cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Electronic Consultation on Timeliness and Guideline Concordance of Workups Leading to Thyroid Nodule Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy.

Abstract Objective Electronic consultations (e-consults) are commonly used to obtain endocrinology input on clinical questions without a face-to-face visit, but sparse data exist on the resultant quality of care for specific conditions. We examined workups resulting in a thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy to investigate whether endocrinology e-consults were more timely and similarly guideline-concordant compared with endocrinology face-to-face visits and whether endocrinology e-consults were more guideline-concordant compared with workups without endocrinology input. Methods We retrospectively reviewed charts of 302 thyroid FNA biopsies conducted in the Veterans Affairs health system between May 1, 2017, and February 4, 2020 (e-consult, n = 99; face-to-face visit, n = 100; no endocrinology input, n = 103). We used t tests to compare timeliness, χ2 tests to compare the proportion of guideline-concordant workups, and multivariable linear and logistic models to control for demographic factors. Results FNAs preceded by an endocrinology e-consult had more timely workups compared with those preceded by endocrinology face-to-face visits in terms of days elapsed between referral and FNA biopsy (geometric mean 44.7 days vs 61.7 days, P = .01). The difference in the summary measure of guideline concordance across groups was not statistically significant (P =.38). Conclusion E-consults were faster than face-to-face consults and similarly guideline-concordant compared with both face-to-face consults and no endocrinology input for workups resulting in FNA. Decisions about the appropriate use of e-consults for thyroid nodules should take into account these data while also considering the potential benefits of direct patient-endocrinologist interaction for complex situations.
Imaging of Neuromodulation and Surgical Interventions for Epilepsy.

SUMMARY: About one-third of epilepsy cases are refractory to medical therapy. During the past decades, the availability of surgical epilepsy interventions has substantially increased as therapeutic options for this group of patients. A wide range of surgical interventions and electrophysiologic neuromodulation techniques are available, including lesional resection, lobar resection, thermoablation, disconnection, multiple subpial transections, vagus nerve stimulation, responsive neurostimulation, and deep brain stimulation. The indications and imaging features of potential complications of the newer surgical interventions may not be widely appreciated, particularly if practitioners are not associated with comprehensive epilepsy centers. In this article, we review a wide range of invasive epilepsy treatment modalities with a particular focus on their postoperative imaging findings and complications. A state-of-the-art treatment algorithm provides context for imaging findings by helping the reader understand how a particular invasive treatment decision is made.
Comparative Standard-Essential Patent (SEP) Analysis Between American and German Law

Compares how Standard-Essential Patents (SEP) Are Treated under American and German law. Looks at the differences in rulings and makes a current comparative analysis and adds hypothetical reasoning as to the future in the field of SEP's and SSO's with respect to areas of the law, specifically injunctions.
Time-of-flight camera characterization with functional modeling for synthetic scene generation

In this manuscript, we design, describe, and present a functional model of Time-of-Flight (ToF) cameras. The model can be used to generate randomized scenes that incorporate depth scenarios with various objects at various depths with varied orientations and illumination intensity. In addition to the potential to generate any random depth scenario, the camera, pixels, and binning are modelled incorporating radial distortion based on camera intrinsic and extrinsic. The model also includes ToF artifacts such as Signal Noise, Crosstalk and Multipath. We measured experimentally the Noise in Time-of-Flight. We experimentally fitted, and simulated with state-of-the art Simulator the Crosstalk effect, and characterized multipath according with the existing literature. Our work can be used to generate as many images as needed for neural network (NN) training and testing. The proposed approach can also be used to benchmark and evaluate both End-to-End ToF algorithms as well as specialized algorithms for denoising, unwrapping, crosstalk, and multipath correction.
Use of polychaetous annelids as test organisms for marine bioassay experiments

The procedures for culturing three species of polychaetous annelids from egg to egg under laboratory conditions are described for Neanthes arenaceodentata, Capitella capitata, and Ctenodrilus serratus. The materials and methods required to conduct short-term, long-term, and complete life-cycle bioassays are outlined. The importance and use of these test organisms in marine bioassays is discussed.
Development of novel small molecule inhibitors targeting CXCR4 against cancer metastasis

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4742 The intended objective is the identification of small molecules that will attenuate tumor metastasis in vivo by blocking CXCR4 function whilst demonstrating a sufficient pharmacokinetic and specificity profile to merit advancement into human clinical evaluation. Even though CXCR4 is a good target for intervening various diseases, especially, cancer metastasis, there is no safe drug in the clinic until now. Metastasis is an end result for many solid tumor types and is the leading cause of cancer related deaths. This has attracted an increasing amount of attention from research groups over the last decade in both academia and industry, as a target for metastatic disease intervention and life extension. To date, a number of target molecules have been addressed that are linked mechanistically to the various sub-steps associated with metastasis including: i) establishment of angiogenesis at the primary site; ii) locomotion; iii) chemoattraction, homing, and adhesion of the metastatic cells to the defined organs; and iv) establishment of metastatic tumor growth and angiogenesis. The CXCR4/SDF-1 interaction, and the resulting cell signaling cascade, has recently emerged as one of the most relevant such targets as it has been shown to play a key role in all four steps outlined above. A set of small molecule CXCR4 antagonists have been discovered and we are currently in the process of evaluating specificity and potency. WZ40 is currently the most advanced, which potently bind to CXCR4, thus, blocking the CXCR4/SDF-1 signaling process. We have followed this discovery by demonstrating that WZ40 inhibits tumor metastasis by inhibiting the CXCR4/SDF-1 interaction in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Notes: Z. Liang and W. Zhan contributed equally to this work.
Chemical controls on fault behavior: Weakening of serpentinite sheared against quartz‐bearing rocks and its significance for fault creep in the San Andreas system

[1] The serpentinized ultramafic rocks found in many plate-tectonic settings commonly are juxtaposed against crustal rocks along faults, and the chemical contrast between the rock types potentially could influence the mechanical behavior of such faults. To investigate this possibility, we conducted triaxial experiments under hydrothermal conditions (200–350°C), shearing serpentinite gouge between forcing blocks of granite or quartzite. In an ultramafic chemical environment, the coefficient of friction, μ, of lizardite and antigorite serpentinite is 0.5–0.6, and μ increases with increasing temperature over the tested range. However, when either lizardite or antigorite serpentinite is sheared against granite or quartzite, strength is reduced to μ ~ 0.3, with the greatest strength reductions at the highest temperatures (temperature weakening) and slowest shearing rates (velocity strengthening). The weakening is attributed to a solution-transfer process that is promoted by the enhanced solubility of serpentine in pore fluids whose chemistry has been modified by interaction with the quartzose wall rocks. The operation of this process will promote aseismic slip (creep) along serpentinite-bearing crustal faults at otherwise seismogenic depths. During short-term experiments, serpentine minerals reprecipitate in low-stress areas, whereas in longer experiments, new Mg-rich phyllosilicates crystallize in response to metasomatic exchanges across the serpentinite-crustal rock contact. Long-term shear of serpentinite against crustal rocks will cause the metasomatic mineral assemblages, which may include extremely weak minerals such as saponite or talc, to play an increasingly important role in the mechanical behavior of the fault. Our results may explain the distribution of creep on faults in the San Andreas system.
Phase calibration of a 2 by 2 phased array GPS antenna

A phase calibration of a 2 by 2 phased array GPS passive antenna mounted on two ground planes was conducted in an anechoic chamber. A data acquisition system and digital signal-processing algorithm were used to analyze the measured data. One ground plane is a small circular disk. The other is a large rolled edge ground plane. The phase shifts between antenna elements was as expected from the path difference calculation. The results suggested that the small circular disk might exhibit some edge effects.
Device classification performance modeling using UWB stimulated “RFDNA” fingerprinting

Radio Frequency Distinct Native Attribute (RF-DNA) fingerprint processing is a method to extract features received from a Radio Frequency (RF) signal for device identification or verification. The concept is based on the fact that every device emits signals that have unique characteristics that can be used to distinguish specific devices from other, similar devices. The term “fingerprinting” is used because the concept is similar to human fingerprinting, where a person's fingerprints can be used to distinguish them from another person's. RF-DNA fingerprinting has been in development at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) since 2006 successfully demonstrating passive feature extraction from various device RF emissions such as including IEEE 802.11 WiFi, IEEE 80211.15 BlueTooth, IEEE 802.16 WiMAX, Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) cell phones, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) emitters. To date, all of these methods have been performed in a passive manner, whereby the signals analyzed by the RF-DNA fingerprint processing algorithms were already generated by the device under normal operation. This works well for devices that normally broadcast some RF emission that can be exploited. However, a whole class of devices exist that do not normally emit RF radiation, such as properly shielded RF amplifiers, mixers, oscillators and filters that make up a typical receiver front-end. The potential exists for these devices to be classified using an “active” interrogation method, such as a radar transmission, in which the reflected energy by can be exploited by RF-DNA fingerprint analysis.
The Lissencephaly (Agyria) Syndrome in Siblings: Computerized Tomographic and Neuropathologic Findings

• Two consecutive nontwin siblings had the lissencephalic syndrome. The literature of this syndrome in siblings is reviewed, and the somatic and the clinicopathologic features are delineated further. Computerized tomography is reported for the first time to our knowledge in this entity as an important, noninvasive, and possibly specific test. Diagnosis early in life is possible for adequate management of the patients and genetic counseling.
The Effect of the Government-Subsidized Student Loan Program on College Students in China

Using an original dataset collected at a Chinese university and adopting a difference-in-differences research design, this study draws causal inferences regarding the effect of the Government-Subsidized Student Loan Program (GSSLP) on financially needy students at Chinese higher education institutions. Specifically, this study finds that the program may have enabled financially needy students to spend 527.80 Chinese yuan more on food and take 26 hours less paid work on average during one academic year. In other words, the GSSLP has been found to have had positive impact on financially needy students’ basic needs such as food and work. In order for the program to have greater impact on such students’ overall quality of life, policy-makers should make efforts to increase maximum loan amounts. This will enable students from low income families to spend more on educational resources and reduce their finance-related anxiety.
Gold suppression of human neutrophil function in vitro.

Abstract The effect of Myochrysine and Auranofin on leukocyte function were measured using quantitative leukocyte iodination. Both suppressed iodination at concentrations achieved in patients. Under conditions of leukocyte submaximum stimulation, enhanced gold suppression was observed. The active portion of Myochrysine appeared to be protein bound while the active portion of Auranofin appeared to be free. Preincubation experiments indicated suppression of the myeloperoxidase-halide system. Inhibition of this probable mediator of inflammation may be one of the modes of action of gold.
On the Photoabsorption Spectroscopy of Water

The first photoabsorption band of water around 8 eV is studied with the molecular dynamics computer simulation technique under ambient and supercritical conditions. By employment of the polarizable...
Use of a synchrotron X-ray microbeam to map composition and structure of multimetallic metal oxide films deposited by combinatorial chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Using anhydrous metal nitrates as single source precursors, combinatorial chemical vapor deposition was used to create compositional gradients in the bimetallic ZrO 2 /HfO 2 system and the trimetallic ZrO 2 /HfO 2 /SnO 2 system. Composition and structural information were probed simultaneously by measuring the fluorescence and diffraction resulting from exposure of the film to a 30 μm diameter X-ray beam at the Advanced Photon Source. The higher resolution made possible by the small beam size provided an accurate map of composition and structure. In the homologous zirconia–hafnia series a decrease in lattice constants and a change in film texture was observed as a function of increased Hf concentration. As reported elsewhere, at intermediate compositions, gradients involving ZrO 2 and SnO 2 or HfO 2 and SnO 2 give rise to a crystalline phase(α-PbO 2 structure type) that differs from that found for either of the end members. The simultaneous measurement of fluorescence and diffraction coupled with the small spot X-ray source provides a more accurate correlation between composition and structure.
Comparison between supercritical carbon dioxide extraction and aqueous surfactant washing of an oily machining waste.

Mathematical models are developed to compare aqueous surfactant washing to supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) extraction. These two cleaning processes are potentially competitive technologies which can be used to remove oily contaminants from a solid waste. In both processes, the cleaning efficiency for a batch of waste is evaluated by quantifying the residual oil content in the treated sample. A mass transfer model is used to simulate a semi-continuous washing process, and the experimental data, obtained in a batch operation, are used to estimate the equilibrium parameters in the model. For SCCO2 extraction, a linear desorption model is used to describe the supercritical desorption of oil from the solid phase into the CO2 phase and the simulated results agreed very well with the experimental data. The oil removal in aqueous surfactant washing is viewed to be controlled primarily by the diffusional transport of oil from the interiors of the waste elements to the surface, thus, it can be significantly affected by the size of the particles. A pre-cleaning pulverization is then recommended to improve the cleaning efficiency without increasing any other operation costs. In SCCO2 extraction, the desorption of oil from the solid waste is the controlling step and consequently, the solvent flow rate has no influence on oil removal. Our theoretical studies show that the difference between the cleaning efficiencies of these two technologies is not significant, with the oil concentration in the washing products approximately 5% lower than that in the extraction products.
Particulate reinforced metal matrix composites — a review

The physical and mechanical properties that can be obtained with metal matrix composites (MMCs) have made them attractive candidate materials for aerospace, automotive and numerous other applications. More recently, particulate reinforced MMCs have attracted considerable attention as a result of their relatively low costs and characteristic isotropic properties. Reinforcement materials include carbides, nitrides and oxides. In an effort to optimize the structure and properties of particulate reinforced MMCs various processing techniques have evolved over the last 20 years. The processing methods utilized to manufacture particulate reinforced MMCs can be grouped depending on the temperature of the metallic matrix during processing. Accordingly, the processes can be classified into three categories: (a) liquid phase processes, (b) solid state processes, and (c) two phase (solid-liquid) processes. Regarding physical properties, strengthening in metal matrix composites has been related to dislocations of a very high density in the matrix originating from differential thermal contraction, geometrical constraints and plastic deformation during processing.
Applications of X-Ray Energy Dispersive Analysis to Semiconductor Plastic Packages

The plastic used in semiconductor packages can be readily characterized for filler and fire retardant content by X-ray-ED analysis. The technique can be used to monitor lot to lot process variations as well as uniformity of molded parts. It can be applied in incoming quality control as a quality indicator of the non polymerized plastic or the finished product. Reliability test failures can be analyzed to insure their identification, to measure the degree of surface contamination, or to perform correlation studies.
The Role of Procedural Justice and Legitimacy in Shaping Public Support for Policing

This study explores two issues about police legitimacy. The first issue is the relative importance of police legitimacy in shaping public support of the police and policing activities, compared to the importance of instrumental judgments about (1) the risk that people will be caught and sanctioned for wrongdoing, (2) the performance of the police in fighting crime, and/or (3) the fairness of the distribution of police services. Three aspects of public support for the police are examined: public compliance with the law, public cooperation with the police, and public willingness to support policies that empower the police. The second issue is which judgments about police activity determine people’s views about the legitimacy of the police. This study compares the influence of people’s judgments about the procedural justice of the manner in which the police exercise their authority to the influence of three instrumental judgments: risk, performance, and distributive fairness. Findings of two surveys of New Yorkers show that, first, legitimacy has a strong influence on the public’s reactions to the police, and second, the key antecedent of legitimacy is the fairness of the procedures used by the police. This model applies to both white and minority group residents.
The synthesis of cadmium sulfide nanoplatelets using a novel continuous flow sonochemical reactor

Abstract A continuous flow sonochemical reactor was developed capable of producing metastable cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoplatelets with thicknesses at or below 10 nm. The continuous flow sonochemical reactor included the passive in-line micromixing of reagents prior to sonochemical reaction. Synthesis results were compared with those from reactors involving batch conventional heating and batch ultrasound-induced heating. The continuous sonochemical synthesis was found to result in high aspect ratio hexagonal platelets of CdS possessing cubic crystal structures with thicknesses well below 10 nm. The unique shape and crystal structure of the nanoplatelets are suggestive of high localized temperatures within the sonochemical process. The particle size uniformity and product throughput are much higher for the continuous sonochemical process in comparison to the batch sonochemical process and conventional synthesis processes.
Short-chain lecithins: How to form unilamellar vesicles from micelles and phospholipid multibilayers

Abstract Short-chain lecithins (6–8 carbon fatty acyl chains) form micelles in aqueous solutions. NMR and SANS studies show that a short-chain lecithin molecule in these micelles has the same conformation as a long-chain lecithin in bilayer aggregates. When small amounts of these short-chain lecithins (typically 20 mol% of total phospholipid) are added to aqueous dispersions of long-chain phospholipids, unilamellar vesicles form spontaneously. Induction of unilamellar vesicles from multibilayers does not occur with comparable concentrations of single-chain detergents. Short-chain lecithin/long-chain phospholipid unilamellar vesicles (SLUVs) are extremely stable and form with a wide variety of long-chain phospholipids (with different head groups, T m , unsaturation, etc.). We have characterized them in terms of (1) size distribution and coexistence of multilamellar or mixed micellar structures, (2) phase behavior of the long-chain phospholipid, (3) distribution of the short-chain lecithin across the bilayer, (4) dynamics and interactions of the two phospholipids, and (5) susceptibility to water-soluble phospholipases. The results suggest a mechanism for vesicle formation and are critical in understanding the action of phospholipase-A 2 and phospholipase-C on bilayer surfces.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the male breast treated by lumpectomy and breast irradiation

A male patient with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast, treated with lumpectomy and postoperative breast irradiation, is presented. Because of associated obesity, the patient felt that mastectomy would leave him with a noticeable cosmetically unacceptable deformity. Radiotherapy was administered using the exact techniques used to treat the female breast. At 44 months following completion of radiotherapy, the patient is free of disease and has an excellent cosmetic result. Thus, if there are compelling reasons to avoid mastectomy in a male patient, lumpectomy and breast irradiation should be considered as a reasonable alternative for treatment of DCIS.
A Review of the Study of the Political Status of Indigenous Peoples in the Global Context

This paper reviews the literature examining indigenous peoples in the global community. Recent studies tend to focus on one of three themes: definition of indigenousness, relationships with the state, and the role of indigenous peoples in the international governing structure. This paper will examine each of these themes. I begin by exploring definitions of indigenousness, looking at the differing definitions employed by the international governing organizations, indigenous peoples, and the academic literature. In the next section, I explore the relationship between indigenous peoples and the state. The indigenous–state relationship is dominated by the influence of the state. Indigenous groups reject this dominance, seeking freedoms from the state, disputing land rights, and using the weight of morals to motivate the state. However, the state structure itself might enable indigenous groups to attain freedoms and rights. In the final section, I explore discussions of the role of indigenous peoples in the international community.
Synaptic transmission from rods to horizontal cells in dark-adapted tiger salamander retina.

Abstract Synaptic transmission between rods and horizontal cells (HCs) was studied by simultaneously recording from the pre- and postsynaptic cells in the living retinal slices of the larval tiger salamander. Voltage tails after the termination of a flash were observed in dark-adapted rods and HC somata, but not in cones. These simultaneously recorded voltage tails were used to isolate the rod input from the cone input to the HCs. The rod voltage versus the HC voltage in the response tails yielded the input-output relation of the rod-HC synapse. Two factors, a luminance-dependent signal delay between the rod and HC responses and a voltage-dependent depolarizing current in the HCs, complicate the analysis of the rod-HC synapse. A single input-output relation of the rod-HC synapse was obtained after these two factors had been corrected. The rod-HC synapse was approximately linear near the rod dark potential (−40 mV) with a synaptic gain around 12, but it became progressively nonlinear at more hyperpolarized potentials. The synaptic gain at V rod =−50 mV was about 0.65.
The Unmasking of Telomerase

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex that reverse transcribes a portion of its RNA subunit during the synthesis of G-rich DNA at the 3′ end of each chromosome in most eukaryotes. This activity compensates for the inability of the normal DNA replication machinery to fully replicate chromosome termini. The roles of telomerase in cellular immortality and tumor biology have catalyzed a significant interest in this unusual polymerase. Recently the first structures of two domains, the CR4/CR5 and pseudoknot, of human telomerase RNA (hTR) were reported, offering a structural basis for interpreting biochemical studies and possible roles of hTR mutations in human diseases. Structures of the stem II and stem IV domains of Tetrahymena thermophila TR as well as the N-terminal domain of the T. thermophila telomerase reverse transcriptase have also been determined. These studies complement previous biochemical studies, providing rich insight into the structural basis for telomerase activity.
Mapping genetic systems by the supratype method.

Kinship mapping and population supratypes provide information on order and relative genetic position of loci within a system too small to map by recombination. These methods are compared for the RH, β-globin, HLA, and GM systems, where recombination between loci is estimated as 0.0002–0.0069. Supratype analysis does not appreciably improve kinship mapping. Mean recombination within systems appears to be 10-4 morgans/kb, an order of magnitude greater than the average for the whole genome. Possible implications of this discrepancy are discussed.
Changes in psychological state measures and time of day.

Psychological state measures were obtained on over two thousand junior high school students. Half of the students were tested relatively early in the day and the other half late in the day. Results indicated that self-reported measures of anxiety, stress, regression and depression tended to be higher for the group tested near the end of the school day than for those tested early in the day. A major methodological implication is that we should have separate norms for ‘time of day’ when we are dealing with state measures.
Structural and Biochemical Characterization of the Interaction between KPC-2 β-Lactamase and β-Lactamase Inhibitor Protein,

KPC β-lactamases hydrolyze the “last resort” β-lactam antibiotics (carbapenems) used to treat multidrug resistant infections and are compromising efforts to combat life-threatening Gram-negative bacterial infections in hospitals worldwide. Consequently, the development of novel inhibitors is essential for restoring the effectiveness of existing antibiotics. The β-lactamase inhibitor protein (BLIP) is a competitive inhibitor of a number of class A β-lactamases. In this study, we characterize the previously unreported interaction between KPC-2 β-lactamase and BLIP. Biochemical results show that BLIP is an extremely potent inhibitor of KPC enzymes, binding KPC-2 and KPC-3 with subnanomolar affinity. To understand the basis of affinity and specificity in the β-lactamase−BLIP system, the crystallographic structure of the KPC-2−BLIP complex was determined to 1.9 A resolution. Computational alanine scanning was also conducted to identify putative hot spots in the KPC-2−BLIP interface. Interestingly, the two comp...
Lexical and pragmatic disambiguation and re-interpretation in connectionist networks

Abstract Lexical and pragmatic ambiguity is a major source of uncertainty in natural language understanding. Symbolic models can make high-level inferences necessary for understanding text, but handle ambiguity poorly, especially when later context requires a re-interpretation of the input. Structured connectionist networks, on the other hand, can use their graded levels of activation to perform lexical disambiguation, but have trouble performing the variable bindings and inferencing necessary for language understanding. We have previously described a structured connectionist model, ROBIN, which overcomes many of these problems and allows the massively-parallel application of a large class of general knowledge rules. This paper describes how ROBIN uses these abilities and the contextual evidence from its semantic networks to disambiguate words and infer the most plausible plan/goal analysis of the input, while using the same mechanism to smoothly re-interpret the input if later context makes an alternative interpretation more likely. We present several experiments illustrating these abilities and comparing them to those of other connectionist models, and discuss several directions in which we are extending the model.
The role of Bacteroides conjugative transposons in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes

Investigations into the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance gene transfer utilized by Bacteroides species have led to a greater understanding of how bacteria transfer antibiotic resistance genes, and what environmental stimuli promote such horizontal transfer events. Although Bacteroides spp. harbor a variety of transmissible elements that are involved in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes, it is one particular class of elements, the conjugative transposons, that are responsible for most of the resistance gene transfer in Bacteroides. The potential for Bacteroides conjugative transposons to transfer antibiotic resistance genes extends beyond those genes carried by the conjugative transposon itself, because Bacteroides conjugative transposons are able to mobilize coresident plasmids in trans and in cis, and also stimulate the excision and transfer of unlinked integrated elements called mobilizable transposons. These characteristics o f conjugative transposons alone have significant implications for the ecology and spread of antibiotic resistance genes, and in terms of biotechnology. A novel feature of the most widespread family of Bacteroides conjugative transposons, the CTnDOT/ERL family, is that their transfer is stimulated 100- to 1000-fold by low concentrations of tetracycline. This is significant because the use of antibiotics not only selects for resistant Bacteroides strains, but also stimulates their transfer. Other Bacteroides conjugative transposons do not require any induction to stimulate transfer, and hence appear to transfer constitutively. The constitutively transferring elements characterized so far appear to have a broader host range than the CTnDOT/ERL family of conjugative transposons, and the prevalence of these elements is on the increase. Since these constitutively transferring elements do not require induction by antibiotics to stimulate transfer, they have the potential to become as perva sive as the CTnDOT/ERL family of conjugative transposons.
Regional modeling of grassland biogeochemistry using GIS

We used an ecosystem coupled to a Geographic Information System (GIS) to simulate spatial variability in storage and fluxes of C and N within grassland ecosystems. The GIS contained information on driving variables required to run the model. These were soil texture, monthly precipitation and monthly minimum and maximum temperatures. We overlayed polygon maps of the above variables to produce a driving variable map of our study region. The final map had 768 polygons in 160 unique classes. The ecosystem model was run to a steady state for each class and NPP, soil organic matter (SOM), net N mineralization and trace gas emission were mapped back into the GIS for display. Variation in all of the above propertiees occurred within the region. NPP was primarily controlled by climate and patterns followed spatial variation in precipitation closely. Soil organic matter, in contrast, was controlled largely by soil texture within this climatic range. Error associated with aggregation within the study area showed that spatial averages over the study area could be used to drive simulations of NPP, which is linearly related to rainfall. More spatial detail had to be preserved for accurate simulation of SOM, which is nonlinearly related to texture. Mechanistic regional models form a valuable link between process studies and global models.
Exploring Behavioral Markers of Long-Term Physical Activity Maintenance A Case Study of System Identification Modeling Within a Behavioral Intervention

Efficacious interventions to promote long-term maintenance of physical activity are not well understood. Engineers have developed methods to create dynamical system models for modeling idiographic (i.e., within-person) relationships within systems. In behavioral research, dynamical systems modeling may assist in decomposing intervention effects and identifying key behavioral patterns that may foster behavioral maintenance. The Active Adult Mentoring Program was a 16-week randomized controlled trial of a group-based, peer-delivered physical activity intervention targeting older adults. Time-intensive (i.e., daily) physical activity reports were collected throughout the intervention. We explored differential patterns of behavior among participants who received the active intervention (N = 34; 88% women, 64.1 ± 8.3 years of age) and either maintained 150 minutes/week of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA; n = 10) or did not (n = 24) at 18 months following the intervention period. We used dynamical systems modeling to explore whether key intervention components (i.e., self-monitoring, access to an exercise facility, behavioral initiation training, behavioral maintenance training) and theoretically plausible behavioral covariates (i.e., indoor vs. outdoor activity) predicted differential patterns of behavior among maintainers and nonmaintainers. We found that maintainers took longer to reach a steady-state of MVPA. At week 10 of the intervention, nonmaintainers began to drop whereas maintainers increased MVPA. Self-monitoring, behavioral initiation training, percentage of outdoor activity, and behavioral maintenance training, but not access to an exercise facility, were key variables that explained patterns of change among maintainers. Future studies should be conducted to systematically explore these concepts within a priori idiographic (i.e., N-of-1) experimental designs.
Distribution of norepinephrine uptake within rabbit aorta between adventitia and media.

Dans l'aorte du lapin, la noradrenaline est absorbee par la tunique moyenne qui possede des cellules musculaires lisses de meme que par la tunique adventice qui contient des neurones adrenergiques. Il est probable que ces neurones et ces cellules musculaires lisse contiennent une «amine-pump». Le tissu connectif de ces 2 couches adsorbe aussi la noradrenaline. La distribution relative de la noradrenaline entre ces 3 situations est une fonction de la concentration externe de la noradrenaline.
Drawn to the Good? Brewer on Dialectical Activity

In The Retrieval of Ethics, Talbot Brewer defends an Aristotelian-inspired understanding of the good life, in which living the good life is conceived of in terms of engaging in a unified dialectical activity. In this essay, I explore the assumptions at work in Brewer’s understanding of dialectical activity and raise some concerns about whether or not we have reason to embrace them. I argue that his conception of human nature and that towards which we are drawn stands in tension with empirical research on motivation. Given this tension, I conclude that it is implausible to construe living the good life as a unified dialectical activity.
Patrons, clients and the articulation of modes of production: An examination of the penetration of capitalism into peripheral agriculture in Northeastern Brazil

This paper describes the evolution of the relationship between elite and mass over the past century in a small town in rural northeastern Brazil. Evolving patterns of class opposition and alliance directly reflect the state of the articulation of capitalist and pre‐capitalist modes of production. Thus, the ‘patron‐client’ complex, the standard ethnographic description of elite‐mass relations, is neither static nor a cultural survival, but a vital aspect of an emerging capitalist mode of appropriation. Theoretically, the article is close to the position of Pierre‐Phillipe Rey, but presents a more complex scheme for capitalist penetration of peripheral agriculture.
IRF-3, IRF-5, and IRF-7 coordinately regulate the type I IFN response in myeloid dendritic cells downstream of MAVS signaling

Although the transcription factors IRF-3 and IRF-7 are considered master regulators of type I interferon (IFN) induction and IFN stimulated gene (ISG) expression, Irf3−/−×Irf7−/− double knockout (DKO) myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) produce relatively normal levels of IFN-β after viral infection. We generated Irf3−/−×Irf5−/−×Irf7−/− triple knockout (TKO) mice to test whether IRF-5 was the source of the residual induction of IFN-β and ISGs in mDCs. In pathogenesis studies with two unrelated positive-sense RNA viruses (West Nile virus (WNV) and murine norovirus), TKO mice succumbed at rates greater than DKO mice and equal to or approaching those of mice lacking the type I IFN receptor (Ifnar−/−). In ex vivo studies, after WNV infection or exposure to Toll-like receptor agonists, TKO mDCs failed to produce IFN-β or express ISGs. In contrast, this response was sustained in TKO macrophages following WNV infection. To define IRF-regulated gene signatures, we performed microarray analysis on WNV-infected mDC from wild type (WT), DKO, TKO, or Ifnar−/− mice, as well as from mice lacking the RIG-I like receptor adaptor protein MAVS. Whereas the gene induction pattern in DKO mDC was similar to WT cells, remarkably, almost no ISG induction was detected in TKO or Mavs−/− mDC. The relative equivalence of TKO and Mavs−/− responses suggested that MAVS dominantly regulates ISG induction in mDC. Moreover, we showed that MAVS-dependent induction of ISGs can occur through an IRF-5-dependent yet IRF-3 and IRF-7-independent pathway. Our results establish IRF-3, -5, and -7 as the key transcription factors responsible for mediating the type I IFN and ISG response in mDC during WNV infection and suggest a novel signaling link between MAVS and IRF-5.
Microcalorimetric Study of Silica- and Zeolite-Supported Platinum Catalysts

Microcalorimetric measurements of the differential heats of hydrogen and carbon monoxide adsorption versus adsorbate coverage were made at 403 K for platinum supported on silica, magnesia/alumina, L-zeolite, Y-zeolite, and ZSM-5. The differential heats at zero coverage for hydrogen and carbon monoxide adsorption were 90 and 140 kJ/mol, respectively. for platinum supported on silica and nonacidic zeolites. The differential heats were larger by approximately 20 kJ/mol for hydrogen and carbon monoxide adsorption on platinum particles supported on basic supports such as potassium/silica, magnesia/alumina, and zeolites containing basic cations (K+, Ba2+) exchanged in excess of the zeolite framework aluminum content. The microcalorimetric results suggest that the high paraffin aromatization activity and selectivity observed for L-zeolite-supported platinum catalysts do not appear to be caused solely by changes in the adsorptive properties of the cluster-sized platinum particles located within the zeolite.
LANTIRN infrared window failure analysis

Analysis of 68 condemned LANTIRN navigation pod FLIR windows was undertaken to determine the nature and extent of damage to these windows. Visual and low-magnification examinations using reflected and transmitted light conditions were performed, as well as profilometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination on selected specimens. A number of primary modes were found which accounted for the majority of the failures seen in this population of windows. These modes were: high energy impacts due to large objects such as hail, birds, and runway debris; interaction of the residual stress state at the interface of the bulk ZnSe/ZnS coating with rain and bug strikes; and opacification due to sand erosion and atmospheric etching. Machining damage and misoriented window installation were also found. Windows which had seen appreciable hours of service were almost completely devoid of AR coating on the forward face. A navigation pod, which houses the window, was also obtained to determine if the window installation contributed to the causes of failure. Suggestions to improve the reliability of the present window material were listed.
Stratified Turbulence and the Mesoscale Variability of the Atmosphere

Abstract An analysis is made of Gage's proposal that the horizontal energy spectrum at mesoscale wavelengths is produced by upscale energy transfer through quasi-two-dimensional turbulence. It is suggested that principal sources of such energy can be found in decaying convective clouds and thunderstorm anvil outflows. These are believed to evolve similarly to the wake of a moving body in a stably stratified flow. Following the scale analysis by Riley, Metcalfe and Weissman it is expected that, in the presence of strong stratification, initially three-dimensionally isotropic turbulence divides roughly equally into gravity waves and stratified (quasi-two- dimensional) turbulence. The former then propagates away from the generation region, while the latter propagates in spectral space to larger scales, forming the −5/3 upscale transfer spectrum predicted by Kraichnan. Part of the energy of the stratified turbulence is recycled into three-dimensional turbulence by shearing instability, but the upscale escape ...
Symmetrically pairwise-bargained allocations in an assignment market☆

Abstract Consider an assignment game with transferable utility where the optimally assigned partners engage in bargaining of the sort modelled by Nash, using as their threats the maximum they could receive in an alternative match. A symmetrically pairwise-bargained (SPB) allocation is a core allocation such that all partners are in bargained equilibrium. It is shown that an SPB allocation always exists, that the set of SPB allocations coincides with the intersection of the kernel and the core, and that there is a rebargaining process which converges to an SPB allocation if it begins at a “distinguished point” in the core.
Risk Analysis of Well Completion Systems

The techniques of risk analysis have been applied to alternative offshore completions for a tension leg platform (TLP) to determine the probability of a leak of well fluids to the environment. For each completion type, logic diagrams were drawn, failure rates were assigned to the input events, and the reliability for production and workover was calculated. The sources of these data are described and the importance of proper ranking of equipment failure rates is discussed. The results of the analysis have determined that reliability of a well completion system during workover significantly affects the lifetime reliability of the well. 3 refs.
Simplified Predictions of Breakthrough Fronts for Constant-Pattern Adsorption and Ion Exchange

The loading cycle of many (perhaps most) commercial adsorption and ion exchange operations involves a favorable isotherm. Concentration fronts for favorable isotherms approach a constant pattern for long bed lengths, and most industrial adsorption and ion exchange operations use sufficiently deep beds that the constant-pattern conditions are approached. Once a constant pattern is established, the region around the front can be analyzed using conventional methods developed for continuous absorption/stripping operations, but the location of the feed and withdrawal points must be assumed to move down the bed at the same rate at which the front moves. Using this approach, the constant-pattern front can be calculated for any shape of constant-pattern isotherm. The dimensionless distance in the bed is expressed in terms of transfer units, and the shape of the front can be evaluated graphically even when the relations can not be integrated analytically. This procedure is illustrated for binary ion exchange isotherms. In the simplest cases, exchange of ions like charge, the integration can be performed analytically. For other cases, numerical and graphical solutions are illustrated
Do Plans Matter?: The Effects of Light Rail Plans on Land Values in Station Areas

Using data on vacant land sales in Washington County, Oregon, the authors find that plans for light rail investments have positive effects on land values in proposed station areas. These findings suggest that such capitalization is likely to discourage the development of low-density housing in station areas and encourage high-density, transportation-oriented development. More important, the results provide support for a model in which planning is rational behavior by a local government and that plans—independent of regulations— can be used to alter urban development patterns for the purpose of increasing social welfare. To the extent that these results hold more generally, these results suggest that plans indeed matter.
EELS chemical bond characterization of process induced damages in low-k dielectric films

EELS chemical bond analysis has been used to characterize etching process induced plasma damages in low-k SiCOH materials. EELS can provide not only the information of element distribution, but also the insight of chemical bonding status. Through applying the Maximum-likelihood deconvolution to EEL spectra, minor but critical changes in EELS core loss near edge fine structures can be clearly revealed. After comparing Si L 2,3 edge and O K-edge with literature simulation results, Si=O double bonds were proved to be generated by the oxidizing etching plasma at the trench side wall. This work can help to understand plasma reaction mechanism with SiCOH materials and thus can help new process development.
Intensity-dependent relaxation dynamics and the nature of the excited-state species in solid-state conducting polymers

Femtosecond transient-absorption dynamics are presented for an oligomer and a number of polymers from the poly(arylene vinylene) family for excitation densities in the range from 10{sup 18}{endash}10{sup 21} cm{sup {minus}3}. We report careful studies of the wavelength and pump-intensity dependence of the photoinduced absorption in a model five-ring oligomer, 2-methoxy-5-(2{sup {prime}}-ethylhexyloxy)-distyryl benzene. We show that a single photoexcited species, the intrachain exciton, is responsible for all observable spectral features at low excitation densities. At higher excitation densities, nonlinear relaxation processes are observed in both polymers and the oligomer, consistent with exciton-exciton annihilation as a nonlinear-decay mechanism. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Suppression of Reflex Postural Tonus: A Role of Peripheral Inhibition in Insects

Postural reflexes act through a single excitatory motoneuron of the several that innervate a flexor muscle of the cockroach leg. A peripheral inhibitory neuron whose axon accompanies this excitatory motoneuron is able to suppress muscle tensions developed from postural reflexes without affecting centrally generated muscle tensions. The inhibitory neuron could thus serve to rapidly suppress postural tensions at the initiation of escape.