cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unscheduled DNA synthesis in human leucocytes.

Abstract Polymorphonuclear leucocytes have been induced to synthesize new DNA by exposure to UV light. Preliminary observations (not included) also indicate that 6-MeV electrons and incubation with the radiomimetic agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) are effective agents for inducing unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS). A study of the kinetics of UV-induced DNA synthesis suggests that there are at least two processes operating, one fast and essentially complete within the first 1–2 h and the second lasting at least 8 h. The rapid process can be described by a simple enzyme model using [ 3 H]-thymidine and induced lesions as substrates. A kinetic study of the rapid process, following exposure to UV, yielded values for the maximum velocity of 5.1·10 −21 moles/cell-h and 5.5·10 −20 moles/cell-h for the granulocytes and lymphocytes respectively. The rate constants for the rate-limiting steps were 1.4·10 −1 (min) −1 and 1.1·10 −1 (min) −1 for granulocytes and lymphocytes respectively. Using these values, the concentration of enzyme molecules are estimated to be 4·10 3 molecules/cell for polymorphonuclear leucocytes and 5·10 4 molecules/cell for lymphocytes.
A Seriously Flawed Theory of School Rampages

In 1999 the House of Representatives added a provision to the "Missing, Runaway, and Exploited Children's Act" requiring the U.S. Department of Education to study rampage shootings in schools. Representative James Greenwood, a Republican from eastern Pennsylvania who had previously been a social worker, asked the department for research that would explain why such tragedies were occurring in American communities that appeared to be so safe.
Improvements to Frequency-Domain Riser Programs

This paper develops and demonstrates the improvements to frequency domain riser analysis obtained by including a wave surface correction and by calculating forces at the displaced riser position. The range of validity is extended to higher waves without a significant increase in program running costs. Comparisons of running costs and results are made against two time domain programs. Significant improvements to the bending moment range are obtained and therefore to the fatigue damage estimates for regular waves.
WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GAYS IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER: MAKING HOMELESS YOUTH HOUSING SAFER FOR LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER YOUTH

Across the United States, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are grossly overrepresented in the homeless youth population. These youth are at an increased risk of being victims of violence in homeless youth housing facilities. This Note examines the causes of the overrepresentation of LGBT youth in the homeless youth population. Additionally, this Note suggests the following changes to the regulation of homeless youth housing programs to make them safer for these youth: (1) placing low maximum limits on the occupancy capacity at which these programs may operate, (2) requiring that all showering facilities provide individual privacy, (3) prohibiting anti-LGBT discrimination in the provision of services, (4) requiring nondiscrimination and sensitivity training, and (5) promoting the creation of LGBT-specific homeless youth housing programs.
Interim Hydrologic Responses to Phase I of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project, Florida

Hydrologic conditions were evaluated during a 10-year Interim Period following completion of Phase I of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project and initiation of environmental water releases from upstream to provide adaptive management of flow to the Phase I area. Phase I construction backfilled 13 km of flood control canal C-38 and redirected flow into 22 km of reconnected river channel. Evaluations focused on five restoration expectations (performance measures) based on pre-channelization hydrologic data for the Kissimmee River. Environmental releases resulted in more continuous discharge from upstream, but did not affect the magnitude of discharge. After backfilling of C-38, water levels in the Phase I area varied with discharge and periodically inundated the floodplain. However, the long, annual recession event, characteristic of pre-channelization, was not reestablished; instead, most Interim Period years had multiple events with shorter durations and faster recession rates. Mean channel water velocity increased during the Interim Period but was not always in the desired range. Hydrologic conditions throughout much of the Phase I area were affected by the backwater effect of the downstream water control structure. Four expectations showed improvements in terms of number of years met; however, none met the expectation targets. The inability to meet expectation targets reflects in part the incomplete or interim status of the restoration project.
Integrating discrete-event and time-based models with optimization for resource allocation

Optimization's importance for technical systems' performance can hardly be overstated. Even small improvements can result in substantial cost, resources and time savings. A constructive approach to dynamic system optimization can formalize the optimization problem in a mathematical sense. The complexity of modern systems, however, often prohibits such formalization, especially when different modeling paradigms interact. Phenomena, such as parasitic effects, present additional complexity. This work employs a generative approach to optimization, where computational simulation of the problem space is combined with a computational optimization approach in the solution space. To address the multi-paradigm nature, simulation relies on a unifying semantic domain in the form of an abstract execution framework that can be made concrete. Because of the flexibility of the computational infrastructure, a highly configurable integrated environment is made available to the optimization expert. The overall approach is illustrated with a resource allocation problem, which combines continuous-time, discrete-event, and state-transition systems.
GIS as media

The dazzling development of GIS technology in recent years has rendered each of the traditional , mostly instrumental, views of GIS—as spatial database, mapping tool, and spatial analytical tool—inadequate to capture the fundamental essence of this technology and its social implications. Each year brings new software packages from innovative developers that are easier to use, more powerful, and more easily adopted by users with minimal training. GIS and mapping tools are increasingly available on the World Wide Web (WWW), and an increasing number of sites oŒer advanced GIS services such as route  nding and geocoding. In-vehicle navigation systems using GIS technology are becoming part of our daily lives (Cowen 1994). In the next two years cellphones in the US will be required to be geographically enabled—to be able to report their current location to an accuracy of 100m—in the interests of accurate response to emergency calls. New imagery is becoming available from commercial sources with spatial resolutions as  ne as 1m, and is being distributed through new mechanisms such as distributed geolibraries and spatial data clearinghouses (NRC 1993, 1999). New methods of data documentation are being used to support widespread sharing of spatial data via the Internet. These new trends contrast sharply with the earlier view of GIS that prevailed into the early 1990s, as tools contained within a standalone computing system, serving the needs of their professional users by performing various forms of analysis that were too tedious, time-consuming, or expensive to perform by hand, on data collected and assembled for the purpose. These latest new developments in GIS have convinced us of the need for new conceptualizations (or metaphors, for lack of a better term) for what GIS actually is and will become in the near future. We believe that the complex relationship between GIS and society can be better understood if one conceives of GIS as new media. Media are generally understood as means of sending messages or communicating information to the general public, and mass media are the instruments by which mass communication takes place in modern societies. Mass media are also the most eŒective means of broadcasting information to large numbers of people in a short period of time. In a very general sense, GIS can be understood as a new technological
A C-Band Wind/Rain Backscatter Model

With the confirmed evidence of rain surface perturbation in recent studies, the rain effects on C-band scatterometer measurements are reevaluated. By using colocated Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Precipitation Radar, ESCAT on European Remote Sensing Satellites, and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts data, we evaluate the sensitivity of C-band sigmadeg to rain. We develop a low-order wind/rain backscatter model with inputs of surface rain rate, incidence angle, wind speed, wind direction, and azimuth angle. We demonstrate that the wind/rain backscatter model is accurate enough for describing the total backscatter in raining areas with relatively low variance. We also show that the rain surface perturbation is a dominating factor of the rain-induced backscatter. Using three distinct regimes, we show under what conditions the wind, rain, and both wind and rain can be retrieved from the measurements. We find that the effect of rain has a more significant impact on the measurements at high incidence angles than at low incidence angles
Effects of theoretical contribution, methodological rigor, and journal quality, on the impact of scale development articles in the field of entrepreneurship

Despite the widespread belief that empirical studies that are firmly grounded in theory and use valid measures of their focal constructs are more critical to the advancement of science than studies that do not possess these attributes, it is only recently that this belief has begun to be empirically tested. Unfortunately, most of the tests that have been conducted have some limitations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects that an article's theoretical contribution, the rigor of its scale validation procedures, and the quality of the journal in which it is published have on its impact in the field of entrepreneurship. Using expectancy theory as a conceptual framework, we develop and test our hypotheses in a sample of 88 entrepreneurship articles that reported scale development and validation evidence. Our hypotheses were supported in that the results showed that an article's theoretical contribution, methodological rigor, and journal quality significantly predicted the number of citations the article received, even after controlling for article age- and author-related variables. When taken together, the article characteristics and control variables accounted for 66 percent of the variance in article citations. Implications of these findings for researchers in the field of entrepreneurship are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Strategic Management Society.
Analyzing Script Concordance Test Scoring Methods and Items by Difficulty and Type

Background: A battery of various psychometric assessments has been conducted on script concordance tests (SCTs) that are purported to measure data interpretation, an essential component of clinical reasoning. Although the breadth of published SCT research is broad, best practice controversies and evidentiary gaps remain. Purposes: In this study, SCT data were used to test the psychometric properties of 6 scoring methods. In addition, this study explored whether SCT items clustered by difficulty and type were able to discriminate between medical training levels. Methods: SCT scores from a problem-solving SCT (SCT-PS; n = 522) and emergency medicine SCT (SCT-EM; n = 1,040) were collected at a large institution of medicine. Item analyses were performed to optimize each dataset. Items were categorized into difficulty levels and organized into types. Correlational analyses, one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and one-way ANOVA were conducted to explore study aims. Results: All 6 scoring methods differentiated between training levels. Longitudinal analysis of SCT-PS data reported that MS4s significantly (p < .001) outperformed their scores as MS2s in all difficulty categories. Cross-sectional analysis ofSCT-EMdatareportedsignificantdifferences(p <.001)between experienced EM physicians, EM residents, and MS4s at each level of difficulty. Items categorized by type were also able to detect training level disparities. Conclusions: Of the 6 scoring methods, 5-point scoring solutions generated more reliable measures of data interpretation than 3-point scoring methods. Data interpretation abilities were a function of experience at every level of item dif
Simulation optimization: methods and applications

Simulation optimization can be defined as the process of finding the best input variable values from among all possibilities without explicitly evaluating each possibility. The objective of simulation optimization is to minimize the resources spent while maximizing the information obtained in a simulation experiment. The purpose of this paper is to review the area of simulation optimization. A critical review of the methods employed and applications developed in this relatively new area are presented and notable successes are highlighted. Simulation optimization software tools are discussed. The intended audience is simulation practitioners and theoreticians as well as beginners in the field of simulation.
Discrete-time neural network output feedback control of nonlinear discrete-time systems in non-strict form

An adaptive neural network (NN)-based output feedback controller is proposed to deliver a desired tracking performance for a class of discrete-time nonlinear systems, which are represented in non-strict feedback form. The NN backstepping approach is utilized to design the adaptive output feedback controller consisting of: (1) an NN observer to estimate the system states and (2) two NNs to generate the virtual and actual control inputs, respectively. The non-causal problem encountered during the control design is overcome by using a dynamic NN which is constructed through a feedforward NN with a novel weight tuning law. The separation principle is relaxed, persistency of excitation condition (PE) is not needed and certainty equivalence principle is not used. The uniformly ultimate boundedness (UUB) of the closed-loop tracking error, the state estimation errors and the NN weight estimates is demonstrated. Though the proposed work is applicable for second order nonlinear discrete-time systems expressed in non-strict feedback form, the proposed controller design can be easily extendable to an nth order nonlinear discrete-time system.
ACCURACY OF LAND-USE INTERPRETATION FROM INFRARED IMAGERY IN THE 4.5 TO 5.5 MICRON BAND

ABSTRACT Infrared imagery in the 4.5 to 5.5 micron wavelength band was obtained in July, 1965. Interpretation and subsequent field checking indicated that differences in agricultural land use can produce tone differences in infrared imagery and that these differences tend to be more pronounced in day than in night imagery. Differences in soil fertility and cultivation practices were observed that created significant differences in tone of a single crop. The value of first-hand field information in the area being interpreted was clearly demonstrated. Interpretation accuracies of ninety percent for separation of cultivated and noncultivated lands, ninety-five percent for recognition of alfalfa, seventy percent for corn, sixty-five percent for soybeans, and eighty-five percent for separation of wooded and non-wooded areas of noncultivated lands were achieved. Interpretation of tree species and separation of pasture and brush lands were not achieved with an accuracy of over fifty percent.
The intelligent camera: images of computer vision

The field of computer vision is concerned with the problem of deducing properties of object surfaces and the position and orientation of objects in scenes. I illustrate the fundamental difficulty of the problem, describe common approaches taken in the field, and provide representative examples of current solutions.
Biomass production and assimilation of dissolved organic matter by SAR11 bacteria in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.

Members of the SAR11 clade often dominate the composition of marine microbial communities, yet their contribution to biomass production and the flux of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is unclear. In addition, little is known about the specific components of the DOM pool utilized by SAR11 bacteria. To better understand the role of SAR11 bacteria in the flux of DOM, we examined the assimilation of leucine (a measure of biomass production), as well as free amino acids, protein, and glucose, by SAR11 bacteria in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. We found that when SAR11 bacteria were >25% of total prokaryotes, they accounted for about 30 to 50% of leucine incorporation, suggesting that SAR11 bacteria were major contributors to bacterial biomass production and the DOM flux. Specific growth rates of SAR11 bacteria either equaled or exceeded growth rates for the total prokaryotic community. In addition, SAR11 bacteria were typically responsible for a greater portion of amino acid assimilation (34 to 61%) and glucose assimilation (45 to 57%) than of protein assimilation (≤34%). These data suggest that SAR11 bacteria do not utilize various components of the DOM pool equally and may be more important to the flux of low-molecular-weight monomers than to that of high-molecular-weight polymers.
Identifying Predictors of a Difficult Thyroidectomy

Abstract Background A Thyroidectomy Difficulty Scale (TDS) was previously developed that identified more difficult operations, which correlated with longer operative times and higher complication rates. The purpose of this study was to identify preoperative variables predictive of a more difficult thyroidectomy using the TDS. Methods A four item, 20-point TDS, was used to score the difficulty of thyroid operations. Patient and disease factors were recorded for each patient. Difficult thyroidectomy and non-difficult thyroidectomy (NDT) patients were compared. A final multivariate logistic regression model was constructed with significant ( P Results A total of 189 patients were scored using TDS. Of them, 69 (36.5%) suffered from hyperthyroidism, 42 (22.2%) from Hashimotos, 34 (18.0%) from thyroid cancer, and 36 (19.0%) from multinodular goiter. Among hyperthyroid patients, the DT group had a greater number preoperatively treated with Lugols potassium iodide (81.6% DT versus 58.1% NDT, P = 0.032), presence of ophthalmopathy (31.6% DT versus 9.7% NDT, P = 0.028), and presence of (>4 IU/mL) antithyroglobulin antibodies (34.2% DT versus 12.9% NDT, P = 0.05). Using multivariate analysis, hyperthyroidism (odds ratio [OR], 4.35, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23–15.36, P = 0.02), presence of antithyroglobulin antibody (OR, 3.51, 95% CI, 1.28–9.66, P = 0.015), and high (>150 ng/mL) thyroglobulin (OR, 2.61, 95% CI, 1.06–6.42, P = 0.037) were independently associated with DT. Conclusions Using TDS, we demonstrated that a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, preoperative elevation of serum thyroglobulin, and antithyroglobulin antibodies are associated with DT. This tool can assist surgeons in counseling patients regarding personalized operative risk and improve OR scheduling.
Outcome of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia post-imatinib mesylate failure.

BACKGROUND. The prognosis of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) after failure of imatinib mesylate therapy is not well documented. METHODS. The outcome of 420 patients with CML post-imatinib failure (resistance-recurrence in 374; toxicities in 46) were reviewed in relation to survival, overall, and by different therapies. RESULTS. The estimated 3-year survival rates were 72% in 88 patients who progressed in chronic phase, 30% in 130 patients who progressed in accelerated phase, 7% in 156 patients who progressed in blastic phase, and 75% in 37 patients in chronic phase with imatinib intolerance. Survival in chronic phase was better when subsequent therapy was nilotinib or dasatinib vs allogeneic stem cell transplant vs others (estimated 2-year survival rates 100% vs 72% vs 67%; P ¼ .01), but not in accelerated-blastic phase. CONCLUSIONS. Prognosis post-imatinib failure in chronic phase is reasonable; it is poor if the CML phase post-imatinib failure is accelerated or blastic. Cancer 2007;109:1556–60. � 2007 American Cancer Society.
Varicella-Zoster Virus Infections

1. Anne A. Gershon, MD* 1. *Professor of Pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the natural history and pathogenesis of varicella and zoster and how these diseases are related. 2. Explain to patients and parents the complex role of this virus in causing disease and how the virus spreads. 3. Describe how best to manage patients who have these infections. 4. Discuss how varicella vaccine works, how effective it is in preventing disease, and why two doses of vaccine are now recommended. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a close but distinct relative of the other seven human herpesviruses, including herpes simplex virus (HSV), causes two diseases. Varicella (chickenpox), a generalized illness, is its primary infection, and zoster (shingles) is its secondary infection, caused by reactivation of VZV from latency. Varicella infection occurs in almost all people over their lifetimes. VZV becomes latent after varicella and usually persists silently and indefinitely. VZV reactivates, however, to cause zoster in roughly 20% of individuals, with higher reactivation rates in immunocompromised patients and the elderly. In the prevaccine era in the United States prior to 1995, approximately 4 million cases of varicella and 1 million cases of zoster occurred annually. Varicella was primarily a disease of children younger than age 10 years and zoster an illness of adulthood. Childhood varicella infection, however, is less common than adult infection in countries that have tropical climates. Varicella occurs in children who have no humoral or cellular immunity to VZV, termed “susceptibles.” Zoster occurs in individuals who previously have had varicella; they usually have detectable specific antibody titers, but have low or absent cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to VZV. VZV spreads primarily from the skin vesicles of persons who have varicella or zoster to the respiratory tract of susceptible persons, who then become infected. Electron microscopic studies have shown a high concentration of well-formed, cell-free VZV in …
Recognition of melodic transformations: Inversion, retrograde, and retrograde inversion

The melodic transformations of inversion, retrograde, and retrograde inversion occur in pieces of music. An important question is whether such manipulations of melodic material are perceptually accessible to the listener. This study used a short-term recognition-memory paradigm and found that in the easier conditions all these transformations were recognized with better than chance accuracy. The ascending order of difficulty was: inversion, retrograde, retrograde inversion. There was no evidence that listeners distinguish between transforms that preserve the exact interval relationships of the standard stimulus and those that merely preserve its contour (pattern of ups and downs). In view of the order of difficulty of the transforms, two theoretical explanations of performance are possible (1) Listeners may perform the mental transformation required by the recognition task on a representation of the vector of pitches in the standard—an operation that is very like transforming a mental image of the written notation. (2) Listeners may handle inversions differently from the other transformations, comparing the standard and the comparison contour element by contour element, in temporal order. In this view, the temporal dimension would appear to have precedence over the pitch dimension in the musical structure, in consideration of the consequences of disturbing it.
Left atrial mass due to cancica endomyocarditis in a newborn

We describe a case of Candida endomyocarditis in a neonate not diagnosed until autopsy. Echocardiography had demonstrated a left atrial mass. Since cardiac candidiasis seems to be occuring with greater frequency in neonatal intensive care units, echocardiography and blood cultures should be done to exclude this previously rare event.
Using Poisson Class Regression To Analyze Count Data in Correctional and Forensic Psychology: A Relatively Old Solution to a Relatively New Problem

The benchmark model for count data is the Poisson distribution, and the standard statistical procedure for analyzing count data is Poisson regression. However, highly restrictive assumptions lead to frequent misspecification of the Poisson model. Alternate approaches, such as negative binomial regression, zero modified procedures, and truncated and censored models are consequently required to handle count data in many social science contexts. Empirical examples from correctional and forensic psychology are provided to illustrate the importance of replacing ordinary least squares regression with Poisson class procedures in situations when count data are analyzed.
Antarctic Sea Ice Response to Weather and Climate Modes of Variability

AbstractThe relationship between climate modes and Antarctic sea ice is explored by separating the variability into intraseasonal, interannual, and decadal time scales. Cross-spectral analysis shows that geopotential height and Antarctic sea ice extent are most coherent at periods between about 20 and 40 days (the intraseasonal time scale). In this period range, where the atmospheric circulation and the sea ice extent are most tightly coupled, sea ice variability responds strongly to Rossby waves with the structure of the Pacific–South American (PSA) pattern. The PSA pattern in this time scale is not directly related to El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) or the southern annular mode (SAM), which have received much attention for explaining Antarctic sea ice variability. On the interannual time scale, ENSO and SAM are important, but a large fraction of sea ice variance can also be explained by Rossby wave–like structures in the Drake Passage region. After regressing out the sea ice extent variability assoc...
Hermeneutics of the Imagination

The interpretative process in Newman’s religious epistemology (construed as his hermeneutics) relies upon the imagination not only for the assent of certitude but also for actions that arise from it. This integration of the imagination with his hermeneutics is described as his hermeneutics of the imagination, providing another foundation of religious morality in his works. The imagination is the mental capacity to focus converging inferences upon the assent of certitude. This means that the imagination (working with reason) involves a interpretative function (helping to interpret when there is a convergence of inferences) and an assertive function (facilitating the assent of certitude) – hence it is called an imaginative assent. The interpretative function is connected with the creativity of the imagination. The assertive function of the imagination reflects the intensity of its images that tend to inspire action. This connection between certitude and action constitutes his moral rhetoric in the sense that imaginative assent can stimulate behavior. When applied to theology, his hermeneutics of the imagination can be referred to as his theological hermeneutics. Here he combined the processes of abstract and concrete reasoning in notional and real (imaginative) assent to ensure that theology is especially attentive to historical consciousness – illustrated in his arguments on the via media, the development of doctrine, and the principle of economy. This hermeneutical process provides another theoretical foundation of religious morality, connecting historical consciousness with the need for accompanying moral action.
The Impact of Tax-Exempt Properties on Michigan Local Governments

Property tax revenues are one of the most important sources of funding for local governments in Michigan, but jurisdictions’ revenues are constrained in part because most have at least some properties that are exempt from taxes. This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ opinions regarding the presence and local impact of property tax exemptions in their communities. The findings in this report are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Spring 2013 wave of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS).
A Study of the Complexation of Mercury(II) with Dicysteinyl Tetrapeptides by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

In this study we evaluated a method for the characterization of complexes, formed in different relative ratios of mercury(II) to dicysteinyl tetrapeptide, by electrospray ionization orbitrap mass spectrometry. This strategy is based on previous successful characterization of mercury-dicysteinyl complexes involving tripeptides by utilizing mass spectrometry among other techniques. Mercury(II) chloride and a dicysteinyl tetrapeptide were incubated in a degassed buffered medium at varying stoichiometric ratios. The complexes formed were subsequently analyzed on an electrospray mass spectrometer consisting of a hybrid linear ion- and orbi- trap mass analyzer. The electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) spectra were acquired in the positive mode and the observed peaks were then analyzed for distinct mercury isotopic distribution patterns and associated monoisotopic peak. This work demonstrates that an accurate stoichiometry of mercury and peptide in the complexes formed under specified electrospray ionization conditions can be determined by using high resolution ESI MS based on distinct mercury isotopic distribution patterns.
In vitro evaluation of a novel bacteriophage cocktail as a preventative for bovine coliform mastitis

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential use of bacteriophage in preventing Escherichia coli mastitis on dairies. A cocktail consisting of 4 distinct bacteriophages was generated by screening against 36 E. coli isolates from dairy cows in Washington State with clinical mastitis. The bacteriophage significantly inhibited growth of 58% of the Washington State isolates and 54% of E. coli mastitis isolates from New York State, suggesting that the cocktail of phages had a relatively broad spectrum of action against relevant strains from 2 distinct geographies. The ability to suppress bacterial growth of these isolates in a liquid growth medium was not affected by the ratio of bacteriophage particles to bacterial cells (multiplicity of infection, MOI). For those E. coli that were completely inhibited by the phage cocktail, an MOI as low as 10 had the same effect as 10 µg/mL of ceftiofur on the growth rate of E. coli over a 12-h period using optical density measurements. A 3.3- to 5.6-log reduction of growth was achieved when E. coli was co-incubated with our phage cocktail in raw milk over a 12-h period at physiologic temperature. A modified gentamicin protection assay using bovine mammary epithelial cells provided a model to test whether bacteriophage could prevent cell attachment and invasion by chronic coliform mastitis strains. Pretreatment of cell cultures with the phage cocktail significantly reduced adhesion and intracellular survival of E. coli compared with controls. When combined with a bismuth-based teat sealant, the phage cocktail was able to inhibit bacterial growth when challenged with 1.6 × 10(3) cfu/mL of a clinical mastitis E. coli strain. In vitro results show bactericidal activity by our phage in raw milk and mammary tissue culture systems. Before a bacteriophage-based dry-cow treatment becomes a potential option for dairies, in vivo studies must be able to demonstrate that a specific dose of bacteriophage can protect cows from experimentally induced E. coli mastitis without inducing an inflammatory reaction.
Solvent Exposed Non-contacting Amino Acids Play a Critical Role in NF-κB/IκBα Complex Formation

Abstract IκBα inhibits transcription factor NF-κB activity by specific binding to NF-κB heterodimers composed of p65 and p50 subunits. It binds with slightly lower affinity to p65 homodimers and with significantly lower affinity to homodimers of p50. We have employed a structure-based mutagenesis approach coupled with protein–protein interaction assays to determine the source of this dimer selectivity exhibited by IκBα. Mutation of amino acid residues in IκBα that contact NF-κB only marginally affects complex binding affinity, indicating a lack of hot spots in NF-κB/IκBα complex formation. Conversion of the weak binding NF-κB p50 homodimer into a high affinity binding partner of IκBα requires transfer of both the NLS polypeptide and amino acid residues Asn202 and Ser203 from the NF-κB p65 subunit. Involvement of Asn202 and Ser203 in complex formation is surprising as these amino acid residues occupy solvent exposed positions at a distance of 20 A from IκBα in the crystal structures. However, the same amino acid residue positions have been genetically isolated as determinants of binding specificity in a homologous system in Drosophila. X-ray crystallographic and solvent accessibility experiments suggest that these solvent-exposed amino acid residues contribute to NF-κB/IκBα complex formation by modulating the NF-κB p65 subunit NLS polypeptide.
Improving system capacity based upon user-specific QoS for heterogeneous networks

This paper describes how user-specific QoS requirements may improve spectral utilization in heterogeneous networks. Throughput improvements of FTP (File Transfer Protocol) applications benefiting from the rate adaptation and MAC scheduling algorithms for video applications that incorporate user-specific QoS to improve system capacity are demonstrated. These improvements are achieved while user satisfaction for video applications, as measured by the Mean Opinion Score (MOS), is maintained at an acceptable level. OPNET system simulations were performed for a set of FTP users and video users that were assigned specific QoS target levels in LTE systems. Simulation results show that significant system capacity improvements and acceptable MOS levels can be achieved for FTP users and video users, respectively, if such user-specific QoS requirements are considered in heterogeneous networks.
Ifosfamide-Induced Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus

Objective:To describe a patient with ifosfamide-induced nonconvulsive status epilepticus.Case Summary:A 71-year-old woman with a history of malignant mixed mesodermal tumor involving the uterus, cervix, and vagina was admitted because of local recurrence. After receiving 3 doses of ifosfamide/mesna, she was found to be unresponsive. Physical examination and laboratory data revealed no significant changes. An electroencephalogram was consistent with the diagnosis of nonconvulsive status epilepticus. The patient's mental status returned to baseline after treatment with intravenous phenytoin and discontinuation of ifosfamide therapy.Discussion:Central nervous system (CNS) toxicity has been described with ifosfamide, with most cases reported in the pediatric population. Among CNS toxicities, generalized tonic-clonic seizures have been reported in both children and adults. This represents the first report of nonconvulsive status epilepticus induced by ifosfamide.Conclusions:There was a temporal relationship be...
MICROVASCULAR RECONSTRUCTION OF CONGENITAL ANOMALIES AND POST-TRAUMATIC LESIONS IN CHILDREN

SUMMARY A series of toe-to-hand transfers in children with congenital or post-traumatic deficits is reported to emphasize the role of microvascular reconstruction as an important alternative. Morbidity to the donor site is almost negligible, and the functional improvement to the hand is reasonably good considering the young age of the patients. Functional results are limited by the lack of full motion, soft-tissue contractures, sensory recovery, and the delay in cortical reeducation. We were surprised to find a relatively high number of vascular anomalies in the foot (both traumatic as well as congenital). Abnormalities in the transferred toe can limit the function of the hand, and the best (not worse) tissues available should be transferred. The importance of digit positioning to provide prehensile pinch and grasp as the ultimate goal needs to be emphasized so that opposing fingers rather than cosmetic fingers result in effective hand use. We recommend this operative procedure in selected patients along with other reconstructive alternatives, taking care in the selection process to consider factors related to both asthetic improvement of the hand as well as long-term functional return.
The Dialectics of Liberation

The years 1967 and 2015 are located in historically contingent different eras such that one would wonder why a book collecting papers from a conference that took place a half century ago should be ...
Molecular Mechanisms of Stress-Induced Increases in Fear Memory Consolidation within the Amygdala

Stress can significantly impact brain function and increase the risk for developing various psychiatric disorders. Many of the brain regions that are implicated in psychiatric disorders and are vulnerable to the effects of stress are also involved in mediating emotional learning. Emotional learning has been a subject of intense investigation for the past 30 years, with the vast majority of studies focusing on the amygdala and its role in associative fear learning. However, the mechanisms by which stress affects the amygdala and amygdala-dependent fear memories remain unclear. Here we review the literature on the enhancing effects of acute and chronic stress on the acquisition and/or consolidation of a fear memory, as measured by auditory Pavlovian fear conditioning, and discuss potential mechanisms by which these changes occur in the amygdala. We hypothesize that stress-mediated activation of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and norepinephrine release within the amygdala leads to the mobilization of AMPA receptors to the synapse, which underlies stress-induced increases in fear memory. We discuss the implications of this hypothesis for evaluating the effects of stress on extinction and for developing treatments for anxiety disorders. Understanding how stress-induced changes in glucocorticoid and norepinephrine signaling might converge to affect emotional learning by increasing the trafficking of AMPA receptors and enhancing amygdala excitability is a promising area for future research.
Trypan blue as a surgical adjunct in pediatric cataract surgery.

Purpose To study the effect of trypan blue on lens capsule elasticity and ease of completing a continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) in a sheep lens model and to subsequently observe the effects of trypan blue in the surgical setting of 3 pediatric patients. Setting State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA. Design Prospective case series. Methods Twenty-four lenses were excised from fresh sheep globes. Twelve lenses were immersed in trypan blue for 2.5 minutes, and 12 lenses were immersed in a balanced salt solution for 2.5 minutes. Ease of completion of CCC was graded, and intralenticular pressure was quantified. A pediatric cataract surgeon used trypan blue to stain the lens capsules of 3 children during cataract surgery. The surgeon noted the effects of trypan blue on capsule elasticity and on the ease of completion of the CCC. Results Lenses immersed in trypan blue had a mean score of 2.58 in ease of completion of capsulorhexis compared with the control group (1.5) ( P = .031). Capsulorhexis was successfully completed in 91.7% of trypan blue cases compared with 58.3% of controls. Immersion in trypan blue decreased the intralenticular pressure by a mean of 4.5 mm Hg ( P = .025). Successful capsulorhexis was completed in the 3 pediatric cases. Conclusion Trypan blue improved the success rate of CCC completion in the sheep lens by decreasing lens capsule elasticity. Financial Disclosure None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Development, characterization, and validation of chitosan adsorbed cellulose nanofiber (CNF) films as water resistant and antibacterial food contact packaging

Abstract Compatibility of CNF with three polysaccharides having different surface charges and backbones (chitosan, methyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose) was investigated. Chitosan (CH) incorporation reduced water absorption (WA) of CNF films (P
Patterns and correlates of treatment failure in relation to isodose distribution in non-small cell lung cancer: An analysis of 1522 patients in the modern era

Abstract Background and purpose To examine the relationship between radiation dose and tumor control in limited stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and methods We searched a database of 1552 patients who received radiation therapy for non-metastatic NSCLC between 2000 and 2016. The primary endpoint was freedom from in-field failure. Results Increasing BED correlated with decreasing estimated gross tumor volume–planning target volume expansion, and on multivariable analysis increasing BED was associated with an increased chance of field-edge failures (hazard ratio [HR] 1.032, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.004–1.062, P = 0.027). Increasing BED also correlated with improved freedom from in-field failure on multivariable analysis (HR 0.978, 95% CI 0.964–0.993, P = 0.003), with the dose–response curve showing a sigmoidal relationship between increasing BED and freedom from in-field failure. Conclusion In this large study of patients treated in the modern era with varying dose fractionation regimens, higher BED was associated with improved freedom from in-field failure, and that this relationship appeared to be consistent with the classically described sigmoid shape. We also found that increased BED was associated with higher field-edge failures, implying that margin size may need to be further studied in patients receiving ablative regimens of radiation.
Corrective Feedback in Written Synchronous and Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication.

Although corrective feedback (CF) has attracted much attention in the field of second language acquisition, there is scant research pertaining to CF in naturalistic written computer-mediated communication (CMC). This exploratory study addressed this gap by describing the types of CF that occurred and evaluating their relative effects on learner uptake in two conditions: (1) asynchronous CMC and (2) synchronous CMC between four Native Speaker-Non-Native Speaker dyads. As a measure of effectiveness, learner uptake is defined as immediate or delayed learner responses to CF. Participants completed the following synchronous tasks: an introductory task, and a video-prompted discussion task via an online chat program. For the asynchronous task, the participants co-developed a 3-day travel plan via email. The findings showed that CF in the form of clarification requests existed in the ACMC environment, whereas recasts were the only type of CF observed in the SCMC environment. Although no evidence of immediate effect was shown during task performance, an instance of delayed effect was shown across tasks in the SCMC environment.
Personality Disturbances of Adult Incest Victims

Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory scores for adult female victims of childhood incest who sought therapy were significantly different from the scores of adult women who sought therapy but were n...
Of All Things, Seen and Unseen: Josef Pieper’s Negative Philosophy, Science, and Hope:

Looking at the relationship between theological, philosophical, and scientific methods within the thought of twentieth-century philosopher Josef Pieper, the author argues that Pieper’s perspective is that theology, philosophy, and science are limited in their ability to obtain knowledge because they are human methods of inquiry. However, theology and philosophy as conceived by Pieper welcome this restriction while modern mechanistic views of science deny it. This article focuses on the distinctive differences that Pieper sees between philosophy as an apophatic discipline and modern scientific methods. It concludes with a discussion on the relationship between philosophy and the virtue of hope.
High Prevalence of Hepatic Fibrosis, Measured by Elastography, in a Population-Based Study of Mexican Americans.

Background & Aims Hepatic fibrosis is a primary risk factor for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which affect a disproportionate number of Hispanics in the United States. We aimed to determine the prevalence of significant fibrosis, measured by point shear-wave elastography (pSWE), and determine characteristics of hepatic fibrosis and simple steatosis in a population-based study of Mexican American Hispanics in south Texas. Methods Liver stiffness was measured by pSWE, performed by 2 separate operators, for 406 participants in the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort from 2015 through 2017. Significant fibrosis (F2–F4) was defined as median stiffness > 1.34 m/s. Steatosis was determined by ultrasound. All participants underwent a clinical examination that included a comprehensive laboratory analysis and standardized interview about their medical and social history. We calculated weighted prevalence of fibrosis and determined clinical and demographic associations with significant fibrosis (with or without steatosis) and simple steatosis with no/minimal fibrosis using multinomial logistic regression. Results Fifty-nine participants were excluded due to unreliable pSWE findings or inconclusive ultrasound results, for a final analysis of 347 participants. The prevalence of significant fibrosis was 13.8%; most of these participants (37/42, 88.1%) had no evidence of viral hepatitis or heavy drinking. Levels of liver enzymes were associated with fibrosis and simple steatosis. Indicators of metabolic health (insulin resistance, triglycerides, and cholesterol) were significantly associated with simple steatosis. Fibrosis, but not simple steatosis, was significantly associated with of antibodies against HCV in plasma (odds ratio, 18.9; P = .0138) and non-significantly associated with reduced platelet count (odds ratio, 0.8 per 50x103/μL; 95% CI, 0.5–1.1). Multivariable analyses, as well as sensitivity analyses removing F4 fibrosis and viral or alcoholic etiologies, confirmed our results. Conclusion We estimated the prevalence of fibrosis in a large population of Mexican American Hispanics using pSWE measurements. We found Mexican American Hispanics to have a higher prevalence of fibrosis compared to European and Asian populations, primarily attributable to metabolic disease.
X-ray characterization of annealed Cu/Ni multilayers

A detailed study has been made of the X-ray characterization of Cu/Ni multilayers. Different mathematical models have been used to calculate the X-ray diffraction intensity and theoretical and experimental profiles were compared. An extended step model, which incorporates repeat-period fluctuations, and a model for interdiffusion were used. By varying the repeat-period fluctuation, the theoretical X-ray profile obtained from the extended step model was compared with the experimental curve. A best fit was obtained for a 1.6% fluctuation in the repeat period. For the second model, Cu/Ni samples annealed for different times (i.e. 2, 6, 14 and 20 h) were considered. The experimental values of the amplitudes of the first and second harmonics of the interplanar spacing were compared with the theoretical values. A coherent interface is predicted for the un-annealed sample. It is observed that the longer the annealing time, the higher is the interdiffusion. The interplanar spacing of the multilayers approaches the average interplanar spacing of the homogeneous Cu/Ni mixture with the longer annealing time (i.e. 20 h).