cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Atomic-oxygen induced structural changes in polyphosphazene films and coatings

Various polymers were exposed to atomic oxygen O(3P) and comparisons made of their stability. The rates of reaction and mass removal for polyphosphazenes exposed to atomic oxygen were found to be significantly lower than for other polymers evaluated in this study. Surface analysis of polyphosphazene films indicated that O(3P) induces rearrangements in the phosphorus-nitrogen backbone of the polymer, resulting in cross-linking and cleavage of some pendant groups that are then replaced by oxygen.
Design rules for field plate edge termination in SiC Schottky diodes

Practical design of silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky diodes incorporating a field plate necessitates an understanding of how the addition of the field plate affects the performance parameters and the relationship between the diode structure and diode performance. In this paper, design rules are presented for SiC Schottky diodes that incorporate field plate edge termination. The use of an appropriate field plate edge termination can improve the reverse breakdown voltage of a SiC Schottky diode by a factor of two. Reverse breakdown voltage values can be obtained that are up to 88% of the theoretical maximums.
Partition in two-polymer aqueous phases reflects differences between membrane surface properties of erythrocytes, ghosts and membrane vesicles.

Abstract Partition of cells (defined as the percentage of added cells in the top phase) in dextran-polyethylene glycol aqueous two-phase systems is an extremely sensitive indicator of cell surface properties. By appropriate choice of polymer concentrations and salt composition and concentration one can, to some extent, select the membrane properties (e.g. charge (Walter, H. (1975) in Methods in Cell Biology (Prescott, D.M., ed.), Vol. 9, pp. 25–50, Academic Press, New York), lipid composition (Walter, H, Krob, E.J. and Brooks, D.E. (1976) Biochemistry, 15, 2959–2964)) that determine the partition behavior of cells (or membranes). In the present experiments we have obtained by partition information on separability, alteration and ensuing heterogeneity during preparation of human erythrocytes, ghosts and rightside-out and inside-out vesicles from human erythrocyte membranes. A phase system in which partition is greatly (although not exclusively) determined by membrane charge was used. It was found that: 1. 1. The partition coefficients (and hence the membrane surfaces) of ghosts and of rightside-out vesicles differ from those of the erythrocytes from which they are derived. 2. 2. Rightside-out and inside-out vesicles have different countercurrent distribution patterns with the rightside-out vesicles having the higher partition coefficient (probably reflecting higher membrane charge of the latter). 3. 3. Rightside-out vesicles are highly heterogeneous membrane populations as evidenced by broader than theoretical countercurrent distribution curves which, in some experiments, even split into two populations outright. This heterogeneity is particularly interesting since the enzyme markers used to establish vesicle sidedness (Steck, T.L. (1974) in Methods in Membrane Biology (Korn, E.D., ed.), Vol. 2, pp. 245–281, Plenum Press, New York) indicate “pure” rightside-out preparations. 4. 4. Inside-out vesicles could, under no conditions tested, be rendered totally free of rightside-out vesicles according to the enzyme markers used to indicate vesicle sidedness (Steck, T.L. (1974) in Methods in Membrane Biology (Korn, E.D., ed.), Vol. 2, pp. 245–281, Plenum Press, New York). A discussion of factors involved in the partition of the vesicles and ghosts together with analogies to the partition behavior of stored or in vitro modified human red blood cells is presented.
Mild dehydration induces echocardiographic signs of mitral valve prolapse in healthy females with prior normal cardiac findings

This study was designed to investigate the hypothesis that mitral valve prolapse (MVP) can be induced after diuresis in women without the abnormality who have characteristic body habitus. Fifteen tall, slim, healthy female volunteers with a normal cardiac findings, echocardiogram, and history were investigated after mild diuresis with furosemide and after placebo. All subjects lost weight after furosemide and placebo administration; but mean weight loss was significantly greater after furosemide administration than after placebo administration. Echocardiography showed MVP in none of the 15 patients before treatment, in seven after administration of placebo, and in seven after administration of furosemide. Coaptation point prolapsed superior to the anulus in seven subjects with echocardiographically determined MVP. Left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions decreased significantly after placebo or furosemide administration in subjects in whom MVP developed compared with the measurement in those in whom MVP did not develop. Murmurs characteristic of MVP disappeared in all four rehydrated subjects and echocardiographic changes resolved in two of the five rehydrated subjects. Thus echocardiographically determined MVP can be induced by mild dehydration in women with phenotypic body habitus of MVP; changes may resolve with rehydration. Results suggest an explanation for variable physical examination findings in persons with MVP.
A Conserved Domain in the Leader Proteinase of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Is Required for Proper Subcellular Localization and Function

The leader proteinase (L(pro)) of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is involved in antagonizing the innate immune response by blocking the expression of interferon (IFN) and by reducing the immediate-early induction of IFN-beta mRNA and IFN-stimulated genes. In addition to its role in shutting off cap-dependent host mRNA translation, L(pro) is associated with the degradation of the p65/RelA subunit of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). Bioinformatics analysis suggests that L(pro) contains a SAP (for SAF-A/B, Acinus, and PIAS) domain, a protein structure associated in some cases with the nuclear retention of molecules involved in transcriptional control. We have introduced a single or a double mutation in conserved amino acid residues contained within this domain of L(pro). Although three stable mutant viruses were obtained, only the double mutant displayed an attenuated phenotype in cell culture. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis showed that L(pro) subcellular distribution is altered in cells infected with the double mutant virus. Interestingly, nuclear p65/RelA staining disappeared from wild-type (WT) FMDV-infected cells but not from double mutant virus-infected cells. Consistent with these results, NF-kappaB-dependent transcription was not inhibited in cells infected with double mutant virus in contrast to cells infected with WT virus. However, degradation of the translation initiation factor eIF-4G was very similar for both the WT and the double mutant viruses. Since L(pro) catalytic activity was demonstrated to be a requirement for p65/RelA degradation, our results indicate that mutation of the SAP domain reveals a novel separation-of-function activity for FMDV L(pro).
Computation of entropy and energetics profiles of a single-stranded viral DNA

The bioinformatic aspects of computing entropy and energetic profiles associated with a viral single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) are addressed. The analyses envisaged thereof determine the structural (stem and loop) features, identify the CpG motifs and delineate the boundaries of coding DNA segments along a test viral (B19) ssDNA. The analytical modelling and computational efforts conform to Shannon entropy and thermodynamic kinetics of the test genome. Results are presented toward validation against available data. Pertinent details are reviewed in the context of their possible uses in rational vaccine designs.
Inverse reinforcement learning for decentralized non-cooperative multiagent systems

The objective of inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) is to learn an agent's reward function based on either the agent's policies or the observations of the policy. In this paper we address the issue of using inverse reinforcement learning to learn the reward function in a multi agent setting, where the agents can either cooperate or be strictly non-cooperative. The case of cooperataing agents is a subcase of the non-cooperative setting, where the agents collectively try to maximize a common reward function, instead of maximizing their individual reward functions. Here we present an IRL algorithm that considers the case where the policies of the agents are known. We use the framework that was described by Ng and Russell [2001] and extend it for a Multiagent setting. We assume that the agents are rational and follow an optimal policy in the sense of the Nash Equilibrium. These assumptions are very common in Multiagent systems. We show that in the case of known policies we can reduce the Multiagent problem to a distributed solution where the reward function for each agent can be solved independently using a very similar formulation as for the single agent case.
The immune system as key to cancer treatment: Triggering its activity with microbial agents

Abstract Traditional methods such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy offer only limited success in treating cancer. Part of the reason is related to our misunderstanding of what cancer is: it is not the cause but the consequence of a weakened living system. Localized cellular stress, caused by toxins, mutagens or radiation, coupled with a weakened systemic response or inability to support or defend the cells that are under attack, cause these cells to revert to an ancient, unicellular mode of survival, therefore cutting links with the overarching organism and defend themselves from the threat as if they were individual entities. We hypothesize that strengthening the organism, specifically the immune system, is a more promising approach toward a cure for cancer than attempting to exterminate cancer cells. The hypothesis can be tested by experiments that are designed to strengthen the immune system by both traditional means (e.g., ingestion of natural substances known to increase the activity of the immune system, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts), diminish immune system inhibitors released by cancer cells (e.g., TGF-β), and by the injection of heat-killed or genetically altered pathogenic bacteria to trigger a massive response (fever response) of the immune system into the affected area and compare those results to traditionally used methods.
Stigma Consciousness in Intergroup Contexts: The Power of Conviction

Abstract People vary in the extent to which they expect to be stereotyped, and these differences in “stigma consciousness” have cognitive and behavioral consequences that contribute to people's experience of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination ( 20 ). Here it is argued that high levels of stigma consciousness also have significant interpersonal consequences. Consistent with this claim, female participants who were high in stigma consciousness acted critically toward male participants whom they believed to be sexist. Moreover, these critical behaviors elicited unfavorable responses from the male participants, responses which then provided fodder for the women's belief that they would not like the men. The results are discussed in light of previous work on the target's perspective on stereotyping and call into question the wisdom of adopting a vigilant stance when interacting with out-group members.
Neutralization of potential land mine hazards by abrasive waterjet use

A method of neutralizing landmines in which the integrity of the surrounding terrain is retained is herein described. High pressure waterjets which can be used to detect the presence of landmines can then be used to remove the soil and other cover in a plane immediately adjacent to and around the mine so that the side of the mine can be visually inspected through a remote television camera. At that time the flow of water is channeled through a line in which small particles of sand are added to the waterjet which is at a pressure of between 3,000 and 10,000 psi depending on the device which is used. Jet flow rates are on the order of 5 gpm depending on the nozzle configuration used. By bringing this abrasive stream in along a lateral plane through the mine it is possible to intersect, and neutralize, the fusing systems most likely to be used to initiate the charge, in a single pass. At higher flow rates, as the cut is made the jet will generate significant turbulence in the mine body, sufficient to remove a considerable quantity of the explosive which is resident within the mine at the same time as the mine is being dissected. The precision of cut achievable is shown by the longitudinal cutting into two parts of live detonators, as well as representative mine bodies.
Radical prostatectomy: status and opportunities for improving outcomes.

Radical prostatectomy was first described by H.H. Young in 1905.[1] The procedure was associated with significant intraoperative and perioperative morbidity and men had little opportunity for cure ...
Autoradiographic analysis of L- and N-type voltage-dependent calcium channel binding in canine brain after global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.

Abstract Binding of antagonists to L- and N-type voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCC) was measured in canine brain following global ischemia and reperfusion. Ischemia was induced by 10 min cardiac arrest, followed by restoration of spontaneous circulation for periods of up to 24 h. Binding of [3H]PN200-110 and [125I]ω-conotoxin GVIA to frozen sections from hippocampus, striatum, parietal cortex and temporal cortex was analyzed using quantitative receptor autoradiography. The binding patterns of the two radioligands were similar in cortex and striatum, but differed in hippocampus. In the latter tissue, [125I]ω-conotoxin GVIA binding was dense over synaptic regions, especially the presynaptic polymorph layer of the dentate gyrus, but was virtually absent over cell body layers. In contrast, [3H]PN200-110 binding was more homogenously distributed, with highest binding in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. The binding of [125I]ω-conotoxin GVIA was not different from sham controls at any time point following cardiac arrest. [3H]PN200-110 binding was decreased in each region immediately following ischemia, recovering within 30 min of recirculation. These findings are in contrast to earlier findings of rapid increases in L-type VDCC binding to membrane fractions obtained from cortex and striatum in this model, and suggest that the previously detected increases may be due to a redistribution of channels from subcellular compartments to the plasma membrane during ischemia.
The Didactic Power of Metaphor in the Aphoristic Sayings of Proverbs

Many proverbial sayings make significant use of metaphor not simply to enhance their rhetorical appeal but to convey essential meaning. By examining aphorisms that refer to human discourse, this article argues that a cognitive approach to metaphor not only sheds light on the didactic power of aphorisms, but also opens new avenues of intertextual analysis among the various sayings and collections of Proverbs. Such an approach highlights, for example, the differing metaphorical schemas employed by the socalled Solomonic and Hezekian collections.
Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy and Image Analysis of Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

The publication of Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy and Image Analysis of Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks marks a significant point in the history of sedimentary petrology. The evolution of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) has now progressed from an interesting but useless machine to a valuable research tool. I began to use the SEM in the 1970s, shortly after this microscopy technology was introduced to sedimentologists by David Krinsley one of this book's authors. In those days, the SEM was a cumbersome, troublesome machine, more likely to be disabled than operating and incapable of identifying the composition of objects and measuring their properties. As such, it was not an especially useful tool for a petrologist. You could not use it to determine the composition of a sandstone, for instance, nor to quantify properties such as grain size and shape, pore geometry, or the density of surface textures. Indeed the SEM of old offered me and other investigators little more than a tantalizing but frustratingly qualitative view of sedimentary rocks and an ability to acquire great numbers of out-of-focus, poorly exposed photographs, all of which are now rightfully buried in the back of my files.
Adsorption of bovine serum albumin on glass.

Abstract 1. 1. The adsorption of bovine serum albumin on powdered pyrex glass has been studied as a function of protein concentration and of pH at an ionic strength of 0.05 and at 30°C. 2. 2. The surface area of the pyrex glass powder has been calibrated with the use of microscopic spherical glass particles. 3. 3. The limiting area of the adsorbed bovine serum albumin above pH 4 approaches 0.2 square meters per milligram which is close to the area to be expected for an adsorbed layer of native molecules. 4. 4. The adsorption of the protein exhibits considerable hysteresis in respect to desorption. 5. 5. The interfacial tensions at the glass-water interface have been calculated and the corresponding force-area curves for the adsorbed protein drawn. 6. 6. The free energy of adsorption of the bovine serum albumin on the glass has been estimated at pH 4.66
A novel method for determination of collagen orientation in cartilage by Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS)

Summary Objective The orientation of collagen molecules is an important determinant of their functionality in connective tissues. The objective of the current study is to establish a method to determine the alignment of collagen molecules in histological sections of cartilage by polarized Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS), a method based on molecular vibrations. Methods Polarized FT-IRIS data obtained from highly oriented tendon collagen were utilized to calibrate the derived spectral parameters. The ratio of the integrated areas of the collagen amide I/II absorbances was used as an indicator of collagen orientation. These data were then applied to FT-IRIS analysis of the orientation of collagen molecules in equine articular cartilage, in equine repair cartilage after microfracture treatment, and in human osteoarthritic cartilage. Polarized light microscopy (PLM), the most frequently utilized technique to evaluate collagen fibril orientation in histological sections, was performed on picrosirius red-stained sections for comparison. Results and conclusion Thicknesses of each zone of normal equine cartilage (calculated based on differences in collagen orientation) were equivalent as determined by PLM and FT-IRIS. Comparable outcomes were obtained from the PLM and FT-IRIS analyses of repair and osteoarthritis tissues, whereby similar zonal variations in collagen orientation were apparent for the two methods. However, the PLM images of human osteoarthritic cartilage showed less obvious zonal discrimination and orientation compared to the FT-IRIS images, possibly attributable to the FT-IRIS method detecting molecular orientation changes prior to their manifestation at the microscopic level.
Apolipoprotein polymorphisms and phenotypic variability in American Samoans: Preliminary data.

Human apolipoprotein genetic variation is associated with phenotypic variability in body habitus and in lipid and glucose metabolism, interrelated aspects of human physiology. In this study, structural variation at the apolipoprotein E and H loci, documented for 67 residents of American Samoa, was investigated for associations with body habitus, plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, pulse rate, and blood pressure. Compared to men with the common APO E*3 allele, those with APO E*2 had higher weight, percent trunk fat, ratio of subscapular to triceps skinfold, and larger subscapular, suprailiac, and medial calf skinfolds; men with the APO E*4 allele had lower weight, body mass index (BMI), upper arm circumference, estimated arm muscle circumference, and a smaller suprailiac skinfold. Such variability by apolipoprotein E types was not observed in Samoan women nor when men and women were combined for analysis with or without statistical control for sex. At the APO H locus, little difference in aspects of body habitus was observed between men carrying the most common APO H*2 allele and the less common APO H*1 allele. Percent trunk fat and the subscapular to triceps skinfold ratio tended to be larger in women with the APO H*1 allele. Plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin were lower in Samoans with the APO E*2 and E*4 alleles, but higher in those with the APO H*1 allele. Blood pressure and pulse rate were lower and higher, respectively, in those with the APO E*4 allele. The observed associations differ from those observed in Caucasian, Japanese, and Hispanic samples, and support suggestions that associations between apolipoprotein polymorphisms and morphological measures vary across ethnic groups. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Trajectory-Based Complexity (TBX): A modified aircraft count to predict sector complexity during trajectory-based operations

In this paper we introduce a new complexity metric to predict — in real-time — sector complexity for trajectory-based operations (TBO). TBO will be implemented in the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Trajectory-Based Complexity (TBX) is a modified aircraft count that can easily be computed and communicated in a TBO environment based upon predictions of aircraft and weather trajectories. TBX is scaled to aircraft count and represents an alternate and additional means to manage air traffic demand and capacity with more consideration of dynamic factors such as weather, aircraft equipage or predicted separation violations, as well as static factors such as sector size. We have developed and evaluated TBX in the Airspace Operations Laboratory (AOL) at the NASA Ames Research Center during human-in-the-loop studies of trajectory-based concepts since 2009. In this paper we will describe the TBX computation in detail and present the underlying algorithm. Next, we will describe the specific TBX used in an experiment at NASA's AOL. We will evaluate the performance of this metric using data collected during a controller-in-the-loop study on trajectory-based operations at different equipage levels. In this study controllers were prompted at regular intervals to rate their current workload on a numeric scale. When comparing this real-time workload rating to the TBX values predicted for these time periods we demonstrate that TBX is a better predictor of workload than aircraft count. Furthermore we demonstrate that TBX is well suited to be used for complexity management in TBO and can easily be adjusted to future operational concepts.
Improvisation in the Arts

This article focuses primarily on improvisation in the arts as discussed in philosophical aesthetics, supplemented with accounts of improvisational practice by arts theorists and educators. It begins with an overview of the term improvisation, first as it is used in general and then as it is used to describe particular products and practices in the individual arts. From here, questions and challenges that improvisation raises for the traditional work-of-art concept, the type-token distinction, and the appreciation and evaluation of the arts will be explored. This article concludes with the suggestion that further research and discussion on improvisation in the arts is needed, particularly in the areas of non-jazz improvisation.
Genome Sequence and Analysis of the Soil Cellulolytic Actinomycete Thermobifida fusca YX

Thermobifida fusca is a moderately thermophilic soil bacterium that belongs to Actinobacteria. It is a major degrader of plant cell walls and has been used as a model organism for the study of secreted, thermostable cellulases. The complete genome sequence showed that T. fusca has a single circular chromosome of 3,642,249 bp predicted to encode 3,117 proteins and 65 RNA species with a coding density of 85%. Genome analysis revealed the existence of 29 putative glycoside hydrolases in addition to the previously identified cellulases and xylanases. The glycosyl hydrolases include enzymes predicted to exhibit mainly dextran/starch- and xylan-degrading functions. T. fusca possesses two protein secretion systems: the sec general secretion system and the twin-arginine translocation system. Several of the secreted cellulases have sequence signatures indicating their secretion may be mediated by the twin-arginine translocation system. T. fusca has extensive transport systems for import of carbohydrates coupled to transcriptional regulators controlling the expression of the transporters and glycosylhydrolases. In addition to providing an overview of the physiology of a soil actinomycete, this study presents insights on the transcriptional regulation and secretion of cellulases which may facilitate the industrial exploitation of these systems.
Letter to the Editor-A Note on the Fail-Safe Properties of the Generalized Lagrange Multiplier Method

This paper shows that the Lagrange multiplier method suggested by H. Everett does not have "Fail-Safe" properties when applied to simple situations with nonconvexity only in the functional. Although each Lagrange multiplier problem for these situations has immediate solutions no means of combining them to obtain a solution to any reasonable approximation appears to be visible.
A topology viewer for distributed brokering systems

In this paper we present a topology viewer for the NaradaBrokering system. The NaradaBrokering system comprises a distributed network of cooperating broker nodes organized within a logical overlay network. The topology viewer's layout algorithm is implemented such that it augments the structure of the NaradaBrokering network. Furthermore, we believe that this approach could also be applied to similar visualization problems. Our visualization scheme extends recent work in the visualization of large hierarchies with primary focus on algorithmic and visual simplicity. Specifically, we have modified the ringed layout algorithm for placement of various NaradaBrokering components in order to achieve navigational efficiency. We also include performance measurements in this paper.
Hormonal effects of lead acetate in the male rat: mechanism of action.

Environmental exposure to toxic levels of lead occurs in a number of industries with potential adverse effects on the reproductive capacity of exposed men. Using a rat model, we previously reported that dietary exposure to lead resulted in suppressed spermatogenesis and testosterone levels without significant changes in luteinizing hormone (LH). In this study, to identify more specifically the site of lead's toxic actions on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, the response of lead-treated male rats as compared to control animals to naloxone, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and LH stimulation was studied. Three groups of 52-day-old Wistar rats were allowed access to either deionized distilled water containing no lead acetate or a 0.3% lead acetate solution for 30 days. In each study group, 10 control and 10 lead-treated animals were anesthetized prior to cardiac puncture and collection of serum for the measurement of lead level and baseline LH (Groups I and II) or testosterone levels (Group III). In Group I, 20 min after an i.p. injection of naloxone (1.5 mg/kg/BW), the animals were killed by decapitation, and serum was collected for LH measurement. Thirty minutes after an i.p. injection of GnRH (100 ng/100 gm BW), Group II animals were killed by decapitation, and serum was collected for LH. Sixty minutes after an injection of LH (100 mg/100 mg BW), serum was collected from Group III animals for testosterone measurement. All control animals and lead-treated animals consumed similar volumes of water. Control animals had undetectable levels of lead in their blood. Lead-treated animals had mean blood lead values of 30 micrograms/dl +/- 5 micrograms/dl.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Geomagnetic induction in a heterogeneous sphere: fully three-dimensional test computations and the response of a realistic distribution of oceans and continents

SUMMARY Long-period geomagnetic data can resolve large-scale 3-D mantle electrical conductivity heterogeneities which are indicators of physiochemical variations found in the Earth’s dynamic mantle. A prerequisite for mapping such heterogeneity is the ability to model accurately electromagnetic induction in a heterogeneous sphere. A previously developed finite element method solution to the geomagnetic induction problem is validated against an analytic solution for a fully 3-D geometry: an oV-axis spherical inclusion embedded in a uniform sphere. Geomagnetic induction is then modelled in a uniform spherical mantle overlain by a realistic distribution of oceanic and continental conductances. Our results indicate that the contrast in electrical conductivity between oceans and continents is not primarily responsible for the observed geographic variability of long-period geomagnetic data. In the absence of persistent high-wavenumber magnetospheric disturbances, this argues strongly for the existence of large-scale, high-contrast electrical conductivity heterogeneities in the mid-mantle. Lastly, for several periods the geomagnetic anomaly associated with a mid-mantle spherical inclusion is calculated. A high-contrast inclusion can be readily detected beneath the outer shell of oceans and continents. A comparison between observed and computed c responses suggests that the mid-mantle contains more than one order of magnitude of lateral variability in electrical conductivity, while the upper mantle contains at least two orders of magnitude of lateral variability in electrical conductivity.
Sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy to normal patient variability

Many groups have used Raman spectroscopy for diagnosing cervical dysplasia; however, there have been few studies looking at the effect of normal physiological variations on Raman spectra. We assess four patient variables that may affect normal Raman spectra: Race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), parity, and socioeconomic status. Raman spectra were acquired from a diverse population of 75 patients undergoing routine screening for cervical dysplasia. Classification of Raman spectra from patients with a normal cervix is performed using sparse multinomial logistic regression (SMLR) to determine if any of these variables has a significant effect. Results suggest that BMI and parity have the greatest impact, whereas race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status have a limited effect. Incorporating BMI and obstetric history into classification algorithms may increase sensitivity and specificity rates of disease classification using Raman spectroscopy. Studies are underway to assess the effect of these variables on disease.
An Initial Assessment of a Forgotten Minority Community: Key Informant's Perceptions of Environmental Health in Fresno, Texas.

Background. Environmental hazards are increasingly being detected in minority and low-income communities. The Fresno, Texas community is located near Houston, Texas, and many of its residents are ethnic minorities and of low socioeconomic status. While Fresno residents have voiced concerns about long-standing undocumented environmental hazards, the extent to which the concerns were accurate was unclear. As an initial assessment of environmental exposure hazards, key informant interviews of residents and officials were conducted to examine the perceptions of environmental exposures and associated health effects in the Fresno community. Results. The responses about perceived environmental exposures and the extent of access to primary healthcare were similar between residents and officials. The key informants identified inadequate public water supply and possible groundwater contamination as sources of potential environmental exposures and agreed that access to primary healthcare was a major problem in the Fresno area. However, Fresno residents and officials had contrasting perceptions about the overall health of the community, the existence of community-based organizations, strengths and barriers of the community, and how well environmental concerns were addressed. Methods. Qualitative methodology was used to conduct key informant interviews of seven residents and five elected or assigned officials who serve residents of Fresno. An interview guide designed to obtain information on potential environmental hazards and associated health effects was utilized to collect qualitative data that were then utilized to identify recurrent themes and dissimilarities of responses. Conclusions. The responses obtained in this study suggest that potential environmental exposures may be present in this community. However, although residents and officials identified access to primary healthcare as a barrier to residing in Fresno, residents and officials had differing perceptions of the overall heath status of the Fresno community. These findings must be further investigated to develop additional qualitative and quantitative studies that will validate the preliminary findings of this study and begin to accurately measure contaminant levels and health status in Fresno residents.
Parent Involvement and Student Performance: The Influence of School Context.

Researchers focusing on parent involvement continue to concentrate their efforts on the relationship between involvement and student performance in isolation of the school context in which involvement occurs. This research outlines an ecology of involvement and how this social context affects parent involvement and student performance. Relying on Bronfrenbrenner’s (1979) theory of human ecology, I elaborate a theoretical model for how the social context of the school affects student performance and the parent involvement–student performance intersection. Analysis using the National Longitudinal Study (1988) supports the thesis that student performance and the relationship between parent involvement and student performance are contingent on the ecological context in which they occur. These findings highlight the need to extend investigations of parent–child interactions to include aspects of the various ecological contexts. Furthermore, the findings highlight the need for educators to modify their efforts to improve parent involvement contingent on the various ecological characteristics of the school.
Looking Ahead: The SSAT Strategic Plan for the Next Decade

The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract’s (SSAT) mission is to advance the science and practice of surgery in the treatment of digestive disease. An essential core value of the SSAT is multidisciplinary collaboration with both its sister societies in the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) Council and other surgical societies in Gastrointestinal Surgery. In order to achieve the society’s goals, the strategic plan rests on the society’s values of interdisciplinary collaboration, scholarship, education, and discovery. The strategic plan also creates a meritocracy system to foster the development of future leaders for both the SSAT and the broader house of surgery. In the short term, this plan will: Re-organize committee structure and reporting responsibilities; Clarify committee goals and deliverables; Facilitate member participation in the committees and governance of the society; Enhance member services by utilizing enhanced communication strategies; Accelerate efforts to meet the Maintenance of Certification needs of the membership; Re-focus the SSAT’s energy on Quality and Outcome Assessment of GI surgery; Clarify and standardize the methodology for allocating funds for new projects.
Design for Regulation: Integrating Sustainable Production into Mainstream Regulation

This chapter asks what is needed to craft effective legal frameworks that take the notion of sustainable production seriously. Getting to an answer requires consideration of three questions. First, what do we mean by “sustainable production” in terms of a definition and fundamental principles? Here the chapter adopts a definition and examines three central principles: life cycle thinking, integration of environmental, social and economic concerns, and a preventive orientation. Second, what types of mandatory regulation can be used to advance sustainable production in accord with the fundamental principles? In response the chapter provides an overview of forms of sustainability-based regulation, and maps them onto five existing regulatory programs that to various degrees reflect sustainable production concepts. Third, which of those forms of regulation should be used to advance sustainable production? Recognizing the breadth of this normative question, the chapter does not attempt to identify the optimal regulatory approach. Instead it offers a set of factors that may influence regulatory design in this context.
Dynamic range requirements for optical transmitters in fiber-fed microcellular networks

Analog fiber-optic links can be used for antenna remoting in microcellular networks. Using a statistical model of user access in a wireless network, it is shown that by accepting a modest ( >
SIVsm Tat, Rev, and Nef1: functional characteristics of r-GV internalization on isotypes, cytokines, and intracellular degradation

Recombinant gas vesicles (r-GV) from Halobacterium sp. strain SD109 expressing cassettes with different SIVsm inserts, have potential utility as an effective antigen display system for immunogen testing in vivo and for initial epitope assessments in vitro. Previous mouse model studies demonstrated immunization with r-GV expressing selected exogenous sequences elicited a prolonged immune response. Here we tested segments from three SIVsm genes (tat, rev, and nef) each surface displayed by r-GV. As with HIV, for SIVsm the proteins encoded by tat, rev and nef respectively serve critical and diverse functions: effects on efficient viral RNA polymerase II transcription, regulation of viral gene expression and effects on specific signaling functions through the assembly of multiprotein complexes. Humoral responses to r-GVTat, Rev or Nef1 elicited in vivo, associated changes in selected cell cytokine production following r-GV internalization, and the capacity of J774A.1 macrophage cells to degrade these internalized display/delivery particles in vitro were examined. The in vivo studies involving r-GV immunizations and in vitro studies of r-GV uptake by J774A.1 macrophages demonstrated: (i) tests for antibody isotypes in immunized mice sera showed activation and re-stimulation of memory B cells, (ii) during long term immune response to the epitopes, primarily the IgG1 isotype was produced, (iii) in vitro, macrophage degradation of r-GV containing different SIVsm inserts occurred over a period of days resulting in an inherent slow breakdown and degradation of the SIVsm peptide inserts, (iv) vesicle specific GvpC, a larger protein, degraded more slowly than the recombinant peptide inserts and (v) in vitro uptake and degradation of the r-GV populations tested was associated with SIVsm insert specific patterns for cytokines IL-10, IL-12 and IL-18. Together these findings provide new information underscoring r-GV potential. They can clearly: display various exogenous peptides, be intracellularly degraded in vitro over a period of days, affect cell cytokine levels, and retain their self-adjuvanting capacity irrespective of the specific peptide expressed within the GvpC protein. These features support the cost effective generation of vaccine components, and provide a simple, self-adjuvanting system for assessing immune visibility of and specific responses to individual pathogen peptides.
Clearance of an immunosuppressive virus from the CNS coincides with immune reanimation and diversification

Once a virus infection establishes persistence in the central nervous system (CNS), it is especially difficult to eliminate from this specialized compartment. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to fully understand scenarios during which a persisting virus is ultimately purged from the CNS by the adaptive immune system. Such a scenario can be found following infection of adult mice with an immunosuppressive variant of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) referred to as clone 13. In this study we demonstrate that following intravenous inoculation, clone 13 rapidly infected peripheral tissues within one week, but more slowly inundated the entire brain parenchyma over the course of a month. During the establishment of persistence, we observed that genetically tagged LCMV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) progressively lost function; however, the severity of this loss in the CNS was never as substantial as that observed in the periphery. One of the most impressive features of this model system is that the peripheral T cell response eventually regains functionality at ~60–80 days post-infection, and this was associated with a rapid decline in virus from the periphery. Coincident with this "reanimation phase" was a massive influx of CD4 T and B cells into the CNS and a dramatic reduction in viral distribution. In fact, olfactory bulb neurons served as the last refuge for the persisting virus, which was ultimately purged from the CNS within 200 days post-infection. These data indicate that a functionally revived immune response can prevail over a virus that establishes widespread presence both in the periphery and brain parenchyma, and that therapeutic enhancement of an existing response could serve as an effective means to thwart long term CNS persistence.
Prevention of murine antiphospholipid syndrome by BAFF blockade.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a disease manifested by dysregulated clotting in both the arterial and venous systems and is caused by antibodies to phospholipids and their binding protein β2-glycoprotein I (1). The autoantibodies that cause APS are unresponsive to conventional immunosuppression, which suggests that they may be derived from a long-lived B cell subset. The (NZW × BXSB)F1 mouse is a murine model of spontaneous APS. The male offspring of this cross produce anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and anti-RNP antibodies by 12 weeks of age, and subsequently develop immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, inflammatory glomerulonephritis (GN), and a thrombotic vasculopathy of the small coronary arteries, which leads to myocardial infarcts, myocardial fibrosis, and a dilated cardiomyopathy. Full-thickness infarcts affecting the right ventricle are seen in the late stages of disease (2,3). APS in (NZW × BXSB)F1 mice is dependent upon both B and T cells and development of autoantibodies. Thrombocytopenia and nephritis are completely prevented by CD4 T cell depletion before 6–8 weeks of age (4). We have shown that the B7/CD28 antagonist CTLA-4Ig blocks class switching of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) to the IgG isotype and prevents both nephritis and coronary thromboses when given at 8 weeks of age, before the emergence of autoantibodies (5). However, administration of CTLA-4Ig at 12 weeks of age, after the development of autoantibodies, no longer prevents the disease (5). These findings indicate that the pathogenetic B cells in (NZW × BXSB)F1 mice arise in a CD4 T cell– and CD28-dependent manner but that B7/CD28 interactions are not required for disease perpetuation. Male (NZW × BXSB)F1 mice bear the Yaa gene, a reduplicated segment of the Y chromosome containing the genes for Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR-7) and TLR-8, intracellular single-stranded RNA–sensing TLRs expressed by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DCs) and B cells (6). Activation of TLR-7 in plasmacytoid DCs induces the release of type I interferons that stimulate myeloid DCs to release BAFF, a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–like cytokine that is crucial for B cell survival (for review, see refs. 7 and 8). BAFF expands the B cell compartment, leading to increased production of immune complexes that can further activate TLRs (9). We therefore hypothesized that BAFF blockade may be a successful therapeutic approach for APS, even in the later stages of disease. BAFF and its homologous molecule APRIL interact with 3 different BAFF receptors on B cells: TACI, BAFF-R, and BCMA. These interactions can be blocked by soluble Ig fusion proteins of the BAFF receptors TACI or BAFF-R. BAFF-R-Ig selectively blocks only BAFF, whereas TACI-Ig blocks both BAFF and APRIL (for review, see ref. 10). We found that blockade of BAFF alone is sufficient to prevent disease both in the early and late initiation stages.
Association between impairment, function, and daily life task management in children and adolescents with autism

Aim This cross-sectional study examined whether impairments or functional skills are associated with the level of responsibility for life tasks for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Method Parents of 263 children and adolescents with ASDs (215 males; 48 females; mean age 12y 6mo [SD 4y 6mo], range 3–21y) completed an online survey that included the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test – Autism Spectrum Disorders (PEDI-CAT-ASD) Daily Activities, Social/Cognitive, and Responsibility domains, a demographic questionnaire, and the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) Current. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Framework guided the selection of model variables. We used hierarchical multiple regression to examine the relationship between impairment and functional skill predictor variables and the outcome variable, Responsibility. Age was entered in step 1 to control for the impact of development. SCQ Current, IQ, and remaining PEDI-CAT-ASD domains were then entered in step 2. Results After controlling for age, the model showed that step 2 predictor variables representing both impairments and functional skill improved the model (p<0.001). All variables except the SCQ score were significant predictors of Responsibility. The variance explained by the Daily Activities (2.7%) and Social/Cognitive (4.8%) domain scores was greater than IQ (0.3%). Interpretation The functional skills of Daily Activities and Social/Cognitive domains were more strongly associated with the management of life tasks than impairments after controlling for age.
The Evaluation of Stochastic Available Transfer Capability

Abstract Due to uncertainty in bus loading, the evaluation of the available transfer capability (ATC) between two points in a network also becomes uncertain. The ATC is a measure of ‘available capacity’ in a power transmission system beyond already committed uses, i.e., beyond base case loading. A stochastic power flow algorithm can be used to help quantify and evaluate the uncertainty of the ATC. The limitations considered in the stochastic ATC algorithm are: circuit stability limits, transmission line thermal rating limits, and bus voltage magnitude limits. Transmission circuit outages, while important and also of a stochastic nature, are not considered. The analytical calculation of stochastic ATC is described and tested using the WECC 179 bus system. The analytical calculation is compared to a computationally intensive Monte Carlo calculation. The value of stochastic modeling of ATC relates to a realistic evaluation of power exchange.
Active management of a heterogeneous energy store for electric vehicles

The successful introduction of electric vehicles continues to be stifled by the high cost and limited performance life of battery technology. We assert that a disruptive improvement in systems-level cost-of-performance is possible by employing a rate-heterogeneous energy storage system, combining low-rate batteries and high-rate supercapacitors, that is mated to a predictive control system that optimizes power management by exploiting topographic information, traffic history, and specific driver performance. Such predictive power management, optimizing energy storage throughout episodes of vehicle acceleration and regenerative braking, has the potential to significantly decrease the total energy duty on the vehicle's batteries.