cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Priorities for publishing research: A multidisciplinary agenda

Publishing research, to be effective and useful, requires the participation of scholars and practitioners in many disciplines: literature, history, sociology, psychology, technology, economics, and education. Examples are drawn from trade and scholarly publishing. The results of such research can benefit all segments of the industry.
EUS-Guided Cholangio Drainage and Rendezvous Techniques

Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) has been classically used in cases of biliary obstruction where endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is unsuccessful. However, the complications of PTC are significant and include cholangitis, peritonitis, empyema, fistula, hematoma, and liver abscesses. With the development of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and the ability to direct the needle within the field of intervention, EUS-guided cholangio drainage (ECD) is increasingly being used in tertiary care centers as an alternative to PTC. The studies that have been published thus far indicate that ECD has acceptable success and complication rates, such that it could be considered as a first-line therapy in centers offering expertise in EUS and ERCP. EUS-guided drainage may be either transhepatic or extrahepatic, depending on the most easily accessible region for drainage. Intrahepatic access to the biliary system appears safer than the extrahepatic approach. This review discusses the techniques, efficacy, and complications of ECD.
Processive action of T4 endonuclease V on ultraviolet-irradiated DNA

The action of the dimer-specific endonuclease V of bacteriophage T4 was studied on UV-irradiated, covalently-closed circular DNa. Form I ColE1 DNA preparations containing average dimer frequencies ranging from 2.5 to 35 pyrimidine dimers per molecule were treated with T4 endonuclease V and analysed by agarose gel electrophoresis. At all dimer frequencies examined, the production of form III DNA was linear with time and the double-strand scissions were made randomly on the ColE1 DNA genome. Since the observed fraction of form III DNA increased with increasing dimer frequency but the initial rate of loss of form I decreased with increasing dimer frequency, it was postulated that multiple single-strand scissions could be produced in a subset of the DNA population while some DNA molecules contained no scissions. When DNA containing an average of 25 dimers per circle was incubated with limiting enzyme concentrations, scissions appeared at most if not all dimmer sites in some molecules before additional strand scissions were produced in other DNA molecules. The results support a processive model for the interaction of T4 endonuclease V with UV-irradiated DNA.
Cytokines in Chronic Inflammatory Synovitis

Cytokines likely play a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory arthritidies. Recent studies on the cytokine profile of inflammatory synovitis have provided insight into the mechanisms of cellular activation in the inflamed joint. Although gamma interferon has been proposed as a major macrophage activating factor and inducer of class II major histocompatibility antigens in the joint, studies using sensitive and specific immunoassays have shown that the concentration of this lymphokine in synovial fluid is probably not sufficient to account for the high level of HLA-DR expression on Type A synoviocytes and macrophages in the joint. In contrast, GM-CSF has recently been identified in synovial effusions of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and is produced by synovial tissue cells in vitro. Like gamma interferon, GM-CSF is a known macrophage activating factor and induces HLA-DR on cells of macrophage lineage. Furthermore, supernatants of cultured synovial tissue cells contain an HLA-DR inducing factor that is neutralized by specific antibodies to GM-CSF but not by antibodies to gamma interferon. These data suggest that GM-CSF plays a significant role in macrophage activation in the synovium.
Whey Protein Concentrate Treated with Heat or High Hydrostatic Pressure in Wheat‐Based Products

ABSTRACT Commercial whey protein concentrate (CWPC) treated with heat or with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) was incorporated by replacement into wheat flour, and its effects on dough rheology and the quality of cookies, noodles, and bread were evaluated. Wheat flour fortified with heat- or HHP-treated CWPC produced smaller cookies than those fortified with untreated CWPC. Increasing the fortification level of heat- or HHP-treated CWPC from 5 to 10% further decreased cookie diameter. The water absorption for noodle dough decreased by 5% with 10% fortification of untreated CWPC. Both heat- and HHP-treated CWPC increased water absorption from 33% in the control to 35.8%. Incorporation of untreated CWPC decreased the lightness (L*) value of Cantonese noodle dough, while dough fortified with heat- or HHP-treated CWPC had higher L* values compared to those of the control. Yellowness (b*) was improved with incorporation of both untreated and treated CWPC. Cooking loss of Cantonese noodles fortified with untrea...
Retroperitoneal Lymphadenectomy for Testicular Tumors

Sixty-four patients have been observed for three years or more after radical lymphadenectomy for nonseminomatous germinal-cell tumors of the testis. The results of this study indicate that survival rates of patients with stage A teratocarcinoma and embryonal carcinoma were excellent (93% and 94%, respectively). In patients with stage B tumors, survival rates were far better in the teratocarcinoma group (77%) than in patients with embryonal carcinoma (29%). The study failed to document the value of postlymphadenectomy radiation therapy for either embryonal carcinoma or teratocarcinoma. Furthermore, there appears to be no advantage to bilateral lymphadenectomy over unilateral lymph-node dissection. Results from studies employing either the lumbar approach or transperitoneal approach appear to be equal.
Prediction of Fuel Mixture Soot Thresholds in Premixed Flames

Abstract Soot production in premixed flames of multicomponent fuels is modeled by combining (1) the experimental observation that for pure fuels the soot volume fraction varies exponentially with equivalence ratio, and (2) the assumption that soot production by each fuel component if independent of the presence of the other components, except in the sharing of the available oxidizer. Soot thresholds calculated from this model are in excellent agreement with available experimental data.
Emphysematous Urinary Tract Infections: Diagnosis, Treatment and Survival (case Review Series)

ABSTRACT Background Emphysematous urinary tract infections are rare conditions, usually occurring in diabetic patients. Mortality rates in medically managed patients are reported to be as high as 70% to 90%. Growth of the diabetic population warrants heightened attention to these potentially fatal infections. We report a series of 5 cases with favorable outcomes. Case Reports All patients were diabetic. Presenting symptoms included fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. On physical examination, two patients had costovertebral angle tenderness; a third was dehydrated; a fourth had dehydration and an abdominal mass; and a fifth patient had suprapubic tenderness. All cases had leukocytosis and impaired renal function. Computed tomography (CT) scan disclosed emphysematous pyelonephritis in 3 cases (gas within renal parenchyma and/or perirenal tissue), emphysematous pyelitis in 1 case (gas in collecting system), and emphysematous cystitis in 1 patient (gas within bladder wall). Urine culture of 1 case grew Enterococci , whereas in the other cases cultures yielded gas-producing organisms. All patients received intravenous antibiotics. Two patients underwent CT-guided abscess drainage; 2 cases had J-stent placement, and one patient was readmitted with septic shock and underwent nephrectomy. All the patients' conditions improved and they were discharged. Discussion Emphysematous urinary tract infections are usually caused by gas-producing organisms. They should be suspected in diabetic patients with urinary tract infections and worsening of renal function. CT scan is the method of choice for diagnosis and follow up. None of our patients died, mainly due to early diagnosis, sequential radiologic assessment, and timely surgical intervention when needed.
A new approach for modelling slip lines in geological materials with cohesive models

A methodology to model slip lines as strong displacement discontinuities within a continuum mechanics context is presented. The loss of hyperbolicity of the IBVP is used as the criterion for switching from a classical continuum description of the constitutive behaviour to a traction-separation model acting at the discontinuity surface. A version of the element-free Galerkin (EFG) method is employed where the slip line is represented as a set of slipped particles. The representation of the slip line as set of cohesive segments promises to remove difficulties in the propagation of the slip line. Two-dimensional examples are studied using the Drucker–Prager material model. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prioritized Wireless Transmissions Using Random Linear Codes

We investigate approximation algorithms for the problem of prioritized broadcast transmissions over independent erasure channels first described in Tran et al., 2009. In this work, the authors showed that under some settings, the achievable throughput regions for prioritized broadcast transmissions can be computed by a polynomial-time algorithm. In this paper, we study a class of approximate algorithms based on the Markov Chain Mote Carlo (MCMC) method, for obtaining the maximum sum of prioritized receiver's throughputs. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show the correctness and the convergence speed of the proposed algorithms.
Delays in Time to Treatment and Survival Impact in Breast Cancer

Time interval from diagnosis of breast cancer to treatment has been promulgated as one factor that can be used to evaluate cancer care quality. It remains controversial, however, whether a delay to treatment impacts survival. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether delays from diagnosis to initial treatment in breast cancer impacts survival. A retrospective review of patients undergoing breast cancer treatment between August 2005 and December 2008 in a comprehensive, multidisciplinary breast oncology program was undertaken. Two hospital systems were included: a county hospital (CH) treating a primarily minority, indigent population and a university hospital (UH) treating a primarily Caucasian, insured population. Interval to treatment, calculated from date of diagnosis to surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation treatment, and overall survival was compared between the two groups. A total of 1337 patients were included; 634 patients were treated in the CH and 703 in the UH. Interval to treatment was longer in the CH compared with the UH (53.4 ± 2.0 vs 33.2 ± 1.2 days; mean ± standard error of the mean [SEM], P < .0001). Patients treated at the CH had overall worse survival (P = .02); however, this difference did not hold true when controlled for stage. Additionally, when time to treatment was analyzed as an individual variable for all patients, there was no impact on survival. Interval from diagnosis to treatment of breast cancer within the same cancer center was longer at the CH than the UH. There was, however, no effect on overall survival. Time to treatment may not be a meaningful indicator of cancer care quality.
A note on health care inflation

A key issue in health care reform is the need to contain the inflation rate of the CPI for health care services without substantially reducing the quality of health care. Althought the previous literature has widely debated the causes of increasing inflation in the CPI for health care services, very little has been done to empirically test these arguments. We use an econometric framework that allows us to expressly examine the determinants of the inflation rate of the CPI for health care services. The data cover the period from 1960–1994. The main results provide empirical verification for many of the demand-side and supply-side theories of the inflation rate of the CPI for health care services that have been widely discussed in the literature.
THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SNOW COVER AND CYCLONES IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES

Snow cover extent is correlated with the latitude, pressure, and frequency of cyclones at every five degrees of longitude from 70° to 100° West, for the winter seasons 1971 to 1980. Each cyclone parameter is also lag correlated with snow cover extent to test relationships between snow cover extent of one week and cyclone variables of successive weeks. More extensive snow cover is related to cyclones traveling farther south, having higher central pressure, and becoming less frequent.
Targeted multiplex imaging mass spectrometry with single chain fragment variable (scfv) recombinant antibodies

Recombinant scfv antibodies specific for CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 P450 enzymes were combined with targeted imaging mass spectrometry to simultaneously detect the P450 enzymes present in archived, paraffin-embedded, human breast cancer tissue sections. By using CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 specific scfv, each coupled to a unique reporter molecule (i.e., a mass tag) it was possible to simultaneously detect multiple antigens within a single tissue sample with high sensitivity and specificity using mass spectrometry. The capability of imaging multiple antigens at the same time is a significant advance that overcomes technical barriers encountered when using present day approaches to develop assays that can simultaneously detect more than a single antigen in the same tissue sample.
Dynamic and Static Measurements of A Single and Double Phospholipid Bilayer System

We investigate the surface height fluctuations of single and double bilayers of DPPE supported on silicon using x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS). In this techique, x-rays are incident on the membrane in a grazing incidence geometry and diffusely scattered x-rays are measured using an area detector. Time fluctuations of the scattering pattern can then be analyzed to yield the relaxation rate of surface height fluctuations. Bilayer and double bilayer systems were prepared utilizing combination of Langmuir-Blodgett and Langmuir-Schaeffer depositions. Static structural measurements were also made on these systems as well as on more complicated systems consisting of triple and five-fold bilayers of DPPE. Relationships between structure and dynamics of these systems will be discussed.
Situational determinants of software piracy: An equity theory perspective

Software piracy has become recognized as a major problem for the software industry and for business. One research approach that has provided a theoretical framework for studying software piracy has been to place the illegal copying of software within the domain of ethical decision making assumes that a person must be able to recognize software piracy as a moral issue. A person who fails to recognize a moral issue will fail to employ moral decision making schemata. There is substantial evidence that many individuals do not perceive software piracy to be an ethical problem. This paper applies social exchange theory, in particular equity theory, to predict the influence of situational factors on subjects' intentions to participate in software piracy. Consistent with the predictions of equity theory this study found that input and outcome situational variables significantly effect a person's intentions to commit software piracy.
HIGH GLUCOSE CONCENTRATIONS CAUSE DELAYED FETAL LUNG MATURATION AS MEASURED BY FLUORESCENCE ANISOTROPY AND I INTENSITY

Previous studies have shown that fetal rat lung cultured in high glucose media exhibits decreased rate of choline incorporation into phosphatidylcholine, indicating delayed lung maturation. We have also demonstrated that by measuring fluorescence of a surfactant-associated probe both the quantity (intensity) and fluidity (anisocropy) of surfactant produced by this explant system and secreted into the culture media can be assessed. The present study was designed to explore the effects of differing glucose levels on fluorescence intensity and anisotropy. 19.5 day fetal rat lung explants were grown for 48 hr in media containing 10, 50, or 100mM glucose. Tissue homogenates and culture media were purified on Sephacryl columns, a fluorescent probe added to the surfactant fraction, and fluorescence intensity and anisotropy measured. Fluorescence intensity was significantly lower in tissue cultured in 100mM glucose (74 ± 6% relative to 10mM values; p 50mM>10mM) (Table). Thus, glucose inhibits maturation of surfactant as measured by fluorescence in vitro. These results suggest that the delayed fetal lung development in diabetic gestation may be characterized by defects in fluidity as well as quantity of surfactant produced.
Translational control of the synthesis of the Euglena light harvesting chlorophyll a/b binding protein of photosystem II

Abstract Synthesis of the precursor to the light harvesting chlorophyll a/b binding protein of photosystem II (LHCPII) increases 50–100-fold upon exposure of dark grown resting Euglena to light. LHCPII mRNA levels increase approximately two-fold upon light exposure indicating that LHCPII synthesis is controlled at the translational level. Approximately 68% of cellular LHCPII mRNA was associated with polysomes in dark grown resting cells. Light exposure had little effect on the relative amount of LHCPII polysomes indicating that light regulates pLHCPII synthesis at the level of polypeptide chain elongation. LHCPII synthesis is undetectable in that bleached Euglena mutants W3BUL and W10BSmL which lack detectable protochlorophyll(ide), the chloroplast photoreceptor and most if not all of the chloroplast genome. Over 60% of LHCPII mRNA was associated with polysomes in bleached mutants. LHCPII polysomes were membrane bound in wild type Euglena and bleached mutants maintained in the dark or the light. Photocontrol of Euglena LHCPII synthesis is probably mediated through the synthesis of a chloroplast generated signal which is required for release of signal recognition particle dependent arrest of LHCPII mRNA translation by membrane-bound polysomes.
Blowing the Whistle Against Greek Hazing: The Theory of Reasoned Action as a Framework for Reporting Intentions

This study tests the applicability of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) framework to whistle-blowing intentions within the context of Greek hazing. Participants (N = 259) responded to a survey with one of three scenarios, varying in level of severity (“not severe,” “moderately severe,” “most severe”), describing a hypothetical hazing situation occurring in their fraternity or sorority. Results show that TRA provides a sound framework for predicting whistle-blowing intentions. Level of severity served as a moderator for behavioral intentions. The TRA model was confirmed for both the “moderately severe” and the “most severe” scenarios. For the “not severe” scenario, the TRA model was supported except for the effect of the product term of behavioral beliefs and outcome evaluations on attitude toward the behavior. The article concludes with a discussion of limitations and theoretical and practical implications.
Two modes of cell death caused by exposure to nanosecond pulsed electric field.

High-amplitude electric pulses of nanosecond duration, also known as nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF), are a novel modality with promising applications for cell stimulation and tissue ablation. However, key mechanisms responsible for the cytotoxicity of nsPEF have not been established. We show that the principal cause of cell death induced by 60- or 300-ns pulses in U937 cells is the loss of the plasma membrane integrity (“nanoelectroporation”), leading to water uptake, cell swelling, and eventual membrane rupture. Most of this early necrotic death occurs within 1–2 hr after nsPEF exposure. The uptake of water is driven by the presence of pore-impermeable solutes inside the cell, and can be counterbalanced by the presence of a pore-impermeable solute such as sucrose in the medium. Sucrose blocks swelling and prevents the early necrotic death; however the long-term cell survival (24 and 48 hr) does not significantly change. Cells protected with sucrose demonstrate higher incidence of the delayed death (6–24 hr post nsPEF). These cells are more often positive for the uptake of an early apoptotic marker dye YO-PRO-1 while remaining impermeable to propidium iodide. Instead of swelling, these cells often develop apoptotic fragmentation of the cytoplasm. Caspase 3/7 activity increases already in 1 hr after nsPEF and poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage is detected in 2 hr. Staurosporin-treated positive control cells develop these apoptotic signs only in 3 and 4 hr, respectively. We conclude that nsPEF exposure triggers both necrotic and apoptotic pathways. The early necrotic death prevails under standard cell culture conditions, but cells rescued from the necrosis nonetheless die later on by apoptosis. The balance between the two modes of cell death can be controlled by enabling or blocking cell swelling.
Evaluation of Online Course Websites: Is Teaching Online a Tug-of-War?

The need for an evaluation instrument for web-based, mainly asynchronous, course websites is necessary. An instrument was developed and tested to assess whether there was an appropriate checklist of items that were expected of an online course website by both students and faculty. The instrument was developed from surveying the current literature in online learning. Faculty and student surveys showed that there was strong support for the instrument overall, but lack of agreement for some individual items. Categories that showed the most differences between faculty and students were instructor information, computer-mediated communication, navigation, and use of the site. Frustration, expressed in comments over differences in expectations, may be mitigated by faculty anticipating problems with the described items and stating requirements prior to the start of the course.
God of All the World: Universalism and Developing Monotheism in Isaiah 40–66

The relationship between Israel, the nations, and Israel's God in the eschatological future has long occupied exegetes and theologians. The meaning of the pilgrimage of the nations to Zion and the servant's charge to become a “covenant to the people (), a light to the nations ()” (Isa 42:6) is a significant locus of dispute. Some argue that here the text charges the Israelites to missionize the Gentiles, while others contend that Second Isaiah holds only a passing interest in the status of foreigners. These disagreements are not unfounded, for the text itself contains seemingly contradictory exclamations right next to one another. In Isa 45:22, for example, YHWH proclaims: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!” In the very next verses, however, Isaiah depicts the nations as subservient to Israel and elsewhere as even licking the dust of the former exiles' feet (49:23)—an image which, at least at first glance, seems incompatible with the notion that foreigners and Israelites similarly benefit from YHWH's saving acts.
Modeling the Plane Joint

The plane joint, often referred to as the “E” joint is modeled using dual-number coordinate-transformation matrices. The joint consists of two flat surfaces held in contact so that three degrees of freedom are allowed, two translations and a rotation. The swash-plate mechanism is used as an example of a mechanism featuring the plane joint.
Effects of a 1,3-diacylglycerol oil-enriched diet on postprandial lipemia in people with insulin resistance

Postprandial hypertriglyceridemia is common in individuals with insulin resistance, and diets enriched in 1,3-diacylglycerol (DAG) may reduce postprandial plasma triglycerides (PPTGs). We enrolled 25 insulin-resistant, nondiabetic individuals in a double-blind, randomized crossover trial to test the acute and chronic effects of a DAG-enriched diet on PPTG. Participants received either DAG or triacylglycerol (TAG) oil, in food products, for 5 weeks. Fasting lipids, and two separate postprandial tests, one with DAG oil and one with TAG oil, were performed at the end of each 5 week diet period. We found no acute or chronic effects of DAG oil on PPTG. Thus, neither the DAG oil PPTG (h/mg/dl) on a chronic TAG diet [area under the curve (AUC) = 503 ± 439] nor the TAG oil PPTG on a chronic DAG diet (AUC = 517 ± 638) was different from the TAG oil PPTG on a chronic TAG diet (AUC = 565 ± 362). Five weeks of a DAG-enriched diet had no acute or chronic effects on PPTG in insulin-resistant individuals. We suggest further studies to evaluate the effects of DAG on individuals with low and high TG levels.
Airport surface wireless technology and profile status

There is a need in the international aeronautical community for a broad-band voice and data communications capability to support future safety and regularity of flight services on the airport surface worldwide. This wireless data service can augment the projected Datacomm services to aircraft or vehicles by providing connectivity to A ir Traffic Control, Airline Operations Services and Airport Communications Services. Results from the joint Future Communications Study conducted by U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and EUROCONTROL recommended the use of existing wireless communications technology based on the commercially available 802.16 2009 standard as the solution to support the future aviation requirements on the airport surface. This system, referred to as the Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS) would operate in available protected aviation mobile communications spectrum from 5091MHz to 5150MHz. In addition to alleviating an already congested VHF communications band, the AeroMACS system would also provide a capability to support data intensive applications projected under the FAA's future Next Generation (NextGen) and the Single European Skies Aviation Research (SESAR) Programs. RTCA Special Committee 223 (SC-223) was organized to develop an Aviation Specific System Profile that could be used to guide the design and implementation of equipment and systems used in a broadband airport surface wireless network in the United States. RTCA SC-223 is coordinating with the EUROCAE Working Group 82 and SESAR in the development of the AeroMACS profile. Additionally, since the WiMAX Forum owns and holds the copyright for the 802.16e standard, the RTCA SC-223 profile working group has established a working relationship with the WiMAX Technical Working Group (TWG) to participate in the generation of the AeroMACS profile, and issue any needed change requests to the Mobile WiMAX Release 1 System Profile (DRAFT-T23–001-R010v09-B_MSP) document.
Climatic significance of Holocene beachrock sites along shorelines of the Red Sea

Mozley and Burns' (2006) discussion reminds me of current discussions on paleotemperature elsewhere. In the July 29, 2005, issue of Science , the following statements are presented: “Two teams of researchers, studying the same evidence with the same techniques, have painted diametrically opposite pictures of a key period in the history of Earth's climate, which climatologists are probing…It's a tough issue to sort out…‘What's at stake is the regional distribution of climate,’ both past and future” (Kerr, 2005, p. 687). We have to wait for more data. This is difficult work, and it is easy to be misled. Before answering specific criticism, please note that my study was a geologic note and not a full article. My detailed article (Friedman, 2004) was published as part of a special publication series requested by the Geochemical Society as part of its tribute to Isaac R. Kaplan. I refer Mozley and Burns (2006) to the details of my article. I shall answer their criticism. The studied beachrock is composed of (1) terrigenous debris derived from nearby bedrock, (2) carbonate particles of local origin, and (3) carbonate cement (Friedman, 1988; Table 1). View this table: Table 1 X-Ray Diffraction Mineralogical Analysis* The most common beachrock lithology is terrigenous calcipebblestone (Figure 1) and calcisandstone in which skeletal debris is minor or absent, terrigenous rock fragments are dominant, and carbonate cement is abundant. Terrigenous debris does not affect radiocarbon dating nor carbon or strontium isotopic measurements because in most of the samples, the debris does not generally contain carbonates. The samples selected for the study contain fossils only sporadically, or at best, fossils are entirely absent. Figure 1 Beachrock with abundant included terrigenous pebbles paving intertidal zone and extending into supratidal zone on the west side of the Gulf of Aqaba. Terrigenous particles in the studied beachrocks consist of igneous and …
Results on relaxation theorems for hybrid systems

The Filippov-Wazewski Relaxation Theorem states that the solution set of a locally Lipschitz differential inclusion is dense in the solution set of its convexified differential inclusion in the uniform metric on compact time intervals. For a broad class of hybrid systems with logic variables, we propose conditions on system dynamics and on system data to establish finite-horizon relaxation theorems that rely on graphical distance of solutions. In turn these relaxation theorems are used to show continuous dependence on initial conditions. We also demonstrate by examples that the relaxation theorems could fail if any of the proposed conditions is removed.
Targeting innate immunity for treatment of type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an auto immune disease perpetuated by intricate inter­ actions between innate and adaptive immune responses, which collaborate to cause destruction of insulin producing islet β cells. Antigen­specific CD8 and CD4 T cells ultimately destroy pancreatic islet β cells; however, clinical trials directed at dominant T­cell epitopes in T1D (e.g., glu­ tamic acid decarboxylase or insulin) have failed to reverse disease [1]. This does not necessarily mean that antigen­specific ther­ apies will not work, but highlights the need to uncover new therapeutic approaches and/ or combination therapies. Why have T­cell directed therapies failed? There may be fun­ damental innate immune defects that estab­ lish and maintain persistent auto reactive T­cell responses. These innate immune defects have been highlighted both in the mouse model of T1D, nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, as well as in T1D patients reviewed elsewhere [2]. It is thus possible that correcting or ‘re­tuning’ the innate immune response will have beneficial effects in controlling autoreactive adaptive immune responses. The role of innate immunity in T1D may explain the rapidly rising incidence of T1D since the mid­20th century [3,4]. The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ explains the rising inci­ dence of T1D, as well as other autoimmune diseases, by positing that the lack of innate immune stimulation early in life primes the adaptive immune system toward auto­ immunity. The NOD mouse model sup­ ports this hypothesis, since mice housed in colonies with a greater bacterial burden have lower incidence of T1D compared with mice housed in ‘clean’ cages [5]. This suggests that innate immune stimulation may be beneficial in the prevention of T1D. There is indeed a large literature on effi­ cacy of therapeutic agents which stimulate or modulate the innate immune system to prevent T1D in NOD mice. However, although predictive biomarkers for T1D are being investigated, preventative therapeutics are currently inutile until an accurate marker is found. The unsolved clinical problem remains reversal of new onset disease. New onset T1D presents with elevated blood glucose levels, polyuria, failed glucose toler­ ance test and weight loss; these symptoms all arise after destruction of pancreatic islet β cells have already progressed. These clini­ cal features are present in the NOD mouse model and our lab (and others) has changed our focus from T1D prevention to reversal, which is a much more difficult task. Some adaptive immune modulatory agents have reversed T1D and induced hypertrophy of islet β cells in the NOD mouse model [6], but with limited effect in humans (gener­ Targeting innate immunity for treatment of Type 1 diabetes
FRR: a proportional and worst-case fair round robin scheduler

In this paper, we propose an O(1) complexity round robin scheduler, called fair round robin (FRR), that provides good fairness and delay properties. Unlike existing O(1) complexity round robin schedulers that can only achieve long term fairness, FRR not only provides proportional fairness, but also maintains a constant normalized worst-case fair index as defined in Bennett and Zhang's work. This means that FRR guarantees both short term and long term fairness among all backlogged flows.
Origin of the Highland Avifauna of Southern Venezuela

Cook, R. E. (Peabody Museum and Department of Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Ct. 06520) 1974. On the origin of the highland avifauna of southern Venezuela. Syst. Zool. 23:257-264.-The highland avifauna of thirteen mountain tepuis of southern Venezuela has been examined through multiple regression analyses to determine which parameters of environmental diversity (area, elevation above sea level) and isolation correlate most strongly with the number of species. A linear model with elevation as the independent variable accounts for 81% of the variation in species number. All independent variables account for 84% of the variation in the multiple regression. This result is discussed in terms of extinction since the last glacial lowering of vegetation zones and it is suggested that elevation and topography may significantly affect the probability of extinction and recolonization. In a comparison of the Pantepui species with two other highland avifaunas, it is shown that the major portion of the variation from the regression of species number on elevation (Fig. 3) is due to the presence of more suboscines than expected, suggesting differential survival during interglacials at higher elevations. [Venezuela; birds; zoogeography.] A number of recent works have stressed the parallels between extensive modification of tropical flora and fauna and the climatic fluctuations of the Pleistocene (Vanzolini and Williams, 1970; Haffer, 1969, 1970; Vuilleumier, B.S., 1971; Moreau, 1966). Each has employed the concept of species differentiation in isolated, islandlike refuges created by expanding and contracting zones of vegetation and one work (Vuilleumier, F., 1970) has related this historical process of cyclic speciation to the equilibrium theory of island biogeography (MacArthur and Wilson, 1967). The recent publication of a monograph on the avifauna of the highlands of southern Venezuela (Mayr and Phelps, 1967) suggested to me another source of data relating to problems of the origin of tropical faunas and floras. In their study Mayr and Phelps postulate both a long distance colonization of the mountains by highland avian species hopping over the intervening tropical lowlands and altitudinal differentiation of lowland tropical elements. At present the avian species of these highlands (which have been termed collectively "Pantepui," see Mayr and Phelps, 1967, for map) are isolated on individ-ual mountains or tepuis and together form a fauna displaying a large number of endemic taxa and strong Andean affinities. In order to determine the relation between the avifauna and its islandlike isolation, I have used regression analysis (Hamilton, et al., 1967) to determine those parameters of isolation and environmental complexity that best predict the number of bird species inhabiting each
Left ventricular diastolic function and characteristics in fetal aortic stenosis.

Fetal aortic balloon valvuloplasty (FAV) has shown promise in averting progression of midgestation aortic stenosis (AS) to hypoplastic left heart syndrome in a subset of patients. Patients who achieve biventricular circulation after FAV frequently have left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (DD). This study evaluates DD in fetuses with AS by comparing echocardiographic indices of LV diastolic function in fetuses underwent FAV (n = 20) with controls (n = 40) and evaluates for LV factors associated with DD in patients with FAV. We also compared pre-FAV and post-FAV DD variables (n = 16). Median gestational age (24 weeks, range 18 to 29 weeks) and fetal heart rate were similar between FAV and controls. Compared with controls, patients with FAV had universally abnormal LV diastolic parameters including fused mitral inflow E and A waves (p = 0.008), higher E velocity (p
Vacuum Electroreflectance: Overcoming the Difficulties of Electrolyte Electroreflectance and Photoreflectance

A new technique for obtaining the electroreflectance (ER) spectrum, Vacuum Electroreflectance (VER), is introduced. In VER, the modulating electric field is applied capacitively using a transparent electrode as one plate and the sample as the other plate, with vacuum in between. In this geometry, cooling or heating is achieved without any sample preparation. Precise positioning is achieved by piezoelectric motors monitored by a HeNe interferometer, and cooling to 80 K by the Joule-Thompson effect. GaAs samples with different Si doping are used to compare VER to Electrolyte ER and Photoreflectance.
Evaluation of the efficacy of two carbamates, physostigmine and pyridostigmine, when used in conjunction for protection against organophosphate exposure.

Abstract Recent studies have shown that pretreatment with either pyridostigmine (PYR) or physostigmine (PHY) followed by atropineoxime therapy is very effective in reducing the lethality of nerve agents. The therapeutic efficacy of a PHY and PYR combination pretreatment was evaluated in guinea pigs challenged with two LD50s of soman. Endpoints measured were percentage of acetylcholinesterase inhibition induced by the pretreatment and survival up to 24 hr postchallenge. Response surface methodology was employed to describe the relationship between each endpoint and the pretreatment combination. Although both carbamates contributed to blood acetylcholinesterase inhibition, PHY alone protected as well as the optimal dose of the combination.
“CRAB” Findings in a Patient With Fatigue and a History of Poor Appetite

demonstrated the presence of aberrant plasma cells constituting 64% of all cells observed in the bone marrow. Imaging studies of her axial skeleton revealed lytic lesions in both humeri and femurs, and in the skull, a compression fracture of the T12 vertebra, and a plasmacytoma in her left-side sixth rib. Laboratory testing revealed normal serum electrolytes, calcium, and creatinine levels. The patient started a prolonged chemotherapeutic regimen that included 3 cycles of vincristine, adriamycin, and dexamethasone (VAD), combination therapy with Thalidomide and Decadron, and Decadron maintenance therapy. Each regimen provided only a short-term reduction in the size of her serum Mspike and in her urine free light chain excretion rate. As a prelude to an autologous stem cell transplant, the patient underwent a repeat bone marrow biopsy, SPE, and UPE. The bone marrow biopsy demonstrated 27% aberrant plasma cells, while the SPE again showed an M-spike consistent with IgG kappa (0.38 g/dL); however, the UPE of a sample from a 24-hour urine collection was negative for any intact or free light chain immunoglobulins (data not shown). The patient underwent stem cell mobilization followed by bone marrow myeloablation using high-dose melphalan therapy and stem cell transfusion. She tolerated the procedure well, requiring only administration of packed red blood cells and platelets to maintain an adequate cell count of these formed elements while engraftment was occurring.
Patch estimation via memory windows and the effect of travel time

How a forager might use a memory window to estimate instantaneous harvest rate while it exploits slowly depleting patches in two different environments is considered here. The memory window represents some fraction of the total information obtained from sampling a patch and contains only the most recent information. Repeated Monte Carlo simulations reveal that optimal memory window size is a function of the travel time between patches. As inter-patch distance increases, foragers should use longer memory windows because increased window size increases mean time in patches. The efficacy of the modeled memory window forager is relatively unaffected by the degree of environmental variation. In both environments, the optimal memory window size ranges from 26–44% of the total time in a patch.
Situated cognition and the phenomenology of place: lifeworld, environmental embodiment, and immersion-in-world

This article makes use of a passage from novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude to illustrate Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of the lived body and to consider what the related phenomenological concepts of place, environmental embodiment, and immersion-in-world might offer research in situated cognition.
Concentrations of Blood and Hair Mercury and Serum PCBs in an Ojibwa Population That Consumes Great Lakes Region Fish

AbstractObjective: This paper describes an exposure assessment of an American Indian population using blood and hair samples as indicators of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl exposure from the consumption of fish taken from the Great Lakes region. Methods: Questionnaires regarding fish consumption were completed by 89 Ojibwa tribal members. Mercury concentrations were determined in human hair and blood samples, and polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations were determined in serum. Results: Fish were consumed at the highest rates in April, May, June, and July. Lake trout, whitefish, and walleye were the preferred fish consumed by 91.4% of the respondents. Concentrations of blood mercury were all below 55 μ/L (ppb), while concentrations of mercury in hair were all less than 3 mg/L (ppm). Hair mercury concentrations were correlated with the previous year's fish consumption (p =.O5). Dental amalgams and blood mercury concentrations were also significantly correlated (p >.002). Serum polychlorinated bipheny...
δ13C values of an herbivore and the ratio of C3 to C4 plant carbon in its diet

The δ13C values of whole body samples of the beetle Tribolium castaneum are closely correlated with the δ13C values of the plant carbon in its diet. The correlation is always high for diets ranging from 100% C4 to 100% C3 plant material. The degree of correlation is independent of the growth rate of the animals.
Quantitative variations in L chain types in guinea pig antihapten antibodies.

In guinea pig purified antihapten antibodies, the proportion of molecules bearing the κ- or λ-type of L chains (K or L molecules) may diverge markedly from that found in normal γ2-globulins. This has been evaluated by precipitation of I131-labeled antibody preparations using a specific anti-λ-chain antiserum. Anti-DNP antibodies isolated 3 wk after immunization of guinea pigs with DNP65-BGG antibodies, contain less than 1% of L molecules, while in pipsyl antibodies, isolated from the sera of animals immunized with pipsyl-BGG, the proportion of L molecules is significantly greater than in normal γ2-globulins. Anti-DNP antibodies produced against conjugates of this hapten with carriers other than BGG (BSA, OVA, or poly-L-lysine) or with BGG with a small number of DNP groups (DNP10-BGG) contained a greater proportion of λ-chain bearing molecules than anti-DNP antibodies isolated from late sera of guinea pigs immunized with highly conjugated DNP65-BGG. An increased percentage of L molecules was detected in preparations of anti-DNP65-BGG antibodies isolated early (10 days), when compared to those isolated later during the course of immunization. However, the level of L molecules in all these anti-DNP antibody preparations was always considerably below that present in normal γ2-globulin. The relative amounts of L molecules in distinct immunoglobulin families (γ1 and γ2) in antibody preparations isolated from individual animals was remarkably similar.
Toward a Theory of Informing Objects

This essay is a delineation of some ideas associated with the concept of informing object as a methodological unit of description and analysis of documents and other things used by members of communities of discourse and practice in social-cultural environments. The essay argues that an informing object is a sense-making artifact of a social group and attending system of meanings and used pragmatically and normatively within common situations. The paper presents and discusses some putative attributes of an informing object as a means to describing and analyzing contexts of information and communication technologies.
Characterization of morphological and cytoskeletal changes in MCF10A breast epithelial cells plated on laminin-5: comparison with breast cancer cell line MCF7.

The extracellular matrix regulates functional and morphological differentiation of mammary epithelial cells both in vivo and in culture. The MCF10A human breast epithelial cell line is ideal for studying these processes because it retains many characteristics of normal breast epithelium. We describe a distinct set of morphological changes occurring in MCF10A cells plated on laminin-5, a component of the breast gland basement membrane extracellular matrix. MCF10A cells adhere and spread on laminin-5 about five times more rapidly than on fibronectin or uncoated surfaces. Within 10 minutes from plating on laminin-5, they send out microfilament-rich filopodia and by 30 minutes acquire a cobblestone appearance with microfilaments distributed around the cell periphery. At 90 minutes, with or without serum, >75% of the MCF10A cells plated on laminin-5 remain in this stationary cobblestone phenotype, while the remainder takes on a motile appearance. Even after 18 hours, when the culture is likely entering an expo...
Administrative Policy as Symbol System Political Conflict and the Social Construction of Identity

Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity, formerly known as Statistical Policy Directive 15, is a classification system that governs the U.S. government’s collection and presentation of data on race and ethnicity. The directive underwent a public evaluation between 1993 and 1997 to determine whether the racial and ethnic group categories should be revised. This article links theories of the role of the state in the social order and the social construction of identity to explain how conflictual political processes modify administrative policy. Two narratives on the debates over the reclassification of “Native Hawaiians” and the addition of a “multiracial” category illustrate recent political conflicts over group identities established by state agencies. The author argues that the main explanation for administrative policy changes was the responsiveness of state agencies to political demands of significantly mobilized groups with claims to state re sources.
An eco-friendly hydrophilic interaction HPLC method for the determination of renal function biomarkers, creatinine and uric acid, in human fluids

An accurate, robust and environmentally friendly hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatographic (HILIC) method was developed for the determination of renal function biomarkers, creatinine and uric acid, in human urine and tear samples. The sample preparation was simple and fast with the steps of protein precipitation with 2.0 mL of 50% acetonitrile, centrifugation, filtration and dilution. A weak polar cyano HILIC stationary phase with a highly aqueous mobile phase was chosen for the separation to minimize the consumption of harmful organic solvents. This developed HILIC method consumed less than 0.25 mL of acetonitrile per sample separation. Quantitation was carried out by an internal standard method. A good linearity of response in the concentration range of 0.20 to 10.0 μg mL−1 creatinine or uric acid with a coefficient R2 = 0.999 for quantitative analysis was achieved. The detection limits for creatinine and uric acid were 0.04 and 0.06 μg mL−1, respectively. This method has been successfully applied for the determination of creatinine and uric acid in human urine and tear samples.