cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular and phenotypic characterization of Listeria monocytogenes from U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service surveillance of ready-to-eat foods and processing facilities.

A panel of 501 Listeria monocytogenes isolates obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service monitoring programs for ready-to-eat (RTE) foods were subtyped by multilocus genotyping (MLGT) and by sequencing the virulence gene inIA, which codes for intemalin. MLGT analyses confirmed that clonal lineages associated with previous epidemic outbreaks were rare (7.6%) contaminants of RTE meat and poultry products and their production environments. Conversely, sequence analyses revealed mutations leading to 11 different premature stop codons (PMSCs) in inIA, including three novel PMSC mutations, and revealed that the frequency of these virulence-attenuating mutations among RTE isolates (48.5%) was substantially higher than previously appreciated. Significant differences (P < 0.001) in the frequency of inIA PMSCs were observed between lineages and between major serogroups, which could partially explain differences in association of these subtypes with human listeriosis. Interrogation of single-nucleotide polymorphisms responsible for PMSCs in inIA improved strain resolution among isolates with the 10 most common pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns, 8 of which included isolates with a PMSC in inIA. The presence or absence of PMSCs in inIA accounted for significant differences (P < 0.05) in Caco-2 invasion efficiencies among isolates with identical PFGE patterns, and the proportion of PulseNet entries from clinical sources was significantly higher (P < 0.001) for PFGE patterns exclusively from isolates with full-length inIA. These results indicated that integration of PFGE and DNA sequence based subtyping provides an improved framework for prediction of relative risk associated with L. monocyto genes strains from RTE foods.
Pharmacology of Mycobacterial Drugs in Children

To effectively treat tuberculosis (TB), optimization of therapy guided by an understanding of pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic principles represents the strategy most likely to influence favorable patient outcomes. However, challenges are often encountered during TB treatment given the concomitant administration of multiple drugs, some with poorly defined therapeutic targets, for prolonged durations. Treatment is further complicated in children as many antitubercular drugs have not been extensively studied in the pediatric population where the impact of human development on drug disposition is relevant, but poorly understood. In this review, the pharmacokinetics (PK) of antitubercular drugs will be reviewed in the context of the pediatric population. Observed differences between adults and children with respect to TB therapy will be highlighted, and future considerations to enhance our understanding of TB drugs used in children will be explored.
Inferring epidemiologic dynamics from viral evolution: 2014-2015 Eurasian/North American highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses exceed transmission threshold, R0 = 1, in wild birds and poultry in North America.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) is a multihost pathogen with lineages that pose health risks for domestic birds, wild birds, and humans. One mechanism of intercontinental HPAIV spread is through wild bird reservoirs, and wild birds were the likely sources of a Eurasian (EA) lineage HPAIV into North America in 2014. The introduction resulted in several reassortment events with North American (NA) lineage low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses and the reassortant EA/NA H5N2 went on to cause one of the largest HPAIV poultry outbreaks in North America. We evaluated three hypotheses about novel HPAIV introduced into wild and domestic bird hosts: (i) transmission of novel HPAIVs in wild birds was restricted by mechanisms associated with highly pathogenic phenotypes; (ii) the HPAIV poultry outbreak was not self-sustaining and required viral input from wild birds; and (iii) reassortment of the EA H5N8 generated reassortant EA/NA AIVs with a fitness advantage over fully Eurasian lineages in North American wild birds. We used a time-rooted phylodynamic model that explicitly incorporated viral population dynamics with evolutionary dynamics to estimate the basic reproductive number (R0) and viral migration among host types in domestic and wild birds, as well as between the EA H5N8 and EA/NA H5N2 in wild birds. We did not find evidence to support hypothesis (i) or (ii) as our estimates of the transmission parameters suggested that the HPAIV outbreak met or exceeded the threshold for persistence in wild birds (R0 > 1) and poultry (R0 ≈ 1) with minimal estimated transmission among host types. There was also no evidence to support hypothesis (iii) because R0 values were similar among EA H5N8 and EA/NA H5N2 in wild birds. Our results suggest that this novel HPAIV and reassortments did not encounter any transmission barriers sufficient to prevent persistence when introduced to wild or domestic birds.
Dried plum reverses bone loss in postmenopausal women

Aside from existing drug therapies, certain lifestyle and nutritional factors are known to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Among nutritional factors, dried plum is the most effective fruit in both...
RECONSTITUTION OF THE HEPATIC MICROSOMAL ETHANOL OXIDIZING SYSTEM (MEOS) IN CONTROL RATS AND AFTER ETHANOL FEEDING

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the reconstitution of the hepatic microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS) in control rats and after ethanol feeding. An ethanol oxidizing system was reconstituted with cytochrome P-450, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, and phospholipid. This system also metabolizes prpoanol, butanol, and benzphetamine. Neither catalase nor ADH play a role in this system. Characteristics of this system are similar to those of the MEOS. Chronic ethanol feeding of either male or female rats for about 4–12 weeks resulted in a significant quantitative and qualitative change in hepatic cytochrome P-450. The rise in cytochrome P-450 content was associated with preferential increase of Form I cytochrome P-450 by cyanide titration. The partially purified cytochrome P-450 from ethanol fed rats was more active for alcohol oxidation than the control preparation in the presence of an excess of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and L-α-dioleoyl lecithin.
Innovation and Information Sharing among Competitors and Cooperators

It has long been recognized that creating and sustaining competitive advantage does not only rely on competition but also cooperation among rivals, see Brandenburger and Nalebuff (1996), Brandenbur...
Performance of the advanced ACTPol low frequency array

The Advanced Atacama Cosmology Telescope Polarimeter (AdvACT) is an upgraded instrument for the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, which uses transition-edge sensor (TES) detector arrays to measure cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization anisotropies in multiple frequency bands. We review the integration and characterization of the final polarimeter array, which is the low frequency (LF) array, consisting of 292 TES bolometers observing in two bands centered at 27 GHz and 39 GHz. This array is sensitive to synchrotron radiation from our galaxy as well as to the CMB, and complements the AdvACT arrays operating at 90, 150 and 230 GHz to provide robust detection and removal of foreground contamination. We present detector parameters for the LF array measured in the lab, including saturation powers, critical temperatures, thermal conductivities, time constants and optical efficiencies, and their uniformity across the entire wafer.
Focus on Safe Medication Practices

By Melanie J. Rantucci, Christine Stewart, and Ian Stewart Published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 530 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3621, 2008. 218 p. Price $37.95. This book reviews the basic tenets of medication safety. The purpose is to give users the tools to examine why
Paper Versus Digital Data Collection for Road Safety Risk Factors: Reliability Comparative Analysis From Three Cities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Background: Rapid advances in mobile technologies and applications and the continued growth in digital network coverage have the potential to transform data collection in low- and middle-income countries. A common perception is that digital data collection (DDC) is faster and quickly adaptable. Objective: The objective of this study was to test whether DDC is faster and more adaptable in a roadside environment. We conducted a reliability study comparing digital versus paper data collection in 3 cities in Ghana, Vietnam, and Indonesia observing road safety risk factors in real time. Methods: Roadside observation of helmet use among motorcycle passengers, seat belt use among 4-wheeler passengers, and speeding was conducted in Accra, Ghana; Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam; and Bandung, Indonesia. Two independent data collection teams were deployed to the same sites on the same dates and times, one using a paper-based data collection tool and the other using a digital tool. All research assistants were trained on paper-based data collection and DDC. A head-to-head analysis was conducted to compare the volume of observations, as well as the prevalence of each risk factor. Correlations (r) for continuous variables and kappa for categorical variables are reported with their level of statistical significance. Results: In Accra, there were 119 observation periods (90-min each) identical by date, time, and location during the helmet and seat belt use risk factor data collection and 118 identical periods observing speeding prevalence. In Bandung, there were 150 observation periods common to digital and paper data collection methods, whereas in HCMC, there were 77 matching observation periods for helmet use, 82 for seat belt use, and 84 for speeding. Data collectors using paper tools were more productive than their DDC counterparts during the study. The highest mean volume per session was recorded for speeding, with Bandung recording over 1000 vehicles on paper (paper: mean 1092 [SD 435]; digital: mean 807 [SD 261]); whereas the lowest volume per session was from HCMC for seat belts (paper: mean 52 [SD 28]; digital: mean 62 [SD 30]). Accra and Bandung showed good-to-high correlation for all 3 risk factors (r=0.52 to 0.96), with higher reliability in speeding and helmet use over seat belt use; HCMC showed high reliability for speeding (r=0.99) but lower reliability for helmet and seat belt use (r=0.08 to 0.32). The reported prevalence of risk factors was comparable in all cities regardless of the data collection method. Conclusions: DDC was convenient and reliable during roadside observational data collection. There was some site-related variability in implementing DDC methods, and generally the productivity was higher using the more familiar paper-based method. Even with low correlations between digital and paper data collection methods, the overall reported population prevalence was similar for all risk factors.
Mixture Network Regularized Generalized Linear Model with Feature Selection

High dimensional genomics data in biomedical sciences is an invaluable resource for constructing statistical prediction models. With the increasing knowledge of gene networks and pathways, this information can be utilized in the statistical models to improve prediction accuracy and enhance model interpretability. However, in some scenarios the network structure may only be partially known or inaccurately specified. Thus, the performance of statistical models incorporating such network structure may be compromised. In this paper, we proposed a weighted sparse network learning method by optimally combining a data driven network with sparsity property to a known or partially known prior network to address this issue. We showed that our proposed model attained the oracle property which aims to improve the accuracy of parameter estimation and achieved a parsimonious model in high dimensional setting for different outcomes including continuous, binary and survival data in extensive simulations studies. Case studies on ovarian cancer proteomics and melanoma gene expression further demonstrated that our proposed model achieved good operating characteristics in predicting response to chemotherapy and survival risk. An R package glmaag implemented our method is available on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN).
Real-time Smartphone-based Sleep Staging using 1-Channel EEG

Automatic and real-time sleep scoring is necessary to develop user interfaces that trigger stimuli in specific sleep stages. However, most automatic sleep scoring systems have been focused on offline data analysis. We present the first, real-time sleep staging system that uses deep learning without the need for servers in a smartphone application for a wearable EEG. We employ real-time adaptation of a single channel Electroencephalography (EEG) to infer from a Time-Distributed Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Polysomnography (PSG) -the gold standard for sleep staging-requires a human scorer and is both complex and resource-intensive. Our work demonstrates an end-to-end, smartphone-based pipeline that can infer sleep stages in just single 30-second epochs, with an overall accuracy of 83.5% on 20-fold cross validation for 5-stage classification of sleep stages using the open Sleep-EDF dataset. For comparison, inter-rater reliability among sleep-scoring experts is about 80% (Cohen's $k=0\pmb{.68}\ \mathbf{to}\ \pmb{0.76})$ . We further propose an on-device metric independent of the deep learning model which increases the average accuracy of classifying deep-sleep (N3) to more than 97.2% on 4 test nights using power spectral analysis.
Lens Stretching Modulates Lens Epithelial Cell Proliferation via YAP Regulation.

Purpose The continuous growth of the lens throughout life may contribute to the onset of age-related conditions in the lens (i.e., presbyopia and cataract). Volumetric growth is the result of continuous proliferation of lens epithelial cells (LECs). The driving factors controlling LEC proliferation are not well understood. This study tested the hypothesis that mechanical stretching modulates LEC proliferation. Methods Biomechanical regulation of LEC proliferation was investigated by culturing whole porcine lenses and connective tissues ex vivo under varying physiologically relevant stretching conditions using a bespoke lens stretching device. Additionally, some lenses were treated with a YAP function inhibitor to determine the Hippo signaling pathway's role in regulating lens growth. Resulting changes in LEC labeling index were analyzed using EdU incorporation and flow cytometry for each lens. Results LEC proliferation was found to be modulated by mechanical strain. Increasing both the magnitude of static stretching and the stretching frequency in cyclic stretching resulted in a proportional increase in the labeling indices of the LECs. Additionally, treatment with the YAP function inhibitor effectively eliminated this relationship. Conclusions These data demonstrate that LEC proliferation is regulated in part, by the mechanotransduction of stresses induced in the lens capsule and that YAP plays an important role in mechanosensing. These results have important implications for understanding lens growth and morphogenesis. The model may also be used to identify and evaluate targets for modulating lens growth.
Accelerated EM Connectome Reconstruction using 3D Visualization and Segmentation Graphs

Abstract Recent advances in automatic image segmentation and synapse prediction in electron microscopy (EM) datasets of the brain enable more efficient reconstruction of neural connectivity. In these datasets, a single neuron can span thousands of images containing complex tree-like arbors with thousands of synapses. While image segmentation algorithms excel within narrow fields of views, the algorithms sometimes struggle to correctly segment large neurons, which require large context given their size and complexity. Conversely, humans are comparatively good at reasoning with large objects. In this paper, we introduce several semi-automated strategies that combine 3D visualization and machine guidance to accelerate connectome reconstruction. In particular, we introduce a strategy to quickly correct a segmentation through merging and cleaving, or splitting a segment along supervoxel boundaries, with both operations driven by affinity scores in the underlying segmentation. We deploy these algorithms as streamlined workflows in a tool called Neu3 and demonstrate superior performance compared to prior work, thus enabling efficient reconstruction of much larger datasets. The insights into proofreading from our work clarify the trade-offs to consider when tuning the parameters of image segmentation algorithms.
An Antivirulence Approach for Preventing Cryptococcus neoformans from Crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier via Novel Natural Product Inhibitors of a Fungal Metalloprotease

ABSTRACT Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) is the leading cause of fungal meningitis, a deadly disease with limited therapeutic options. Dissemination to the central nervous system hinges on the ability of Cn to breach the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and is considered an attribute of Cn virulence. Targeting virulence instead of growth for antifungal drug development has not been fully exploited despite the benefits of this approach. Mpr1 is a secreted fungal metalloprotease not required for fungal growth, but rather, it functions as a virulence factor by facilitating Cn migration across the BBB. This central role for Mpr1, its extracellular location, and lack of expression in mammalian cells make Mpr1 a high-value target for an antivirulence approach aimed at developing therapeutics for cryptococcal meningitis. To test this notion, we devised a large-scale screen to identify compounds that prohibited Cn from crossing the BBB by selectively blocking Mpr1 proteolytic activity, without inhibiting the growth of Cn. A phytochemical natural product-derived library was screened to identify new molecular scaffolds of prototypes unique to a Cn microecosystem. Of the 240 pure natural products examined, 3 lead compounds, abietic acid, diosgenin, and lupinine inhibited Mpr1 proteolytic activity with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of IMPORTANCE Fungal infections like cryptococcal meningitis are difficult to resolve because of the limited therapies available. The small arsenal of antifungal drugs reflect the difficulty in finding available targets in fungi because like mammalian cells, fungi are eukaryotes. The limited efficacy, toxicity, and rising resistance of antifungals contribute to the high morbidity and mortality of fungal infections and further underscore the dire but unmet need for new antifungal drugs. The traditional approach in antifungal drug development has been to target fungal growth, but an attractive alternative is to target mechanisms of pathogenesis. An important attribute of Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) pathogenesis is its ability to enter the central nervous system. Here, we describe a large-scale screen that identified three natural products that prevented Cn from crossing the blood-brain barrier by inhibiting the virulence factor Mpr1 without affecting the growth of Cn. We propose that compounds identified here could be further developed as antivirulence therapy that would be administered preemptively or serve as a prophylactic in patients at high risk for developing cryptococcal meningitis.
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for HIV-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: case report and management recommendations.

Human immunodeficiency virus-positive (HIV+) patients are at substantially higher risk of hematologic malignancies, including an 18-fold increased risk of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL).[1] While antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens have significantly improved viral control and reduced the risk of malignancy, HIV+ patients continue to be at increased risk irrespective of CD4 count and viral load.[1] The therapeutic goal for HIV+ patients with DLBCL is curative, but patients who are refractory to chemotherapy or relapse post-autologous transplant (auto-HCT) have poor outcomes. Recently, CD19-targeting chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) therapies became available for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) DLBCL and demonstrated overall response rates of 50–85% and complete response rates of 40–52%. [2, 3] However, HIV+ patients have been excluded from all registration CAR-T cell clinical trials, leaving uncertainty regarding safety and efficacy of CAR-T therapies in HIV-infected individuals. We report here our experience treating a well-controlled HIV+ male with aggressive multiply relapsed DLBCL with axicabtagene ciloleucel and discuss steps to optimize success of CAR-T therapy and management of concomitant HIV and R/R DLBCL.
Oxygen Radical-Mediated Oxidation of Serotonin: Potential Relationship to Neurodegenerative Diseases

Oxygen free radicals have been implicated as a pathoetiological factor in aging1–5 and in a number of neurodegenerative brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease,1,6–9 Parkinson’s Disease,10–12 transient cerebral ischemia13 and as a result of methamphetamine14–16 and ethanol17 abuse. The brain appears to be particularly vulnerable to oxygen radical-mediated damage, often referred to as oxidative stress, because of several biochemical features that include high oxygen consumption, high iron content of some brain regions,4 relatively low levels of protective enzymes and antioxidants such as the tocopherols,5 and high content of peroxidizable polyunsaturated fatty acids associated with lipid membranes. It seems to be rather widely accepted that oxygen radicals formed in the central nervous system (CNS) limit their damage to lipids, proteins and nucleic acids.5,7–13,18 However, it is of relevance to note that in all of the neurodegenerative brain disorders noted previously the serotonergic, noradrenergic and/or dopaminergic systems are seriously damaged. The neurotransmitters employed by these systems, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin), norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA) are all very easily oxidized species.19–22 Thus, it seems likely that these neurotransmitters are also prime targets for oxygen radical-mediated oxidation. Accordingly, a major focus of research in this laboratory is to explore the hypothesis that the aberrant oxidative metabolites of these neurotransmitters might include endotoxins that contribute to the degenerative processes.23–26
Diverging metabolic programmes and behaviours during states of starvation, protein malnutrition, and cachexia.

Background Our evolutionary history is defined, in part, by our ability to survive times of nutrient scarcity. The outcomes of the metabolic and behavioural adaptations during starvation are highly efficient macronutrient allocation, minimization of energy expenditure, and maximized odds of finding food. However, in different contexts, caloric deprivation is met with vastly different physiologic and behavioural responses, which challenge the primacy of energy homeostasis. Methods We conducted a literature review of scientific studies in humans, laboratory animals, and non-laboratory animals that evaluated the physiologic, metabolic, and behavioural responses to fasting, starvation, protein-deficient or essential amino acid-deficient diets, and cachexia. Studies that investigated the changes in ingestive behaviour, locomotor activity, resting metabolic rate, and tissue catabolism were selected as the focus of discussion. Results Whereas starvation responses prioritize energy balance, both protein malnutrition and cachexia present existential threats that induce unique adaptive programmes, which can exacerbate the caloric insufficiency of undernutrition. We compare and contrast the behavioural and metabolic responses and elucidate the mechanistic pathways that drive state-dependent alterations in energy seeking and partitioning. Conclusions The evolution of energetically inefficient metabolic and behavioural responses to protein malnutrition and cachexia reveal a hierarchy of metabolic priorities governed by discrete regulatory networks.
Biogeographical trends in phytoplankton community size structure using adaptive sentinel 3-OLCI chlorophyll a and spectral empirical orthogonal functions in the estuarine-shelf waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract The active hydrodynamics and complex circulation patterns in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) provide a dynamic scenario to investigate mesoscale responses of the size structure of phytoplankton communities to environmental variability. In this study, a large in-situ dataset acquired in inland, estuarine and coastal waters of the nGoM and U.S. East Coast were utilized to achieve a regional parameterization of the red-NIR ratio-based chlorophyll a (Chl a) algorithm for the high-spatial and spectral resolution Sentinel 3-OLCI ocean color sensor. Using an adaptive scheme, the algorithm was used in combination with other standard Chl a algorithms such as the Neural Network (C2RCC) and OC4ME to optimally extract Chl a in water types ranging from turbid estuarine to clear oceanic waters in the nGoM. This adaptive methodology (Chl a_AD) showed better performance in estimating OLCI-Chl a (R2=0.84, N = 178) compared to any single algorithm in the estuarine-coastal-ocean waters of the nGoM. Next, OLCI-derived phytoplankton spectral absorption coefficients (OLCI-aphy) were obtained for comparison, using a regionally-tuned 3rd order function of OLCI-Chl a based on Multi-regression (MR), and an estuarine-to-ocean adaptive Quasi-Analytical Algorithm (QAA-AD). Finally, an Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) algorithm was applied to OLCI-aphy to retrieve phytoplankton size fractions (PSFs) for the river-dominated nGoM region. Results indicate relatively better performance of MR-EOF in estimating fmicro (R2=0.87), fnano(R2=0.76) and fpico(R2=0.64) compared to QAA-AD-EOF. Chl a time-series (Oct 2016 – Jan 2020) obtained in the estuaries and shelf waters of the nGoM revealed seasonality (peak/lows in spring/fall) linked to river discharge, where hydrodynamics and wind driven variability due to storms further influenced the phytoplankton biomass spatiotemporal distribution. Microphytoplankton dominated in estuaries and the nGOM inner shelf waters, including the midshelf region during the spring peak river discharge period. PSF dynamics in the outer shelf is strongly influenced by Loop Current eddies where warm offshore waters contribute to the dominance of the picophytoplankton fraction. Floodwater discharge and strong winds due to Hurricane Barry (2019) transported estuarine microphytoplankton into the outer shelf and also increased nanophytoplankton fraction. Such fluctuations in phytoplankton size structure after hurricanes or storms can modify the pelagic food web dynamics in coastal systems.
Targeting the Barriers in the Substance Use Disorder Continuum of Care With Peer Recovery Support

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) has been recognized as a chronic, relapsing disorder. However, much of existing SUD care remains based in an acute care model that focuses on clinical stabilization and discharge, failing to address the longer-term needs of people in recovery from addiction. The high rates of client's disengagement and attrition across the continuum of care highlight the need to identify and overcome the obstacles that people face at each stage of the treatment and recovery process. Peer recovery support services (PRSS) show promise in helping people initiate, pursue, and sustain long-term recovery from substance-related problems. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature, the goal of this article is to explore the possible roles of peers along the SUD care continuum and their potential to improve engagement in care by targeting specific barriers that prevent people from successfully transitioning from one stage to the next leading eventually to full recovery. A multidimensional framework of SUD care continuum was developed based on the adapted model of opioid use disorder cascade of care and recovery stages, within which the barriers known to be associated with each stage of the continuum were matched with the existing evidence of effectiveness of specific PRSSs. With this conceptual paper, we are hoping to show how PRSSs can become a complementary and integrated part of the system of care, which is an essential step toward improving the continuity of care and health outcomes.
P407 Modest monetary incentivized peer referral to increase chlamydia community-based testing among young Black men who have sex with women

Purpose The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend screening young women for chlamydia but not young men. One reason young men have not been a focus for chlamydia screening is due to the perceived difficulty of accessing these men. Peers are among the most influential people in a young person’s life. We hypothesized that incentivized peer referral (IPR) could assist in increasing enrollment in this screening study. Methods The Check it Program in New Orleans is a community-based screening program for young Black men aged 15–24. Peer referral was monitored between 3/7/2018–11/28/2020. IPR started on 8/29/2020 during which men enrolled in the parent study were offered $5 for each peer they referred and were successfully enrolled in the study. Results Of 1457 men enrolled in the study, 44 were enrolled after IPR was initiated. The percentage of men who said they were referred by a friend was higher in the post-IPR compared to the pre-IPR period (40.9% vs. 20.0%, P Conclusion Incentivized peer referral significantly increased study enrollment and can serve as a method for increasing screening rates in community-based chlamydia screening programs for young Black men who have sex with women.
An Initial Study of the Emotional and Behavioral Characteristics of Black Students School Identified as Emotionally Disturbed

For years, the research and policy focus on Black students with emotional disturbance (ED) has been on racial disproportionality. The disproportionality issue has sparked professional debate and ra...
Media Framing of Women’s Football in Nigeria from the Early Twentieth Century to Present

Nigeria has dominated competition in women’s football in the African continent during the last three decades. This includes winning all but two continental championships and representing the contin...
Everybody Likes Likert: Using a Variable-Interval Slider to Collect Interval-Level Individual Options

As computers become more pervasive in opinion-based surveys, research is required to update existing survey methodologies with current computer capabilities and to begin extending current survey methods by validating additional computer-enabled functionality. This need is particularly acute in the measurement of constructs representative of individuals, such as personality, since current methods were not developed for analysis of individuals. This study addresses the current gap in theoretical justification for measurement of individuals, and then contributes to the development of new functionality to account for this gap. First, it uses computer simulation to explore the overall impact of two types of errors introduced by the number of scale anchors. Second, it proposes the functionality of a new data collection tool called the “variable-interval slider (VIS),” a tool that allows the researcher to account for these two types of errors.
A New Two-Parameter Model Suspension System for the Galcit 10-Ft. Wind Tunnel

HE GALCIT** 10-FT., 200-M.P.H. wind tunnel (Fig. 1) was completed and put into operation in 1930, and shortly thereafter a wire model-suspension system was installed (Fig. 2). This system suspended the model from a number of automatic-balancing, movingpoise scales (Fig. 3) and permitted the obtaining of six force and moment components through a range of angles of attack of the model. Although it was used intensively and quite satisfactorily over a period of some years, the system had several weaknesses that became increasingly apparent as testing proceeded. The most important limitations were:
Patterns of Control in U.S., UK and European Multinational Corporations

This paper examines the type and level of control exercised by the parent headquarters of 50 U.S., UK, and European multinational corporations over their foreign subsidiaries. Patterns of control in the 3 national groups differ in significant ways, and these differences seem to have important implications for other characteristics of a company's organization design and managerial style.
Recognition and parsing of context-free languages in time n3*

A recognition algorithm is exhibited whereby an arbitrary string over a given vocabulary can be tested for containment in a given context-free language. A special merit of this algorithm is that it is completed in a number of steps proportional to the “cube” of the number of symbols in the tested string. As a byproduct of the grammatical analysis, required by the recognition algorithm, one can obtain, by some additional processing not exceeding the “cube” factor of computational complexity, a parsing matrix—a complete summary of the grammatical structure of the sentence. It is also shown how, by means of a minor modification of the recognition algorithm, one can obtain an integer representing the ambiguity of the sentence, i.e., the number of distinct ways in which that sentence can be generated by the grammar. The recognition algorithm is then simulated on a Turing Machine. It is shown that this simulation likewise requires a number of steps proportional to only the “cube” of the test string length.
Identification of Some Sugars and Mannitol in Celery

SUMMARY— The carbohydrate content of celery petioles was determined using paper chromatographic techniques. Sucrose, glucose, fructose and mannitol were identified and quantitatively determined. Mannitol crystals were isolated. Sugars chromatographed with solvents containing boric acid showed characteristic stabilities to indicators.
A proton NMR study of the non-covalent complex of horse cytochrome c and yeast cytochrome-c peroxidase and its comparison with other interacting protein complexes

Cytochrome-c peroxidase (ferrocytochrome-c:hydrogen-peroxide oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.5) forms a noncovalent 1:1 complex with horse cytochrome c in low ionic strength solution that is detectable by proton NMR spectroscopy. When the entire proton hyperfine-shifted spectrum is considered only five hyperfine resonances exhibit unambiguously detectable shifts: the heme 8-CH3 and 3-CH3 resonances, single proton resonances near 19 ppm and −4 ppm and the methionine-80 methyl group. These shifts are very similar to those observed for the covalently crosslinked complex of cytochrome-c peroxidase and horse cytochrome c, but different from those reported for cytochrome c complexes with flavodoxin and cytochrome b5. By comparison with the shifts reported for lysine-13-modified cytochrome c we conclude that the results reported here support the Poulos-Kraut proposed structure for the molecular redox complex between cytochrome-c peroxidase and cytochrome c. These results indicate that the principal site of interaction with cytochrome-c peroxidase is the exposed heme edge of horse cytochrome c, in proximity to lysine-13 and the heme pyrrole II. The noncovalent cytochrome-c peroxidase-cytochrome c complex exists in the rapid-exchange time limit even at 500 mHz proton frequency. Our data provide an improved estimate of the minimum off-rate for exchanging cytochrome c as 1133 (±120) s−1 at 23°C.
Non-Newtonian viscosity measurements in the intermediate shear rate range with the falling-ball viscometer

Abstract An attempt to use the falling-ball experiment to measure the non-Newtonian viscosity in the intermediate shear rate range was successfully accomplished by combining the direct experimental observations with a simple analytical model for the average shear and shear rate at the surface of a sphere. The viscosity data of aqueous solutions of Carbopol-960, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyethylene oxide and polyacrylamide obtained from the falling-ball viscometer gave good agreement with those from other viscometers, confirming the general applicability of the analytical approach. In the experiments with the highly viscoelastic polyacrylamide solutions the terminal velocity was observed to be dependent on the time interval between the dropping of successive balls. This time-dependent phenomenon was used to determine characteristic diffusion times of the concentrated solutions of polyacrylamide. These values were, in turn, compared with characteristics relaxation times determined by the Powell-Eyring model. The experimental program revealed that the falling-ball viscometer has very limited utility for the measurement of the steady shear viscosity of aqueous polymer solutions.
Libraries are businesses

This paper looks at libraries as a $10 billion industry and identifies ways in which libraries and businesses are similar.
Chitinase production by an Arthrobacter sp. lysing cells of Fusarium roseum

Abstract An Arthrobacter sp. which actively lysed Fusarium roseum was found to liberate chitinase (E.C. 3.2-1.14, chitin glycanohydrolase), an enzyme essential for the hydrolysis of chitin, a major component of fusarial hyphal walls. Factors involved in the production of chitinase were investigated by modifying culture conditions and assaying for enzyme activity. Production occurred on colloidal chitin as well as on native chitin supplemented with yeast extract or peptone. Enzyme production paralleled growth; liberation of enzyme took place during the log phase with the maximum yield being obtained at the stationary phase. Addition of the non-ionic surfactant, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80) increased enzyme yield. An inverse relationship was found between the amount of enzyme produced and the quantity of n-acetyl-glucosamine liberated. The enzyme was generally not produced when grown on various other carbohydrates. These findings suggest that chitinase is inducible and that chitin breakdown is regulated by a repressor-inducer mechanism. Initial hydrolysis rates of colloidal chitin were proportional to the concentration of chitinase used. Optimal pH and temperature for enzyme activity were 4.9 and 50°C, respectively. Purification of the chitinase was obtained by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation followed by DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex chromatography, achieving a 12-fold increase in specific activity.
Correlation between formation of layered nanoparticles in phase separated films and ion beam assisted deposition

Abstract Au nanoparticles embedded in silica were prepared using electron beam evaporation of gold and silica together with 50 eV Ar+ bombardment followed by post-deposition annealing. Thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray reflectivity, TEM, and optical spectra. The Au nanoparticles have an average diameter around 12 nm and a preferred (200) orientation. Spatially, they are distributed into a multilayered structure. The formation of layered nanoparticles is proposed to correlate to the phase separation guided by experimentally observed pre-existing compositional modulations in the as-deposited Au–silica film.
Host-Seeking Behavior of Adult Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae) as Determined by Flagging Vegetation

Diurnal host-seeking by adults of the western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls in relation to vegetative habitat type and meterological factors was investigated at a coastal and an inland site in northern California. Host-seeking behavior and relative tick abundance were determined with a tick drag method from late fall to midwinter 1987-1988. At the inland site, tick abundance usually was significantly greater in chaparral-grassland ecotones than in adjoining dense chaparral on the south-facing slope of a mountaintop, whereas both of these vegetative types produced significantly fewer ticks on a north slope compared with a contiguous south-facing slope. There was no evidence for an association between tick abundance and plant species within ecotonal chaparral. Multiple regression analyses revealed that tick abundance in ecotonal chaparral at the inland site and in grassland at the coastal site was not associated consistently with either ambient temperature or relative humidity. Compared with the inland site, ticks were considerably more abundant at the coastal site where sampling occasionally yielded more than 100 ticks per 100 drag samples. The incidence of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner, the etiologic agent of Lyme borreliosis, in adult ticks collected in the morning (1.5%) versus afternoon (2.2%), and in male (1.3%) versus female ticks (2.5%), at the coastal site in winter was similar.
Real-time process control of molecular beam epitaxy using in situ optical sensors

Summary form only given. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is currently the most powerful and flexible growth method available for the fabrication of advanced device structures for nanoelectronics. Sensor technology is now sufficiently mature to make real-time sensor feedback control of the major process parameters of MBE a realistic and practical possibility of fabricating resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs), and IR photodetectors. The design and operation of a system is described, beginning with a discussion of the individual sensors and the physical basis for their operation. Then, the system performance is illustrated through specific examples of real-time sensor-feedback control of substrate temperature and layer composition during the growth of InGaAs-InAlAs HBTs, and control of barrier layer thickness for AlAs-InGaAs RTDs, with quantitative results on the improved repeatability achieved through the use of sensor-based control.
Estimation of a Nonlinear Density-Dependence Parameter for Wild Turkey

Abstract Although previous research and theory has suggested that wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations may be subject to some form of density dependence, there has been no effort to estimate and incorporate a density-dependence parameter into wild turkey population models. To estimate a functional relationship for density dependence in wild turkey, we analyzed a set of harvest-index time series from 11 state wildlife agencies. We tested for lagged correlations between annual harvest indices using partial autocorrelation analysis. We assessed the ability of the density-dependent theta-Ricker model to explain harvest indices over time relative to exponential or random walk growth models. We tested the homogeneity of the density-dependence parameter estimates (θ) from 3 different harvest indices (spring harvest no. reported harvest/effort, survey harvest/effort) and calculated a weighted average based on each estimate's variance and its estimated covariance with the other indices. To estimate the po...
Effect of density extremum on the solidification of water on a vertical wall of a rectangular cavity

Abstract Experiments were performed in a two-dimensional rectangular cavity to study the transient flow in an initially isothermal and motionless fluid due to a step decrease in temperature on one of the two vertical end walls. In the experiments water was used as the phase-change medium, with the cold-wall temperature maintained below the freezing temperature. The opposite vertical wall was kept at the initial temperature, greater than the temperature where the density extremum occurs. The growth of ice and the transient flow in the cavity were visualized with the aid of a tracer technique to examine the effect of density inversion. The temperature field was continuously recorded by an array of thermocouples. It was found that the density inversion of water strongly influences both the growth of ice and the convective flow in the liquid region of the test cavity.
Inventory investment in United States manufacturing

Abstract An inventory function for the U.S. manufacturing sector is estimated using quarterly data. The adjustment of inventories to optimum level in response to sales changes is sufficiently speedy that net unintended inventory changes do not occur and about two-thirds of the adjustment is complete within a year.
PupilWare: towards pervasive cognitive load measurement using commodity devices

Cognitive load refers to the amount of effort required by an individual to process information. Dating back more than fifty years, the cognitive psychology community has conducted experiments showing that the cognitive load experienced by an individual can be measured using sub-millimeter fluctuations in their pupil size, assessed using medical grade infrared devices known as pupillometers, and more recently, infrared eye-trackers. However the cost and availability of these eye-trackers limits most pupil response measurement to laboratory settings. We argue that ubiquitously measuring pupillary response could transform the next generation of context aware computing applications---enabling computational devices to understand a user's current ability to process information, especially for users with cognitive disabilities. To this end, we present PupilWare, a system that analyzes pupil size changes through commodity cameras like those in a laptop. We evaluate PupilWare's ability to measure changes in pupil dilation using classic cognitive psychology experiments and validate its performance compared to infrared gaze trackers and medical grade pupillometers. We conclude that, in controlled conditions, PupilWare is as accurate as infrared eye-tracking for assessing task evoked cognitive load, though has problems with dark eyed individuals and eyelid occlusion.
Atropine methyl nitrate inhibits sham feeding in the rat

Atropine methyl nitrate inhibited sham feeding of a liquid diet in a dose-related manner. Identical doses of atropine methyl nitrate had no effect on sham drinking of water. This differential effect is evidence that the inhibition of sham feeding was not due to peripheral anticholinergic disruption of licking, salivating or swallowing. The results suggest that peripheral blockade of cholinergic receptors of the muscarinic type is a mechanism for eliciting satiety for food in the rat.
Energy of the Pb{111}∥Al{111} interface

The energy of the Pb{111}‖Al{111} interface has been determined by a solid-state wetting technique. Pb crystallites, 18 µm or less in size, were equilibrated on a monocrystalline Al{111} substrate at 590 K under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Auger electron spectroscopy of the equilibrated sample showed that about 1.8 monolayers of Pb are adsorbed on the surface of the Al substrate, but that no Al is adsorbed on the Pb surface. The contact angle of Pb crystallites with the orientation relationship Pb{111}∥Al{111} was measured to be 27.3±0.8 deg. After correction of the Al surface energy for Pb adsorption, by means of the Gibbs adsorption isotherm, the Young equation was used to obtain an interfacial energy of 217±35 mJ m−2.
Predictive Factors and Patterns of Recurrence in Patients with Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Background We investigated the outcomes of patients with triple negative breast cancer ([TNBC] = estrogen receptor negative, progesterone receptor negative, and HER2 nonamplified).