cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis of cardiac allograft vasculopathy in heart transplant patients using a pixelated stress perfusion analysis

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in heart transplant patients. CAV accounts for 17% of deaths within 3 years of transplant and is detectable by coronary angiography in 50% of patients within 10 years of transplant.1 2 The current gold standard for detecting CAV is by coronary angiography, which is an invasive procedure in which dye is injected into blood vessels of the heart and X-ray images are taken. This presents significant risks to patients such as bleeding, infection and radiation exposure. Cardiac MRI, on the other hand, is non-invasive and does not expose the patient to harmful radiation. Using cardiac MRI to detect CAV would thus provide a safer alternative to coronary angiography and reduce iatrogenic morbidity. This study sought to demonstrate that a new software programme could analyse MRI scans to reliably detect CAV. This retrospective cohort study included 49 patients with an age range of 18–89 years old who were being evaluated for post-transplant rejection. As part of the current standard of care, these patients had routine cardiac MRI scans. These scans were run through the new software to measure blood flow in the heart muscle, which is reduced in CAV. Out of 49 scans, only 20 had an arterial input function (AIF) curve, which is a control necessary for the software to function. These 20 scans were then run through the software, but only two produced data that could quantify blood flow in the heart. …
Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) and Reflective Journaling (RJ): Mixed-Methods Research From an Online Interprofessional (IP) Course

Date Presented 04/04/19 A convergent parallel mixed-methods study examined the relationship between reflective journaling (RJ) and self-regulated learning (SRL) in a collaborative online interprofessional (IP) course. Thirty students’ reflective texts indicated effective learning for IP practice through online collaborative instruction. Pearson correlation indicated: 1) moderate relationship between SRL and grade point average, 2) not a significant relationship of SRL and RJ, and 3) connection with self-determination theory. Primary Author and Speaker: Joan Tunningley
Oahe Dam: Influence of Shale on Oahe Power Structures Design

Oahe dam site is a soft-rock site. The shale bedrock is badly faulted, has bentonite sliding planes, a low modulus and low compressive strength. Power structures are located in positions relative to faulting to afford minimum construction difficulty. Structures design is controlled by influence of bedrock as much as by functional requirements. Designers develop a pessimistic attitude in working with this material. Pierre shale disintegrates rapidly when exposed to air. Exposed foundation areas are protected by bituminous sealing, guniting, and concrete slab cover. Exposed tunnel rock is protected by humidity control or by pneumatically placed mortar. Foundation areas are stitched with anchorages to prevent differential rebound. Construction sequence is carefully controlled to prevent overstressing of foundation slope faces.
Exotic tree and shrub invasions alter leaf-litter microflora and arthropod communities

Approximately 90% of all annual net primary productivity in temperate deciduous forests ends up entering the detritus food web as leaf litter. Due to chemical and physical differences from native litter, inputs from invasive species may impact the litter-dwelling community and ecosystem processes. We compared leaf-litter nutritional quality and decomposition rates from two invasive shrubs, Lonicera maackii and Rhamnus davurica, and the invasive tree Ailanthus altissima to litter from native oak-hickory forest in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, USA. We sampled litter from both invaded and uninvaded habitats and conducted litter colonization experiments to test for effects on microflora and the litter-dwelling arthropod communities. Litter from all three invasive species decomposed more rapidly than native litter, with native habitats averaging two to nearly five times as much litter by June. Invasive litter had higher nitrogen concentration and lower C:N ratios than native litter. Invasive litter supported greater growth of bacteria and fungi. Higher numbers of arthropods colonized invasive litter than native litter, but litter arthropod numbers on the forest floor of invaded habitats dropped in the early summer as litter decomposed. Litter had no effect on arthropod richness. Over short time scales, our results indicate that these invasive species represent beneficial, novel resources for the litter-dwelling community. However, the short-lived nature of this resource resulted in a crash in the abundance of the litter-dwelling organisms once the litter decomposed. As a whole, native habitat seems to support a larger, more stable litter-dwelling community over the course of a growing season.
Chapter 4 – Securing Cloud Computing Systems

Cloud computing is a method of delivering computing resources. Cloud computing services ranging from data storage and processing to software, such as customer relationship management systems, are now available instantly and on demand. In times of financial and economic hardship, this new low cost of ownership model for computing has gotten lots of attention and is seeing increasing global investment. Generally speaking, cloud computing provides implementation agility, lower capital expenditure, location independence, resource pooling, broad network access, reliability, scalability, elasticity, and ease of maintenance. While in most cases cloud computing can improve security due to ease of management, the provider’s lack of knowledge and experience can jeopardize customer environments. This chapter aims to discuss various cloud computing environments and methods to make them more secure for hosting companies and their customers.
Complex oncologic resection and reconstruction of the scalp: Predictors of morbidity and mortality.

Background Oncologic resection of the scalp confers several obstacles to the reconstructive surgeon dependent upon patient-specific and wound-specific factors. We aim to describe our experiences with various reconstructive methods, and delineate risk factors for coverage failure and complications in the setting of scalp reconstruction. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted, examining patients who underwent resection of fungating scalp tumors with subsequent soft-tissue reconstruction from 2003 to 2019. Patient demographics, wound and oncologic characteristics, treatment modalities, and outcomes were recorded and analyzed. Results A total of 189 patients were appropriate for inclusion, undergoing a range of reconstructive methods from skin grafting to free flaps. Thirty-three patients (17.5%) underwent preoperative radiation. In all, 48 patients (25.4%) suffered wound site complications, 25 (13.2%) underwent reoperation, and 47 (24.9%) suffered from mortality. Preoperative radiation therapy was an independent risk factor for wound complications (odds ratio [OR], 2.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-7.3; p = 0.028) and reoperations (OR, 4.45; 95% CI, 1.5-13.2; p = 0.007). Similarly, the presence of an underlying titanium mesh was an independent predictor of wound complications (OR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.1-5.6; p= 0.029) and reoperations (OR, 3.40; 95% CI, 1.2-9.7; p= 0.020). Both immunosuppressed status (OR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.2-7.1; p= 0.021) and preoperative radiation therapy (OR, 3.34; 95% CI, 1.2-9.7; p= 0.022) were risk factors for mortality. Conclusion Both preoperative radiation and the presence of underlying titanium mesh are independent risk factors for wound site complications and increased reoperation rates following oncologic resection and reconstruction of the scalp. Additionally, preoperative radiation, along with an immunosuppressed state, may predict patient mortality following scalp resection and reconstruction.
Association of Race, Health Insurance Status, and Household Income With Location and Outcomes of Ambulatory Surgery Among Adult Patients in 2 US States.

Importance The receipt of surgery in freestanding ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) is often less costly compared with surgery in hospital-based outpatient departments. Although increasing numbers of surgical procedures are now being performed in freestanding ASCs, questions remain regarding the existence of disparities among patients receiving care at ASCs. Objective To examine the association of patient race, health insurance status, and household income with the location (ASC vs hospital-based outpatient department) of ambulatory surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study used data from the State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project to perform a secondary analysis of patients who received ambulatory surgery in New York and Florida between 2011 and 2013. Patients aged 18 to 89 years who underwent 12 different types of ambulatory surgical procedures were included. Data were analyzed from December 2018 to June 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Receipt of surgery at a freestanding ASC and 30-day unplanned hospital visits after ambulatory surgery. Results A total of 5.6 million patients in New York (57.4% female; 68.9% aged ≥50 years; and 62.5% White) and 7.5 million patients in Florida (57.3% female; 77.4% aged ≥50 years; 74.3% White) who received ambulatory surgery were included in the analysis. After adjusting for age, comorbidities, health insurance status, household income, location of surgery, and type of surgical procedure, the likelihood of receiving ambulatory surgery at a freestanding ASC was significantly lower among Black patients (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.81-0.83;P Conclusions and Relevance Differences in the use of freestanding ASCs were found among Black patients and patients with public health insurance. Further exploration of the factors underlying these differences will be important to ensure that all populations have access to the increasing number of freestanding ASCs.
Do Religious Nonprofit and For-Profit Organizations Respond Differently to Financial Incentives? The Hospice Industry

We study how for-profit and religious nonprofit hospices respond to an exogenous Medicare reimbursement incentive that encourages maximization of patient length of stay. Hospices have the incentive to selectively admit patients with longer expected lengths of stay, and admit patients sooner after a hospital discharge. We find that for-profit hospices are significantly less likely to admit patients with shorter, less profitable, expected lengths of stay. We do not find any difference in the timing of admission by ownership. Incentives for efficiency could be strengthened by a Medicare pricing system that replaced the current flat per diem payment with one that reflected the high costs at the beginning and end of hospice stay and the lower costs in between.
Improving Child Neurology Residents' Communication Skills Through Objective Structured Clinical Exams.

Introduction Child neurology has unique challenges in communication due to complex disorders with a wide array of prognoses and treatments. Effective communication is teachable through deliberate p...
Insight into an acute hepatitis A outbreak in Indiana

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection causes an acute enteric hepatitis associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly in older individuals. Incidence of HAV infection is low in the United States, mostly related to consumption of contaminated food. Starting in 2017, Indiana reported a large HAV outbreak. We sought to characterize the risk-exposures, clinical features and outcomes of HAV and examine the differences based on underlying cirrhosis and age. Adults ≥18 years diagnosed with HAV between January 2017 and April 2019 at two large healthcare systems in Indiana were identified. Demographic data, risk-exposures, clinical features, laboratory data and clinical outcomes were collected for analysis. The HAV cohort constituted 264 individuals with mean age of 41-years, 62% male and 94% Caucasian. Risk-exposures identified were illicit drug use (74%), food-borne (15%), person-to-person (11%) and incarceration (11%). Mortality rate was 2%, acute liver failure (ALF) was seen in 4% and acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) was seen in 30% (6 of 20 with underlying cirrhosis). Admission MELD score was the only factor associated with ALF [OR = 1.17 (1.08-1.2), p < 0.0001], on multivariable logistic regression analysis. Higher proportion of individuals with underlying cirrhosis developed acute kidney injury (AKI) (26% vs. 9%, p = 0.03), ascites (45% vs. 11%, p < 0.0001) and hepatic encephalopathy (35% vs. 4%, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, illicit drug use was the predominant risk-exposure in the current HAV outbreak, which was associated with 2% mortality rate, and those with cirrhosis had worse outcomes (AKI, ascites and HE), of whom 30% developed ACLF.
Blue v. Durham Public School District and the Campaign for School Equalization in North Carolina

Plessy v. Ferguson’s separate but equal doctrine governed challenges to racial discrimination in public schools for nearly sixty years after 1896. That changed, of course, with the Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. But before Brown, there was Blue v. Durham Public School District, a 1951 case decided within Plessy’s framework. Blue held that black schools in Durham, North Carolina, though certainly separate, were demonstrably unequal to the city’s white schools. In response, local officials allocated more than one million dollars—worth roughly ten million dollars today—to “equalize” the parallel systems. Such equalization suits are an important yet understudied phenomenon of the decade that preceded Brown. Seeking to enforce Plessy’s purported equality mandate, black lawyers across the country—often buoyed by the NAACP—sued local school districts. Yet by the time the Blue plaintiffs filed their complaint in 1949, many lawyers had grown discontent with that strategy; they preferred attacking segregation directly. Indeed, lawyers launched a wave of desegregation lawsuits just months after the Durham attorneys argued Blue. This Article analyzes why Blue sought equalization when others sought desegregation. After detailing the Blue litigation, I conclude that the local lawyers requested equalization in part because they were from Durham—a city where African Americans believed they could compete if afforded an equal opportunity. Emphasis on Durham does not undermine Blue’s national significance. The decision also illustrates the flaws in Plessy’s doctrine: if schools were unequal even in Durham, the nation’s “Capital of the Black Middle Class,” then Plessy’s failure was inevitable.
A Framework for Investigating Rules of Life by Establishing Zones of Influence.

The incredible complexity of biological processes across temporal and spatial scales hampers defining common underlying mechanisms driving the patterns of life. However, recent advances in sequencing, big data analysis, machine learning, and molecular dynamics simulation have renewed the hope and urgency of finding potential hidden rules of life. There currently exists no framework to develop such synoptic investigations. Some efforts aim to identify unifying rules of life across hierarchical levels of time, space, and biological organization, but not all phenomena occur across all the levels of these hierarchies. Instead of identifying the same parameters and rules across levels, we posit that each level of a temporal and spatial scale and each level of biological organization has unique parameters and rules that may or may not predict outcomes in neighboring levels. We define this neighborhood, or the set of levels, across which a rule functions as the zone of influence. Here, we introduce the zone of influence framework and explain using three examples: (Smocovitis, 1992) randomness in biology, where we use a Poisson process to describe processes from protein dynamics to DNA mutations to gene expressions, (Leroi, 2014) island biogeography, and (Gropp, 2016) animal coloration. The zone of influence framework may enable researchers to identify which levels are worth investigating for a particular phenomenon and reframe the narrative of searching for a unifying rule of life to the investigation of how, when, and where various rules of life operate.
Associations between executive functioning, personality, and posttraumatic stress symptoms in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND Pediatric solid organ transplant recipients are susceptible to posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), given the presence of a life-threatening chronic medical condition and potential for complications. However, little is known about what individual characteristics are associated with an increased risk for PTSS among youth who received an organ transplant. The aim of the current study was to evaluate PTSS and its associations with executive functioning (EF) and personality (i.e., neuroticism and conscientiousness) among adolescents with solid organ transplants. METHODS Fifty-three adolescents (Mage = 16.40, SD = 1.60) with a kidney, heart, or liver transplant completed self-report measures of PTSS and personality, whereas caregivers completed a caregiver-proxy report of adolescent EF. RESULTS Twenty-two percent of adolescent transplant recipients reported clinically significant levels of PTSS. Higher EF difficulties and neuroticism levels, and lower conscientiousness levels were significantly associated with higher PTSS (rs -.34 to .64). Simple slope analyses revealed that adolescents with both high EF impairment and high levels of neuroticism demonstrated the highest PTSS (t = 3.47; p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Most adolescent transplant recipients in the present study did not report clinically significant levels of PTSS; however, those with high neuroticism and greater EF difficulties may be particularly vulnerable to PTSS following organ transplantation. Following transplantation, medical providers should assess for PTSS and risk factors for developing PTSS. Identification of those at risk for PTSS is critical, given the strong associations between PTSS and certain medical outcomes (e.g., medication nonadherence) among these youth.
Role of plasma membrane fluidity alterations in tumor cell sensitization to apoptosis-inducing stimuli: Therapeutic implications

1262 Alterations in membrane fluidity can seriously affect functional properties of the cell and may cause the induction of apoptotic pathways resulting in cell death. The molecular signaling pathways leading to apoptosis are promising areas of research investigation for the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in tumor cell resistance to drug/immune mediated apoptosis and the development of new therapeutic compounds. Recent findings indicate that anti-cancer agents induce apoptosis, directly or indirectly, through alterations of tumor cell membrane fluidity. Also, changes in membrane fluidity resulted in aggregation of death receptors (eg Fas, DR4, DR5) and activation of the apoptotic stimulus. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship of tumor cell membrane fluidity alterations and cell sensitivity to apoptosis-inducing stimuli. We hypothesized that the resistant phenotype of the tumor cells is, in large part, regulated by the fluidity of the tumor cell membranes. This hypothesis was tested in an vitro tumor cell model system. We selected the drug and immune-resistant prostate tumor cell line, PC-3, for this study. Initially we treated PC-3 cells with lipofectamine for transfection and we observed that there was significant spontaneous induction of apoptosis compared to tumor cells treated with medium alone. Apoptosis was measured by activation of the effector caspase-3. These studies suggested that lipofectamine may also sensitize the tumor cells to drug and immune mediated apoptosis. Hense, treatment of PC-3 cells with lipofectamine for 6 h and wash, followed by treatment with CDDP or vincristine for 18 h resulted in significant apoptosis compared to treatment with the drugs alone. Likewise, lilofectamime treated PC-3 cells with TRAIL resulted in significant potentiation of apoptosis compared to treatment with TRAIL alone. These findings corroborate the above hypothesis and suggest that tumor cell-resistance can be modified by alterations of the membrane lipid composition. The mechanism by which alterations of membrane fluidity is responsible for changes in resistance is not clear. We propose that alteration in membrane fluidity may result in alterations in lipid raft composition and alteration of survivor signaling apoptotic pathways and aggregation of death receptors. In support of this hypothesis, recent studies have demonstrated that treatment of tumor cells with CDDP resulted in redistribution of the death receptor Fas into lipid rafts (Lacour S., et al., Cancer Research 64: 3593-3598, 2004). In conclusion, these studies suggest that alterations of lipid composition of tumor cells may be a therapeutic option, in combination with conventional therapeutics, in the treatment of resistant tumor cells.
CD28 delivers a costimulatory signal involved in antigen-specific IL-2 production by human T cells.

CD4+ T cells require two signals to produce maximal amounts of IL-2, i.e., TCR occupancy and an unidentified APC-derived costimulus. Here we show that this costimulatory signal can be delivered by the T cell molecule CD28. An agonistic anti-CD28 mAb, but not IL-1 and/or IL-6, stimulated T cell proliferation by tetanus toxoid-specific T cells cultured with Ag-pulsed, costimulation-deficient APC. Furthermore, the ability of B cell tumor lines to provide costimulatory signals to purified T cells correlated well with expression of the CD28 ligand B7/BB-1. Finally, like anti-CD28 mAb, autologous human APC appeared to stimulate a cyclosporine A-resistant pathway of T cell activation. Together, these results suggest that the two signals required for IL-2 production by CD4+ T cells can be transduced by the TCR and CD28.
Mineralization of detrital lignocelluloses by salt marsh sediment microflora.

Specifically radiolabeled 14C-(cellulose)-lignocellulose and 14C-(lignin)-lignocellulose were isolated from labeled cuttings of Spartina alterniflora (cordgrass) and Pinus elliottii (slash pine). These were used to estimate the rates of mineralization to CO2 of lignocelluloses of estuarine and terrestrial origin in salt marsh estuarine sediments. The lignin moiety of pine lignocellulose was mineralized 10 to 14 times more slowly than that of Spartina lignocellulose, depending on the source of inoculum. Average values for percent mineralization after 835 h of incubation were 1.4 and 13.9%, respectively. For Spartina lignocellulose, mineralization of the cellulose moiety was three times faster than that of the lignin moiety. Average values for percent mineralization after 720 h of incubation were 32.1 and 10.6%, respectively. Lignocellulose and lignin contents of live pine and Spartina plants were analyzed and found to be 60.7 and 20.9%, respectively, for pine and 75.6 and 15.1%, respectively, for Spartina.
Communications infrastructure and traditional determinants of inward foreign investment: A comparison of developed and emerging markets

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine the effects of communications infrastructure and other traditionally‐investigated, market‐related factors on net investment inflows into developed versus emerging markets.Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses are developed and tested empirically using auto‐regression analysis. Data are used from 38 countries (19 developing and 19 developed) over a ten‐year period (1995‐2004).Findings – Findings are consistent with the view that research models of the drivers of investment inflows should consider markets' levels of economic development, different time frames, and macro‐economic changes in the global market.Research limitations/implications – Communications infrastructure influences a country's ability to attract foreign investment. Extrapolation of the results to other places and times should be done with caution.Practical implications – Managers should carefully examine the information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure before investing in foreign c...
Fracture and Fragmentation in British Romanticism

Broken origins: an introduction 1. A brotherhood is broken: Babel and the fragmentation of language 2. Figuring it out: the origin of language and anthropomorphism 3. Forces trembling underneath: the Lisbon earthquake and the sublime 4. A blue chasm: Wordsworth's The Prelude and the figure of parenthesis 5. Letters from the grave: John Keats's fragmented corpus 6. The doubling force of citation: De Quincey's Wordsworthian archive 7. Philological fractures: Paul de Man's Romantic rhetoric.
Robot Path Planning Using Fluid Model

This paper presents a numerical potential function for point-robot path planning in configuration space based on the theory of fluid mechanics. Ideal fluid is first simulated using Poisson’s equation and heuristic path planning algorithms are established by comparisons of the velocity potentials. Several computational techniques are experimented and compared. A bitmap collision detection technique is proposed for non-point robots. This fluid model creates an environment which is not only free of local minima but also beneficial for navigation control.
Digital Evidence Education in Schools of Law

An examination of State of Connecticut v. Julie Amero provides insight into how a general lack of understanding of digital evidence can cause an innocent defendant to be wrongfully convicted. By contrast, the 101-page opinion in Lorraine v. Markel American Insurance Co. provides legal precedence and a detailed consideration for the admission of digital evidence. An analysis of both cases leads the authors to recommend additions to Law School curricula designed to raise the awareness of the legal community to ensure such travesties of justice, as in the Amero case, don’t occur in the future. Work underway at the University of Washington designed to address this deficiency is discussed.
Na,K-ATPase polypeptide upregulation responses in lens epithelium.

Purpose In a previous study, an increase in Na,K-ATPase alpha 2 expression was detected in the epithelium of porcine lenses exposed to amphotericin B, an ionophore that also increases lens sodium and stimulates active sodium transport. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether an increase of Na,K-ATPase alpha 2 synthesis is a response to an episode of rapid Na-K transport or whether the increase in lens sodium alone can initiate the response. Methods Western blot analyses were conducted to probe for Na,K-ATPase alpha polypeptides in membrane material isolated from porcine lens epithelium. Ouabain-sensitive adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis was used as an index of Na,K-ATPase activity, and lens ion content was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. 86-Rubidium (86Rb) uptake was measured as an indicator for active potassium transport. Results 86Rb uptake was markedly diminished in lenses exposed to dihydro-ouabain (DHO), signifying inhibition of active sodium-potassium transport. Consistent with this, the sodium content of DHO-treated lenses increased. By western blot analysis, a marked increase of Na,K-ATPase alpha 2 polypeptide could be detected in the epithelium of DHO-treated lenses. To rule out the possibility that apparent stimulation of Na,K-ATPase alpha 2 synthesis stemmed from binding of DHO to Na,K-ATPase sites, experiments were conducted to confirm an increase of Na,K-ATPase alpha 2 polypeptide in the epithelium of lenses exposed to low-potassium medium to inhibit active sodium-potassium transport. Consistent with the apparent increase of Na,K-ATPase polypeptide, Na,K-ATPase activity was detectably increased in epithelial material isolated from lenses pretreated with DHO or low-potassium medium. Conclusions An increase in Na,K-ATPase alpha 2 polypeptide can occur in the epithelium of lenses subjected to an episode of sodium pump inhibition. This suggests the response could be triggered by an increase in cell sodium and does not necessarily require a period of stimulated active sodium-potassium transport.
Lie Transform Tutorial — II

This survey paper is an extension of Meyer (1990) since it contains complete proofs of the main theorems and some generalizations of Lie transform theory. However, the first part of this paper deals with the applications of Lie transforms to various perturbation problems leaving the technical proofs to the later sections.
Outer Membrane Protein-Specific Monoclonal Antibodies Protect SCID Mice from Fatal Infection by the Obligate Intracellular Bacterial Pathogen Ehrlichia chaffeensis

Previous studies of Ehrlichia chaffeensis infection in the mouse have demonstrated that passive transfer of polyclonal Abs from resistant immunocompetent mice to susceptible SCID mice ameliorated infection and disease, even when Abs were administered during established infection. To identify particular Abs that could mediate bacterial clearance in vivo, E. chaffeensis-specific mAbs were generated and administered to infected SCID mice. Bacterial infection in the livers was significantly lowered after administration of either of two Abs of different isotypes (IgG2a and IgG3). Moreover, repeated administration of one Ab (Ec56.5; IgG2a) rescued mice from an otherwise lethal infection for at least 5 wk. Both protective Abs recognized the E. chaffeensis major outer membrane protein (OMP)-1g. Further studies revealed that both Abs recognized closely related epitopes within the amino terminus of the first hypervariable region of OMP-1g. Analyses of human sera showed that E. chaffeensis-infected patients also generated serological responses to OMP-1g hypervariable region 1, indicating that humans and mice recognize identical or closely related epitopes. These studies demonstrate that OMP-specific mAbs can mediate bacterial elimination in SCID mice, and indicate that Abs, in the absence of cell-mediated immunity, can play a significant role in host defense during infection by this obligate intracellular bacterium.
Mineralization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by a bacterium isolated from sediment below an oil field.

Microbiological analyses of sediments chronically exposed to petrogenic hydrocarbons resulted in the isolation of a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium which mineralized naphthalene (59.5% of the original amount), phenanthrene (50.9%), fluoranthene (89.7%), pyrene (63.0%), 1-nitropyrene (12.3%), 3-methylcholanthrene (1.6%), and 6-nitrochrysene (2.0%) to carbon dioxide when grown for 2 weeks in pure culture with organic nutrients. The bacterium tolerated salt concentrations up to 4% and grew well at 24 to 30 degrees C. The use of this bacterium may be an attractive alternative to existing physicochemical methods for the remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the environment. Images
The Purification and Properties of a Uridine Diphosphate Glucose: Aldehyde Cyanohydrin β-Glucosyltransferase from Sorghum Seedlings

Abstract A UDP-glucose:aldehyde cyanohydrin β-glucosyltransferase has been isolated and partially purified from shoots of etiolated seedlings of Sorghum bicolor (Linn) Moench. The enzyme catalyzes the formation of dhurrin (p-hydroxy(S)-mandelonitrile-β-d-glucopyranoside), the cyanogenic glucoside of sorghum, from UDP-glucose and (R,S)-p-hydroxymandelonitrile. The reaction with (R,S)-p-hydroxymandelonitrile is stereospecific for the (S) enantiomer since only dhurrin, and not a mixture of dhurrin and its epimer taxiphyllin, was formed. Although the enzyme exhibited higher activity with aromatic cyanohydrins, it also accepted other aromatic substrates.
Subband parameter optimization of microphone arrays for speech recognition in reverberant environments

We present a new subband microphone array processing algorithm specifically designed for speech recognition applications. We previously proposed a speech recognizer-based array processing algorithm which resulted in significant improvements in recognition accuracy when the speech was corrupted by additive noise and moderate levels of reverberation. However, little improvement was achieved over conventional beamforming methods in highly reverberant environments. Subband processing has been used to improve the poor performance of LMS-type algorithms when the number of filter parameters to estimate is large and the noise is highly correlated to the speech signal, e.g. in highly reverberant environments. We apply a subband approach to a new array processing architecture in which select groups of subbands are processed jointly to maximize the likelihood of the resulting speech recognition features, as measured by the recognition system itself. By incorporating the recognizer into the filter optimization scheme we ensure that signal components important for recognition are emphasized without undue emphasis on less critical components. By utilizing a subband approach, we can effectively apply this framework to highly reverberant environments. In doing so, we are able to achieve improvements in word error rate of over 20% compared to conventional methods in highly reverberant environments.
Qualitative methods for intervention research

Intervention research takes place in field settings and requires understanding of social meanings and social processes. These are tasks for which qualitative research methods are well suited. The purpose of this paper is to provide a starting point for those who would like to learn more about the qualitative research methods used in disciplines where the study of social phenomena in naturalistic settings is common-particularly sociology, cultural anthropology, and human services program evaluation. The paper discusses some ways that qualitative and quantitative methodologies can usefully work together, outlines four key differences in the initial premises of quantitative and qualitative research approaches, briefly reviews some methodological techniques useful in gathering and analyzing qualitative data, and provides suggestions for further reading on various aspects of qualitative research.
Effect of Level of External Stimulation on Rate of Learning and Interaction of this Effect with Strychnine Treatment in Mice

In these studies an attempt was made to test for disruption of learning by general external stimulation delivered after training. In addition, in Exp. I only, strychnine sulphate was tested for effects on learning and for a possible interaction with stimulation treatment. Mice were trained on a spatial discrimination task, and stimulation was delivered after each day's block of trials. The general findings were that stimulation as tested did not disrupt learning. A facilitative effect of strychnine was obtained, but only when the stimulation was low. These were discussed in terms of perseveration-consolidation theory and of previous studies in which no facilitative effects of strychnine were obtained.
Parametric probabilistic sensor network routing

Motivated by realistic sensor network scenarios that have misinformed nodes and variable network topologies, we propose a fundamentally different approach to routing that combines the best features of limited-flooding and information-sensitive path-finding protocols into a reliable, low-power method that can make delivery guarantees independent of parameter values or information noise levels. We introduce Parametric Probabilistic Sensor Network Routing Protocols, a family of light-weight and robust multi-path routing protocols for sensor networks in which an intermediate sensor decides to forward a message with a probability that depends on various parameters, such as the distance of the sensor to the destination, the distance of the source sensor to the destination, or the number of hops a packet has already traveled. We propose two protocol variants of this family and compare the new methods to other probabilistic and deterministic protocols, namely constant-probability gossiping, uncontrolled flooding, random wandering, shortest path routing (and a variation), and a load-spreading shortest-path protocol inspired by [Servetto, Barrenechea, 2002]. We consider sensor networks where a sensor's knowledge of the local or global information is uncertain (parametrically noised) due to sensor mobility, and investigate the trade-off between robustness of the protocol as measured by quality of service (in particular, successful delivery rate and delivery lag) and use of resources (total network load). Our results show that the multi-path protocols are less sensitive to misinformation, and suggest that in the presence of noisy data, a limited flooding strategy will actually perform better and use fewer resources than an attempted single-path routing strategy, with the Parametric Probabilistic Sensor Network Routing Protocols outperforming other protocols. Our results also suggest that protocols using network information perform better than protocols that do not, even in the presence of strong noise.
ISOLATION OF COENZYME B 12 FROM LIVER OF GERM-FREE MICE.

Die enzymatische Synthese von Cobamid-Coenzymen ist aus Extrakten, die von Mikroorganismen gewonnen wurden, gut bekannt, nicht aber von Saugetiergeweben. Unsere Befunde mit Cobamid-Coenzymen in der Leber von keimfreien Mausen scheint anzuzeigen, dass die Verwandlung von Vitamin B12 in Coenzymform von Enzymen der Saugetiergewebe katalysiert werden kann.
Canine testicular 17β-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase activity I. Substrate specificity

Abstract The substrate specificity of 17β-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase (17β-HOR) activity was investigated in microsomal preparations of canine testes. Enzyme activity was measured by quantitating the conversion of radioactive substrates to products. The apparent Michaelis constants were determined to be 1.3 × 10−6M for androstenedione, 3–10 × 10−6 for dehydroepiandrosterone and 25 × 10−6M for estrone. These data are similar to those reported for human testicular 17β-HOR activity and suggest that the canine activity may serve as an animal model for the study of testicular 17β-HOR.
Reactivity of complexes of the type Re2X4(LL)2 towards bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium carboxylates. A convenient, non-redox synthetic route to cis and trans isomers of Re2(O2CR)2X2(LL)2 (R = CH3, C2H5, C6H5, or 4-C5H4N; X = Cl or Br; LL = Ph2PCH2PPh2 or Ph2AsCH2AsPh2)

Abstract The clean conversion of the complexes Re2X4(LL)2 [X = Cl when LL = Ph2PCH2PPh2 (dppm) and X = Br when Ph2AsCH2AsPh2 (dpam)] to pure trans- Re2(O2CR)2X2(LL)2 occurs when these complexes are reacted with [(Ph3P)2N]O2CR (R = CH3, C2H5, C6H4 or 4-C5H4N) in CH2Cl2 at room temperature. When these same reactions are carried out in refluxing ethanol, the related cis isomers are formed when R = CH3 or C2H5; in the case of Re2(O2CC6H5)2Cl2(dppm)2 a mixture of cis and trans isomers is produced, whereas for Re2(O2C-4-py)2Cl2(dppm)2 (4-py = 4-C5H4N) the trans isomer is again produced. When trans-Re2(O2CR)2Cl2(dppm)2 (R = CH3 or C2H5) are heated in ethanol for ca 3 h, isomerization to cis-Re2(O2CR)2Cl2(dppm)2 takes place. The structure of trans-Re2(O2CCH3)2Cl2(dppm)2 was established by X-ray crystallography. The crystallographic data for Re2(O2CCH3)2Cl2(dppm)2·C7H8·2H2O are as follows: monoclinic space group C2/c, a = 22.247(7), b = 19.257(7), c = 14.358(4) A, β = 94.73(2)°, V= 6129(6) A3 and Z = 4. The structure was refined to R= 0.042 (Rw = 0.056) for 3110 data with I > 3.0σ(I). The molecule contains trans dispositions of bridging acetate and dppm ligands. The ClReReCl unit approaches linearity, with ReReCl angles of 175.76(6)°. The ReRe distance of 2.2763(7) A is consistent with the presence of a ReRe triple bond.
Journals in criminal justice and criminology: An updated and expanded guide for authors

This article provides an annotated list of 326 journals in criminal justice and criminology. After consulting the “notes for contributors” sections of each journal, the authors mailed a self-administered survey to all journal editors soliciting their input on their editorial policies. Journal websites were also consulted to construct the journals' mission, scope, and editorial focus. A total of 221 editors returned the survey for a return rate of 68%. The following entries present an annotation that summarizes the mission, philosophy, and editorial policies of each journal. Following the annotations, the chart documents contact information for the editors and editorial policies concerning submissions to each journal.
Applying object-oriented metrics to Ada 95

Ada 95 adds many new and notable features to the Ada 83 standard. The additions include such aspects as object-oriented programming, hierarchical libraries, and protected objects. The enhancements to the language may have a profound impact on the way developers design software in Ada. Consequently, the way in which the new software designs are assessed needs to be addressed. Recent studies suggest traditional functionally-oriented metrics are not applicable to object-oriented software. As a result, new measures are being proposed that may be applicable to object-oriented design. Some of these metrics have been validated on small to medium sized projects written in C++ and Smalltalk. This paper demonstrates how to apply these metrics to Ada 95.
Effect of Processing on Proximate Composition and Mineral Content of Sea Cucumbers (Parastichopus spp.)

The nutrient content, texture and holothurin content of two sea cucumber species were determined for fresh, dried and canned products. Fresh sea cucumber contained 89–91% moisture, 5–6% protein, 0.3% fat, 3% ash and 0.3% carbohydrate; dried sea cucumber contained 2–6% moisture, 61–70% protein, 2–3% fat, 16–24% ash, and 2–3% carbohydrate. Fresh sea cucumber contained 90 mg of holothurin per 100g of tissue. Canned sea cucumber contained moisture and protein levels similar to those generally found in marine finfish. Processing methods for canned sea cucumber resulted in a significant (P<0.01) decrease in potassium and increase in sodium. No significant differences (P<0.01) were found in the texture of canned products made from fresh-cooked, salted-cooked and cooked-dried raw material.
Quantum-Noise Theory for the Resistively Shunted Josephson Junction

It is shown that the low-frequency spectral density of the voltage noise in a current-biased Josephson junction with critical current ${I}_{0}$, shunt resistance $R$, and small capacitance is $\frac{e{{I}_{0}}^{2}{R}^{3}}{\ensuremath{\pi}V}$ in the limit $\mathrm{eV}\ensuremath{\gg}{k}_{\mathrm{B}}T{(\frac{I}{{I}_{0}})}^{2}$ and $Ig{I}_{0}$, where $V$ is the voltage and $I$ is the current. The noise arises from zero-point current fluctuations in the shunt resistor. The rounding of the current-voltage characteristic caused by the quantum fluctuations and the effects of nonzero junction capacitance are calculated.
On automatic construction of velocity fields in plastic limit analysis

Interpreted in terms of the Limit Design Theorems, a problem in plastic analysis of a structure is equivalent to finding the minimum of a functional over a set of appropriate velocity field functions. In this paper we describe a new direct numerical method for finding optimal values of such functionals and associated velocity fields. The technique, which makes use of the methods available for solving problems in mathematical programming, consists of replacing a continuous problem by a discrete problem, which is then solved routinely on a high-speed digital computer.
Engineering Cellular Resistance to HIV

A remarkable story of bedside-to-bench-to-bedside research is the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coreceptor CCR5 and the subsequent therapeutic advances made because of this knowledge. Persons who were heavily exposed to HIV and did not become infected were studied, and a homozygous 32-bp deletion (delta32/delta32) was found in CCR5, the gene encoding this transmembrane protein.1 The deletion did not impair CD4 T-cell function, but it did render cells resistant to infection with the typically transmitted R5 viruses that use the CCR5 receptor together with CD4 to gain entry into cells. This knowledge, in turn, led to the development . . .
Barriers to detection, help-seeking, and service use for children with ADHD symptoms.

This study describes 4 help-seeking steps among children at high risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and identifies barriers to ADHD symptom detection and treatment. Using a district-wide stratified random sample of 1615 elementary school students screened for ADHD risk, predictors of 4 help-seeking steps among a high-risk group (n=389) and parent-identified barriers to care among children with unmet need for ADHD care (n=91) were assessed. Study findings indicate that although 88% of children were recognized as having a problem, only 39% had been evaluated, 32% received an ADHD diagnosis, and 23% received current treatment. Older children and those with more severe behavior problems were more likely to be perceived by their parents as having a problem. Additionally, gender and ethnic disparities in the subsequent help-seeking process emerged. Boys had over 5 times the odds than girls of receiving an evaluation, an ADHD diagnosis, and treatment. Compared to African American youth, Caucasian children had twice the odds of taking these help-seeking steps. For those children with unmet need for ADHD care, poverty predicted lower treatment rates and was associated with the most pervasive barriers. The gap between parental problem recognition and seeking services suggests that thresholds for parental recognition of a child behavior problem and for seeking ADHD services may be different. Future research examining the help-seeking process for ADHD should include a qualitative component to explore the potential mechanisms for gender and ethnic differences.
Microstructure, resistivity and critical currents of Ag-Bi/Pb(2223) tapes

The temperature and field dependences of critical current density, j/sub c/, in Ag-Bi/Pb(2223) tapes, prepared by the standard powder-in-tube method, have been measured between 4.2 K and 110 K in magnetic fields up to 15 T. The j/sub c/'s reproducibly reached values up to 20000 A/cm/sup 2/ at 77.35 K in zero magnetic field. After stripping or etching away the Ag-sheath, the microstructure of the superconductor core has been investigated by SEM, EDX and X-ray diffraction. On etched samples the resistance of the Bi(2223) filament has been measured. A value below 500 mu Omega -cm has been found for the resistivity at 130 K. >
A maximum entropy approach to adaptive statistical language modelling

An adaptive statistical language model is described, which successfully integrates long distance linguistic information with other knowledge sources. Most existing statistical language models exploit only the immediate history of a text. To extract information from further back in the document's history, we propose and usetrigger pairsas the basic information bearing elements. This allows the model to adapt its expectations to the topic of discourse. Next, statistical evidence from multiple sources must be combined. Traditionally, linear interpolation and its variants have been used, but these are shown here to be seriously deficient. Instead, we apply the principle of Maximum Entropy (ME). Each information source gives rise to a set of constraints, to be imposed on the combined estimate. The intersection of these constraints is the set of probability functions which are consistent with all the information sources. The function with the highest entropy within that set is the ME solution. Given consistent statistical evidence, a unique ME solution is guaranteed to exist, and an iterative algorithm exists which is guaranteed to converge to it. The ME framework is extremely general: any phenomenon that can be described in terms of statistics of the text can be readily incorporated. An adaptive language model based on the ME approach was trained on theWall Street Journalcorpus, and showed a 32–39% perplexity reduction over the baseline. When interfaced to SPHINX-II, Carnegie Mellon's speech recognizer, it reduced its error rate by 10–14%. This thus illustrates the feasibility of incorporating many diverse knowledge sources in a single, unified statistical framework.