cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Qualitative Systematic Review of Barber-Administered Health Education, Promotion, Screening and Outreach Programs in African-American Communities

The barbershop has been portrayed as a culturally appropriate venue for reaching Black men with health information and preventive health screenings to overcome institutional and socio-cultural barriers. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the peer-reviewed literature on barbershop-based health programs to provide lessons learned for researchers and practitioners. A literature search was conducted to identify articles for the review. Inclusion criteria specified that studies had to be based in the United States and reported about research where barbers were either being assessed for the feasibility of their participation or recruited to administer health education/screening outreach or research activities. The literature search produced 901 unique bibliographic records from peer-reviewed publications. After eliminating articles not meeting the inclusion criteria, 35 articles remained for full-text review. The final article sample consisted of 16 articles for complete abstraction to assess characteristics of studies, role and training of barbers, outcomes targeted, effectiveness, and key findings. All barbershop-based studies reviewed targeted Black men in urban settings. Common study designs were cross-sectional studies, feasibility studies, needs assessments, and one-shot case studies. Barber administered interventions addressed primarily prostate cancer and hypertension, and barbers provided health education, screening, and referrals to health care. Nonintervention studies focused mostly on surveying or interviewing barbers for assessing the feasibility of future interventions. Barbershops are a culturally appropriate venue for disseminating health education materials in both print and media formats. Barbershops are also acceptable venues for training barbers to conduct education and screening. In studies where barbers received training, their knowledge of various health conditions increased significantly and knowledge gains were sustained over time. They were also able to increase knowledge and promote positive health behaviors among their customers, but these outcomes were variable and not consistently documented.
Diverse Infrastructure and Architecture for Datacenter and Cloud Resilience

Internet and web services have seen widespread adoption in recent years and are now tightly integrated into society's daily activities. An important emerging part of the Internet is clouds that provide low-cost configurable computing resources, allowing businesses to reduce their hardware, software, and personnel costs. Increasingly, enterprises now use such cloud resources to host web applications. While clouds provide an excellent business model, most existing public and private cloud infrastructures are based on monocultures that allow attackers to focus their efforts on a single hardware/software platform and facilitates the rapid spreading of successful attacks. In this invited paper, we describe a methodology and mech- anisms that make clouds and hosted applications considerably more resilient to attacks and correlated failures by introducing diversity at every level of the cloud: physical interconnect, network components, processor platforms, storage management, virtual machine monitors, operating systems, and application processes. Our goal is to defend against attacks by continuing to operate correctly even when part of the infrastructure fails and to substantially raise the difficulty of executing a successful attack by requiring the attacker to simultaneously target different hardware and software choices. Furthermore, by geographically spreading applications among different datacenters using diverse network connections (in service provider and access medium - wired vs. wireless), the cloud will be resilient against physical infrastructure attacks and large-scale disasters.
College tuition and household savings and consumption

Abstract Despite the high cost of college, there has been little study of the adequacy of household savings and other resources available to fund college. To gauge their adequacy this paper examines households’ standard of living as they pay for college. Using the Consumer Expenditure Survey, the main finding is that households appear to do a relatively good job smoothing their consumption into the academic year, despite large expenses. This is consistent with the Life-Cycle Theory of saving and consumption. There is some evidence of a delayed decline in consumption, and of a decline for households with children first beginning college, but the magnitudes of these declines are rather small.
Transtheoretical Model and substance use in HIV-positive youth

The purpose of the study was to test constructs of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) for predicting alcohol and other drug use in HIV-positive youth (ages 16-25). Questionnaires and interviews about alcohol and other drug use, stage of change, self-efficacy, emotional distress and social support were obtained from 64 HIV-positive youth. Structural equation modeling with standard errors determined by methods appropriate to small samples, demonstrated that self-efficacy mediated the relationship between stage of change and alcohol use and between social support and alcohol use. The same pattern of results emerged for marijuana use. The models predicted 47% of the variance in alcohol use and 69% of the variance in marijuana use. Results supported the TTM and highlight the potential of interventions that seek to boost self-efficacy and social support specific to reducing substance use.
I love Machery’s book, but love concepts more

Although I disagree with its philosophical conclusions, I thoroughly enjoyed Doing without Concepts and found it immensely illuminating. Its claims about concepts brought a number of important issues into sharper focus for me, and will, I'm sure, help me to think about concepts in a more responsible way in the future. When they are beautifully articulated and brilliantly defended, challenges to one's preconceptions are salutary, even if one winds up rejecting them. Further, Machery's discussion of categorization is among the best that I have seen. As a result of reading the book, I feel that I have a better grasp of what the reigning theories say, and of the experimental motivation for them. I also think that the book makes a genuine scientific advance. As Machery points out, discussions of categorization in the scientific literature have tended to presuppose that it takes a single form—that there is essentially just one type of process, or perhaps just one closely family of process, that deserves the name "categorization." Because of this assumption, the different models of categorization have been thought to be in competition with one another: each has been seen as an attempt to give a more or less exhaustive account of what is essentially a single, unified phenomenon. Machery defends the view that the main models of categorization should not be seen as rivals, but rather as more or less correct descriptions of different varieties of categorization. They are not in competition, but are rather complementary. I will always be grateful to Machery for convincing me that this wonderfully liberating view is correct.
Do adjusted clinical groups eliminate incentives for HMOs to avoid substance abusers? Evidence from the Maryland Medicaid HealthChoice program.

The adequacy of risk adjustment to eliminate incentives for managed care organizations (MCOs) to avoid enrolling costly patients has been questioned. This study explored systematic differences in expenditures between beneficiaries with and without substance disorders assigned to the same capitation rate group under the Maryland Medicaid HealthChoice program. The investigators used fiscal year (FY) 1995 to 1997 Medicaid data to assign beneficiaries to rate cells based on FY 1995 diagnoses and compared the distribution of expenditures for beneficiaries with and without substance disorders, defined using FY 1997 and FY 1995 diagnoses. Results showed that differences in FY 1997 expenditures between beneficiaries with and without FY 1995 substance disorders were negligible. However, MCOs could expect greater average losses and lower average profits on beneficiaries with FY 1997 substance disorders. Thus, the adjusted clinical groups methodology used to adjust capitation payments in the HealthChoice program attenuated, but did not eliminate, financial incentives for MCOs to avoid substance abusers.
LA-ICP-MS analysis of quartzite from the Upper Gunnison Basin, Colorado

We report the results of LA-ICP-MS analysis of 402 quartzite samples representing 48 collection loci in the Upper Gunnison Basin (UGB), Colorado and determine the extent to which the sources can be geochemically discriminated from one another using this non-destructive technique. The ability to differentiate among the sources would open the door to provenance studies of the quartzite chipped-stone tools and debitage that constitute 95% or more of most of the 3000-plus prehistoric site assemblages documented in the UGB. Our samples represent prehistorically quarried and non-quarried quartzite sources, including outcrop (primary) and gravel (secondary) deposits. The results reveal spatial and chronological trends in quartzite elemental composition that can be exploited for provenance determinations of quartzite artifacts from UGB sites, albeit using an assemblage-based sourcing strategy that differs from the familiar approach of “matching” obsidian artifacts to their statistically likeliest geological source. We offer a preliminary version of a sourcing protocol for UGB quartzite.
Microbiology of the Maxillary Sinus in Adults with Chronic Sinus Disease

Antimicrobial therapy is a part of the care of patients with chronic sinus disease (CSD), but the etiologic role of microorganisms in this condition is unclear. Twenty patients with CSD undergoing ...
Golden Arches East, McDonald's in East Asia

Golden Arches East, McDonald's in East Asia by James L. Watson. Editor Stanford University Press 1998
Pectinesterase and Pectin Complexes Inhibit Ion Exchange Membrane Separation

Ion exchange membrane disks (FMC Co., Pine Brook, NJ) equilibrated at pH 5.0, 6.0, 7.2, and 8.0 were tested for separation of pectinesterase (PE) extracted from Marsh grapefruit (MGF) pulp. Anionic exchange disks (QUAT, DEAE, and PEI) bound less PE and protein than cationic exchange disks (SP and CM). Less than 20% of PE was bound to SP membrane at pH 6.0, 7.2, and 8.0. Low PE binding ability in the ion-exchange system may be attributed to the presence of PE-pectin complexes, which act as a competitor with the inorganic ions of the membranes. Water washing the pulp prior to PE extraction lowered the pectin content by 86%, but did not substantially improve PE binding to SP membrane.
Correlating the Ultrasonic Thrust force with acoustic streaming Velocity

The UltraSonic Thruster (UST) is an actuator which employs a piezoelectric transducer to generate a highly directive ultrasonic wave so as to produce bulk fluid movement. This streaming phenomenon can be utilized underwater for thrusting or maneuvering purposes in marine applications, and particularly at very small scale. We make a new connection between fluid flow and forces, establishing a specific formula for estimating overall thrust from the velocity field. Using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and force measurements, we confirmed the result, with an error of about five percent in several tests. The use of PIV for characterizing UST properties is considerably richer than measuring thrust or acoustic intensity alone, and could lead to new insights during the design process.
Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Milk Synthesis. II. Milk Production and Composition

Abstract A study was made of the milk produced by X- and gamma-irradiated cow and goat mammary glands. Exposures of 34 to 78 r were made with a 250-kvp 30-ma X-ray machine; higher levels (150-2,500 r ) were administered with a specially designed Co 60 irradiator. Milk samples were taken at frequent intervals before and after irradiation for determination of chemical composition. Dose levels of less than 1,000 r had no demonstrable effect on milk production or per cent composition of fat, solids-not-fat, total solids, lactose, citrate, total nitrogen, nonprotein nitrogen, total phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus, chloride, ash, sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium. Exposure to 1,000 r or more of gamma irradiation, however, always inhibited milk production.
The role of handwashing in improving hygiene and health in low-income countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 2 million persons die each year from diarrheal illness. These deaths occur almost exclusively among children younger than 5 years living in lowincome countries. This article reviews the results of interventions promoting handwashing in communities with a high incidence of diarrhea and examines the roles of public health institutions and soap manufacturers in extending the benefits of handwashing to these communities. In 1987, Stanton and Clemens 1 published the first controlled study of the promotion of handwashing in communities with a high incidence of diarrhea. They first conducted a case-control study in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh, and identified 3 behaviors associated with childhood diarrhea: open defecation in the living areas by children, lack of maternal handwashing before preparing food, and lack of attention to garbage and feces disposal. In a follow-up intervention project, they identified 25 intervention communities and 26 similar control communities among dispersed, impoverished areas of Dhaka. The intervention was an 8-week, community-based health education program focusing on 3 central messages: proper handwashing before food preparation, defecating away from the house at a proper site, and suitable disposal of waste and feces. The education program included both small group discussions and larger meetings, with posters, games, and pictorial stories. Soap was not provided to the households. Although after the intervention no differences were noted in defecation practices or in the prevalence of feces and garbage between the intervention and control communities, mothers in the intervention area were more likely to be observed washing their hands before preparing food (49%) than in the non-intervention areas (33%). The intervention communities had a 26% lower incidence of diarrhea (P < .001). In 1989, Han and Hlaing 2
Near-IR absorption of porphyrin methylcarbocations

Syntheses of stabilized meso-and β-carbocations of nickel(II) porphyrins are reported and compared. A novel dimeric porphyrin cation absorbing at 1030 nm is also described.
Surface engineering of porous silicon microparticles for intravitreal sustained delivery of rapamycin.

Purpose. To understand the relationship between rapamycin loading/release and surface chemistries of porous silicon (pSi) to optimize pSi-based intravitreal delivery system.
Methods used to diagnose premature rupture of membranes: a national survey of 812 obstetric nurses

Objective: To identify methods used to diagnose premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Methods: A 14-item questionnaire was mailed to 1992 registered nurses certified in inpatient obstetrics to determine information on practice facility, obstetric services, procedures used to obtain vaginal fluids for testing, and methods used to diagnose PROM. Results: A total of 812 (40.8%) surveys were available for analysis. Of tests used to confirm PROM, observation of pooling fluid in the posterior fornix and fern tests were much more likely to be used in teaching and military hospitals and in facilities with tertiary obstetric services than in private hospitals (all P values < .001). To obtain vaginal fluids for fern and nitrazine testing, the dry glove method (ie, insertion of a gloved hand or nitrazine strip into the vagina) was used significantly more often in private hospitals than in teaching or military facilities (P < .001). In addition, the dry glove method was used significantly more often (P < .001) and the speculum examination was used less often (P < .001) to collect vaginal fluids for testing when private physicians performed more than 75% of deliveries at a particular hospital. In contrast, vaginal fluid was obtained during a sterile speculum examination more often in facilities in which more than 75% of deliveries were performed by residents (P < .001), and/or when more than 75% of speculum examinations were performed by nursing personnel (P < .001). Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that observation of pooling fluid and use of the fern test were significantly associated with hospital type, percentage of deliveries by private physicians, and percentage of speculum examinations performed by nursing personnel (all P values < .001). Conclusion: A sterile speculum examination is used more often to obtain vaginal fluids for testing and to diagnose ruptured membranes in teaching or military facilities and when nursing personnel have been trained in speculum examinations.
Photoluminescence from Gd-implanted AlN and GaN Epilayers

GaN and AlN thin films were implanted with gadolinium (Gd)atoms and characterized using deep ultra-violet (UV) photoluminescence(PL). The Gd-implanted samples were annealed at temperatures up to 1178K in a flowing N2 gas to facilitate recovery of implantation-related damage. Using the output at 195 nm from a quadrupled Ti:sapphire laser, narrow PL emission was observed at 318 nm from the Gd- implanted AlN thin films. This emission is characteristic of the lowest energy 4f transition of the trivalent Gd ion. A boarder emission band, also centered at 318 nm, was observed under excitation at 266 nm. No PL emission was observed from the Gd-implanted GaN thin films at either the bandedge or due to a 4f transition. The dependence of the UV emission on AlN sample temperature was systematically studied. The peak PL emission intensity decreased by less that a factor of 3 over the temperature range of 10 K to 300 K. Decay transients of the UV emission were measured indicating that the lifetime of this emission is very fast.
A new robust relevance model in the language model framework

In this paper, a new robust relevance model is proposed that can be applied to both pseudo and true relevance feedback in the language-modeling framework for document retrieval. There are at least three main differences between our new relevance model and other relevance models. The proposed model brings back the original query into the relevance model by treating it as a short, special document, in addition to a number of top-ranked documents returned from the first round retrieval for pseudo feedback, or a number of relevant documents for true relevance feedback. Second, instead of using a uniform prior as in the original relevance model proposed by Lavrenko and Croft, documents are assigned with different priors according to their lengths (in terms) and ranks in the first round retrieval. Third, the probability of a term in the relevance model is further adjusted by its probability in a background language model. In both pseudo and true relevance cases, we have compared the performance of our model to that of the two baselines: the original relevance model and a linear combination model. Our experimental results show that the proposed new model outperforms both of the two baselines in terms of mean average precision.
Measurement of source chaoticity for particle emission in Au+Au collisions at using 3-particle HBT correlations

Abstract Data from the first physics run at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory from the STAR experiment have been analyzed using three-pion correlations to study whether pions are emitted independently at freezeout. We have made a high-statistics measurement of the three-pion correlation function and calculated the normalized three-particle correlator to obtain a quantitative measurement of the degree of chaoticity in the freeze-out environment.
Structural and executional drivers of downstream revenue

Abstract Revenue flows that occur at other related organizational units and over time are an important part of customer profitability analysis and resource planning. This study analyzes downstream revenue generated from establishing a series of additional organizational units. The setting is a central hospital which established a group of specialty outreach clinics. Using a specially-collected time-series database I show two distinct patterns, depending on the clinic's specialty. One type triggers immediate incremental downstream revenue to the clinic's sponsoring department. The other type of clinic generates revenue that is smaller in value, later in time and mostly in departments not associated with the sponsoring department's medical specialty. Structural and executional clinic characteristics such as distance and clinic frequency differentially affect the amount of revenue generated, implying a need for tailoring performance measures to “clinic type”. Overall, my results suggest caution in developing performance measures that include financial impact in other organizational units – context matters even in a relatively homogenous setting of specialty clinics in one hospital system.
A paracervical method for non-surgical transfer of bovine embryos

Abstract Seventy-six day-8 bovine blastocysts were transferred by a paracervical non-surgical process to determine its feasibility as an alternative method of bovine embryo transfer. Forty-seven of the 76 transfers resulted in pregnancy (62%), as determined by rectal palpation at 45 to 90 days of gestation. This indicates that embryo transfer via the paracervical method is a viable alternative to surgical and non-surgical transfer in cattle.
Development of microelectromechanical variable blaze gratings

Abstract Two types of microelectromechanical variable blaze gratings (VBGs) have been designed, modeled, fabricated, and tested. The gratings operate by adjusting the blaze angle of each slat so specular reflection of the incident light matches a particular grating diffraction order. The VBG blaze angle is adjustable with either electrostatic or thermal actuators. VBGs direct incident light in discrete directions, and are useful for steering light with beam diameters greater than 1 mm and power levels greater than 1 W. Both electrostatically and thermally actuated VBGs have been constructed from gold and polysilicon using a surface-micromachining process and tested with a 20 mW continuous wave HeNe laser operating at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. The diffraction efficiency and far-field pattern have been modeled and measured. Drive voltages for both types of gratings are measured as a function of blaze angle and selected diffraction order.
Calculations on a New Neutron-Proton Interaction Potential

On the basis of a neutron-proton interaction potential of the form $\frac{C{e}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{r}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}}{r}$ numerical calculations for the deuteron and for the scattering of neutrons by protons have been made.
Viewpoint: What we did not learn from the 60s about science curriculum reform

An analysis of our efforts with curriculum reform in science during the 60s is offered. Failure to state the problems and to engage all those interested, involved, and affected is noted. Instead of proceeding with the same tactics and using the same rationale for new reforms, a rationale for focusing upon instructional goals and enlarging the research and development team is presented. Basically, a call for treating science curriculum reform as a science rather than an art is advocated.
The dual impact of HIV-1 infection and aging on naïve CD4 T-cells: additive and distinct patterns of impairment.

HIV-1-infected adults over the age of 50 years progress to AIDS more rapidly than adults in their twenties or thirties. In addition, HIV-1-infected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) present with clinical diseases, such as various cancers and liver disease, more commonly seen in older uninfected adults. These observations suggest that HIV-1 infection in older persons can have detrimental immunological effects that are not completely reversed by ART. As naive T-cells are critically important in responses to neoantigens, we first analyzed two subsets (CD45RA(+)CD31(+) and CD45RA(+)CD31(-)) within the naive CD4(+) T-cell compartment in young (20-32 years old) and older (39-58 years old), ART-naive, HIV-1 seropositive individuals within 1-3 years of infection and in age-matched seronegative controls. HIV-1 infection in the young cohort was associated with lower absolute numbers of, and shorter telomere lengths within, both CD45RA(+)CD31(+)CD4(+) and CD45RA(+)CD31(-)CD4(+) T-cell subsets in comparison to age-matched seronegative controls, changes that resembled seronegative individuals who were decades older. Longitudinal analysis provided evidence of thymic emigration and reconstitution of CD45RA(+)CD31(+)CD4(+) T-cells two years post-ART, but minimal reconstitution of the CD45RA(+)CD31(-)CD4(+) subset, which could impair de novo immune responses. For both ART-naive and ART-treated HIV-1-infected adults, a renewable pool of thymic emigrants is necessary to maintain CD4(+) T-cell homeostasis. Overall, these results offer a partial explanation both for the faster disease progression of older adults and the observation that viral responders to ART present with clinical diseases associated with older adults.
Differential effects of cations and guanyl nucleotides on agonist and antagonist binding to rat adrenal and uterine angiotensin II receptors.

The effects of various modulators (cations, Gpp(NH)p) of hormone-receptor interaction were tested on agonist ([125I]angiotensin II) and antagonist (125I-[Sar1,Ala8]angiotensin II) binding to membrane particles from the rat adrenal zona glomerulosa and uterine smooth muscle. The two radioiodinated peptides labeled the same population of binding sites. Sodium ion (140 mM) induced a 2 fold increase in the affinity of adrenal angiotensin II receptors for the agonist (Ka = 2.15 nM−1, vs. 1.01 nM−1 for controls), but decreased antagonist binding by reducing the number of available receptors by up to 50% in both adrenal and uterine membrane particles. Potassium ion only inhibited antagonist binding. Calcium and magnesium ions (0–10 mM) increased agonist binding and decreased antagonist binding to adrenal and uterine angiotensin II receptors, an effect mediated by changes in both affinity and number of receptors for the two peptides. The non-hydrolyzable GTP analog, Gpp(NH)p (10−9 - 10−4 M) decreased the affinity of angiotensin II receptors for the agonist by up to 50%, but did not affect antagonist binding to the receptor. Thus, there were marked differences in the sensitivity of agonist and antagonist peptides of angiotensin II to the modulatory effect of cations and guanyl nucleotides on ligand-receptor interaction. It is suggested that these differences may be important in determining the activatory/inhibitory properties of angiotensin peptides.
Atrial myxomas: pathologic types, tumor location, and presenting symptoms.

Abstract Background: Atrial myxoma is the most common cardiac neoplasm. Although not widely reported, two anatomic types have been observed: solid and papillary. We examined whether differences in gross or microscopic appearance and location correlated with symptomatology, specifically congestive heart failure (CHF), neurologic symptoms, and embolic events. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of atrial myxomas removed from 1972 to 2002, recording the clinical presentation, diagnostic modality, tumor location, gross, and microscopic features for each patient. Twenty-six patients (16 females and 10 males) had atrial myxomas excised. Two patients (one female and one male) were excluded due to unavailable pathologic slides. Results: In 24 patients there were 15 solid and 9 papillary tumors. CHF was more prevalent in solid myxomas, while neurologic symptoms and embolic events were more common in papillary tumors. Tumor location further correlated with presenting symptoms. Ninety-two percent of patients presenting with CHF had tumors attached to the atrial septum. Extraseptal myxomas more frequently presented with neurologic (80% vs. 29%) and embolic features (50% vs. 25%). All patients exhibiting clefted tumor surface had a history of embolization. A higher percentage of solid myxomas (93%) showed hemorrhage within the tumor than with papillary (56%). Conclusions: CHF was more common with solid myxomas, and neurologic and embolization events were more common in the papillary type. Septal tumor location showed strong association with CHF, while extraseptal location correlated with neurologic events. We speculate that the various gross and microscopic patterns reflect secondary changes within these neoplasms over the course of their natural history.
Significance of in-vitro penicillin tolerance in experimental enterococcal endocarditis

Although penicillin tolerance has been increasingly recognized among clinical isolates of many Gram-positive organisms, the significance of this phenomenon in vivo is not clear. The present study was performed to characterize penicillin-tolerant enterococci by several in-vitro parameters and to examine the significance in vivo in a rabbit model of infective endocarditis. Tolerant enterococci exhibited several characteristics which distinguished them from non-tolerant bacteria: significantly greater ratios of MIC to MBC of penicillin, resistance to penicillin-induced lysis and killing, and growth in areas of superinhibitory concentrations of penicillin upon transfer from penicillin gradient to penicillin-free plates. In-vivo studies of aortic valve endocarditis in rabbits treated with procaine penicillin G (300 mg/kg/day) revealed strikingly different responses between infections due to one tolerant and one non-tolerant strain. Animals infected with a tolerant enterococcus showed consistently greater bacterial counts in vegetations during ten days of therapy and significantly lower rates of vegetation sterilization. Serum penicillin levels were not significantly different between the two groups, but serum bactericidal titres were significantly lower for the tolerant than for the non-tolerant strains. These findings indicate that penicillin tolerance identified by several in-vitro criteria is a significant determinant of the in-vivo response of enterococci to penicillin therapy.
Role of Envelope Protein gE Endocytosis in the Pseudorabies Virus Life Cycle

Several groups have reported that certain herpesvirus envelope proteins do not remain on the surface of cells that express them but rather are internalized by endocytosis in a recycling process. The biological function of membrane protein endocytosis in the virus life cycle remains a matter of speculation and debate. In this report, we demonstrate that some, but not all, membrane proteins encoded by the alphaherpesvirus pseudorabies virus (PRV) are internalized after reaching the plasma membrane. Glycoproteins gE and gB are internalized from the plasma membrane of cells, while gI and gC are not internalized efficiently. We show for gE that the cytoplasmic domain of the protein is required for endocytosis. While the gI protein is incapable of endocytosis on its own, it can be internalized when complexed with gE. We demonstrate that endocytosis of the gE-gI complex and gB occurs early after infection of tissue culture cells but that this process stops completely after 6 h of infection, a time that correlates with significant shutoff of host protein synthesis. We also show that gE protein internalized at 4 h postinfection is not present in virions formed at a later time. We discuss the differences in PRV gE and gI endocytosis compared to that of the varicella-zoster virus homologs and the possible roles of glycoprotein endocytosis in the virus life cycle.
First-principles study of structural, vibrational, and lattice dielectric properties of hafnium oxide

Crystalline structures, zone-center phonon modes, and the related dielectric response of the three low-pressure phases of ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ have been investigated in density-functional theory using ultrasoft pseudopotentials and a plane-wave basis. The structures of low-pressure ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ polymorphs are carefully studied with both the local-density approximation (LDA) and the generalized gradient approximation. The fully relaxed structures obtained with either exchange-correlation scheme agree reasonably well with experiment, although LDA yields better overall agreement. After calculating the Born effective charge tensors and the force-constant matrices by finite-difference methods, the lattice dielectric susceptibility tensors for the three ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ phases are computed by decomposing the tensors into the contributions from individual infrared-active phonon modes.
Understanding Taiwan Independence and Its Policy Implications

Taiwan9s democratization has placed Taiwan independence as one of the most important issues for its domestic politics and for the security balance in the Taiwan Strait. Surveys have been conducted regularly to track shifts in Taiwanese public sentiment on this issue. This article presents a new measure of the Taiwan independence issue and shows how voters9 preferences can be influenced.
The impact of situational context on assault completion: the moderating role of relational distance

AbstractIntimacy between two disputants provides insulation against the occurrence of violence. However, once violence becomes a viable option for conflict resolution, intimacy may exacerbate incident outcomes. Furthermore, because of the emotional intensity, relationally close assailants may be less attuned to the situational characteristics, a known predictor of incident outcomes such as injury. This study explores the role of relational distance as a determinant of the completion (versus the attempt or threat) of non-sexual assault, as well as a potential moderator of the relationship between situational characteristics and assault completion. The analysis uses 35,616 incidents of non-sexual assault from the National Crime Victimization Survey (1992–2008). A logistic regression model of assault completion is estimated, with attention devoted to the influence of relational distance, demographic, and situational characteristics. A heteroscedastic logistic regression model is then estimated, including pro...
Narrative medicine and decision‐making capacity

Rationale, aims and objectives The author proposes a new model for the assessment of decision-making capacity based on the principles of narrative medicine. The narrative method proposed by the author addresses the hidden power realtionships implicit in the current model of capacity assessment. Methods Sample cases are reviewed using the traditional model in comparison with the narrative model. Results Narrative medicine provides an effective model for the assessment of decision-making capacity. Conclusions Deficiencies in the traditional model capacity assessment can be effectively addressed using narrative strategies.
REEVALUATION OF THE 1997 TNM CLASSIFICATION FOR RENAL CELL CARCINOMA: T1 AND T2 CUTOFF POINT AT 4.5 RATHER THAN 7 CM. BETTER CORRELATES WITH CLINICAL OUTCOME

Purpose: We analyzed the effects of the change in TNM classification from the 1987 to the 1997 version and suggest a modified tumor size cutoff point between T stages 1 and 2 for renal cell carcinoma.Materials and Methods: We evaluated a database containing the records of 661 patients who underwent nephrectomy between 1989 and 1999. The effect of the change in TNM classification on the distribution of patients between stages, the rates of M+ and N+ disease, and the local and distant recurrence rates were outlined for 280 patients with T stages 1 and 2 disease. The Cox model was used to identify the optimal cutoff point between T1 and T2 disease, and the resulting effect of adopting this cutoff was outlined.Results: A total of 174 and 128 cases were down staged from 1987 version stage T2 to 1997 version stage T1 and from 1987 TNM stage II to 1997 TNM stage I, respectively. Survival was not significantly different in patients with 1997 TNM stages I and II disease due to a lack of survival difference during ...
A hybrid approach to estimating error covariances in variational data assimilation

Data assimilation (DA) involves the combination of observational data with the underlying dynamical principles governing the system under observation. In this work we combine the advantages of the two prominent DA systems: the 4D-Var and the ensemble methods. The hybrid method described in this paper consists of identifying the subspace spanned by the major 4D-Var error reduction directions. These directions are then removed from the background covariance through a Galerkin-type projection, and are replaced by estimates of the analysis error obtained through a low-rank Hessian inverse approximation. The updated error covariance in one window can be used as the background covariance for the next window thus better capturing the ‘error of the day’. The numerical results for a non-linear model demonstrate how the hybrid method leads to a good estimate of the true error covariance, and improves the 4D-Var analysis results.
Multilevel minimax hypothesis testing

In signal detection, Bayesian hypothesis testing and minimax hypothesis testing represent two extremes in the knowledge of the prior probabilities of the hypotheses: full information and no information. We propose an intermediate formulation, also based on the likelihood ratio test, to allow for partial information. We partition the space of prior probabilities into a set of levels using a quantization-theoretic approach with a minimax Bayes risk error criterion. Within each prior probability level, an optimal representative probability value is found, which is used to set the threshold of the likelihood ratio test. The formulation is demonstrated on signals with additive Gaussian noise.
Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of tenofovir and emtricitabine in the setting of HIV-1 protease inhibitor-based regimens

In the combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) era, prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remains high: 36.2-44.8% 1, contributing to morbidity 1 and mortality 2. Suboptimal control of HIV in the central nervous system (CNS) likely plays a role in this phenomenon, as supported by elevated neopterin and detectable HIV-1 RNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients on long term cART 3. Studies have shown that limited CNS penetration by antiretroviral (ARV) drugs is associated with HAND 4,5. Multiple factors impact CNS drug penetration, including molecular size, lipophilicity, plasma protein binding, and affinity for efflux pump transporters 6. For example, the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily of efflux transporters, including p-glycoprotein and multidrug-resistance associated proteins (MRPs), are expressed at blood-brain and blood-CSF barriers and can limit drug disposition7. Because many ARVs are substrates and/or inhibitors of ABC transporters, complex drug-drug interactions can occur. Specifically, protease inhibitors (PIs) atazanavir (ATV) and darunavir (DRV) are common in cART regimens when given with ritonavir (RTV) plus a backbone of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), the tenofovir (TFV) pro-drug, and emtricitabine (FTC) 8. Both ATV and DRV inhibit p-glycoprotein and MRP-1 9-11 ; these transporters are found at blood-brain and blood-CSF barriers and are important for TFV 12 and FTC transport 13. We compared CSF TFV and FTC concentrations between patients receiving two different RTV-boosted PI regimens: ATV vs DRV. We also examined associations between CSF drug concentrations and CSF HIV-1 RNA detection.
Mechanisms underlying digenean-snail specificity: role of miracidial attachment and host plasma factors.

Digenetic trematodes usually show a high degree of specificity for their molluscan intermediate hosts. A panel of 4 digenean species (Echinostoma paraensei, E. trivolvis, Schistosoma mansoni, and Schistosomatium douthitti) and 5 snail species (Biomphalaria glabrata, Helisoma trivolvis, Lymnaea stagnalis, Stagnicola elodes, and Helix aspersa representing 3 gastropod families) was used to assess the relative contributions of miracidial behavior, host plasma osmolality, and host plasma factors in dictating specificity. Additional experiments were undertaken with a fifth digenean, Echinoparyphium sp. Expected patterns of compatibility were first confirmed; each parasite species produced patent infections in its known snail host, but not in the other snail species. One exception was S. douthitti, which unexpectedly did not infect L. stagnalis. As judged by direct observation and by noting their disappearance after exposure to snails, miracidia were generally less likely to attach to or penetrate incompatible t...
Circadian and Circannual Patterns of Activity and Territory Shifts: Comparing a Native Ant (Solenopsis geminata, Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with Its Exotic, Invasive Congener (S. invicta) and Its Parasitoids (Pseudacteon spp., Diptera: Phoridae) at a Central Texas Site

Abstract We studied the phenologies of phorid flies from the genus Pseudacteon; their host, the native tropical fire ant (TFA), Solenopsis geminata (F.); a second native ant, Monomorium minimum (Buckley); and the non-native red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta Buren, at a site in Austin, TX. We took a census on an hourly basis from dawn until dusk once a month for a year (July 1998–June 1999). Previous studies have focused largely on the RIFA’s escape from natural enemies (e.g., phorid parasitoids) as an explanation for the ant’s competitive success. Here, we show that the RIFA has additional advantages over its native congener. We found the RIFA had a significantly greater association than the TFA with extremes in ambient temperature, relative humidity, and light levels. However, M. minimum was found at temperatures that were significantly higher than for the RIFA. Native TFA-specific phorids had activity patterns that were similar to their host’s. In addition, we documented the expansion of ...
Differential Sphingolipid and Phospholipid Profiles in Alcohol and Nicotine-Derived Nitrosamine Ketone-Associated White Matter Degeneration.

Background Alcohol-mediated neurodegeneration is associated with white matter (WM) atrophy due to targeting of myelin and oligodendrocytes. However, variability in disease severity suggests cofactors contribute to WM degeneration. We examined the potential cofactor role of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine, nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK), because smoking causes WM atrophy and most heavy drinkers consume tobacco products. Methods This 8-week study of Long Evans rats had 4 treatment groups: control; NNK-2 mg/kg, 3×/wk in weeks 3 to 8; ethanol (EtOH) (chronic-26% caloric + binge-2 g/kg, 3×/wk in weeks 7 to 8); and EtOH + NNK. Exposure effects on WM lipid biochemical profiles and in situ distributions were examined using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry. Results NNK mainly caused WM fiber degeneration and fiber loss, EtOH caused demyelination, and dual exposures had additive effects. EtOH and EtOH + NNK decreased WM (including corpus callosum) and/or gray matter (hypothalamus, cortex, medial temporal) levels of several phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and sphingolipid (sulfatide [ST]) species, while NNK increased or had minimal effect on these lipids. EtOH + NNK had broader and larger inhibitory effects on phospholipids and ST than EtOH or NNK alone. Principal component analysis clustered control with NNK, and EtOH with EtOH + NNK groups, highlighting the independent EtOH- rather than NNK-driven responses. Conclusions Chronic EtOH exposures decreased several phospholipid and sphingolipid species in brain, while concomitant NNK exposures exacerbated these effects. These findings support our hypothesis that tobacco smoking is a pathogenic cofactor in alcohol-mediated WM degeneration.
Civil Liberties and the 'Imaginative Sustenance' of Jewish Culture

This short essay is included in a symposium issue entitled "People of the Book: Judaism's Influence on American Legal Scholarship." It is a meditation on how my background as a Reform Jew growing up in New York City influenced my work as a constitutional lawyer and my scholarship in the fields of criminal procedure and federal jurisdiction. As Irving Howe observed: "The imaginative sustenance that Yiddish culture and the immigrant experience could give to American Jewish writers rarely depended on their awareness or acknowledgement of its presence. Often it took the form of hidden links of attitude and value." In this essay, I will focus on three of those links of attitude and value. First is the value of dispute and dialectic as a bedrock principle in both the religious and legal realms. Second is an entrenched skepticism about power and a heightened awareness of power imbalances. Third is a respect for settled ritual and process, and how it comes into tension with the substantive goal of justice.
An efficient protocol for authenticated and secure message delivery in vehicular ad hoc networks

In Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs), anonymity of the nodes sending messages should be preserved, while at the same time the law enforcement agencies should be able to trace the messages to the senders when necessary. It is also necessary that the messages sent are authenticated and delivered to the vehicles in the relevant areas quickly. In this paper, we present an efficient protocol for fast dissemination of authenticated messages in VANETs. It ensures the anonymity of the senders and also provides mechanism for law enforcement agencies to trace the messages to their senders, when necessary.
Reduction of the electrocaloric entropy change of ferroelectric PbZr1-xTix O3 epitaxial layers due to an elastocaloric effect

We report laser-based direct measurements of the pyroelectric and electrocaloric effects of ${\mathrm{PbZr}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ti}}_{x}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ epitaxial layers as a function of temperature and electric field. By evaluating the differences between the total pyroelectric and electrocaloric coefficients, we determine the secondary contribution to the electrocaloric effect that is created by a combination of piezoelectric and elastocaloric effects. The secondary contribution to the electrocaloric coefficient has the opposite sign as the primary effect and therefore reduces the overall entropy change of ${\mathrm{PbZr}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ti}}_{x}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ in an electric field. The absolute magnitude of the secondary effect is comparable to the primary effect at elevated temperatures of \ensuremath{\approx}200 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C.
Life cycle performance goals for civil infrastructure: intergenerational risk-informed decisions

Civil infrastructure facilities play a central role in the economic, social and political health of modern society. Such facilities are susceptible to ageing, which is stochastic in nature and makes their reliabilities time dependent. Life-cycle engineering analysis and risk-informed decision tools have advanced in recent years for managing public investments in performance assurance and risk mitigation of civil infrastructure. However, certain civil infrastructure projects may be designed for service periods that are substantially longer than what has been typically expected of buildings, bridges and similar facilities, extending the potential consequences of life-cycle engineering decisions far beyond the limits for which there is practical experience. Current assessment procedures will require modification to evaluate performance of civil infrastructure facilities over extended time frames and to support sustainable and equitable decisions affecting long-term public safety. This paper considers a numbe...