cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age of the Donor Reduces the Ability of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells to Alleviate Symptoms in the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Mouse Model

There is a significant clinical need for effective therapies for primary progressive multiple sclerosis, which presents later in life (i.e., older than 50 years) and has symptoms that increase in severity without remission. With autologous mesenchymal stem cell therapy now in the early phases of clinical trials for all forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), it is necessary to determine whether autologous stem cells from older donors have therapeutic effectiveness. In this study, the therapeutic efficacy of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) from older donors was directly compared with that of cells from younger donors for disease prevention. Mice were induced with chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) using the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein35-55 peptide and treated before disease onset with ASCs derived from younger ( 60 years) donors. ASCs from older donors failed to ameliorate the neurodegeneration associated with EAE, and mice treated with older donor cells had increased central nervous system inflammation, demyelination, and splenocyte proliferation in vitro compared with the mice receiving cells from younger donors. Therefore, the results of this study demonstrated that donor age significantly affects the ability of human ASCs to provide neuroprotection, immunomodulation, and/or remyelination in EAE mice. The age-related therapeutic differences corroborate recent findings that biologic aging occurs in stem cells, and the differences are supported by evidence in this study that older ASCs, compared with younger donor cells, secrete less hepatocyte growth factor and other bioactive molecules when stimulated in vitro. These results highlight the need for evaluation of autologous ASCs derived from older patients when used as therapy for MS.
The weighted empirical process of row independent random variables with arbitrary distribution functions

The relative compactness and weak convergence of reduced empirical, quantile and weighted empirical processes are demonstrated under mild conditions. For example, the reduced empirical proces of arbitrary independent iv'S is always relatively compact in any ‖/q‖ metric with q square integrable; and weak convergence takes place if and only if the covariance function converges. Van Zuijlen's representation of the general empirical process is a fundamental tool. This paper both unifies and extends the previous treatment of these processes - processes that have application to rank statistics and linear combinations of order statistics. Most proofs are contained in Section 3. A brief introduction to weak convergence is presented in the appendix for readers lacking this background. Applications are indicated in Section 4.
Erratum to: Perseverance as an intellectual virtue

Much recent work in virtue epistemology has focused on the analysis of such intellectual virtues as responsibility, conscientiousness, honesty, courage, open-mindedness, firmness, humility, charity, and wisdom. Absent from the literature is an extended examination of perseverance as an intellectual virtue. The present paper aims to fill this void. In Sect. 1, I clarify the concept of an intellectualvirtue, and distinguish intellectual virtues from other personal traits and properties. In Sect. 2, I provide a conceptual analysis of intellectually virtuous perseverance that places perseverance in opposition to its vice-counterparts, intransigence and irresolution. The virtue is a matter of continuing in one’s intellectual activities for an appropriate amount of time, in the pursuit of intellectual goods, despite obstacles to one’s attainment of those goods. In Sect. 3, I explore relations between intellectually virtuous perseverance and other intellectual virtues. I argue that such perseverance is necessary for the possession and exercise of several other intellectual virtues, including courage. These connections highlight the importance of perseverance in a comprehensive account of such virtues.
Sleep in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Sleep disorders are highly prevalent and consequential comorbidities among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) yet remain notably under-recognized in clinical practice. Improved understanding of the specific clinical features of MS that may influence patients’ risk for sleep disturbances or response to treatment could enhance opportunities to improve functional status and quality of life in persons with MS. This review aims to discuss current prevalence estimates, disease-specific risk factors, and consequences of the most common sleep disorders experienced by patients with multiple sclerosis. Suggested methods to address MS-specific symptoms and comorbidities that may influence diagnostic and treatment strategies for these conditions are also highlighted.
Aristotle meets the computer and becomes conflicted

Abstract A review of Best Laid Schemes: The Psychology of Emotions by Keith Oatley (1992). Cambridge University Press, 525 pp, 0–521–41037–1 (hbk), 0–521–42387–2 (pbk)
Control oriented modeling and system identification of a diesel generator set (genset)

A diesel generator set (genset) refers to a diesel engine powered electrical alternator. Controls are needed to regulate the electrical output at the nominal voltage (120V RMS) and frequency (60Hz) despite variation in the electrical loads. In this paper, a system model for the genset is developed. A grey-box system model that considers known physical dependence and empirical identification of unknown effects is proposed. The system model structure is validated and the unknown parameters and effects are identified experimentally. Specifically, the standard proportional relationship between alternator speed and voltage is found to be valid with an experimentally determined dependence on the field current; the engine speed governor is found to be a first order controller; the effect of the back torque from the alternator on the speed dynamics is found to be consistent with the alternator and governor model. The system identification procedure is designed so that it can be easily applied to various units on the field autonomously or by a service personnel - for example for tuning controllers.
ABSOLUTE THERMAL NEUTRON FLUX MEASUREMENTS USING NON-PERTURBING FOILS.

Abstract Foils prepared with a moderating ratio equal to that of the medium in which they are to be used will induce no significant perturbation in the thermal neutron flux. Furthermore, when used in liquid form they are immediately adaptable to conventional absolute counting techniques. Thus, simple measurements can yield accurate and absolute values of thermal neutron fluxes. The liquid foils are not restricted to any shape and offer unparalleled flexibility. For example, extended geometries can be used to obtain fluxes averaged over the volume of the detector. It is our considered opinion that the liquid foil te chnique should be considered for any measurement of absolute thermal fluxes.
ORAL ZINC SULPHATE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Abstract A preliminary trial of oral zinc supplementation was conducted in twenty-four patients with chronic, refractory rheumatoid arthritis. Zinc sulphate (220 mg three times daily) or placebo capsules of identical appearance were added to pre-existing therapy for 12 wk. This double-blind trial was followed by an open 12-wk period when all subjects took zinc. During the double-blind phase, zinc-treated patients fared better than controls with regard to joint swelling, morning stiffness, walking time, and the patient's own impression of overall disease activity. The indices and joint tenderness also improved with zinc treatment in both groups of subjects during the second 12-wk period. These encouraging results indicate that oral zinc sulphate deserves further study in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.
Toeplitz Matrix Inversion: The Algorithm of W. F. Trench

The algorithm of W. F. Trench for the inversion of Toeplitz matrices is presented with a detailed proof for the case of non-Hermitian matrices. The only condition necessary to insure the validity of the algorithm is that all principal minors be nonzero.
Methods of recruiting adolescents with psychiatric and substance use disorders for a clinical trial.

Background: The present article reports on recruiting strategies in a 16-week, multi-site trial of osmotic-release methylphenidate combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy in adolescents with co-occurring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorder. Methods: A multifaceted recruiting strategy was employed that targeted multiple referral sources, used incentives, involved numerous staff members, emphasized the therapeutic alliance during prescreening, and utilized data to modify strategies based on results. Overall, 303 adolescents were randomized from 1,333 total referrals across 11 participating sites. Results: Overall, existing treatment program sources, including treatment program staff, social services, the juvenile justice system, and mental health clinics provided a majority of referrals for pre-screening and randomization. Conclusions and Scientific Significance: These results support the feasibility of recruiting dually-diagnosed adolescents utilizing a multifaceted appro...
Staphylococcus periprostatic abscess: An unusual cause of acute urinary retention

Prostatic abscess has occasionally been known to present with urinary retention. We report an unusual case of a Staphylococcus aureus periprostatic abscess causing acute urinary retention. Diagnosis was made by transrectal sonogram and computed tomography scan, and the patient was treated successfully with intravenous antibiotics, perineal exploration, and drainage.
A comparison of the responses of two tropical specialist herbivores to host plant patch size

The effects of host plant patch size on the abundances of two specialist herbivores (the chrysomelid beetle, Acalymma innubum and the pentatomid bug, Piezosternum subulatum) were investigated in a natural forest community in the Virgin Islands. Abundances were compared early and late in the season in different sized patches of the cucurbit host plant (Cayaponia americana) growing in open habitat (with no surrounding plant community) and forest habitat (with diverse surrounding plant community). For both herbivore species, adult abundances per patch were positively correlated with patch leaf area, but there was a significant patch size effect (i.e., correlation between herbivore density per unit plant and patch leaf area) only for beetles in the forest habitat. Both herbivore species were significantly affected by surrounding plant diversity, but in opposite ways: beetles were more abundant in open patches whereas bugs were more abundant in forest patches. Relationships between abundance and patch size in open and forest patches changed through the season for both herbivore species. These changing abundance patterns are discussed with respect to (1) increases in the diversity of the plant community surrounding host plant patches, and (2) differences in herbivore movement patterns.
In vivo flow 31P FT-NMR spectroscopy of a nematode parasite.

31P NMR spectroscopy of a parasitic nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae, is described. In vivo spectra were generated from nematode suspensions continuously circulating through the spectrometer. By flowing the organism, saturation effects were avoided and short in-terpulse delays significantly reduced spectral generation time. To maximize sensitivity, 90° pulses were employed. Changes in energetic status in response to oxygen availability were easily and rapidly monitored in circulating nematodes. © 1990 Academic Press, Inc.
The Eucharistic Cup: Romanist, Establishment and Communitarian

Then tooke the angrie witch her golden cup, Which still she bore, replete with magick artes; Death and despeyre did many thereof sup, And secret poyson through their inner parts, Th'eternall bale of heavie wounded harts; Which after charmes and some enchauntments said, She lightly sprinkled on his weaker parts; Therewith his sturdie courage soone was quayd, And all his senses were with suddeine dread dismayd.
Stipulating Versus Discovering Representations

Page’ s proposal to stipulate representations in which individual units correspond to meaningful entities is too unconstrained to support effective theorizing. An approach combining general computational principles with domain-specific assumptions, in which learning is used to discover representations that are effective in solving tasks, provides more insight into why cognitive and neural systems are organized the way they are. Page sets up a fundamental contrast between localist versus distributed approaches to connectionist modeling. To us there appear to be several dimensions to the actual contrast he has in mind. Perhaps the most fundamental distinction is whether it is stipulated in advance that representational units be assigned to “meaningful entities” or whether, as we believe, it is better to discover useful representations in response to task constraints. We agree with Page that localist connectionist models have made important contributions to our understanding of many different cognitive phenomena. However, we think the choice of representation used in the brain reflects the operation of a set of general principles in conjunction with domain characteristics. It is a program of scientific research to discover what the principles and domain characteristics are and how they give rise to different types of representations. As a starting place in the discovery of the relevant principles, we have suggested (McClelland, 1993; Plaut, McClelland, Seidenberg, & Patterson, 1996) that the principles include the following: that the activations and connection weights that support representation and processing are graded in nature; that processing is intrinsically gradual, stochastic, and interactive; and that mechanisms underlying processing adapt to task constraints.
Participation, process quality, and performance of marine protected areas in the wider Caribbean.

Throughout the wider Caribbean, marine protected areas (MPAs) are rapidly gaining momentum as a conservation tool, but management performance of existing MPAs is considered low. To enhance MPA management performance, stakeholders are increasingly being invited to discuss, debate, and develop rules about how people should interact with marine ecosystems. Using social and ecological data from a rapid assessment of 31 MPAs and their associated communities in the wider Caribbean, this study investigates stakeholder participation in MPA planning and management, and how participants’ views of process quality relate to MPA performance. Findings indicate that (1) participants tended to be male, resource users, participate in community organizations, and have lived fewer years in the community associated with an MPA than non-participants; (2) simply participating was not associated with perceptions of the social and ecological performance of MPAs, however, perceptions of process quality were positively related to views of performance; and (3) resource users’ perceptions of an MPA’s ecological performance were likely shaped by a variety of factors. Conservation practitioners should be aware that participatory MPA processes are complex and require careful planning if they are to contribute positively to marine conservation efforts.
Structural biology: antiviral drugs fit for a purpose.

Did drug researchers have a lucky break when they developed antiviral drugs for influenza? Crystal structures of enzymes from the H5N1 virus suggest that they did, and provide avenues for further exploration.
Opinion change as a result of effortfully drawing a counterattitudinal conclusion

Abstract An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis, derived from dissonance theory, that the more effort subjects exerted to attain the conclusion to a syllogistic argument the more they would come to agree with that conclusion. Three experimentally manipulated levels of effort were created by varying the number of preliminary syllogisms subjects had to solve in addition to finding the conclusion to the final set of premises, the assertion that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. Two levels of commitment to the belief that cigarette smoking does not cause lung cancer were defined by dividing subjects into those who smoked and those who did not. Attitude change scores indicated that the amount of effort expended was directly related to the amount of attitude change for smokers, but that nonsmokers in the three effort conditions did not differ in the amount of attitude change evinced. The data were interpreted as the result of dissonance reducing effort justification, but several alternative explanations are discussed. Also, the authors note the relevance of these findings of the question of whether it is best for a communicator to state his conclusion or leave it as an implication to be drawn from his premises by the audience.
Serotonin transporter genotype and mild traumatic brain injury independently influence resilience and perception of limitations in veterans.

Abstract Evidence indicates that individuals with the 5-HTTLPR variant short/short genotype have increased sensitivity to both positive and negative perceptions of perceived social support. The aim of this study was to evaluate this association among Veterans in the context of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). As part of a larger TBI center, we performed a cross-sectional study of 67 OEF/OIF/OND Veterans (41 with TBI and 26 controls without TBI) who completed the questionnaires and consented to genetic testing. The primary measures included the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CDRISC) and the Perceived Limitations in community participation subscale of the Community Reintegration of Service Members Instrument (CRIS-PL). Both 5-HTTLPR genotype and TBI status were independently associated with the CRIS-PL (p = .009 for genotype, p = .001 for TBI) and the CDRISC (p = .015 for genotype, p = .003 for TBI) scores. This study suggests that both the 5-HTTLPR genotype and TBI status independently, in an almost equal but opposite direction, influence resilience and perceived limitations to social participation. Further, resilience appears more sensitive to perceived limitations in Veterans carrying an S′S′ genotype than in L′ carriers, but only in the context of having sustained a TBI. While having a TBI appeared to increase a Veteran's sensitivity to social stress, the Veteran's who were L′ allele carriers with a TBI fared the worst, with lower resilience and more perceived limitations for community participation compared to L′ carrier Veterans without a TBI or Veterans with the S′S′ genotype regardless of TBI status.
Ischaemia–reperfusion is an event triggered by immune complexes and complement

Background Reperfusion injury is a common clinical problem that lacks effective therapy. Two decades of research implicating oxygen free radicals and neutrophils has not led to a single successful clinical trial. Methods The aim was to review new clinical and preclinical data pertaining to the alleviation of reperfusion injury. A review of the literature was undertaken by searching the MEDLINE database for the period 1966–2003 without language restrictions. Results and conclusion Evidence now points to complement and immune complexes as critical players in mediating reperfusion injury. Ischaemia is postulated to induce a phenotypical cellular change through the surface expression of a neoantigen. Preformed circulating natural IgM antibodies are then trapped and complement is activated. Final events leading to reperfusion injury include formation of the membrane attack complex and mast cell degranulation. Copyright © 2003 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of [norleucine27]growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) (1-29)-NH2 administration on the immune system of aging men and women.

Aging in humans is associated with the decline of functional activities of the GH-insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis and the immune system. Because lymphocytes express GH-IGF-I, as well as GHRH and their respective receptors, restoration of this axis in age-advanced individuals, by the administration of GHRH, may enhance immune cell function. This hypothesis was tested by a single blind randomized placebo-controlled trial of 5 months duration, in which healthy elderly subjects (10 women, 9 men) self-administered sc nightly placebo for 4 weeks, followed by 16 weeks of[ norleucine27]GHRH (1–29)-NH2 at a dose of 10 μg/kg. Fasting (0800 h–0900 h) blood samples were obtained for immune studies and for measurements of serum concentrations of IGF-I and soluble interleukin (IL)-2 receptor. GH pulsatility was determined in blood samples obtained at 10-min intervals for 12 h (2000 h–0800 h). Freshly isolated peripheral lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometric analysis for determination of lymphocyte subs...
Industry technical committees, technological distance, and innovation performance

Abstract In most technology-based markets, industry technical committees (TCs) that establish new technical standards and specifications have assumed importance for companies as a critical source of information on existing and emerging technologies. In this study, we investigate how the technological distance of a TC from the firm will shape the impact of TC participation on the firm's innovation performance. Specifically, we posit that participation in TCs that are central (low technological distance) to the company's existing product technologies and offerings will contribute to its competence-enhancing innovation whereas participation in TCs that are peripheral (high technological distance) to current technologies and offerings will contribute to its new-competence innovation . Given the need to interpret and apply the information internally, we also consider the moderating effects of the firm's absorptive capacity and knowledge integration mechanisms. The study hypotheses are validated by combining survey-based and archival data related to a sample of 168 US-based wireless telecommunication firms. The findings provide broad support for the study theses and imply the need for companies to carefully plan the nature of their TC participation so as to advance the desired type of innovation. Broader implications for future research on external knowledge sourcing and competence-based innovation are discussed.
Effect of Ultrasonic Vibration on Fluid-to-Particle Convective Heat Transfer Coefficients

Studies were conducted to determine the potential of ultrasonic energy as a heat transfer enhancing agent in sterilization applications. Metal transducer particles were immersed in warm liquids with and without sonic agitation, and temperature histories were recorded. Convective heat transfer coefficients were calculated from the solution to the lumped convective heat transfer equation. Results indicate that fluid-to-particle heat transfer was significantly enhanced by the use of sonic energy, and that within the range of variables investigated, the amount of enhancement was dependent more on natural convection and standing wave patterns than particle size and energy input per unit mass.
Microminiature packaging and integrated circuitry: the work of E. F. Rent, with an application to on-chip interconnection requirements

Research on Rent's rule in electrical engineering, the applied sciences, and technology has been based on the publication of a 1971 interpretation of Rent's memoranda by B. S. Landman and R. L. Russo. Because of the wide impact of Rent's work and requests from researchers, we present his original memoranda in this paper. We review the impact of Rent's work and present the memoranda in the context of IBM computer hardware development since the 1950s. Furthermore, because computer hardware components have changed significantly since the memoranda were written in 1960, a new interpretation is needed for today's ultra-large-scale integrated circuitry. On the basis of our analysis of the memoranda, one of the authors' personal knowledge of the 1401 and 1410 computers, and our experience in the design of high-performance circuitry for microprocessor chips, we have derived an historically equivalent interpretation of Rent's memoranda that is suitable for today's computer components. We describe an application of our historically equivalent interpretation to the problem of assessing on-chip interconnection requirements of control logic circuitry in the IBM POWER4TM microprocessor.
Ultrafast gating using a nonlinear Sagnac interferometer

Abstract We show theoretically and experimentally that Sagnac interferometers which include a medium which exhibits gain or absorption can be used to obtain picosecond or femtosecond optical gates with very high contrast and good transmission. This method is well suited for imaging through scattering media or extracting a weak signal from a broad background.
Phase Stability of Multicomponent NAPLs Containing PAHs

Multicomponent nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) contaminants that contain compounds that are solids in their pure states can undergo phase transformations. This paper examines the relationship between NAPL composition and liquid phase stability for mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), most of which are solids in pure form at ambient temperatures. Because any natural or engineered process that acts to selectively extract compounds will alter NAPL composition, knowledge of phase stability is an important determinant in risk assessment, remediation effectiveness, and research. Ideal solubility theory dictates that a NAPL will be a homogeneous liquid if each constituent's mole fraction is less than the solid−liquid reference fugacity ratio at the system temperature. Through experimental observation of binary and ternary systems, it is shown that ideal solubility theory is a reliable guide for predicting PAH−NAPL phase stability. Uncertainty in melting temperature and entropy of fusion is a signi...
Smooth Convex Three-Dimensional Particle for the Discrete-Element Method

Stable and efficient algorithms are presented for a three-dimensional particle for discrete-element simulations. The particle, termed an “ovoid,” approximates an axisymmetric ellipsoid but is composed of two spherical caps and a middle torus section. The particle is smooth and strictly convex, and both prolate and oblate shapes are possible. Contact inquiry between two ovoids involves finding the minimum distance between two circles in three-dimensional space, and an efficient iterative algorithm is applied to this purpose. Computer trials show that the algorithms are stable and that runtimes are only modestly longer than for assemblies of spheres.
An Experimental Investigation of HCCI Combustion Stability Using n-Heptane

The combustion stability of a single-cylinder homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine operated with n-heptane was experimentally investigated over a range of engine speeds (N), intake temperatures and pressures, compression ratios (CR), air/fuel ratios (AFR), and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rates. These parameters were varied to alter the combustion phasing from an overly advanced condition where engine knock occurred to an overly retarded condition where incomplete combustion was observed with excessive emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and unburned hydrocarbons (UHC). The combustion stability was quantified by the coefficients of variation in indicated mean effective pressure (COVimep ) and peak cylinder pressure (COVPmax ). Cycle-to-cycle variations in the HCCI combustion behavior of this engine were shown to depend strongly on the combustion phasing, defined in this study as the crank angle position where 50% of the energy was released (CA50). In general, combustion instability increased significantly when the combustion phasing was overly retarded. The combustion phasing was limited to conditions where the COVimep was 5% or less as engine operation became difficult to control beyond this point. Based on the experimental data, the combustion phasing limit was approximately a linear function of the amount of fuel inducted in each cycle. Stable HCCI combustion could be obtained with progressively retarded combustion phasing as the fuel flow rate increased. In comparison, stable HCCI combustion was only obtained under very advanced combustion phasing for low load operating conditions. Investigation of the experimental data reveals that the cyclic variations in HCCI combustion were due to cycle-to-cycle variations in total heat release (THR). The combustion completeness of the previous cycle affected the in-cylinder bulk mixture conditions and resultant heat release process of the following engine cycle.
Decentralized optimal control of a 2n-area power system

This paper considers the design of a fixed structure decentralized controller for a 2n - area power system. The controller structure allows that each local controller has the local state variables and the interaction variables available to it. The controllers consist of constant feedback gain matrices. The criterion for the specification of these gain matrices is the minimization of a centralized quadratic cost functional. This optimization is achieved via the solution of a set of necessary conditions which take the form of a set of simultaneous nonlinear algebraic equations. A computational algorithm is presented for the solution of the necessary conditions and simulation of the closed loop system (with 2n = 4) is used to illustrate the effectiveness of this controller under various types of operating conditions. This controller is compared to other controllers of the same structure as well as to the centralized optimal controller. Some of the distinctive features of the decentralized controller are delineated, and system trade offs are discussed.
Excited states of strongly bound electron-lattice systems

We consider the excited states of a one-dimensional polaron model with a short-range interaction. In the limit of strong coupling the problem reduces to the solution of a nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation familiar from recent work on solitons. We find that although the ground state of this equation is reasonable for the polaron problem, the excited states are not.
Determination of Brain Death With Use of Color Duplex Scanning in the Intensive Care Unit Setting

Objective: To determine if color flow duplex scanning (CFDS) can be used for rapid confirmation of presumed brain death. Design: Pilot cohort study comparison of CFDS with radionuclide cerebral scanning (RCS) as the criterion standard. Setting: Community-based level I trauma center intensive care unit. Patients: Twenty-four patients who satisfied criteria for presumed brain death. Main Outcome Measure: Confirmation of presumed brain death. Results: CFDS correctly identified 16 of 24 patients as brain dead, confirmed by RCS. Eight patients with brain flow on RCS were also correctly identified by CFDS. Only two of 24 patients survived their severe injuries. Conclusions: CFDS provides a uniform, cost-effective diagnostic tool for rapid confirmation of clinical brain death with 100% accuracy. Its use should complement RCS, given its rapid interpretation, portability, and economical assessment of presumed brain death. (Arch Surg. 1995;130:517-520)
Synthesis of 3- and 4-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-L-rhamnose, and of 3-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-L-rhamnose, and their use in precipitin inhibition studies with type VII antipneumococcal serum

Abstract Syntheses of 3- and 4- O -β- D -galactopyranosyl- L -rhamnose and of 3- O -(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β- D -glucopyranosyl)- L -rhamnose are described. Comparison of the inhibitory powers of these three disaccharides with those of a selection of other disaccharides on the precipitin reaction between Type VII antipneumococcal horse serum and Type VII pneumococcal polysaccharide or Tamarind A polysaccharide showed that O - D -galactosyl- and O -(2-acetamido-2-deoxy- D -glucosyl)- L -rhamnose groups are important serological determinants in the pneumococcal Type VII polysaccharide.
Application of the vacuum/steam/vacuum surface intervention process to reduce bacteria on the surface of fruits and vegetables

Abstract A vacuum/steam/vacuum (VSV) surface intervention process has previously been developed for poultry and hot dogs. The process uses a brief exposure to vacuum to remove surface air and water to expose bacteria. After a short treatment with saturated steam (0.1 s), a second vacuum treatment evaporatively cools the surface, resulting in the destruction of bacteria with little or no thermal damage. The VSV surface intervention process has also been applied to fruits and vegetables. Optimization methods were used with cantaloupes, grapefruits, and beets to determine process conditions for steam temperature, steam time, vacuum time, and number of cycles to destroy bacteria with the constraint of little or no thermal damage. Inoculated Listeria innocua was used for the cantaloupe and grapefruit studies and total aerobic plate count (APC) was used for the beet study. Bacteria destruction ranged from 2.5 log cfu/ml APC for beets to almost 4 log L. innocua for grapefruits. The process was successfully applied to other fruits and vegetables such as papayas, mangoes, avocados, kiwis, carrots, cucumbers, and peaches, using the nominal process conditions found with cantaloupes, grapefruits, and beets. Applying the process to bananas, cauliflower, broccoli, and peppers resulted in thermal or mechanical damage. The total process time was 0.5–1.2 s, depending on the number of cycles and the process time per cycle. Assuming that these results with APC and L. innocua are indicative of the treatment of naturally present pathogens, this surface intervention process should ensure that fruits and vegetables suitable for this process will reach the consumer having greatly reduced levels of bacterial contamination.
Brain activation and neurochemistry

Dopamine (DA) disruption is implicated in the neuropathology of multiple brain disorders (schizophrenia, addiction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Parkinson disease) and it is the main target of antipsychotics, stimulants, and antiparkinson medications. Although with PET and single-photon emission computed tomography one can measure DA signaling in the human brain, the application of these methodologies has been limited by its cost (PET), limited access to radiotracers, and the restrictions imposed by the use of radiation. Thus, alternative imaging modalities that overcome these limitations could expand their utilization in clinical research and would bring us closer to a more accessible biomarker for assessing brain DA activity in the clinical setting. In PNAS, Sander et al. (1) demonstrate a dynamic coupling between DA D2 receptor (D2R) occupancy level, a marker of DA neurotransmission, and the concomitant regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) changes in the primate brain.
Alternative Assessment in Elementary School Mathematics

(1998). Alternative Assessment in Elementary School Mathematics. Childhood Education: Vol. 74, No. 4, pp. 220-224.
Summer upwelling on the Sydney inner continental shelf: The relative roles of local wind forcing and mesoscale eddy encroachment

Abstract The inner shelf and surf-zone near Sydney experience several major upwelling events each summer, with a typical event being several days long. Two potential causes of these events are local wind forcing and cross-shelf advection related to the presence of mesoscale eddies over the continental slope. The relative roles of these processes are assessed from cross-shelf temperature transects, weekly hydrographic stations in 50 and 100 m of water, and daily surf-zone temperatures. Local wind forcing affects the vertical motion of the pycnocline over the stratified inner shelf, with typical vertical velocities of about 10 m day −1 for a coast-parallel wind stress of 0.2 N m −2 . The hydrographic response lags the wind stress by between 1 and 2 days. About half of the major upwelling events in the surf-zone and over the inner shelf can be identified with periods of strong southward wind stress. Cross-shelf advection associated with the presence of anticyclonic mesoscale eddies near the coast accounts for most of the remaining major upwelling events. The strong southward flow on the inshore side of these eddies results in an onshore mass flux in the bottom boundary layer, which displaces warm surface water seaward over the inner shelf. The currents may also be sufficiently strong for bottom friction to totally homogenize the water column at the 50 m isobath. Both cross-shelf advection and vertical mixing then lead to cooler water in the surf-zone.
Heterogeneity of IK1 in the mouse heart

Previous studies have shown that cardiac inward rectifier potassium current (IK1) channels are heteromers of distinct Kir2 subunits and suggested that species- and tissue-dependent expression of th...
Pathogenesis of Autographa californica M nucleopolyhedrovirus in fifth instar Spodoptera frugiperda.

We have characterized infection and pathogenesis of an Autographa californica M nucleopolyhedrovirus recombinant, AcMNPV-hsp70/lacZ, carrying the lacZ reporter gene, in penultimate (fifth) instar Spodoptera frugiperda. Bioassays revealed that while <0.1 p.f.u. of budded virus was required to generate an LD(50) by intrahaemocoelic injection, approximately 6000 occlusions were required orally to achieve the same mortality in newly moulted fifth instar (5(0)) larvae. In pathogenesis experiments, 78 % of the 5(0) larvae inoculated orally with 6000 occlusions of AcMNPV-hsp70/lacZ were LacZ-positive at 8 h post-inoculation (p.i.) and 50 % had LacZ signals in tracheal cells indicating that in these larvae infection had been transmitted from the midgut to secondary target cells. At 24 h p.i., maximum numbers of midgut and midgut-associated tracheal foci were observed (mean of 35 foci per infected larva), and 88 % of the larvae were LacZ-positive. The extremely low foci-per-occlusion ratio (0.006) indicated that successful infection of midgut cells was the primary barrier to fatal infection. A second barrier involved the loss of infected tracheal cells associated with the midgut. At 24 h p.i., 88 % of the inoculated larvae had a systemic infection, but in bioassays only 51 % succumbed to polyhedrosis disease. The absence of melanized tracheal cells in the insects throughout the time-course suggested that the larvae that cleared their infections (38 %) did so by a mechanism other than a classical immune response.
Multi-style language model for web scale information retrieval

Web documents are typically associated with many text streams, including the body, the title and the URL that are determined by the authors, and the anchor text or search queries used by others to refer to the documents. Through a systematic large scale analysis on their cross entropy, we show that these text streams appear to be composed in different language styles, and hence warrant respective language models to properly describe their properties. We propose a language modeling approach to Web document retrieval in which each document is characterized by a mixture model with components corresponding to the various text streams associated with the document. Immediate issues for such a mixture model arise as all the text streams are not always present for the documents, and they do not share the same lexicon, making it challenging to properly combine the statistics from the mixture components. To address these issues, we introduce an 'open-vocabulary' smoothing technique so that all the component language models have the same cardinality and their scores can simply be linearly combined. To ensure that the approach can cope with Web scale applications, the model training algorithm is designed to require no labeled data and can be fully automated with few heuristics and no empirical parameter tunings. The evaluation on Web document ranking tasks shows that the component language models indeed have varying degrees of capabilities as predicted by the cross-entropy analysis, and the combined mixture model outperforms the state-of-the-art BM25F based system.
The Significance of Ground Effect to the Aerodynamic Cost of Flight and Energetics of the Black Skimmer (Rhyncops Nigra)

The kinematics and aerodynamics of flapping and gliding flight by the black skimmer were investigated to evaluate the significance of ground effect to the foraging and daily energy budget of skimmers. Ground effect is an increase in lift and decrease in drag of an aerofoil when close to the ground. The duration of upstroke and downstroke, the wing movements and the pronation/supination of the wings during flapping flight of the skimmer are similar to other birds. Wing-beat frequency was 3.1 s-1 and flight velocity was 9.1 m s-1. The wing stroke was markedly asymmetric, with the majority of the stroke occurring above the plane of the body. During skimming, wing beats are intermittent and of low amplitude; flight velocity is 10.3 m s-1. Induced power, parasite power and profile power of skimmers were calculated after Tucker (1973) in the absence of ground effect, and the glide angle and sink velocity were calculated for gliding skimmers. Ground effect was shown to markedly reduce induced power requirements, and hence total power requirement, of flapping flight, and reduce the glide angle and sink velocity during gliding. The hydrodynamic drag of the lower mandible was estimated to be 10-4 N, which is insignificant compared to the total aerodynamic drag (0.4 N). Ground effect was shown to markedly increase foraging efficiency and facilitate the attainment of a positive daily energy balance. The significance of ground effect to other flying vertebrates was discussed. Note: Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Republic of south Africa.
A retrospective analysis of possible renal toxicity associated with vancomycin in patients with health care-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia.

Objective: The goal of this investigation was to determine whether more aggressive vancomycin dosing is associated with greater risk for renal toxicity in patients with health care‐associated pneumonia (HCAP) attributed to methicilllin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center, observational cohort study. The following information was obtained for all study patients from automated hospital, microbiology, and pharmacy databases: age, sex, weight, serial serum creatinine (SCr), ageand sex-adjusted creatinine clearance (CrCl) during receipt of vancomycin, vancomycin serum trough concentrations, duration of vancomycin therapy, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores. Renal toxicity was defined as either a 0.5-mg/dL increase from baseline in SCr or a ≥50% increase in SCr based on serial SCr measurements. Data for patients who met the definition of renal toxicity were compared with data for those who did not. Results: Ninety-four patients (mean [SD] age, 59.0 [15.6] years; 59 [62.8%] men; 73 (77.7%) white; mean baseline CrCl, 70.3 [23.0] mL/min) were identified as having MRSA HCAP. Forty (42.6%) patients developed renal toxicity. Patients who developed renal toxicity were significantly more likely than patients who did not develop renal toxicity to have greater mean vancomycin serum trough concentrations (20.8 [9.9] µg/mL vs 14.3 [6.7] µg/mL, respectively; P < 0.001), vancomycin serum trough concentrations ≥15 µg/mL (67.5% vs 40.7%; P = 0.01), and a prolonged duration (≥14 days) of vancomycin treatment (45.0% vs 20.4%; P = 0.011). Logistic regression analysis identified a maximum vancomycin serum trough concentration of ≥15 µg/mL as being independently associated with renal toxicity (adjusted odds ratio = 2.82; 95% CI, 1.02‐7.74; P = 0.045). The overall mean change in CrCl for the study population was ‐13.5 (‐16.0) mL/min (range, 0.0 to ‐62.6 mL/min). Patients with maximum measured vancomycin serum trough concentrations ≥15 µg/mL (n = 49) had significantly greater absolute changes in CrCl compared with patients with maximum measured vancomycin serum trough concentrations <15 µg/mL (n = 45) (‐18.9 [‐17.0] vs ‐7.6 [‐12.5] mL/min, respectively; P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results suggest that aggressive vancomycin dosing and prolonged vancomycin administration may be associated with greater risk for renal toxicity in patients with MRSA HCAP. However, this retrospective study cannot establish causation, and a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial is needed. (Clin Ther. 2007;29:1107‐1115) Copyright © 2007 Excerpta Medica, Inc.
Discussion Addendum for: Synthesis of Indoles By Palladium Catalyzed Reductive N‐Heteroannulation of 2‐Nitrostyrenes: Methyl Indole‐4‐Carboxylate

triphenylphosphine triphenylphosphine oxide 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline palladium ditrifluoroacetate bis(diphenylphosphino)propane Pinacolborane 3-methyl-1-azatricyclo[5.2.1.0]decane Keywords: palladium-catalyzed reduction; N-heterocyclization; 1-(2-nitroaryl)-1-alkenes; carbon monoxide; indoles; elemental selenium; N-hydroxyindoles; triethylphosphite
Experimental investigations of 60 GHz WLAN systems in office environment

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of 60 GHz wireless local area network (WLAN) systems in an office environment. The measurement setup with highly directional mechanically steerable antennas and 800 MHz bandwidth was developed and experiments were performed for conference room and cubicle environments. Measurement results demonstrate that the 60 GHz propagation channel is quasioptical in nature and received signal power is obtained through line of sight (LOS) and reflected signal paths of the first and second orders. The 60 GHz WLAN system prototype using steerable directional antennas with 18 dB gain was able to achieve about 30 dB baseband SNR for LOS transmission, about 15-20 dB for communications through the first-order reflected path, and 2-6 dB SNR when using second-order reflection for the office environments. The intra cluster statistical parameters of the propagation channel were evaluated and a statistical model for reflected clusters is proposed. Experimental results demonstrating strong polarization impact on the characteristics of the propagation channel are presented. Cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) of the propagation channel was estimated as approximately 20 dB for LOS transmission and 10-20 dB for NLOS reflected paths.
Organ Transplantation: Who Decides?

The author surveys the organ transplantation procurement program and identifies problems that the successes in this new field are creating. A major problem--the growing gap between the demand for and supply of transplantable human organs--is examined, and the need for ensuring equity of access to limited numbers of organs is discussed. In addition, the various approaches to solving the problem of inequity are reviewed, and the contributions that social workers can make to decision-making processes are discussed. Social work roles at the societal, institutional, and individual case levels are proposed, and suggestions for effective role performance are noted.