cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temporal Coherence Between Lake and Landscape Primary Productivity

Understanding the patterns and drivers of primary productivity is a major goal of ecology, but little is known about whether the primary productivities of different types of ecosystems—here, lakes and the landscapes in which they are embedded—fluctuate in related ways through time. Due to shared climatic variation and well-known connections between lake and terrestrial ecosystems, such as nutrient and resource subsidies, we hypothesized that interannual fluctuations in aquatic and terrestrial primary productivity indices could be coherent. We also expected that lake and watershed characteristics could modify the strength and nature of primary productivity relationships. We applied wavelet coherence analyses to time series of lake chlorophyll-a and satellite-derived NDVI to examine coherence between lakes and land, and used random forest regression and generalized additive models to evaluate why coherence varies among lakes. There can be substantial coherence between lake and terrestrial primary productivity, but the strength and phase (direction and time lag) of this relationship vary widely, and there were marked differences between short (2–4-year periods of oscillation) and long (> 4-year periods of oscillation) timescales. Across all timescales, variables associated with the connectedness of lakes to their watersheds were consistently the important explanatory variables of the strength and phase of coherence. The patterns observed in this study suggest the importance of cross-ecosystem flows, as opposed to shared climatic variation, in determining temporal coherence between lakes and the landscape.
Dear Punchy: Representing and Feeling Writing in Animal Crossing

This article explores how the Animal Crossing series represents and invites players to practice writing. Adopting several frameworks including media speleology, affect theory, and writing studies, this article argues that the representation of writing in the first game in the Animal Crossing series, Animal Forest, resists both the technological and gendered histories typically ascribed to writing and video games. Turning to the ways that players actually practice writing, this article suggests that affect plays a key role in the deep connections that players develop with fellow villagers through the act of letter writing. Ultimately, this article calls for further examination of writing’s role in the cultural significance of Animal Crossing and careful study of its representations in other video games.
Healthcare-Associated Infections

Reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) decreases avoidable morbidity and mortality and is a significant step toward promoting safety. The importance of improving safety was underscored by the 1999 Institute of Medicine’s report To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. This report found that an estimated 98,000 hospitalized patients die from medical errors in the United States each year suggesting that our hospitals are not sufficiently safe. Since a proximate cause of mortality for many of these deaths is avoidable healthcare-acquired infections, the reduction of these infections with their complications is a means to enhance safety. Indeed, this has been adopted as a goal by leading healthcare organizations in the United States and internationally.
The Karyotype of Plestiodon anthracinus (Baird, 1850) (Sauria: Scincidae): A Step Toward Solving an Enigma

The cosmopolitan lizard genus Eumeces was first revised in 1936 and consisted of 15 species-groups comprising a total of 50 species. Nine species in North America were later recognized as belonging to the genus Plestiodon and all contained the diploid chromosome number of 26. Modern cladistic techniques indicated that Plestiodon anthracinus (Coal Skink) was near the ancestral form for the fasciatus group. We employed the hypotonic citrate method to study chromosomes of 5 Coal Skink specimens from Louisiana and Arkansas and found them to have a diploid number of 24 (12 macrochromosomes, 12 distinctly smaller chromosomes, all biarmed) and a fundamental number of 48. The diploid number of 24 is probably derived by some chromosome rearrangements in the evolution of Plestiodon and of the Plestiodon anthracinus group.
Neural-immune interactions.

Publisher Summary At the heart of the emerging discipline of psychoneuroimmunology is the contention that the nervous system can modulate the actions of the immune system. Further implications of this assumption are that stimuli from the environment of the organism that have an impact on and are processed by the nervous system—such as sensory stimuli, stress, and various psychosocial factors—can be translated by the nervous system into the signals that may modulate the function of the immune system, thereby affecting health and potential illness from pathogens or tumors. Because the sum of experience, emotion, and environment come together in the central nervous system (CNS), the most provocative implication is that the brain may be able to influence health related to immunologic function. Two major strategies are used to investigate the functional role of neurotransmitters in immunomodulation: pharmacologic interventions and the denervation of lymphoid organs. The noradrenergic (NA) sympathetic system is discussed in the chapter.
Female Prosecutors in Thirteenth-Century England

Women played a surprisingly large role in the private prosecution of crime in thirteenth-century England. Although law, custom, and even Magna Carta tried to restrict women's ability to prosecute, more than a third of all private prosecutors were female. Women brought nearly two-thirds of the homicide private prosecutions and all of the rape prosecutions. This article tries to explain why women were so prominent in the private prosecution of crime, compares men's and women's prosecutorial success, and investigates the social significance of prosecution by women. One reason that women brought so many prosecutions is that, unlike male prosecutors, they were immune from trial by battle. Female prosecutors were reasonably successful, securing settlements more often than men and favorable jury verdicts about as often. Women's ability to prosecute afforded them a modicum of power and a public role, albeit a limited one.
Data Flow Analysis Driven Dynamic Data Partitioning

The use of distributed memory architectures as an effective approach to parallel computing brings with it a more complex program development process. Finding a partitioning of program code and data that supports sufficient parallelism without incurring prohibitive communication costs is a challenging and critical step in the development of programs for distributed memory systems. Automatic data distribution techniques have the goal of placing the responsibility of determining a suitable data partitioning into the domain of the compiler. Static program analysis techniques that expose data interrelationships and derive performance estimates are central to the development of automatic data distribution heuristics. In this paper we present a data partitioning heuristic that makes use of array data flow analysis information in the modeling of data interrelationships and the estimation of costs associated with resolving interrelationships via communication. The global view provided by data flow analysis permits consideration of potential communication optimizations before data partitioning decisions are made. Our heuristic uses tiling techniques to determine data partitionings. The resulting data distributions, while still regular, are not limited to the standard BLOCK, CYCLIC and BLOCK-CYCLIC varieties. Preliminary results indicate an overall reduction in communication cost with our technique.
Does the temporal placement of food-pellet reinforcement alter induction when rats respond on a three-component multiple schedule?

A series of recent studies have demonstrated that rats will increase their rate of operant responding for sucrose reinforcement when food-pellet reinforcement will be upcoming in the same session. One potential explanation for this increase is that operant, rather than respondent or general, behavior becomes increasingly probable in sessions in which food-pellet reinforcement will be available. This explanation implies that it is not necessarily upcoming food-pellet reinforcement that produces the induction. The present study investigated this implication by having rats press 1 lever (Experiment 1) or 3 different levers (Experiment 2) for 1 % liquid-sucrose reinforcers delivered by a 3-component multiple schedule. Across treatment conditions, food-pellet reinforcement replaced sucrose reinforcement in one of the three 15-min components. Doing so produced an induction effect in responding for sucrose in the other components. However, the size of induction did not differ depending on the temporal placement of the food-pellet reinforcement. These results are therefore consistent with the above, operant explanation.
Early steps in specific tumor cell lysis by sensitized mouse T lymphocytes. V. Evidence that manganese inhibits a calcium-dependent step in programming for lysis.

Abstract The mechanism of T-lymphocyte-mediated cytolysis consists of three successive steps: adhesion formation, programming for lysis, and killer-cell-independent lysis. Mg2+, but not Ca2+, is required for adhesion formation, whereas programming for lysis is strongly Ca2+ dependent. We have previously reported that the transition metal manganese can substitute for Mg2+ in supporting adhesion formation. In the present paper, we demonstrate that manganese inhibits programming for lysis. The inhibitory effect of Mn2+ on cytolysis can be reduced by increasing the concentration of Ca2+. Furthermore, inhibitor sequencing experiments were unable to distinguish the step blocked by Mn2+ from the Ca2+-dependent step. These results suggest that Mn2+ blocks a Ca2+-dependent step(s) in programming for lysis. Present evidence does not distinguish whether the action of Ca2+ in programming for lysis is via a Ca2+ influx (as a “second messenger?”) or whether Ca2+ simply serves as a cofactor at the cell exterior.
Two distinct classes of carbohydrate-recognition domains in animal lectins.

Les lectines sont des proteines non enzymatiques qui fixent selectivement des structures carbohydrates specifiques. Description de 2 categories de lectines animales: les lectines de type C, calcium-dependantes et les lectines de type S, thiol-dependantes
Presynaptic Inhibition: Transmitter and Ionic Mechanisms

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the pharmacology and ionic mechanism of presynaptic inhibition in both invertebrates and vertebrates. For invertebrates, the chapter mainly focuses on crustacean nervous system. Pharmacological and anatomical studies suggest that the inhibition results from the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from axo-axonic synapses. There is evidence that in mammalian CNS presynaptic fibers may have GABA receptors even though they do not receive axo-axonic synapses. In addition, electrical stimulation of these presynaptic fibers results in the activation of these receptors, presumably due to the diffusion of GABA from remote synapses. This raises the possibility that presynaptic inhibition might occur in regions that do not contain axo-axonic synapses. In vertebrates, there is evidence that GABA, at least on the cell bodies of primary afferents, increases chloride permeability. At the crustacean neuromuscular junction (NMJ) the increased conductance of the motor nerve terminal results in a reduction in spike amplitude and/or a block in impulse invasion into the terminal that reduces the number of quanta released per stimulus. The major difference in the presynaptic action of GABA in vertebrate primary afferents and in the crustacean NMJ is that in the former, the increased chloride conductance results in a large depolarization.
David Lukens Reasoner (1941-1992)

David Lukens Reasoner, former head of NASA's Ionospheric Physics branch, died on April 21, 1992. Reasoner was born July 1, 1941. He worked tirelessly to expand NASA's Space Physics Division, bringing his deep experience and personal expertise to bear on the challenges of growth. During the magical period of the late 1950s and early 1960s when America turned its eyes toward space and the Moon, David Lukens Reasoner journeyed north from the nearby Texas town of Dickinson to Rice University with an idea of getting involved in exploring the frontiers of space. He pursued a course of study in electrical engineering and received a bachelor's degree in 1963 and a master's degree in 1964. In the early 1960s, the Space Science Department at Rice was formed, and President John Kennedy visited to say that America chose to go to space not because it is easy but because it is hard and because it would require the very best talents of our nation to succeed. Dave Reasoner was one of those talented people. His excellence in electrical engineering and physics, combined with his natural abilities in the laboratory, suited him ideally for building the machines of space. As a student, he built sounding rocket payloads and multiple instruments for satellites and experiment packages that were placed on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts. He completed his doctoral degree in space science in 1968. It was in these early thrilling days of space exploration that I first met Dave, beginning a friendship and collegial relationship that was to last 27 years.
Ribonucleic acid polymerase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus. II. Studies on double stranded homopolynucleotide templates.

Abstract The homopolymer complex, (dAn·dTn), will direct the synthesis of r(A)n or r(U)n, or both, in the presence of highly purified RNA polymerase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus. When either 14C-ATP or 3H-UTP is present with saturating amounts of (dAn·dTn), AMP incorporation is considerably greater than UMP incorporation. This difference appears to reflect a product inhibition which is observed only in the case of r(U)n synthesis. When both ATP and UTP are present with (dAn·dTn), each substrate exerts an influence on the incorporation rate of the other. UTP nonspecifically decreases AMP incorporation, whereas ATP specifically enhances UMP incorporation resulting in similar rates of incorporation for both substrates. This "coupling" phenomenon occurs at all Mn++ and Mg++ concentrations, although the UMP:AMP incorporation ratio is highly dependent upon the metal ion concentration. Since the specific enhancement of UMP incorporation by ATP is not related to the template activity of nascent r(A)n, the coupling phenomenon is interpreted in terms of an interaction of the nascent r(A)n product with the nascent r(U)n product. Nascent r(A)n probably enhances the rate of UMP incorporation by facilitating the release of r(U)n, which would otherwise form a triple stranded complex with (dAn·dTn). This hypothesis is supported by the finding that r(U)n, added to the (dAn·dTn) template before the addition of RNA polymerase, completely blocks UMP incorporation but does not affect AMP incorporation. Since this interaction of the two complementary product strands must be immediate, it is suggested that both are simultaneously synthesized at the same site by a dimeric enzyme. A similar coupling phenomenon does not occur with the double stranded ribosyl template, r(A)n·r(U)n, and comparative studies indicate large kinetic differences between ribosyl and deoxyribosyl templates.
Nucleoside hydrolase from Leishmania major. Cloning, expression, catalytic properties, transition state inhibitors, and the 2.5-a crystal structure.

Abstract Protozoan parasites lack the pathway of thede novo synthesis of purines and depend on host-derived nucleosides and nucleotides to salvage purines for DNA and RNA synthesis. Nucleoside hydrolase is a central enzyme in the purine salvage pathway and represents a prime target for the development of anti-parasitic drugs. The full-length cDNA for nucleoside hydrolase from Leishmania major was cloned and sequence analysis revealed that the L. major nucleoside hydrolase shares 78% sequence identity with the nonspecific nucleoside hydrolase fromCrithidia fasciculata. The L. major enzyme was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to over 95% homogeneity. The L. major nucleoside hydrolase was identified as a nonspecific nucleoside hydrolase since it demonstrates the characteristics: 1) efficient utilization ofp-nitrophenyl β-d-ribofuranoside as a substrate; 2) recognition of both inosine and uridine nucleosides as favored substrates; and 3) significant activity with all of the naturally occurring purine and pyrimidine nucleosides. The crystal structure of the L. major nucleoside hydrolase revealed a bound Ca2+ ion in the active site with five oxygen ligands from Asp-10, Asp-15 (bidentate), Thr-126 (carbonyl), and Asp-241. The structure is similar to the C. fasciculata IU-nucleoside hydrolase apoenzyme. Despite the similarities, the catalytic specificities differ substantially. Relative values ofk cat for the L. major enzyme with inosine, adenosine, guanosine, uridine, and cytidine as substrates are 100, 0.5, 0.5, 27 and 0.3; while those for the enzyme from C. fasciculata are 100, 15, 14, 510, and 36 for the same substrates. Iminoribitol analogues of the transition state are nanomolar inhibitors. The results provide new information for purine and pyrimidine salvage pathways in Leishmania.
Air Stability of Alkanethiol Self-Assembled Monolayers on Silver and Gold Surfaces

Surface Raman spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have been used to study the effects of air exposure on the stability of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formed from alkanethiols on mechanically polished, smooth Ag and Au surfaces. Raman spectra exhibit oxidized sulfur modes after only hours of air exposure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the S 2p region provides additional evidence for sulfur oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry of Ru(NH3)63+ indicates that oxidized alkanethiol SAMs retain blocking characteristics toward electron transfer, even after exposure of the oxidized SAM-surface to a solubilizing solvent. Control experiments suggest ozone as the primary oxidant in ambient laboratory air which causes rapid oxidation of the thiolate moiety. These results have important ramifications for the general use of SAMs in many proposed applications.
EFFECTS OF LEVELS OF FAT AND PROTEIN ON THE STABILITY AND VISCOSITY OF EMULSIONS PREPARED FROM MECHANICALLY DEBONED POULTRY MEAT

A temperature controlled, capillary extrusion viscometer was used to compare meat batters prepared from mechanically deboned poultry meat (MDPM). Protein levels of 12% produced more viscous batters and less release of gel water and fat during emulsion stability tests than 11% protein. Product formulated with 21% fat gave less stable batters than meat with 16% fat; however, the viscosity of the meat batter increased with increased level of fat. Although meat batters prepared from two different sources of MDPM exhibited similar emulsion stability and extrusion capillary viscometry characteristics, a mixture of the meat from the two sources was lower in all components released during the emulsion stability test.
Mycosphaerella fijiensis, Causal Agent of Black Sigatoka of Musa spp. Found in Puerto Rico and Identified by Polymerase Chain Reaction

Black Sigatoka, also known as black leaf streak, is caused by Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet (anamorph Pseudocercospora fijiensis (Morelet) Deighton). It is the most significant disease of bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) because most of the economically important cultivars of exported and staple commodities are highly susceptible. The Caribbean is one of the few regions of the world where black Sigatoka is not widespread. Black Sigatoka has been reported in the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica (2). Yellow Sigatoka, caused by M. musicola Leach (anamorph P. musae (Zimm.) Deighton), has been recognized in Puerto Rico since 1938-1939 (3). In August 2004, symptoms resembling black Sigatoka were first observed in Anasco, Puerto Rico by extension personnel from the University of Puerto Rico. Since black and yellow Sigatoka produce similar disease symptoms, a survey was conducted in the western banana- and plantain-production region of Puerto Rico to confirm the presence of black Sigatoka. Leaf samples were collected from production fields near the towns of Las Marias, Maricao, and Anasco. Single-ascospore isolates were recovered using the discharge technique from moistened pseudothecia in necrotic lesions that were inverted over water agar, and ascospores were transferred to potato dextrose agar. The isolates were subcultured in potato dextrose broth for mycelium production. DNA was isolated from mycelium with the FastDNA kit (Q-Biogen, Irvine, CA) for 19 isolates. Internal transcribed spacer as well as the 5.8s rDNA regions were polymerase chain reaction amplified with primers specific to M. fijiensis or M. musicola (1). Amplification products (˜1,100 bp) were observed for 18 of the 19 isolates, 6 of which were M. fijiensis and the remaining 12 were M. musicola, while the positive controls for both species were also amplified with the respective primer pairs. M. fijiensis was recovered from production fields close to all three towns. The source of M. fijiensis in Puerto Rico is unclear, but it may have originated from introduced leaf material and/or wind dispersed ascospores from neighboring countries. The presence of black Sigatoka in Puerto Rico will most likely increase production costs where fungicide applications will be needed to maintain yields. The USDA-ARS, Tropical Agriculture Research Station is the official Musa spp. germplasm repository for the National Plant Germplasm System. As such, efforts are underway to introduce and evaluate black Sigatoka disease-resistant clones that can satisfy local and export market criteria. References: (1) A. Johnasen. Detection of Sigatoka leaf spot pathogens of banana by the polymerase chain reaction. Chatman, UK, Natural Resource Institute, 1997. (2) R. C. Ploetz. Plant Dis. 88:772, 2004. (3) R. H. Stover. Trop. Agric. Trinidad. 39:327, 1962.
The Effect of Meeting or Beating Revenue Forecasts on the Association between Quarterly Returns and Earnings Forecast Errors

Recent studies in the accounting literature provide evidence of a market premium whenever firms meet or exceed analysts' earnings forecasts. Financial analysts typically issue revenue forecasts in addition to earnings forecasts. In this study, we draw our motivation from the cue consistency theory to examine whether meeting or exceeding revenue forecasts serves as an additional cue to the market in pricing earnings performance. Consistent with this theory, we show that the market premium (penalty) to meeting or beating (not meeting) earnings forecasts is accentuated when revenue forecasts are also met (not met). Meeting earnings forecasts but not meeting revenue forecasts generally results in a significantly negative market penalty, and the magnitude of the earnings response coefficient jointly depends on whether the earnings and revenue forecasts are met or not. Finally, consistent with previous research, we document a significant association between revenue forecast errors and quarterly abnormal returns. However, we show that after allowing for differential market reactions depending on whether earnings and revenue forecasts are met, this association becomes insignificant. This result suggests that the value of meeting revenue forecasts is arguably of greater importance to market participants than the magnitude of the revenue forecast error.
Leucine enkephalin antagonizes norepinephrine-induced 45Ca++ accumulation in rat atria.

Abstract Exposure of rat atrial slices to 10 −5 M norepinephrine (NE) for 10 minutes increases 45 Ca ++ accumulation from 1.64 ± 0.10 to 2.23 ± 0.06 nmol/mg tissue. In the presence of leucine enkephalin (10 −8 M), NE-stimulated 45 Ca ++ uptake is reduced to 1.44 ± 0.10 nmol/mg tissue. The effect of leu-enkephalin is reversed in the presence of 10 −7 M naloxone, NE-stimulated 45 Ca ++ uptake being increased to 2.17 ± 0.15 nmol/mg tissue. The results support a direct interaction of leuenkephalin with β-agonist-stimulated Ca ++ flux in rat atria, and correlate with the previously reported enkephalin antagonism of NE-induced positive chronotropy in the same tissue.
Technetium-99m complexes of dimethylaminomethylene diphosphonate (DMAD)—II. Biological distributions of 99mTc-DMAD components isolated by anion exchange HPLC

HPLC isolated components of 99mTc(NaBH4)-DMAD mixtures exhibit significantly different biological properties than do analogous components of 99mTc(NaBH4)-MDP and 99mTc(NaBH4)-HEDP mixtures. Most importantly, 99mTc-DMAD components desorb from normal bone whereas analogous 99mTc-MDP and 99mTc-HEDP components do not. However, within an osteogenic rat model, an HPLC isolated 99mTc-DMAD component does not exhibit an unusually high abnormal/normal tibia uptake ratio.
Nucleotide and amino acid sequence of a Cucurbita phytochrome cDNA clone: identification of conserved features by comparison with Avenu phytochrome

Abstract The amino acid (aa) sequence of Cucurbita phytochrome has been deduced from the nucleotide (nt) sequence of a cDNA clone which was initially identified by hybridization to an Avena phytochrome cDNA clone. Cucurbita, a dicot, and A vena, a monocot, represent evolutionarily divergent groups of plants. The Cucurbita phytochrome polypeptide is 1123 aa in length, corresponding to 125 kDa. Overall, the Cucurbita and Avena phytochrome sequences are 65 % homologous at both the nt and aa levels but this sequence conservation is not evenly distributed. Most of the N-terminal two-thirds of the aligned polypeptide chains exhibits localized regions of high conservation, while the extreme N terminus and the C-terminal one-third are less homologous. Comparison of the predicted hydropathic properties of these polypeptides also indicates conservation of domains of phytochrome structure. The possible correlation of these conserved structural features with previously identified functional domains of phytochrome is discussed.
New medications for nicotine dependence treatment.

For several years, nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine gum, patches, and nasal spray) has been the mainstay for the treatment of nicotine dependence. The nicotine vapor inhaler is a new pharmacological adjunct shown to be effective in placebo-controlled trials. It delivers a vaporized form of nicotine to the oral mucosa. Bupropion sustained release (SR) is the first non-nicotine pharmacological treatment approved for smoking cessation and is thought to be effective because of its dopaminergic activity on the pleasure and reward pathways in the mesolimbic system and nucleus accumbens. Though few studies have been reported, there is pharmacological rationale to use combined pharmacotherapies for the treatment of nicotine dependence. While there are a limited number of reported studies with mixed findings using higher than the standard nicotine patch dose, use of higher doses of nicotine patch therapy (i.e., more than one patch at a time) may be appropriate for smokers who previously failed single dose patch therapy or in those whose nicotine withdrawal symptoms were not adequately relieved with standard therapy. The concept of therapeutic drug monitoring can be applied to nicotine replacement therapy. A new product, a sublingual nicotine tablet, has shown efficacy in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial and will likely be approved in the future. The anti-hypertensive, mecamylamine, has been found to have efficacy for smoking cessation in a small trial. Nicotine and mecamylamine both occupy receptors that would otherwise be acted upon by nicotine from cigarettes, thus, when administered in combination, would be expected to occupy more receptors than either drug alone, thereby attenuating smoking reward and facilitating extinction of the smoking behavior. Pivotal trials of this combination are underway. Remaining questions include: (1) what is the optimal dose and duration of treatment using nicotine replacement therapy? (2) What is the optimal duration of treatment using bupropion? (3) What are the best combination treatments and which smokers are best suited for combination treatment? (4) Will other similar pharmacological agents with dopaminergic/noradrenergic activity have efficacy similar to bupropion?
Graduating Social Work Students’ Perspectives on Domestic Violence:

This article reports the findings of a qualitative study that examined 124 social work students’ views on the causes and dynamics of domestic violence and their recommended interventions in a case scenario. Most students graduated from the master of social work (MSW) program with a mental health perspective on domestic violence. Only a small percentage were aware of specific interventions for domestic violence and many continued to attribute domestic violence to mental health and substance abuse problems in the victim and perpetrator. Graduates with domestic violence experience varied little from their peers in suggested domestic violence interventions or comments about the causes of domestic violence. The findings suggest that a deliberate, focused attempt to inform students about domestic violence is needed, rather than a reliance on general MSW courses.This article presents research on social work graduates’ views on the causes of domestic violence and interventions in domestic violence cases. Domestic...
From rheumatic diseases to cancer - role of autoantibodies as diagnostic biomarkers

Rheumatology has pioneered in the study of autoantibodies by showing that they are not only involved in pathogenesis but are also highly useful as diagnostic biomarkers. The diagnostic biomarker aspect of autoimmunity has gained increasing importance in cancer and many of the insights gained in Rheumatology have contributed to understanding the significance of autoantibodies in cancer.
Shaping the Discourse of a Practice: The Role of Linguistics and Psychology in Language Teaching and Learning

This article treats the Modern Language Journal (MLJ) as a site for observing how a particular community, foreign language teachers, over an 85-year period shaped its practices discursively, gradually developing a particular kind of professional identity. Instead of treating the current situation as the result of a straight-line sequence of rational choices, this article points to various dynamics external and internal to the field whose influence was by no means preordained nor even necessarily beneficial. Focusing on the relationship between language teaching and disciplinary inquiry in linguistics and psychology, it identifies (a) a period in which the Journal and its readership circumscribed their interest in teaching modern, as opposed to classical languages; (b) a period in which both linguistics and psychology offered important insights, with linguistics, ultimately, dominating practice; (c) the rise of psycholinguistic models that, alongside existing understandings, led to enormously varied beliefs and approaches; and (d) a time for renegotiating our professional identity in light of a multiplicity of voices, interests, and models of research and practice. It concludes that the advantages of professionalization through disciplinary inquiry and the power it conveys to certain voices need to be balanced against the gains made possible with a kind of professional multilingualism.
Particle transport from the West African shelves of Liberia and Sierra Leone to the deep sea: A chemical approach

Abstract The chemical and mineralogical composition of suspended particle suites has been used to assess off-shelf transport on the West African shelves of Liberia and Sierra Leone. Using the ratios of Si/Al, Fe/Al, Mg/Al and Mn/Al as tracers, it was possible to detect shelf-derived materials in slope waters. In the majority of cases, these inputs could not have been detected using particle mass or light scattering measurements and could only be measured by using the chemical signatures of the particulate matter. At the time of sampling, the suspensate which had been moved seaward over the slope was detected adjacent to submarine canyons and highly turbid areas on the outer shelf. The chemical and mineralogical composition of the suspensates, and sediments in the adjacent eastern Atlantic basin are similar to those found in the water column seaward of the West African continental shelves and yet distinct from the Sahelian dust which is considered the major source of sedimentary material for the tropical and semi-tropical areas of the deep eastern basin. These findings suggest that materials from this shelf area could be a more important input to the deep sea than was previously realised.
An Analysis of Elastic Deformation Induced by Gradient Residual Stresses in Multilayered MEMS Structures

This paper presents an elastic analysis of a multilayered system due to the gradient residual stresses. Given the residual strain distribution, the elastic deformation of a multilayered structure can be determined using the derived general solution. Bimaterial cantilevers are widely used as sensing and actuation components in MEMS devices. Assuming the residual strain in each layer of such a bimaterial cantilever is linearly distributed, the error induced by evaluating its curvature without the gradient item is studied. The distributions of normalized deformation strain and real strain in a bilayered cantilever is also given. The positions of deformation plane and neutral plane in that cantilever as well in three more cases are summarized. The presented results in this paper shows that missing the gradient residual stress in multilayered systems may lead to serious misunderstanding of the deformation, and therefore, the model built in this paper may help in the development of multilayered structures in MEMS devices.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
211 ENDOTOXIN LIBERATION DURING THERAPY FOR GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIAL SEPSIS

To determine if plasma levels of free endotoxin increase during the initial hours of antibiotic therapy for gram-negative bacterial sepsis, serial blood samples were obtained from 24 patients presenting with suspected sepsis. For each sample the level of bacteremia was determined by quantitative culture, and the levels of free (filterable) and bacterial cell-bound plasma endotoxin were measured by Limulus lysate assay. Fourteen patients had no detectable bacteremia or endotoxemia. Five patients with constant or declining levels of free endotoxemia had transient gram-negative bactereraia (2), no detectable bacteremia (2), or overwhelming gram-positive bacterial sepsis (1). The remaining five patients had gram-negative bacterial sepsis ranging from 30 to 107 cfu/ml blood. Plasma free endotoxin increased in all of these patients during the initial hours of antibiotic therapy, while levels of bacteremia and cell-bound endotoxin were decreasing. Plasma free endotoxin subsequently cleared in four of these patients, but continued to rise in the other patient, associated with progressive purpura fulminans and irreversible shock. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that antibioticinduced endotoxin release may be responsible for the deterioration observed in some patients with gram-negative bacterial sepsis during antibiotic therapy.
Samarium-induced surface reconstructions of Si(001)

Abstract The growth of Sm on Si(0 0 1) at 600 °C was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. There are two different surface reconstructions: a lower coverage 2 × 3 phase and a higher coverage 3 × 2 phase. Sm zigzag chain structures coexist with the 2 × 3 structure at low coverage. The 3 × 2 phase coexists with a related c(6 × 2) phase. At higher coverages, large 3D Sm silicide islands are found.
Invited review: Guidance cue patterns and cell migration in muiticeliuiar organisms

In multicellular organisms, guidance cues are either diffusible molecules or cellular or extracellular surfaces that are found in reproducible locations and that orient migrating cells and cell processes. The pattern of the guidance cues usually determines the complex in vivo migration routes of motile cells and cell processes. Within organisms, guidance cues are found to be organized in two general patterns: (a) broad gradients - such as diffuse chemotactic gradients; (b) discrete routes (substrate pathways) - such as chemotactic gradients confined to long channels, and such as the axon surface which represents a long specific highway for migrating Schwann cells.
Multiple slot skin friction reduction

The paper investigates analytically the effect of multiple slot injection on skin friction for a representative fuselage shape (ogive-cylinder body) and evaluates the potential of slot injection as a drag reduction system in subsonic flow. Typical CTOL cruise flight conditions (Mach number equals 0.82 at altitudes of 11 km) were adopted for a fuselage 67.06 m in length and with maximum diameter of 7.32 m. The numerical method of Price and Harris (1972) was used to calculate the boundary-layer characteristics up to the first slot, while the finite-difference method of Beckwith and Bushnell (1971) was used to calculate the velocity profile downstream of one, three, five, or ten slots. An integral expression is proposed for characterizing skin friction reduction effectiveness, and it is seen that large reductions in viscous drag (50%) are available through slot injection. Skin friction reduction is improved by increasing the number of injection slots but at a diminishing rate.
Sequential Nitrification and Denitrification in a Divided Cell Attached Growth Bioelectrochemical Reactor

A divided cell bioelectrochemical reactor comprised of two upflow submerged columns packed with Celite biocarrier was operated to generate oxic and anoxic compartments where the nitrified effluent from the first column was denitrified in the second for sequential nitrification-denitrification of a simulated wastewater. The experiments were carried out at current intensities of 0.5 mA/cm2 and 1.0 mA/cm2 over six phases. The wastewater pH decreased after contacting the oxic (nitrifying) compartment due to the acid equivalents produced electrolytically and during biological nitrification. The wastewater pH subsequently increased after contacting the anoxic (denitrifying) compartment due to the base equivalents produced electrolytically and the acid equivalents consumed during denitrification. At a current intensity of 0.5 mA/cm2, up to 56% of the influent nitrogen was removed on average during Phases I to III prior to operating at a higher current density. The nitrogen removal efficiency dropped to 15% at a ...
On the existence of strong solutions to autonomous differential equations with minimal regularity

Abstract For proving the existence and uniqueness of strong solutions to (1) d Y d t = F ( Y ) , Y ( 0 ) = C , the most quoted condition seen in elementary differential equations texts is that F ( Y ) and its first derivative be continuous. One wonders about the existence of a minimal regularity condition which allows unique strong solutions. In this note, a bizarre example is seen where F ( Y ) is not differentiable at an equilibrium solution; yet unique non-global strong solutions exist at each point, whereas global non-unique weak solutions are allowed. A characterizing theorem is obtained.
CPA estimate for Neel temperature of (Mn)x(Zn) 1-xF2

Recently a CPA-RPA theory has been proposed for treating site and bond randomness in antiferromagnets which experience exchange couplings of arbitrary range. As a simple application of this theory, the behaviour of the Neel temperature, Tc(x), is analysed in the mixed system (Mn)x(Zn)1-xF2. The results are found to be in reasonable agreement with the experimental data of Baker, Lourens and Stevenson (1961).
Effects of different concentrations of monensin and monensin withdrawal upon the control of coccidiosis in the turkey

The efficacy of different concentrations of monensin in turkeys exposed to field isolates of Eimeria and the effect of the withdrawal of monensin from their diet were investigated. Results of a battery study indicated that 66 ppm monensin was effective against three species of Eimeria in the turkey. In floor pens in which poults were exposed to infection, use of 59.5, 79.4, and 99.2 ppm monensin resulted in reduced mortality and improved feed conversion at 3 wk of age compared with birds that had received no medication. Poults given 59.5 ppm monensin weighed more and had a better feed conversion at 3 wk than poults given 79.4 or 99.2 ppm monensin, but at 10 wk no differences in the body weight or feed conversion of poults given different concentrations of drug were apparent. At 14 wk (and from 10 to 14 wk), poults that had been given 99.2 ppm monensin had a lower feed intake and weighed less than birds that had been given 59.5 ppm of the drug but there were no significant differences in feed conversion. There was no significant difference in the weight gain or feed conversion of poults from 10 to 14 wk of age whether monensin was present in the feed or had been withdrawn. No evidence of compensatory growth was found in the present study.
The Information Science Experiment System - The computer for science experiments in space

The concept of the Information Science Experiment System (ISES), potential experiments, and system requirements are reviewed. The ISES is conceived as a computer resource in space whose aim is to assist computer, earth, and space science experiments, to develop and demonstrate new information processing concepts, and to provide an experiment base for developing new information technology for use in space systems. The discussion covers system hardware and architecture, operating system software, the user interface, and the ground communication link.
Comparison of CT-derived ventilation maps with deposition patterns of inhaled microspheres in rats

ABSTRACTPurpose: Computer models for inhalation toxicology and drug-aerosol delivery studies rely on ventilation pattern inputs for predictions of particle deposition and vapor uptake. However, changes in lung mechanics due to disease can impact airflow dynamics and model results. It has been demonstrated that non-invasive, in vivo, 4DCT imaging (3D imaging at multiple time points in the breathing cycle) can be used to map heterogeneities in ventilation patterns under healthy and disease conditions. The purpose of this study was to validate ventilation patterns measured from CT imaging by exposing the same rats to an aerosol of fluorescent microspheres (FMS) and examining particle deposition patterns using cryomicrotome imaging. Materials and Methods: Six male Sprague-Dawley rats were intratracheally instilled with elastase to a single lobe to induce a heterogeneous disease. After four weeks, rats were imaged over the breathing cycle by CT then immediately exposed to an aerosol of ∼1μm FMS for ∼5 minutes....
Harvesting latent and usage-based metadata in a course management system to enrich the underlying educational digital library

In this case study, we demonstrate how in an integrated digital library and course management system, metadata can be generated using a bootstrapping mechanism. The integration encompasses sequencing of content by teachers and deployment of content to learners. We show that taxonomy term assignments and a recommender system can be based almost solely on usage data (especially correlations on what teachers have put in the same course or assignment). In particular, we show that with minimal human intervention, taxonomy terms, quality measures, and an association ruleset can be established for a large pool of fine-granular educational assets.
Towards closing the specification gap by integrating algorithm-level and system-level design

Modern multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC) designs face challenges in tremendous complexity imposed by the wide range of functional and architectural requirements. Design automation methodologies address some of the complexity through design abstractions from two different angles, namely functionality and architecture. Algorithm-level design (ALD), such as Simulink, focuses on managing the functional complexity through algorithm modeling. Meanwhile, system-level design (SLD) addresses the platform complexity by exploring and synthesizing architecture models from specifications captured in a system-level design language (SLDL). However, these two design methodologies are inherently disjoint as they focus on different design domains at separate abstraction levels. As a result, transition from algorithm models to system-level explorations often requires re-authoring of the functional SLDL specification to expose hierarchy and parallelism. This thus forms the Specification Gap causing a loss of productivity and stalling the overall design cycle. This paper proposes to join ALD and SLD to close the specification gap through a Specification Synthesis approach. We introduce Algo2Spec, which synthesizes an SLDL specification out of an algorithm model in Simulink. Algo2Spec enables a rapid heterogeneous Design Space Exploration while still tuning the algorithm according to functional needs. With Algo2Spec, system level design principles propagate up to higher abstraction levels and a new joint algorithm/architecture co-design flow is created. The joint flow seamlessly spans from algorithm modeling down to heterogeneous implementations crossing multiple abstractions. Our approach empowers designers to create, simulate, and explore models in a rapid design cycle. Utilizing the joint flow, we demonstrate opportunities for algorithm and architecture co-design on a set of real-world benchmark applications ranging from 57 to 5733 Simulink blocks. The automatic synthesis avoids the tedious and error-prone manual conversion of Simulink algorithm models into SLDL specifications. Algo2Spec executes in 4.5 s on average to synthesize a single Simulink block to a fully functional SLDL behavior. Compared to an estimated 5.18 h of manual editing, Algo2Spec improves productivity by three orders of magnitude for obtaining the system-level specifications from Simulink models.
Hyperemesis gravidarum complicated by Wernicke's encephalopathy.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Wernicke’s encephalopathy is usually associated with alcohol abuse, but can also occur with hyperemesis gravidarum. The effect of delay in thiamine replacement on fetal outcomes is unknown. We present a case of this complication. CASE: A primipara with hyperemesis was admitted for mental status changes in her 14th week of pregnancy. Physical examination revealed a lethargic patient with ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and hyporeflexia. Parenteral thiamine therapy was started. The patient improved rapidly although the ataxia persisted. A spontaneous abortion occurred 2 weeks later. CONCLUSION: Wernicke’s encephalopathy can complicate hyperemesis gravidarum. Early thiamine replacement may decrease the chances of spontaneous abortion.
Effect of aquatic plant control on the microdistribution and population characteristics of largemouth bass

Abstract Aquatic plants have been controlled in a series of relatively small public-use areas in Guntersville Reservoir on the Tennessee River in northern Alabama. We investigated the effects of herbicide use (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, diquat dibromide, copper-ethylenediamine complex) and vegetation reduction on movements and population characteristics of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides at six sites (5–10 hectares) in this 27,479-hectare impoundment. Fish were sampled by electrofishing, and relative vegetation density was monitored periodically through a 100-d period in late summer and fall of 1989. The locations and movements of 29 largemouth bass were monitored at four study sites with radiotelemetry. Three sites were treated with herbicides applied from airboats, and three control sites were traversed by airboats to simulate herbicide application. Largemouth bass catch rates (catch/ 1,000 s of electrofishing) did not change in response to herbicide treatment; mean total length of largemouth...