cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Socioeconomic risk factors for bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia in adults

Demographic and clinical risk factors are important in guiding vaccination policy for pneumococcal pneumonia. We present data on these variables from a population-based surveillance network covering adult bacteraemic pneumococcal pneumonia (BPP) in the Delaware Valley region from 2002 to 2004. Surveillance data were used with U.S. Census data and a community health survey to calculate stratified incidence rates. Missing data were handled using multiple imputation. Overall rates of adult BPP were 10·6 cases/100 000 person-years. Elevated rates were seen in the elderly (>65 years), Native Americans, African Americans, the less-educated (less than high-school education), the poor, smokers, and individuals with histories of asthma, cancer, or diabetes. Multivariable modelling suggested that income was more robustly associated with risk than African American race. Of methodological interest, this association was not apparent if census block-group median income was used as a proxy for self-reported income. Further research on socioeconomic risk factors for BPP is needed.
Influence of aw on volatile free fatty acids during storage of cheese bases lipolyzed by kid goat pregastric lipase

Abstract Cheddar and goats' milk cheese bases that were lipolyzed by crude kid goat lingual lipase were stored at 1 or 21°C with the water activity ( a w ) controlled between 0·33 and 0·97. Concentrations of volatile n - and branched-chain free fatty acids in lipolyzed cheese bases after 4 weeks were the lowest in samples stored at a w 0·85, indicating possible resynthesis of fatty acids into acylglycerols. However, samples held at the extremes of the a w range did not exhibit evidence indicating a likelihood of acylglycerol resynthesis under these conditions. Storage at low temperature (1°C), as well as addition of ethanol to lipolyzed cheese bases reduced the volatile free fatty acid content.
LOWERING BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS ON OUR WATERWAYS: MEANS AND COSTS

The usual policy on intoxicated recreational boaters is to step up monitoring efforts to deter excessive drinking. However, this may be too expensive. This paper examines an alternative strategy--substituting lower blood alcohol limits for monitoring blood alcohol levels. Statutes that lower blood alcohol limits would be especially useful in areas such as recreational boating where monitoring would be very costly. This same policy could be used to curtail socially excessive blood alcohol levels in air, bus and rail transportation and recreational activities such as snowmobiling and skiing.
Disability Trajectories at the End of Life: A “Countdown” Model

Methods. W e fit latent-class trajectory models of disablement using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Among survivors (~20% of the sample), TTD is unknown, producing a missing-data problem. We use an auxiliary regression equation to impute TTD and employ multiple imputation techniques to obtain final parameter estimates and standard errors. Results. Our best-fitting model has 3 latent classes. In all 3 classes, the probability of ha ving a disability increases with nearness to death; however, in only 2 of the 3 classes is age associated with disability. We find gender, race, and educational differences in class-membership probabilities. Discussion. The model re veals a complex pattern of age- and time-dependent heterogeneity in late-life disablement. The techniques developed here could be applied to other phenomena known to depend on TTD, such as cognitive change, weight loss, and health care spending.
Effects of pharmacologic androgen treatment duration on glucocorticoid receptor α immunoreactivity of lumbosacral motor neurons in the male rat

It has previously been suggested that anabolic-androgenic steroids may affect neuromuscular function through their potential action as glucocorticoid receptor antagonists. Alternatively, androgens may regulate the sensitivity of neuromuscular systems to glucocorticoids by modulating GR levels. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of chronic pharmacologic testosterone treatment of gonadally intact male rats on glucocorticoid receptor alpha immunoreactivity (GRalpha-IR) of motor neurons in the lumbosacral spinal cord. Circulating testosterone levels were chronically increased by subcutaneous Silastic capsules containing crystalline testosterone propionate (TP) for 7, 14, and 28 days. Age-matched sham-operated gonadally intact males served as controls. Relative cytoplasmic and nuclear GRalpha-IR of motor neurons located in the lateral motor column of spinal cord segments L(3) and L(4) (L(Lat); innervating rat hindlimb muscles) and the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB; innervating the external anal sphincter, bulbocavernosus and levator ani muscles) was measured densitometrically. TP treatment duration had a significant impact on the mean GRalpha levels of both cellular compartments regardless of motor column (two-way ANOVA, P<0.001). The mean nuclear GRalpha-IR of lumbar motor neurons was significantly reduced after 7 days (OD: 0.239+/-0.013 S.E.M.; P<0.016) and 14 days (OD: 0.196+/-0.013; P<0.001) from the GRalpha-IR levels observed among the control group (OD: 0.296+/-0.012) by 20 and 40%, respectively. Interestingly, nuclear GRalpha-IR levels were similar to control levels after 28 days of TP treatment (OD: 0.307+/-0.010). Treatment-dependent changes in cytoplasmic GRalpha-IR paralleled the observed changes in nuclear GRalpha-IR. These data suggest that pharmacologic testosterone treatment effects on motor neuron gene expression may be mediated by testosterone-induced temporal fluctuations of GRalpha-dependent gene regulation.
Radiation dose reduction to the breast in thoracic CT: Comparison of bismuth shielding, organ-based tube current modulation, and use of a globally decreased tube current

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to evaluate dose performance and image quality in thoracic CT using three techniques to reduce dose to the breast: bismuth shielding, organ-based tube current modulation (TCM) and global tube current reduction. Methods: Semi-anthropomorphic thorax phantoms of four different sizes (15, 30, 35, and 40 cm lateral width) were used for dose measurement and image quality assessment. Four scans were performed on each phantom using 100 or 120 kV with a clinical CT scanner: (1) reference scan; (2) scan with bismuth breast shield of an appropriate thickness; (3) scan with organ-based TCM; and (4) scan with a global reduction in tube current chosen to match the dose reduction from bismuth shielding. Dose to the breast was measured with an ion chamber on the surface of the phantom. Image quality was evaluated by measuring the mean and standard deviation of CT numbers within the lung and heart regions. Results: Compared to the reference scan, dose to the breast region was decreased by about 21% for the 15-cm phantom with a pediatric (2-ply) shield and by about 37% for the 30, 35, and 40-cm phantoms with adult (4-ply) shields. Organ-based TCM decreased the dose by 12% for the 15-cm phantom, and 34–39% for the 30, 35, and 40-cm phantoms. Global lowering of the tube current reduced breast dose by 23% for the 15-cm phantom and 39% for the 30, 35, and 40-cm phantoms. In phantoms of all four sizes, image noise was increased in both the lung and heart regions with bismuth shielding. No significant increase in noise was observed with organ-based TCM. Decreasing tube current globally led to similar noise increases as bismuth shielding. Streak and beam hardening artifacts, and a resulting artifactual increase in CT numbers, were observed for scans with bismuth shields, but not for organ-based TCM or global tube current reduction. Conclusions: Organ-based TCM produces dose reduction to the breast similar to that achieved with bismuth shielding for both pediatric and adult phantoms. However, organ-based TCM does not affect image noise or CT number accuracy, both of which are adversely affected by bismuth shielding. Alternatively, globally decreasing the tube current can produce the same dose reduction to the breast as bismuth shielding, with a similar noise increase, yet without the streak artifacts and CT number errors caused by the bismuth shields. Moreover, globally decreasing the tube current reduces the dose to all tissues scanned, not simply to the breast.
High-performance K-band GaAs power field-effect transistors prepared by molecular beam epitaxy

The maturity of the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technique for preparing device quality GaAs material for microwave applications is demonstrated by the excellent performance characteristics of K-band GaAs power field-effect transistors (FETs) fabricated on the MBE wafers. An output power of 710 mW with 4.5-dB gain and 17.7 percent power-added efficiency was achieved at 21 GHz with a 1.26-mm gate width pi-gate device. A similar device with a 0.56-mm gate width produced an output power of 320 mW with 5.0-dB gain and 26.6 percent power-added efficiency at 21 GHz. These are the best results yet reported to date for GaAs power FETs operated in the K-band frequency range.
Decision analysis model comparing cost of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging vs. repeat biopsy for detection of prostate cancer in men with prior negative findings on biopsy.

Abstract Purpose We compared cost of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) vs. repeat biopsy in detection of prostate cancer (PCa) in men with prior negative findings on biopsy. Methods A decision tree model compared the strategy of office-based transrectal ultrasound–guided biopsy (TRUS) for men with prior negative findings on biopsy with a strategy of initial MP-MRI with TRUS performed only in cases of abnormal results on imaging. Study end points were cost, number of biopsies, and cancers detected. Cost was based on Medicare reimbursement. Cost of sepsis and minor complications were incorporated into analysis. Sensitivity analyses were performed by varying model assumptions. Results The baseline model with 24% PCa found that the overall cost for 100 men was $90,400 and $87,700 for TRUS and MP-MRI arms, respectively. The MP-MRI arm resulted in 73 fewer biopsies per 100 men but detected 4 fewer cancers (16 vs. 20.4) than the TRUS arm did. A lower risk of PCa resulted in lower costs for the MP-MRI arm and a small difference in detected cancers. At lower cancer rates, MP-MRI is superior to TRUS over a wide range of sensitivity and specificity of MRI. A lower sensitivity of MP-MRI decreases the cost of the MP-MRI, as fewer biopsies are performed, but this also reduces the number of cancers detected. Conclusions The use of MP-MRI to select patients for repeat biopsy reduced the number of biopsies needed by 73% but resulted in a few cancers being missed at lower cost when compared with the TRUS arm. Further studies are required to determine whether cancers missed represent clinically significant tumors.
A Symposium on Building a Coalition To Improve the Public's Oral Health: The Public's Oral Health and the Dental Research Community—Participant or Observer?

Dental researchers may sometimes find themselves called upon to enter the public arena to promote or defend measures to improve the public's oral health. It is important, therefore, to keep up-to-date information at hand to supply to news media, public officials, and others, and to be aware of the opportunities and the pitfalls involved in communicating with the public.
The structural immunology of antibody protection against West Nile virus

Summary: Recent investigations of the interaction between the West Nile virus (WNV) envelope protein (E) and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have elucidated fundamental insights into the molecular mechanisms of neutralization. Structural studies have defined an epitope on the lateral ridge of domain III (DIII-lr) of the WNV E protein that is recognized by antibodies with the strongest neutralizing activity in vitro and in vivo. Antibodies that bind this epitope are highly potent because they efficiently block at a post-entry step of viral infection with relatively low virion occupancy requirements. In this review, we discuss the structural, molecular, and immunologic basis for antibody-mediated protection against WNV, and its implications for novel therapeutic or vaccine strategies.
Beyond directed evolution—semi-rational protein engineering and design

Over the past two decades, directed evolution has transformed the field of protein engineering. The advances in understanding protein structure and function, in no insignificant part a result of directed evolution studies, are increasingly empowering scientists and engineers to device more effective methods for manipulating and tailoring biocatalysts. Abandoning large combinatorial libraries, the focus has shifted to small, functionally rich libraries and rational design. A critical component to the success of these emerging engineering strategies are computational tools for the evaluation of protein sequence datasets and the analysis of conformational variations of amino acids in proteins. Highlighting the opportunities and limitations of such approaches, this review focuses on recent engineering and design examples that require screening or selection of small libraries.
OTF measurements with a white light source: an interferometric technique

The use of lateral shear interferometers for measuring the optical transfer function of an optical system for a white light source is investigated. It is shown that grating lateral shear interferometers fulfill the requirements necessary to perform measurements of both the optical transfer function and the optical coherence function for a white light source. Several possible grating lateral shear interferometers are described.
Remote sensing of radiation

Abstract The distance at which gamma-ray or neutron radiation from moderately intense radiation sources can be detected in air by conventional detectors is limited to less than about 100 m. We have investigated the possibility of increasing this range by measuring the effect of the radiation on the air near the source. The radiation ionizes the surrounding air causing chemical reactions to occur which form new molecular species that might be sensed with remote sensing optical techniques. We have calculated the molar fraction as a function of time of the species formed in air by irradiation with a 113 Ci source of 60Co. After 104 s, we find the dominant ones are O3, 5×10−7; N2O, 4×10−7; HNO3, 3 × 10−7; HO2NO2, 2 ×10−7; and NO2, 5 × 10−8. All of these species have complex absorption curves in the infrared (IR) range 2–12 μm. In addition, O3 has a broad absorption band in the ultraviolet (UV) range at 257 nm. The IR absorption spectrum is particularly interesting because the low attenuation by air of the interrogating IR radiation might allow detection of the generated chemical species in air near a radiation source at large distances using differential absorption lidar (DIAL). The higher attenuation over the UV range limits its useful range to perhaps 100 m. We describe our setups to measure the molar fraction by measuring the optical absorption with IR and UV spectrometers. We present responses or limits that are below the calculated values for the dominant species and suggest some reasons. We conclude that for moderately intense sources of gamma rays and neutrons, currently available optical techniques, while sensitive, are not sensitive enough for this application.
Limonin D-ring-lactone hydrolase. A new enzyme from citrus seeds

Abstract An enzyme that catalyzes the reversible lactonization-hydrolysis of the open and closed D-ring lactones of: limonoate ⇄ limonoate D-ring lactone and limonoate A-ring lactone ⇄ limonin has been extracted from orange seeds, Citrus sinensis, and purified about 200-fold.
Crystal Structure of 2-Phenylazulene

AFTER a long controversy, the space group of azulene is now apparently established as the centro-symmetrie P21/a, with two non-centro-symmetric molecules in the unit cell1,2, a result which leads to a disordered structure in which successive azulene molecules in the crystal are reversed in direction at random. Two previously observed cases of random positioning, namely, between chlorine and bromine in p-chlorobromobenzene3 and between methyl and chlorine in 2-amino-4-methyl-6-chloropyrimidine4, involve atoms or groups of comparable size, and are not as surprising as is the case of azulene, where there is a rather large difference in size between the five- and seven-membered rings.
Nitrogen Fertilization of Golden Shiner Ponds

Abstract Ammonium sulfate and sodium nitrate were used as nitrogen fertilizers in 0.1-ha ponds stocked with golden shiners Notemigonus crysoleucas at Auburn, Alabama. Biweekly from 30 March to 15 October 1999, 9 kg P2O5/ha from triple superphosphate and 9 kg N/ha were applied to treatment ponds. Control ponds were treated only with biweekly applications of triple superphosphate at 9 kg P2O5/ha. Fish production did not differ between the two nitrogen sources or between the nitrogen sources and the control. Ammonium sulfate treatment caused the total alkalinity and pH of ponds to decline as a result of acidity produced by nitrifying bacteria in the oxidation of ammonia to nitrate. Alkalinity and pH did not decline in the sodium nitrate treatment or control. No other benefits of sodium nitrate versus ammonium sulfate application were observed.
Crystal structure of a histidine kinase sensor domain with similarity to periplasmic binding proteins.

Histidine kinase receptors are elements of the two-component signal transduction systems commonly found in bacteria and lower eukaryotes, where they are crucial for environmental adaption through the coupling of extracellular changes to intracellular responses. The typical two-component system consists of a membrane-spanning histidine kinase sensor and a cytoplasmic response regulator. In the calssic system, extracellular signals such as small molecule ligands and ions are detected by the periplasmic sensor domain of the histidine kinase receptor, which modulates the catalytic activity of the cytoplasmic histidine kinase domain and promotes ATP-dependent autophosphorylation of a conserved histidine residue. G. sulfurreducens genomic DNA was used.
Women, Marital Status, and Work Opportunities in 1880 Colorado

Few eras in U.S. history have been as romanticized as the period of the Western Frontier. Metaphorically, the frontier experience has become synonymous with independence, self-reliance, and courage. Strong men, accompanied by their women and beset by hordes of wild Indians, moved west in hopes of riches and a better future, bringing with them civilization and culture. In this popular vision of the West, the taming of the frontier was the work of a uniquely masculine American character. The women in this popular literature were mostly described by men and carry men's interpretation of female experience. Some were gentle tamers, who brought civilization to the wilderness, often as teachers. Others, soiled doves, were often the first women to arrive in areas dominated by men, leaving behind the stereotype of the prostitute with the "heart of gold." The strong and sturdy helpmate, who bravely shrugged off pretensions of feminine airs and beauty, worked alongside her mate at masculine tasks for the benefit of her family. Overworked drudges, women crazed by the loss of their children, women who wearily followed their men wherever they chose to go, were also roles assigned to women in popular and scholarly literature.' Women's own view of their western experience has found its voice in recent scholarship. The result is a more varied picture: the western experience was hell for women and drove them crazy; the West allowed women some freedom, but they remained confined by patriarchal norms; the West opened up new opportunities for women. These
Where Do You Draw the Line? Landscape, Texts, and the Politics of Planning

The paper is an attempt to contribute to studies of landscape production in cultural geography and investigations of the role of texts and discourses in critical planning studies. The main argument is that detailed study of contemporary planning processes overcomes the cruder terms of recent debates over idealism and realism or materialism in cultural geography and permits planning studies to loosen the notion of what texts are important in shaping planning decisions. A detailed case study of a prolonged planning dispute over the production of new landscapes around Lexington, Kentucky provides an empirical basis for the three interrelated theoretical arguments that conclude the paper. These are: (1) to understand landscape and the fundamental role the state plays in it, there must be a recognition of the interwoven nature of discourse and materiality; (2) the fact that state institutions are where different landscape interpretations are articulated allows them to overcome crises of legitimacy and accumula...
Capturing the Angel in “Angel Dust”: Twenty Years of Translational Neuroscience Studies of NMDA Receptor Antagonists in Animals and Humans

Here, we describe our collaborative efforts to use N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists as a translational tool to advance our understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and identify potential new targets for treatment of schizophrenia. We began these efforts in the late 1980s with a keen sense that, in both human and animal studies, we needed to move beyond the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia; if the dopamine hypothesis were correct, the existing dopamine antagonists should have cured the disease but they have not. We used NMDA receptor antagonists, not to produce schizophrenia, but as a tool to provide insights into effects of disturbances in glutamate synaptic function in schizophrenia. Our work has provided insights into potential mechanisms that may contribute to disrupted cortical function in schizophrenia and has helped identify potential treatment targets for the disorder. The translational nature of this study made the clinical testing of the first of these targets feasible. Advances in systems neuroscience approaches in animals and humans make new types of translational research possible; however, our concern is that the current obstacles facing translational research funding and academia-industry collaborations threaten the future progress in this field.
Feature subset selection for blood pressure classification using orthogonal forward selection

Systolic and diastolic pressures are used to define cardiac related health in general medicine. In our present work, we investigate blood pressure classification based on pressure waveforms using a relatively large non-invasively collected database. Feature selection is required to reduce redundant features in the data set for a better classification. Therefore, a selection method based on an orthogonal transform is used.
Reducing Underwater-Slide Impact Forces on Pipelines by Streamlining

Results are presented from experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations involving the streamlining of suspended underwater pipelines or structures subject to impacts from sediment/water mixtures. The experiments showed that a considerable reduction in force may be achieved by streamlining, and this reduction in force is most significant at lower Reynolds numbers. Several shapes were tested: round, airfoil, and wedge. Of these, the wedge exhibited the lowest drag coefficient—about one-fifth of the cylindrical pipe at low values of the Reynolds number, and about half at higher Reynolds numbers.
Maternal gene expression profiling during pregnancy and preeclampsia in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Abstract Preeclampsia is a major obstetrical complication affecting maternal and fetal health. While it is clear that there is a substantial placental contribution to preeclampsia pathogenesis, the maternal contribution is less well characterized. We therefore performed a genome-wide transcriptome analysis to explore disease-associated changes in maternal gene expression patterns in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Methods Preeclampsia was defined as gestational hypertension, proteinuria and hyperurecimia. Total RNA was isolated from PBMCs obtained from women with uncomplicated pregnancies ( n = 5) and women with preeclamptic pregnancies ( n = 5). Gene expression analysis was carried out using Agilent oligonucleotide microarrays. Biological pathway analysis was undertaken using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. Quantitative real-time PCR (QRTPCR) was performed to validate the gene expression changes of selected genes in normotensive and preeclamptic patients ( n = 12 each). Results We identified a total of 368 genes that were differentially expressed in women with preeclampsia compared to normal controls with false discovery rate (FDR) controlled at 10%. In follow up experiments we further analyzed the expression levels of a number of genes that were identified as altered by the microarray data including survivin (BIRC5), caveolin (CAV1), GATA binding protein-1 (GATA1), signal tranducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), E2F transcription factor-1 (E2F1), fibronectin-1 (FN1), interleukin-4 (IL-4), matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9) and WAP four disulfide domain protein (WFDC-1) by QRTPCR. Additionally we performed immuno blot analysis and zymography to verify some of these candidate genes at the protein level. Computational analysis of gene function identified an anti-proliferative and altered immune function cellular phenotype in severe preeclamptic samples. Conclusions We have characterized the genome-wide mRNA expression changes associated with preeclampsia-specific genes in circulating maternal blood cells at the time of delivery. In addition to providing information relating to the biological basis of the preeclampsia phenotype, our data provide a number of potential biomarkers for use in the further characterization of this disease.
Software for Interval Arithmetic: A Reasonably Portable Package

Abstract : One means of bounding the error in digital computation is through the use of interval, or range, arithmetic; instead of computing with approximate real numbers, one calculates with pairs of approximate real numbers -- the first member of a pair being a lower bound for the true result, and the second an upper bound. By this method, one can take into account such varied sources of error as uncertainty in input data, inaccuracies in mathematical formulae, and errors in approximation of real numbers and the operations on them. The theory of interval arithmetic is developed extensively elsewhere. The major obstacle to the use of interval arithmetic is the unavailability of software. INTERVAL is not a standard data type in any production language that we know of; preparation of a package of subprograms to handle interval data is a nontrivial task.
Prenatally diagnosed fetal ventriculomegaly: prognosis and outcome

The purpose of the present study was to determine the postnatal outcome and prognostic factors of prenatally diagnosed ventriculomegaly, and to establish the relationship between prenatal sonographic measurements and postnatal psychomotor development. A total of 42 singleton pregnancies with sonographically determined fetal ventriculomegaly at 20-38 weeks' gestation were reviewed, together with follow-up data on postnatal outcome at a mean of 29 months after delivery. Sonographic measurements included head circumference, cerebral lateral ventricular diameter at the anterior and posterior horn level, and hemisphere diameter. Classification of psycho-motor development consisted of assessment of motoric behaviour, speech, communication and social skills ('Van Wiechen' classification). Perinatal mortality rate was 38 per cent, of which half were directly associated with cephalocentesis. Only the ventricle/hemisphere ratio for the anterior and posterior horn of the lateral cerebral ventricles was significantly higher among perinatal deaths than amongst the survivors. Within the subset of survivors (n = 26), psycho-motor development was normal in 46 per cent. Postnatal examination revealed syndrome anomalies in five infants, of which four were associated with psycho-motor retardation. Prenatally diagnosed ventriculomegaly has a poor postnatal outcome with more than 50 per cent of the live-born infants demonstrating abnormal psycho-motor development. The predictive value of fetal biometric measurements is poor. The presence of syndromal anomalies emphasizes the need for genetic counselling in future pregnancies.
Recycling the Garbage Can: An Assessment of the Research Program

The garbage can theory of organizational choice is one of the best-known innovations in modern organization theory. It also has significantly shaped a major branch of the new institutionalism. Yet, the theory has not received the systematic assessment that it both deserves and needs. We evaluate the early verbal theory and argue that it fails to create an adequate foundation for scientific progress. We then analyze and rerun Cohen, March, and Olsen’s computer model and discover that its agents move in lockstep patterns that are strikingly different from the spirit of the theory. Indeed, the simulation and the theory are incompatible. Next, we examine how the authors have built upon these incompatible formulations in developing the theory further. We assess this larger program, which includes the March-Olsen version of the new institutionalism, and find that many of the problems that attended the original article have intensified over time. We conclude that a fundamental overhaul is required if the theory is to realize its early promise.
Global stabilization of a class of linear continuous time-delay systems with saturating controls

The author considers global stabilization of a class of linear continuous time-delay systems subject to saturating actuator. Under certain conditions, a globally stabilizing linear state feedback controller is synthesized by means of an asymptotic observer (with a prescribed stability degree) for time delay systems. Finally, an example is included to illustrate the results developed in this work.
A Generalized View of Foam Drainage: Experiment and Theory

A new experimental method is presented using fluorescein dye to determine the spatial and temporal variations of the liquid volume fraction in aqueous foams. This method is used for quantitative studies of liquid redistribution (drainage) in three types of experiments: forced, free, and pulsed drainage. Characteristic quantities, such as the drainage velocity, show power-law dependences on experimental parameters that are inconsistent with traditional foam drainage models based on Poiseuille-type flow in the liquid-carrying channels (Plateau borders) of the foam. To obtain a theoretical description, the foam drainage equation is generalized using an energy argument which accounts for viscous dissipation in both the channels and the nodes (or vertices, which are the junctions of four channels) of the liquid network. Good agreement with results for all three types of drainage experiments is found when using this new model in the limit where the dissipation is dominated by the nodes.
An Implementation of Rational Wavelets and Filter Design for Phonetic Classification

Although wavelet analysis has been proposed for speech processing as an alternative to Fourier analysis, most approaches make use of off-the-shelf wavelets and dyadic tree-structured filter banks. In this paper, we extend previous wavelet-based frameworks in two ways. First, we increase the flexibility in wavelet selection by taking advantage of the relationship between wavelets and filter banks and by designing new wavelets using filter design methods. We adopt two filter design techniques that we refer to as filter matching and attenuation minimization. Second, we improve the flexibility in frequency partitioning by implementing rational as well as dyadic filter banks. Rational filter banks naturally incorporate the critical-band effect in the human auditory system. To test our extensions, we implement an energy-based measurement which we also compare in performance to the mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) in a phonetic classification task. We show that the designed wavelets outperform off-the-shelf wavelets as well as an MFCC baseline
Maximum entropy signal processing of two-dimensional NMR data

The maximum entropy method (MEM) has been shown to yield one-dimensional NMR spectra with sensitivity and resolution superior to those obtained using the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) (S. Sibisi, J. Skilling, R. G. Brereton, E. D. Laue, and J. Staunton, Nature (London) 311, 446 (1984)). A property of MEM which has not been exploited in previous applications of the method to NMR is its ability to produce spectral estimates from short data records, free of the truncation artifacts which typify DFT spectra of zero-extended data records. This property holds significance for two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, allowing reduction of the time necessary to acquire a two-dimensional data set. In this paper the application of MEM to two-dimensional NMR data is described. It is concluded that use of MEM in two-dimensional NMR studies can lead to sensitivity improvements, reduction of instrumental artifacts, and shortened data acquisition times. It is pointed out, however, that the nonlinear nature of MEM may render it unsuitable for certain applications in NMR spectroscopy.
Protein phosphorylation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

(1989). Protein Phosphorylation of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor. Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 183-215.
The rise of contextual journalism, 1950s–2000s

Many journalists and other observers remember the 1960s as a watershed moment in American journalism. Do they remember correctly? This essay reviews relevant empirical studies on how US newspapers have changed since the 1950s. There is strong existing evidence that journalists have come to present themselves as more aggressive, that news stories have grown longer, and that journalists are less willing to have politicians and other government officials frame stories and more likely to advance analysis and context on their own. Based on content analysis of the New York Times, Washington Post, and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, this study finds that the growth in ‘contextual reporting’ has been enormous – from under 10 percent in all three newspapers in 1955 to about 40 percent in 2003; ‘conventional’ news stories on the front page declined from 80–90 percent in all three papers to about 50 percent in all three papers in the same period. What this study calls ‘contextual reporting’ has not been widely recognize...
A GIS-based variable source area hydrology model

Effective control of nonpoint source pollution from contaminants transported by runoff requires information about the source areas of surface runoff. Variable source hydrology is widely recognized by hydrologists, yet few methods exist for identifying the saturated areas that generate most runoff in humid regions. The Soil Moisture Routing model is a daily water balance model that simulates the hydrology for watersheds with shallow sloping soils. The model combines elevation, soil, and land use data within the geographic information system GRASS, and predicts the spatial distribution of soil moisture, evapotranspiration, saturation-excess overland flow (i.e., surface runoff), and interflow throughout a watershed. The model was applied to a 170 hectare watershed in the Catskills region of New York State and observed stream flow hydrographs and soil moisture measurements were compared to model predictions. Stream flow prediction during non-winter periods generally agreed with measured flow resulting in an average r2 of 0·73, a standard error of 0·01 m3/s, and an average Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency R2 of 0·62. Soil moisture predictions showed trends similar to observations with errors on the order of the standard error of measurements. The model results were most accurate for non-winter conditions. The model is currently used for making management decisions for reducing non-point source pollution from manure spread fields in the Catskill watersheds which supply New York City's drinking water. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
African-American principals

In this article, the author looks at a subset of the data from a study that focused on teachers' responses to a curriculum innovation and conduct an analysis of it that illustrates the differences ...
Hemlock loss due to the hemlock woolly adelgid does not affect ecosystem C storage but alters its distribution.

The 1950s introduction of the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA, Adelges tsugae) has caused extensive hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) mortality with little understanding of the long-term consequences for forest carbon (C) storage. In southern New England, hemlock is being replaced by the early successional species black birch (Betula lenta). The objective of this research was to measure C stocks in stand types of varying age and abundance of hemlock and/or black birch. Using information from previous studies and comparisons of data between plots with identical land-use history, we addressed the question of whether the quantity and distribution of C pools in black birch forests are the same as those found in the hemlock stands they replace and, if so, over what time scales. If HWA did not infest hemlock stands in central MA, C stocks in these secondary stands could still increase by at least ∼30% over a period of 100 years. Girdling, intended to simulate HWA infestation, resulted in a large transfer of C from live bi...
Force, not sarcomere length, correlates with prolongation of isosarcometric contraction

Recent studies have emphasized the importance of the late systolic phase for understanding ventricular ejection. To examine the myocardial factors controlling this phase, we studied the timing of twitch contraction in nine excised rat trabeculae contracting isosarcometrically. By varying both sarcomere length (SL) and extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]) we determined which of these factors or the developed peak twitch force correlated better with the prolongation of contraction. We focused on the period from just before the peak of force to the time of half relaxation. SL was measured by laser diffraction and kept constant using adaptive control. Peak twitch force was the factor most tightly correlated with prolongation of contraction: as force rose from 10 to 100 mN/mm2, duration tripled from 100 to 300 ms. When the trend with force was removed, however, no separate influence of SL remained. Increase in [Ca2+]o abbreviated contraction equally at all force levels. Prolongation of late systolic contraction was also highly correlated with prolongation of the time constant for late relaxation, suggesting a common mechanism by which peak twitch force lengthens the entire subsequent time course of a twitch. We hypothesize that 1) increased force correlates with prolonged Ca2+ binding to troponin-C, and/or 2) attached cross bridges act cooperatively to oppose the inhibiting effects of tropomyosin as Ca2+ is lost from the thin filaments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
CHIP-ing Away at Health Disparities: Has State-Provided Health Insurance Reduced Race- and Nativity-Based Differences in Health Care Utilization among US Children?

Although recent legal permanent residents and undocumented immigrants are generally barred from accessing public health insurance, some US states cover immigrant children through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In this study, we examine the contextual effect of US state health insurance eligibility policy, particularly with respect to immigrant children, on race/ethnic and nativity-based disparities in children’s routine health care. Utilizing our original data on state CHIP eligibility policies and child-level data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we find that a significant portion of between-state variation in children’s routine health care results from diversity in CHIP eligibility rules for poor and foreign-born children. Immigrant-specific disparities are reduced when states do not require five years of residency for CHIP participation.
Administrative Law v. Constitutional Law: The Correct Decision on FDA’s Treatment of Plan B

In order for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to receive the trust and deference it needs to accomplish its mission, it must be seen as relatively impervious to political manipulation. For most of the FDA’s history, it has been seen as an institution driven by scientific expertise, not by political maneuvering. However, the FDA was increasingly criticized during the Bush administration for politicizing decisions such as rejecting an application to grant the “morning after pill,” known as Plan B, over-the-counter (OTC) status for women of all ages. After an atypical approval process, the FDA approved OTC Plan B use only for women over the age of 18. Because some groups perceive the morning after pill as a form of abortion, the politically appointed leadership of the FDA was suspected of dramatically departing from normal FDA procedures in order to ensure that the application would not be approved.
Parental Refusal of Newborn Screening for Congenital Hearing Loss

Newborn screening began in the 1960s as a way to detect metabolic disorders using dried-blood spots. Today, nearly all newborn babies have a blood spot taken and sent to a centralized laboratory fo...
Coloboma and other ophthalmologic anomalies in Kabuki syndrome: Distinction from charge association

Kabuki (Niikawa-Kuroki) syndrome is associated with growth retardation, developmental delay, congenital heart disease, cleft palate, and characteristic facial features. Although the external appearance of the eyes has been well-described, the type and frequency of structural and functional eye anomalies has not been emphasized. We report three children with Kabuki syndrome who also had a retinal coloboma. A diagnosis of CHARGE association was initially suggested in two of the patients before the typical facial features of Kabuki syndrome emerged. A detailed review of reported cases of Kabuki syndrome shows that a variety of eye anomalies are associated with Kabuki syndrome. The incidence of coloboma is greatly increased in Kabuki syndrome. Thus, ophthalmologic abnormalities are frequently associated with Kabuki syndrome, and an ophthalmologic evaluation should be performed for each patient. Phenotypic overlap, including congenital heart, ear, and renal defects, can lead to the diagnosis of CHARGE association, especially since the typical facial features of Kabuki syndrome may not be apparent in early infancy. Thus, Kabuki syndrome should be considered in patients with coloboma if other features consistent with this condition are present, and follow-up evaluations are indicated for establishing the proper diagnosis.
Three-dimensional manipulation of single cells using surface acoustic waves

The ability of surface acoustic waves to trap and manipulate micrometer-scale particles and biological cells has led to many applications involving "acoustic tweezers" in biology, chemistry, engineering, and medicine. Here, we present 3D acoustic tweezers, which use surface acoustic waves to create 3D trapping nodes for the capture and manipulation of microparticles and cells along three mutually orthogonal axes. In this method, we use standing-wave phase shifts to move particles or cells in-plane, whereas the amplitude of acoustic vibrations is used to control particle motion along an orthogonal plane. We demonstrate, through controlled experiments guided by simulations, how acoustic vibrations result in micromanipulations in a microfluidic chamber by invoking physical principles that underlie the formation and regulation of complex, volumetric trapping nodes of particles and biological cells. We further show how 3D acoustic tweezers can be used to pick up, translate, and print single cells and cell assemblies to create 2D and 3D structures in a precise, noninvasive, label-free, and contact-free manner.
Competition and the Future of M&A Litigation

This short piece responds to Matthew Cain & Steven Davidoff Solomon's Article, A Great Game: The Dynamics of State Competition and Litigation. We offer some observations on the influence of the paper, some reflections on competition for stockholder litigation, and some thoughts on the future of merger litigation.
Micellization of Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-Poly(caprolactone) in Compressible Near Critical Solvents

Micelles of hydrophilic−hydrophobic block copolymers, such as poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL), are useful for delivery of hydrophobic drugs. Such micelles can be formed by liquid solvent displacement or dialysis. A more recent approach is to use supercritical fluids as solvents, but the selection criteria for solvents are not well understood. The compressible solvents studied in this work can induce pressure-tunable micellization of PEG-b-PCL. Their capacity and selectivity, and hence their ability to form micelles, depends on their density, polarity, and hydrogen bonding potential. By mixing two solvent components, such as dimethyl ether (good solvent) and trifluoromethane (selective antisolvent), one can control not only the micellization temperature and pressure, but also the bulk separation pressure (cloud pressure), crystallization temperature, and melting temperature. This can be utilized to develop efficient ways to prepare micellar precursors for drug-loaded nanoparticles.
Respirator physiologic impact in persons with mild respiratory disease.

Objective:To assess whether mild respiratory disease affects physiologic adaptation to respirator use.Methods:The study compared the respiratory effects of dual cartridge half face mask and filtering facepeice (N95) respirators while performing simulated-work tasks. Subjects with mild chronic obstru
Persistent Abnormal Lung Function After Childhood Empyema

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine pulmonary function tests in children at various time points in their recovery from empyema. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Academic Children’s Hospital. Patients: Pediatric patients with a diagnosis of empyema between 1992–2000. Results: A total of 45 pulmonary function tests were carried out in 36 study participants. Within 3 months of hospital discharge, 91% of pulmonary function tests demonstrated a restrictive pattern with a mean forced vital capacity (FVC) of 69.2 ± 4% and a mean total lung capacity (TLC) of 74.9 ± 4% of predicted. The incidence of restriction in pulmonary function significantly decreased over time and for patients tested >1 year from hospital discharge the mean FVC was 87.1 ± 2% and the mean TLC 95.0 ± 2% of predicted. However, 19% of the patients tested >1 year from discharge demonstrated a mild restrictive pattern and 16% demonstrated mild obstructive changes. Patients with abnormal lung function >1 year from hospital discharge did not demonstrate any signs or symptoms of respiratory insufficiency. Conclusion: There is a high incidence of restrictive patterns in lung function for children tested within 3 months from hospital discharge for empyema. The incidence of restrictive patterns decreased significantly over time and most patients tested >1 year from hospital discharge demonstrated normal lung function.