cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity of Immunotypes of Heat-Labile Enterotoxins of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli of Human Origin

A new technique, checkerboard immunoblotting (CBIB), has been applied to detect and to differentiate heat-labile enterotoxins, (LTs), from enterotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli of human origin using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Optimal conditions of production and release of LTs were defined using CBIB. LT release was enhanced when E. coli cells were treated with 8 M urea. LT production was highest when E. coli strains were incubated with shaking (200 rpm) at 37 degrees C for 12 h in CAYE-2 medium. Two hundred and five strains of E. coli, isolated from patients with diarrhea in Japan, Thailand, the United States, Mexico, and Brazil, were examined for LT. Of 133 LT-positive strains, 4 (3%) produced an LT that reacted like H-LT-1 (originally isolated from E. coli strain H-74-114) while 126 strains (94.7%) produced LT that reacted like H-LT-2 (originally isolated from strain H-10407) or H-LT-3 (from strain H-240-3). Three strains of human origin (2.3%) produced an LT that reacted like P-LT (produced by E. coli strains of porcine origin). This study shows that CBIB, a simple, efficient, and practical assay, might be useful for epidemiologic surveys and for evaluation of serologic responses to LTs and antitoxic vaccines.
The effects of magnesium pemoline on Sidman avoidance behavior

Two naive male albino rats received sham treatment for a total of 10 sessions, and two other Ss received drug and sham treatment on alternate sessions. All Ss were exposed to a 120-min Sidman avoidance session 2 h after injection. The results indicate that magnesium pemoline temporarily increases overall response rate by producing extended runs of high-rate responding on drug sessions. No session-to-session transfer effects were evident, and considerable overlap of shock rates occurred on experimental and control days. Some comments were made which related the results to the traditional learning-performance distinction.
Shedding the Stereotypes: Librarians in the 21st Century

Summary While it is very difficult to predict exactly what a librarian's job will entail in 50 years, there is no doubt in the author's mind that the profession will be a successful one. Exploring today's societal and technological trends allows one to propose an idea of patterns and expectations typical of the next generation of librarians and the challenges that come in managing this talented, yet demanding, group.
Inaccuracies in blood flow estimates in microvessels during arteriolar vasoconstriction

Abstract The effect of vasomotor tone on blood flow estimates was evaluated in the hamster cheek pouch and cremaster muscle microcirculation. The products of arteriolar cross-sectional area and red blood cell velocity were calculated in three different cases: (1) at arteriolar bifurcations, (2) in short segments of an arteriole constricted by iontophoretic application of norepinephrine, and (3) at randomly selected second- and third-order arterioles. Vasodilation of the microcirculation was induced by topical application of adenosine. Vasoconstriction was induced by elevation of superfusion solution PO2. If true volume flow is accurately estimated by this method then: (1) the sum of measured branch flows at a bifurcation should equal feed flow; (2) measured flow through constricted arteriolar segments should equal flow proximal or distal to the constricted segment; and, (3) following experimental manipulations, relative changes in estimated flow in second- and third-order arterioles should be equal. Our findings suggest that the blood flow estimates were not always accurate. The sum of branch flows was equal to feed flow only across bifurcations with low or resting vascular smooth muscle tone. During vasoconstriction, feed flow averaged 40% higher than the sum of downstream flows. In addition, estimated flow was 15% lower in constricted segments of an arteriole compared to dilated contiguous segments of the vessel. During alterations in vasomotor state, estimated fractional changes in flow in second- and third-order arterioles differed by more than sixfold. Therefore, blood flow estimates with the dual-slit method may not be reliable under conditions of high vasomotor tone. We speculate that the error may result largely from uncertainties in the diameter measurement.
Application of Large Eddy Simulation to Aged Water Transmission Pipes

AbstractThe filtered Navier-Stokes equations were solved using the techniques of large eddy simulation to model flow through an aged pipe at a Reynolds number of 6800. The large eddy simulation produced DarcyWeisbach friction factors that were 20% less than the friction factors obtained from experimental tests. Much of the error is believed to be a consequence of filtering the smallest roughness elements when meshing the pipe wall boundary and possible deficiencies in the subgrid-scale model at modeling the complex three-dimensional flow structures due to the irregular pipe boundary.
Who ought to receive what? An instrument to assess a community's preferred strategy for allocating leisure service resources.

All are likely to agree that resources for public leisure services should be allocated equitably, that is, fairly. Equity is a pseudo-cognate term in that many who use it assume that everyone has the same intuitive definition of it. This is a fallacious assumption. There are multiple and diverse interpretations of what is meant by equity. Since interpretations reflect value systems, they are likely to vary across communities. This article develops an instrument that will enable professionals to identify the preferred interpretation in their community. It proposes a taxonomy of five broad equity perspectives with nine operationalisations of the construct. A classic scale development procedure was used to measure the nine operational strategies. The empirical procedures failed to develop measures for two of the operationalisations but they verified the reliability, dimensionality and validity of 23 items measuring the remaining seven equity operationalisations: Economically Disadvantaged, Equality, Taxes Pa...
Technical note: Economic rates of return and investment analysis

This article shows that a given series of single-period economic rates of return can be aggregated into either an economic average internal rate of return or a modified internal rate of return, depending upon the aggregation process (weighted average or geometric mean) and on the use of traditional economic depreciation to determine capital values for each time period. The results are shown analytically and numerically and evaluated under different levels of discount rates. The modified internal rate of return is also a form of the average internal rate of return based on the geometric mean, rather than the arithmetic mean.
Oxygen and aluminum diffusion in α-Al2O3: How much do we really understand?

Abstract The major diffusion processes in α-Al2O3 have been reviewed, including oxygen and aluminum lattice diffusion, Doxy and DAl, respectively; oxygen grain boundary diffusion, Db-oxy; and pipe diffusion, Dp. Their relevance to creep of Al2O3 and oxidation of Al2O3 scale-forming alloys is briefly considered. It is concluded that the answer to the question included in the title is “not a great deal”. Eight major questions and issues have been identified that would constitute fitting subjects for future research: (i) What is the nature of the “buffering” that appears to control Doxy? (ii) What process(es) are occurring during annealing that eliminate non-Fickian behavior when measuring Doxy? (iii) How should the magnitude of the measured activation energies for Doxy be interpreted? (iv) Have all the defect types involved in oxygen diffusion been identified? (v) Does oxygen diffusion occur by an interstitialcy mechanism? (vi) What is the order of magnitude of DAl/Doxy? (vii) What is the order of magnitude of Db-Al/Db-oxy? (viii) It appears that the activation energy for Db-oxy is greater than that for Doxy. How should this be understood?
Anterior cingulate and frontal lobe white matter spectroscopy in early childhood of former very LBW premature infants.

Neurometabolic sequelae of children born at very LBW (VLBW) are not well characterized in early childhood. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and developmental assessments were acquired from children age 18–22 mo (16 VLBW/7 term) and 3–4 y (12 VLBW/8 term) from the anterior cingulate and left frontal periventricular white matter. Metabolites obtained included combined N-acetylaspartylglutamate and N-acetylaspartate (NAA), total choline-containing compounds (Cho), combined glutamate and glutamine (Glx), combined creatine and phosphocreatine (Cr), myoinositol (mI), and the following ratios: NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, Glx/Cr, mI/Cr, and NAA/Cho. Significant differences were present only in white matter: at 18–22 mo, NAA was decreased in VLBW children (p < 0.04), and at 3–4 y, VLBW children showed lower Cr (p < 0.01), lower NAA/Cho (p < 0.005), higher Glx/Cr (p < 0.02), and higher Cho/Cr (p < 0.005). On developmental testing, VLBW children scored lower on language expression (p < 0.05) and on the A-not-B test of early executive function (p < 0.01) at 18–22 mo and had lower verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) (p < 0.005), performance IQ (p < 0.04), and several measures of early executive function including the bear-dragon test (p < 0.004), gift delay (p < 0.07), and summary categorization score (p < 0.03) at 3–4 y. VLBW children may have neurometabolic and developmental abnormalities that persist at least through early childhood.
High-resolution numerical modeling of wave-supported gravity-driven mudflows

[1] Wave-supported gravity-driven mudflow has been identified as a major offshore fine sediment transport mechanism of terrestrial sediment into the coastal ocean. This transport process essentially occurs within the wave boundary layer. In this study, wave-supported gravity-driven mudflow is investigated via a wave-phase-resolving high-resolution numerical model for fluid mud transport. The model results are verified with field observation of sediment concentration and near-bed flow velocities at Po prodelta. The characteristics of wave-supported gravity-driven mudflows are diagnosed by varying the bed erodibility, floc properties (fractal dimension), and rheological stresses in the numerical simulations. Model results for moderate concentration suggest that using an appropriately specified fractal dimension, the dynamics of wave-supported gravity-driven mudflow can be predicted without explicitly incorporating rheological stress. However, incorporating rheological stress makes the results less sensitive to prescribed fractal dimension. For high-concentration conditions, it is necessary to incorporate rheological stress in order to match observed intensity of downslope gravity-driven current. Model results are further analyzed to evaluate and calibrate simple parameterizations. Analysis suggests that when neglecting rheological stress, the drag coefficient decreases with increasing wave intensity and seems to follow a power law. However, when rheological stress is incorporated, the resulting drag coefficient is more or less constant (around 0.0013) for different wave intensities. Model results further suggest the bulk Richardson number has a magnitude smaller than 0.25 and is essentially determined by the amount of available soft mud (i.e., the erodibility), suggesting a supply limited condition for unconsolidated mud.
BlackBox: a new object-oriented framework for CS1/CS2

This paper describes the BlackBox framework, an object-oriented application development environment, and our experience with its use over the past several years in the CS1/CS2 course. This little-known framework features: (1) a graphical user interface that is simple enough for beginning students to program, (2) true cross-platform capability, (3) guaranteed memory-safe pointers with automatic garbage collection, (4) a new language, Component Pascal, that combines the best of Java and Pascal, (5) fast, native-code compilation, and (6) lowest possible cost (free to educational users). The paper concludes with a guide to further resources for those who wish to pursue this promising new framework in their curricula for the first year.
Surgical decision making for carotid endarterectomy and contemporary magnetic resonance angiography.

Abstract Background: Benefit from carotid endarterectomy (CEA) centers on patient selection and percent stenosis as determined by cerebral angiography. However, angiography remains expensive and poses risks. Validated carotid duplex ultrasonography has proven to be an accurate tool for selecting patients for CEA. However, the role of another noninvasive test—magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)—remains uncertain. Because of recent advances in MRA hardware and software, we hypothesized that clinically appropriate patients could be accurately selected for CEA based on MRA alone. Methods: Fifty-four carotid arteries in 29 patients (with and without symptoms) underwent both three-dimensional time-of-flight MRA (1.5 Tesla) with multiple overlapping thin slab acquisition and biplanar intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography. All patients undergoing both tests over a 24-month period were included. The majority of these patients did not undergo carotid duplex ultrasound owing to the clinical practice of the hospital’s neurosurgery service. Staff radiologists interpreted each study. The accuracy of patient selection based on MRA was calculated using angiography as the standard (NASCET method). Since operative thresholds vary depending on clinical history, we considered four commonly used ranges of percent stenosis for CEA. Results: Patient selection accuracy of MRA alone was low, but increased as percent stenosis increased. Out of 10 occluded arteries by angiography, 5 were interpreted as patent with stenosis (70% to 99%) by MRA. One patent artery was misread as occluded on MRA. Conclusion: Reliance solely on contemporary MRA for surgical decision making cannot be justified in view of low accuracy, which leads to high rates of error in patient selection for CEA.
Clinical ecology in the workplace.

The field of clinical ecology is based on a putative diagnosis of "environmental illness," applied to persons who have multiple symptoms and are believed to be sensitive to numerous items in the environment. Increasingly this diagnosis is being used by workers for an occupational disability claim. Medical records of 90 workers claiming work-related "environmental illness" were reviewed. The majority were women. They worked in a variety of occupations with no unifying feature of the type of work or the claimed causative exposure. Symptoms were multiple and unaccompanied by objective clinical findings. Careful review of medical records showed that most had their symptoms before the claimed occupational exposure. Examining physicians who were not clinical ecologists invariably arrived at other diagnoses, usually psychiatric. This retrospective review lends no support to the clinical ecology concept of "environmental illness."
358. Lentiviral Vector Integration in Mouse Bone Marrow Stem Cells Undergoing Gene Therapy

Top of pageAbstract Although patients with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID) were cured with hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy, three of the treated X-SCID patients developed leukemia. In these clinic trials, moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) was used as the vector. Since recent studies suggest lentiviral vector may be the better choice, it was used in our research projects of HSC gene therapy in mice. These mice served as a model to investigate whether lentivectors are associated with cancer development as MLV. We examined (1) the distribution of lentiviral vector insertions in the mouse genome and (2) tumor development. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood of three recipient mice two months after transplantation of bone marrow stem cells transduced ex vivo with lentiviral vectors. The DNA was pooled and subjected to a high-throughput method to rapidly clone the genomic regions adjacent to proviral integrations. A total of 1152 clones were sequenced. 1038 sequences had high quality insert, many of which were duplicates. Among the 246 unique integration sites, 115 integration sites (47%) were located in genes identified in RefSeq, while only 9 (3.0%) lentiviral integrations were located |[plusmn]| 1kb relative to the transcription start sites. These results indicate that compared with MLV, lentivectors do not preferentially integrate around transcription start sites and the reduced propensity of lentiviral vectors to incorporate into promoter-proximal regions may contribute to their safety in gene therapy. This claim is supported by our observation that there was no rapid weight loss, no enlarged thymus, lymph nodes, liver, or spleen, and no other tumor appearance among these bone marrow reconstituted mice even 18 months post transplant.
Design of Remote Laboratory Experiments Using LabVIEW Web Services

Laboratory experiments are an important and integral part of the learning experience for undergraduate engineering students. They help the students in getting hands-on experience and in better understanding theoretical concepts. In recent years, a significant number of remotely accessible experiments have been developed and integrated into engineering laboratory courses at many educational institutions worldwide. There exist several approaches and technologies for making experimental hardware accessible via the Internet.This paper will discuss some of the available technologies and a specific method for acquiring data from experimental setups via LabVIEW Virtual Instruments over a network. As an example, a remote experimental apparatus that was developed by upgrading a commercially available air flow rig with remote control and monitoring capabilities is presented. This system is used in a junior-level mechanical engineering course on fluid mechanics. It enables the students to access the experimental setup via the Internet either in real-time or batch mode. For real-time use of the experimental setup, remote panels are used. These remote panels are exactly the same as those that would be used on a local on-site server. They can be run under LabVIEW’s Web server to be observed and controlled by the client via any Internet browser. For the batch-mode use of the experimental setup, on the other hand, simple HTML pages in conjunction with forms are used to generate experimental requests that are sent to the LabVIEW server. This server then places these experimental requests in a queue and executes the appropriate LabVIEW scripts on a first-come first-served basis. This paper will discuss and compare both methods for performing remote laboratory experiments.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Influence of surface texture on orange peel in aluminum

Abstract To investigate the surface finish and roughening behavior of aluminum alloys, we combine the automated analysis of electron back scattered patterns (EBSP) with surface topography data obtained from an interference microscope. A 6022 commercial aluminum alloy, which is used for automobile body panels, was studied in the T4 condition. The sheet tensile samples were designed to be close to plane strain deformation. Various techniques to generate maps and correlation function are used to show quantitative results of the correlation. The texture of the aluminum sheets combined rolling and annealing components, with the strongest component being the cube component ({100} ). No clear relationship was identified between orange peel development and the crystallographic orientation of the surface grains.
An Operational Transformation Algorithm and Performance Evaluation

Operational transformation (OT) is an optimistic concurrency control method that has been well established in realtime group editors and has drawn significant research attention in the past decade. It is generally believed that the use of OT automatically achieves high local responsiveness in group editors. However, no performance study has been reported previously on OT algorithms to the best of our knowledge. This paper extends a recent OT algorithm and studies its performance. By theoretical analyses and performance experiments, this paper proves that the worst-case execution time of OT only appears in rare cases, and shows that local responsiveness of OT-based group editors in fact depends on a number of factors such as the size of the operation log. The paper also reveals that these two results have general implications on OT algorithms and hence the design of OT-based group editors must pay attention to performance issues.
Effects of focused collisions on shock‐wave propagation in crystalline solids

Focusing phenomena of the type encountered in radiation damage processes are shown to exist when shock waves of sufficient energy are produced in monatomic single crystals. The energy range in which such focusing becomes important is that in which the compressive shock‐wave stresses are large relative to the inherent mechanical strength of the solid material, typically 1–25 eV per atom. Thus it is shown that the crystalline structure and orientation can be important in the high‐energy regime in which material has generally been considered to behave as an inviscid compressible fluid, deforming by hydrodynamic flow. The dynamic propagation of edge dislocations at supersonic velocities is also predicted as a consequence of the operation of focused collision processes.
Cation non-stoichiometry of the BaCuO2 + x phase

Abstract This note presents evidence for cation non-stoichiometry of the BaCuO2 phase in samples prepared from starting materials with and without carbonate. Phase equilibrium experiments using polycrystalline samples as well as quantitative energy dispersive X-ray spectrometric analysis (EDS) of a BaCuO2 single crystal grown from a BaCuO melt were completed. Results showed this phase to be relatively copper rich with a nominal composition of Ba0.94Cu1.06O2 + x. A brief literature review of the compositional and structural investigations of the BaCuO2 phase is also given.
Examining reasoning skill differences between expert and novice counselors.

There is increasing interest in identifying the complex cognitive skills that constitute counseling expertise. Research from cognitive psychology suggests significant differences between experts and novices in their reasoning. This study examines the reasoning of expert and novice counselors engaged in a diagnostic task. Cases varied on “problem structure”—the extent to which problem-relevant information was clear and apparent. While an expertise by problem structure interaction was hypothesized, most of the differences were found across case type. Results suggest that the structure of the diagnostic problem may be an important variable affecting reasoning. The importance of problem structure for future research and training is discussed.
U. S. Containment Policy and the Conflict in Indochina

Introduction 1. First encounters 2. The restoration of French sovereignty 3. Years of indecision 4. Indochina enters the Cold War 5. The road to Geneva 6. The end of the beginning 7. Experiment in nation building 8. Kennedy and counterinsurgency 9. Into the quagmire 10. The limits of containment Notes Bibliography Index.
Pelvic floor symptoms improve similarly after pessary and behavioral treatment for stress incontinence.

Objective The objective of this study was to determine if differences exist in pelvic symptom distress and impact on women randomized to pessary versus behavioral therapy for treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Methods Change in symptom and condition-specific health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) measures were compared between pessary and behavioral groups 3 months after randomization in the Ambulatory Treatments for Leakage Associated With Stress Incontinence trial. Four hundred forty-six women with symptoms of SUI were randomized to continence pessary, behavioral therapy (pelvic floor muscle training and continence strategies) or combination therapy. Validated measures utilized included urinary, prolapse, and colorectal scales of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory; urinary, prolapse, and colorectal scales of the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire; and Stress and Urge scales of the Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis. Student t test and analysis of variance were used to compare scores within and between groups. Results Mean age of participants was 49.8 (SD, 11.9) years; 84% were white, and 10% were African American. One hundred forty-nine were randomized to pessary, and 146 to behavioral therapy. Baseline symptoms and HRQOL scores were significantly reduced within treatment arms at 3 months after randomization, but there was no statistically significant difference between groups. Conclusions There was no difference in pelvic floor symptom bother and HRQOL between the pessary and behavioral therapy arms in women undergoing conservative treatment for SUI. Individualized preference issues should be considered in the approach to the nonsurgical treatment of SUI.
Milk feeding and xylazine treatment induce increased antroduodenal motility in young cattle with opposite effects on duodenal digesta flow rate

Antroduodenal myoelectrical activity and duodenal digesta flow rate in young cattle were assessed by implanted nichrome wire electrodes and reentrant duodenal cannulation with interposed flow-meter. In addition, a small glass electrode was inserted through a duodenal cannula to continuously measure the pH of duodenal contents. When eating only hay ad libitum, the duodenal myoelectrical activity showed the usual migrating myoelectrical complex (MMC) pattern. Duodenal contents pH rose sharply at the end of a period of repetitive spike activity (RSA), or phase III, from pH 5 and remained high through most of the subsequent period of no spike activity (NSA), or phase I, during which there was no antrat spiking and no flow of duodenal contents. Feeding milk (pH 6.5) caused a marked increase in antroduodenal spike activity and intraduodenal flow rate, with a concomitant rapid rise in duodenal contents pH from 1.8±0.3 (sem) to 5.0±0.2 which then slowly declined over the next few hours. Within 5 min after the administration of the α2-adrenergic agonist xylazine (25 and 50 Μg/kg intramuscular), there was a significant increase (P<0.05) in antroduodenal spike frequency and a concomitant marked drop in intraduodenal flow rate with a sustained low pH of intraduodenal contents. The results suggest that: (1) continuous measurement of proximal duodenal pH adds a useful dimension to documenting relationships between antroduodenal myoelectrical activity and duodenal digesta flow rate; and (2) increased spike activity in the antroduodenal region does not necessarily indicate an increased duodenal flow rate is occurring.
Cross Section for Deep Inelastic Neutrino Scattering in MINOS

The flux is a necessary ingredient to measure the cross section in the near detector. This document briefly describes how to extract the neutrino flux in NuMI (Neutrinos at Main Injector) beams.
R-lipoic acid inhibits mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase.

The four pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) and two pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase (PDP) isoenzymes that are present in mammalian tissues regulate activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of its pyruvate dehydrogenase (E1) component. The effect of lipoic acids on the activity of PDKs and PDPs was investigated in purified proteins system. R-lipoic acid, S-lipoic acid and R-dihydrolipoic acid did not significantly affect activities of PDPs and at the same time inhibited PDKs to different extents (PDK1 > PDK4 ∼ PDK2 > PDK3 for R-LA). Since lipoic acids inhibited PDKs activity both when reconstituted in PDC and in the presence of E1 alone, dissociation of PDK from the lipoyl domains of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase in the presence of lipoic acids is not a likely explanation for inhibition. The activity of PDK1 towards phosphorylation sites 1, 2 and 3 of E1 was decreased to the same extent in the presence of R-lipoic acid, thus excluding protection of ...
Liquid crystalline epoxy resin based on biphenyl mesogen: Effect of magnetic field orientation during cure

Y. Li, M. R. Kessler: Liquid Crystalline Epoxy Resin Based on Bisphenol Mesogen: Effect of Magnetic Field Orientation During Cure, Polymer, 2013, 54 (21), 5742-5746. doi:10.1016/j.polymer.2013.08.005.
The influence of autoionizing states on absorption cross sections for atomic oxygen

Abstract Multi-channel expressions, in the dipole approximation, are used to calculate absorption cross sections for the ejection of an outer subshell electron from atomic oxygen. Autoionization levels have been included and the resulting resonances in the cross section are characterized by the dispersion formula. Averaged absorption cross sections are presented for wavelengths 911-754 A and 705-675 A.
Brachial artery reactivity: A modified technique with applicability to children.

Abstract Brachial artery reactivity noninvasively tests endothelial function. Cuff pressures of 180 to 300 mm Hg have been used. These pressures are ill advised in neonatal and premature infants. We therefore evaluated the use of substantially lower occlusive pressures. Fifteen adult subjects were enrolled. One arm was occluded to 200 mm Hg, and the other arm was occluded to 40 mm Hg above the resting systolic pressure. The occlusion time was 4.5 minutes. The brachial artery was measured at baseline and 1 minute after cuff deflation. Low pressure occlusions averaged 155.7 ± 7.8 mm Hg versus 200 mm Hg for high pressure occlusions ( P P P = not significant). Brachial artery reactivity can be assessed at lower occlusive pressures. This may extend the applicability of the technique to children and neonates. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 1999;12:850-2.)
Do Homeowners Associations Affect Citywide Segregation? Evidence From Florida Municipalities

Homeowners associations (HOAs) have become one of the most popular housing options, offering residents supplemental services, amenities, as well as exclusivity and protection. HOAs are touted for their potential to improve the match between household preferences and local services, but denounced for, among other things, their tendency to facilitate residential segregation. Yet, despite growing claims, these propositions have not been rigorously tested. The expectation is that if households do sort into HOAs based on income or race/ethnicity, then these associations can affect segregation by encouraging exclusive and homogeneous living environments. However, HOAs may actually offer a unique vehicle for racial and/or economic mixing or, at the other extreme, they may not influence segregation if residents do not rely on HOAs to sort along racial or economic lines. Unlike previous studies, the current analysis observes jurisdictions over multiple decades in an attempt to better identify whether the growth in...
Prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus in cytology specimens containing atypical glandular cells: a case-control study.

Abstract Background Incidence of glandular cell cancers has risen. While atypical glandular cell (AGC) grade cytology results represent only a small percentage of all Pap test results reported annually in the US, a significant percentage represents a corresponding high-grade lesion on follow-up biopsy. The 2006 ASCCP consensus guidelines for AGC-grade cytology results include colposcopy, endocervical sampling, and high-risk (HR) HPV testing for patient management. Objective Determine HPV prevalence and genotype distribution in AGC-grade cytology specimens ( n = 53) compared to cytology specimens negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy ( n = 338). Study design DNA extracted from residual, de-identified liquid-based cytology specimens, using QIAamp MinElute Media Kit was analyzed by PCR using Roche Linear Array HPV Genotyping and Detection Test Kits. Multivariate logistic regression compared HPV prevalence and genotype distribution between cases and controls to generate age-adjusted odds ratios (ORadj) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results HR-HPV DNA was found in 34.0% of cases and 7.4% of controls (ORadj = 9.11; 95% CI: 4.08–20.33, p -value p -value p -value = 0.834). Conclusions AGC-grade cases contained a significantly higher rate of HR-HPV compared to controls, supporting earlier recommendations for HPV testing of AGC-grade cytology specimens. Our findings also suggest that follow-up genotyping of HR-HPV containing AGC cases for HPV-16 and/or -18 specifically would be useful in patient management.
Estimating long-term soil respiration rates from carbon isotopes occluded in gibbsite

Abstract Carbon occluded in the soil gibbsite crystal structure at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed, Georgia, U.S. is presumed to be in isotopic equilibrium with the CO2 respired from soil organics by microbes and plant roots. Fitting of the stable carbon isotopic data to a Fickian diffusion-based depth function results in an estimate of 47 gC m−2 y−1 for the long-term soil respiration rate. A numerical model that includes depth-dependent production and diffusion terms results in estimates of 28–12 gC m−2 y−1. These values range from 15 to 50 times less than the average of modern values for mixed deciduous forests in wet temperate climates. This disparity has several implications for our understanding of the geologic record of climate change, which include: (1) evidence for a cooler and seasonally drier climate during the mid-Holocene in the southeastern U.S., or (2) fluxes of carbon from the soil pool as recorded by soil mineral proxies (i.e., long-term soil respiration rates) under estimate atmosphere annual carbon flux measurements (i.e., short-term measures), and (3) the need to refine soil respiration models used to relate paleosol stable carbon isotopic measurements to paleo-atmospheric P CO 2 estimates.
In situ studies of grain growth in thin metal films

Grain growth in thin films of aluminum has been studied using in situ transmission electron microscopy and a heating stage. Videotapes taken during grain growth were analyzed with the intent of searching for the predominant local rearrangement processes responsible for growth. Evolution of a soap froth can be decomposed into only two elementary local topology rearranging events. We have found numerous exceptions to prevailing theories that compare grain growth in thin films to the evolution of such froths. These observations suggest that a more complete picture of grain growth is necessary and that such a theory must include more complex local rearrangement processes.
MicroRNAs, Hepatitis C Virus, and HCV/HIV-1 Co-Infection: New Insights in Pathogenesis and Therapy

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can exert a profound effect on Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. The interaction of HCV with the highly liver-enriched miRNA, miR-122 represents one such unique example of viruses having evolved mechanism(s) to usurp the host miRNA machinery to support viral life cycle. Furthermore, HCV infection can also trigger changes in the cellular miRNA profile, which may ultimately contribute to the outcome of viral infection. Accumulating knowledge on HCV-host miRNA interactions has ultimately influenced the design of therapeutic interventions against chronic HCV infection. The importance of microRNA modulation in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) replication has been reported, albeit only in the context of HIV-1 mono-infection. The development of HCV infection is dramatically influenced during co-infection with HIV-1. Here, we review the current knowledge on miRNAs in HCV mono-infection. In addition, we discuss the potential role of some miRNAs, identified from the analyses of public data, in HCV/HIV-1 co-infection.
Being healed by an indigenous traditional healer: sacred healing stories of Native Americans. Part II

Abstract Culture determines how one views illness and thus, their choice of healing to seek treatment for disease processes. Traditional indigenous healing is an ancient holistic approach used today by some Native Americans to resolve health care problems. This article presents four stories of three indigenous people who sought traditional healing for imbalance and disease. The accounts were derived from a qualitative phenomenological study, The lived experience of indigenous people healed by indigenous traditional healers . The healing stories provide examples of contemporary specific healing rituals used during indigenous healing encounters. Healing methods described include the Sun Dance, Yuwipi, Ojibwe Healing Ceremony, Shaking Tent and Shaker Healing Ritual. The stories reveal that old knowledge is still paramount in a contemporary society. The accounts point to the necessity for health care professionals and nurses to understand and encourage Native people to incorporate indigenous healing practices into their lives for attainment of the highest level of well-being, which includes potential for decreasing health disparities in this population.
Paternal effects on juvenile growth and survival in spring peepers (Hyla crucifer)

In 1986 and 1987 we crossed severalHyla crucifer females to males that obtained mates in nature and to large and small body sized males that did not do so. Offspring resulting from these crosses were raised as pairs of juveniles in 1986, or in isolation in 1987 to assess sire effects on juvenile growth and survival in a competitive and a non-competitive context. When raised as part of a pair of juveniles, individuals sired by natural mates had lower growth rates than their fullsibs raised alone. The reduction in growth was of a similar magnitude whether the cohabiting juvenile was sired by a large or small bachelor. When raised together, individuals sired by natural mates had higher growth rates (indicative of competitive superiority) than their halfsibs sired by large bachelor males, but competed as equals with the progeny of small bachelor males. Progeny of large bachelors competed with progeny of small bachelors as equals. When raised individually in 1987, juveniles sired by natural mates had lower growth rates than their halfsibs sired by bachelor males. Paternal size or mating status had marginally non-significant effects on juvenile survival in 1986 and no effect in 1987. The larger individual in a pair was more likely to survive in 1986. In neither year was juvenile growth rate correlated with prior growth rate as a larva. These experiments suggest that the mating system can affect the distribution of juvenile growth rates (and possible survival rates), and thereby have important fitness consequences long after pair formation. These effects are, however, inconsistent either among sets of individual males or among juvenile environments.
Rethinking American Public Policy: The Environment, Federalism, States, and Supranational Influences

The politics of American public policy recently have transformed in response to changing power relationships between levels of government in the United States. Certain policy choices now are made in different arenas–for example, state and local government institutions often make policy decisions that previously had been within the jurisdiction of America's national government. At the same time, new policy relationships between states also are altering previous political patterns. This article highlights and explains this phenomenon, and focuses particularly on the changing power relationships between levels of government in the United States–national, state, and local–and the resulting policies and politics. More specifically, it closely examines two 20th century innovations in government and public policymaking within the context of a discrete case study. One of these innovations is institutional–the rise of public authorities or public corporations as highly insulated, governmental entities. The other is procedural–the environmental impact statement process. Together, these innovations, in concert with broader international and global trends, have played a large role in the shifting power structure and politics underlying American public policymaking activities.
Changes in protein kinase activities during 2-acetylaminofluorene-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat.

Abstract 1. 1. Livers of rats fed the carcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) at a concentration of 0.025% were analyzed for protein kinase activities with [ γ 32 P]ATP as substrate and either endogenous or exogenous (casein or histone) protein acceptors both in the presence or absence of cyclic nucleotides. 2. 2. Total protein kinase activity of the nuclear fraction, with exogenous histone or casein as substrate, was elevated during the first week of carcinogen administration. 3. 3. Total cytoplasmic kinase activities exhibited a pattern of activity change with maxima at about 25 and 42–49 days after the onset of carcinogen administration. 4. 4. Cyclic AMP levels rose steadily to approximately a 4-fold elevation by day 49 in livers of animals receiving carcinogen with the increase beginning prior to the development of externally visible nodular hyperplastic lesions. 5. 5. The findings demonstrate consistent and reproducible patterns of change in protein kinase activities that accompany AAF-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat and provides the basis for a more detailed investigation of specific kinases.
Structural Control Using Analog Phase-Locked Loops

A study of the application of the phase-locked loop (PLL) to modal control of mechanical structures is performed. An analog PLL circuit is used to control the vibration of a cantilevered beam with piezoelectric sensors and actuators. By using the PLL controller, strain rate feedback is provided within a narrow and distinct frequency range about the fourth mode of the beam. The controller ignores all other modes and does not affect the phase outside of the frequency range. The PLL controller provides a simple, inexpensive, and effective method to control an individual structural mode or set of modes without causing spillover.
Association of folate and alcohol with risk of ovarian cancer in a prospective study of postmenopausal women.

Studies evaluating the association of ovarian cancer with alcohol intake are inconsistent, and few have evaluated this association in the context of folate consumption. Dietary folate and alcohol intakes and lifestyle and medical information were collected with self-administered questionnaires in 1986 from postmenopausal women aged 55–69 followed prospectively for 15 years for risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in the Iowa Women's Health Study. Among 27,205 eligible women free of baseline cancer, 147 incident epithelial ovarian cancer cases were identified by linkage to a cancer registry. Compared to the lowest quartile of total folate (food plus supplement) intake, the multivariable risk ratios (RR) for increasing quartiles were 1.0 (referent), 1.59, 1.24, 1.73 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90–3.33; p for trend, 0.20). Compared to non-drinkers, the RRs for increasing alcohol intake were 1.0 (referent), 0.78 for 0.01–3.9 g/d, 0.75 for 4.0–9.9 g/d and 0.58 for ≥10 g/d (95% CI, 0.30–1.11; p for trend, 0.08). Among women with alcohol intake ≥4 g/d compared to <4 g/d, the apparent risk reduction was limited to those with total folate intake ≥331 μg/d (RR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.22–1.19; p for interaction, 0.04) although this estimate was based on only seven cases. The association did not change appreciably when we excluded tumors of mucinous histology. These findings suggest that alcohol consumption is inversely related to postmenopausal ovarian cancer, and that the association of folate with ovarian cancer may vary by the amount of alcohol consumed.
Computer Generated Matched Filters With Spatial Frequency Tailoring

Computer generated Fourier transform matched filters have been constructed using e-beam lithography. These filters were then evaluated by placing them in a VanderLugt optical correlator and addressing them with the original scene used to make the filters. Results show that the spatial frequency content of a filter may be tailored so as to obtain good signal to noise correlations while maintaining high diffraction efficiency.
Vagal-Central Nervous System Interactions Modulate the Feeding Response to Peripheral Enterostatin

Enterostatin selectively inhibits the intake of dietary fat after both peripheral and central administration. We have investigated the role of the hepatic vagus nerve in modulating the peripheral response to enterostatin in Sprague-Dawley rats adapted to a high fat (HF) diet. Intraperitoneal (ip) enterostatin reduced intake of HF diet after overnight starvation. This response was abolished by selective vagal hepatic branch transection. Immunohistochemical techniques were used to identify the location of Fos protein in brain nuclei after ip enterostatin. Fos protein was evident in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), parabrachial, paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. The pattern of expression of Fos-like immunoreactivity differed from that induced by the lipoprivic agent beta-mercaptoacetate. Transection of the hepatic vagus blocked the central Fos responses to ip enterostatin. We conclude that afferent hepatic vagal nerve activity is required for the feeding response to peripheral enterostatin.
Genes and immune response in alopecia areata: review of the alopecia areata research summit first day proceedings.

The first day of this research summit reviewed the evidence that both innate and acquired immunity are involved in alopecia areata (AA). Genetic and functional immunologic studies have identified complex immunologic networks in both human and animal model AA. Natural killer group 2D ligands, IL-15, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4, and Janus kinase signaling have emerged as attractive targets for treatment of AA using modern biologic and pharmacologic approaches. Modulation of immune privilege continues to be an intriguing target to modulate AA induction and progression. The specificity of the immune response in AA is still unknown. Pigmented anagen hair follicles appear to be the target. Whether antigen-specific activated T cells or antibodies are required for AA is not yet known. Development of a robust clinical research platform will facilitate the testing of a number of new drugs being effectively used in other autoimmune diseases.
Effects of Dean vortex pairs on surface heat transfer in curved channel flow

Heat transfer in transitional curved channel flow is investigated over a range of Dean numbers less than 300. The channel aspect ratio is 40, radius ratio is 0.979 and the ratio of boundary layer thickness to channel width is 0.011. Forced convection Nusselt numbers show the influences of Dean vortex pairs and other transitional phenomena. In particular, Nusselt numbers on the concave surface become higher than ones measured at the same streamwise location on the convex surface just after the start of curvature. Important Nusselt number increases also occur due to the twisting secondary instability as the Dean number increases from 150 to 200.
Magnetic resonance imaging of a left circumflex aortic arch and aberrant right subclavian artery: the other vascular ring

We present a case of a rare congenital cardiac anomaly. Magnetic resonance imaging accurately demonstrated a left circumflex aortic arch. This finding was not apparent on a prior conventional angiogram or echocardiography. Magnetic resonance imaging documentation of this anomaly is uncommon. Review of the embryonic development, clinical presentation of complete and incomplete vascular rings, and additional associated cardiac anomalies are discussed. This is one of only a few reported cases of a left circumflex aortic arch.