cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tolerance as an active process

The clonal deletion model proposed by Burnet1 and Lederberg2 and expanded by Nossal3 was one of the first theories concerning the nature of tolerance to self constituents. The model proposed that during the maturation of lymphocytes into immunocompetent cells, there is a sensitive differentiation stage whereby contact with antigen results in specific inactivation of the cell. Experimental evidence indicates that neonatal or immature B lymphocytes are indeed different from adult lymphocytes in their extreme sensitivity to tolerance induction even at low antigen concentrations and with antigens that are normally immunogenic3–9. The present study examines the mechanism of this tolerance phenomenon by determining whether or not tolerance of immature B cells is an active process and what specific interactions can induce this event. We used various putative inhibitors of tolerance induction in the splenic focus assay4 which examines the tolerance susceptibility of individual B cells. The results suggest that tolerance requires protein synthesis and that this process is initiated only after a minimum threshold affinity of binding occurs between antigen and cell-surface receptor with subsequent receptor interlinkage.
Managing and querying image annotation and markup in XML

Proprietary approaches for representing annotations and image markup are serious barriers for researchers to share image data and knowledge. The Annotation and Image Markup (AIM) project is developing a standard based information model for image annotation and markup in health care and clinical trial environments. The complex hierarchical structures of AIM data model pose new challenges for managing such data in terms of performance and support of complex queries. In this paper, we present our work on managing AIM data through a native XML approach, and supporting complex image and annotation queries through native extension of XQuery language. Through integration with xService, AIM databases can now be conveniently shared through caGrid.
TECHNO-SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY AND WAR: A YEARLY TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS, 1500-1903 A. D.

Previous research may have failed to find a general relationship between war and techno-scientific activity due to the failure (a) to treat the various types of war separately and (b) to use yearly rather than generational time series. Hence, the present study examined 404 consecutive years in European civilization from 1500 to 1903. Measures of four distinct kinds of war were defined and a log-transformed measure of techno-scientific activity was derived from a factor analysis of six histories and chronologies. The techno-science measure was regressed on the war measures plus a set of control variables. Techno-scientific activity was found to be a negative function of balance-of-power and defensive wars fought within Europe. In contrast, imperial and civil wars exerted no influence.
Errors incurred in programming a fully adjustable articulator with a pantograph

The ability of experienced and inexperienced dentists to follow graphic tracings of known value was compared. The mean differences from known values were low for the settings of condylar inclination, progressive side shift, and immediate side shift. Errors were high in both groups when the parameters of the top wall and rear wall were evaluated. Further work is necessary to determine the clinical significance of these errors.
Optimal Energy Management for a Hybrid Vehicle Using Neuro-Dynamic Programming to Consider Transient Engine Operation

This paper proposes a self-learning approach to develop optimal power management with multiple objectives, e.g. to minimize fuel consumption and transient engine-out NOx and particulate matter emission for a series hydraulic hybrid vehicle. Addressing multiple objectives is particularly relevant in the case of a diesel powered hydraulic hybrid since it has been shown that managing engine transients can significantly reduce real-world emissions. The problem is formulated as an infinite time horizon stochastic sequential decision making/markovian problem. The problem is computationally intractable by conventional Dynamic programming due to large number of states and complex modeling issues. Therefore, the paper proposes an online self-learning neural controller based on the fundamental principles of Neuro-Dynamic Programming (NDP) and reinforcement learning. The controller learns from its interactions with the environment and improves its performance over time. The controller tries to minimize multiple objectives and continues to evolve until a global solution is achieved. The control law is a stationary full state feedback based on 5 states and can be directly implemented. The controller performance is then evaluated in the Engine-in-the-Loop (EIL) facility.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Organizational reward systems: Implications for climate

This study investigated the role of systematically different organizational reward structures upon individual perceptions of the reward climate. Nurses in a naval hospital worked for the same supervisors but were subject to either tenure-contingent (N=73) or behavior-contingent (N=50) reward systems. No differences in perceived reward climate were found between the two groups. In the tenure-contingent group, job attitudes reflected individual characteristics rather than perceived climate. The opposite relationship was found for the behavior-contingent group.
The importance of being floppy.

Inhibitor binding to HIV protease affects and can be affected by protein motions. Knowledge of these motions will be of considerable importance for effective structure-based design of drugs.
The Importance of SRS-1 Residues in Catalytic Specificity of Human Cytochrome P450 3A4

The structural basis for the regioselective hydroxylation of Delta-4-3-ketosteroids by human CYP3A4 was investigated. Prior studies had suggested that the chemical reactivity of the allylic 6beta-position might have a greater influence than steric constraints by the enzyme. Six highly conserved CYP3A residues from substrate recognition site 1 were examined by site-directed mutagenesis. F102A and A117L showed no spectrally detectable P450. V101G and T103A exhibited a wild-type progesterone metabolite profile. Of five mutants at residue N104, only N104D yielded holoenzyme and exhibited the same steroid metabolite profile as wild-type. Of four mutants at position S119 (A, L, T, V), the three hydrophobic ones produced 2beta-OH rather than 6beta-OH progesterone or testosterone as the major metabolite. Kinetic analysis showed S(50) values similar to wild-type for S119A (progesterone) and S119V (testosterone), whereas the V(max) values for 2beta-hydroxysteroid formation were increased in both cases. All four mutants exhibited an altered product profile for 7-hexoxycoumarin side-chain hydroxylation, whereas the stimulation of steroid hydroxylation by alpha-naphthoflavone was similar to the wild-type. The results indicate that the highly conserved residue S119 is a key determinant of CYP3A4 specificity and reveal an important role of the active site topology in steroid 6beta-hydroxylation.
NF-κB Protects Macrophages from Lipopolysaccharide-induced Cell Death THE ROLE OF CASPASE 8 AND RECEPTOR-INTERACTING PROTEIN

Macrophages play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases. These studies were performed to characterize the mechanisms by which Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated NF-κB activation promotes resistance to cell death in macrophages. When NF-κB activation was inhibited by a super-repressor, IκBα, the TLR4 ligand lipopolysaccharide induced the activation of caspase 8, the loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm), and apoptotic cell death in macrophages. The inhibition of caspase 8 activation suppressed DNA fragmentation but failed to protect macrophages against the loss of ΔΨm and resulted in necrotic cell death. In contrast, the reduction of receptor-interacting protein 1 suppressed the loss of ΔΨm and inhibited apoptotic cell death. Further, when caspase 8 activation was suppressed, the knock down of receptor-interacting protein inhibited the loss of ΔΨm and necrotic cell death. These observations demonstrate that following TLR4 ligation by lipopolysaccharide, NF-κB is a critical determinant of macrophage life or death, whereas caspase 8 determines the pathway employed.
A flocking based algorithm for document clustering analysis

Social animals or insects in nature often exhibit a form of emergent collective behavior known as flocking. In this paper, we present a novel Flocking based approach for document clustering analysis. Our Flocking clustering algorithm uses stochastic and heuristic principles discovered from observing bird flocks or fish schools. Unlike other partition clustering algorithm such as K-means, the Flocking based algorithm does not require initial partitional seeds. The algorithm generates a clustering of a given set of data through the embedding of the high-dimensional data items on a two-dimensional grid for easy clustering result retrieval and visualization. Inspired by the self-organized behavior of bird flocks, we represent each document object with a flock boid. The simple local rules followed by each flock boid result in the entire document flock generating complex global behaviors, which eventually result in a clustering of the documents. We evaluate the efficiency of our algorithm with both a synthetic dataset and a real document collection that includes 100 news articles collected from the Internet. Our results show that the Flocking clustering algorithm achieves better performance compared to the K- means and the Ant clustering algorithm for real document clustering.
Efficiency of adaptive temperature-based replica exchange for sampling large-scale protein conformational transitions

Temperature-based replica exchange (RE) is now considered a principal technique for enhanced sampling of protein conformations. It is also recognized that existence of sharp cooperative transitions (such as protein folding/unfolding) can lead to temperature exchange bottlenecks and significantly reduce the sampling efficiency. Here, we revisit two adaptive temperature-based RE protocols, namely, exchange equalization (EE) and current maximization (CM), that were previously examined using atomistic simulations (Lee and Olson, J. Chem. Physics2011, 134, 24111). Both protocols aim to overcome exchange bottlenecks by adaptively adjusting the simulation temperatures, either to achieve uniform exchange rates (in EE) or to maximize temperature diffusion (CM). By designing a realistic yet computationally tractable coarse-grained protein model, one can sample many reversible folding/unfolding transitions using conventional constant temperature molecular dynamics (MD), standard REMD, EE-REMD, and CM-REMD. This allows rigorous evaluation of the sampling efficiency, by directly comparing the rates of folding/unfolding transitions and convergence of various thermodynamic properties of interest. The results demonstrate that both EE and CM can indeed enhance temperature diffusion compared to standard RE, by ∼3- and over 10-fold, respectively. Surprisingly, the rates of reversible folding/unfolding transitions are similar in all three RE protocols. The convergence rates of several key thermodynamic properties, including the folding stability and various 1D and 2D free energy surfaces, are also similar. Therefore, the efficiency of RE protocols does not appear to be limited by temperature diffusion, but by the inherent rates of spontaneous large-scale conformational rearrangements. This is particularly true considering that virtually all RE simulations of proteins in practice involve exchange attempt frequencies (∼ps(-1)) that are several orders of magnitude faster than the slowest protein motions (∼μs(-1)). Our results also suggest that the efficiency of RE will not likely be improved by other protocols that aim to accelerate exchange or temperature diffusion. Instead, protocols with some types of guided tempering will likely be necessary to drive faster large-scale conformational transitions.
Impact of Travel Time Models on Quality of Real-Time Routing Instructions

Mobile communication systems coupled with intelligent transportation systems technologies can permit information service providers to supply real-time routing instructions to suitably equipped vehicles as real-time travel times are received. Simply considering current conditions in updating routing decisions, however, may lead to suboptimal path choices, because future travel conditions likely will differ from that currently observed. Even with perfect and continuously updated information about current conditions, future travel times can be known a priori with uncertainty at best. Further, in congested transportation systems, conditions vary over time as recurrent congestion may change with a foreseeable pattern during peak driving hours. It is postulated that better, more robust routing instructions can be provided by explicitly accounting for this inherent stochastic and dynamic nature of future travel conditions in generating the routing instructions. It is further hypothesized that nearly equally good routing instructions can be provided by collecting real-time information from only a small neighborhood within the transportation system as from the entire system. Extensive numerical experiments were conducted to assess the validity of these two hypotheses.
Conflict With Physician Pregnancy Revisited

A 10-year follow-up survey found medical school physicians (N = 200) at one institution were more interested in and accepting of pregnancy among colleagues. A greater number of physicians in 1990 than in 1980 reported that pregnant colleagues maintained their work efficiency and interest in medicine. Fewer physicians in 1990 reported being inconvenienced during a colleague's pregnancy, and fewer perceived hiring women of childbearing age to be a risk to the optimal functioning of their departments.
Terbium fluorescence studies of the metal-angiotensin II complex

Abstract The fluorescent properties of Tb 3+ are used to monitor the metal-peptide interactions of angiotensin II. The fluorescence emission of Tb 3+ is enhanced with the binding of angiotensin II, and the excitation maximum of the metal shifted to resemble that of the peptides fluorescence. The fluorescence enhancement of Tb 3+ is decreased with increasing concentrations of Na + or Ca 2+ . The apparent dissociation constant of Na + and Ca 2+ for angiotensin II is estimated to be about 27.3 mM and 15.5 mM, respectively. The data suggests that under physiological conditions angiotensin II may exist in a complex with Na + but not Ca 2+ .
IgE and IgD in human colostrum and plasma.

Summary: Using radioimmunoassay techniques, we measured IgE and IgD levels in paired colostrum and plasma samples obtained within 4 days postpartum. In colostrum, IgE was detected in concentrations of 0.5–6 IU/ml in 16 out of 39 samples (41%) and < 0.5 IU/ml in the remainder, whereas IgD was detected in all samples in concentrations of 2–2000 μg/dl. Only a moderate correlation was found between colostral and plasma levels of both IgE (r = + 0.60) and IgD (r = +0.74). The correlation coefficient between IgE and IgD in plasma was 0.23, whereas in colostrum it was only 0.05. The colostrum:plasma ratio of IgE varied strikingly from that of IgD; tbe ratio of IgD was 0.1–22.2 times that of IgE. The findings argue against passive transfer of IgE and IgD from the circulation to milk and suggest possible local mammary production of either or both of these two immunoglobulins. Speculation: In some patients, local production of IgE and/or IgD probably occurs in the mammary gland. One may hypothesize that previous antigenic exposure at other mucosal surfaces may not only determine the IgA antibody content of milk but also may influence the specificity of antibodies belonging to other immunoglobulin classes that appear in human milk. Whether the IgE and IgD antibodies in breast milk have similar specificities for antigens as the IgA antibodies in milk remains an interesting but unanswered question.
The Orthodox Church and Russian Politics, by Irina Papkova, Oxford University Press: New York and Woodrow Wilson Center Press: Washington, DC, 2011, xiii + 265 pp. US$65.00, ISBN 978 0 199 79114 9 (hardback)

The Orthodox Church and Russian Politics, by Irina Papkova, Oxford University Press: New York and Woodrow Wilson Center Press: Washington, DC, 2011, xiii + 265 pp. US$65.00, ISBN 978 0 199 79114 9 ...
Estimating the survival distribution when ascertainment of vital status is subject to delay

SUMMARY During the interim stages of most large scale clinical trials, knowledge that a patient is alive or dead is usually not up to date. This is due to the pattern of patient visits to hospitals, as well as the administrative set-up used by the study to obtain the information on vital status. If the process of ascertaining vital status is not completely random, then the usual method of estimating the survival curve based on the Kaplan-Meier estimator may be biased. For this situation, we propose another estimator and show that it is consistent and asymptotically normal. Comparison with the Kaplan-Meier estimator is made for several patterns of ascertainment of vital status using numerical simulations.
Kinetic and isotope analyses of tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene degradation by model Fe(II)-bearing minerals.

Abstract The kinetics and in some cases stable carbon isotope fractionation associated with abiotic reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) by model Fe(II)-bearing minerals present in anaerobic soils were measured. The minerals studied were chloride green rust (GR-Cl), sulfate green rust (GR-SO 4 ), pyrite, magnetite, and adsorbed Fe(II) or FeS formed at the surface of goethite by treatment with dissolved Fe(II) or S(-II). We observed some abiotic transformation of PCE and TCE in every system studied, as evidenced by the presence of abiotic reaction products. Bulk enrichment factors ( e bulk values) for TCE transformation by GR-Cl and pyrite were −23.0 ± 1.8‰ and −21.7 ± 1.0‰, respectively, which are more negative than reported values for microbial TCE dechlorination and could provide one means for distinguishing microbial from abiotic dechlorination of TCE in the environment. Considering the time scale of subsurface remediation technologies, including natural attenuation, minerals such as green rusts, pyrite, and magnetite have the potential to contribute to the transformation of PCE and TCE at contaminated sites.
Hedging in the Combination of Evidence

We discuss the dilemma suggested by Zadeh when using Dempster's rule for combining evidence. We suggested a method for handling this problem by tbe inclusion of a hedging element.
Designs for Testing Group-Based Interventions with Limited Numbers of Social Units: The Dynamic Wait-Listed and Regression Point Displacement Designs

The dynamic wait-listed design (DWLD) and regression point displacement design (RPDD) address several challenges in evaluating group-based interventions when there is a limited number of groups. Both DWLD and RPDD utilize efficiencies that increase statistical power and can enhance balance between community needs and research priorities. The DWLD blocks on more time units than traditional wait-listed designs, thereby increasing the proportion of a study period during which intervention and control conditions can be compared, and can also improve logistics of implementing intervention across multiple sites and strengthen fidelity. We discuss DWLDs in the larger context of roll-out randomized designs and compare it with its cousin the Stepped Wedge design. The RPDD uses archival data on the population of settings from which intervention unit(s) are selected to create expected posttest scores for units receiving intervention, to which actual posttest scores are compared. High pretest-posttest correlations give the RPDD statistical power for assessing intervention impact even when one or a few settings receive intervention. RPDD works best when archival data are available over a number of years prior to and following intervention. If intervention units were not randomly selected, propensity scores can be used to control for non-random selection factors. Examples are provided of the DWLD and RPDD used to evaluate, respectively, suicide prevention training (QPR) in 32 schools and a violence prevention program (CeaseFire) in two Chicago police districts over a 10-year period. How DWLD and RPDD address common threats to internal and external validity, as well as their limitations, are discussed.
Struggling with Integrated Environmental Policy: The EPA Experience

Because of the interrelating, cross-media character of many environmental problems, development of comprehensive and coherent policies for their abatement or management is difficult. This is particularly true where, as in the United States, there has been a strong tendency to focus on single issues of complex problems. Nowhere is this problem of policy and program integration more difficult than in the Environmental Protection Agency. This article uses the lead contamination issue to illustrate the obstacles to integration of policy and procedure even for a single environmental pollutant. Given the holistic and ramifying character of environmental problems, how can appropriate policies and regulations be developed in a political system characterized by sectoral, specialized structure and special interest clientele? At the time of this writing, the effects of elevating the EPA to a cabinet level department cannot fully be foreseen. The expansion of EPA to the administration of nonregulatory responsibilities will doubtless bring new problems of policy to this agency. Problems of program integration may increase unless EPA is authorized to devise and adapt more effective integrative procedures.
Emerging challenges of microactuators for nanoscale positioning, assembly, and manipulation

The development of manufacturing tools and processes capable of precisely positioning and manipulating nanoscale components and materials is still in its embryonic stage. Microactuators are emerging as important tools capable of precisely positioning and manipulating nanoscale components and materials. This paper provides a summary of the state-of the-art in the design, fabrication, and application of microactuators for nanoscale manufacturing and assembly. Key characteristics and design models of electrothermal and electrostatic microactuators are described and compared. Specific design requirements for their functionality at the nanoscale are discussed. The results demonstrate the limitations of existing microactuator designs and key challenges associated with their design, modeling, and performance characterization for nanoscale positioning, assembly, and manipulation.
Real-time quantitative analysis of H2, He, O2, and Ar by quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry.

The use of a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer (QITMS) for quantitative analysis of hydrogen and helium as well as of other permanent gases is demonstrated. Like commercial instruments, the customized QITMS uses mass selective instability; however, this instrument operates at a greater trapping frequency and without a buffer gas. Thus, a useable mass range from 2 to over 50 daltons (Da) is achieved. The performance of the ion trap is evaluated using part-per-million (ppm) concentrations of hydrogen, helium, oxygen, and argon mixed into a nitrogen gas stream, as outlined by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which is interested in monitoring for cryogenic fuel leaks within the Space Shuttle during launch preparations. When quantitating the four analytes, relative accuracy and precision were better than the NASA-required minimum of 10% error and 5% deviation, respectively. Limits of detection were below the NASA requirement of 25-ppm hydrogen and 100-ppm helium; those for oxygen and argon were within the same order of magnitude as the requirements. These results were achieved at a fast data recording rate, and demonstrate the utility of the QITMS as a real-time quantitative monitoring device for permanent gas analysis.
Trends in Rural Local Government in the South

In discussing trends in rural local government in the South attention is of necessity focused primarily on county or parish government.' This is true because the county is the principal and in many cases the only unit of local government which serves the rural population. The South does not have the town which is the dominant unit of local government in the New England states, nor the township which is so prevalent in the Midwest. The South has numerous small incorporated towns and villages but they do not contain rural territory as is usually the case in the New England town.2 Rural local government in the South has been characterized as follows:
Dimensions of the contraceptive attributes questionnaire.

Principal components factor analyses with orthogonal rotation were performed on Importance Sponge Agreement Pill Agreement and Diaphragm Agreement scales on the Contraceptive Attributes Questionnaire (CAQ) to ascertain reliability and validity. Specifically the intent was to measure whether the scales included more than 1 dimension. Internal consistency of the factors was also measured with Cronbachs alpha for each of the factors in each of the Importance and Agreement factors. Data were obtained from a US national telephone survey of 1187 sexually active women 15-44 years. 385 were currently using the contraceptive sponge 407 women who had formerly used the sponge and 396 who had never used the sponge and were using other forms of contraception. 91.9% were white 5.8% were black and 1.4% were of Hispanic origin. 75.9% were employed outside the household. 61.4% were currently married 25.2% were never married and 13.4% were widowed or divorced. The instrument was designed to measure the subjective importance of specific attributed that contraceptive methods may have (Importance) and the perceived characteristics of specific contraceptive methods (Agreement). Importance is measured by the respondents rating on a 5-point scale of how important each of 18 attributes was in selecting a birth control method. Agreement was determined by asking how much one agrees that the 18 attributes describes each of 3 methods: the pill the sponge and the diaphragm (14 attributes). The model of contraceptive decision making assumes that choice of a specific method is a function of value importance and likelihood. The attributes were based on 2 other sources and pretesting reduces 63 items down to 18. The results yielded ratings of agreement for all 3 methods on convenience and absence of health problems and side effects attributes. For vaginal methods only the attribute of greatest importance was convenience. The conclusion is that the subscales have reasonable internal consistency. In the comparison of women who used different methods there were differences by user status on the ratings of the Importance and Agreement attributes for all 3 methods. Sponge users emphasized obtaining contraceptives without consulting medical staff. Pill users were concerned with the reputation of the method and convenience of use. Diaphragm users related to the reputation and familiarity with the method. Limitations were built into the sample which was not randomly selected predominately white and may reflect more innovative users. Items also were all stated in the positive. The CAQ would be useful is determining the characteristics of methods of importance to her and her perceptions of methods. Future research might examine different populations and compare positive and negative items.
Reflections on "Character Development" and the Journal of College and Character

Arthur Schwartz reflects upon his past relationship with the Journal of College and Character and notes the ongoing importance of making character development a focus of attention in academia today.
The expression of SpRunt during sea urchin embryogenesis

The runt box (runx) is a highly conserved DNA binding and protein-protein interaction domain that defines a family of heterodimeric transcription factors that regulate development in metazoans. The three mammalian runx genes are oncogenes with essential functions in normal development: Runx1 is required for hematopoiesis and is frequently mutated in human and murine leukemias; Runx2 is required for bone development and is associated with human cleidocranial dysplasia and murine leukemias; and Runx3 (the evolutionarily basal member of the mammalian family) regulates growth of the gut and functions as a tumor suppressor in the gastric epithelium (Westendorf and Hiebert, 1999; Li et al., 2002). The sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus contains a single runx gene, SpRunt. We present here the initial structural characterization of SpRunt, and its pattern of expression during embryogenesis. SpRunt contains two introns, the locations of which are identical to those of the second and third introns from promoter P2 of the mammalian runx genes. A approximately 6 kb transcript begins to accumulate during cleavage. At mesenchyme blastula stage, SpRunt transcripts are found throughout the embryo, but specifically enriched in the vegetal plate, skeletogenic mesenchyme, and part of the ectoderm. By late gastrula stage expression is localized to the endomesoderm and oral ectoderm. In the pluteus larva SpRunt transcripts remain confined to the endomesoderm and oral ectoderm, with highest levels of accumulation in the foregut and in the ciliary band. These data suggest that SpRunt expression is enhanced in proliferating cells.
Adaptation to hyperosmolality in the rat

Hyperosmolality induced in rats results in a progressive increase in brain glutamine levels with out a change in ammonia. This suggests an adaptation in the compartmental nature of the glutamate-ammonia-glutamine metabolic system to provide more brain osmoles without excess ammonia. The brain: blood glucose ratio rose suggesting brain energy use rate reductions previously reported may be due to altered glucose transport or phosphorylation.
Determinants of the recovery of right ventricular performance following experimental chronic right coronary artery occlusion.

BACKGROUNDPatients with acute ischemic right ventricular dysfunction often develop hemodynamic compromise, yet most manifest spontaneous early clinical improvement and later recovery of global right ventricular performance. This study was designed to delineate the determinants of right ventricular performance following chronic right coronary artery occlusion.METHODS AND RESULTSThrombotic right coronary artery occlusion was induced in 16 closed-chest dogs. Acute occlusion depressed right ventricular free wall motion (motion score, 1.0 +/- 0.0 to 3.4 +/- 0.1*) and global performance (right ventricular fractional area change, 29.2 +/- 1.8% to 2.3 +/- 1.9%*). There was right ventricular dilatation and reversed septal curvature, with elevated and equalized diastolic filling pressures. At 5 days, despite persistent severe right ventricular free wall dysfunction (motion score, 3.4 +/- 0.1 to 2.7 +/- 0.1*), global right ventricular performance improved (fractional area change, 2.3 +/- 1.9% to 17.0 +/- 3.8%*), in ...
The effect of pneumococcal vaccine and prophylactic antibiotics on the rate of pneumococcal bacteremia in splenectomized pediatric patients with Hodgkin's disease

The effect of polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine (PPV) and prophylactic antibiotics (PA) on the rate of pneumococcal bacteremia (PB) in a series of splenectomized pediatric patients with Hodgkin's disease was evaluated. Less than one-half of the patients took the PA regularly. The incidence of PB prior to immunization with PPV was 14%, and was not significantly different from the rate (0%) following immunization. An effect of immunization on the rate of PB was suggested among patients treated with total lymphoid irradiation and combination chemotherapy, but this difference (38% vs 0%) did not achieve statistical significance. The role of PA and/or PPV, if any, in the prevention of PB remains to be clearly defined. Hodgkin's disease, pneumococcal bacteremia, pneumococcal vaccine, splenectomy
Fine‐needle aspiration diagnosis of metastatic intestinal‐type sinonasal adenocarcinoma

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy is a reliable and accurate method for the diagnosis of nodal metastases of head and neck cancers. We report the cytopathologic findings of a case of metastatic sinonasal intestinal type adenocarcinoma (ITAC) in a 58-year-old man who presented with enlarged cervical lymph nodes on a follow-up imaging study, 5 months after resection of a sinonasal ITAC. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of the station 2B lymph node yielded moderately cellular smears with abundant background mucin pools, numerous naked, atypical nuclei, and rare cells with signet ring cell morphology. Rare mitoses, apoptotic bodies, and necrotic debris were also present. Occasional clusters of signet ring cells were also seen in the cell block sections. Immunoperoxidase stains showed these cells to be positive for CK20 and villin. The differential diagnosis included a metastatic signet ring cell adenocarcinoma from the gastrointestinal tract and a metastatic sinonasal ITAC. Review of the previously resected sinonasal ITAC revealed a similar morphology with signet ring cells and abundant extracellular mucin production; the immunostaining results were also similar to those obtained on previously resected sinonasal ITAC. This case emphasizes the importance of considering primary head and neck tumors with intestinal phenotype and immunophenotype in the differential diagnoses of cervical lymph node metastases with signet ring cell morphology. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2013. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Racialized Documentary Reception of Ken Burns' Jazz

This essay investigates the critical reception of the documentary Jazz: The Story of America's Music , directed by Ken Burns and shown on PBS in 2001. Although studies on reception are now common regarding television, the reception of documentary is an underexplored area. Typically, documentary theory has placed an emphasis on truth and epistemology; only recently have there been inquiries on audiences. Expanding on the latter contributions, the author looks at critics' reception of the documentary and the way identity and truth related to racialized interpretations of the text. The author's analysis suggests that these viewers responded strongly to the documentary's racial arguments. However, the responses were not determined by the viewer's race. To reconcile this finding with an idea of race as determinant of reception, the author proposes that it is not the viewer's racial identity but the function of race in the viewer's life that determines modes of reception.
Phrasal Movement and Its Kin

This study investigates the types of movement and movement-like relations that link positions in syntactic structure. David Pesetsky argues that there are three such relations. Besides overt phasal movement, there are two distinct types of movement without phonological effect: covert phrasal movement and feature movement. Focusing on wh-questions, he shows how his classification of movement-like relations allows us to understand the story behind wh-questions in which an otherwise inviolable property of movement -- "Attract Closest" -- appears to be violated. By demonstrating that more movement takes place in such configurations than previously suspected, he shows that Attract Closest is actually not violated at all in these cases. This conclusion draws on recent research in both syntax and semantics, and depends crucially on Pesetsky's expanded repertoire of movement-like relations. Linguistic Inquiry Monograph No. 37
On the effects of customer conditions on distributor commitment and supplier commitment in industrial channels of distribution

Abstract Commitment in channel relationships has received increasing research attention lately. Although a number of driving forces of commitment have been identified, all of them are dyad-specific factors, and the potential influence of the environmental conditions on commitment has been ignored. The author broadens the scope beyond the distributor–supplier dyad and suggests that the commitment of channel members is affected by not only the dyadic factors, but also by the changes in customer conditions. The results of a national survey of industrial distributors and suppliers indicate that the impact of customer conditions on supplier commitment is different from their impact on distributor commitment.
UBM Fused Total Variability Modeling for Language Identification

This paper proposes Universal Background Model (UBM) fusion in the framework of total variability or i-vector modeling with the application to language identification (LID). The total variability subspace which is typically exploited to discriminate between the language classes of different speech recordings, is trained by combining the normalized Baum-Welch statistics of multiple UBMs. When the UBMs model a diverse set of feature representations, the method yields an i-vector representation which is more discriminant between the classes of interest. This approach is particularly useful when applied to shortduration utterances, and is a computationally less complex alternative to performance boosting as compared to system level fusion. We assess the performance of UBM fused total variability modeling on the task of robust language identification on short-duration utterances, as part of Phase-III of the DARPA RATS (Robust Automatic Transcription of Speech) program. Index Terms: language identification, i-vector representation, short-duration, noise robustness, RATS
A formative evaluation of customized pamphlets to promote physical activity and symptom self-management in women with multiple sclerosis

Inactivity is a prevalent problem in the population affected with multiple sclerosis (MS). Thus, there is a need to develop and test physical activity (PA) interventions that can be widely disseminated. We conducted a formative evaluation as part of a randomized controlled trial of a pamphlet-based PA intervention among 30 women with MS. Pamphlets were customized to sub-sets of participants who shared similar symptoms and barriers to PA. Mixed methods were used to examine the intervention’s influence on self-efficacy, social support, processes of change and stages of change placement, as well as explore participants’ perceived barriers, motivators and strategies for engaging in a PA program. Results indicated that the intervention group significantly improved stages of change placement (F = 16.64, P < 0.01) and social support (F = 4.08, P = 0.05) in comparison to the control group. Fatigue, pain and lack of time were the commonly cited barriers to engage in the PA program; whereas the pamphlets, phone calls and action planning were cited as motivators. Participants used fatigue management strategies, enlisted social support and modified their environment to routinely engage in the PA program. Strategies were identified to improve the PA intervention in future research.
Recovery after uterine artery embolization for leiomyomas: a detailed analysis of its duration and severity.

PURPOSE To determine the duration and severity of recovery after uterine artery embolization (UAE) for leiomyomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS As part of a study comparing different embolic materials used for UAE, detailed data on the severity of postprocedural recovery were gathered in 99 patients. These data included patient-controlled analgesia records, visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores of daily peak pain levels for 7 days, medication use in the first week, and severity of constitutional symptoms experienced over the course of the first month after the procedure. The VAS scale assesses acute pain severity on a 10-cm linear scale and yields a continuous measure from 1 to 10. The constitutional symptoms were scored based on a questionnaire. The data were analyzed with use of summary statistics, and linear regression analysis was used to determine the impact of various baseline factors on the severity of recovery. RESULTS The mean peak VAS score for the first 24 hours after UAE was 3.03 (SD, 0.26) and the mean maximum score in the first week was 4.89 (SD, 0.26). Only 11 patients had an in-hospital VAS score greater than 7, and 19 had a VAS score of greater than 7 on any of the first 7 days after discharge. The mean number of oral narcotic tablets used per patient was 10.8 in the first week. Although 33 patients had a temperature higher than normal sometime in the first postprocedural week, high temperature (>38.5°C) occurred in only two patients. There were no differences detected in the measured parameters based on the type of embolic material used. CONCLUSION Despite the reputation of UAE to the contrary, when current techniques are used, recovery after UAE for fibroids is relatively mild, with few instances of severe pain, high fever, or severe constitutional symptoms.
Optimal Redundancy for Reliability in Series Systems

This paper considers the problem of determining the optimal number of redundant components in order to maximize the reliability of a series system subject to multiple resource restrictions. After formulating and solving an associated zero-one programming problem by a branch-and-bound procedure, the paper shows that the optimal solution to the associated problem is equivalent to the optimal solution for the optimal redundancy problem. Finally, the paper shows that this technique solves fairly large problems with multiple constraints without excessive storage-space requirements.
Further studies of the secretory process in hypothalamo-neurohypophysial neurons: an analysis using immunocytochemistry, wheat germ agglutinin-peroxidase, and native peroxidase

The axonal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and synaptic-like (micro)vesicles within axon terminals of the neurohypophysis and their contribution to the secretory process in hypothalamo-neurohypophysial neurons have been investigated cytochemically in normal mice and in mice given 2% salt water to drink for stimulation of hormone synthesis in and release from these neurons. Cytochemical techniques included the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) immunocytochemical method for localization of neurophysin, wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) as a tracer for the anterograde axonal transport of membrane from within the perikaryon, and blood-borne native horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a tracer for internalized axon terminal membrane. The primary antiserum employed was directed against neurophysins I and II, the carrier proteins for the peptide hormones oxytocin and vasopressin, respectively. PAP reaction product was observed over neurosecretory granules but never over the endoplasmic reticulum, microvesicles or other organelles in axons and terminals of the neurohypophysis. WGA-HRP was delivered extracellularly to cell bodies of paraventricular neurons by cerebral ventriculocisternal perfusion. Internalized perikaryal surface membrane tagged with WGA-HRP was recycled through the innermost Golgi saccule (GERL) from which neurosecretory granules were formed. The anterograde axonal transport of membrane-bound WGA-HRP was manifested within the neurosecretory granules; WGA-HRP did not label the axonal reticulum or terminal microvesicles in the neurohypophysis. Blood-borne native HRP endocytosed into neurohypophysial terminals was associated with a plethora of microvesicles measuring 40-70 nm in diameter and vacuoles similar in size to the 100-300-nm-wide neurosecretory granules. The microvesicles contributed to the formation of numerous vacuoles. The internalization of axon terminal membrane as microvesicles incorporating HRP was quantitatively greater than vacuoles in both salt-stressed and control mice. The results suggest that in the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system of the mouse the axonal ER and terminal microvesicles are not involved in the transport, storage, and exocytosis of neurosecretory material and perhaps other molecules processed through the innermost Golgi saccule. Nevertheless, a prominent population of the microvesicles within axon terminals of the neurohypophysis does participate in the secretory process. These vesicles are involved directly in the internalization of the terminal surface membrane subsequent to release of secretory granule content.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Vulnerability beyond Stereotypes: Context and Agency in Hurricane Risk Communication

Risk communication may accentuateor alleviatethe vulnerability of peoplewho have particulardifficulties responding to the threat of hazards such as hurricanes. The process of risk communication involves how hazard information is received, understood, and responded to by individuals and groups. Thus, risk communication and vulnerability interact through peoples’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices. This study explores risk communication with several groups that may be at particular risk of hurricane impacts: older adults, newer residents, and persons with disabilities. Focus groups conducted in Miami, Florida, examined how members of these groups express their own vulnerability or agency in terms of receiving, interpreting, and responding to hurricane risk information. Findings indicate that people’s interactions with risk information are deeply contextual and are facilitated by their individual agency to cope with their vulnerabilities.
Handling network uncertainty in heterogeneous wireless networks

With the constant evolution of wireless communication access technologies, there is a clear trend for mobile clients (MC) to be equipped with multiple interfaces for simultaneous access to different types of networks. This has been denominated a heterogeneous wireless networks. However, in order to achieve a desired quality of service while satisfying the user's requirements, MCs must take advantage of the inherent characteristics of these access technologies, and rely on adaptable decision making mechanism for data forwarding. Unfortunately, route selection satisfying multiple constraints has proven to be NP-Complete, and although various heuristic algorithms have been proposed, they assume that the network state information is static and both the user's and networks constraints are clearly specified. This paper focuses on the imprecise and dynamic nature of the network conditions while satisfying multiple - often contradicting - constraints. A fuzzy logic model is proposed which aims at translating the uncertainty factor of the network conditions to accurate values using the fuzzy logic tools and techniques. We then perform a thorough analysis of the metric values offered by various wireless technologies, and derive crisp values for the imprecise network parameters. A sensitivity analysis reflecting the performance of, and relative importance of metrics on each network is carried out. These results are shown to impact user's decision in handing over data to the appropriate interface.