cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developmental, audiological, and speech perception functioning in children after cochlear implant surgery.

Objectives To examine changes in audiological, speech perception, and developmental functioning subsequent to cochlear implantation in children with severe to profound hearing impairment, and to identify factors related to those changes. Design Prospective, longitudinal analysis to compare functioning of pediatric patients who underwent cochlear implantation before and 1 year after surgery. Setting Outpatient pediatric cochlear implantation program in an academic institution (The Listening Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md). Patients Forty consecutive pediatric patients between 1½ and 9 years of age who received a cochlear implant between April 1, 1996, and August 31, 1998, and who also underwent psychological, audiological, and speech perception evaluations immediately before and 1 year after implantation. Main Outcome Measure Scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development–Second Edition, Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale–Fourth Edition, Developmental Profile II, Child Behavior Checklist, speech perception categories, and audiological pure-tone thresholds. Results Mean (SD) duration of hearing impairment was 37.78 (27.94) months, mean (SD) age at surgery was 50.72 (27.66) months. Significant improvements were found 1 year after surgery in audiological, speech perception, and developmental functioning, but not in nonverbal intelligence or behavior. Greater benefits in audiological and developmental functioning were associated with younger age ( Conclusions Patients showed significant improvement in audiological status, overall developmental functioning, and speech perception skills in a short time after surgery. Greatest improvement in speech perception was for children with the least initial impairment, and greatest developmental gains were associated with young age at implantation.
Unixial compression testing of M30 and JA2 gun propellants using a statistical design strategy

A statistical factorial design strategy is used to determine the uniaxial compressive mechanical response of two energetic polymers, M30 and JA2 gun propellants, as a function of strain rate,ė, temperature,T, specimen aspect ratio,l/d, and specimen-end lubrication,L. A model of the mechanical response,y=y(ė,T,l/d,L) is formed using least-squares minimization of observed behavior with a secondorder polynomial model in the independent variables. It is found that aspect ratio and end-lubrication variables can influence the overall mechanical behavior of these materials, so that their effects must be quantitatively evaluated and screened prior to the development of constitutive models. Model predictions and global root-mean-square, RMS, errors in yield stress and strain, strain-energy density at yield, compressive and ‘failure’ moduli for these materials compare favorably with historical values obtained from a replicate test design strategy.
The phenomenon of pinning in an annular moving bed reactor with crossflow of gas

Abstract Certain catalytic reactors with reversibly decaying catalysts use continuous replacement and regeneration of the catalyst. A bed of the catalyst pellets moves through the reactor between two co-axial cylinders and the reactant mixture passes radially, either inward or outward, through this bed. There is then an upper bound on the flow of reactants imposed by the mechanical phenomenon of “pinning”, in which the drag force exerted on the particles by the reaction mixture induces frictional forces between the particles and the downstream wall which are sufficient to prevent motion of the bed. A model has been developed to account for pinning behaviour in an annular moving bed reactor of finite length. It is assumed that the catalyst bed behaves as a Coulomb material, with forces of dry friction where it slides over solid surfaces. The results give an excellent qualitative account of the phenomenon, as observed in a small laboratory test system. The predicted gas pressure drops required for pinning are larger than those observed, but never by as much as a factor of two.
Reinventing School Finance: Falling Forward.

States and school districts are facing unprecedented financial pressure due to the continued poor performance of the United States's economy. Dramatic shortfalls in funding due to reduced tax collections were held off for 2 years thanks to federal stimulus funds, but with these revenues already consumed and little likelihood of more in the near future, school districts are faced with some of the largest funding shortfalls they have ever experienced. This article offers a number of suggestions for ways schools and school districts can reduce spending while maintaining a strong emphasis on improved student performance. These ideas include focusing more resources on core subjects, making trade-offs that include the potential of larger classes in exchange for professional development in the form of instructional coaches, and establishing research-based priorities for the use of existing resources.
Light-scattering studies of improper commensurate and incommensurate ferroelectrics

Abstract Previous Raman-scattering studies of the improper ferroelectrics, GMO and TMO, and a phase transition model that resulted partially from those experiments, are reviewed. Internal mode spectra of these and of the A2BX4 incommensurates are compared, with special emphasis on the presence or absence of anomalies. The effect of uniaxial stress on the elastic constants of K2SeO4 as measured by Brillouin-scattering is also discussed briefly.
Potential job applicant reactions to employee drug testing: The effect of program characteristics and individual differences

An experiment varied two aspects of employee drug-testing programs: the purpose of the program (to rehabilitate or to punish) and the drug-testing selection method (for due cause or random and mandatory). Dependent variables were potential job applicants' attitudes toward, intention to apply to, and willingness to accept a job offer from the company. Although the manipulations had no effects, several individual difference variables (personal use of drugs, attitudes toward drugs and drug testing, and subjective norms toward drug testing) predicted the dependent variables.
Septic Pulmonary Emboli Arising from A Permanent Transvenous Cardiac Pacemaker

This report records the first occurrence of septic pulmonary embolization arising from a permanent transvenous pacemaker. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from cultures of blood, the subcutaneous pacemaker pocket and pacemaker electrodes. Mural thrombi which developed on or near the infected electrodes in the heart were the probable source of the emboli. The portal of entry of infection was most likely the subcutaneous pacemaker pocket, even though no local physical signs of infection were apparent. Cure was achieved by antibiotics and removal of the pacemaker and the electrodes.
Electronically developed theory and procedure for distribution channel management via electronic data interchange linkage

Considers the growing importance of automatic data collection (ADC) and electronic data interchange (EDI) in logistics and distribution, and the need for an additional paradigm. ADC and EDI require additional conceptual consideration in logistics pedagogy. The utilization of the Internet to acquire knowledge globally is a new and progressive way to advance business logistics. Presents some theoretical hypotheses and procedural guidelines for improved logistical linkages.
The onset of activation responsiveness during maturation coincides with the formation of the cortical endoplasmic reticulum in oocytes of Xenopus laevis

Abstract Immature, Stage VI oocytes of Xenopus laevis fail to activate (i.e., to propagate a cortical reaction and elevate a fertilization envelope) when pricked or exposed to A23187. We determined the times during maturation when immature oocytes treated with progesterone in vitro developed the capacity to respond to pricking and to ionophore. Responsiveness to ionophore first appears at about 3.5–4.5 hr after progesterone treatment; all oocytes are activated by 8–9 hr after progesterone. The capacity to respond to pricking appears about 1.0–1.5 hr after first signs of ionophore responsiveness. We examined the cortical endoplasmic reticulum (CER) by TEM to determine whether the morphology of this component could be correlated with the development of responsiveness during maturation. Fully mature oocytes exhibit an extensive CER that (1) forms a “shell” around most cortical granules, (2) appears to interconnect cortical granules, and (3) forms junctions with the plasma membrane. The CER-plasma membrane junctions are especially obvious in preparations of isolated cortex. The elaborate CER is not present in immature oocytes. It first appears during maturation of progesterone-treated oocytes at 4.5–5.0 hr, coincident with the time when maturing oocytes develop their responsiveness to ionophore and to pricking. This temporal correlation is consistent with the hypothesis that the CER is one of the components required for regulation of intracellular free calcium in oocytes.
Overview of the Distributed Mission Training Integrated Threat Environment project

The Joint Synthetic Battlespace (JSB) envisioned within the Department of Defense modeling and simulation master plan requires a distributed virtual environment (DVE) wide consistent threat environment to achieve a useful mission rehearsal, training, test and evaluation capability. To achieve this objective, all threats in the DVE must appear at compatible levels of fidelity to all the entities operating in the DVE and they must interact with human- operated and computer-controlled entities in a realistic fashion. Achieving this goal is not currently possible for two reasons. First, each primary aircraft simulator training system developer has created their own threat system and made their own modeling decisions to support a specific user for a select few predetermined conditions. This traditional threat simulation approach is expensive and leads to ongoing difficulties in maintaining threat currency as intelligence updates are made, new weapons are introduced and new theaters of operation are identified. Second, the threat system interaction on a distributed network must be coordinated. The individualized nature of current threat systems precludes the possibility of introducing coordinated threats. The Distributed Mission Training Integrated Threat Environment (DMTITE) project is developing an effective solution to these issues. The DMTITE project is identifying the requirements for a distributed threat environment and building a demonstrator DOD High Level Architecture compatible system that can provide realistic threats for pilots to train against. The DMTITE prototype will instantiate a variety of threats for use in distributed training scenarios, including surface threats, air threats, radars, and jamming systems. A key element of the system will be the provision of realistic behaviors for the threat systems. We based DMTITE on a general software design methodology and software architecture for computer-generated forces (CGFs) that naturally supports `variety' in performance for a given type of CGF and allows us to organize and build vastly different CgFs within the same architecture. This approach allows us to provide a range of threat skill levels for each threat modeled within the DMTITE system and we can readily expand the system to accommodate peer-to-peer communication and group tactics. In this paper, we present a brief overview of the DMTITE requirements and a component-wise decomposition of the system. We also describe the structure of the major components of the DMT threat systems' decision mechanism. The progress of the initial prototype will also be discussed.
Phorbol ester action is independent of viral and cellular src kinase levels

Treatment of normal chick embryo fibroblasts with phorbol myristate acetate causes those cells to express many of the phenotypic properties of virally transformed cells and also enhances the expression of transformed properties in Rous sarcoma virus-transformed chick embryo fibroblasts. We report here that phorbol myristate acetate has little or no effect on the level of protein kinases encoded by the viral src or endogenous sarc genes.
QUANTIFICATION OF THE PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND SENSORY MODES OF DETERIORATION IN SOUS‐VIDE PROCESSED SALMON

Commercially processed sous-vide salmon was stored between 0C and 4C for 12 weeks to quantify various possible physical, chemical, and sensory modes of deterioration. Two types of packages were studied: (1) a two- web coextrusion using nylon/ethyl vinyl alcohol (EVOH)/linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) as the forming layer and nylon/polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC)/LLDPE as the nonforming web and (2) a nylon/LLDPE pouch. Drip volume of the nylon/LLDPE samples increased at a rate about one and one half times that of the PVDC/EVOH samples. Total nitrogen concentration in the total drip volume/fillet increased similarly for both package types. Nonprotein concentration in the total drip/fillet increased in the nylon/LLDPE samples at a rate twice that of the PVDC/EVOH samples, while nonprotein nitrogen concentration in the nylon/LLDPE samples increased at a rate about one and a half times that of the PVDC/EVOH samples. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assays indicated increasing values during storage, but did not indicate rancidity. Sensory evaluation results showed that the salmon was acceptable up through 12 weeks of storage.
The engineer: A perennial student: Engineers are reminded that the process of learning shouldn't end as the classroom door closes behind them

Discusses the process of learning for engineers when training is completed. Lays emphasis on continuous education in breadth and depth.
Shape analysis of hippocampal surface structure in patients with unilateral mesial temporal sclerosis.

Structural hippocampal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-based analysis is helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of mesial temporal epileptic seizures. Computational anatomic techniques provide a framework for objective assessment of three-dimensional hippocampal structure. We applied a previously validated technique of deformation-based hippocampal segmentations in 20 subjects with documented unilateral mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) and temporal lobe epilepsy. Using composite images, we then measured shape differences between the epileptogenic, smaller hippocampus, and contralateral hippocampus. Final shape differences were projected on the contralateral “normal” side. We calculated results for the left MTS group (10 patients) and right MTS group (10 patients) separately. Both groups showed similar regions of maximal inward deformation in the affected hippocampus, which were the medical and lateral aspect of the head, and posterior aspect of the tail. These results suggest that there are specific three-dimensional patterns of volume loss in patients with mesial temporal epilepsy.
Reduced loss through improved fabrication for single air interface bends in polymer waveguides.

We have previously demonstrated high efficiency small-area 45° single air interface waveguide bends in a perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) material system [Opt. Express 12, 5314 (2004)]. In this paper we show how the loss per bend can be decreased through improved bend interface position accuracy and sidewall smoothness. This is achieved with electron-beam lithography (EBL) in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at the cost of increased fabrication complexity compared to our previous work based on a UV contact mask aligner. Using the EBL-based fabrication process, the measured loss per bend decreases from 0.33 dB/bend to 0.124 dB/bend (97.2% bend efficiency) for TE polarization (electric field in plane) and from 0.30 dB/bend to 0.166 dB/bend (96.2% bend efficiency) for TM polarization (electric field out of plane). Since the alignment accuracy and patterning capability within a single exposure field for our low-end electron-beam lithography approach is comparable to what is achievable in high-end stepper tools, the significance of this work is that very low loss air trench bends in low refractive index and low refractive index contrast waveguide materials should be achievable using a conventional high volume microfabrication toolset.
Quenching of neodymium fluorescence by molecular hydrogen.

We show that the hydrogen-loading technique used to enhance a fiber’s ultraviolet photosensitivity for writing Bragg gratings can lead to quenching of the lasing ion’s fluorescence. The neodymium fluorescence and radiative lifetimes are measured for the untreated fiber, the hydrogen-loaded fiber, and the postannealed fiber. We show that postannealing can be used to remove the unreacted hydrogen molecules from the fiber laser and restore the radiative lifetime to near that of its original value.
Disulfide-linked head-to-head multimerization in the mechanism of ion channel clustering by PSD-95

The PSD-95/SAP90 family of PDZ-containing proteins is directly involved in the clustering of specific ion channels at synapses. We report that channel clustering depends on a conserved N-terminal domain of PSD-95 that mediates multimerization and disulfide linkage of PSD-95 protomers. This N-terminal multimerization domain confers channel clustering activity on a single PDZ domain. Thus, channel clustering depends on aggregation of PDZ domains achieved by head-to-head multimerization of PSD-95, rather than by concatenation of PDZ domains in PSD-95 monomers. This mechanism predicts that PSD-95 can organize heterogeneous membrane protein clusters via differential binding specificities of its three PDZ domains. PSD-95 and its relative chapsyn-110 exist as disulfide-linked complexes in rat brain, consistent with head-to-head multimerization of these proteins in vivo.
A network partitioning methodology for distributed traffic management applications

This paper presents a multi-way network partitioning methodology for distributed traffic management applications. The methodology can be used to partition a typical urban transportation network such that: (a) the inter-flow among the resulting subnetworks is minimised; (b) the subnetworks are balanced in terms of their sizes/flow activities; and (c) each subnetwork is connected. Two heuristics are presented. The first adopts a recursive iterative procedure to determine the network's sparsest cuts that maintain the balance and connectivity requirements. The second heuristic adopts a greedy network coarsening technique to determine the most flow-independent subnetworks. The solution quality of these two heuristics is evaluated using hypothetical and real networks with different configurations. The results show that the heuristics can obtain near-optimal solution in significantly shorter execution times.
Microfluidic Devices for Experiments on Bacterial Aerotaxis and for High-Resolution Imaging of Motile Bacteria

Bacterial aerotaxis, directional motion of bacteria in gradients of oxygen concentration (often called oxygen taxis), was discovered 130 years ago and has since then been reported in a variety of different bacteria. In spite of numerous studies, quantitative results an bacterial aerotaxis have always been difficult to obtain because of the lack of appropriate instrumentation. Here, we built and characterized an experimental setup consisting of a computer-controlled 3-channel gas mixer and a two-layer microfluidic device, generating stable linear gradients of oxygen concentration, [O2], across a long test channel, with [O2] as small as 0.25% (corresponding to microaerobic conditions) in the middle. The test channel was continuously perfused with a suspension of E. coli cells and distributions of cells across the channel near its outlet were measured, with data on aerotaxis of ∼105 different cells collected within <1 hour. Extensive series of experiments on aerotaxis of E. coli cells were performed in linear gradients of [O2] with different slopes and mean concentrations. The experiments indicated that, in contrast to what was believed before, at [O2] up to ∼13%, E. coli always prefer highest accessible [O2].We also built and characterized microfluidic bacterial culture devices (chemostats) with the culture chamber depths adjustable between ∼2 and <0.5 μm with a resolution of ∼20 nm. By changing the chamber depth, motile bacterial cells of different species (B. subtilis, E. coli, C. crescentus) were gently immobilized for high-resolution fluorescence imaging and released after the imaging was completed. The technique also enabled culturing motile C. crescentus cells in semi-permeable microchambers, thus making it possible to generate C. crescentus colonies of exceptionally high density and observe the behavior of cells in these colonies.
Efficient rents 2 free entry and efficient rent seeking

In the competition for a monopoly right in which the number of bidders is fixed, Tullock and others have found the value of the resources spent in the aggregate to capture the transfer to be sometimes less than and sometimes greater than the value of the monopoly. We think this approach to be incomplete since it leaves unanswered the question of what determines the number of individuals who will vie for the right to be the monopolist. It is unsatisfactory to imagine, for example, that the franchisor sets the number of contestants. One could then foresee that rent seeking would arise to influence the permissible number of bidders, and this merely moves the rent-seeking dissipation question one step back.
The ICAAP project, part one: a continuum of security needs for the CIC virtual electronic library

Introduces a continuum of security needs for electronic libraries, starting from the most basic protection through to complicated encryption systems. Considers these against the specific challenges felt by the Committee on Institutional Co‐operation (CIC) such as open access resourcing and knowledge of the user. Shows how the Inter CIC Authentication and Authorisation project (ICAAP) has been set up to address these issues.
Finding dots: Segmentation as popping out regions from boundaries

Many applications need to segment out all small round regions in an image. This task of finding dots can be viewed as a region segmentation problem where the dots form one region and the areas between dots form the other. We formulate it as a graph cuts problem with two types of grouping cues: short-range attraction based on feature similarity and long-range repulsion based on feature dissimilarity. The feature we use is a pixel-centric relational representation that encodes local convexity: Pixels inside the dots and outside the dots become sinks and sources of the feature vector. Normalized cuts on both attraction and repulsion pop out all the dots in a single binary segmentation. Our experiments show that our method is more accurate and robust than state-of-art segmentation algorithms on four categories of microscopic images. It can also detect textons in natural scene images with the same set of parameters.
SPURIOUS STATES ARISING FROM THE CENTRE-OF-MASS MOTION OF A NUCLEUS

Abstract A simple method is given for generating the spurious states which arise from the incorrect treatment of the centre-of-mass motion by nuclear shell model calculations. It is not necessary to know the spurious states in order to find their weight in a particular shell model state. It is also shown which jj configurations have no spurious states. Some examples are given.
Organizing Workfare Workers as Contingent Employees: Lessons from the New York City “Work Experience Program” Worker Unionization Campaign, 1996–1997

The stated goal of the nation’s largest workfare program, New York City’s “Work Experience Program” (WEP), is to provide welfare recipients with adequate training and relevant job experience so that they can successfully compete for work in the private sector. When it became apparent that the program was not living up to its stated ideals, the workfare workers began a union organizing drive late in 1996. However, the city administration formally opposed the unionization campaign on economic grounds and by arguing that workfare workers were not employees per se. In this article, I argue that workfare workers are a type of contingent public sector employee, discuss and analyze the New York City WEP worker unionization campaign and provide recommendations how this drive could have used the idea that workfare workers are contingent public sector employees in pursuit of a potentially more successful outcome.
Effect of phenobarbital on hepatic cell proliferation and apoptosis in mice deficient in the p50 subunit of NF-κB

Phenobarbital (PB) is a nongenotoxic tumor promoter in the liver. One mechanism by which PB may exert its tumor promoting activity is by inducing oxidative stress. We previously found that PB administration increased hepatic NF-{kappa}B DNA binding activity. In this study we examined the hypothesis that the effects of PB on cell proliferation and apoptosis are dependent on NF-{kappa}B. We used a mouse model that is deficient in the p50 subunit of NF-{kappa}B; previous studies had found that p50-/- mice were less sensitive to the induction of hepatic cell proliferation by PCBs or peroxisome proliferators. Mice (p50-/- and wild-type B6129) were fed a control diet or one containing 0.05% PB for 3, 10 or 34 days. At the end of the experiment, the mice were euthanized and livers removed and processed. PB increased cell proliferation at 3 and 10 days (but not at 34 days), but the deletion of the NF-{kappa}B p50 subunit did not inhibit these increases. p50-/- Mice had higher cell proliferation at the 3 day (only in mice fed PB) and 34-day timepoints. PB decreased hepatocyte apoptosis after 3 days, slightly decreased it after 10 days, and did not affect it after 34 days. The deletion ofmore » the NF-{kappa}B p50 subunit did not influence PB's effect on apoptosis. In p50-/- mice, apoptosis was increased after 3 or 10 days compared to wild-type mice, but no effect was seen after 34 days. The hepatic expression of the NF-{kappa}B-regulated gene TNF-{alpha} correlated more with the hepatic cell proliferation data than with hepatic apoptosis, and was not decreased by the deletion of the p50 subunit. These findings show that the p50 subunit of NF-{kappa}B is not required for the alteration of hepatocyte proliferation or apoptosis by PB up to 34 days after its administration.« less
Glutathiolation Enhances the Degradation of γC-crystallin in Lens and Reticulocyte Lysates, Partially via the Ubiquitin-Proteasome Pathway

PURPOSE S-glutathiolated proteins are formed in the lens during aging and cataractogenesis. The objective of this work was to explore the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in eliminating S-glutathiolated gammaC-crystallin. METHODS Recombinant human gammaC-crystallin was mixed with various concentrations of glutathione (GSH) and diamide at 25 degrees C for 1 hour. The extent of glutathiolation of the gammaC-crystallin was determined by mass spectrometry. Native and S-glutathiolated gammaC-crystallins were labeled with (125)I, and proteolytic degradation was determined using both lens fiber lysate and reticulocyte lysate as sources of ubiquitinating and proteolytic enzymes. Far UV circular dichroism, tryptophan fluorescence intensity, and binding to the hydrophobic fluorescence probe 4,4'-dianilino-1,1'-binaphthalene-5,5'-disulfonic acid (Bis-ANS), were used to characterize the native and glutathiolated gammaC-crystallins. RESULTS On average, two and five of the eight cysteines in gammaC-crystallin were glutathiolated when molar ratios of gammaC-crystallin-GSH-diamide were 1:2:5 and 1:10:25, respectively. Native gammaC-crystallin was resistant to degradation in both lens fiber lysate and reticulocyte lysate. However, glutathiolated gammaC-crystallin showed a significant increase in proteolytic degradation in both lens fiber and reticulocyte lysates. Proteolysis was stimulated by addition of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and Ubc4 and was substantially inhibited by the proteasome inhibitor MG132 and a dominant negative form of ubiquitin, indicating that at least part of the proteolysis was mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Spectroscopic analyses of glutathiolated gammaC-crystallin revealed conformational changes and partial unfolding, which may provide a signal for the ubiquitin-dependent degradation. CONCLUSIONS The present data demonstrate that oxidative modification by glutathiolation can render lens proteins more susceptible to degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Together with previous results, these data support the concept that the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway serves as a general protein quality-control mechanism.
Inhibition of adherence of Actinomyces naeslundii (Actinomyces viscosus) T14V-J1 to saliva-treated hydroxyapatite by a monoclonal antibody to type 1 fimbriae

A monoclonal antibody to Actinomyces naeslundii (A. viscosus) T14V-J1 type 1 fimbriae, capable of inhibiting the adherence of this bacterium to salivary proline-rich protein-treated hydroxyapatite, was generated by immunization of SWR mice with A. naeslundii 55-19, a strain derived from T14V-J1 that possess only type 1 fimbriae. Supernatants of hybridomas were screened for reactivity with purified type 1 fimbriae. An IgG monoclonal antibody, 86-49E, blocked the adsorption of the parent strain to proline-rich protein-treated hydroxyapatite by 77% with 1.0 microgram/ml of the monoclonal antibody; the Fab fragment derived from this monoclonal antibody inhibited adherence by 38% at the same concentration. Similarly, the adherence of strain 55-19 was inhibited by 100% and 64% to proline-rich protein-treated hydroxyapatite with 1.0 micrograms/ml of IgG and Fab fragments respectively. Control monoclonal antibody to the subunit of type 1 fimbriae, as well as to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans caused only minimal adherence inhibition. Monoclonal antibody 86-49E also agglutinated both type 1 fimbriae-bearing strains of A. naeslundii T14V-J1 and 55-19 but not strains 59-51 and 147, which lack type 1 fimbriae. Further confirmation of the specificity of monoclonal antibody 86-49E was obtained using these fimbria-deficient mutant strains in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, with the monoclonal antibody binding only to strains possessing type 1 fimbriae. Immunogold labeling in conjunction with electron microscopy suggested binding of monoclonal antibody 86-49E occurring near the distal end of the fimbriae. In contrast, when a monoclonal antibody specific for the type 1 fimbrial subunit but not capable of adherence inhibition was used together with 86-49E in double-labeling experiments, extensive labeling of the fimbriae by the subunit antibody was noted. These data suggest that a monoclonal antibody specific for the type 1 fimbriae of A. naeslundii that is capable of binding to a discrete site on the fimbriae has the capacity to inhibit the adsorption of this organism to saliva-treated hydroxyapatite.
Tabletop soft x-ray lithography

A compact capillary discharge table top soft X ray laser was used for a table top photolithography tool using different approaches: holographic printing, interferometric lithography and coherent Talbot self imaging. Large areas, of the order of millimeter square, with periodic and arbitrary patterns were printed in a photoresist in short exposure times. The proof of principle of the lithographic technique achieved the expected ∼100 nm resolution.
The Host Response to Endotoxin-Contaminated Dermal Matrix

Biologic scaffold materials composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) have been shown to promote the formation of site-specific, functional, host tissue following placement in a number of preclinical and clinical studies. Endotoxin contamination of biomaterials is thought to result in deleterious immune responses that may affect the remodeling outcome when present in significant quantities. However, the exact amount of endotoxin contamination within or upon an ECM-based biologic scaffold that is required to elicit adverse effects in recipients is currently unknown. The present study examined the in vitro and in vivo effects of endotoxin contamination within an ECM scaffold derived from porcine dermis upon the host immune response and the downstream ability of the scaffold material to promote constructive tissue remodeling. Test articles with endotoxin values that exceed the current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limit had similar or decreased immune responses both in vitro and in vivo when compared ...
Short-term effects of plant litter on the dynamics, amount, and stoichiometry of soil enzyme activity in agroecosystems

Addition of plant litter can affect soil enzyme activity at three scales: dynamics, amount, and stoichiometry. In this study, we examined the dependence of soil enzyme activity at all three scales on litter quality. Soils of similar texture were collected from conventional and organic farming systems, the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Goldsboro, North Carolina, USA. Soil samples were then amended with senescent pine needles, grass materials, and soybean residues of C:N ratio 139, 50, and 9, respectively, at 2 mg C g−1 soil, and the activities of soil β-glucosidase, exoglucanase, β-glucosaminidase, and phenol oxidase were measured over the course of 90-d incubation. Relationships between the dynamics of enzyme activity and litter quality appeared to be enzyme specific. Time patterns of soil β-glucosidase and β-glucosaminidase activity were independent of litter quality, with rapid increase in enzyme activity and reaching a peak several weeks after litter addition. In contrast, time patterns of polymer-degrading enzymes (exoglucanase and phenol oxidase) were dependent on litter quality. Exoglucanase activity showed a concave function with time following the addition of soybean residues or grass materials, but increased slightly following the addition of pine needles. Cumulative activities of soil enzymes were upregulated following litter addition and could be qualitatively assessed by litter C:N ratio. The activity of β-glucosaminidase was negatively related to litter C:N ratio, being greatest in soybean residues-amended soil. Litter of a low C:N ratio was generally better than litter of a high C:N ratio for increasing soil cellulase activity and vice versa for phenol oxidase. However, the stoichiometry of soil enzyme activity was decoupled with litter C:N ratio. Soybean residues and pine needles at opposite ends of the litter C:N range were more similar in the ratio of C- to N-acquiring enzyme activity. We also examined pH effects on the expression of added enzymes. Soil enzyme activities were enhanced as soil pH increased from 6 to 8. pH-associated changes in enzyme activity were generally smaller as compared to changes caused by other factors during the 42-d incubation. Our results suggest that litter effects on the dynamics, amount, and stoichiometry of soil enzyme activity were independent of soil pH. Litter C:N was a good indicator for the total amount, but not for the dynamics or stoichiometry of soil enzyme activity.
Different roads to discovery; Prontosil (hence sulfa drugs) and penicillin (hence β-lactams)

The important chemotherapeutic agents, Prontosil and pentenylpenicillin (penicillin F), were investigated initially by two men, Domagk and Fleming, who had been influenced by the horrendous wound infections of World War I. The very different pathways leading to their development and to that of the successor antibacterials (sulfa drugs, further penicillins, semi-synthetic penicillins), including the role played by patents, are discussed.
The linear system theory's account of behavior maintained by variable-ratio schedules.

The mathematical theory of linear systems, which has been used successfully to describe behavior maintained by variable-interval schedules, is extended to describe behavior maintained by variable-ratio schedules. The result of the analysis is a pair of equations, one of which expresses response rate on a variable-ratio schedule as a function of the mean ratio requirement (n) that the schedule arranges. The other equation expresses response rate on a variable-ratio schedule as a function of reinforcement rate. Both equations accurately describe existing data from variable-ratio schedules. The theory accounts for two additional characteristics of behavior maintained by variable-ratio schedules; namely, the appearance of strained, two-valued (i.e., zero or very rapid) responding at large ns, and the abrupt cessation of responding at a boundary n. The theory also accounts for differences between behavior on variable-interval and variable-ratio schedules, including (a) the occurrence of strained responding on variable-ratio but not on variable-interval schedules, (b) the abrupt cessation of responding on occurrence of higher response rates on variable-ratio than on variable-interval schedules. Furthermore, given data from a series of variable-interval schedules and from a series of concurrent variable-ratio variable-interval schedules, the theory permits quantitative prediction of many properties of behavior on single-alternative variable-ratio schedules. The linear system theory's combined account of behavior on variable-interval and variable-ratio schedules is superior to existing versions of six other mathematical theories of variable-interval and variable-ratio responding.
SELECTIVE EARLY INNERVATION OF A SUBSET OF EPIDERMAL CELLS IN XENOPUS MAY BE MEDIATED BY CHONDROITIN SULFATE PROTEOGLYCANS

Abstract The epidermis of early Xenopus embryos is innervated by the Rohon-Beard (RB) neurons lying within the spinal cord and by extramedullary (EM) neurons lying outside of the cord. We have examined the innervation patterns of the three epidermal cell types using wholemount preparations of skin double-labelled with the HNK-1 antibody as a marker for neurons and with antibodies to chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG). Cells of one of the three epidermal cell types, here termed conical cells, are innervated well before the other two. In wholemounts of embryonic skin incubated with antibodies to chondroitin-6-sulfate (C6S), all epidermal cells except conical cells show CSPG immunoreactivity in their basal lamina. Double-labelling of skin preparations with HNK-1 and anti-C6S confirmed that these conical cells which lack C6S immunoreactivity are the first to be innervated by RB axons. It is proposed that C6S-bearing proteoglycan initially inhibits innervation of cells whose basal lamina contain the proteoglycan, thus favoring innervation of the conical cells which lack it. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Predictors of treatment outcome in patients with myofascial pain-dysfunction syndrome and organic temporomandibular joint disorders

A total of 46 variables were initially examined for their usefulness as predictors of treatment outcome in patients with facial pain diagnosed as either MPDS or an organic disorder, such as disease of the TMJ (for example, degenerative joint disease or inflammatory arthritis) or typical facial neuralgia. The information about each variable was collected from the patients prior to beginning of treatment. Data included sociocultural background, social group attitudes, sociomedical orientation, level of psychologic distress, symptoms and treatment history, behavioral and attitudinal responses to pain, and clinical findings. Two discriminant analyses were performed to determine the most important variables for predicting whether a patient would respond successfully (with either elimination of or significant decrease in pain) or unsuccessfully (no change or increase in pain) to conservative reversible treatment. The first analysis was used to reduce the original group of 46 variables to 18 variables, which were labelled "potential" predictors. In the first analysis it was noted that clinical factors, such as oral status and physical examination findings, were irrelevant for predicting treatment outcome. Of the 16 clinical variables initially included for analysis, only the presence of clenching was included as a potential predictor. Patients' psychologic status, as measured by their level of psychologic distress, was also not relevant. The greatest number of potential predictors was related to patients' sociocultural background, sociomedical orientation, symptom and treatment history, and behavior in response to and attitudes toward pain. These factors, then, appear to be more useful than clinical and physical data as indicators of the potential response of facial pain patients with either MPDS or organic TMJ deficits to treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Group IV cytosolic phospholipase A2 activation by diacylglycerol pyrophosphate in murine P388D1 macrophages.

: Diacylglycerol pyrophosphate (DGPP) is a novel phospholipid identified in yeast, bacteria, and plants, but not yet in mammalian cells. Given its structural resemblance to other phospholipid-activating molecules, such as lysophosphatidate, phosphatidate, and diacylglycerol, it was questioned whether DGPP was capable of activating macrophages to release arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites such as the prostaglandins. It has been found that DGPP is able to potently stimulate prostaglandin production in the murine cell line P388D1 by a mechanism that involves activation of the cytosolic Group IV phospholipase A2 (cPLA2). Our results demonstrate that DGPP possesses macrophage-activating-factor properties and suggest a role for this novel compound in the inflammatory response.
Looking For God Profane & Sacred in the Films of Woody Allen

(1991). Looking For God Profane & Sacred in the Films of Woody Allen. Journal of Popular Film and Television: Vol. 19, The Catholic Imagination in Popular Film and Television, pp. 58-66.
Elevated peripheral blood natural killer cells are effectively downregulated by immunoglobulin G infusion in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions.

PROBLEM: We investigated the hypothesis that elevated peripheral blood natural killer cells (NK) are decreased by immunoglobulin G infusion (IVIg) therapy in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA) and elevated NK cells. METHODS: Seventy-three women with RSA and elevated NK cells received IVIg therapy (400 mg/Kg/day for 3 days ever 4 wks) and anticoagulation treatment. Peripheral blood immunophenotype assay by flow cytometry was done prospectively prior to and 7 days after first IVIg therapy, every 2 wks until 20 wks gestation and then monthly. Controls were 95 women with RSA and normal NK cells who received anticoagulation treatment. RESULTS: (1) 86.3% of women with elevated NK cells who received the IVIg and anticoagulation therapy had a successful pregnancy outcome; (2) Peripheral blood CD56+ NK cells and CD56+/16+ NK cells were significantly suppressed 7 days post IVIg infusion (P < 0.0005); (3) Pre-IVIg infusion levels of other lymphocyte subsets were not different as compared with those of 7 days post-IVIg therapy; (4) Women who delivered a liveborn infant with IVIg therapy demonstrated downregulation of peripheral blood NK cells (CD56+, CD56+/16+) during early pregnancy when compared to women who miscarried the index pregnancy (P < 0.05); (5) Women with normal NK cells who miscarried while on anticoagulation therapy demonstrated significantly elevated CD56+ NK cells during early pregnancy as compared with that of women who delivered a liveborn infant (P < 0.05); (6) CD19+ B cells were significantly downregulated during pregnancy in women with anticoagulation and IVIg therapy when compared to women with anticoagulation therapy (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Downregulation of NK cells in women with RSA is associated with a favorable pregnancy outcome. Peripheral blood NK cells (CD56+, CD56+/16+) are effectively suppressed after IVIg therapy. Women with RSA and high NK cells benefit from IVIg therapy and experience suppression of CD56+ and CD56+/16+ NK cells.
Symptomatology of Depression and Anxiety in Female “Social Drinkers”

Self-reported alcohol use, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores were obtained during on-site interviews of 172 female applicants for paid participation in behavioral research. Mood symptomatology as reflected in BDI and BAI scores was analyzed as a function of alcohol use and other demographic variables. Women reporting even light alcohol use (up to three drinks per week) were significantly more symptomatic than abstinent women. In contrast, no significant differences in symptomatology were observed due to race or education level. This analysis extends previous findings of depressed mood in women (while sober) whose lifestyle includes moderate alcohol consumption and suggests that even light alcohol use is related to depressed and/or anxious mood.
A monthly crude oil spot price forecasting model using relative inventories

Abstract This paper presents a short-term forecasting model of monthly West Texas Intermediate crude oil spot prices using readily available OECD industrial petroleum inventory levels. The model provides good in-sample and out-of-sample dynamic forecasts for the post-Gulf War time period. In-sample and out-of-sample forecasts from the model are compared with those derived from other models. The model is intended for the practicing forecaster and designed to be simple enough to implement easily in a spreadsheet or other software package, with the variables easy to update. The simplicity and ease of updating make this model attractive for investigating various scenarios to see the impacts that market changes can have on monthly crude oil spot prices, if inventories, production, imports, or demand change. Finally, the model structure can easily be updated periodically should there be a fundamental market change or a shift in the normal level of inventories.
Pseudo-Bayesian stability of slotted Aloha with power capture

Abstract Results of work concerning the stabilization of slotted Aloha with created power capture, whose throughput approaches 52% using two power levels, are presented. In this stabilization, each station employs Bayes' rule to estimate the number of active stations, and uses that information to calculate its transmit probability. By using Poisson distributions to approximate the probability estimates given an idle, a success, or a collision slot, the result is quite simple and is easy to implement in practice.
The influence of hormonal factors in thermal compensation during the intermolt cycle of the American lobster, Homarus americanus

Abstract 1. 1. Injection of CNS extracts from cold-acclimated intermolt lobsters into warm-acclimated animals enhances the incorporation of 3 H-leucine and 3 H-uridine in vitro . The reciprocal injection depresses incorporation rates. Mediation of the acclimation response by CNS factors is suggested. 2. 2. Eyestalk extirpation of premolt lobsters does not alter their non-adaptive response to temperature acclimation; however, if eyestalks are removed prior to entry into proecdysis, the capacity for acclimation is retained. An inhibition of CNS acclimation factors upon entry into proecdysis is suggested.