cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unwanted Exposure to Religious Expression by Government: Standing and the Establishment Clause

For nearly half a century the Supreme Court has relaxed traditional standards of justiciability and permitted taxpayer standing when a claimant has invoked the Establishment Clause in a lawsuit to prohibit government funding of religion. The Court has recently cutback, however, permitting taxpayer standing only when a tax is extracted from the claimant and money is appropriated by a legislature to fund a statutory program that directs the use of public aid for religion. What has gone unremarked upon is the Supreme Court’s parallel line of reduced-rigor standing cases where an action is brought because of a claimant’s personal exposure to unwanted religious expression by government. Typical of such cases are a challenge to prayer at the beginning of a local city council meeting and memorials in a public park depicting the Ten Commandments. In these unwanted-exposure cases the underlying claim on the merits is that the government has taken sides on a religious question. The apparent injury is largely generalized, however, resembling that suffered by nearly everyone who wants to live under a government that does not exceed its constitutional restraints. Nevertheless, the Court has permitted such reduced-rigor standing so long as the claimant is personally exposed to her government’s message and it is one with which she disagrees. The extent to which the observer is “offended” is irrelevant, as is the frequency of the exposure.If unwanted-exposure standing comes under the same reexamination by the Supreme Court as has taxpayer standing, any resulting cutback would mean that no-establishment principles will go unexamined and thus under-enforced. That prospect ought to be received with some concern because principles of church-state separation work to safeguard religion from exploitation. The political branches of government will sometimes use religion in a manner that mixes God and Country, and that cannot but compromise religion and debase its symbols.
A Model of Behavioral Self-Regulation: Translating Intention into Action

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the model of behavioral self-regulation. The notion that behavior-specifying information is coded in memory along with many interpretative schemas provides one simple way for behavioral goals to become salient in a given situation. The Self-Consciousness Scale was designed to tap the same psychological state as was produced by self-awareness manipulations. Providing for the existence of behavioral goals and standards and their activation in a given situation constitutes the first step in a model of self-regulation. There are two prominent approaches for self-regulatory phenomena. They are the self-efficacy theory and attributional versions of helplessness theory. The chapter outlines some of the past studies that substantiate different aspects of these theories. Some portions of relatively recent work to which the theory had led are described in the chapter. In describing the model of behavioral self-regulation, the general utility of the control-theoretic ideas is described in the chapter.
Area spectral efficiency of street microcell environment

The spectral efficiency of cellular systems with variable-rate transmission has been studied in the literature. The area spectral efficiency defines the sum of the maximum average data rates per unit bandwidth per unit area supported by a cell's base station. In this article, we obtained the area spectral efficiency of the street microcellular environment. For different cell layout structures, the efficiency of the of the street microcellular environment for the worst-case and best-case interference configurations are calculated. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulations are developed to estimate the value of the area spectral efficiency for average interference conditions. The same figures are also obtained for different fading characteristics namely, log-normal shadowing and Nakagami multipath fading.
Production Declines of Kansas Coalbed Methane Wells as a Function of Their Production Rate and Age

Do highly productive coalbed methane (CBM) wells decline differently than poorly productive CBM wells? Analysis of natural-gas production data for southeastern Kansas CBM wells indicates there is no significant difference in annual decline rates of prolific wells compared to less productive wells for most of their lifetime, except for two years after the wells achieve peak production. Although annual production-decline rates are substantial for the first year of production after the peak month of production (∼35%) these decline rates lessen with increasing age of the wells. Production declines stabilize to 12 to 13% per annum after about 5 years of production. Year-to-year production data are more variable for less-productive wells because slight changes in production in poorly productive wells can markedly affect their decline calculations. Approximately one year is necessary for a CBM well to reach peak production. After peak production is achieved, the more prolific CBM wells decline at rates faster th...
Are physical activity studies in Hispanics meeting reporting guidelines for continuous monitoring technology? A systematic review

Continuous monitoring technologies such as accelerometers and pedometers are the gold standard for physical activity (PA) measurement. However, inconsistencies in use, analysis, and reporting limit the understanding of dose–response relationships involving PA and the ability to make comparisons across studies and population subgroups. These issues are particularly detrimental to the study of PA across different ethnicities with different PA habits. This systematic review examined the inclusion of published guidelines involving data collection, processing, and reporting among articles using accelerometers or pedometers in Hispanic or Latino populations. English (PubMed; EbscoHost) and Spanish (SCIELO; Biblioteca Virtual en Salud) articles published between 2000 and 2013 using accelerometers or pedometers to measure PA among Hispanics or Latinos were identified through systematic literature searches. Of the 253 abstracts which were initially reviewed, 57 met eligibility criteria (44 accelerometer, 13 pedometer). Articles were coded and reviewed to evaluate compliance with recommended guidelines (N = 20), and the percentage of accelerometer and pedometer articles following each guideline were computed and reported. On average, 57.1 % of accelerometer and 62.2 % of pedometer articles reported each recommended guideline for data collection. Device manufacturer and model were reported most frequently, and provision of instructions for device wear in Spanish was reported least frequently. On average, 29.6 % of accelerometer articles reported each guideline for data processing. Definitions of an acceptable day for inclusion in analyses were reported most frequently, and definitions of an acceptable hour for inclusion in analyses were reported least frequently. On average, 18.8 % of accelerometer and 85.7 % of pedometer articles included each guideline for data reporting. Accelerometer articles most frequently included average number of valid days and least frequently included percentage of wear time. Inclusion of standard collection and reporting procedures in studies using continuous monitoring devices in Hispanic or Latino population is generally low. Lack of reporting consistency in continuous monitoring studies limits researchers' ability to compare studies or draw meaningful conclusions concerning amounts, quality, and benefits of PA among Hispanic or Latino populations. Reporting data collection, computation, and decision-making standards should be required. Improved interpretability would allow practitioners and researchers to apply scientific findings to promote PA.
Evaluation of Sweet Corn Residue as Roughage for Dairy Heifers

Abstract Sweet corn residues as roughage for dairy heifers was evaluated alone and as a 50:50 mixture (dry matter) with corn silage against corn silage alone. Concentrations of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, hemicellulose, cellulose, and organic acids were greater for sweet corn residue, but dry matter concentration was less than corn silage. Heifers fed sweet corn residue free choice consumed it at 1.5% of body weight. The mixture and corn silage alone were provided at equal intakes of dry matter. Apparent digestibility of dry matter (59.1 versus 69.7%) of sweet corn residue alone was lower than corn silage alone. Heifers consuming the mixture had increased digestibilities of dry matter, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, and crude protein over sweet corn residue alone. Heifers fed corn silage had lower rumen acetate and higher propionate concentrations than heifers fed sweet corn residue. Heifers consumed dry matter at 1.4% of body weight when offered sweet corn residue for ad libitum consumption. A restricted diet of corn silage alone was provided to heifers at equal the dry matter intake provided by sweet corn residue. Average daily gain was lower (.28 versus .79kg) and ratio of feed to gain higher (21.4 versus 7.5) for feeding of the sweet corn residue diet alone. Heifer growth by heart girth was less for animals consuming sweet corn residue. Feeding a mixture of 50% sweet corn residue with 50% corn silage mixture resulted in higher nutrient digestibilities of sweet corn residue by dairy heifers.
Total synthesis of lehualide B by allylic alcohol-alkyne reductive cross-coupling.

The total synthesis of anticancer marine natural product lehualide B is described. Overall, the synthesis proceeds in just eight steps from a simple γ-pyrone, does not require the use of protecting...
MEASUREMENTS OF SPIN OBSERVABLES IN PSEUDOSCALAR-MESON PHOTOPRODUCTION USING POLARIZED NEUTRONS IN SOLID HD

Psuedo-scalar meson photo production measurements have been carried out with longitudinally-polarized neutrons using the circularly and linearly polarized photon beams and the CLAS at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jlab). The experiment aims to obtain a complete set of spin observables on an efficient neutron target. Preliminary E asymmetries for the exclusive reaction, gamma + n(p)--> pi- + p(p), selecting quasi free neutron kinematics are discussed.
Histamine modulates local inhibition in the rat hippocampal slice

1. These experiments investigated the action of histamine on local inhibition in the CA1 region of thein vitro hippocampal slice preparation using a paired-pulse paradigm. 2. We observed that histamine produced a concentration-dependent and reversible attenuation of paired-pulse inhibition. This effect was reduced by the H2 receptor antagonist, cimetidine, and mimicked by the H2 receptor agonist, impromidine. 3. We also observed that histamine produced concentration-dependent effects on the amplitude of the population spike that could be correlated with alterations in the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) amplitude and input fiber volley. High concentrations of histamine produced a reduction in the amplitude of the population spike which was always accompanied by a reduction in the EPSP and fiber volley amplitude. 4. These results suggest that histamine, through the occupancy of H2 receptors, acts to modulate the efficacy of the local synaptic circuitry which is involved in producing paired-pulse inhibition in the hippocampus.
Demand-driven publish/subscribe in mobile environments

We propose a novel routing protocol, Self-Balancing Supply/Demand (SBSD), for Publish/Subscribe in mobile ad hoc environments. SBSD is a controlled flooding that reduces network congestion by constraining how far subscriptions replicate and how many times nodes broadcast them. SBSD ranks subscriptions by a utility function. This function matches the supply of publications with the recent demand for them; more popular subscriptions are replicated farther and their replicas are retained longer. SBSD is therefore demand-driven, as more popular subscriptions are more likely to receive their matching publications and receive them sooner. We show that SBSD is scalable; routing distance is independent of network size. SBSD's performance is examined under random mobility, under challenging conditions including high node mobility and broadcast failure rates.
Transport pathways of carbon monoxide in the Asian summer monsoon diagnosed from Model of Ozone and Related Tracers (MOZART)

[1] Satellite observations of tropospheric chemical constituents (such as carbon monoxide, CO) reveal a persistent maximum in the upper troposphere―lower stratosphere (UTLS) associated with the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone. Diagnostic studies suggest that the strong anticyclonic circulation acts to confine air masses, but the sources of pollution and transport pathways to altitudes near the tropopause are the subject of debate. Here we use the Model for Ozone and Related Tracers 4 (MOZART-4) global chemistry transport model, driven by analyzed meteorological fields, to study the source and transport of CO in the Asian monsoon circulation. A MOZART-4 simulation for one summer is performed, and results are compared with satellite observations of CO from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder and the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer. Overall, good agreement is found between the modeled and observed CO in the UTLS, promoting confidence in the model simulation. The model results are then analyzed to understand the sources and transport pathways of CO in the Asian monsoon region, and within the anticyclone in particular. The results show that CO is transported upward by monsoon deep convection, with the main surface sources from India and Southeast Asia. The uppermost altitude of the convective transport is ∼12 km, near the level of main deep convective outflow, and much of the CO is then advected in the upper troposphere northeastward across the Pacific Ocean and southwestward with the cross-equatorial Hadley flow. However, some of the CO is also advected vertically to altitudes near the tropopause (∼16 km) by the large-scale upward circulation on the eastern side of the anticyclone, and this air then becomes trapped within the anticyclone (to the west of the convection, extending to the Middle East). Within the anticyclone, the modeled CO shows a relative maximum near 15 km, in good agreement with observations.
Rheo-photoacoustic (RPA) FT-IR spectroscopic studies of the adhesion of thermosets to polyolefins

Interfacial forces responsible for the adhesion of a coating are influenced by the nature and magnitude of the interactions between the coating and the substrate. When stresses are applied, these interactions may be altered, resulting in potential energy changes within the neighboring layers of macromolecules forming an interfacial region. In this work, rheo-photoacoustic (RPA) Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis and previously developed theory were utilized in an attempt to correlate molecular-level interactions in polymer bilayer systems under elongational deformations and changes in potential energy, leading to determination of the work of adhesion (WA). This research expands the scope of previous findings and provides a relationship between the C-H stretching vibrational energy changes for acrylic/polyethylene (ACR/PE), epoxy/polyethylene (EP/PE), acrylic/polypropylene (ACR/PP), and epoxy/polypropylene (EP/PP) bilayer systems and the interfacial forces responsible for adhesion. Using the vibra...
A model for the normal stress dependence of intergranular cracking of irradiated 316L stainless steel in supercritical water

The intergranular cracking behavior of irradiated 316L stainless steel in supercritical water (SCW) was found to be strongly dependent on the local grain boundary normal stress. Tensile specimens of 7 dpa proton irradiated 316L stainless steel were strained in 400 °C SCW to 2%, 5%, and 10% macroscopic plastic strain. The cracking behavior was characterized according to the distributions of cracked grain boundary plane surface trace inclinations to the tensile axis and the Schmid factors of the grains adjacent to the cracked boundaries. Cracks occurred preferentially along grain boundaries with trace inclinations perpendicular to the tensile axis and adjacent to grains with low Schmid factors. There was also a slight increase in cracking propensity for grain boundaries adjacent to grains with high Schmid factor mismatch. The normal stress dependence of intergranular cracking was confirmed by developing and applying the Schmid-Modified Grain Boundary Stress model which characterizes the normal stress acting on a grain boundary as a function of the inclination of the grain boundary plane to the tensile axis and the flow stress of the grain, as estimated from its Schmid factor. By applying this model, the Schmid factor dependence of intergranular cracking could be predicted from the distributions of cracked grain boundary trace inclinations to the tensile axis.
New Exercise Parameter for the Identification of Severe Coronary Artery Disease

E xercise testing remains one of the most useful noninvasive diagnostic tests for identification of the patient with coronary artery disease. Significant ST segment depression,' chronotropic incompetence,2 hypotensive systolic blood pressure response,3 and angina at low workloadhave all been shown to be of diagnostic and prognostic value in patients with severe coronary artery disease. However, the sensitivity of these criteria varies considerably, and their diagnostic value can be further limited in the presence of LVH,5 electrocardiographic conduction abnormalities such as LBBB,6 arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation,7 and in patients receiving medical therapy such as digitalis8 or beta adrenergic blockers.9 Thus, limitations of exercise ECGs in identifying patients with severe coronary artery disease has prompted research into newer and more sensitive criteria such as the ST/heart rate ratio and evaluation of the systolic blood pressure response during the recovery period. Recently, the systolic blood pressure recovery ratio (SBP-RR), the ratio of the postexercise systolic blood pressure to peak exercise systolic blood pressure, has been shown to be of diagnostic value in patients with coronary artery disease . '#{176} We have observed that a SBP-RR which is >1.0, 0.9, or 0.8 at respectively 1, 2, or 3 minutes in the recovery period and further increases from either minutes 1 to 2 or 2 to 3 of the recovery period ( '1' SBP-RR) is highly predictive and more sensitive than diagnostic ST segment depression or angina in the diagnosis of multivessel coronary artery disease." In this case report, we describe the usefulness of anSBP-RR in the identification of a patient with angiographically proven three-vessel cor- onary artery disease undergoing exercise thallium 201 scintigraphy.
Non-hyper-singular integral-representations for velocity (displacement) gradients in elastic/plastic solids (small or finite deformations)

New integral representations for deformation (velocity) gradients in elastic or elasto-plastic solids undergoing small or large deformations are presented. Compared to the cases wherein direct differentiation of the integral representations for displacements (or velocities) were carried out to obtain displacement (or velocity) gradients (which gave rise to hyper-singularity when the source point was taken to the boundary), the present integral representations have lower order singularities which are quite tractable from a numerical point of view. Moreover, the present representations, allow the source point to be taken in the limit, to the boundary, without any difficulties. This obviates a need for a two tier system of evaluation of deformation gradients in the interior of the domain on one hand and at the boundary of the domain on the other. It is expected that the present formulations would yield more accurate and stable deformation gradients in problems dominated by geometric and material nonlinearities.
A Sampling-Based Tree Planner for Systems With Complex Dynamics

This paper presents a kinodynamic motion planner, i.e., Kinodynamic Motion Planning by Interior-Exterior Cell Exploration (KPIECE), which is specifically designed for systems with complex dynamics, where integration backward in time is not possible, and speed of computation is important. A grid-based discretization is used to estimate the coverage of the state space. The coverage estimates help the planner detect the less-explored areas of the state space. An important characteristic of this discretization is that it keeps track of the boundary of the explored region of the state space and focuses exploration on the less covered parts of this boundary. Extensive experiments show that KPIECE provides significant computational gain over existing state-of-the-art methods and allows us to solve some harder, previously unsolvable problems. For some problems, KPIECE is shown to be up to two orders of magnitude faster than existing methods and use up to 40 times less memory. A shared memory parallel implementation is presented as well. This implementation provides better speedup than an embarrassingly parallel implementation by taking advantage of the evolving multicore technology.
Effects of acute alcohol tolerance on perceptions of danger and willingness to drive after drinking.

Rationale Drinking and driving is associated with elevated rates of motor vehicle accidents and fatalities. Previous research suggests that alcohol impairs judgments about the dangers of risky behaviors; however, how alcohol affects driving-related judgments is less clear. Impairments have also been shown to differ across limbs of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) curve, which is known as acute tolerance.
Quantifying eavesdropping vulnerability in sensor networks

With respect to security, sensor networks have a number of considerations that separate them from traditional distributed systems. First, sensor devices are typically vulnerable to physical compromise. Second, they have significant power and processing constraints. Third, the most critical security issue is protecting the (statistically derived) aggregate output of the system, even if individual nodes may be compromised. We suggest that these considerations merit a rethinking of traditional security techniques: rather than depending on the resilience of cryptographic techniques, in this paper we develop new techniques to tolerate compromised nodes and to even mislead an adversary. We present our initial work on probabilistically quantifying the security of sensor network protocols, with respect to sensor data distributions and network topologies. Beginning with a taxonomy of attacks based on an adversary's goals, we focus on how to evaluate the vulnerability of sensor network protocols to eavesdropping. Different topologies and aggregation functions provide different probabilistic guarantees about system security, and make different trade-offs in power and accuracy.
Identification of a small peptide that inhibits the phosphorylation of ErbB2 and proliferation of ErbB2 overexpressing breast cancer cells.

ErbB2 is overexpressed in approximately 30% of breast cancer patients with a correlation to poor prognosis. ErbB2 has been identified as a useful receptor for molecular targeting. A cyclic 20 amino acid phage display random peptide library was constructed using the fUSE5 gene III system. The library was panned against 2 different purified forms of the external domain of ErbB2. This resulted in the identification of several ErbB2-binding phage clones with variable binding to different ErbB2 preparations. One clone (EC-1) bound all preparations of ErbB2 including live cells and fresh frozen human breast cancer specimens. The synthetic peptide based on the deduced sequence of the EC-1 clone and its biotin-conjugated form retained binding affinity for purified ErbB2 and ErbB2 overexpressing cell lysates. EC-1 peptide was able to effectively inhibit the phosphorylation of ErbB2 on residues Y1248 and Y877 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, EC-1 peptide selectively inhibits the proliferation of ErbB2 overexpressing breast cancer cells. The linear portion of the cyclic EC-1 peptide was shown to be essential for binding ErbB2. In addition, 4 biased phage libraries were constructed allowing 4 different regions of the EC-1 peptide to have random sequence. Screening these EC-1 biased libraries did not result in higher affinity peptides but did demonstrate the importance of amino acids at position 1–4 on the N-terminal flanking arm and 11–15 within the cyclic ring. Interestingly, EC-1 contains homologous motifs with known ErbB receptor family ligands. We have identified a small peptide that binds to the extracellular domain of ErbB2, inhibits ErbB2 autophosphorylation and inhibits the proliferation of ErbB2 overexpressing cells. This supports the notion that small peptides can bind to targets important in cancer therapy even if a target does not have a natural ligand. Continuing research with this peptide includes increasing its affinity to ErbB2, evaluation of pharmacokinetics and evaluation of anti-proliferative effects with conjugate anti-cancer agents. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Vocalization in dementia: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Vocalizations are part of the spectrum of the ‘negative' behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). We describe a patient with moderate-stage mixed dementia of Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular disease and a left orbitofrontal lesion exhibiting vocalization. The use of ‘redirection' has been demonstrated to be an effective nonpharmacological means of controlling BPSD, while reducing caregiver distress. Case Report: A 78-year-old right-handed African-American female presented with complaints of worsening memory and BPSD, causing significant caregiver distress. Throughout the evaluation, she constantly vocalized her son's name and made a continuous grunting noise, correlating with increased anxiety/agitation. We utilized a redirection technique, which achieved the immediate reduction of the vocalization symptoms. Caregiver psychoeducation was provided allowing them to use the redirection technique at home. Conclusions: In patients with dementia exhibiting negative symptoms of BPSD, using nonpharmacologic techniques (i.e. redirection) may be indicated. Psychotropic medications rarely address negative BPSD symptoms, while simultaneously decreasing patient's quality of life. Nonpharmacologic approaches are beneficial as first-line therapy for negative BPSD.
Intraoperative electrocorticography and direct cortical electrical stimulation

Summary First performed by Victor Horsley in 1886, the surgical management of epilepsy has increased substantially over the past 20 years. The goals of surgery are to render a patient seizure-free without additional neurological deficits. ECoG provides information on the location of abnormal spiking cortex in lesional and nonlesional epilepsy surgery and may aid in determining margins of resection in epilepsy surgery. DCES provides information on the location of eloquent areas of cortex that should not be removed during epilepsy surgery. Conscious sedation and general anesthetic regimens are available, which provide maximal comfort for a patient without significant alteration of ECoG or alteration in ability to cooperate with functional mapping procedures when needed.
Carcass consumption sequences and the archaeological distinction of scavenging and hunting

The sequence in which nonhuman carnivores consumed the edible parts of 260 larger herbivore carcasses in the Serengeti region of Tanzania proceeds from (1) hindquarter flesh, to (2) ribcage and forequarter flesh, (3) head flesh, (4) hindlimb marrow, (5) forelimb marrow, and lastly, (6) head contents. Only minor deviations from the regional consumption sequence occur, which are based on energetic and mechanical factors related to differences in carcass size and age, and consumer type. The results are used to model the archaeological signatures of scavenging and hunting. Assemblages accumulated by scavenging are expected to show a positive relationship between skeletal part representation and the frequencies by which the parts survive consumption by modern carnivores with edible tissues. Assemblages accumulated by hunting should show a negative relationship between the variables. Variations in the magnitude of the predicted relationships will be effected by carcass size and local degrees of competition for carcasses, but in a similar manner for scavenging and hunting. The efficacy of carcass consumption sequences for distinguishing hunting from scavenging archaeologically is compared to the carcass disarticulation sequence used by Potts (1983) , and bone survivorship data used by Binford (1984) . A preliminary application of the consumption sequence model to the Klasies River Mouth fauna indicates that medium-sized (size 3) and large (size 4) bovids at Klasies were scavenged primarily. Smaller (size 1 and 2) bovids show a distinct pattern, one more consistent with hunting. These results are similar to Binford's (1984) , but for reasons that are argued to have a firmer empirical basis.
Hippocampal degeneration differentiates diffuse Lewy body disease (DLBD) from Alzheimer's disease: Light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry of CA2–3 neurites specific to DLBD

Immunocytochemistry with antibodies to ubiquitin is currently the most sensitive method for detecting cortical Lewy bodies, which are a sine qua non for the diagnosis of diffuse Lewy body disease (DLBD), an increasingly recognized form of primary degenerative dementia. In the systematic application of ubiquitin immunocytochemistry to sections of hippocampus from control subjects and patients with a wide spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases, we noted the frequent occurrence of ubiquitin-immunoreactive neurites in the CA2-3 region in DLBD. The nature of these neurites was investigated with immunocytochemistry in DLBD, Alzheimer's disease (AD), normal elderly subjects, and Parkinson's disease (PD). Although the number of neurites varied from case to case, they were virtually always detected in DLBD but not in normal, AD, or PD brains. Double immunolabeling studies with anti-ubiquitin demonstrated a small fraction of double-stained neurites with antibodies to neurofilament or Alz-50, but no double staining with an antibody to Alzheimer neurofibrillary tangles. These results are different from those for neurites in AD, which are rarely seen in CA2-3 and which are immunoreactive with all these antibodies. Neuritic degeneration in the CA2-3 region of the hippocampus appears to be a specific histopathologic feature of DLBD.
Chimeric Bovine/Human Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 Expressing Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) F Glycoprotein: Effect of Insert Position on Expression, Replication, Immunogenicity, Stability, and Protection against RSV Infection

ABSTRACT A recombinant chimeric bovine/human parainfluenza type 3 virus (rB/HPIV3) vector expressing the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion F glycoprotein previously exhibited disappointing levels of RSV F immunogenicity and genetic stability in children (D. Bernstein et al., Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. 31:109–114, 2012; C.-F. Yang et al., Vaccine 31:2822–2827, 2013). To investigate parameters that might affect vaccine performance and stability, we constructed and characterized rB/HPIV3 viruses expressing RSV F from the first (pre-N), second (N-P), third (P-M), and sixth (HN-L) genome positions. There was a 30- to 69-fold gradient in RSV F expression from the first to the sixth position. The inserts moderately attenuated vector replication in vitro and in the upper and lower respiratory tracts of hamsters: this was not influenced by the level of RSV F expression and syncytium formation. Surprisingly, inserts in the second, third, and sixth positions conferred increased temperature sensitivity: this was greatest for the third position and was the most attenuating in vivo . Each rB/HPIV3 vector induced a high titer of neutralizing antibodies in hamsters against RSV and HPIV3. Protection against RSV challenge was greater for position 2 than for position 6. Evaluation of insert stability suggested that RSV F is under selective pressure to be silenced during vector replication in vivo , but this was not exacerbated by a high level of RSV F expression and generally involved a small percentage of recovered vector. Vector passaged in vitro accumulated mutations in the HN open reading frame, causing a dramatic increase in plaque size that may have implications for vaccine production and immunogenicity. IMPORTANCE The research findings presented here will be instrumental for improving the design of a bivalent pediatric vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza virus type 3, two major causes of severe respiratory tract infection in infants and young children. Moreover, this knowledge has general application to the development and clinical evaluation of other mononegavirus vectors and vaccines.
Lethal toxins and cross-neutralization of venoms from the African water cobras, Boulengerina annulata annulata and Boulengerina christyi

Venoms of the water cobras, Boulengerina, were assayed for lethality, proteolytic activity and protein content. Boulengerina annulata annulata and B. christyi venoms averaged 89% protein and lacked proteolytic activity. The murine i.p. LD50 of B. a. annulata and B. christyi venoms were 0.143 and 0.120 mg/kg, respectively. Polyvalent antivenom produced by the South African Institute of Medical Research neutralized 575 and 200 LD50 of B. a. annulata and B. christyi venoms/ml antivenom, respectively. Cation exchange chromatography resolved four lethal peaks from B. a. annulata venom and six lethal peaks from B. christyi venom. The major lethal peaks (about 12% of total venom protein) were purified further with molecular sieve chromatography and were characterized as 61 (B. a. annulata toxin) and 62 (B. christyi toxin) residue polypeptides with four half-cystines. Elucidation of the complete amino acid sequences indicated that these toxins belonged to the short-chain class of postsynaptic neurotoxins. Short-chain neurotoxins 1 from B. a. annulata and B. christyi had murine i.p. LD50 of 0.052 and 0.083 mg/kg, respectively, and showed over 80% homology with N. nigricollis alpha toxin. Reverse-phase analysis of another peak present in both venoms resolved a toxin that had an N-terminus identical to B. christyi short-chain neurotoxin 1. These fractions also contained toxins readily separable from the short-chain isotoxin by preparative reverse-phase chromatography. Amino acid sequencing of the first 28 residues indicated that both toxins were long-chain neurotoxins with identical N-termini. The LD50 of long-chain neurotoxins 2 from B. a. annulata and B. christyi venoms were 0.086 and 0.090 mg/kg, respectively. The venoms of these little-known elapids have the lowest LD50 of any African proteroglyph studied thus far and have high concentrations of potent postsynaptic neurotoxins.
Depressive symptoms, conduct problems, and risk for polysubstance use among adolescents: results from US national surveys

Polysubstance use in adolescence is a known precursor to chronic substance misuse. Identifying risk factors for polysubstance use is necessary to inform its prevention. The present study examined the association of elevated levels of multiple mental health symptoms with adolescents' engagement in polysubstance use (past month use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana). In a US national sample of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students from Monitoring the Future surveys, we estimated probability of polysubstance use associated with high levels of depressive symptoms, conduct problems, or both. Depressive symptoms and conduct problems, alone and particularly in combination, were associated with drastically elevated probability of polysubstance use. Adolescents with high levels of both depressive symptoms and conduct problems had the highest probability of polysubstance use. Among 8th and 10th graders, probability of polysubstance use associated with co-occurring mental health problems was significantly higher for girls than boys.
PSYCHIATRIC ASPECTS OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. One third of all deaths in those over age 35 are attributable to coronary artery disease and it is estimated that almost 1 million deaths per year are due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. The cost to the United States economy is over $117 billion per year. The prevalence of congestive heart failure is increasing with the aging of the population of the United States, and advanced stages of heart failure are a major source of disability and lost productivity.
Air Pollution and Stillbirth Risk: Exposure to Airborne Particulate Matter during Pregnancy Is Associated with Fetal Death

Objective To test the hypothesis that exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) is associated with stillbirth. Study Design Geo-spatial population-based cohort study using Ohio birth records (2006-2010) and local measures of PM2.5, recorded by the EPA (2005-2010) via 57 monitoring stations across Ohio. Geographic coordinates of the mother’s residence for each birth were linked to the nearest PM2.5 monitoring station and monthly exposure averages calculated. The association between stillbirth and increased PM2.5 levels was estimated, with adjustment for maternal age, race, education level, quantity of prenatal care, smoking, and season of conception. Results There were 349,188 live births and 1,848 stillbirths of non-anomalous singletons (20-42 weeks) with residence ≤10 km of a monitor station in Ohio during the study period. The mean PM2.5 level in Ohio was 13.3 μg/m3 [±1.8 SD, IQR(Q1: 12.1, Q3: 14.4, IQR: 2.3)], higher than the current EPA standard of 12 μg/m3. High average PM2.5 exposure through pregnancy was not associated with a significant increase in stillbirth risk, adjOR 1.21(95% CI 0.96,1.53), nor was it increased with high exposure in the 1st or 2nd trimester. However, exposure to high levels of PM2.5 in the third trimester of pregnancy was associated with 42% increased stillbirth risk, adjOR 1.42(1.06,1.91). Conclusions Exposure to high levels of fine particulate air pollution in the third trimester of pregnancy is associated with increased stillbirth risk. Although the risk increase associated with high PM2.5 levels is modest, the potential impact on overall stillbirth rates could be robust as all pregnant women are potentially at risk.
Insuring the Integrity and Validity of Social Work Interventions: The Case of the Subsidized Guardianship Waiver Experiments

The near loss of the ability to conduct randomized controlled trials in the Title IV-E waiver demonstrations makes the negotiation of a ceasefire urgent in the “causal wars.” Results-oriented accountability is a conceptual framework for managing the micro–macro tensions that arise in social work practice and research. This article uses subsidized guardianship experiments to illustrate the results-oriented accountability process by which innovation is aggregated from the micro level through formative implementation and evaluation into a usable, stable intervention that can be rigorously tested through summative implementation and evaluation at the macro level, and if validated, generalized to the micro level through translative implementation and evaluation.
Parson Evans's Musical Muddle in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR

In act 3, scene 1, of William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, we find Sir Hugh Evans, the “Welsh parson,” anxiously awaiting his duel with Caius, the “French physician.” That a Christian ...
On tangential 2-blocks

Tutte generalized some well-known coloring problems in graph theory into a single geometric problem and made a conjecture about the existence of tangential 2-blocks in the finite projective geometry PG(n,2) over the Galois field of order 2. An affirmative solution of Tutte's conjecture will imply an affirmative solution of the 4-color problem. In this paper some general results have been developed to attack the general problem, posed by Tutte, and finally an analysis of tangential 2-blocks of dimensions 4 and 5 has been made in order to illustrate the applications of these results.
Costs Associated With Ventricular Assist Device Use in Children

Background Ventricular assist devices (VADs) allow children with severe heart failure to be bridged to successful heart transplantation. Ventricular assist devices are being used with increasing frequency in the pediatric population, and newer devices allow even young infants to be supported. Ventricular assist device implantation and maintenance, however, is quite expensive, and the cost-effectiveness of VAD use in adults has been questioned. To date, an economic analysis of VAD support in children has not been undertaken. Methods We used Pediatric Health Information System, an administrative database of the Child Health Corporation of America (a consortium of Children's Hospitals in North America), to determine the outcomes and costs related to VAD use in children. Data on patients younger than 18 years of age from 2002 to 2007 were reviewed. Hospital charges were converted to costs based on cost-to-charge ratios. Projected survival for subjects who were successfully bridged to heart transplant was derived from published data. The model assumed that if a VAD strategy were not used, the majority of subjects would have required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support as a bridge to transplantation. Cost-utility was expressed as cost per quality-adjusted life years saved. All future costs and benefits were discounted at 3%. Results There were 145 children who underwent VAD implantation at 19 centers in North America. The median age at admission was 8.5 years; the range was newborn to 17.7 years. The median duration of VAD support was 43 days (range, 1 to 465 days). Ninety-four patients (65%) survived to heart transplantation. Thirty-nine (27%) patients died during hospitalization. There were 12 patients (8%) who had VAD explantation and survival to hospital discharge. The mean hospital cost was $624,798. When compared with a strategy of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, the calculated cost-utility for VAD as a bridge to transplantation was $119,937 per quality-adjusted life year saved. When key assumptions were changed, the cost-utility varied from $88,304 to $282,320 per quality-adjusted life year saved. Conclusions Ventricular assist devices allow an effective bridge to heart transplantation in children. Under base-case assumptions, the cost-effectiveness ratios exceed the threshold of $100,000 per quality-adjusted life year saved. The cost-utility of this strategy, however, is comparable to a number of other life-saving technologies.
IBIS: A geographic information system based on digital image processing and image raster data type

There is a pressing need for geographic information systems which can manage spatially referenced data, which perform certain types of spatially oriented processing, and which are current and comprehensive. Polygon-overlay and grid-cell information systems access data for selected areas, but their data files are time consuming to generate and frequently costly to process. Updating land use changes for such systems may become prohibitively expensive. In response to the present dilemma, a system is presented that makes use of digital image processing techniques to interface existing geocoded data sets and information management systems with thematic maps and remotely sensed imagery. The basic premise is that geocoded data sets can be referenced to a raster scan that is equivalent to a grid-cell data set. Several technical problems have been overcome to achieve a workable system. First, digital image file handling, image manipulation, and image processing capabilities must be provided. Second, image data must be registered or indexed to spatially referenced tabular data so that processing steps which involve both types can operate. Third, a data interface must be provided between the different data types so that the results of processing can be represented. Finally, image processing analogs must be developed for existing geo-base file computational steps (e.g., overlay, aggregation, cross tabulation, etc). The system is now in use on a test basis.
Study of Inclusive Cross Sections and Multiplicity Distributions in Regge-Pole and Regge-Cut Models

The properties of the multiplicity distribution and total inclusive cross sections are studied in models defined by the Regge-pole form or Regge pole plus infinitely many Regge cuts form of the generating function. Consequences of isospin invariance and charge-conjugation invariance are explored. The general form of the multiplicity distribution is given in the above models: A maximum at zero multiplicity and secondary maxima at $n=k〈n〉$, $k=2, 3, \dots{}$, are expected as a consequence of the existence of Regge cuts. The possibility of the extension of the results to (differential) inclusive cross sections is discussed.
Effects of experimental context and explicit threat cues on acoustic startle in vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

Abstract Background: The hypothesis that exaggerated startle in Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) reflects an anxiogenic response to stressful contexts was tested. Methods: Thirty-four nonmedicated Vietnam veterans with PTSD, and 17 combat and 14 civilian non-PTSD controls participated in two testing sessions over separate days. Acoustic startle stimuli were delivered alone or in a test of prepulse inhibition. In the first session, startle was assessed without experimental stress. In the second session, startle was investigated during a stressful “threat of shock” experiment, when subjects anticipated the administration of shocks during threat periods and during safe periods when no shocks were anticipated. Results: The magnitude of startle did not differ significantly among the three groups in the first session, but was increased throughout the threat of shock experiment in the PTSD veterans in the second session. The actual increase in startle in the threat compared to the safe condition did not significantly differ among the three groups. Prepulse inhibition was reduced in the PTSD veterans, compared to the non-PTSD civilians, but not compared to the non-PTSD veterans. Conclusion: Exaggerated startle in Vietnam veterans with PTSD reflects an anxiogenic response to an environment that is experienced as stressful.
Enhanced-nonlinearity single-mode lead silicate optical fiber

A single-mode lead silicate optical fiber has been fabricated to permit lower-power all-optical switching. The core glass has a nonlinear index of refraction eight times that of silica. The loss of the fiber is less than 2 dB/m. Over 17π of phase shift was obtained, as measured by self-phase modulation, in a 29-cm length of fiber. At the 1-kW peak power level required to produce this large phase shift, two-photon absorption and stimulated Raman scattering did not significantly degrade the desired nonlinear behavior.