cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social Media and Crisis Communications: A Survey of Local Governments in Florida

Social media platforms are increasingly being used by public agencies and emergency managers to communicate with the public in times of crisis. However, while the adoption of these technologies has been well documented at the federal level, little is known empirically about the extent to which social media are being utilized for emergency management communications by local agencies, and less still is known about how rates of adoption vary based on the organizational and demographic characteristics of local municipalities. This exploratory study provides an empirical analysis of social media use by local municipalities in the State of Florida and examines the organizational and demographic factors related to social media adoption for emergency and crisis communications. The study suggests that social media are still underutilized by local agencies in many regards. Findings also indicate that larger municipalities which serve younger, more highly educated populations are more likely to adopt social media for crisis communications, while agencies representing traditionally under-served populations are less likely to utilize social media for these same purposes. The implications of these findings are discussed, particularly the role of higher education in preparing public administrators and emergency managers for careers in a networked society.
A geographically explicit ecological momentary assessment (GEMA) mixed method for understanding substance use

Tobacco use is increasingly concentrated within marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ young adults. Developing tailored interventions to reduce tobacco-related health disparities requires understanding the mechanisms linking individual and contextual factors associated with tobacco use to behavior. This paper presents an in-depth exploration of three cases from a novel mixed method study designed to identify the situational factors and place-based practices of substance use among high-risk individuals. We combined geographically explicit ecological momentary assessment (GEMA) with an adapted travel diary-interview method. Participants (young adult bisexual smokers, ages 18-26) reported on non-smoking and smoking situations for 30 days with a smartphone app. GEMA surveys captured internal and external situational factors (e.g., craving intensity, location type, seeing others smoking). Continuous locational data was collected via smartphone GPS. Subsequently, participants completed in-depth interviews reviewing maps of their own GEMA data. GEMA data and transcripts were analyzed separately and integrated at the case level in a matrix. Using GEMA maps to guide the interview grounded discussion in participants' everyday smoking situations and routines. Interviews clarified participant interpretation of GEMA measures and revealed experiences and meanings of smoking locations and practices. The GEMA method identified the most frequent smoking locations/times for each participant (e.g., afternoons at university). Interviews provided description of associated situational factors and perceptions of smoking contexts (e.g., peer rejection of bisexual identity) and the roles of smoking therein (e.g., physically escape uncomfortable environments). In conclusion, this mixed method contributes to advancing qualitative GIS and other hypothesis-generating approaches working to reveal the richness of individuals' experiences of the everyday contexts of health behavior, while also providing reliable measures of situational predictors of behaviors of interest, such as substance use. Limitations of and future directions for the method are discussed.
Stop fRETting the Target: Next-Generation RET Inhibitors Have Arrived

BLU-667 is a next-generation RET inhibitor that maximizes on-target and minimizes off-target effects. It is an exemplar of genotype-driven drug development followed by multi-histology basket trial validation that is becoming a paradigm for precision oncology. Cancer Discov; 8(7); 797-9. ©2018 AACRSee related article by Subbiah et al., p. 836.
Principles of Fluorescence Immunoassay

Immunoassays are preferred for the quantitation of many clinically relevant analytes. The high binding affinities and the specificity of analyte recognition displayed by antibodies greatly simplify the accurate determination of analytes, despite the presence of many other substances in a sample of interest. Useful immunoassay strategies require appropriate levels of analyte sensitivity. The sensitivity of the earliest immunoassays was dramatically improved by the introduction of radioisotopes as tracers. Radioimmunoassays (RIAs) became a benchmark against which subsequent immunoassay technologies were measured. Moreover, RIAs provided guiding principles that were extended for immunoassay development with tracers other than radioisotopes. The pursuit of alternative tracers gained momentum due to the hazards and precautions required in working with radioactive materials, their relative instability, and due to the mounting problems and expense associated with their manufacture and disposal. Thus, reporters based on direct and enzyme-generated fluorescence and absorbance became more widely used to fulfill the growing need for nonradioisotopic tracers. As a result, RIA technology is declining in commercial use, and although the absorbance-based enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is a rather mature technology, RIAs and EIAs are still widely used. Fluorescent labels have long been used for immunological staining in fluorescence microscopy, both prior to and since the introduction of the RIA. Fluorescence technology has been extensively applied to instrumented immunoassay development, not only since high detection sensitivities are possible, but also since fluorophores display a variety of measurable properties. The emission intensity, orientation, waveform, lifetime, and the interrelationships between these properties contribute to the continuing evolution of fluorescence immunoassays and to their commercial development. The sophistication of fluorescence technology for conducting clinical immu-
How the social environment shaped the evolution of mind

Dominance hierarchies are ubiquitous in the societies of human and non-human animals. Evidence from comparative, developmental, and cognitive psychological investigations is presented that show how social dominance hierarchies shaped the evolution of the human mind, and hence, human social institutions. It is argued that the pressures that arise from living in hierarchical social groups laid a foundation of fundamental concepts and cognitive strategies that are crucial to surviving in social dominance hierarchies. These include recognizing and reasoning transitively about dominance relations, fast-track learning of social norms (permissions, prohibitions, and obligations), detecting violations of social norms (cheating), monitoring reciprocal obligations, and reading the intentions of others.
Genetic Aspects of Infertility

As terms like “fecundity,” “fertility” and “sterility” have different meanings for different people, it seems desirable to state at the outset what biological territory will be covered in this brief review, and to define clearly its metes and bounds.
Benzodiazepines and Movement Disorders

Benzodiazepines are useful medications for a variety of movement disorders. In patients with myoclonus, stiff person syndrome, and tetanus, they are the important first line treatments. In other movement disorders, including essential tremor, all forms of dystonia, chorea, Parkinson's disease, and tic disorders, benzodiazepines are mostly used as adjuncts to other treatments. Although tolerance, sedation, concentration and memory impairment, depression, imbalance, and psychological and physical dependence produce challenges in the use of these medications over time, these problems can be addressed by careful choice of specific drugs and by strategies to limit the duration and timing of treatment with these agents.
Film Cooling Effectiveness From Two-Row of Compound Angled Cylindrical Holes Using PSP Technique

This study investigates the combined effects of blowing ratio and density ratio on flat plate film cooling effectiveness from two-row of compound angled cylindrical holes. Two arrangements of two-row compound angled cylindrical holes are tested: the first row and second row are oriented in staggered but same compound angled direction (β = +45° for the first row, +45° for the second row); the first row and second row are oriented in inline but opposite direction (β = +45° for the first row, −45° for the second row). Each cooling hole is 4 mm in diameter with an inclined angle 30°. The streamwise distance between the two rows is fixed at 4d and the spanwise pitch between the two holes (p) is 4d, 6d, and 8d, respectively. The experiments are performed at four blowing ratios (M = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) and three density ratios (DR = 1.0, 1.5, 2.0). The free stream turbulence intensity is kept at 6%. Detailed film cooling effectiveness distributions are obtained using the steady state pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) technique. The detailed film cooling effectiveness contours are presented and the spanwise averaged film effectiveness results are compared over the range of flow parameters. Film cooling effectiveness correlations are developed for both inline and staggered compound angled cylindrical holes. The results provide baseline information for the flat plate film cooling analysis with two-row of compound angled cylindrical holes.Copyright © 2018 by ASME
Learning Probabilistic Trajectory Models of Aircraft in Terminal Airspace From Position Data

Models for predicting aircraft motion are an important component of modern aeronautical systems. These models help aircraft plan collision avoidance maneuvers and help conduct off-line performance and safety analyses. In this paper, we develop a method for learning a probabilistic generative model of aircraft motion in terminal airspace, the controlled airspace surrounding a given airport. The method fits the model based on a historical dataset of radar-based position measurements of aircraft landings and takeoffs at that airport. We find that the model generates realistic trajectories, provides accurate predictions, and captures the statistical properties of the aircraft trajectories. Furthermore, the model trains quickly, is compact, and allows for efficient real-time inference.
A Validated Ion Chromatography method for determination of Ammonium content in Omeprazole tablets

A simple, feasible, definite and strong Ion chromatography method was developed for the quantitative determination of ammonium content in Omeprazole tablets. The method was developed using Ion pac CS17 Column, 250 X 4.6mm X 5.0 m column with mobile phase containing 1.5mM Methane sulfonic acid in water. The eluted compounds were monitored using conductivity detector. The unknown peak and ammonium peak were well separated with resolution more than 2.0. The developed method was validated as per Internatonal Conference on Harmonisation of technical Requirements for registration of pharmaceuticals for human use guidelines with respect to linearity (The high correlation coefficient >0.99), limit of detection, limit of quantification, exactness, precision and robustness. The Limit of detection, Limit of quantification values of Ammonium were 8ppm and 30ppm respectively.
Expression of multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein in Pichia pastoris affects the host's methanol metabolism.

Pichia pastoris KM71H (MutS ) is an efficient producer of hard-to-express proteins such as the membrane protein P-glycoprotein (Pgp), an ATP-powered efflux pump which is expressed properly, but at very low concentration, using the conventional induction strategy. Evaluation of different induction strategies indicated that it was possible to increase Pgp expression by inducing the culture with 20% media containing 2.5% methanol. By quantifying methanol, formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide and formate, and by measuring alcohol oxidase, catalase, formaldehyde dehydrogenase, formate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenases, it was possible to correlate Pgp expression to the induction strategy. Inducing the culture by adding methanol with fresh media was associated with decreases in formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide, and increases in formaldehyde dehydrogenase, formate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenases. At these conditions, Pgp expression was 1400-fold higher, an indication that Pgp expression is affected by increases in formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide. It is possible that Pgp is responsible for this behaviour, since the increased metabolite concentrations and decreased enzymatic activities were not observed when parental Pichia was subjected to the same growth conditions. This report adds information on methanol metabolism during expression of Pgp from P. pastoris MutS strain and suggests an expression procedure for hard-to-express proteins from P. pastoris.
Growing Linear Dynamical Networks Endowed by Spectral Systemic Performance Measures

We propose an axiomatic approach for design and performance analysis of noisy linear consensus networks by introducing a notion of systemic performance measure. This class of measures are spectral functions of Laplacian eigenvalues of the network that are monotone, convex, and orthogonally invariant with respect to the Laplacian matrix of the network. It is shown that several existing gold-standard and widely used performance measures in the literature belong to this new class of measures. We build upon this new notion and investigate a general form of the combinatorial problem of growing a linear consensus network via minimizing a given systemic performance measure. Two efficient polynomial-time approximation algorithms are devised to tackle this network synthesis problem: a linearization-based method and a simple greedy algorithm based on rank-one updates. Several theoretical fundamental limits on the best achievable performance for the combinatorial problem are derived that assist us to evaluate optimality gaps of our proposed algorithms. A detailed complexity analysis confirms the effectiveness and viability of our algorithms to handle large-scale consensus networks.
The Effects of Web-Based Learning Versus Traditional Instructor-Based Learning on Student Knowledge and Satisfaction Based on Student Learning Styles

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of Web-based learning (WBL) versus those of traditional instructor-based learning (IBL) on student knowledge and satisfaction based on student learning styles. Other goals were to determine if WBL is more effective for those with a particular learning style. The study examined a sample of undergraduate students who were enrolled in the college algebra offered as both oncampus instructor-based (traditional) and Web-based at the university of North Texas (UNT). A total of 36 Web-based students and 58 instructor-based students participated in this study. This study utilized a posttest-only intact group. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI) measured the learning styles of students. This study used learning methods (Web-based learning (WBL), instructor-based learning (IBL)), and learning styles (Diverger, Converger, Assimilator, and Accommodator) as independent variables. Student knowledge and student satisfaction was measured at the end of the course as independent variables. Based upon the results of the LSI, post-learning exam, and satisfaction a series of two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA 4x2) techniques and independent variable tests was used for each of the dependent variables, knowledge and satisfaction, based on a student's learning styles. The results revealed that students' learning styles were statistically significant for knowledge when learning on the Web versus instructor-led. In addition, the learning style was important factor for Web-based learning. The results indicated students with Assimilator and Converger as learning styles received better result with the Web-based learning method. Furthermore, this study found there is significant difference in student satisfaction based on learning on the Web versus instructor-led. The outcome of the study could be of particular interest in educational institutions; especially those that want to transfer some of their traditional courses onto the Web. The finding also has implications for training organizations as they seek efficient and effective ways to satisfy their training needs.
Neighborhood Influences on Women's Parenting Practices for Adolescents' Outdoor Play: A Qualitative Study.

Understanding factors that influence parenting decisions for outdoor play is necessary to promote physical activity during critical years for adolescent adjustment. This study explored physical and social environmental influences on parenting decisions and rules for their child’s outdoor play using semistructured in-depth interviews with parents (n = 30, 29 of whom were mothers) of adolescents. Mothers from low- (n = 16) and high-disadvantage (n = 13) neighborhood environments were recruited to identify environmental factors that resulted in parenting decisions that either promoted or hindered outdoor play and identify differences across neighborhood types. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Mothers limit their child’s independent play, as well as the location and time of outdoor play, due to both social and physical aspects of their neighborhood. Seven themes (safety, social norms, sense of control, social cohesion and neighborhood composition, walkability, and access to safe places for activity) were identified as influencers of parenting practices. Mothers in high-disadvantage neighborhoods reported facing greater neighborhood barriers to letting their child play outside without supervision. Physical and social neighborhood factors interact and differ in low- and high-disadvantage neighborhoods to influence parenting practices for adolescent’s outdoor play. Community-level interventions should target both physical and social environmental factors and be tailored to the neighborhood and target population, in order to attenuate parental constraints on safe outdoor play and ultimately increase physical activity and facilitate adolescent adjustment among developing youth.
Collision-Tolerant Narrowband Communication Using Non-Orthogonal Modulation and Multiple Access

Ultra Narrowband (UNB) has recently received great attention for its potential to realize ultra- reliable, massive scale Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN). Elaborate frequency planning and multiple access schemes have been regarded as an essential part of LPWAN because random frequency- and time-domain ALOHA accesses lead to significant network performance degradation due to inevitable packet collisions. In this paper, we propose a novel network scheme based on non-orthogonal modulation and multiple access (NOMMA) that is tolerant to packet collisions. The proposed scheme uses hyper-dimensional modulation (HDM) to outperform conventional orthogonal modulation and multiple access schemes with and without prior knowledge of interference in highly congested network scenarios. Simulation results show that HDM based NOMMA can achieve 70% higher network throughput than a conventional orthogonal modulation and multiple access scheme.
Church and State in Spanish Italy: Rituals and Legitimacy in the Kingdom of Naples

In this study Celine Dauverd analyses the link between early modern imperialism and religion via the principle of 'good government'. She charts how the Spanish viceroys of southern Italy aimed to secure a new political order through their participation in religious processions, alliance-building with minority groups, and involvement in local charities. The viceroys' good government included diplomacy, compromise, and pragmatism, as well as a high degree of Christian ethics and morality, made manifest in their rapport with rituals. Spanish viceroys were not so much idealistic social reformers as they were legal pragmatists, committed to a political vision that ensured the longevity of the Spanish empire. The viceroys resolved the tension between Christian ideals and Spanish imperialism by building religious ties with the local community. Bringing a new approach to Euro-Mediterranean history, Dauverd shows how the viceroys secured a new political order, and re-evaluates Spain's contributions to the early modern European world.
Lymphovascular invasion as a prognostic indicator in stage I non small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta analysis.

7535 Background: Identification of pathologic features able to predict outcomes in resected stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may help to further stratify patients into risk groups, allowi...
2 – FUNDAMENTAL THEORY

Publisher Summary This chapter presents some basic results on existence, uniqueness, continuation, and continuity with respect to parameters for the initial value problem. It explains the existence of solutions of initial value problems and discusses the continuation of solutions of initial value problems. An nth order ordinary differential equation can be reduced to a system of first-order ordinary differential equations. An arbitrary systems of n first order differential equations can also be written as a single vector equation. The chapter defines the Jacobian matrix and identity matrix. A function defined on a domain in a complex space is called holomorphic.
Image encryption based on compressive sensing and chaos systems

Abstract Recently, a new image encryption technique based on compressive sensing (CS) has been proposed. CS allows the signal to be sampled at a much lower rate than the Nyquist- Shannon rate. Furthermore, the signal can be sampled and compressed in a single step using the sparsity of the signal which represents the signal with a reduced number of samples. The signal can be sparse in its original domain or in another domain such as Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) or Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). In addition, CS can be used for encryption by using a good measurement matrix as the secret key of the encryption algorithm, so that CS samples, compresses and encrypts in a one-step process. This paper introduces a new algorithm based on CS for image encryption. Plain image is sparse in the DCT domain, and the combination of pixels is used to reduce the dimension of the image DCT. The measurement matrix is generated using a three-dimensional chaotic system, and for further encryption, pixel scrambling is applied using a one-dimensional chaotic system to generate the scrambling vector. Experimental and analysis results show that the proposed algorithm has good performance in terms of security and image compression, as well as low time complexity.
Abstract 6202: Effect of sympathetic nervous system mediators on the tumor microenvironment via small extracellular vesicles in ovarian cancer

Background: Psychological stress can promote progression of gynecological malignancies by increasing secretion of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) mediators, namely catecholamines. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly explored. Here, we examined the effect of stress hormones on small extracellular vesicles (EVs) release in gynecological malignancies and the biological impact of these stress-conditioned EVs on the tumor microenvironment. Methods: Supernatants were collected from epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines treated with norepinephrine, epinephrine or hydrocortisone. Small EVs were isolated from the supernatants and assessed for number and particle size. Auto re-uptake studies, invasion assays and tube formation assays were performed on ovarian cancer cells and RF24 endothelial cells exposed to control and stress-conditioned EVs. Tipifarnib was used to inhibit small EV secretion to study dependence of outcomes of previously performed functional assays on EV number. Mass spectrometry (MS) was performed on control and stress-conditioned small EVs to compare protein content. Reverse-phase protein array (RPPA) was performed on RF24 cells exposed to control and stress-conditioned EVs to observe differences in active pathways. Results: Addition of 1uM and 10uM of catecholamines and glucocorticoids increased small EV secretion by ~ 4-fold in OVCAR5 and HeyA8 cell lines. Maximum increase in secretion was seen between 8 hr and 24 hr after treatment with stress hormones, after which secretion decreased. EV uptake experiments with ovarian cancer cells showed that the percentage of uptake of stress-conditioned EVs at all timepoints was the same, around 65%, indicating that the capacity of the cell to produce EVs might be decreasing after 24 hours. Stress-conditioned EVs increased invasion of ovarian cancer cells and tube formation capacity of RF24 cells by ~ 2-fold. MS analysis of EV contents from control and stress-conditioned EVs showed a differential expression of angiogenesis and cell growth-related proteins in the stress-conditioned EVs alone (p=0.007). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that addition of stress-hormones increases the angiogenic potential of cancer cell-derived small EVs. Further exploration of the effects of stress-conditioned small EVs on cancer cells and other cell types in the tumor microenvironment might uncover other mechanisms of stress-induced cancer progression. AACR Category: TB06 (Tumor Microenvironment) Key words: ovarian cancer, EVs, norepinephrine, angiogenesis Citation Format: Sujanitha Umamaheswaran, Santosh K. Dasari, Akira Yokoi, Elaine Stur, Anil K. Sood. Effect of sympathetic nervous system mediators on the tumor microenvironment via small extracellular vesicles in ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6202.
Clinical Correlation of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Open Fracture Classification With Wound Closure and Soft-Tissue Complications in Open Upper Extremity Fractures.

OBJECTIVES To correlate domains of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Open Fracture Classification (OTA-OFC) in open upper extremity injuries with type of definitive soft-tissue closure, complication rates, and unanticipated return to the operating room for complication. DESIGN Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. SETTING Level I trauma center. PATIENTS Two hundred thirty-four consecutive open upper extremity fractures. INTERVENTION Operative management of open upper extremity fractures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS Type of definitive closure, 90-day wound complication, and wound complication necessitating return to the operating room. RESULTS Two hundred eighty injuries were identified, and 234 had sufficient data for analysis. Eighty-four percent (196/234) of open wounds were closed primarily, 7% (16/234) required a skin graft, and 4% (9/234) required rotational or free flap. Thirteen percent (22/166) of those followed for 90 days had a wound complication, and 50% of those with complication required a return to the OR. All OTA-OFC classifications statistically significantly correlated with type of closure (P < 0.001), with skin having a high correlation (r = 0.79), muscle (r = 0.49) and contamination (r = 0.47) moderate correlations, and arterial (r = 0.32) and bone loss (r = 0.33) low correlations. OTA-OFC muscle classification was predictive of 90-day wound complication (OR 0.31, 95% confidence interval 0.07-0.21). OTA-OFC domains correlated variably with return to the OR. CONCLUSION OTA-OFC clinically correlates with definitive wound management and 90-day wound complication in open upper extremity fractures. OTA-OFC skin classification has a high correlation with the type of definitive wound closure. OTA-OFC muscle was the only domain that correlated with 90-day wound complication and was predictive of 90-day wound complication. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
How will self-driving vehicles affect U.S. megaregion traffic? The case of the Texas Triangle

Abstract This paper anticipates the impacts of self-driving or “autonomous” vehicles (AVs), shared AVs, and Atrucks on travel across the Texas Triangle megaregion using year 2040 land use (and network) forecasts. A statewide travel demand model forecasts changes in trip generation, mode and destination choices, and thus vehicle-miles traveled (VMT), congestion, and travel patterns across the megaregion. Results suggest travelers' shifting to more distant destinations, with average person-trip distance rising from 14 to 16 miles. Within-region airline passenger travel is predicted to fall by 82%, as travelers shift to self-driving ground transport options. Without travel demand management (like credit-based congestion pricing and mandated tight headways between AVs), congestion issues will grow, due to an average 47% VMT increase, especially in the region's major cities (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin). Automobile travel is anticipated to rise across all distance categories, with increases most evident between suburban and urban zones. Almost 9.6% of link flows will exceed capacity, relative to 4.6% of segments in the no-AV case (for year 2040). Four of the 15 freight industries are predicted to experience an increase of more than 100 million ton-miles per day, due to the introduction of Atrucks, with rising truck trades largely between Houston and other major cities.
Pharmacodynamics of Ceftibuten: An Assessment of an Oral Cephalosporin against Enterobacterales in a Neutropenic Murine Thigh Model

Efforts to develop and pair novel oral β-lactamase inhibitors with existing β-lactam agents to treat extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales are gaining ground. Ceftibuten is an oral third-generation cephalosporin capable of achieving high urine concentrations; however, there are no robust data describing its pharmacodynamic profile. This study characterizes ceftibuten pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in a neutropenic murine thigh infection model. Enterobacterales isolates expressing no known clinically-relevant enzymatic resistance (n = 7) or harboring an ESBL (n = 2) were evaluated. The ceftibuten minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were 0.03–4 mg/L. Nine ceftibuten regimens, including a human-simulated regimen (HSR) equivalent to clinical ceftibuten doses of 300 mg taken orally every 8 h, were utilized to achieve various fT > MICs. A sigmoidal Emax model was fitted to fT > MIC vs. change in log10 CFU/thigh to determine the requirements for net stasis and 1-log10 CFU/thigh bacterial burden reduction. The growth of the 0 h and 24 h control groups was 5.97 ± 0.37 and 8.51 ± 0.84 log10 CFU/thigh, respectively. Ceftibuten HSR resulted in a -0.49 to -1.43 log10 CFU/thigh bacterial burden reduction at 24 h across the isolates. Stasis and 1-log10 CFU/thigh reduction were achieved with a fT > MIC of 39% and 67%, respectively. The fT > MIC targets identified can be used to guide ceftibuten dosage selection to optimize the likelihood of clinical efficacy.
Diet and Immune Mechanisms

Germfree animals generally have a less well developed RE system, characterized by lower weight of especially those tissues which normally would be exposed to microbial stimulation (1). In germfree mice and chickens the concentration of immuno competent cells in these tissues is lower than in conventional controls (2,3). Gamma globulin levels of germfree animals are lower than in comparable conventional controls, but appear to be quite diet dependent in certain species (4). Immuno electrophoresis of the serum of germfree CFW mice reared on the “antigen free”, low molecular weight, water soluble diet formula developed by Pleasants et al (5) indicates total absence of the IgG line in young adults, while the pattern of comparable animals reared on solid diet always demonstrates at least some IgG.
RNA Secondary Structure Prediction and Gene Regulation by Small RNAs

RNA molecules are involved in some of the cell’s most fundamental processes that include catalysis, pre-mRNA splicing and RNA editing, and regulation of transcription and translation. To a large degree, the function of a regulatory RNA molecule is determined by its structure. Computational methods for modeling RNA secondary structure provide useful initial models for solving the tertiary structure by crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The problem of computational prediction of secondary structure for a single RNA sequence dates back to the early 1970s [99]. Free energy minimization has been an important method for such prediction. The partition function approach by McCaskill enables rigorous computation of base-pair probabilities and heat capacity [70]. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in ensemble-base approaches that extend the pioneering work of McCaskill. In this chapter, we briefly review these developments. Gene silencing by RNA interference and posttranscriptional gene regulation by microRNAs are fundamental discoveries in molecular biology. Rational design of short interfering RNAs for improving potency of gene silencing and regulatory target prediction for microRNAs are two important computational problems. We here review work from our group and others to show that target mRNA secondary structure is important for both efficient gene silencing and microRNA target recognition.
Localized zones of denitrification in a floodplain aquifer in southern Wisconsin, USA

A floodplain aquifer within an agricultural watershed near Madison, Wisconsin (USA), was studied to determine whether denitrification was occurring below the surface organic layer. Groundwater levels and concentrations of O2, Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and major cations were monitored over a 1-year period along a 230-m transect between an agricultural field and a stream discharge point. Seventeen groundwater samples were analyzed for δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3 composition. Samples in which NO3− was too low for stable isotope analysis were analyzed for excess dissolved N2. Groundwater NO3− concentrations declined between the agricultural field and the discharge point. Chloride and δ15NNO3/δ18ONO3 data indicated that the drop in NO3− was caused primarily by dilution of shallow NO3−-rich water with deeper, NO3−-depleted groundwater. Two localized zones of denitrification were identified in the upland-wetland transition by their δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3 signatures, and two in the stream hyporheic zone by the presence of excess dissolved N2. The combined stratigraphic, hydrologic, and geochemical data in these locations correspond to groundwater mixing zones where NO3− is delivered to subsurface layers that support denitrification fueled by dissolved (e.g. DOC or dissolved Fe(II)) and/or solid-phase (e.g. particulate organic carbon, solid-associated Fe(II), or pyrite) electron donors.
Von Neumann, John

John von Neumann (1903–1957) was an interdisciplinary thinker who not only brought fresh approaches to seemingly disparate fields, but discovered and developed their interrelationships. His greatest achievement in cognitive science was his contribution to the concept of the stored-program computer, where he applied the logical correspondence between nervous systems and computing systems to the logical design of electronic computers. Keywords: programmable electronic computers; theory of games; self-reproducing cellular automaton; logic of neural nets
Tracing the geographical origin of cocaine.

Cocaine carries a chemical fingerprint from the region where the coca was grown. Here we show that cocaine originating from different geographic regions in South America can be identified by its isotope-ratio signature. The distinct carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope-ratio combinations allow the country of origin to be determined for the principal coca-growing regions along the Andean Ridge. By combining this information with detectable differences in the patterns of the trace alkaloids truxilline and trimethoxycocaine, we correctly identified the source of 96% of 200 cocaine samples.
Volume and Skewness Analysis in the Major Latin American Stock Markets

The main objective of this article is to study the relation between volumes and return asym- metries for most of the Latin American Stock Markets, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. The selected methodology for this study considers the first three moments of operational volume and market returns following Hutson et al. (2008). The results include the identification of a statistically significant relation between transaction volumes and return asymmetries for the Mexican, Brazilian, Chilean, Colombian, and Argentine stock markets. This finding, however, is not conclusive for the Peruvian stock market.
Chapter 13 Regulation of sterol biosynthesis and isoprenylation of proteins

Publisher Summary This chapter emphasizes some of the recent findings related to the mechanisms that regulate cholesterol synthesis and the catabolism of cholesterol to bile acids and discusses the studies that have demonstrated that certain polyisoprenoids, including farnesyl pyrophosphate, an intermediate in sterol synthesis, are involved in the important posttranslational modification of a number of proteins. All mammalian cells obtain cholesterol via at least three different routes: by de novo synthesis or by uptake of extracellular cholesterol-rich lipoproteins either via a specific regulated pathway or a nonspecific, nonregulated process, termed pinocytosis. The identification of the physiological regulatory sterol and the role it plays in controlling gene transcription is also of paramount importance. The recent cloning of cholesterol 7a-hydroxylase and the sterol 26-hydroxylase should allow investigators to begin dissecting the mechanisms controlling bile acid synthesis and defects in this pathway. However, many questions remain to be answered that relate to the mechanisms involved in the control of cholesterol and bile acid synthesis, such as where is reductase degraded and what triggers the process.
A note on invariance of spectrum for symmetric Banach *-algebras

Let A be a symmetric Banach *-algebra, let B be a Banach algebra, and assume that A C B. A result is proved giving conditions which imply that every element of A has the same spectrum in both A and B. INTRODUCTION Let A be a Banach algebra. The complete algebra norm on A will be denoted 11 IIA. For a E A, CA(a) is the spectrum of a in A. Now assume that, in addition, A is a *-algebra. Then A is symmetric if aA(a*a) C [0, oo) for all a E A. Basic information concerning symmetric *-algebras can be found in [4, Chapter IV, Section 7]. All C*-algebras are symmetric [4, Theorem (4.6.9)]. Also, Shirali's Theorem [1, Theorem 5, p. 226] implies that a Banach *-algebra A is symmetric if and only if A is hermitian; meaning, aA(a) C R for all a = a* E A. There has been recent interest in the question: If A is a C*-algebra, and ir: A -? B(X) is an isomorphism of A into the algebra of all bounded linear operators on a Banach space X, then when does it hold that CA(a) = a(ir(a)), the operator spectrum of ir(a), for all a E A? Some results on this question can be found in [3]. Here we prove a theorem concerning symmetric *-algebras which has some bearing on this question. A corollary of this theorem generalizes some results in [3]. THE RESULTS Theorem. Let A and B be Banach algebras with A a closed subalgebra of B. HWhen A has a unit, then assume that this element is also the unit of B. Further, assume that A is a symmetric *-algebra with continuous involution such that either (i) the embedding of A in B is continuous; or (ii) A is semsimple. Then CA(a) = aB(a) for all a E A. Proof. First note that in either case (i) or (ii), the norms of A and B are equivalent on A. For if (i) holds, then this follows from the Open Mapping Theorem, and when (ii) holds, this is a consequence of Johnson's Uniqueness of Norm Theorem. Received by the editors April 11, 1997. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 46K99, 46L05.
Impact of demographic and impairment-related variables on disability associated with plantar fasciitis

Background:Plantar fasciitis is a common foot disorder that impacts many functional activities. Research that quantifies the impact that plantar fasciitis has on function is lacking. In addition, little is known about which variables are associated with disability in patients with plantar fasciitis. The first purpose of this study was to determine if age, gender, body mass index, pain intensity, chronicity of symptoms, or ankle dorsiflexion range of motion was associated with disability in patients with plantar fasciitis. The second purpose was to describe the impact that plantar fasciitis has on functional status in the context of five functional domains: household activities of daily living, usual work and hobbies, nonweightbearing activities, walking-related activities, and running-related activities.Methods:Fifty consecutive patients diagnosed with unilateral plantar fasciitis were recruited. Demographic and impairment data were collected and all patients completed the Lower Extremity Functional Scale...
Kinetics and pathogenesis of intracellular magnetic nanoparticle cytotoxicity

Magnetic nanoparticles excited by alternating magnetic fields (AMF) have demonstrated effective tumor-specific hyperthermia. This treatment is effective as a monotherapy as well as a therapeutic adjuvant to chemotherapy and radiation. Iron oxide nanoparticles have been shown, so far, to be non-toxic, as are the exciting AMF fields when used at moderate levels. Although higher levels of AMF can be more effective, depending on the type of iron oxide nanoparticles use, these higher field strengths and/or frequencies can induce normal tissue heating and toxicity. Thus, the use of nanoparticles exhibiting significant heating at low AMF strengths and frequencies is desirable. Our preliminary experiments have shown that the aggregation of magnetic nanoparticles within tumor cells improves their heating effect and cytotoxicity per nanoparticle. We have used transmission electron microscopy to track the endocytosis of nanoparticles into tumor cells (both breast adenocarcinoma (MTG-B) and acute monocytic leukemia (THP-1) cells). Our preliminary results suggest that nanoparticles internalized into tumor cells demonstrate greater cytotoxicity when excited with AMF than an equivalent heat dose from excited external nanoparticles or cells exposed to a hot water bath. We have also demonstrated that this increase in SAR caused by aggregation improves the cytotoxicity of nanoparticle hyperthermia therapy in vitro.
Body mass index and all-cause mortality among people age 70 and over: the Longitudinal Study of Aging

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) and mortality in a large nationally representative sample of US adults over age 70 years. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal cohort study, the Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA). Subjects were all those 7260 black and white people (2769 men, 4491 women) initially interviewed in 1984 for whom height and weight were available. These subjects were followed through to 1990. MEASUREMENTS: Measurements included self-reported height and weight, date of death if subjects died, sex, age, race, measures of socio-economic status, number of living first degree relatives, and responses to questions asking whether the subject had retired due to poor health, had difficulty eating, worried about their health, and felt their health was worse than during the prior year. Smoking status was not assessed. RESULTS: When analyzed via Cox proportional hazard regression, the relationship between BMI and mortality, represented by means of hazard ratio, was clearly U-shaped for both men and women. The base of the curves was fairly wide suggesting that a broad range of BMIs are well tolerated by older adults. The minimum mortality (estimated from the fitted proportional hazard models) occurred at a BMI of approximately 31.7 for women and 28.8 for men. The results were essentially unchanged, if analyses were weighted, if various disease states were controlled for, and if apparently unhealthy subjects were excluded. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of the relatively high BMI (27–30 for men, 30–35 for women) associated with minimum hazard in persons older than seventy years supports some previously documented findings and opposes others and, if confirmed in future research, has implications for public health and clinical recommendations.
Calcific Neck Mass in an Adolescent Girl

Ahealthyadolescentgirlpresented for evaluationof a lump in the right side of her neck. She reported that it had been slowly enlarging since she first noticed it 3 years previously. The mass was painless. She had not experienced dysphagia, voice changes, skin changes, or drainage. There was no history of trauma to this region. She had a remote history of adenotonsillectomy and currently used tobacco. Examination of the neck revealed a 2-cm, hard, irregular, superficial, mobile mass located just lateral to midline and just deep to the skin without erythema or induration of the surrounding tissue. Deep palpation elicited tenderness, and overlying skin dimpling was noted. There was no lymphadenopathy or thyromegaly, and findings from the examination were otherwise unremarkable. Thepatientagreedtoundergosurgical excision.A2 × 0.8 × 0.7cm calcified mass was excised after mobilization of its attachments to the platysma muscle. The gross specimen was tannish yellow in colorandhardwithcalcifications (Figure,A).Histopathologicexamination revealedawell-circumscribed lesionofheterogenousappearance (Figure, B, ×12.5magnification). Highermagnification revealed islands of basaloid and shadow cells and associated trabecular bone containing entrapped osteocytes (Figure, C, ×100 magnification). Giant cellswere visible at the periphery of the basaloid cellmatrix. What is your diagnosis? A
Hydraulic Lift and Soil Nutrient Heterogeneity

ABSTRACT Water released at night from roots into upper portions of the soil profile in the process of hydraulic lift may contribute to reducing spatial soil nutrient heterogeneity. A manipulative field experiment was conducted in a semiarid shrub stand to determine if circumvention of hydraulic lift, by nighttime illumination of the shrub canopy, would result in greater soil nutrient heterogeneity than if the hydraulic lift process was allowed to operate. Nutrient-enriched patches were superimposed on the existing soil heterogeneity and after 40 days, the patches and interspaces were sampled for ions of different mobility and for root mass. There was no indication under these conditions that hydraulic lift was contributing to smoothing spatial nutrient heterogeneity.
The role of work management in application development

Quality is probably one of the most serious concerns of today's software community. For software applications exhibiting a certain complexity, the quality of a product can only be guaranteed by a methodological approach, using appropriate administration and tools. The methodology and administration must be manifested in a well-defined and well-observed application development process. The process must integrate the human activity, the tools, and the intermediate and final work products into a coherent flow of actions. In this regard, the development of applications follows patterns that are well established in other industries where an application development (AD) process model is defined and then executed via an interpretation mechanism. The complexity of the development process makes it necessary to support and integrate all of its aspects by means of on-line interactive computer support. Computer-aided process support in the general sense we call work management. This paper explains the concepts of an application development process model and of work management for application development under AD/Cycle™ and its relation to project management.