stress contribute to its pathogenesis. Cysteamine bitartrate readily traverses cellular membranes and is a potent antioxidant. Aim To evaluate the safety and efficacy of enteric-coated (EC) cysteamine in children with NAFLD. Method Children, aged ≥10 y, meeting screening criteria with biopsy-proven NAFLD and serum ALT ≥60 IU/L, received twice-daily EC-cysteamine for 24 weeks. Monthly ALT, AST, body mass index (BMI) and gastrointestinal symptom scores were measured. Subjects with >50% reduction or normalisation of ALT achieved the primary endpoint. Results Of the 13 children enrolled (mean age 14.0 years), 11 completed EC-cysteamine therapy (mean dose 15.2 mg/kg/day) and were included in the final analysis. For these 11 subjects, the mean ALT levels at baseline and 24 weeks were 120.2 and 55 IU/L respectively (P = 0.002), and the AST levels were 60 and 36 IU/L respectively (P = 0.007). The primary endpoint was reached in 7 and normalisation (≤40 IU/L) of ALT in 5. After 24 week therapy, mean adiponectin levels increased (P = 0.009) and CK-18 fragment levels decreased (P = 0.013), insulin levels remained unchanged (P = 0.99). Mean leptin levels were decreased in responders (P = 0.044). Mean BMI was 34.5 at baseline and 34.2 kg/m2 after treatment (P = 0.35). Mean symptom scores at baseline (1.1) and at 24 weeks (0.7) were similar. No major adverse events were reported. Conclusions Enteric-coated cysteamine reduces ALT and AST levels in children with NAFLD without reduction in body mass index. Further studies will evaluate optimal cysteamine therapeutic dose and effect on liver histology in NAFLD (Clinicaltrials.gov protocol ID: 07-1699).
Boundary layer regulation in the southeast Atlantic cloud microphysics during the biomass burning season as seen by the A‐train satellite constellation

Solar radiation absorption by biomass burning aerosols has a strong warming effect over the southeast Atlantic. Interactions between the overlying smoke aerosols and low-level cloud microphysics and the subsequent albedo perturbation are, however, generally ignored in biomass burning radiative assessments. In this study, Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) are combined with Aqua satellite observations from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer–EOS (AMSR-E), and Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) to assess the effect of variations in the boundary layer height and the separation distance between the cloud and aerosol layers on the cloud microphysics. The merged data analyzed at a daily temporal resolution suggest that overlying smoke aerosols modify cloud properties by decreasing cloud droplet size despite an increase in the cloud liquid water as boundary layer deepens, north of 5°S. These changes are controlled by the proximity of the aerosol layer to the cloud top rather than increases in the column aerosol load. The correlations are unlikely driven by meteorological factors, as three predictors of cloud variability, lower tropospheric stability, surface winds, and mixing ratio suggest that cloud effective radius, cloud top height, and liquid water path should correlate positively. Because cloud effective radius anticorrelates with cloud liquid water over the region with large microphysical changes—north of 5°S—the overall radiative consequence at the top of the atmosphere is a strong albedo susceptibility, equivalent to a 3% albedo increase due to a 10% decrease in cloud effective radius. This albedo enhancement partially offsets the aerosol solar absorption. Our analysis emphasizes the importance of accounting for the indirect effect of smoke aerosols in the cloud microphysics when estimating the radiative impact of the biomass burning at the top of the atmosphere.
A Remark on the FRTS Realization and Drinfeld Realization of Quantum Affine Superalgebra U q (o\({\hat s} \)sp(1,2))

In this Letter, we present the hidden symmetry behind the Faddeev–Reshetikhin–Takhtajan–Semenov–Tian–Shansky (FRTS) realization of quantum affine superalgebras U(o\({\hat s} \)sp(1,2)) and add the q-Serre relation to the Drinfeld realization of U(o\({\hat s} \)sp(1,2)), derived from the FRTS realization.
Can verifiable information cut through the noise about climate protection? An experimental auction test

Using an experimental auction, we explore how verifiable information affects the willingness to pay (WTP) for two climate friendly goods given the politicized climate change debate. We test whether the dissemination of (scientific) verifiable information lets subjects cut through the media noise. We define our baseline by first examining how noisy information (pro and con) about climate change affects WTP. We then consider how third party verifiable information within this noisy information affects WTP. Our results suggest subjects could cut through noisy information to process verifiable information. We find a significant WTP premium for climate protection. The verifiable information treatment increases the premium for both shade-grown coffee (by 51 %) and recycled paper (by 48 %). This suggests the WTP premium for climate change depends on the available information flow and the characteristics of the climate friendly good.
(Z)‐2‐Nitro­ethen­amine

The title compound (Z)-2-nitro­ethen­amine, C2H4N2O2, is a small energetic compound composed of only C, H, N and O, with a density of 1.513 g cm−3. The mol­ecules of this crystal structure have bond lengths and angles that are characteristic of a type of push–pull ethyl­enes. The overall molecular organization in stacks of almost planar parallel layers is a result of intermolecular amine-to-nitro hydrogen bonding.
An Analysis on the Intelligent Automation Demands of Taiwanese Companies in Southern China

To comprehensively elucidate the intelligent automation (IA) demands of Taiwanese companies in Southern China, the researchers administered a structured questionnaire to Taiwanese companies invested in Dongguan region, which was one of the earliest regions to undergo economic reform. A total of 30 valid questionnaires were recovered. Research findings showed that most responders are medium- and large-sized enterprises with production plants in Mainland China. The research also revealed that the higher levels of IA are in the processing, assembly, securing (e.g., tightening screws/fixtures), and quality assurance processes under the category “Manufacturing”, and the hardware connection (connecting computer and equipment) and software integration (i.e., MIS, MES, and ERP, among others) processes under “System Integration”. The majority of these processes possess corresponding mature solutions. The core issues are maintaining production flexibility and reducing payback periods.
Incidence and risk factors for urinary retention after endoscopic hernia repair.

Background: Postoperative urinary retention (PO-UR) frequently complicates the repair of inguinal hernias. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of and risk factors for developing PO-UR in patients undergoing endoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Methods: The incidence of PO-UR was determined by a retrospective review of a prospective patient database for all patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair by 1 surgeon from 2001 to 2003 at a tertiary referral center. A case-control study was used to identify risk factors for the development of PO-UR. Results: Thirty-four (22.2%) out of 153 patients undergoing endoscopic inguinal hernia repair developed PO-UR. The use of narcotic analgesia and the volume of intravenous postoperative fluid administered were significant risk factors (P <.05) for the development of PO-UR. Conclusions: Postoperative urinary retention is common after totally extraperitoneal and transabdominal preperitoneal inguinal hernia repairs and is associated directly with increased narcotic and postoperative intravenous fluid administration.
A comparison of the initial growth of metal layers on Mo(110) and W(110) surfaces

Abstract The growth of copper, silver and gold on Mo(110) is studied using low energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. The results are compared with previous results for the same metals on W(110). In spite of the nearly identical lattice constants and electronic structures of the two substrates, significant differences in the initial growth of copper and silver are found and are related to differences in the interaction between the substrate and the overgrowth.
Opiate receptor characteristics in brains from young, mature and aged mice.

Age-related differences in opiate receptors were determined using young (1 month old), mature (3 and 8 months old) and aged (20 months old) mice. 3H-Dihydromorphine binding to mu-receptors in brain synaptic membranes consisted of two components: one with high affinity and one with low affinity. High affinity mu binding sites in membranes from young and aged mice had significantly less receptor densities and higher affinities than the mature mice. In the membranes from aged mouse brain, the affinity of low affinity binding sites for 3H-dihydromorphine was also significantly increased when compared to those in membranes from the 8-month-old group. Membranes from the young and aged groups revealed significantly higher affinity for binding of the kappa ligand, 3H-(−)ethylketocylazocine, than mature mice, which was not accompanied by any change in the density of the receptors. There was no change in either the number or affinity of the binding sites for 3H-(D-Ser2-Leu5)-enkephalinyl-Thr, the delta receptor ligand, among young, mature and aged groups.
A note on the deep circulation of the western North Atlantic: its nature and causes

Abstract Based on presently available long-term moored current meter measurements, the abyssal circulation in the western North Atlantic is hypothesized to have two components. One is above the 4000-m isobath and transports about 10 × 106 m3 s−1 of water along the whole of the continental rise and slope; this is the classical thermohaline Deep Western Boundary Current. The second component is further offshore and takes the form of two or more gyres each recirculating as much as 40 × 106 m3 s−1 with little direct influence of the New England seamounts although in their neighborhood. The circulation scheme is in disagreement with other schemes, principally in the nature of the recirculating gyres. The smaller and more southern of the recirculating gyres was suggested by Schmitz (1977, Journal of Marine Research, 35, 21–28). Calculations based on POLYMODE Array 2 current meter data indicate that both lateral and vertical eddy momentum fluxes are important in driving the gyres. The vertical or ‘thickness’ flux appears to be dominant in the most intense region near the Gulf Stream. It is suggested that the principal role played by the New England seamounts is to intensity the eddy field thereby inducing a divergence of the Reynold stresses.
Predictors of Risky Food Consumption Practices among Older Adults

Foods Associated with E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Other Pathogens Consumed During Past Year (weighted %) Eggs that have not been cooked until whites and yolks are firma 46.2 Raw or undercooked meat or poultry 16.9 Raw sprouts 12.7 Raw or undercooked seafood 9.4 Raw, homemade cookie dough or cake batter 9.3 Unpasteurized juice or cider 7.8 Foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs 7.7 Foods associated with Listeria monocytogenes Cold hot dogs and/or deli meats (recommendation is to reheat to steaming hot) 81.9 Cold deli salads purchased from grocery store deli (not homemade) 43.5 Blue, feta, Camembert, Brie, or queso fresco cheeses 28.4 Refrigerated smoked seafood 15.0 a Response is for the last time the respondent ate fried, poached, boiled,or scrambled eggs. B. Logistic Regression Analysis Tables 2 and 3 show the odds ratios (ORs) for the logistic regression models estimated for raw or undercooked meat, poultry or seafood (Table 2) and undercooked eggs (Table 3). The odds ratio is in red if the p-value for the t test (p > |t|) is significant at 0.05 or better. An OR that is significant and greater than one indicates that older adults with this characteristic are more likely than the reference group to consume the potentially risky food.
Flux Confinement for a Class of Effective Lagrangians

Confinement properties recently proved in the leading logarithm model are shown to be generally truc for a wide class of effective Lagrangians. These include nonexistence of isolated quarks, confining static potential between\(q\bar q\) pair and flux confinement within a characteristic acting as a free boundary. A new variational principle is formulated.
Invite Yourself to the Table: Librarian Contributions to the Electronic Medical Record

Librarians from Exempla Healthcare hospitals initiated contact with the chief medical information officer regarding evidence-based medicine activities related to the development of the system's Electronic Medical Record (EMR). This column reviews the librarians' involvement in specific initiatives that included providing comparative information on point-of-care resources to integrate into the EMR, providing evidence as needed for the order sets being developed, and participating with clinicians on an evidence-based advisory committee.
An empirical analysis of software and hardware spending

Abstract The growth in information systems budgets and in their primary components, hardware and software effort, are analyzed empirically. It is demonstrated that while a large component of the growth is due to technology related factors, these expenditures, and in particular, hardware spending, are sensitive to the growth rate of the economy and fluctuate around the technology-driven growth path due to general business conditions. The validity of the popular belief that software effort (including both software-development and maintenance) represents a growing proportion of information systems expenditures is tested versus the competing view that software effort and hardware expenditures consume relatively constant budget shares. It is shown that after controlling for macroeconomic effects, hardware and software expenditures grow exponentially at the same rate. The analysis also suggests that in the aggregate, it is primarily the hardware outlays that adjust in response to unexpected business conditions.
Effectiveness of VAM fungi in nonsterile soils before and after optimization of P in soil solution

Five tropical soils were either not inoculated or inoculated with the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus Glomus aggregatum. The degree to which VAM effectiveness was expressed in the soils was evaluated prior and after solution P status was adjusted for optimal VAM activity. VAM effectiveness determined by monitoring P concentrations of pinnules of Leucaena leucocephala leaves as a function of time and as dry matter yield determined at the time of harvest, indicated that in three of the soils VAM effectiveness was either very restricted or altogether unexpressed irrespective of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (VAMF) inoculation if soil solution P was not optimized for VAM effectiveness. After P optimization, effectiveness was significantly increased by VAMF inoculation although in four of the soils, densities of indigenous VAMF propagules greatly exceeded that attained by the inoculum after it was mixed with soil. Mycorrhizal fungal inoculation effects varied from soil to soil, depending on the extent to which the effectiveness of indigenous and introduced endophytes was enhanced by P optimization and the similarity of inherent soil solution P concentrations to the range known to be optimum for VAM effectiveness. Of the indicator variables monitored, VAMF colonization was least sensitive to treatment effects followed by shoot P concentration measured at the time of harvest.
Variational formulation of relativistic fluid thermodynamics

Relativistic fluid thermodynamics for compressible fluid reversible adiabatic flow, using variational principle to derive stress-energy tensor
Granitic terrains viewed remotely by Shuttle infrared radiometry - Some compositional predictions

Ratios of intensities of near-infrared spectral bands, measured in reflectance, quantitatively predict the iron content of granitic rocks. Such data from the 1.60- and 1.05-micron bands of the Shuttle multispectral infrared radiometer have been used to study granitic rocks along orbits crossing Baja California, Mexico, and the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Both regions are arid and relatively to essentially free of vegetation, and there is no indication in the spectra that surface chemical alteration masks the true composition of the unweathered rock. Predicted values of iron are consistent with known compositional types of most of the rocks along the orbital paths. Results demonstrate that the near-infrared method used is a powerful technique to average the variability of these rocks on the scales of meters to kilometers.
Analysis of Concurrent Engineering Applications in the Information Quality Process

This paper analyzes a concurrent engineering (CE) approach to the information quality process. The utility of the information quality process (IQP) is assessed. As part of this analysis, various scientific techniques, such as statistical quality control (SQC) and opera tions research are used to improve the quality of an information system process.