cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Varieties of Logical Consequence by Their Resistance to Logical Nihilism

Some recent work on logical pluralism has suggested that the view might be in danger of collapsing into logical nihilism, the view on which there are no valid arguments. The goal of this chapter is to argue that the prospects for preventing such a collapse vary with one’s account of logical consequence. Section 1 lays out four central approaches to consequence, beginning with the approaches Etchemendy (On the Concept of Logical Consequence. CSLI: Stanford, 1999) called interpretational and representational, and then adding a Quinean substitutional approach as well as the more recent universalist account given in Williamson (Modal Logic as Metaphysics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013; Semantic Paradoxes and Abductive Methodology. In Reflections on the Liar, ed. B. Armour-Garb, 325–346. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017). Section 2 recounts how the threat of logical nihilism arises in the debate over logical pluralism. Section 3 then looks at the ways the rival accounts of logical consequence are better or worse placed to resist the threat.
Aerosol Delivery With Two Tracheostomy Masks Using a Weighted Filter Model

Background: Patients with respiratory complications requiring further interventions, such as tracheostomies, often also need routine medications as a part of their care plan. Many of these respiratory medications are delivered in aerosol form via small volume nebulization. The purpose of this study is to determine how the SouthMedic Oxytrach mask (Barrie, Ontario, Canada) aerosol delivery compares to the aerosol delivery of the Teleflex Hudson RCI Trach mask (Morrisville, NC). We hypothesized that there will be no difference in aerosol delivery between the Oxytrach mask and the Hudson mask. Methods: An adult model with a Medtronic 8.0 mm Shiley tracheostomy tube (Minneapolis, MN, US) was attached to a Hans Rudolph, Inc. Series 1101 breathing simulator (Shawnee Mission, KS, US) set to achieve a 500 mL tidal volume, with 16 breaths/min, Raw 5.0 cm H2O/L/s, Compliance 80 mL/cm H2O, and 33% IT. A Teleflex Bacterial/Viral Filter (BFE: 99.999+%, VFE: 99.99+%) (Morrisville, NC, US) was placed distal to the tracheostomy tube on the right main stem bronchi of the model and proximal to the breathing simulator with the left main stem bronchi occluded. For each trial, 6 mL of 10% hypertonic saline solution was nebulized via the Vyaire Medical AirLife Misty Fast nebulizer (Mettawa, IL) at 8 L/min for 4 min. A filter was weighed prior to nebulization, the weight was recorded, and the filter was placed in line on the model. In the first three trials, the nebulizer was attached to the Oxytrach mask and after nebulization; the filter was re-weighed and recorded. In the last three trials, the Hudson masks were used. Results: The mean post-nebulization weight of the filters with the Hudson mask was 270 mg. The mean post-nebulization weight of the filters with the Oxytrach mask was 20 mg. There was a statistically significant difference in the amount of aerosol delivery between the two masks (P= .008). Conclusions: Based on the results, it was found that the Hudson mask had significantly more aerosol delivery to the filter than the Oxytrach mask. There was an incidental finding during the nebulization trials with the Oxytrach mask. The mushroom shaped Pin and triangular directional Diffuser inside the Oxytrach mask, when placed on the model, fit directly inside the opening of the tracheostomy tube, causing the potential for airway occlusion.
Protocol for diagnosis of urinary tract infection: reconsidering the criterion for significant bacteriuria

The traditional criterion of 10(5) colony-forming units (CFU) per milliliter of urine to diagnose urinary tract infection was based on studies of pregnant and nonpregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria or acute pyelonephritis. Recent studies of symptomatic women revealed that urine cultures in approximately one third of those with confirmed urinary tract infections grew only 10(2) to 10(4) CFU/mL. The major causes of acute dysuria among such women are urinary tract infection, sexually transmitted disease, and vaginitis. In most instances, it is possible to make the diagnosis based on clinical features. The major features of urinary tract infection are internal dysuria; frequency, urgency, and voiding of small volumes; abrupt onset; suprapubic pain; presence of pyuria. Presence of hematuria which occurs in about 50 percent of patients strongly suggests bacterial cystitis. Three to seven days of empiric antimicrobial therapy is indicated for these patients, with selection of a first-line antimicrobial agent that offers efficacy against Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus saprophyticus; reasonable cost; few side effects. Ampicillin is not recommended. Indications for culture include uncertain clinical features; history of previous infection within the past three weeks; duration of symptoms of more than seven days; recent hospitalization or catheterization; pregnancy; diabetes. To maximize the sensitivity and specificity of the urine culture in acutely symptomatic women, it is necessary to request the laboratory to report 10(2) to 10(4) CFU/mL.
Lack of evidence for the role of gut microbiota in PAH biodegradation by the polychaete Capitella teleta.

Capitella teleta is a marine sediment-feeding polychaete known to degrade various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and reported to possess genes involved in PAH transformation, such as those in the P450 cytochrome superfamily. Previous research focusing on biodegradation of PAHs by C. teleta demonstrated that these worms are effective biodegraders, but overlooked the possible role of its gut microbiota in facilitating PAH metabolism. Recently, C. teleta's microbiome was characterized and found to contain several bacterial genera known to contain PAH-degrading members, including Acinetobacter, Thalassotalea, and Achromobacter. Despite this, however, no data have thus far been presented demonstrating the role of C. teleta's gut microbiota in PAH degradation. The present study was designed to more conclusively determine the presence of PAH-degrading bacteria in worm digestive tracts and to more clearly distinguish the relative roles of worm versus gut-microbial metabolism in the removal of PAH from sediment. To do this, we manipulated marine sediment microorganisms and worm gut microbiota by autoclaving and antibiotic treatment, respectively. Our results showed that no fluoranthene degradation occurred in microcosms in the absence of worms. More importantly, there was no significant difference in fluoranthene degradation between antibiotic-treated and non-treated worms. We also found no evidence of fluoranthene degradation using resting cells of gut microbes of C. teleta, and we were unable to isolate fluoranthene-degrading bacterial strains from enrichments of polychaete gut contents, despite multiple attempts. Gut microbiota in worms treated with antibiotics recovered, through bidirectional transfer, between worms and sediment after 2 weeks of microcosm incubation, and gut microbes appear to be required for the survival and growth of C. teleta. Our results build on previous studies suggesting that C. teleta itself is primarily responsible for the metabolism of fluoranthene in ingested sediment. We hypothesize that C. teleta's core microbiota, which includes members of Propionibacterium as the most abundant genus, likely aid worms in obtaining key nutrients (e.g., vitamins) from its sediment diet.
Alcohol Consumption by Older New York City Residents: The Need for New Policies to Address Misuse.

Aims The aim of this study is to assess risk factors for alcohol misuse among older New York City residents and examine the effect of local public health efforts to address alcohol misuse. Methods The Community Health Survey, a cross-sectional telephone survey of 8500 randomly selected adult New Yorkers, records the frequency of alcohol use. We examine these results among 65 and older subjects by sociodemographic status using logistic regression modeling and compare trends in smoking and alcohol consumption between 2002 and 2016. Results Those with unhealthy drinking habits, combining binge drinking and excessive consumption, constituted 5.7% of 65 plus population and were more likely to be White, US born, healthy, better educated and wealthier. The percentage of older smokers in New York City has decreased while unhealthy drinking is nearly flat since 2002. Conclusions Our findings reinforce the importance of screening geriatric populations for alcohol use disorders and support the development of new public health efforts to address alcohol misuse if the city is to achieve results similar to those obtained in decreasing tobacco consumption.
Rationale and design of an evidence-based tool to guide preoperative evaluation and management

BackgroundIn the United States, over-testing and over-treatment are recognised causes of excess cost and patient harm. Healthcare value, defined as health outcomes achieved relative to the costs of...
Repairing the Tax Privacy Rules

This brief essay, adapted from remarks delivered to the Tax Policy and Simplification Committee of the ABA Tax Section on October 2, 2020, describes needed changes in three tax privacy areas: access and disclosure of presidential tax information, civil enforcement of congressional subpoenas, and confidentiality protections for tax return information obtained by subpoena. The essay also explains the problematic nature of public disclosures of tax information, including the recent reports published by the New York Times about President Trump’s taxes.
Spectral Analysis and Stability of Deep Neural Dynamics.

Our modern history of deep learning follows the arc of famous emergent disciplines in engineering (e.g. aero- and fluid dynamics) when theory lagged behind successful practical applications. Viewing neural networks from a dynamical systems perspective, in this work, we propose a novel characterization of deep neural networks as pointwise affine maps, making them accessible to a broader range of analysis methods to help close the gap between theory and practice. We begin by showing the equivalence of neural networks with parameter-varying affine maps parameterized by the state (feature) vector. As the paper's main results, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the global stability of generic deep feedforward neural networks. Further, we identify links between the spectral properties of layer-wise weight parametrizations, different activation functions, and their effect on the overall network's eigenvalue spectra. We analyze a range of neural networks with varying weight initializations, activation functions, bias terms, and depths. Our view of neural networks as affine parameter varying maps allows us to "crack open the black box" of global neural network dynamical behavior through visualization of stationary points, regions of attraction, state-space partitioning, eigenvalue spectra, and stability properties. Our analysis covers neural networks both as an end-to-end function and component-wise without simplifying assumptions or approximations. The methods we develop here provide tools to establish relationships between global neural dynamical properties and their constituent components which can aid in the principled design of neural networks for dynamics modeling and optimal control.
Incentive Design for Overtime

The paper presents an alternative incentive scheme to overcome some of the challenges posed by usual kind of pay-for-performance employee wage contracts offered by the firms.
Clouded Plagioclase in Metadolerite Dikes, Southeastern Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming

Exsolution of iron oxides appears to account for the clouding of plagioclase in metadolerite dikes in the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming. An intra- rather than extra-plagioclase source of the iron is indicated by its accumulation along crystallographic planes and by comparative chemical, electron microprobe, oxygen isotopic, and X-ray diffraction studies of the clouded plagioclase and compositionally and mineralogically similar clear plagioclase in younger quartz dolerite dikes of the same area. The emplacement of the metadolerite into a terrane heated by metamorphic processes and the resulting slow subsolidus cooling of the plagioclase are thought to explain the exsolution. Electron microprobe studies indicate that the concentration of iron in clear plagioclase increases with decreasing An content and with proximity to crystal edges. This is interpreted to mean that the incorporation of iron by plagioclase is responsive to the availability of iron to the plagioclase.
Corneal lymphangiogenesis as a potential target in dry eye disease - a systematic review

Abstract Dry eye disease (DED) is a common ocular surface condition causing symptoms of significant discomfort, visual disturbance, and pain. With recent advancements, DED has become recognized as a chronic self-perpetuating inflammatory condition triggered by various internal and environmental factors. DED has been shown to arise from the activation of both the innate and adaptive immune systems, leading to corneal epithelium and lacrimal gland dysfunction. While the cornea is normally avascular and thus imbued with angiogenic and lymphangiogenic privilege, various DED models have revealed activated corneal antigen-presenting cells in regional lymph nodes, suggesting the formation of new corneal lymphatic vessels in DED. The recent availability of reliable lymphatic cell surface markers such as LYVE-1 has made it possible to study lymphangiogenesis. Accordingly, numerous studies have been published within the last decade discussing the role of lymphangiogenesis in DED pathology. We systematically review the literature to identify and evaluate studies presenting data on corneal lymphangiogenesis in DED. There is considerable evidence supporting corneal lymphangiogenesis as a central mediator of DED pathogenesis. These findings suggest that anti-lymphangiogenic therapeutic strategies may be a viable option for the treatment of DED, a conclusion supported by the limited number of reported clinical trials examining anti-lymphangiogenic modalities in DED.
Palliative Care Research

Research addressing palliative care (PC) needs in the emergency department (ED) has been increasing rapidly in recent years. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the literature and a structure from which to consider historical and future efforts. Our framework is based on the 2011 published recommendations from a national workgroup of PC and emergency medicine experts brought together through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the American College of Emergency Physicians. The workgroup identified the following categories for research priorities: descriptive, attitudinal, screening, outcomes, resource allocation, and education for clinicians. We applied these categories to the available literature and created subcategories for studies addressing similar themes. To further describe the research, we used language from the methodology sections of studies referenced and adopted basic terminology as described by Greenhalgh.
Evaluating the Impact of Psychiatric Disorders on Preoperative Pain Ratings, Narcotics Use, and the PROMIS-29 Quality Domains in Spine Surgery Candidates.

Objective We aimed to study the relationship between psychiatric Disorders (PD), preoperative pain, and opioid medication intake, as well as the quality of life patient-reported outcome measures using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 29 (PROMIS-29) questionnaire, during the 30-day interval preceding surgery, in a consecutive series of patients who were scheduled to undergo surgical spine procedures. We hypothesized that PD could affect preoperative narcotic use and pain interference in a fashion that was not linearly associated with preoperative pain in spine surgery candidates. Methods The records of consecutive adult patients who underwent elective spinal surgery between October 2016 and August 2017 at a single institution were reviewed. We included patients who underwent preoperative pain assessment within 30 days prior to their planned surgery using the PROMIS-29 questionnaire. Patients with PD were compared to controls. Results A total of 117 patients matched our criteria. The average rating of pain intensity was notably higher in the PD group as compared to controls (p=0.004). The PD group had more patients complaining of high pain levels (>6) as compared to the control group (p=0.026). Controls with high pain levels had a greater incidence of preoperative narcotic use as compared to the low-pain cohort (p=0.029). However, there was no difference in the actual dose of daily narcotic medication taken between the PD and control groups (P=0.099) or between the low- and high pain score groups in the control (p=0.291) and PD (p=0.441) groups, respectively. Patients with PD and higher pain ratings seemed to have a higher incidence of anxiety (p=0.005) and depression (p<0.001). That was not the case for controls. Conclusions PDs may impact the degree of preoperative pain interference and the intake of narcotic medication independently from pain intensity ratings.
Risk factors for hospitalization among persons with COVID-19-Colorado.

Background Most current evidence on risk factors for hospitalization because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) comes from studies using data abstracted primarily from electronic health records, limited to specific populations, or that fail to capture over-the-counter medications and adjust for potential confounding factors. Properly understanding risk factors for hospitalization will help improve clinical management and facilitate targeted prevention messaging and forecasting and prioritization of clinical and public health resource needs. Objectives To identify risk factors for hospitalization using patient questionnaires and chart abstraction. Methods We randomly selected 600 of 1,738 laboratory-confirmed Colorado COVID-19 cases with known hospitalization status and illness onset during March 9-31, 2020. In April 2020, we collected demographics, social history, and medications taken in the 30 days before illness onset via telephone questionnaire and collected underlying medical conditions in patient questionnaires and medical record abstraction. Results Overall, 364 patients participated; 128 were hospitalized and 236 were non-hospitalized. In multivariable analysis, chronic hypoxemic respiratory failure with oxygen requirement (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 14.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45-147.93), taking opioids (aOR 8.05; CI 1.16-55.77), metabolic syndrome (aOR 5.71; CI 1.18-27.54), obesity (aOR 3.35; CI 1.58-7.09), age ≥65 years (aOR 3.22; CI 1.20-7.97), hypertension (aOR 3.14; CI 1.47-6.71), arrhythmia (aOR 2.95; CI 1.00-8.68), and male sex (aOR 2.65; CI 1.44-4.88), were significantly associated with hospitalization. Conclusion We identified patient characteristics, medications, and medical conditions, including some novel ones, associated with hospitalization. These data can be used to inform clinical and public health resource needs.
Serving DNS Using a Peer-to-Peer Lookup Service

The current domain name system (DNS) couples ownership of domains with the responsibility of serving data for them. The DNS security extensions (DNSSEC) allow verificaton of records obtained by alternate means, opening exploration of alternative storage systems for DNS records. We explore one such alternative using DHash, a peer-to-peer distributed hash table built on top of Chord. Our system inherits Chord's fault-tolerance and load balance properties, at the same time eliminating many administrative problems with the current DNS. Still, our system has significantly higher latencies and other disadvantages in comparison with conventional DNS. We use this comparison to draw conclusions about general issues that still need to be addressed in peer-to-peer systems and distributed hash tables in particular.
Older rural women moving up and moving on in cardiac rehabilitation

Purpose: Cardiac disease often strikes without warning. Its sudden nature interrupts the lives of individuals and families. Recovery from cardiac events may take months or even years. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an essential step in the recovery process. CR improves physical fitness and provides education for the reduction of risk factors for future cardiac events. Women are known to be under-referred to cardiac rehabilitation. Women are also under-represented in CR research, are less likely to attend CR than men, and may have worse outcomes than men. Little is known about the experiences of older rural women in CR. The purpose of this study was to describe and interpret the experiences of older women who lived in rural communities and attended CR. Sample: A purposive sample of 10 women (ages 60-83) was recruited from three CR centers in Pennsylvania and New York. All women were residents of rural communities and had been discharged from CR. Method: Participants were enrolled in a phenomenological study to identify the meaning of CR for older rural women. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using van Manen’s methodology. Findings: Three themes emerged from the study: (a) companionship, (b) hospitality, and (c) accomplishment. Conclusions: The women described CR as a program offering companionship in an atmosphere of hospitality to assist women in accomplishing their personal goals. The study has implications for nursing practice, education, policy, and theory development in rural nursing. Key Words: older rural women, cardiac rehabilitation, phenomenology, companionship, hospitality, accomplishment
Connection routing schemes for wireless ATM

Wireless ATM presents several interesting challenges, such as managing an end-to-end ATM connection (using connection re-routing) and location management, handling the high-error-rate performance of wireless links, maintaining the ATM cell sequence and supporting quality of service (QoS) requirements. Recently, the design of re-routing schemes has received some consideration in the literature. However, most of these schemes do not address support for multi-connection and the multicast handoffs that may be necessary for mobile multimedia computing. We discuss several re-routing schemes for wireless ATM networks and many issues, including multi-connection and multicast connection handoffs, and propose generic techniques that can be incorporated in re-routing schemes to support such handoffs. We also discuss how these can be incorporated in re-routing schemes such as RAC (rearranged ATM connection) and EAC (extended ATM connection).
Frequency comb generation on a silicon chip

We present a new approach to achieving frequency comb generation on a silicon chip by means of optical switching in microring resonators.
Knowledge, Anthropology of

The anthropology of knowledge concerns the categories and organizing concepts through which people make sense of, and act on, their social and natural environments. It is the study of the connections between social organization and content in cultural traditions – a key problem in social thought since the emergence of the social sciences in the nineteenth century. Since the late twentieth century, the complex links to cognition and brain science have further enriched explanations of how knowledge is perceived and communicated.
The Cognitive-Developmental Theory of Adolescent Self and Identity

In recent years, a cognitive-developmental approach to psychology has grown out of the work of Dewey, Baldwin, Piaget, Mead, and Kohlberg. Despite difficulties of both a theoretical and an empirical nature, this approach has matured to a point where it rivals psychoanalytic theory in scope. Although it is a general psychology of development, recent post-Piagetian work has permitted the emergence of a specific theory of adolescent phenomena.
The academic collaboratory as a bridge across space, time, and social worlds

Collaboration is at the heart of the academic enterprise; the proposal for national collaboratory seeks to support these collaborative efforts by means of a variety of computing technologies. The authors examine the assumptions of the model of collaborative work behind the collaboratory proposal and suggest ways of extending that model. They draw on a case study of collaborative efforts in classical scholarship in order to explore more fully the existing modalities of academic collaboration as it actually occurs. The development of a broader understanding of collaborative activities will enable one to more effectively address the national collaboratory challenge. >
Spaceflight and growth effects on muscle fibers in the rhesus monkey

Spaceflight causes considerable atrophy in hindlimb muscles of the rat. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a 14-day spaceflight (COSMOS 2044) on selected morphological and metabolic properties of single muscle fibers in a nonhuman primate, Macaca mulatta. Biopsies were taken from the soleus (Sol), medial gastrocnemius (MG), and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of two rhesus monkeys 107 days before flight and 24 h after return from flight. Muscle biopsies were taken from two independent sites in each muscle by use of a small (3-mm OD) Bergstrom biopsy needle. The biopsies weighed 8-14 mg and contained 100-200 fibers, of which an average of 40 fibers were acceptable for metabolic and size analyses. The 14-day spaceflight had little effect on fiber size in the Sol and MG muscles, whereas there appeared to be a slight decrease in size in the TA. In each of the flight animals, the mean fiber size in the postflight biopsies increased relative to preflight values. An increase in fiber size over the same period of time was also observed in four control monkeys that were the same age and approximately the same weight as the flight monkeys. The relative increase in size was related to the body weight of the monkey at the time of the pre- and postflight biopsies. The mean fiber succinate dehydrogenase activity appeared to decrease in the MG, whereas there was no apparent effect of spaceflight on the Sol and TA muscles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Role of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Interactions in Mammary Gland Development

The mammary gland is a hormone-target organ derived from epidermis and develops as a result of reciprocal mesenchymal-epithelial interactions. The induction of mammary differentiation from indifferent epidermal cells by mammary mesenchyme implies induction of the complement of hormone receptors characteristic of normal mammary epithelium in cells of the epidermis. Considering the facts that mammary epithelial differentiation is induced by mammary mesenchyme and that certain aspects of hormone response (androgen-induced mammary regression) are inextricably linked to mesenchymal-epithelial interactions, it is evident that the biology of the mammary gland arises from and is maintained via cell-cell interactions. As a corollary, perturbation of stromal-epithelial interactions in adulthood may play a role in mammary carcinogenesis and in turn may provide opportunities for differentiation therapy.
Eradication of spontaneous metastases and activation of alveolar macrophages by intravenous injection of liposomes containing muramyl dipeptide

The multiple systemic administration of multilamellar liposomes composed of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine (molar ratio 3:7) that contained water-soluble muramyl dipeptide (MDP) activated alveolar macrophages to become tumoricidal and eradicated established spontaneous pulmonary and lymph node metastases. Spontaneously metastasizing melanoma cells were injected into the footpads of mice. After 4-5 weeks, the tumors were resected by a midfemoral amputation; 3 days later, twice-weekly injections of liposomes were initiated and continued for 4 weeks. In some experiments the mice were killed 2 weeks after the final treatment. Seventy-four percent of animals injected with liposomes containing MDP were free of visible metastases. In a separate life-span experiment, 60% of mice treated with liposome-encapsulated MDP were tumor-free 120 days after the last liposome treatment or 110 days after all control mice treated with free MDP or control liposome preparations had died of disseminated cancer. These data suggest that the systemic administration of liposomes containing MDP, or similar compounds that produce macrophage activation, may provide an additional useful approach to the therapeutic regimens currently used to eradicate cancer metastases.
Rituximab in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome: does it make sense?

Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) includes three different entities: minimal change disease (MCD), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. Historically, this condition has been attributed to a T-cell disorder resulting in the secretion of a circulating factor that increases glomerular permeability to plasma proteins. The therapeutic approach to control the proteinuria of INS remains the use of drugs that have been considered to suppress the production of the “circulating factor” secreted by T cells. Recently, rituximab (RTX), a chimeric monoclonal antibody directed against the CD20 cell surface receptor expressed on B cells, has emerged as potential therapeutic agent. The number of publications reporting clinical experience with RTX in the treatment of nephrotic syndrome has greatly increased in the last few years. However, there is currently no good evidence from clinical or experimental studies that support a role of RTX in the treatment of MCD and FSGS proteinuria. In summary, there is the need for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the proteinuria in INS and the potential role of RTX in this condition.
Oligomeric state of the Escherichia coli metal transporter YiiP.

Abstract YiiP is a 32.9-kDa metal transporter found in the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli (Chao, Y., and Fu, D. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 17173–17180). Here we report the determination of the YiiP oligomeric state in detergent-lipid micelles and in membranes. Molecular masses of YiiP solubilized with dodecyl-, undecyl-, decyl-, or nonyl-β-d-maltoside were measured directly using size-exclusion chromatography coupled with laser light-scattering photometry, yielding a mass distribution of YiiP homo-oligomers within a narrow range (68.0–68.8 kDa) that equals the predicted mass of a YiiP dimer within experimental error. The detergent-lipid masses associated with YiiP in the mixed micelles were found to increase from 135.5 to 232.6 kDa, with an apparent correlation with the alkyl chain length of the maltoside detergents. Cross-linking the detergent-solubilized YiiP with 1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl] carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) resulted in a dimeric cross-linked product in an EDC concentration-dependent manner. The oligomeric state of the purified YiiP in reconstituted membranes was determined by electron microscopic analysis of two-dimensional YiiP crystals in negative stain. A projection structure calculated from measurable optical diffractions to 25 A revealed a pseudo-2-fold symmetry within a molecular boundary of ∼75 × 40 A, indicative of the presence of YiiP dimers in membranes. These data provide direct structural evidence for a dimeric association of YiiP both in detergent-lipid micelles and in the reconstituted lipid bilayer. The functional relevance of the dimeric association in YiiP is discussed.
Does fever or myalgia indicate reduced physical performance capacity in viral infections

To study prospectively the effects of a brief febrile viral infection on parameters of muscle and circulatory function, seven volunteers were inoculated with sandfly fever virus and two control subjects with sterile saline. During but not after fever, decreased isometric and dynamic strength and endurance were recorded in various muscles. Impairment could not be explained by altered activities of relevant muscle enzymes in serum or muscle tissue or by altered muscle ultrastructure, but correlated with the severity of perceived symptoms, including myalgia, as rated by each subject. Compared to baseline, cardiac stroke volume was lower during and after fever. During fever, an increased heart rate maintained cardiac output at pre-inoculation values, whereas cardiac output fell in early convalescence. This decrease in cardiac output correlated significantly with the severity of fever. Thus, in brief viral infections a transient impairment of muscle performance capacity is correlated to subjective symptoms such as myalgia, rather than to fever, whereas a decreased cardiac output following such infections seems to be associated with the fever reaction.
An in vitro study of the effect of different restorative materials on the reliability of a veneering porcelain.

Statement of problem Implant-supported, porcelain veneered restorations experience a greater rate of porcelain fracture than tooth-supported restorations. For completely edentulous patients, one approach to minimizing porcelain fracture is to use acrylic resin in the mandible, although its efficacy is unknown. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of a veneering porcelain fatigued with different restorative materials in vitro. Material and methods Fifty-nine veneering porcelain disk specimens were fabricated by layering veneering porcelain on nickel-chromium base metal alloy disks. Four groups of different indenter materials fatigued the porcelain specimens: group WC, tungsten carbide served as a control; group FC, pressed leucite glass ceramic; group NHC, nanohybrid composite resin denture tooth; and group AR, unfilled acrylic resin denture tooth. Porcelain specimens were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=14). A step-stress accelerated life-testing model was used. Use-level probability Weibull plots were generated, and the reliability of each group was estimated for a theoretical completion of 50 000 cycles at 150 N. Results Nanohybrid composite resin and unfilled acrylic resin denture tooth groups had higher reliability than tungsten carbide and leucite glass ceramic groups. No significant differences existed between the reliability of the tungsten carbide and leucite glass ceramic groups and the nanohybrid composite resin and acrylic resin denture tooth groups. Conclusions Veneering porcelain disk specimens fatigued with the unfilled acrylic resin and nanohybrid composite resin denture tooth indenters exhibited higher reliability than the specimens fatigued with either the tungsten carbide or leucite glass ceramic indenters. All of the veneering porcelain disk specimens failed with the same mode of fracture, although the surface posttest exhibited different fracture characteristics among specimens fatigued with the 4 different materials.
Molecular mass distribution and degradation rate of xylan sonicated in acid and alkaline media

Abstract The molecular mass distribution of birch wood xylan sonicated in H2SO4 or KOH solution was investigated for elucidating the effect of medium on the change of molecular distribution. A recycling-style ultrasonic spray system, mainly composed of a 20 kHz frequency generator and a spraying nozzle, was used. Xylan was repeatedly sonicated for 0–15 cycles, and the molecular mass of xylan was determined by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). Results indicated that the molecular mass of sonicated xylan decreased with increasing sonication cycle in alkaline solution, whereas no significant reduced in acid solution was observed. Moreover, the change of molecular mass of xylan treated with sonication in 2% KOH was higher than in 1% KOH solution. The degradation of xylan sonicated in alkaline solution was manifested by a decrease in weight ratio of higher molecular mass component. The changes on degradation rate constant (k) and average-number of chain splitting ratio (ANCS) of sonicated xylan indicate that the molecule is rapidly degraded within the first 5 cycles of sonication in 2% KOH solution. However, occurrence of aggregation was observed in H2SO4 solution (k
Vulvovaginal diseases: a worldwide perspective on diagnosis and mangement

The biannual World Congress of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease was held on 3–8 September 2011 in Paris, France. The World Congress brings together a unique, international, multidisciplinary group of healthcare professionals who have a vested interest in vulvovaginal disease. Members include gynecologists, pathologists, dermatologists and related disciplines including nurse practitioners, physical therapists, psychologists and social workers. The blend of these specialties offers unique opportunities for discussions of novel treatment and management strategies to improve the healthcare outcomes of women with vaginal and vulvar disease. The conference included a precourse workshop, member scientific presentations, concurrent workshops, symposia and a poster session. Select presentations are highlighted in this article.
Marital history homogamy between the divorced and the never married among non-Hispanic whites

Abstract Whether and why the never married and the divorced marry partners of like marital history is not well known. The homogamous tendency on marital history may simply be a by-product of couples' homogamous tendencies on age, socioeconomic status, and parenthood status, in addition to the group size imbalance between the never married and the divorced. Alternatively, marital history homogamy may reflect spousal preferences for similarity in marital history that arises, in part, from continued ties of the divorced to their former marriage. To test hypotheses implied by these two perspectives, regression models are applied to unmarried non-Hispanic white men and women from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, 1985–1997. Results are contrary to the hypothesis based on the by-product perspective. Specifically, in both the male and female subsamples, the tendency toward marital history homogamy is not removed by controlling for individuals' spousal choice on age, education, and parenthood status. However, results are consistent with the hypothesis based on the marital ties perspective. For example, in the subsample of women, the measure of ties to former marriage accounts for about a quarter of the tendency toward marital history homogamy. Results have implications for resource distribution within and across American families.
Response of non-native lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) to 15 years of harvest in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park

Introduced lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) threaten to extirpate native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri) in the 34 000 ha Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park,...
Influence of spatial short range order on impure ising paramagnets

Abstract Magnetic susceptibility is calculated consistently to β 2 for an Ising paramagnet with arbitary concentrations of non-magnetic impurities. Both magnetic and non-magnetic interactions are explicitly considered, as are spatial and spin correlations. By fitting to a Curie-Weiss form, expressions for the Curie temperature and the Curie-Weiss constant are obtained. For small magnetic concentrations the Curie-Weiss constant can change sign due to the lattice interactions.
Simulating Central Battery Storage Using A Levelized Incremental Cost Method

This paper describes a methodology for including central battery storage in hourly production simulation computer programs. As such, these simulation tools calculate detailed production statistics by modeling the hour by hour operation of a power system over the planning horizon. An example of such a production analysis code is GLIMPS, described in reference 1-2. By integrating the hourly operation of central storage into the unit commitment and economic dispatch routines, production analysis codes can be used to assess the production credits associated with the storage technologies. These credits can then be used to value central storage by determining the present worth production costs with and without storage over the planning horizon.
Kramers-Kronig relations in nonlinear optics

We review dispersion relations, which relate the real part of the optical susceptibility (refraction) to the imaginary part (absorption). We derive and discuss these relations as applied to nonlinear optical systems. It is shown that in the nonlinear case, for self-action effects the correct form for such dispersion relations is nondegenerate, i.e. it is necessary to use multiple frequency arguments. Nonlinear dispersion relations have been shown to be very useful as they usually only require integration over a limited frequency range (corresponding to frequencies at which the absorption changes), unlike the conventional linear Kramers-Kronig relation which requires integration over all absorbing frequencies. Furthermore, calculation of refractive index changes using dispersion relations is easier than a direct calculation of the susceptibility, as transition rates (which give absorption coefficients) are, in general, far easier to calculate than the expectation value of the optical polarization. Both resonant (generation of some excitation that is long lived compared with an optical period) and nonresonant ‘instantaneous’ optical nonlinearities are discussed, and it is shown that the nonlinear dispersion relation has a common form and can be understood in terms of the linear Kramers-Kronig relation applied to a new system consisting of the material plus some ‘perturbation’. We present several examples of the form of this external perturbation, which can be viewed as the pump in a pump-probe experiment. We discuss the two-level saturated atom model and bandfilling in semiconductors among others for the resonant case. For the nonresonant case some recent work is included where the electronic nonlinear refractive coefficient,n2, is determined from the nonlinear absorption processes of two-photon absorption, Raman transitions and the a.c. Stark effect. We also review how the dispersion relations can be extended to give alternative forms for frequency summation which, for example, allows the real and imaginary parts ofχ(2) to be related.
Mendelian segregation of loci controlling xenotropic virus production in NZB crosses.

Abstract Quantitative xenotropic virus assays were done in crosses made between NZB and SWR mice. Two independently segregating autosomal dominant loci (Nzv-1 and Nzv-2) determined expression of infectious xenotropic virus. Nzv-1 alone or in association with Nzv-2 was responsible for high-grade virus expression, and low titers of virus were expressed when Nzv-2 was present and Nzv-1 was absent. Virus assays on mice of the second backcross and intercross generations confirmed this finding. The virologic phenotype of individual animals was stable for up to 1 year.
Characterization of a Thermophilic ATP-Dependent DNA Ligase from the Euryarchaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii

Archaea encode a DNA ligase composed of a C-terminal catalytic domain typical of ATP-dependent ligases plus an N-terminal domain similar to that found in eukaryotic cellular and poxvirus DNA ligases. All archaeal DNA ligases characterized to date have ATP-dependent adenylyltransferase and nick-joining activities. However, recent reports of dual-specificity ATP/NAD+ ligases in two Thermococcus species and Pyrococcus abyssi and an ATP/ADP ligase in Aeropyrum pernix raise the prospect that certain archaeal enzymes might exemplify an undifferentiated ancestral stage in the evolution of ligase substrate specificity. Here we analyze the biochemical properties of Pyrococcus horikoshii DNA ligase. P. horikoshii ligase catalyzes autoadenylylation and nick sealing in the presence of a divalent cation and ATP; it is unable to utilize NAD+ or ADP to promote ligation in lieu of ATP. P. horikoshii ligase is thermophilic in vitro, with optimal adenylyltransferase activity at 90°C and nick-joining activity at 70 to 90°C. P. horikoshii ligase resembles the ligases of Methanobacterium thermautotrophicum and Sulfolobus shibatae in its strict specificity for ATP.
Gonadotropin releasing hormone treatment of dairy cows with ovarian cysts. III. Steroids in ovarian follicular fluid and ovarian cyst fluid

Abstract Dairy cows diagnosed as having ovarian cysts were assigned to receive either sterile water or 100 μg GnRH (5 cows/group). Nine to thirteen days posttreatment blood plasma was collected and ovaries were surgically removed and ovarian cyst fluid collected for hormone determinations. In addition, ovarian follicular fluid was collected from cows with developing ovarian follicles within 30 minutes after killing. Mean concentrations of estradiol-17β in cyst fluid was variable but not different from follicular fluid. Mean concentrations of testosterone and progesterone per follicle or cyst were higher (P
THE CHEMISTRY OF VITAMINS.

There has been a notable revival of interest in the chemistry of vitamins within the past few years. The recent work has led to the isolation of more or less completely crystalline compounds having the properties ascribed to vitamins A, B and D. The evidence now available appears to definitely establish the conclusion that vitamins are not to be classed with enzymes. The physiologically active crystalline products which now for the first time have been isolated make possible intensive studies of the constitution and chemical properties of the several vitamins. Although many years have been required to obtain these elusive compounds in the state of purity now reported, it is probable that their identification will be accomplished in a much shorter time. With the completion of this latter phase of the problem we may confidently look forward to the eventual synthesis of the vitamins and their extensive application to the nutritive needs of man
Descriptive and narrative reports of barriers and motivators to physical activity in sedentary older adults.

Abstract Objectives We sought a richer understanding of the determinants and complexities of physical activity (PA) behavior by examining how early life experiences and beliefs were manifested over time to determine PA behavior in late life. Method We interviewed 23 inactive older adults regarding past and current attitudes and beliefs regarding PA in a two-study format. Study 1 participants responded to a semi-structured interview and data were analyzed inductively for emergent themes. Study 2 participants responded to an unstructured, narrative set of three interviews and data were analyzed using narrative analytical techniques. Results Study 1 descriptively confirmed previously reported barriers and motivators and shed light on how experiences across the lifespan may affect current perceptions. Study 2 extended these findings by demonstrating how beliefs and experiences formed at a young age were manifested over time to determine current behaviors and attitudes. Conclusion Implications include how the findings presented and the narrative method itself can be used to inform contemporary theoretical perspectives and promote PA behavior in older adults.
Mechanics of ventricular diastole.

An isolated canine heart preparation was developed which permitted evaluation of the time course of pressure and flow during ventricular diastole. Negative diastolic ventricular pressures were observed after inflow occluded ejections from a wide range of end diastolic volumes. The results are evaluated in the context of recent observations on myocardial ultrastructure and geometry and potential clinical implications are discussed.