cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A COMPARISON OF CALCANEAL BONE DENSITY IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETES AND NON-ATHLETES

Background Limited evidence exists regarding calcaneal bone mineral density (cBMD) and lower extremity overuse bone injury (LEOBI). Objective Determine if there is an association between LEOBI (stress fractures and MTSS) and cBMD. Design Prospective cohort design. Setting NCAA Division I University. Patients (or Participants) 84 (64 females, 20 males) intercollegiate athletes and 103 (82 females, 21 males) non-athlete college students. Inclusion criteria: ≥18 years of age and no current lower extremity injury. Interventions (or Assessment of Risk Factors) In Phase I, athlete surveys regarding injury history and for females, menstrual history, and height and weight were measured. Athletes were followed for 9–10 months to identify the occurrence of LEOBI. In Phase II, non-athlete college students completed injury history, physical activity, and, for females, menstrual history surveys, and height and weight were measured. Main Outcome Measurements cBMD was assessed using ultrasound densitometry. At the end of the study, athletes received a second cBMD measurement. Results In Phase I, there was no difference in initial cBMD (p>0.05) between athletes with and without LEOBI, but there was a trend towards decreased cBMD in athletes with LEOBI. At the end of the study, right cBMD (p=0.05) and left cBMD (p=0.07) were lower in athletes with LEOBI. In Phase II, non-athletes had significantly lower bilateral cBMD (p=.000) and speed of sound (SOS) (p=0.000) than athletes. Sub-analysis revealed highly significant differences in SOS (p=0.000) and cBMD (p=0.000) for females (non-athletes vs. athletes). Being a female non-athlete was a significant risk factor for a negative cBMD T-score for both the right (RR=2.2, 95% CI=1.4–3.3) and left (RR=1.7, 95% CI=1.1–2.6). Conclusions Athletes who did not experience LEOBI had significantly higher cBMD than non-athletes and athletes experiencing LEOBI. Future research should include larger sample sizes and adolescent subjects to identify influences on bone response to loading over time.
NIST Standards for Measurement, Instrument Calibration, and Quantification of Gaseous Atmospheric Compounds

There are many gas phase compounds present in the atmosphere that affect and influence the earth's climate. These compounds absorb and emit radiation, a process which is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The major greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Some halocarbons are also strong greenhouse gases and are linked to stratospheric ozone depletion. Hydrocarbons and monoterpenes are precursors and contributors to atmospheric photochemical processes, which lead to the formation of particulates and secondary photo-oxidants such as ozone, leading to photochemical smog. Reactive gases such as nitric oxide and sulfur dioxide are also compounds found in the atmosphere and generally lead to the formation of other oxides. These compounds can be oxidized in the air to acidic and corrosive gases and contribute to photochemical smog. Measurements of these compounds in the atmosphere have been ongoing for decades to track growth rates and assist in curbing emissions of these compounds into the atmosphere. To accurately establish mole fraction trends and assess the role of these gas phase compounds in atmospheric chemistry, it is essential to have good calibration standards. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has been developing standards of many of these compounds for over 40 years. This paper discusses the development of these standards.
Neurons and Nervous Systems: First Approximations

For an animal species to endure, its members must consume nutrients and avoid being consumed themselves, at least until they can successfully reproduce. To accomplish these tasks, animals have to sense conditions in and around themselves and respond accordingly. In all animals above the phylogenetic level of the marine sponge, the capacities to sense and behave are controlled by special cells called nerve cells or, more commonly, neurons, which assemble themselves into networks called nervous systems. Before setting out to study the most advanced of all nervous systems, the human brain, it may be worthwhile to first take a long view of the properties of neurons and nervous systems.
Optimal Event-Driven Multiagent Persistent Monitoring of a Finite Set of Data Sources

We consider the problem of controlling the movement of multiple cooperating agents so as to minimize an uncertainty metric associated with a finite number of data sources. In a one-dimensional (1-D) mission space, we adopt an optimal control framework and show that the solution can be reduced to a simpler parametric optimization problem: Determining a sequence of locations where each agent may dwell for a finite amount of time and then switch direction. This amounts to a hybrid system which we analyze using the infinitesimal perturbation analysis (IPA) to obtain a complete online solution through an event-driven gradient-based algorithm which is also robust with respect to the uncertainty model used. The resulting controller depends on observing the events required to excite the gradient-based algorithm, which cannot be guaranteed. We solve this problem by introducing a new metric for the objective function which creates a potential field guaranteeing that gradient values are nonzero. This approach is compared to an alternative graph-based target-visit scheduling and dwell times optimization algorithm. The simulation examples are included to demonstrate the proposed methods.
Nonlinear optics in hybrid organic-inorganic ultra high Q integrated microcavities

By grafting oriented monolayers of highly nonlinear organic small molecules to the surface of conventional optical resonators, we demonstrate a new strategy for fabricating high performance Raman lasers and frequency combs.
Variability and Synchrony of Seasonal Indicators in Dental Cementum Microstructure of the Kaminiriak Caribou Population

ABSTRACT: It has recently been established that microstructural variations in dental cementum indicate not only age, but also the season of death of mammals in highly seasonal environments. Because dental microstructure often remains intact in even fossilized teeth, these phenomena are of particular interest to zooarchaeologists. In this paper the degree to which these seasonal indications vary within one modern population of caribou is assessed. While broad temporal synchrony in cementum growth cycles within the population is demonstrated, variation is exhibited. The sources of variation derive from the mechanical error in specimen preparation and analysis and the different feeding behaviors of the socially segregated caribou. Keywords: Dental annuli analysis, Caribou, Rangifer tarandus , Seasonality, Skeletochronoly, Teeth RESUMEN: Ha quedado recientemente demostrado que las variaciones microestructurales en el cemento dentario no solo son indicadores de la edad sino tambien del momento de muerte de mamiferos que viven en ambientes con cambios estacionales marcados. Dado que con frecuencia la microestructura dentaria permanece intacta, incluso en dientes fosilizados, tales fenomenos resultan de especial interes en arqueozoologia. En este estudio se calibra el grado de variacion de estos indicadores estacionales dentro de una poblacion extante de caribues. Si bien se demuestra la existencia de una amplia sincronia en los ciclos de deposicion del cemento dentro de dicha poblacion, constatamos asimismo variaciones. Tales fuentes de variacion derivan tanto de errores mecanicos en la preparacion y analisis de las muestras como de las estrategias alimentarias evidenciadas por las diferentes agregaciones sociales que exhibe esta especie. Palabras clave: Analisis de anillos dentarios, Caribu, Rangifer Tarandus , Estacionalidad, Esqueletocronologia, Diente
The importance of being dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (in the blood of primates): A longer and healthier life?

Abstract The general aging sequence in tissues of healthy human beings is proposed to be: capillary endothelial cell damage → arteriosclerosis → decreased blood flow → metabolic dysregulation → secondary tissue damage. Molecular O2 is an obligatory substrate for the successive syntheses of 17α-OH pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) by cytochrome P450c17 in the zona reticularis of the adrenal cortex, in which it is suggested that arteriosclerosis → decreased blood flow → O2 and glucose deficit → decreased O2-requiring synthesis of DHEA → eventual decrease in number of DHEA-synthesizing cells. Aging changes in the zona reticularis synergize with those in the hypothalamo-hypophyseal machinery that controls it neurally and hormonally, with ACTH-evoked pulsatile floods of cortisol coming from the adrenal zona fasciculata, with the onslaught of free radicals generated by the metabolism of catecholamines released from interdigitating cells of the adrenal medulla, and with age-correlated disabilities of erythrocytes to bind and release O2 to decrease the viability of the DHEA and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS)-forming cells. One of the chief functions of serum DHEAS in the male may be to act as an allosteric facilitator of the binding of testosterone (T) to serum albumin, thereby helping target T to specific receptors and to allosteric sites for rapid and efficient action at the cellular level. There is reason to consider combining O2 therapy with appropriate administration of DHEA and T to optimize steroid functionality in the healthy aging male, and thus, possibly, to alleviate some of the age-related cognitive and physical decrements that occur.
Spinal Coccidioidomycosis: MR Imaging Findings in 41 Patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Coccidioides immitis is a dimorphic fungus endemic to the Southwest United States and Mexico, and at our institution, it is a relatively common pathogen presenting with a broad spectrum of associated spine diseases. We describe the various spinal manifestations resulting from coccidioidal infection and provide MR imaging examples from 41 pathologically proved cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective electronic medical record and PACS searches were performed. Patients found to have both MR imaging findings positive for infection and confirmative biopsy and/or CSF studies were included. Abnormal MR imaging findings were identified, categorized, and quantified. Patient demographics and associated intracranial involvement if present were also recorded. RESULTS: Forty-one patients were included. Positive findings were categorized as leptomeningeal enhancement (26 patients, 63%), arachnoiditis (22 patients, 54%), osteomyelitis-discitis (14 patients, 34%), cord edema (11 patients, 27%), and true syrinx (3 patients, 7%). Thirty patients had documented brain involvement (73%), most commonly in the form of basilar meningitis. Four patients were positive for HIV (10%). Fifteen patients had pulmonary manifestations at presentation (37%). CONCLUSIONS: C immitis results in various spinal manifestations, most commonly leptomeningeal enhancement and arachnoiditis/adhesive disease followed by osteomyelitis, which may resemble tuberculous or pyogenic infection on MR imaging.
Rotary-Reciprocating Movement Switched Reluctance Machines with Auxiliary Poles

A new switched reluctance machine rotor topology with combined rotary and reciprocating linear movement is presented in this paper. The stator is identical to a conventional switched reluctance machine but the rotor poles are axially offset. The variable reluctance in the circumferential and axial directions creates a combined rotary-reciprocating rectilinear movement by producing axial and radial magnetic flux in the airgap with just one set of the stator windings excited in the same manner as a standard switched reluctance machine. The proposed rotor here is equipped with auxiliary pole tips to give more flexibility in the design stage to control the torque and force production. These auxiliary poles can control the airgap's radial and axial fluxes leading to a tradeoff between the torque and force production capability. Details of the proposed rotor structure are presented, the principle operation is discussed, and its magnetic equivalent circuit is derived. Static 3D-FEA is applied to derive output torque and force profiles along with examination of the impact of the auxiliary pole height on design tradeoffs.
Misattributed Paternity in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: The Role of the Healthcare Provider

BACKGROUND With emerging technologies and genetic advancements in the field of oncology, ethical controversies and questions on how to approach them will continue to grow. Advancements in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have led to increased testing of transplantation recipients' children and parents as potential donors related to an increase in the use of haploidentical transplantations. This testing opens the door for an increased incidence of misattributed paternity findings. OBJECTIVES This article attempts to address the ethical conflicts and provide potential solutions to assist in the transition from individual-focused care to family-focused care. METHODS The principlist approach was used. FINDINGS Healthcare providers should be educated on methods of incidental finding disclosure and how to provide adequate support for those individuals.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Increased Prevalence of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Hospitalized Patients

Abstract Objective To assess the prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and its individual phenotypes of coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD), and cerebrovascular disease by age and sex in a large US cohort of hospitalized patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods A nested case-control study of adults with and without SLE was conducted from the January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2014, National Inpatient Sample. Hospitalized patients with SLE were matched (1:3) by age, sex, race, and calendar year to hospitalized patients without SLE. The prevalences of CAD, PAD, and cerebrovascular disease were evaluated, and associations with SLE were determined after adjustment for common cardiovascular risk factors. Results Among the 252,676 patients with SLE and 758,034 matched patients without SLE, the mean age was 51 years, 89% were women, and 49% were white. Patients with SLE had a higher prevalence of ASCVD vs those without SLE (25.6% vs 19.2%; OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.44-1.47; P Conclusion In hospitalized US patients, SLE was associated with increased ASCVD prevalence, which was observed in both sexes and was greatest in younger patients.
Art Museums and Community Cooperation

Some art museums are challenging the standard mission of collecting, conserving, and disseminating knowledge about encyclopedic archives of art objects. These museums place art engagement and cooperation with local organizations and audiences as core principles which drive their work, encouraging programming that is directly relevant to the daily lives of neighboring communities. The Queens Museum’s community engaged practices are the focus of the book. Located in Corona, Queens, New York City’s most diverse borough, the museum’s neighborhood shares the social, political, and economic stresses of many cities globally. Cooperative art practice is central to enacting the right to the city for all residents. Foundational literature and key terminology are introduced: socially engaged turn in museums, socially engaged art, museum, place, community engagement, cooperation, and equity.
Sex Differences in Circulating Soluble Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) Levels and Adverse Outcomes in Coronary Artery Disease.

Background Women have higher circulating levels of soluble urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), and elevated suPAR is associated with cardiovascular risk. The independent associat...
Farmland Investment Characteristics from a Forward-Looking Perspective: An Explanation for the “High Return/Low Risk” Paradox

Land values and cash rents are slow to adjust, and therefore the returns from owning farmland may be time varying and serially correlated. This article investigates a farmland portfolio’s nominal and real returns from a forward-looking perspective, taking into account time-varying return and serial correlation. The results indicate that the attractive average return level observed historically can be attained only over a long investment period. The risk involved in the long investment period, however, is also substantial. As a result, in mixed-asset investment portfolios, the allocations to farmland are much lower than traditional mean-variance optimization implies.
Dynamics and significance of the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection

BACKGROUND Characterizing the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and developing accurate serologic assays are needed for diagnostic purposes and estimating population-level seroprevalence. METHODS We measured the kinetics of early antibody responses to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of 259 symptomatic North American patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (up to 75 days after symptom onset) compared to antibody levels in 1548 individuals whose blood samples were obtained prior to the pandemic. RESULTS Between 14-28 days from onset of symptoms, IgG, IgA, or IgM antibody responses to RBD were all accurate in identifying recently infected individuals, with 100% specificity and a sensitivity of 97%, 91%, and 81% respectively. Although the estimated median time to becoming seropositive was similar across isotypes, IgA and IgM antibodies against RBD were short-lived with most individuals estimated to become seronegative again by 51 and 47 days after symptom onset, respectively. IgG antibodies against RBD lasted longer and persisted through 75 days post-symptoms. IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 RBD were highly correlated with neutralizing antibodies targeting the S protein. No cross-reactivity of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD-targeted antibodies was observed with several known circulating coronaviruses, HKU1, OC 229 E, OC43, and NL63. CONCLUSIONS Among symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 cases, RBD-targeted antibodies can be indicative of previous and recent infection. IgG antibodies are correlated with neutralizing antibodies and are possibly a correlate of protective immunity.
Potential wildfire and carbon stability in frequent‐fire forests in the Sierra Nevada: trade‐offs from a long‐term study

Forests are the largest terrestrial carbon stock, and disturbance regimes can have large effects on the structure and function of forests. Many dry temperate forests in the western United States are adapted to a regime of frequent, low‐to‐moderate severity fire. The disruption of this disturbance regime over the last century has shifted forest conditions, making them more susceptible to high‐severity fire. Fuel treatments have been shown to effectively reduce wildfire hazard, often with co‐benefits to ecological values. However, the effects of fuel treatments on forest carbon are complex, often characterized by direct costs (e.g., carbon emissions from prescribed fire) and wildfire‐contingent benefits (increased resistance of live tree carbon to wildfire). In this study, we employ risk‐sensitive carbon accounting and empirical data from a replicated field experiment to evaluate the stand‐scale carbon effects of four management regimes over a 14‐yr period in a historically frequent‐fire adapted forest. All three active treatment regimes immediately increased stable live tree carbon stocks over no‐treatment controls. In most contexts examined, mechanical‐only or no‐treatment controls will maximize expected total carbon stocks when incorporating wildfire risk and the carbon stability of live biomass, dead biomass, and offsite forest products, although we acknowledge our wildfire modeling may underestimate C losses, particularly in the control stands. Undoubtedly, many other ecosystem and social values besides carbon will be important factors that influence fuel and restoration treatments.
The Twenty-Something Soul: Understanding the Religious and Secular Lives of American Young Adults: by Tim Clydesdale and Kathleen Garces-Foley, New York, Oxford University Press, 2019, xi + 242 pp., US$29.95 (hardback), ISBN 978 0 1909 3135 3

Religion among twentysomethings is akin to the polar ice cap: there is plenty of ice now and likely will be for years to come, but the melt rate is rising, and if sustained, the long-term impact wi...
Solutions of the variational equation for an $n$-th order boundary value problem with an integral boundary condition

We discuss differentiation of solutions to the boundary value problem y ( n ) = f ( x , y , y ′ , y ′ ′ , … , y ( n − 1 ) ) , a < x < b , y ( i ) ( x j ) = y i j , 0 ≤ i ≤ m j , 1 ≤ j ≤ k − 1 , y ( i ) ( x k ) + ∫ c d p y ( x ) d x = y i k , 0 ≤ i ≤ m k , ∑ i = 1 k m i = n , with respect to the boundary data. We show that under certain conditions, partial derivatives of the solution y(x) of the boundary value problem with respect to the various boundary data exist and solve the associated variational equation along y(x).
Design of countermeasure to packet falsification in vehicle platooning by explainable artificial intelligence

Abstract In view of system reliability, extraction of knowledge from models of artificial intelligence may be more important than their forecasting ability. The elaboration of rules found by explainable artificial intelligence gives here insight into the problem of packet falsification in vehicle platooning. Detection and countermeasure are designed on the basis of feature and value ranking as well as rule confidence and they are validated under a large range of working conditions. The certification of safe operating conditions is found by achieving (statistically) zero false negatives, namely, the operating conditions predicted as ‘safe’ never lead to collision despite the cyber attack.
The Rise and Decline of a Liberal International Order

The international order favored by Western powers since World War II has been primarily rules-based, organized around the principles of open markets, liberal democracy, and human rights, and defended by a web of military alliances and security guarantees—but it has not been static in form, depth, or geographic breadth. It has evolved as postwar geopolitical structure has shifted. During the Cold War, embedded liberalism characterized an international order limited largely to the West. In the unipolar moment at the end of the Cold War, the rules-based order globalized and became hyperliberal. In today’s multipolar world, the global liberal order is in decline: power has dispersed, revisionist states disfavor liberalism, and Western governments face political blowback from the distributive consequences of the freer movement of goods, services, and people that was a product of hyperliberalism. While reviving the global liberal order of the recent past is impossible, it would be possible to reconstitute a fundamentally liberal rules-based order, subject to an updated social contract, covering much of the world.
How Mass Incarceration Underdevelops Latino Communities

In criminal justice scholarship, there is an abundance of research that charts the monumental growth of American prisons in the post–civil rights era. Scholars have labeled this punitive posture by a host of terms, perhaps most prominently mass incarceration or mass imprisonment. Other monikers include “hyper-incarceration,” “warehousing,” “prison industrial complex,” and “incarceration nation.” During this period, prison rates soared and in due time distinguished the country with the highest rate of incarceration and largest prison population in the world. The shift to incarceration, however, was not evenly spread among American society, but rather became the burden of underclass ethnic communities. While the darkening of American prisons has been well told, little research has focused on the implications for communities to which inmates return. Even less research focuses on Latino communities. This chapter contributes by offering a comprehensive picture of how the penal system not only arrests the development of Latino communities, but affirmatively works to hinder them.
The main determinants of inflation in Albania

The authors investigate the behavior and determinants of inflation in Albania, using three approaches. They decompose inflation into four components: seasonal, cyclical, trend, and random: rely on the widely used Granger causality test, using disaggregated data on both the consumer price index (CPI) and key economic variables; and apply cointegration and error correction techniques to the process of inflation, using a simple theoretical model. Using the first approach, they conclude that inflation exhibits strong seasonal patterns associated with agriculture seasonality. Peaks and troughs of monetary aggregates correspond to those of inflation, with a two-month lag. The exchange rate also exhibits stable seasonality, reaching its trough in August and tending to depreciate early in the year. The Granger causality test shows M1 (currency in circulation plus demand deposits) and the exchange rate to have predictive content for most items of the CPI. The empirical findings also indicate that credit to government is a good predictor of medical care, transportation, and communication prices. But causality also runs from the prices of bread and cereals, recreation, education, and culture to credit to government, since these items, at least during the period under consideration, are subsidized and contribute to the budget deficit. And causality runs from credit to government to the price of nontradables, highlighting the fact that an increase in the fiscal deficit would undermine Albania's competitiveness by producing appreciation in the real exchange rates. The results of cointegration and error-correction techniques confirm that, in the long run, inflation is positively related to both money supply and the exchange rate, and negatively related to real income. A 1-percent increase in M1, for example will raise inflation by 0.41 percent; a 1-percent depreciation of the exchange rate will increase inflation by 0.17 percent; whereas a 1-percent increase in real income will reduce inflation by 0.25. Inflation adjusts to its equilibrium value fairly rapidly - 25 percent a month. The impact of the exchange rate on inflation occurs a month later, while the impact of real income and money takes place two and four months later, respectively. The findings support the conventional elements of a typical stabilization program. Fighting inflation and keeping exports competitive requires reducing both the budget deficit and credit to government. The strong seasonal nature of inflation can be somewhat ameliorated by improving infrastructure and customs services. Structural reforms and improvements in infrastructure should be part of any stabilization program because economic growth contributes to containing inflation.
MAGICC and SCENGEN: Integrated models for estimating regional climate change in response to anthropogenic emissions

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse-gas Induced Climate Change (MAGICC) and SCENGEN models, which are a suite of models that determine the regional details of future climatic change for specified emissions scenarios, together with estimates of their uncertainties. These models follow through and compare the consequences of a policy emissions scenario and a reference scenario. MAGICC converts emissions to concentrations, to radiative forcing, to global mean temperature and sea-level change. SCENGEN uses this temperature-change output together with information from General Circulation Models (GCMs) to develop regional scenarios for climate change. Input emissions data (from an editable library) are required for CO 2 (fossil and land-use emissions separately), CH 4 , CO, NO x , NMHCs, halocarbons, and fossil SO 2 . CO 2 concentration changes are calculated using the carbon-cycle model of Wigley, which uses CO 2 fertilization to give a contemporary carbon budget consistent with observations. Fossil-based SO 2 emissions are used to determine both the direct and indirect radiative forcing effects of sulfate aerosols, following the method of Wigley and Raper.
ON ROBUST RENDEZVOUS FOR MOBILE AUTONOMOUS AGENTS

Abstract This paper presents coordination algorithms for networks of mobile autonomous agents. The objective of the proposed algorithms is to achieve rendezvous, that is, agreement over the location of the agents in the network. We provide analysis and design results for multi-agent networks in arbitrary dimensions under weak requirements on the switching and failing communication topology. The correctness proof relies on proximity graphs and their properties and on a LaSalle Invariance Principle for nondeterministic discrete-time systems.
Transients in distributed chemical reactors: Part 2: Influence of diffusion in the simplified model

Abstract The simplified model of the packed bed, in which heat is generated in the wall of a tube by zero-order reaction and transferred to a fluid flowing through it, has been sophisticated by including the effects of heat conduction in either the wall or fluid or both. Smoothed or partially smoothed versions of the discontinuous steady states of the first model are obtained and the initial conditions from which they evolve are studied. In particular, there is a trade-off between the conductivities of fluid and wall in the way that high values of one or the other can promote fully ignited steady states.
TheCampylobacter rectusLipopolysaccharide Core is Essential for Maximum Prostaglandin E2Elicitation in Mouse Macrophages

Abstract Prostaglandins are important inflammatory mediators, and their presence in gingival crevicular fluid is a marker for periodontal disease. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the periodontal pathogenCampylobacter rectuselicits a strong macrophage/monocyte prostaglandin E2(PGE2) response. Interest in the molecular moiety of theC. rectusLPS effecting PGE2elicitation gave impetus to this study. Methods which combined variable heating times in weak acid with extraction in chloroform/methanol were used to prepare chemically modified LPS. Free lipid A as well as three lipid A partial hydrolysates comprised of lipid A with attached polysacchride extending through: (1) KDO, (2) the LPS core and (3) a truncated O-antigen were obtained from LPS precipitated in MgCl2/ethanol. Polysacchride fractions rich in O-antigen and core oligosaccharide were prepared by Sephadex G-50 chromatography of aqueous supernatants from completely hydrolyzed LPS. The biologic potency of LPS and LPS fractions was compared in dose response assays using resident, peritoneal, BALB/c, mouse macrophages. The intactC. rectusLPS was the most potent elicitor of PGE2; the dose response to this molecule reached a plateau at 250 ng eliciting 317% of control PGE2. Only those lipid A partial structures retaining three molecules of heptose and core hexose could stimulate PGE2equivalent to 250 ng LPS and the activities of these diminished by magnitudes of four to 40.Campylobacter rectusO-antigen + core and core oligosacchrides also triggered PGE2. Thus, theC. rectusLPS core was required to stimulate the maximum PGE2response in mouse macrophages.
DNA-Mediated Prophage Induction in Bacillus subtilis Lysogenic for φ105c4

Prophage was induced when strains of Bacillus subtilis 168 lysogenic for phi105c4 were grown to competence and exposed to specific bacterial DNAs. The time course of phage production was similar to that observed for mitomycin C induction of wild-type prophage. Induction was directly dependent upon DNA concentration up to levels which were saturating for the transformation of bacterial auxotrophic markers. The extent of induction varied with the source of DNA. The burst of phage induced by DNA isolated from a W23 strain of B. subtilis was fivefold less than that induced by DNA from B. subtilis 168 strains, while B. licheniformis DNA was completely inactive. This order of inducing activity was correlated with the ability of the respective DNAs to transform auxotrophic markers carried by one of the phi105c4 lysogens. Differences in inducing activity also were observed for different forms of phi105 DNA. The DNAs isolated from phi105 phage particles and phi105c4 lysogens were inactive, whereas DNA from cells lysogenized by wild-type phi105 induced a burst of phage. When tested for transforming activity, however, both phi105c4 and phi105 lysogen DNAs were equally effective. An induction mechanism which involves recombination at the prophage insertion site is proposed to explain these differences.
A case control study of bacterial species and colony count in milk of breastfeeding women with chronic pain

Background: An infectious etiology for chronic breast pain in breastfeeding women continues to be debated. Although recent data suggest that Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) may cause chronic breast pain, no studies have used quantitative cultures to address this question. In this study we compared bacterial species and colony counts between breastfeeding women with (cases) and without (controls) chronic pain. Subjects and Methods: We enrolled 114 breastfeeding women in a prospective cohort study. Cases (n=61), breastfeeding women with breast pain for >1 week and no signs of acute infection, were matched with controls (n=53) by weeks postpartum and parity. Results: More cases had a history of mastitis (14% vs. 2%, p=0.036), cracked nipples (64% vs. 17%, p=0.001), and other breastfeeding difficulties. Enterobacter species growth was less likely in cases (0% vs. 7.5%, p=0.029). Cases had a significantly higher growth of S. aureus (19.7% vs. 1.9%, p=0.003). CNS frequency was similar between groups (75% vs. 79%, p=0.626), but median colony count growth was significantly lower in cases (900 colony-forming units/mL vs. 5,000 colony-forming units/ml, p=0.003). Growth of CNS and S. aureus was negatively correlated (r=–0.265, p=0.004). Conclusions: Higher S. aureus growth in cases supports a pathogenic role for S. aureus and reinforces the need for future antibiotic treatment studies in breastfeeding women with chronic pain. In contrast, similar CNS frequency between groups, lower CNS colony counts in cases, and a negative correlation between S. aureus and CNS growth suggest that neither CNS, nor its overgrowth, causes chronic breast pain.
Effects of trauma on leukocyte intercellular adhesion molecule-1, CD11b, and CD18 expressions.

Background: During traumatic injury, a multitude of events, including ischemia, may cause leukocyte adhesion and margination. In this study, alterations of surface receptors involved in leukocyte adhesion were studied in traumatized patients. In an attempt to discern the role of hypoxia, additional experiments were conducted in which normal human leukocytes were subjected to hypoxic stress in vitro. Methods: Venous blood was obtained from 10 trauma patients within 2 hours of blunt injury (mean Injury Severity Score of 17 ± 8) and from 8 normal volunteers (controls). Leukocytes were isolated from patients and controls. To assess the effect of hypoxia, normal leukocytes were placed in hermetically sealed environments containing 100% nitrogen. All leukocytes were labeled with phycoerythin- or fluorescein-bound monoclonal antibodies to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), or to integrins CD18 and CD11b. Receptor concentration was measured by flow cytometry. Results were expressed as percentage or receptor-positive cells (%) and mean fluorescence channel units, which directly correlate with monoclonal antibody cell surface density. Significance of differences was tested by analysis of variance/Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Compared with the normal controls, circulating leukocytes obtained from traumatized patients showed decreased expression of ICAM-1, CD11b, and CD18 2 hours after injury. In contrast, normal leukocytes exposed to hypoxic stress in vitro exhibited a marked increase in CD11b and CD18 expression and no change in ICAM-1 expression. Conclusions: Leukocytes obtained from traumatized patients showed a significant decrease in cell surface expression of adhesion receptors. This phenomenon is unlikely to be a direct consequence of hypoxia alone, because exposure to isolated hypoxia alone, because exposure to isolated hypoxia in vitro actually increased expression of CD11b and CD18
Deciphering bacterial universal language by detecting the quorum sensing signal, autoinducer-2, with a whole-cell sensing system.

Bacteria communicate with neighboring bacteria of the same species or of other species by means of chemical signaling molecules. The concentration of such signaling molecules is proportional to the bacterial population size; upon reaching a threshold concentration, corresponding to a threshold cell density, certain specialized genes are expressed. This system of communication among bacteria is known as quorum sensing (QS). QS regulates diverse behaviors, such as formation of biofilms and production of pathogenic factors. Autoinducer-2 (AI-2) is a QS signaling molecule that is used for interspecies communication by both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Bacteria are known to play an important role in many diseases, from infections to chronic inflammation. Therefore, QS is involved in a variety of disorders of bacterial origin or where bacteria play a crucial pathogenic role. One such condition is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that includ...
Size and growth rate dependent structural diversification of Fe3O4/CdS anisotropic nanocrystal heterostructures.

To better understand the growth mechanism leading to enhanced anisotropy in nanocrystal heterostructures synthesized from nearly spherical seeds, we have examined various factors that contribute to...
Determination of 3-chloropropanediol and related dioxolanes by gas chromatography

Abstract 3-Chloropropanediol has been derivatized with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide and determined by capillary gas chromatography in extracts of resins and in solvents containing ketones and the corresponding ketals (dioxolanes). n -Tetradecane was used as the internal standard. Underivatized 3-chloropropanediol reacts with ketones and forms the corresponding ketals (dioxolanes). Ketones interfere therefore with the determination of underivatized 3-chloropropanediol. The reaction between 3-chloropropanediol and acetone in excess obeys pseudo-first-order kinetics. The precision of gas chromatography, expressed as the standard deviation, was found to be 0.43 ωg/ml or (relative standard deviation) 0.42%.
Static and Dynamic Resource Allocation Models for Recovery of Interdependent Systems: Application to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Determining where and when to invest resources during and after a disruption can challenge policy makers and homeland security officials. Two decision models, one static and one dynamic, are proposed to determine the optimal resource allocation to facilitate the recovery of impacted industries after a disruption where the objective is to minimize the production losses due to the disruption. The paper presents necessary conditions for optimality for the static model and develops an algorithm that finds every possible solution that satisfies those necessary conditions. A deterministic branch-and-bound algorithm solves the dynamic model and relies on a convex relaxation of the dynamic optimization problem. Both models are applied to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which adversely impacted several industries in the Gulf region, such as fishing, tourism, real estate, and oil and gas. Results demonstrate the importance of allocating enough resources to stop the oil spill and clean up the oil, which reduces the economic loss across all industries. These models can be applied to different homeland security and disaster response situations to help governments and organizations decide among different resource allocation strategies during and after a disruption.
Exploratory search over social-medical data

In this demo we shall present the IBM Patient Empowerment System (PES), and more specifically, its social-medical discovery sub-system. Social and medical data are represented using entities and relationships and are explored using a combination of expressive, yet intuitive, query language, faceted search, and ER graph navigation. While this demonstration focuses on the healthcare domain, the underlining search technology is generic and can be utilized in many other domains. Therefore, this demo has two main contributions. First, we present a novel entity-relationship indexing and retrieval solution, and discuss its implementation challenges. Second, the demonstration depicts a practical entity-relationship discovery technology in a real domain setting within a real IBM system.
The effect of bilirubin on the mammalian erythrocyte.

The in vitro behavior of human red cells exposed to varying concentrations of unconjugated bilirubin was studied. The addition of bilirubin to red cells in final concentrations in excess of 20 mg per cent produced a disruption of the cation gradients across the cell membrane with a loss of cellular K+, inhibition of cellular utilization of glucose, release of inorganic phosphate from the cell, spicule formation of the red cell membrane followed by spherocytosis and hemolysis and decreased intracellular ATP. The addition of albumin to the experimental bilirubin red cell mixture reversed these effects except for a minor cell population that went on to hemolysis. Saponin and sodium lauryl sulfate, in sublytic concentrations, produced loss of inorganic phosphate from the red cell followed by gradual disruption of the membrane cation equilibrium, and a slow loss of K+ from the cell. There was minimal impairment of glucose consumption. Spicule formation of the red cell membrane was observed, but there was no significant change in intracellular ATP concentration. The addition of bilirubin to cells treated with saponin or sodium lauryl sulfate produced independent partially additive toxic effects. Unconjugated sodium bilirubinate has a direct toxicity on erythrocyte functional integrity and, in high concentrations, is hemolytic.
Quarks and gluons in the future of nuclear physics

Abstract We review the present status of QCD phenomenology relevant to medium energy nuclear physics.
DSC analysis of electron-beam irradiated LARC-CPI

This work illustrates the response of LARC–CPI (a crystallizable polyimide) to electron-beam radiation exposure under a nitrogen-purged atmosphere. The response of LARC–CPI was monitored exclusively by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), although some limited X-ray scattering experiments were also employed. Three different types of LARC–CPI samples were irradiated: the “as-received” semicrystalline films, highly amorphous films that were quenched from the melt, and recrystallized films. Comparison of the DSC behavior of these specimens elucidated the effects of electron-beam irradiation on LARC–CPI as well as the influence of morphology (i.e., semicrystalline vs. amorphous states) on the radiation response of this polyimide. Results indicate that for the former two samples electron-beam radiation does not significantly alter the crystalline phase present during irradiation. However, upon subsequent heating and cooling, the level of crystallinity decreases in all samples exposed to high doses (in excess of 100 Mrad). In addition, the crystallization temperature increases substantially with increasing radiation dosage, while a slight increase in the glass transition temperature is also observed. These results suggest that cross-linking reactions may be occurring at sufficiently high doses, which would account for the observed melting and recrystallization behavior. However, due to the effects of thermal history on the crystallization behavior, there is some difficulty in definitively discerning all the specific effects of morphology on the radiation response of LARC–CPI.
Age-related changes of cardiac gene expression following myocardial ischemia/reperfusion.

Abstract Young and old (4 and 25 months of age, respectively) Fisher 344/Brown Norway hybrid female rats were subjected to four 3 min episodes of ischemia separated by 5 min of reperfusion. Corresponding open-chest sham-operated groups received 32 min of no intervention. All rats were allowed to recover, and 24 h later hearts were removed and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Global gene profiling in the ischemic and the non-ischemic areas and in the sham-operated hearts as well was carried out by using Affymetrix Gene Chips. Young ischemic hearts demonstrated down-regulation of gene expression associated with early-remodeling including down-regulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1, decorin, collagen, tropoelastin, and fibulin, as well as decreases in hypertrophy-related transcripts. In contrast, old hearts showed a unique injury-related response, which included up-regulation of mRNAs for proteins associated with hypertrophy or apoptosis (including H36-α7 integrin, α-actin, tubulin, filamin, connective tissue growth factor, calcineurin, serine protease, and apoptosis inducing factor). These injury-related changes in gene expression could in part explain increased gravity of outcomes of ischemia and myocardial infarction in elderly hearts.
THE EFFECTS OF MORPHOLOGY AND WATER FLOW ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS OF MARINE MACROALGAE

We present observations and experimental results supporting the view that macroalgal morphology can represent a balance between maximizing photosynthetic ability and limiting susceptibility of the thallus to mechanical damage. The relationships among morphology, water flow, and photosynthesis were examined for five algal species representing three functional forms of marine macroalgae at Santa Catalina Island, California, USA. The relationship between surface area/volume ratio (SA/V) and rates of biomass-specific net photosynthesis (NP) across functional-form groups was examined to test the hypothesis that NP is related positively to SA/V. The rate of NP increased with increasing SA/V across functional groups. This relationship then was examined within a functional group for two species, Dictyopteris undulata and Zonaria farlowii, which are morphologically variable among sites. Flow measurements and morphometric analysis of thalli of D. undulata and Z. farlowii at two wave-exposed and two wave-protected sites indicated that intraspecific morphological variation corresponded to variation in wave exposure. A field experiment that manipulated rates of flow in situ resulted in morphological changes in D. undulata and Z. farlowii, indicating that water motion was responsible for the observed morphological plasticity. To examine the interaction between morphology and water flow on algal physiology, NP was estimated for morphotypes of D. undulata and Z. farlowii from wave-exposed and wave-protected sites. At saturating photon flux densities, NP was affected significantly by flow speed, particularly for morphotypes from the wave-protected site. For these morphotypes, increased flow speeds resulted in sustained, then decreased NP as flow speeds exceeded 17 cm/s, suggesting that water flow may affect NP at low flow speeds by mitigating mass transfer limitation and at high flow speeds by changing light interception and flow within the compacted thallus. The plasticity of morphologies and the interaction of these morphotypes with flow may represent a trade-off between maximizing NP and reducing the susceptibility of the thallus to mechanical damage and/or dislodgement by hydrodynamic forces.