cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anemia of acute inflammation in children

We measured sequential changes in hemoglobin concentration and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 27 previously healthy children hospitalized for a variety of moderately severe acute inflammatory processes. Among 18 retrospectively studied children, 61% had mild anemia for age on admission, and Hgb values dropped >2 SD in 83% during active inflammation. During recovery, Hgb concentrations spontaneously rose >1.3 gm/dl in 79% of the children. Mean Hgb drop was 1.8 gm/dl in 5.6 days, representing an average noniatrogenic blood loss of 107 ml, among nine prospectively studied children. Only one of these had laboratory evidence of hemolysis, and none had clinical evidence of bleeding or overhydration. Results of both studies combined showed that a mean 13% Hgb drop during active inflammation was followed by a mean 24% Hgb rise during resolution of acute inflammation. We conclude that most children with moderately severe acute inflammation experience a significant drop in Hgb within 1 week of illness onset, regardless of the specific cause of inflammation. In general, this mild to moderate anemia resolves without hematinic therapy.
A Protocol for Preferred Access in Packet-Switching Radio Networks

A protocol that provides multiple access with two levels of priority to a common radio channel is described. A probabilistic model of the protocol is presented and its analysis yields the throughput-delay characteristics of the two classes of packets supported by that protocol, along with their interaction. The model is analyzed by a method similar to the one used in priority queues; this method allows consideration of each class separately, thus reducing the computational effort considerably.
Ushering in a new era for POEMS.

Li and colleagues are to be congratulated for conducting the first prospective clinical trial for POEMS syndrome, which treated 31 patients with 12 cycles of melphalan and dexamethasone.[1][1] Although the choice of regimen is an old standard, this study is novel and important on several levels.
Criteria for initiation of motion of rigid bodies to base excitation

It is known that when an unanchored rigid body is placed on a horizontal base which oscillates horizontally, it may undergo one of four modes of motion: rest, slide, slide–rock and rock. Initiation of a rigid body into these modes depends on the slenderness ratio of the body, the coefficient of friction between the body and the base and the acceleration of the base. In this study, the coefficient of friction and the base acceleration are considered random. For specific probability distributions of the coefficient of friction and the peak base acceleration, and for various values of the mean and standard deviation of the two random variables, the probabilities of occurrence of these modes of motion are obtained for a body of given slenderness ratio. It is shown that randomness of the coefficient of friction and base peak acceleration should not be ignored. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stiffness and Internal Stresses of Woven-Fabric Composites at Low Temperatures

Woven-fabric composites are used in superconducting magnets and to contain of cryogenic liquids. These materials provide thermal and electrical insulation and can be subjected to large mechanical and thermal loads. Previous studies1,2 on woven-fabric composites predicted internal stresses for mechanical loads at room temperature. Here, the thermal-mechanical response of a plain-weave laminated composite at cryogenic temperatures was studied by predicting the load-deformation response of the fundamental “unit cell” (Fig. 1). Stiffness and stresses within the unit cell were calculated by a finite-element model for idealized thermal-mechanical load conditions prior to fracture.
Ten challenges for decision neuroscience.

Decision neuroscience research, as currently practiced, employs the methods of neuroscience to investigate concepts drawn from the social sciences. A typical study selects one or more variables from psychological or economic models, manipulates or measures choices within a simplified choice task, and then identifies neural correlates. Using this “neuroeconomic” approach, researchers have described brain systems whose functioning shapes key economic variables, most notably aspects of subjective value. Yet, the standard approach has fundamental limitations. Important aspects of the mechanisms of decision making – from the sources of variability in decision making to the very computations supported by decision-related regions – remain incompletely understood. Here, I outline ten outstanding challenges for future research in decision neuroscience. While some will be readily addressed using current methods, others will require new conceptual frameworks. Accordingly, a new strain of decision neuroscience will marry methods from economics and cognitive science to concepts from neurobiology and cognitive neuroscience.
PC‐based machine vision system for real‐time computer‐aided potato inspection

We developed a personal computer–based machine vision system and applied it in computer-aided potato inspection. The system was able to classify 50 potato images per second for potato weight, cross-sectional diameter, shape, and color, which are the important criteria in sorting potatoes in practice. An ellipse was used as the shape descriptor for potato shape inspection and color thresholding was performed in the hue-saturation-value (HSV) color space to detect green color defects. Our machine vision algorithms were evaluated objectively for weight and cross-sectional diameter inspection, and subjectively for shape and color inspection on 200 potatoes of three varieties. In addition, a subjective evaluation experiment was carried out with six United States Department of Agriculture–licensed professional inspectors participating. The average success rate was 91.2% for weight inspection and 88.7% for diameter inspection. The shape and color inspection algorithms achieved 85.5% and 78.0% success rates, respectively. The overall success rate, combining all of the above criteria, was 86.5%. This type of machine vision system can be reliably used in the future to sort out the definitely good and bad potatoes and to forward the rest for human sorting, thus potentially reducing manual efforts significantly. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol 9: 423–433, 1998
WIND DISPERSAL OF FRUITS WITH VARIABLE SEED NUMBER IN A TROPICAL TREE (LONCHOCARPUS PENTAPHYLLUS: LEGUMINOSAE)

The tropical tree, Lonchocarpus pentaphyllus (Poir.) DC. (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae), matures indehiscent wind-dispersed fruits containing 0-4 seeds. Most fruits are one-seeded (82%) while less than 2% are three-seeded. An increase in seed number per fruit correlates with increases in four characteristics expected to affect dispersal distance under field conditions: fruit weight, fruit area, square root of wing-loading, and rate of descent in still air. The dry weight of a seed decreases with an increase in seed number per fruit. Under field conditions nearly 40% of the mature fruits fall within the radius of the tree crown. Fruits with more intact seeds are dispersed shorter distances; fruits with no developed seeds travel the farthest. Among one-seeded fruits dispersed beyond the crown radius, dispersal distance is inversely proportional to the square root of wing-loading. The weight of seed in these one-seeded fruits, however, is independent of dispersal distance. Fruits with more seeds have a higher proportion of underdeveloped seeds. However, a greater proportion of twoand three-seeded fruits have at least one intact mature seed than do one-seeded fruits. This comparative study illustrates that changes in fruit morphology and weight associated with different numbers of seeds per fruit affect dispersal properties as well. A decrease in seed number per fruit increases both seed weight and dispersal distance, but it decreases the probability that a given dispersal event results in movement of an intact
Infrared determination of the degree of substitution of hydroxyl by carbonate ions in human dental enamel

About 11 +/- 1% of the carbonate ions in a human tooth enamel specimen (dense fraction, sp. g. greater than 2.95) were found to be in the A-sites, replacing hydroxyl ions. The determination was made with a difference infrared spectrometry technique utilizing both tooth enamel and a reconstituted biological apatite with a known amount of replacement of hydroxyl by carbonate ions.
Phenylbutyric Acid Rescues Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Suppression of APP Proteolysis and Prevents Apoptosis in Neuronal Cells

Background The familial and sporadic forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have an identical pathology with a severe disparity in the time of onset [1]. The pathological similarity suggests that epigenetic processes may phenocopy the Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) mutations within sporadic AD. Numerous groups have demonstrated that FAD mutations in presenilin result in 'loss of function' of gamma-secretase mediated APP cleavage [2], [3], [4], [5]. Accordingly, ER stress is prominent within the pathologically impacted brain regions in AD patients [6] and is reported to inhibit APP trafficking through the secretory pathway [7], [8]. As the maturation of APP and the cleaving secretases requires trafficking through the secretory pathway [9], [10], [11], we hypothesized that ER stress may block trafficking requisite for normal levels of APP cleavage and that the small molecular chaperone 4-phenylbutyrate (PBA) may rescue the proteolytic deficit. Methodology/principal findings The APP-Gal4VP16/Gal4-reporter screen was stably incorporated into neuroblastoma cells in order to assay gamma-secretase mediated APP proteolysis under normal and pharmacologically induced ER stress conditions. Three unrelated pharmacological agents (tunicamycin, thapsigargin and brefeldin A) all repressed APP proteolysis in parallel with activation of unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling-a biochemical marker of ER stress. Co-treatment of the gamma-secretase reporter cells with PBA blocked the repressive effects of tunicamycin and thapsigargin upon APP proteolysis, UPR activation, and apoptosis. In unstressed cells, PBA stimulated gamma-secretase mediated cleavage of APP by 8-10 fold, in the absence of any significant effects upon amyloid production, by promoting APP trafficking through the secretory pathway and the stimulation of the non-pathogenic alpha/gamma-cleavage. Conclusions/significance ER stress represses gamma-secretase mediated APP proteolysis, which replicates some of the proteolytic deficits associated with the FAD mutations. The small molecular chaperone PBA can reverse ER stress induced effects upon APP proteolysis, trafficking and cellular viability. Pharmaceutical agents, such as PBA, that stimulate alpha/gamma-cleavage of APP by modifying intracellular trafficking should be explored as AD therapeutics.
The Hyoid, Laryngeal and Pharyngeal Regions of Bathyergid and Other Selected Rodents

The morphology of the hyoid, laryngeal and pharyngeal regions of the following rodent genera was studied: Cryptomys, Bathyergus, Georychus, Heliophobius, Heterocephalus, Ctenomys, Petromus, Thryonomys, Geomys, Cannomys, and Tachyoryctes. A number of morphological conditions unique to bathyergids, and associated with the use of the head and lower incisors in burrowing are described. The conditions include the formation of functional complexes of MM. sterno-geniohyoideus and omo-mylohyoideus, the presence of a unique deep oblique part of M. transversus mandibulae and a strong separate slip of M. platysma myoides pars mentalis. The hyoid skeleton is modified to allow the muscle complexes to act independently of the basihyal bone, and to allow the unusually protrusible tongue to be withdrawn. The nerves of the jugular foramen do not form a true pharyngeal plexus, and their configuration is influenced by the absence of a well developed internal carotid artery in hystricognaths. The morphology of the regions studied indicates a natural grouping of bathyergids, but one in which Heterocephalus is somewhat separate from the remaining bathyergid genera. The grouping of bathyergids and New and Old World hystricognath rodents into a suborder Hystricognatha is supported.
Four Areas of Support for Child and Youth Care Workers

Developing a competent staff of child and youth care workers is a major challenge for most group care programs for children, youth, and families. Factors such as low pay, lack of preparation, and demanding working conditions have contributed to creating a workforce crisis. Several studies have been conducted to help mitigate the problems. Many of these studies and experience point to daily interactions as a major source of learning and satisfaction. In this article, with an emphasis on the parallel processes of child and youth care and staff development, I draw on the literature and more than 35 years of experience in child and youth care to construct a narrative that discusses how care of self, participation, mentoring, and atmosphere contribute to successful daily interactions. The purpose is to encourage discourse, continued discussion, and action.
The vacancy formation and motion energies in gold

Abstract A theory is presented which predicts the vacancy loss to fixed sinks during a quench. For quenches in which the temperature decreases linearly with time, the fraction of the vacancies lost is shown to depend only on the product D q T q, where D q is the vacancy diffusion coefficient at the quench temperature T q, and τq is the quench time. The theory is used to analyse the results of a series of quenches having values of T q and τq in the ranges 470°c < T q < 1030°c and 0·025 sec < τq < 4·3 sec. Both 0·016 in. and 0·002 in. diameter gold wires were studied and found to yield an effective formation energy of about 0·90 ev for the fastest quench times. For any value of the activation energy Q for self-diffusion in the neighbourhood of 1·8 ev, the quenching data are consistent with the theory only for one pair of values of E M and E F. With Q = 1·81 ± 0·02 ev it is found that E F = 0·98 ± 0·02 ev and E M = 0·83 ± 0·04 ev. The fact that the vacancy loss depends only on D q T qτq is confirmed over a r...
Changing priority maps in 12- to 18-month-olds: an emerging role for object properties.

Everyday action in the world requires the coordination of “where,” “when,” and “how” with “what.” In late infancy, there appear to be changes in how these different streams of information are integrated into the sequential organization of action. An experiment with 12-, 15-, and 18-month-olds was conducted in order to determine the influence of object properties and locations on the sequential selection of targets for reaching. The results reveal a developmental trend from reach decisions’ being influenced only by the spatial layout of locations to the overall pattern of reaching’s being influenced by the global configuration of object properties to object properties’ influencing the sequential decision of what to reach to next. This trend is a new finding regarding the development of goal-directed action in late infancy.
Spontaneous improvement in myopic foveoschisis

Sir, We present the first case of bilateral myopic foveoschisis without subretinal fluid with spontaneous improvement in both eyes.
Co-operation between cytosolic and plastidic oxidative pentose phosphate pathways revealed by 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase-deficient genotypes of maize

Summary The aim of this work was to examine the extent to which the oxidative steps of the pentose phosphate pathway in the cytosol contribute to the provision of reductant for biosynthetic reactions. Maize (Zea mays L.) contains at least two loci (pgd1 and pgd2) that encode 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. Ten genotypic combinations of wild-type (Pgd1+3.8;Pgd2+5) and null alleles of pgd1 and pgd2 were constructed in the B73 background. The maximum catalytic activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in the roots of seedlings of these lines correlated with the number of functional pgd1 and pgd2 alleles. Enzyme activity in the double-null homozygote (pgd1-null;pgd2-null) was 32% of that in B73 wild-type suggesting the presence of at least one other isozyme of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in maize. Subcellular fractionation studies and latency measurements confirmed that the products of pgd1 and pgd2 are responsible for the vast majority, if not all, of the cytosolic 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activity in maize roots. Essentially, all of the residual activity in the double-null homozygote was confined to the plastids. Low concentrations (0.1–0.5 mM) of sodium nitrite stimulated 14CO2 production by detached root tips of both wild-type and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase-deficient maize seedlings fed [U-14C]glucose. Analysis of the ratio of 14CO2 released from [1–14C]glucose relative to [6–14C]glucose (C1/C6 ratio) showed that stimulation of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway by nitrite correlated with the dosage of wild-type alleles of pgd1 and pgd2. The failure of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase-deficient lines to respond to nitrite indicates that perturbation of the cytosolic oxidative pentose phosphate pathway can influence the provision of reductant in the plastid. We conclude that the plastidic and cytosolic oxidative pentose phosphate pathways are able to co-operate in the provision of NADPH for biosynthesis.
Art therapy with children after a disaster: A content analysis

Abstract The following paper is based on a review of 31 communications consisting of refereed journal articles, news articles, television interviews, and books. Each communication focused on working with children using art after a disaster. Each communication was analyzed in six key areas: design of communication, theoretical basis of art therapy conducted, environment surrounding art therapy practice, the art therapist, the client, and the artwork. The following patterns emerged: only two communications met the criteria for research studies; the communications described art therapy in short-term crisis situations and longer-term therapeutic settings; it takes strong, resourceful, compassionate, and resilient people to work as art therapists in this setting; art interventions ranged from free choice activities to very structured craft activities; no prevalent theory about working with children emerged. It is concluded that semi-structured art interventions work well with this population, but more reliable research and planning is needed on working with children after a disaster.
The Use of Gentian Violet in Children infected with Ascaris lumbricoides.

Summary 1. Gentian violet therapy for ten consecutive days did not produce findings suggestive of migration of A. lumbricoides or in intestinal or pharyngeal obstruction in twenty treated children. It appears, therefore, that gentian violet is not a specific irritant to Ascaris. 2. A 37 per cent reduction in the Ascaris egg count following gentian violet therapy suggests that this substance is slightly effective against Ascaris.
Isolated Sleep Paralysis: Fear, Prevention, and Disruption

Objectives: Relatively little is known about isolated sleep paralysis (ISP), and no empirically supported treatments are available. This study aims to determine: the clinical impact of ISP, the techniques used to prevent or disrupt ISP, and the effectiveness of these techniques. Method: 156 undergraduates were assessed with lifetime ISP using a clinical interview. Results: 75.64% experienced fear during ISP, and 15.38% experienced clinically significant distress/interference, while 19.23% attempted to prevent ISP, and 79.31% of these believed their methods were successful. Regarding disruption, 69.29% made attempts, but only 54.12% reported them effective. Conclusions: Disruption was more common than prevention, but several techniques were useful. Encouraging individuals to utilize these techniques and better monitor their symptoms may be an effective way to manage problematic ISP.
QUANTILES OF THE SAMPLING DISTRIBLITION OF C

Point estimates of the capability index Cpm are generated from sample observations from manufacturing processes and are used to make comparisons of processes. Decisions based on these quantities should necessarily include information about the variabili..
Developmental genetic studies of aminopeptidases in Drosophila melanogaster.

TheLap-D locus ofDrosophila melanogaster was investigated. The mode of inheritance of the alleles at this locus was confirmed and a new allele was discovered. The enzymes are not exclusively “pupal” enzymes but are found throughout the life cycle. Amino acid naphthylamides other than leucine naphthylamide were found to be effective substrates for these enzymes. It is suggested, therefore, that the restrictive designation “leucine aminopeptidase” be abandoned in favor of the more general amino acid naphthylamidase or aminopeptidase.
Stereochemical Differentiation of Mannose, Glucose, Galactose, and Talose Using Zinc(II) Diethylenetriamine and ESI-Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry.

Diastereomeric diethylenetriamine N-glycoside zinc(II) complexes are investigated using electrospray ionization followed by tandem mass spectrometry in a quadrupole ion trap. Dissociation ions specific to stereochemical differences at C2 and C4 in hexose complexes are observed in the MS2 and MS3 spectra, thus allowing unambiguous differentiation of glucose, galactose, mannose, and talose. Labeling studies incorporating 2H and 13C are used to probe the mechanisms of dissociation involved with these diastereomers, and MS2 studies on deoxyglucose complexes are implemented to support proposed sites of deprotonation within the complexes.
Sagebrush and grasshopper responses to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration.

Seed- and clonally-propagated plants of Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata var.tridentata) were grown under atmospheric carbon dioxide regimes of 270, 350 and 650 μl l−1 and fed toMelanoplus differentialis andM. sanguinipes grasshoppers. Total shrub biomass significantly increased as carbon dioxide levels increased, as did the weight and area of individual leaves. Plants grown from seed collected in a single population exhibited a 3–5 fold variation in the concentration of leaf volatile mono- and sesquiterpenes, guaianolide sesquiterpene lactones, coumarins and flavones within each CO2 treatment. The concentration of leaf allelochemicals did not differ significantly among CO2 treatments for these seed-propagated plants. Further, when genotypic variation was controlled by vegetative propagation, allelochemical concentrations also did not differ among carbon dioxide treatments. On the other hand, overall leaf nitrogen concentration declined significantly with elevated CO2. Carbon accumulation was seen to dilute leaf nitrogen as the balance of leaf carbon versus nitrogen progressively increased as CO2 growth concentration increased. Grasshopper feeding was highest on sagebrush leaves grown under 270 and 650 μl l−1 CO2, but varied widely within treatments. Leaf nitrogen concentration was an important positive factor in grasshopper relative growth but had no overall effect on consumption. Potential compensatory consumption by these generalist grasshoppers was apparently limited by the sagebrush allelochemicals. Insects with a greater ability to feed on chemically defended host plants under carbon dioxide enrichment may ultimately consume leaves with a lower nitrogen concentration but the same concentration of allelochemicals. Compensatory feeding may potentially increase the amount of dietary allelochemicals ingested for each unit of nitrogen consumed.
Intimate Partner Violence and Welfare Participation: A Longitudinal Causal Analysis

This longitudinal study examined the temporal-ordered causal relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV), five mental disorders (depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic attack, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), alcohol abuse/dependence, drug abuse/dependence, treatment seeking (from physician, counselor, and self-help group), employment, child support, and welfare participation. It was a secondary data analysis of records of 571 women; the records were extracted from the study "Violence Against Women and the Role of Welfare Reform" (VAWRWR). Results from generalized estimating equations (GEE) showed that experiencing controlling behaviors reduced likelihood of welfare participation whereas experiencing physical abuse increased it. Significant impact on welfare participation was wielded by panic attack, drug abuse/dependence, and employment; treatment seeking and child support made no significant impact. The study found no significant mediating effect wielded by panic attack, drug abuse/dependence, employment, or child support on welfare participation's relationship to controlling behaviors or physically abusive behaviors experienced. Implications for intervention are discussed.
Impact of productivity on cross-training configurations and optimal staffing decisions in hospitals

Abstract Cross-training of nursing staff has been used in hospitals to reduce labor cost, provide scheduling flexibility, and meet patient demand effectively. However, cross-trained nurses may not be as productive as regular nurses in carrying out their tasks because of a new work environment and unfamiliar protocols in the new unit. This leads to the research question: What is the impact of productivity on optimal staffing decisions (both regular and cross-trained) in a two-unit and multi-unit system. We investigate the effect of mean demand, cross-training cost, contract nurse cost, and productivity, on a two-unit, full-flexibility configuration and a three-unit, partial flexibility and chaining (minimal complete chain) configurations under centralized and decentralized decision making. Under centralized decision making, the optimal staffing and cross-training levels are determined simultaneously, while under decentralized decision making, the optimal staffing levels are determined without any knowledge of future cross-training programs. We use two-stage stochastic programming to derive closed form equations and determine the optimal number of cross-trained nurses for two units facing stochastic demand following general, continuous distributions. We find that there exists a productivity level (threshold) beyond which the optimal number of cross-trained nurses declines, as fewer cross-trained nurses are sufficient to obtain the benefit of staffing flexibility. When we account for productivity variations, chaining configuration provides on average 1.20% cost savings over partial flexibility configuration, while centralized decision making averages 1.13% cost savings over decentralized decision making.
Reaction of tetraethylorthosilicate and hexafluoroacetone trihydrate

Abstract Neat tetraethylorthosilicate reacts with neat hexafluoroacetone trihydrate to give particulate silica xerogel precipitates. Particulates formed early in the reaction have spheroidal micromorphology, and control of the reaction conditions affords particle sizes approaching 25 nm in diameter. A mixture of tetraethylorthosilicate and Ti(Oi-Pr) 4 reacts with hexafluoroacetone trihydrate as neat liquids at 5 °C to give immediate precipitation of a Si/Ti mixed-metal oxide xerogel particulate having a Si:Ti molar ratio of approximately 9:6.
Identification of metoclopramide metabolites in the urine of cattle by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection

The urinary metabolites of metoclopramide (4-amino-5-chloro-N-[2-diethylaminoethyl]-2-methoxybenzamide) were identified in cows. The drug was administered intravenously, voided urine was collected, and individual urine extracts were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection. The parent compound and one major metabolite (4-amino-5-chloro-N-[2-(ethylamino)ethyl]-2-methoxybenzamide) were common to all individuals. In addition to the parent and major metabolite, a second, minor metabolite was identified in two cows as 4-amino-5-chloro-N-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl]-2-hydroxybenzamide. The identity of the minor metabolite was confirmed by comparison with a standard synthesized by a new method. Metabolite identification and characterization in food animal species allows the design of safety and environmental impact studies and relative metabolite ratios between dose treatment groups.
Making sense of imbrication: popular technology and "inside-out" methodologies

We describe a model popular technology education program based on feminist and Freirian principles. Participatory design and research methodologies that position facilitators and participants as co-producers were the basis for a series of collective research projects, which we then analyze for their contribution to the field of participatory design. Finally, we suggest that the democratization of technological citizenship can be best extended not through narrowly construed "technology training" programs but through "popular technology," an empowering and visionary combination of popular education and participatory research and design that emphasizes critical technological literacy.
Top-down programming of an interactive cardiac pathology data system

A cardiac pathology data system was designed from the top down. The design began with specification of the main goal: quantitate heart muscle damage in heart attack victims. This paper summarizes the tasks necessary to accomplish the goal and the refinement of the data structure from an abstract level to a concrete level.
Effects of potassium on vanadate inhibition of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase from dog cardiac and rabbit skeletal muscle.

Abstract The concentration of vanadate for half maximal inhibition of dog cardiac and rabbit skeletal SR Ca 2+ -ATPase was approximately 5 μM. Preincubation of the enzyme with vanadate resulted in greater inhibition. Effects of potassium on the inhibition were studied under various conditions.
Use of intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of staphylococcal and streptococcal toxic shock syndromes and related illnesses

Pyrogenic toxin superantigens comprise a large family of exotoxins made by Staphylococcus aureus and group A streptococci. These toxins include toxic shock syndrome toxin-1, the staphylococcal enterotoxins, and the streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins (synonyms: scarlet fever toxins and erythrogenic toxins), all of which have the ability to cause toxic shock syndromes and related illnesses. These toxins have a similar three-dimensional structure that allows them to interact with relatively invariant regions of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules on the surface of antigen-presenting cells and with certain variable regions of the T-cell receptor-beta chain. The consequence of these interactions (and other immunobiological properties of the toxins) is the exaggerated release of bioactive cytokines. The latter molecules are responsible for the clinical signs of illness associated with these toxins.
Differential impact of hypothermia and pentobarbital on brain-stem auditory evoked responses

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of hypothermia and pentobarbital anesthesia, alone and in combination, on the brain-stem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) of rats. In experiment I, unanesthetized rats were cooled to colonic temperatures 0.5 and 1.0°C below normal. In experiment II, 2 groups of rats were cooled and tested at 37.5, 36.0, 34.5 and 31.5°C. One group was anesthetized during testing and the other group was awake. The rat BAER was sensitive to cooling of 1°C or less. Peak latencies were prolonged and peak-to-peak amplitudes were increased by hypothermia alone. The effect on amplitude may be related to the time course of temperature change or to stimulus level. Pentobarbital significantly affected both latencies and amplitudes over and above the effects of cooling. The specific effects of pentobarbital differed by BAER peak and by temperature. The findings point up the importance of the potential confound of anesthetic drugs in most of the evoked potential literature on hypothermia and, for the first time, quantify the complex interactions between pentobarbital and temperature which affect the BAER wave form.
Ultrafine anatase TiO2 nanoparticles produced in premixed ethylene stagnation flame at 1 atm

Abstract Nano-sized titanium oxide particles were synthesized in a stationary, laminar, premixed, stagnation flame burning an ethylene–oxygen–argon mixture at an equivalence ratio of 0.36 under the atmospheric pressure. The titanium precursor, titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP), was fed into the flame by a carrier argon flow through a heated TTIP bath. Particles synthesized in this flame were characterized for their size distribution, morphology, phase purity, and crystal structure, by scanning mobility particle sizer, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. It was found that the mean diameter of the particles was highly controllable and ranged from 3 to 6 nm depending on TTIP loading. The particle size was nearly uniform, and particles appeared to be single crystals without excessive aggregation. XRD analyses show that particles directly synthesized in the flame are pure anatase. Upon sintering and size growth on the flame stabilizer, a notable portion of particles transformed into rutile with much larger crystal sizes.
Molecular modelling and structure studies of LARC-CPI semicrystalline polyimide

Abstract Molecular modelling and X-ray structure studies were undertaken to determine the crystalline unit cell of LARC-CPI, a thermoplastic semicrystalline polyimide. We present results of a molecular mechanics based model of the energy minimized unit cell structure. The unit cell of LARC-CPI has lattice parameters of a = 8.0, b = 6.0, c = 37.1A, α = β = γ = 90° as determined from the model. The model unit cell contains two monomer units, one at the centre of four equivalent monomers. This gives a cell density of 1.47 g cm−3 which compares well with the experimentally determined unit cell density of 1.507 ± 0.2 g cm−3. Fibre and powder X-ray diffraction patterns were constructed based on the model unit cell. To compare the model diffraction patterns with experimental data, a novel preparation method developed in earlier work was used to obtain highly oriented LARC-CPI films. Films recrystallized by solvent exposure at the reflux temperature had c-axes preferentially aligned along the film normal. The c-axis repeat length was determined experimentally to be 37.5Ain agreement with the model value. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to identify the origin of a unique, radiation sensitive diffraction peak observed in some LARC-CPI films. This peak could not be indexed using the proposed model unit cell parameters. We suggest that this peak arises from oriented crystalline diamines, or diamine-terminated chains, located at the film surfaces.
Salmonella arizonae Bacteremia as the Presenting Manifestation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Following Rattlesnake Meat Ingestion

Recurrent nontyphoid salmonella septicemia is one of the opportunistic infections characteristic of AIDS. The increased incidence of severe salmonellosis in immunocompromised patients is due, in part, to defective cellular immunity. The literature contains reports of nine cases of extraintestinal Salmonella arizonae infections in patients ingesting rattlesnake capsules, all of whom had known underlying medical illnesses. We describe a previously healthy Hispanic man who developed S. arizonae bacteremia as his initial manifestation of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The patient ultimately stated that he had consumed rattlesnake meat for medicinal purposes - a relatively common practice among Hispanics. S. arizonae was cultured from the powder of all capsules remaining in his possession. To our knowledge, this represents the first reported case of S. arizonae bacteremia as the presenting manifestation of HIV infection following the ingestion of capsules containing rattlesnake meat.
Searchers in a Desert

Drawing on intersections among astronomy, anthropology, and human rights in Chile's Atacama desert, Guzman's film reflects on the ways we create meaning from history.
Adjonction à la base et interface morphologique

Le but de cet article article est de motiver empiriquement l’hypothese de l’interface morphologique, soit que les tetes complexes sont interpretees au niveau de cet interface, le seul ayant les caracteristiques d’interpretation des X0 complexes. La difference fondamentale entre cet interface et celui ou les syntagmes sont interpretes vient des proprietes respectives des X0 et des SX. En effet, si les SX donnent toujours lieu a des interpretations compositionnelles, les X0 sont toujours interpretes de maniere atomique. Dans les deux premiere sections, nous presentons une analyse des verbes a objet inherent (VOI) en fon. Nous montrons que les VOI sont derives par adjonction a la base, ce qui fait d’eux des X0 complexes. Dans la troisieme section, nous montrons que, d’un point de vue minimaliste, il est important de distinguer l’interface ou les SX sont interpretes de facon compositionnelle de celui ou les X0 complexes recoivent leur interpretation canonique.
Der unverzichtbare Beitrag von Stiftungen zur Finanzierung des höheren Schulwesens in Preuβen im 19. Jahrhundert

This article investigates the funding of secondary schools in 19th-century Prussia which came from foundations and endowments given to these schools by private citizens and noblemen for various purposes. Such endowments were intended to provide scholarships for students attending secondary schools, and after finishing school for attending university as well as tuition waivers. Other endowments were intended for paying the salary of teachers, providing subsidies to widows of teachers and their daughters. Endowments were also created for the financing of school libraries, natural science cabinets and similar institutions. And last but not least, foundations and endowments contributed to the creation of a social welfare net for teachers and students in the form of health insurance and aid associations. This article focusses on schools across 19th-century Prussia. However, since Prussia annexed so many territories between 1740 and 1866, it also added a large number of schools to its education system. These sc...
Low Temperature Induction of Arabidopsis CBF1, 2, and 3 Is Gated by the Circadian Clock

Exposing Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants to low temperature results in rapid induction of CBF1, 2, and 3 (CBF1-3; also known as DREB1B, C, and A, respectively), which encode transcriptional activators that induce expression of a battery of genes that increase plant freezing and chilling tolerance. Recently, it has been shown that basal levels of CBF3 transcripts and those of certain CBF-regulated genes exhibit circadian cycling. Here, we further explored the regulation of CBF1-3 by the circadian clock. The results indicated that the extent to which CBF1-3 transcripts accumulated in response to low temperature was dependent on the time of day that the plants were exposed to low temperature and that this was regulated by the circadian clock. The highest and lowest levels of cold-induced CBF1-3 transcript accumulation occurred at 4 and 16 h after subjective dawn, respectively. An analysis of CBF2 promoter-reporter gene fusions indicated that this control included transcriptional regulation. In addition, the cold responsiveness of RAV1 and ZAT12, genes that are cold induced in parallel with CBF1-3, was also subject to circadian regulation. However, whereas the maximum level of cold-induced RAV1 transcript accumulation occurred at the same time of day as did CBF1-3 transcripts, that of ZAT12 was in reverse phase, i.e. the highest level of cold-induced ZAT12 transcript accumulation occurred 16 h after subjective dawn. These results indicate that cold-induced expression of CBF1-3, RAV1, and ZAT12 is gated by the circadian clock and suggest that this regulation likely occurs through at least two nonidentical (though potentially overlapping) signaling pathways.
Within-host dynamics of mycoplasma infections: conjunctivitis in wild passerine birds.

Abstract The host–pathogen interaction drives infectious disease dynamics at the individual, population and community levels. Here I present and analyze a model of the vertebrate immune response to mycoplasma infections, and use it to identify which pathogen and host immune characteristics drive patterns of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) infections in the house finch ( Carpodacus mexicanus ) and other passerine birds. I also address which host and pathogen characteristics most affect host infectiousness and survival. These results imply that much of the observed variation in the house finch likely arises from variation among birds in the effectiveness of their non-specific immune response to MG, and that the host and pathogen characteristics most likely to influence host infectiousness and survival are the intrinsic pathogen growth rate, the strength and efficiency of the non-specific immune response and characteristics affecting the effectiveness of the specific response. These findings suggest that molecular-level study of how MG and other mycoplasmas interact with a host's non-specific and inflammatory responses should reveal much about the relationships between host infectiousness, pathogen load, and disease symptoms in these systems.
Elevated cerebrovascular resistance index is associated with cognitive dysfunction in the very-old.

Age-related vascular changes, including blood pressure elevation and cerebral blood flow (CBF) reduction, are associated with cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Evidence suggests that the relationship between blood pressure and dementia risk varies between younger and older samples within the elderly population. We examined the relationship between mean arterial pressure (MAP), CBF, and cognition in young-old (60 to 75 years of age) versus very-old (80+ years of age) adults. Fifty-eight non-demented older adults completed an arterial spin labeling MRI scan, and an index of cerebrovascular resistance (CVRi) was estimated for each participant by calculating the ratio of MAP and CBF. Results demonstrated a similar negative relationship between MAP and CBF across both age groups. However, very-old participants exhibited elevated CVRi and reduced CBF compared to young-old participants in regions implicated in AD and cerebral small vessel disease. Furthermore, significant age by CVRi interactions revealed that elevated CVRi in the thalamus was inversely related to verbal fluency performance in the very-old group. Findings support CVRi as a potential vascular biomarker and suggest that regionally-specific vascular changes may contribute to cognitive decline, particularly in the very-old.
Improvement in strength and moduli of coal ash stabilized with bentonite and compacted at various unit weights

With the increasing demand for electricity on one hand and the depleting resources of natural gas and oil on the other, the coal industry has been working hard for satiating the demand. The use of the fossil fuel to produce electricity may be cheaper but it has its own limitations because of the amount of nondegradable waste that it generates as a byproduct. Although coal is being primarily used to produce electricity, researchers are striving to develop cost effective and environmentally safe uses of coal combustion products. The use of bottom ash generated from burning of pulverized coal to produce electricity amended with various admixtures as a structural fill and low hydraulic conductivity barriers has been studied by several researchers. In general, the fill material in the field is compacted close to the maximum dry unit weight obtained from a standard Proctor test. In this investigation, change in the strength and stiffness of PCC bottom ash samples amended with varying amount of bentonite and com...
Postshield stage transitional volcanism on Mahukona Volcano, Hawaii

Age spectra from 40Ar/39Ar incremental heating experiments yield ages of 298 ± 25 ka and 310 ± 31 ka for transitional composition lavas from two cones on submarine Mahukona Volcano, Hawaii. These ages are younger than the inferred end of the tholeiitic shield stage and indicate that the volcano had entered the postshield alkalic stage before going extinct. Previously reported elevated helium isotopic ratios of lavas from one of these cones were incorrectly interpreted to indicate eruption during a preshield alkalic stage. Consequently, high helium isotopic ratios are a poor indicator of eruptive stage, as they occur in preshield, shield, and postshield stage lavas. Loihi Seamount and Kilauea are the only known Hawaiian volcanoes where the volume of preshield alkalic stage lavas can be estimated.
Predicting Joint Choice Using Individual Data

Choice decisions in the marketplace are often made by a collection of individuals or a group. Examples include purchase decisions involving families and organizations. A particularly unique aspect of a joint choice is that the group's preference is very likely to diverge from preferences of the individuals that constitute the group. For a marketing researcher, the biggest hurdle in measuring group preference is that it is often infeasible or cost prohibitive to collect data at the group level. Our objective in this research is to propose a novel methodology to estimate joint preference without the need to collect joint data from the group members. Our methodology makes use of both stated and inferred preference measures, and merges experimental design, statistical modeling, and utility aggregation theories to capture the psychological processes of preference revision and concession that lead to the joint preference. Results based on a study involving a cell phone purchase for 214 parent-teen dyads demonstrate predictive validity of our proposed method.
Principles of Analytic Monitoring for Continuous Assurance

The advent of new enabling technologies and the surge in corporate scandals has combined to increase the supply, the demand, and the development of enabling technologies for a new system of continuous assurance and measurement. This paper positions continuous assurance (CA) as a methodology for the analytic monitoring of corporate business processes, taking advantage of the automation and integration of business processes brought about by information technologies. Continuous analytic monitoring‐based assurance will change the objectives, timing, processes, tools, and outcomes of the assurance process. The objectives of assurance will expand to encompass a wide set of qualitative and quantitative management reports. The nature of this assurance will be closer to supervisory activities and will involve intensive interchange with more of the firm's stakeholders than just its shareholders. The timing of the audit process will be very close to the event, automated, and will conform to the natural life cycle of...
Secretion of atypical protein substrates by the ESAT-6 Secretion System of Staphylococcus aureus

Summary Staphylococcus aureus encodes the specialized ESAT-6 Secretion System (ESS). EsxA and EsxB are secreted by the ESS pathway, and share sequence features of ESAT-6 and CFP-10 of the Type VII Secretion System (T7SS) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Unlike ESAT-6 and CFP-10, EsxA and EsxB do not interact. Instead, EsxB associates with a novel substrate, EsxD, and EsxA dimerizes with itself or EsxC (EsaC). Unlike EsxA and EsxB, EsxC and EsxD do not share obvious sequence features of WXG100 proteins nor PE/PPE and Esp families of proteins, all of which belong to the pfam EsxAB clan of mycobacterial T7SS. EsxD carries the C-terminal motif YxxxD/E that has been proposed to target T7 substrates for secretion in mycobacteria. Here, we find that deletion, but not amino acid substitutions, in this motif prevent secretion of EsxA and EsxC but not EsxB or EsxD. This is unlike the genetic inactivation of esxA, esxB, esxC or esxD that leads to loss of secretion of all four substrates. Thus, substrate secretion can be uncoupled by deleting the last six amino acids of EsxD. The physical association of EsxC and EsxD with canonical WXG100 proteins suggests that these proteins belong to the EsxAB clan.