cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deep Space Network Array - Update

JPL, in conjunction with the NASA HQ Science Mission Directorate, is evaluating a cost-effective method of obtaining large apertures for deep space communications, by arraying many small-diameter antennas. Drivers are the need to increase greatly the amount of information received from and transmitted to deep-space mission, both human and robotic, increase the precision of deep space navigation as NASA moves to the Kaband, and replace aging DSN assets. Plans and analysis were previously presented. This paper presents recent updates in the following areas: 1. Results on the cost-effectiveness and performance of small (6m-12m) antennas, at Xand Ka-band. We show performance data for two classes of low-cost antenna that nevertheless meet difficult performance requirements, including blind-pointing at Kaband and use of compact cryogenic front-ends. 2. Results on signal arraying. We show the flexible architecture and initial results of field tests in real-time combining broadband (500 MHz) signals from small antennas, to generate an effective large antenna 3. Methods to achieve a cost-effective uplink, in particular through arraying of uplink signals. We show that using an architecture that separates the uplink antennas from the downlink antennas, and through arraying of uplink antennas, we can achieve highly-efficient allocation of uplink capability to meet a wide range of mission needs in or nominal, emergency, and high-demand scenarios. 4. Selection process for antenna sites, through application of methodology for scoring and weighting of multiple criteria for all candidate sites. The methodology balances factors that tend to favors remote, desert sites that are superior for Ka-band operations, with factors that favor populated areas, e.g. the need to locate operations and maintenance staff near-by. The methodology can be adapted to other applications.
Gastric MALT lymphoma in a Helicobacter pylori-negative patient: a case report and review of the literature.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a gram-negative spiral bacterium only recently recognized, has been associated with many gastric pathologies, including peptic ulcer disease, chronic gastritis, gastric lymphoma, and gastric adenocarcinoma. Eradication of H. pylori is now considered essential for the treatment of these pathologies, and usually consists of antibiotic therapy, combined with acid suppression by a proton pump inhibitor. This simple treatment can often obviate the need for surgical intervention. In the case of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, it can replace the use of radiotherapy or chemotherapy. In a small percentage of the above-mentioned gastric pathologies, no evidence of H. pylori is found. In these cases, H. pylori eradication therapy seems to be irrelevant, and other therapeutic modalities are required. We present a case of gastric MALT lymphoma in an H. pylori-negative patient, in whom partial gastric resection was carried out. We review the literature and discuss the possible therapeutic options in this situation.
Comparison of ozone temporal scales for large urban, small urban, and rural areas in Georgia.

Abstract Ground‐level ozone (O3) time series are characterized by the sum of several distinct temporal scales: long‐term, seasonal, synoptic, diurnal (daily), and intraday variation. In this study, the authors use a Kolmorogov‐Zurbenko filter to separate the 1981–2001 O3 time‐series from many sites in and around Georgia into these various components. The authors compare the temporal components to examine differences between small and large metropolitan areas and between urban and rural areas. They then focus on the synoptic component to define a predominant transport region or airshed for each site.
Neo-Darwinism and Simon's Bureaucratic Antihero

Decision making, as a form of Darwinism, has reduced our sense of what it means to be a human being to the practical art of adaptation to a hostile environment. In reality, however, the practicality of decision making to the survival of the species or the American culture is marginal. For Herbert Simon to be able to prescribe administrative behavior, which is essentially problem solving, he must also reduce the heroic nature of human beings to the dreary and uninspiring task of satisficing. Satisficing does not draw on the human capacity for proactive choice and purposeful change. Simon bases his theories on an incomplete view of evolution-especially human evolution. Simon's neo-Darwinism is illustrated and then compared with emerging views on the nature of evolution, the brain, and the human enterprise. The conclusion drawn here is that whether or not we have bounded rationality is really a matter of the choice we make about human purpose.
Deep Desulfurization of Gasoline by Selective Adsorption over Nickel-Based Adsorbent for Fuel Cell Applications

Adsorptive desulfurization of model gasoline fuels and a real gasoline over a nickel-based adsorbent Ni−Al was conducted in a flowing adsorption system at a temperature range of 25−200 °C under ambient pressure without using H2 gas in order to evaluate the desulfurization performance of the adsorbent for producing ultra-low-sulfur gasoline for fuel cell applications. Adsorptive capacity and selectivity of the Ni−Al adsorbent for various sulfur compounds and the effects of coexisting olefin in gasoline as well as adsorptive conditions on the adsorptive performance were examined. It was found that the nickel-based adsorbent shows high capacity and selectivity for the adsorptive desulfurization of gasoline. Olefins in gasoline have a strong inhibiting effect on the desulfurization performance of the nickel-based adsorbent at room temperature. Increasing the temperature to 200 °C can significantly improve the desulfurization performance of the nickel-based adsorbent for real gasoline. The adsorption mechanism...
Using Focus Groups to Identify Lifestyle and Health Issues in the Elderly

Abstract This article describes the use of focus groups with elders at an inner city senior citizens center. The findings were used to gain lifestyle information to guide future activities of a grant project and to form the basis for a health education needs assessment and programming for the seniors. Several predominant lifestyle themes were identified and fifteen health education needs were established. Focus groups were found to be an effective tool for collecting information from older adults and served to sensitize health professionals to many aspects of the elders' lives.
Chaotic and homoclinic behavior for numerical discretizations of the nonlinear Schro¨dinger equation

Abstract Certain conservative discretizations of the NLS can produce irregular behavior. We consider the diagonal discretization as a conservative perturbation of the integrable discretization and study the homoclinic crossings in its nonlinear spectrum. We find that irregularity sets in when two homoclinic structures are present and, in this case, many and continual homoclinic crossings occur throughout the irregular time series. We indicate a Melnikov analysis to study the consequences of this homoclinic behavior.
Condition monitoring and fault-tolerance agents for grid-tied inverters

This paper proposes innovative techniques for extending the lifespan of grid-tied inverter after detecting an overstress event for inverter components or diagnosing an incipient internal failure. This is performed using a reconfigurable circuit topology working in tandem with two adaptive agents: a fault diagnostic agent and fault-tolerance agent. The fault diagnostic agent uses the trajectory of a condition monitoring vector and its momentum and applies a support vector machine approach. Thus, it is fast and reliable to be used under transient conditions, while the existing techniques either require a long processing time or perform well only under steady-state conditions. Using Q-learning, the fault-tolerance agent will find an optimum action to reduce the amount of detected stress or to isolate and replace the faulty component by an auxiliary component. This agent finds the optimum action using an effective reinforcement learning methodology.
Boycott in America: How Imagination and Ideology Shape the Legal Mind

Gary Minda's critical study of boycotts in American law and culture focuses on how the word boycott has developed as a metaphoric, rather than as a rational or logical, form of reasoning. Minda first discusses the history, interpretation, and understanding of boycotts. He then turns to the role of metaphor in the interpretation of boycotts and of boycott law.Drawing on cognitive psychology and linguistic theory, Minda argues that the metaphors judges choose in describing boycotts determine how they view boycotts: "[F]rom the very first time the word boycott appeared in a reported decision in America, judges have used the word to signify inflammatory, as well as sublime, legal meanings and connotations. Judges have compared group boycotts to 'bloodthirsty tigers' and they have analyzed boycott activity as if it were a 'disease' infecting the internal biological system of the body. Judges have compared group boycotts to 'soapbox oratory, ' and they have concluded that boycott activity is a 'special form of political communication.'"For lawyers, judges, and legal scholars, this book provides a clear and cogent examination of boycott law. Linguistic and cognitive theorists should find the book useful for illustrating how metaphor and cognitive theory can be used to analyze legal opinions. Historians will find new histories of boycott. Lay readers interested in understanding the role of boycotts in American law and society will find the book insightful.
Effect of age on the percentage of hemoglobin A1c and the percentage of total glycohemoglobin in non-diabetic persons

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between age and the percentage of total glycohemoglobin (%tGHb) and that of hemoglobin A1c (%HbA1c) in an adult population without known diabetes. The %tGHb was determined by a semi-automated gravity elution method and by an automated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method in 210 and 147 subjects without known diabetes, respectively. The %HbA1c was determined by ion-exchange HPLC in 109 subjects without known diabetes. There was a modest age-related increase in %tGHb and %HbA1c. The mean increase was approximately 0.11% to 0.15% per decade depending on the analytic method used. However, the variance was very large. In conclusion, there is an age-related increase in %tGHb and %HbA1c. However, the increase is only modest and has only a minor effect on a determined reference range in adults. (J Lab Clin Med 1999;134:451-3)
Toll-like receptor 9 inhibition confers protection from liver ischemia–reperfusion injury†

Liver I/R injury is an unavoidable consequence of partial hepatectomy, liver transplantation, and hypovolemic shock and remains a significant clinical problem. In addition to hepatocyte necrosis and apoptosis, severe liver I/R injury can induce a dysregulated systemic inflammatory response that culminates in multiple organ failure.1, 2 The current treatment of liver I/R injury is merely supportive care and thus new therapeutic strategies are needed. Hepatic I/R generates a complex array of signals that are initially confined to the liver milieu. The ensuing sequence of events is characterized by ischemia-induced cytolysis of hepatocytes and the generation of ROS. Subsequently, secondary activation of the innate immune system occurs with upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that promote additional hepatocyte death. Inflammatory agents known to potentiate hepatic I/R injury have been well described and include TNF, IL-1β and IL-12.3–5 In particular, TNF induces adhesion molecule and chemokine expression leading to rapid infiltration of neutrophils, which are among the principal effectors of liver I/R injury.6 TLRs are pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) that recognize conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Activation of innate immunity through TLR ligation occurs in microbial infection. However, it is now apparent that TLRs can also recognize endogenous ligands. Liver I/R injury is exacerbated via activation of TLR4 by HMGB1, a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) protein released from dying cells.7–9 Meanwhile, TLR2 does not appear to play a role in liver I/R injury as TLR2−/− mice have similar serum ALT as WT mice.10 The role of other individual TLRs in liver I/R is unknown. TLR9 is an endosomal protein that recognizes bacterial CpG as well as self-DNA.11, 12 Since liver I/R results in hepatocyte death and potential DNA release, we hypothesized that TLR9 contributes to the associated immune response. Furthermore, because the TLR9-mediated responses of dendritic cells and macrophages to bacterial DNA in vitro have been shown to be augmented by HMGB1,13, 14 we sought to determine the relationship between TLR9 and HMGB1 in liver I/R.
Measuring Cardiac Output: Intermittent Bolus Thermodilution Method

cialist in the cardiac care unit and cardiac observation unit at UCLA Medical Center and is an assistant professor of nursing at the UCLA School of Nursing, Los Angeles, Calif. by a computer and converted into a measurement of cardiac output. Cardiac output is inversely proportional to the area under the curve. The normal cardiac output curve has a rapid smooth upstroke and a gradual downstroke (Figure 1). A small area under the curve indicates a high cardiac output. The faster blood flows through the heart, the earlier the peak and sharper the drop, because the catheter senses temperature change over a short period. A low cardiac output results in a larger area under the curve. When blood flows slowly (low cardiac output), the area under the curve (temperature change over time) is greater because the catheter senses changes in temperature over a longer period. The curves vary according to the patient’s clinical condition and according to deviations in technique (Figure 2). Concerns about contamination of prefilled syringes of injectate and proximal port of a pulmonary artery catheter located in the right atrium. In the atrium, the injectate mixes with the blood and passes through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. A thermistor within the catheter senses the change in blood temperature as the blood passes the catheter tip located in the pulmonary artery. A curve that shows the change in temperature over time is calculated ProtocolsforPractice
Relative Growth, Ontogeny, and Sexual Dimorphism in Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla and G. g. beringei): Evolutionary and Ecological Considerations

Gorillas are the largest and among the most sexually dimorphic of all extant primates. While gorillas have been incorporated in broad-level comparisons among large-bodied hominoids or in studies of the African apes, comparisons between gorilla subspecies have been rare. During the past decade, however, behavioral, morphological, and molecular data from a number of studies have indicated that the western lowland (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and eastern mountain (Gorilla gorilla beringei) subspecies differ to a greater extent than has been previously believed. In this study I compare patterns of relative growth of the postcranial skeleton to evaluate whether differences between subspecies result from the differential extension of common patterns of relative growth. In addition, patterns of ontogeny and sexual dimorphism are also examined. Linear skeletal dimensions and skeletal weight were obtained for ontogenetic series of male and female G.g. gorilla (n = 315) and G.g. beringei (n = 38). Bivariate and multivariate methods of analysis were used to test for differences in patterns of relative growth, ontogeny, and sexual dimorphism between sexes of each subspecies and in same-sex comparisons between subspecies. Results indicate males and females of both subspecies are ontogenetically scaled for postcranial proportions and that females undergo an earlier skeletal growth spurt compared to males. However, results also indicate that the onset of the female growth spurt occurs at different dental stages in lowland and mountain gorillas and that mountain gorillas may be characterized by higher rates of growth. Finally, data demonstrate lowland and mountain gorilla females do not differ significantly in adult body size, but mountain gorilla males are significantly larger than lowland gorilla males, suggesting mountain gorillas are characterized by a higher degree of sexual dimorphism in body size. Thus, although lowland and mountain gorillas do not appear to have evolved novel adaptations of the postcranium which correlate with differences in locomotor behavior, the present investigation establishes subspecies differences in ontogeny and sexual dimorphism which may be linked with ecological variation. Specifically, these findings are evaluated in the context of risk aversion models which predict higher growth rates and increased levels of sexual dimorphism in extreme folivores.
A modular system for reactor calculations

The ARC (Argonne Reactor Computation) System has been developed to facilitate the studies required for fast-reactor design. The areas of physics, safety, fuel utilization and core-design had initial priority. Other general engineering capabilities will be added later.
Distribution of MIMO mutual information: A large deviations approach

Using a large deviations approach we calculate the probability distribution of the mutual information of MIMO channels in the limit of large antenna numbers. In contrast to previous methods that only focused to the distribution close to its most probable value, thus obtaining an asymptotically Gaussian distribution, we calculate the full distribution including its tails, which behave quite differently from the bulk of the distribution. Our resulting probability distribution seamlessly interpolates between the Gaussian approximation for rates R close to the ergodic value of the mutual information and the approach of Zheng and Tse [1], valid for large signal to noise ratios ρ. This provides us with a tool to analytically calculate outage probabilities at any point in the (R, ρ,N) parameter space, as long as the number of antennas N is not too small. In addition, this method also yields the probability distribution of eigenvalues constrained in the subspace where the mutual information per antenna is fixed to R for a given ρ. Quite remarkably, this eigenvalue density is of the form of the Marcenko-Pastur distribution with square-root singularities.
Change in Coreceptor Use Correlates with Disease Progression in HIV-1–Infected Individuals

Recent studies have identified several coreceptors that are required for fusion and entry of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) into CD4+ cells. One of these receptors, CCR5, serves as a coreceptor for nonsyncytium inducing (NSI), macrophage-tropic strains of HIV-1, while another, fusin or CXCR-4, functions as a coreceptor for T cell line-adapted, syncytium-inducing (SI) strains. Using sequential primary isolates of HIV-1, we examined whether viruses using these coreceptors emerge in vivo and whether changes in coreceptor use are associated with disease progression. We found that isolates of HIV-1 from early in the course of infection predominantly used CCR5 for infection. However, in patients with disease progression, the virus expanded its coreceptor use to include CCR5, CCR3, CCR2b, and CXCR-4. Use of CXCR-4 as a coreceptor was only seen with primary viruses having an SI phenotype and was restricted by the env gene of the virus. The emergence of variants using this coreceptor was associated with a switch from NSI to SI phenotype, loss of sensitivity to chemokines, and decreasing CD4+ T cell counts. These results suggest that HIV-1 evolves during the course of infection to use an expanded range of coreceptors for infection, and that this adaptation is associated with progression to AIDS.
Adipose tissue transcriptome changes during obesity development in female dogs

During the development of obesity, adipose tissue undergoes major expansion and remodeling, but the biological processes involved in this transition are not well understood. The objective of this s...
Corncobs with Aureomycin as Roughage Compared to Hay for Dairy Heifers

Summary Twelve dairy heifers were fed experimental rations for a 24-week period to compare corncobs with bromegrass hay as the source of roughage. Aureomycin was fed to half of the heifers in each roughage group. Protein, mineral, and vitamin supplements were mixed with the corncobs to make the mixture equivalent to the hay in nutritive values. The rations containing cobs and extra supplements compared favorably with bromegrass hay rations. The average daily gains were 1.59lb. for the cob rations and 1.46lb. for the hay rations. The addition of aureomycin did not increase the live weight gains. Differences in gains were not statistically significant.
Gatekeeping: Perspectives from Both Sides of the Fence

As gatekeepers for the social work profession, social work educators play a critical role in upholding professional standards and improving the profession's rigor; however, many faculty members struggle with this role for a variety of reasons. This article presents the narratives of a faculty member from a graduate school of social work and a student who failed the faculty member's class—which triggered automatic expulsion. Both authors reflect on their experience of the situation and offer questions for discussion to encourage faculty and students to explore the challenging issue of the role of gatekeeping in social work education. This project could not have been accomplished without the help of Dr. Kim Strom‐Gottfried and Gerald Schamess who offered much guidance and direction regarding how to approach this challenging topic.
The Role of Social Support in the Stressor-Strain Relationship: An Examination of Work-Family Conflict

This study examines the role of social support in work-family conflict. Although previous research has examined social support as a promising coping mechanism, questions as to how social support affects work-family conflict remain unanswered. Social support is examined as an antecedent, an intervening, a moderating, and an independent variable in the stressors to work-family conflict relationship. Results suggest that social support may be best viewed as an antecedent to perceived stressors. From this, a more full model of work-family conflict is developed and tested. Discussion centers around how social support reduces the likelihood that situations will be perceived as stressful, thus, indirectly affecting work-family conflict through perceived stressors.
Testing for Thresholds in a Semiarid Grassland: The Influence of Prairie Dogs and Plague

State-and-transition models for semiarid grasslands in the North American Great Plains suggest that the presence of herbivorous black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) on a site 1) creates a vegetation state characterized by increased dominance of annual forbs and unpalatable bunchgrasses and increased bare soil exposure and 2) requires long-term (> 40 yr) prairie dog removal to transition back to a vegetation state dominated by palatable perennial grasses. Here, we examine 1) how the recent history of prairie dog occupancy on a site (1–10 yr) influences the magnitude of prairie dog effects on vegetation composition and 2) how occupancy history affects vegetation dynamics following extirpation of prairie dogs. We used a natural experiment in the shortgrass steppe of northeastern Colorado, USA, where prairie dogs were extirpated from multiple sites during an outbreak of epizootic plague. On sites occupied by prairie dogs for 1–4 yr prior to extirpation, plant cover and composition recovered to conditions similar to unoccupied sites within a single growing season. Larger reductions in perennial C4 grasses occurred on sites occupied for the prior 7–10 yr compared to sites with shorter occupancy histories (< 6 yr). On sites occupied for the prior 7–10 yr, C4 perennial grasses recovered after 5 yr following prairie dog extirpation; in addition, C3 perennial graminoids and forbs remained more abundant (compared to sites with no history of prairie dogs) throughout the 5-yr period. Our findings showcase that prior site occupancy (up to 10 yr) by prairie dogs did not induce irreversible shifts in vegetation state in this semiarid grassland. Rather, vegetation changes induced by prairie dogs represent primarily a phase shift in landscapes where prairie dog populations are regulated by epizootic plague.
Dilated intercellular space in chronic laryngitis and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: at baseline and post-lansoprazole therapy

SUMMARY Background Dilation of intercellular spaces is reported to be an early morphological marker in gastro-oesophageal reflux. It remains unknown if this marker is useful in diagnosing reflux-related chronic laryngitis. Aim To determine histopathology and electron microscopic changes in oesophageal and laryngeal epithelium in chronic laryngitis. Methods In this prospective blinded study, we enrolled 53 participants: 15 controls, 20 patients with GERD and 18 patients with chronic laryngitis. The latter two groups were subsequently treated with lansoprazole 30 mg bid for 12weeks. Baseline and postacid suppressive therapy biopsies were obtained from distal oesophagus and laryngeal postcricoid areas. Biopsy specimens were evaluated for histopathology and dilated intercellular space changes.
Modeling Dissimilar Optical Fiber Splices With Substantial Diffusion

Optical losses of dissimilar fiber fusion splices are modeled using a combination of diffusion simulation and beam propagation method; open-source codes are provided. It is demonstrated that an optimal amount of diffusion is required to achieve the minimum splice loss. Additional annealing beyond the optimal level is detrimental. Furthermore, oscillation of splice loss with the geometrical parameters of the heat zone due to an optical interference effect is revealed, which can be intentionally utilized to reduce dissimilar fiber splice losses. Understanding these diffusion-related splice loss mechanisms is important for splicing process optimization, as well as design of fusion splicers and novel postsplicing heat treatment devices.
Economic Voting and the “Symbolic Politics” Argument: A Reinterpretation and Synthesis

Economic voting is generally regarded as a straightforward political demand for the amelioration of economic grievances. This assumption about motives underlies the implicit theories of politicians and the imputations of interests to voters in aggregate time series models. Several recent articles have argued that voting is not self-interested but a manifestation of “symbolic” preferences at the level of the collectivity. This article places the dispute between personal and collective decision referents into the broader perspective of a multi-stage model of information processing and decision making. Personal and collective decision referents are shown to define the poles of a continuum, and several hypotheses are derived to predict the relative weights assigned to each in the voter's calculus. The model is used in analyses of both the public's evaluations of incumbent economic management and economic voting in different electoral arenas by varying issue publics. Designed to maximize comparability with aggregate studies, this research includes both objective and subjective measures of economic conditions and indexes changes in personal conditions over time from panel data.
Activation of gene expression in human neutrophils by high mobility group box 1 protein

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, a DNA binding protein that stabilizes nucleosomes and facilitates transcription, was recently identified as a late mediator of endotoxin lethality. High serum HMGB1 levels in patients with sepsis are associated with increased mortality, and administration of HMGB1 produces acute inflammation in animal models of lung injury and endotoxemia. Neutrophils occupy a critical role in mediating the development of endotoxemia-associated acute lung injury, but previously it was not known whether HMGB1 could influence neutrophil activation. In the present experiments, we demonstrate that HMGB1 increases the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and enhances the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in human neutrophils. These proinflammatory effects of HMGB1 in neutrophils appear to involve the p38 MAPK, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt, and ERK1/2 pathways. The mechanisms of HMGB1-induced neutrophil activation are distinct from endotoxin-induced signals, because HMGB1 leads to...
Evans Syndrome (immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia) in a three-year-old male neutered Springer Spaniel

A three-year-old male neutered Springer Spaniel presented with a profound regenerative anaemia. Spherocytosis and in-saline agglutination confirmed the presence of immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia and the dog received immunosuppressive steroids and a packed red cell transfusion. Over the course of the following 48 hours further red cell destruction was seen, as well as a marked fall in platelet numbers, suggesting the presence of immune-mediated thrombocytopenia – Evans syndrome. No underlying trigger could be found, suggesting primary immune-mediated disease, and the dog made a full recovery with a tapering six-month course of immunosuppressive steroids and azathioprine.
Fetal immune response to oral pathogens and risk of preterm birth

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between fetal inflammatory and immune responses to oral pathogens and risk for preterm birth. Study design Six hundred and forty umbilical cord blood specimens were prospectively collected. Cord serum levels of C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, Prostaglandin E 2 , and 8-isoprostane were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and categorized as > median (high) versus ≤ median (low). Presence of fetal immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody against oral pathogens was determined by checkerboard immunoblot assay; detection of ≥1 oral pathogen specific antibody was categorized as positive. Preterm birth was defined as spontaneous delivery at Results Of 640 births, 48 (7.5%) delivered preterm. Preterm birth rates were higher if categorized as high versus low 8-isoprostane or TNF-α (23 vs 5%, P P P = .04). The joint effects of fetal IgM seropositivity, detectable C-reactive protein, or high 8-isoprostane, PGE 2 , or TNF-α resulted in significantly increased risk for preterm birth (adjusted OR [95% CI]: 6.0 [2.2-16.5], 4.3 [1.6-11.5], 4.1 [1.5-11.6], and 7.6 [2.3-20.8], respectively). Conclusion Fetal exposure to oral pathogens evidenced by an IgM response is associated with preterm birth, and the risk for preterm birth is greatest among fetuses that also demonstrate an inflammatory response.
Demand for Financial Assets in the Farm Sector: A Portfolio Balance Approach

The demand for financial assets in portfolios of farm business-household units is viewed as a problem of maximization of utility derived from pecuniary and nonpecuniary services provided by portfolio components and unused credit reserves. The statistical model provides simultaneous equations estimates of structural demand equations for commercial bank deposits. Yields on equities, marketable government bonds, and time and savings deposits as well as the service charge rate on demand deposits are shown to be important determinants of demand. The speed of adjustment of actual stocks to desired levels was estimated and comparisons were made with published estimates for other sectors.
Increased Frequency of Tim-3 Expressing T Cells Is Associated with Symptomatic West Nile Virus Infection

More than a decade after West Nile virus (WNV) entered North America, and despite a significant increase in reported cases during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, no treatment or vaccine for humans is available. Although antiviral T cells contribute to the control of WNV, little is known about their regulation during acute infection. We analyzed the expression of Tim-3 and PD-1, two recently identified T cell negative immune checkpoint receptors, over the course of WNV infection. Symptomatic WNV+ donors exhibited higher frequencies of Tim-3+ cells than asymptomatic subjects within naive/early differentiated CD28+/–CD57–CD4+ and differentiated CD28–CD57–CD8+ T cells. Our study links Tim-3-expression on T cells during acute WNV infection with the development of symptomatic disease, suggesting Tim-3 and its ligands could be targeted therapeutically to alter anti-WNV immunity and improve disease outcome.
Expression of proteolytic activity by cultures of Trichophyton rubrum.

Trichophyton rubrum parasitizes the keratinized tissues of humans and proteinases secreted by this organism could function to allow this fungus to metabolize and invade host tissues. The effect of culture medium and glucose on the production of proteinases by cultures of T. rubrum was studied and the expression of these enzymes as a function of time in culture was followed. The fungus was grown to stationary-phase in Sabouraud's glucose broth and the original broth was then replaced with neopeptone, elastin salts, or keratin salts medium. The culture medium was assayed for azocollytic, elastinolytic and keratinolytic activity. Protelytic activity was also analysed by electrophoresis of culture medium on gelatin and elastin substrate gels. T. rubrum expressed relatively high levels of azocoll-, elastin- and keratin-degrading activity in all of the types of media tested. Glucose partially repressed expression of proteolytic activity, the effect being dependent on the time and conditions of culture. Generall...
Acute changes in sputum collected from exposed human subjects in mining conditions.

Neprilysin (NEP) is a key cell surface peptidase in the maintenance of airway homeostasis and the development of pulmonary disorders. However, little information is available about the effect of particulate matter (PM) on airway NEP. In this controlled human exposure study, changes in induced sputum were measured in 11 subjects at baseline, overshot (OS) mucking, and diesel exhaust (DE) exposure days. Neither OS condition nor DE exposure was found to induce significant changes in total protein, but DE induced significant increases in cell numbers of macrophages and epithelium. Moreover, significant increases in soluble NEP were observed following OS mining dust particulates (0.43 ± 0.06 nmol/μg protein/min; p = .023) and DE exposure (0.40 ± 0.03 nmol/μg protein/min; p = .035) when compared with the baseline control (0.30 ± 0.04 nmol/μg protein/min), with 42% and 31% average net increase, respectively. Pearson’s correlation analyses indicated that sputum NEP activity was significantly associated with perso...
Response properties of primary afferents supplying Eimer's organ

SUMMARY The mole9s nose is covered with mechanosensory structures called Eimer9s organs. Each organ contains Merkel cell-neurite complexes, Paciniform corpuscles and intraepidermal free nerve endings. The function of Eimer9s organ has been the subject of speculation since the 1800s, but responses from the afferents have never been investigated. Our goal was to explore the function of Eimer9s organ by recording primary afferent responses to a range of mechanosensory stimuli. Unit activity from the trigeminal ganglion was recorded from coast ( Scapanus orarius ) and star-nosed ( Condylura cristata ) moles, while stimulating the nose with a Chubbuck mechanosensory stimulator, a piezo-electric sweeping stimulator, and hand-held probes. Stimuli included static indentations, sinusoidal displacements, different indentation velocities, displacement amplitudes, and directional stimuli across the skin. Receptive fields were small, sometimes restricted to single Eimer9s organs. Responses were consistent with a slowly adapting Merkel cell-neurite complex-like receptor class and a dynamically sensitive Pacinian-like rapidly adapting class. A second rapidly adapting class was hypothesized to represent activity of prominent free nerve endings within a central cell column. Some receptors were most sensitive to stimuli applied in particular directions across the skin. Most receptors relayed mechanosensory input with high temporal fidelity. In addition some receptors were tuned to respond best when stimulated at a velocity matching the velocity of the nose during foraging. These results support the hypothesis that Eimer9s organ functions to detect small surface features and textures by encoding and integrating deflection information for multiple Eimer9s organs during brief touches.
Atomic-Absorption Characteristics of Bismuth Using a Turbulent-Flow Total-Consumption Burner

An investigation of the atomic-absorption behavior of bismuth was undertaken, using the 3067.72-A line of bismuth. Optimum operating conditions were determined, then a flame-intensity profile was obtained, an analytical curve prepared, the sensitivity and limit of detection determined, and interference studies were carried out. The instrument used was an 0.5-m Ebert-mounted monochromator using ac electronics with a Sargent model S-72150 multirange recorder for readout. A bismuth hollow cathode and a Beckman medium-bore oxyacetylene burner were used. Optimum flow rate of the oxygen was 2.22 liter/min and the acetylene flow rate was 4.10 liter/min. These flow rates were quite critical. With a single burner and a single optical pass through the flame, the analytically useful range was 1–400 μg Bl/ml (in two steps) using a 1: 1 (volume/volume) acetone-water solvent system. The sensitivity was found to be 2.0 μg/ml and the limit of detection was approximately 1 μg/ml. Interference studies were conducted with the metals Ag, As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn, all of which are commonly found associated with bismuth in ores and alloys. None of these metals were found to interfere with the Bi determination.
SU-E-J-194: Continuous Patient Surface Monitoring and Motion Analysis During Lung SBRT

Purpose: Continuous monitoring of the SBRT lung patient motion during delivery is critical for ensuring adequate target volume margins in stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). This work assesses the deviation of the patient surface motion using a real-time surface tracking system throughout treatment delivery. Methods: Our SBRT protocol employs abdominal compression to reduce the diaphragm movement to within 1 cm, and this is confirmed daily with fluoroscopy. Most patients are prescribed 3–5 fractions, and on treatment day a repeat motion analysis with fluoroscopy is performed, followed by a kV CBCT is aligned with the original planning CT image for 3D setup confirmation. During this entire process a patient surface data restricted to whole chest or the sternum at the middle of the breathing cycle was captured using AlignRT optical surface tracking system and defined as a reference surface. For 10 patients, the deviation of the patient position from the reference surface was recorded during the SBRT delivery in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction at 3–6 measurements per second. Results: On average, the patient position deviated from the reference surface more than 4 mm, 3 mm and 2 mm in the AP direction for 0.95%, 3.7% and 11.1% of the total treatment time,more » respectively. Only one of the 10 patients showed that the maximum deviation of the patient surface during the SBRT delivery was greater than 1 cm. The average deviation of the patient surface from the reference surface during the SBRT delivery was not greater than 1.6 mm for any patient. Conclusion: This investigation indicates that AP motion can be significant even though the frequency is low. Continuous monitoring during SBRT has demonstrated value in monitoring patient motion ensuring that margins selected for SBRT are appropriate, and the use of non-ionizing and high-frequency imaging can provide useful indicators of motion during treatment.« less
The phagocyte NADPH oxidase (NOX2) regulates adaptive immune response at the level of both T cells and APCs (138.7)

Absence of phagocyte NADPH oxidase (NOX2) activity causes chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), a primary immunodeficiency characterized by recurrent bacterial infections. In addition to this innate immune dysfunction, CGD patients or animal models display an altered, perhaps augmented, adaptive immune response. It has been previously shown that T cells express the phagocyte oxidase and also been proposed that NOX2 expression alters APC function. The goal of this study was to determine if the differences in adaptive responses are inherent to T cells, or if other cells create an environment that promotes T helper polarization. Anti-CD3 activation of purified naive T cells from NOX2-deficient mice led to augmented IFNγ and IL-17 secretion. NOX2-deficient antigen presenting cells (APC) showed selective increases in GM-CSF, IL-6, TNF and MCP-1 induced by LPS challenge in vitro. APC function was measured using OVA-specific OT-II T cells, and oxidase deficient APC induced more IFNγ and IL-17 upon antigen stimulation. Adoptive transfer of OT-II T cells into wild type or NOX2(-/-) hosts followed by immunization with OVA in the presence of either CFA or Alum revealed altered cytokine profiles of T cells after restimulation in vitro. These results suggest roles for the phagocyte NADPH oxidase in shaping the adaptive and innate immune responses in both a T cell and APC dependent fashion.
Long range acoustic communications and navigation in the Arctic

A long-range acoustic navigation system with built-in acoustic communications capability has been developed for use by underwater gliders, drifters and vehicles under Arctic ice where surfacing to acquire GPS position may be risky or impossible. The system consists of multiple buoys placed on the ice with transducers suspended 100 m below, each of which is programmed to transmit in a specific time slot at regular intervals. The system operates at 900 Hz, and has programmable bandwidth, from 25 to 100 Hz. The communications data rate for the system is several bits per second, sufficient to transmit the GPS location of the buoys and several bytes of data to vehicles under the ice. The system was deployed in March of 2014 and operated through the fall of 2014, testing the performance of both the navigation and communications capabilities of the system in conjunction with Seagliders deployed by the University of Washington. Ranges of greater than 400 km were achieved with range accuracy of 40 m RMS for the case where the speed of sound is known. The long range and excellent accuracy were the result of ducted sound propagation in the Beaufort Sea.
Vulnerability and Resilience in Local Government: Assessing the Strength of Performance Regimes:

ous materials spills or more exceptional events such as earthquakes or terrorist attacks. It is the truly extreme events of major proportion, however, that capture the attention of policy makers and the public alike.1 These sudden, infrequent "focusing events" that cause great harm typically produce policy change?often major policy change (Birkland 1997). A con temporary example would be the comprehen sive redesign of the homeland security policy in the United States following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Although an ordinary event that is smaller in scale or episodic may fail to generate widespread attention, it too can have substantial deleterious consequences for the affected community. Ultimately, all com munities are at risk, even if the probability of a hazardous event and its severity vary. Vulner ability is ubiquitous, and local governments have the unenviable task of dealing with it.
Resistance in Nicotiana to the Green Peach Aphid and Some Other Tobacco Insect Pests

Varieties of United States tobaccos, tobacco introductions, and wild Nicotiana species were tested in the laboratory and in the field for resistance to the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulz.). Selections and crosses of resistant tobacco were less susceptible than any of the standard burley tobacco varieties. Ky. 62, TI 566B, and TI 567 were more susceptible than the other tobacco varieties tested. Nicotiana gossei, N. repanda, and N. frigonophylla were highly resistant, but crosses of N. gossei with N. tabacum did not show the high resistance of the N. gossei parent. The senescing leaves of the resistant wild species were much more susceptible to aphids than the young or mature leaves. The glucose content of N. gossei leaves was very low compared with that of leaves of susceptible plants, but from preliminary tests this relationship did not seem to be true for other resistant species.
A caring and teaching organization. The ethical lessons of the hospital.

O rganizations educate and train professionals, in settings that define and reflect professional values. Our medical schools educate and train students in becoming physicians; our hospitals do the same-in very different learning settings, however. Learning in the classroom or laboratory is largely about medicine's science. Learning in the wards and outpatient clinics of hospitals teaches students to care for patients. That care of the patient on the ward or in the clinic is learning by doing, an old pedagogical example of what is now called problembased learning. Having made the claim that organizations define our behaviors, let me describe several ways in which learningto-care in the hospital, yesterday and today, shapes values in becoming a doctor.
Molecular Definition of the DRW10 Haplotype

Seven individuals with rheumatoid arthritis who gave a typing reaction with DRw10 and partial reactions with DR1 alloantisera were studied with the aim of better defining the DRw10 haplotype. Family studies of these individuals by 2-D gel analysis demonstrated that the DRw10 haplotype encodes reactivity with Ab109d6 that is expressed on a β chain with a characteristic basic mobility. Ab 109d6 otherwise reacts with an epitope on an acidic DRβ4 molecule that bears the DRw53 specificity (1,2), but this DRβ4 chain was not identified. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from these individuals and the panel of workshop cells digested with TaqI or BamHI were done using a full length DR13 probe to identify RFLPs that characterize the DRw10 haplotype. This haplotype exhibited a pattern readily distinguishable from DR1, 4 or 7. Using TaqI digestion (Table 1A), we identified a distinctive 12.2 Kb fragment unique to the DRw10 haplotype and readily distinguished from the 13.8 Kb DRw53 and the 11.3 Kb DRw52a fragments. The 6.0 Kb TaqI fragment was absent in DRw10 but present in DR1. A 4.6 Kb TaqI fragment was common to both DR1 and DRw10, but absent in DR4 or 7. Further evidence that DRw10 can be distinguished from DR1 is provided by BamHI digestion (Table 1B).