cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intestinal Colonization and Adhesion by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli: Ultrastructural Observations on Adherence to Ileal Epithelium of the Pig

Colonization of pig ileum by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli that were enteropathogenic for pigs but that lacked K88 antigen (K88-) resulted in morphological characteristics similar to those reported for K88+ strains. Strains of enterotoxigenic E. coli from three different K88-serotypes adhered to the villous epithelium. In sections examined by transmission electron microscopy, adherent bacteria were separated from each other and from epithelial microvilli by peribacterial electron-lucent regions. The enterotoxigenic E. coli had appendages that extended into these regions. The appendages were morphologically characteristic for each strain. It is possible that these appendages were pili, polysaccharide K antigens, or structures resulting from some interaction between pili and polysaccharide. Certain pili or pilus-like structures may be virulence attributes that facilitate adhesion of enterotoxigenic E. coli to the intestinal epithelium.
ORNITHINE TRANSCARBAMYLASE DEFICIENCY IN REYE'S SYNDROME

Hyperammonemia is observed regulary in patients with Reye's Syndrome /RS/, and may be a crucial determinant of the encephalopathy in this often lethal condition. Since ammonia detoxification depends on an intact urea cycle and since patients with inherited defects of a single urea cycle enzyme also demonstrate hyperammonemia, we sought to define the mechanism of hyperammonemia in RS by examining activities of the first two urea cycle enzymes, carbamyl phosphate synthetase I /CPS I/ and ornithine transcarbamylase /OTC/ in liver homogenates from 4 RS patients. OTC activity was reduced to 10–15 % of control mean in 2 autopsy specimens and to 40–42 % of control in 2 biopsy samples. In 2 livers Km's for the substrates, ornithine /Orn/ and carbamyl phosphate /Cp/, were normal and the Vmax's were much reduced; in a third, the Km's for Orn and Cp were increased 10 fold and 5 fold, respectively, but the Vmax's were normal. Significantly CPS I activity was normal in all 4 livers and activity of a third urea cycle enzyme, arginase, was normal in the one RS liver assayed. These data suggest that specific deficiency of OTC activity may be responsible for the hyperammonemia in RS and that more then one kind of kinetic disturbance may underlie the OTC impairment.
Designing Automated Alerting Systems: Standard and Fuzzy Signal Detection Theory and Bayesian Analysis

Quantitative models of human-automation interaction can aid in the design of automation for effective human use. The application of signal detection theory (SDT), Bayesian analysis, and fuzzy SDT t...
Spatial filtering effects by means of hologram copying

Abstract A hologram is copied onto a photographic plate that is not quite in contactwith the hologram. When reconstructing the copy hologram the image can be the first or second derivative of the object if certain geometrical conditions existed during the copy process.
These eyes are hot . . .

A “brain freeze headache” describes the cephalic sensation one has when drinking a supercooled “slurpee” too quickly. This odd sensation represents vascular and neurological compromise with the sudden temperature reduction. Any predatory fish that would negotiate the thermoclines from the relatively warmer epipelagic waters to those of near freezing at ocean depths of 500 metres or more would face a formidable challenge, especially if the fish is ectothermic (cold blooded), since such changes would impede muscular activity as well as neurological and visual mechanisms, including photoreception. The swordfish ( Xiphlius gladius ), a highly visually directed predatory species, as well as other billed fish, such as marlin and sailfish, solves these problems with unique evolutionary adaptations. Swordfish spend a portion of their day in relatively shallow waters of 50–100 metres, where they may themselves be preyed upon by sport and commercial fishermen. But, they also may spend as much as 12–19 hours at depths of 300–700 metres, and frequently below the 300–400 metre range. At this depth the water temperature will be a “brain freezing” 2–8°C. Neurological, visual, and muscular physiology is impeded by such temperatures and those fish that live at these mesopelagic depths …
Finding a Better Person-Environment Fit in the Academic Deanship

Individuals seek a balance between the demands of their institutions and the dimensions that make up their personalities and determine their needs (Getzels & Guba, 1957). Academic deans are no exception. Indeed, the fit (or lack of it) between the work environment and the unique characteristics of individuals asked to function within a given setting helps determine whether they experience levels of stress that move them forward in their work or suffer debilitating stress that leads to excessive physical and mental strain. This article examines the fit between academic deans and their work environments in the U.S. and Australia as it relates to multiple role stress factors affecting deans.
Time-varying acoustic source identification using fusion of hidden Markov model and wavelet neural network

In this paper, we propose a first-order fused HMM-ANN (hidden Markov model and artificial neural net) classifier using feature vectors extracted from ground vehicle acoustic signals. The feature vectors applied in this paper are Fourier power spectrum and scale-invariant wavelet coefficients. Our fused classifier network robustly provides a better performance for a variety of ground vehicle acoustic signals when compared to a classifier with either HMM or ANN alone. We emphasize the use of scale-invariant wavelet transforms to extract scale-invariant wavelet coefficient features because they play a vital role in classifying and identifying unknown ground vehicle acoustic signals that are time-varying in scale structure.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Reliability Distributions of Truncated Max-Log-MAP (MLM) Detectors Applied to Binary ISI Channels

The max-log-MAP (MLM) receiver is an approximated version of the well-known Bahl–Cocke–Jelinek-Raviv algorithm. The MLM algorithm is attractive due to its implementation simplicity. In practice, sliding-window implementations are preferred, whereby truncated signaling neighborhoods (around each transmission time instant) are considered. In this paper, we consider binary signaling sliding-window MLM receivers, where the MLM detector is truncated to a length- $m$ signaling neighborhood. Here, truncation is used to ease the burden of analysis. For any number $n$ of chosen times instants, we derive exact expressions for both 1) the joint distribution of the MLM symbol reliabilities, and 2) the joint probability of the erroneous MLM symbol detections. We show that the obtained expressions can be efficiently evaluated using Monte–Carlo techniques. The most computationally expensive operation (in each Monte–Carlo trial) is an eigenvalue decomposition of a size $2mn$ $\times$ $2mn$ matrix. The proposed method handles various scenarios such as correlated noise distributions, modulation coding, etc.
How serious a problem is bleeding in patients with acute coronary syndromes

Recent studies have highlighted the critical importance of bleeding complications on prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). In fact, the hazard for an adverse cardiovascular event associated with bleeding is similar to that of a myocardial infarction. Several bleeding risk scores are now available that reliably quantify the probability of an ACS patient experiencing a bleeding complication. Consistent and strong correlates of bleeding include older age, female sex, renal impairment, and an invasive management approach. Although patients who tend to bleed are usually more morbid compared with their non-bleeding counterparts, several lines of experimental and clinical evidence suggest an independent and causal pathway for bleeding-associated cardiovascular risk. Given the frequency and adverse prognosis associated with bleeding, interventions that might reduce such complications are now a major emphasis in the current era of ACS treatment. Recent trials have shown that several novel antithrombotics, bivalirudin and fondaparinux, reduce bleeding risk while maintaining efficacy in reducing ischemic events during ACS. Other promising strategies that continue to be tested include the use of vascular closure devices and transradial arterial access during percutaneous coronary intervention.
Pacific-Basin stock markets and real activity

Abstract This paper investigates the relationship between the Pacific-Basin country stock returns and real economic activity. It also examines the importance of the Japanese and U.S. economies to the Pacific-Basin financial markets by investigating the effects of the former's industrial production growth rates on the latter's stock market movements. We find that the representative global instrumental variables can explain up to 18% of the monthly portfolio real return variability in the Pacific-Basin stock markets and 46% of the quarterly variability. Our evidence shows that U.S. industrial production growth rates tend to exhibit a stronger and more stable relationship with the Pacific-Basin real stock returns.
Outcomes of Midurethral Sling Procedures in Women with Mixed Urinary Incontinence

The objective was to compare midurethral sling (MUS) urinary outcomes in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) only versus mixed UI (MUI). This was a retrospective cohort study of women who underwent primary MUS surgery for SUI. MUI was defined as at least “moderately” bothersome urgency and stress incontinence on the Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI-6) subscale of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20). The primary outcome was SUI cure defined by a response of “no,” “not at all,” or “somewhat” bothersome SUI on both of the two UDI-6 stress subscale items. Symptom impact was assessed using the Urinary Impact Questionnaire (UIQ-7). Multivariable models assessed the effect of MUI on SUI outcomes. One thousand one hundred and ninety-one primary MUS procedures were reviewed. Seven hundred and fifteen out of 1,191 (60 %) questionnaires were returned and 534 out of 715 (75 %) had completed baseline and follow-up questionnaires. Mean (±SD) follow-up time was 35 ± 15 months. Women with MUI had a higher (worse) baseline total score on the UDI-6 (p ≤ 0.001). A lower proportion of women with MUI had SUI success compared with the SUI only group (64 vs 84.5 %, p < 0.001). On multivariable analyses, women in the MUI group were at an increased risk of SUI failure (OR 2.5, 95 % CI 1.6, 4.0), but greater improvements in UDI-6 (−31.6 ± 30.6 vs −15.5 ± 25.1), and UIQ-7 scores (−21.7 ± 35.3 vs −15.1 ± 28.2) compared with women with SUI only (all p < 0.02). Women with MUI are at an increased risk of SUI failure after MUS compared with women with SUI only, but experience greater overall improvement in the impact of urinary symptoms on the quality of life.
Moving Up, Moving Out, or Going Nowhere? A Study of the Employment Patterns of Young Women and the Implications for Welfare Mothers

Conventional wisdom holds that women on welfare will be better off in the long run if they take a job, even if it means initially having less money to spend on their and their children's needs. Underlying this thinking is the belief that women who take low-paying jobs will eventually move up to higher paying jobs either with their current employer or by changing employers. This paper examines the employment transitions of young women focusing on the likelihood that women who turn to the welfare system for support will make the transition from low-paying to high-paying jobs. The data are drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). Based on the experiences of women who never received welfare, an estimated one-quarter of young women who received welfare could be firmly established in jobs paying more than $9.50 an hour by ages 26 and 27. An additional 40 percent would work steadily but in low-paying jobs, and more than one-third would work only sporadically. © 2001 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
A controlled test of some “complicating factors” relevant to the inferential model for evaluations of communicative competence

The “inferential” model for the evaluation of communicative competence claims that the process by which observers judge competence includes at least two stages. Initially, the observer forms an impression of the communicator which includes unobserved behaviors and traits associated with observed behavior in their “implicit theories of communicative competence.” Then, the observer makes an evaluation of the communicator's competence, based on the implications of the entire impression. To test the model and a series of additional “complicating factors” relevant to it, participants with known “implicit theories” read scenarios in which an imaginary target either did or did not perform a competence‐relevant behavior, and then judged the target on a set of competence‐relevant characteristics and for overall competence. The inferential model accounted for these judgments well. But the addition of predictors representing the “complicating factors” did not improve the model's performance.
Purification of chemically fixed HIV-1 spikes for oriented display on nanoparticles

Results Purified, crosslinked spikes were bound by a panel of neutralizing Abs, but not by non-neutralizing Abs, and are virtually devoid of non-trimeric Env. However, at least one neutralizing epitope on gp120, the crown of V3, appears to be occluded by crosslinking. An immunization was performed using the purified, crosslinked Env trimers as a boosting agent following a DNA prime using full-length env, either as soluble protein or captured onto small proteoliposome nanoparticles (PLNs). The binding titers of the Ab response to crosslinked Env spikes were quite weak, possibly reflecting an overall weaker immune response. Boosting animals with trimer-PLNs however elicited a qualitatively different neutralizing Ab response than uncrosslinked Env on virions, with sporadic activity against neutralization-resistant HIV-1 isolate JR-CSF, reduced neutralization of sensitive Tier 1 isolates, and reduced antibody responses against host protein. Conclusion Immunizing animals using purified, crosslinked Env spikes captured on PLNs elicited a qualitatively different and broader neutralizing Ab response than uncrosslinked, heterogeneous Env. We conclude that with further changes to the crosslinking and immunization strategy crosslinked and purified Env spikes hold promise as a vaccine candidate.
Extensive facial clefting in a patient with Goltz syndrome: multidisciplinary treatment of a previously unreported association.

Abstract Objective: Goltz syndrome is a rare, X-linked dominant, multisystem disorder found almost exclusively in female patients. Although the cutaneous features predominate in most reports, characteristic abnormalities are also frequently present in the musculoskeletal system and facial region. We report a female infant born with a severe form of Goltz syndrome that included an extremely wide facial cleft, an abnormality not previously reported in a patient with this disorder. Her management demonstrates the advantages of a multidisciplinary approach to effectively care for patients with severe craniofacial abnormalities.
Improvement of microstrip patch antenna radiation patterns

Microstrip patch antennas typically have radiation patterns containing unwanted sidelobes or local minima caused by surface waves, especially when fabricated on high dielectric-constant substrates. The paper shows that removal of the substrate beneath the patch can greatly improve the pattern. A variation of this technique, compatible with monolithic fabrication, is applied to fabrication of a patch on GaAs and shows similar pattern improvement. >
Localization of Human ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter 1 (ABC1) in Normal and Atherosclerotic Tissues

Abstract —The present study examines the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 (ABC1) mRNA in normal and atherosclerotic tissues by using in situ hybridization in an effort to better understand the function of this cholesterol transport protein. Samples of normal baboon tissues as well as human normal and atherosclerotic aortas were hybridized with 35 S-labeled ABC1 sense and antisense riboprobes. Widespread expression of ABC1 was observed generally in tissues containing inflammatory cells and lymphocytes. Other noninflammatory cells that were also sites of ABC1 synthesis included the ductal cells of the kidney medulla, Leydig cells in the testis, and glial cells in the baboon cerebellum. Although normal veins and arteries did not express ABC1 mRNA, it was found to be upregulated in the setting of atherosclerosis, where widespread expression was found in macrophages within atherosclerotic lesions. These results are consistent with the proposed role of ABC1 in cholesterol transport in inflammatory cells. The specific upregulation of ABC1 mRNA in the setting of atherosclerosis probably reflects the response of leukocytes to cholesterol loading. However, the presence of ABC1 in ductal cells of the kidney medulla and in the small intestine suggest a more general role for this protein in cholesterol transport in other cell types.
Long-Term Inhibition of HIV-1 Infection in Primary Hematopoietic Cells by Lentiviral Vector Delivery of a Triple Combination of Anti-HIV shRNA, Anti-CCR5 Ribozyme, and a Nucleolar-Localizing TAR Decoy

Combinatorial therapies for the treatment of HIV-1 infection have proven to be effective in reducing patient viral loads and slowing the progression to AIDS. We have developed a series of RNA-based inhibitors for use in a gene therapy-based treatment for HIV-1 infection. The transcriptional units have been inserted into the backbone of a replication-defective lentiviral vector capable of transducing a wide array of cell types, including CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells. The combinatorial therapeutic RNA vector harbors a U6 Pol III promoter-driven short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting the rev and tat mRNAs of HIV-1, a U6 transcribed nucleolar-localizing TAR RNA decoy, and a VA1-derived Pol III cassette that expresses an anti-CCR5 ribozyme. Each of these therapeutic RNAs targets a different gene product and blocks HIV infection by a distinct mechanism. Our results demonstrate that the combinatorial vector suppresses HIV replication long term in a more-than-additive fashion relative to the single shRNA or double shRNA/ribozyme or decoy combinations. Our data demonstrate the validity and efficacy of a combinatorial RNA-based gene therapy for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.
Description of Light Focusing by a Lens using Vector Diffraction Theory

For a plane wave incident on a spherical lens at normal incidence, the field distributions in the focal region are calculated using vector diffraction theory showing the effects of aberration.
How Brazilian and North American Newspapers Frame the Stem Cell Research Debate

Stem cell research has become one of the hottest scientific topics in the past few years. By combining the ability to exactly self-duplicate and the potential to differentiate themselves to constitute any organic tissue, embryonic stem cells have presented geneticists and medical researchers with a new wealth of possibilities to treat and cure degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. By relying heavily on discarded embryonic lines, stem cell research has also generated a new host of ethical and political controversies. The concept of media frames was employed to analyze how some of the main Brazil- and U.S.-based newspapers have framed and presented the stem cell research debate. The analysis indicates that while in Brazil the issue has been presented from a scientific (and mostly positive) point of view, in the United States the debate has been dominated by its political and ethical dimensions.
Some effciency calculations for survival distributions

Survival models which incorporate a regression variable are considered with a view to estimating the regression parameters. The relative efficiency of the rank analysis arising out of Cox's regression and life model versus the analogous analysis in the exponential case is examined. The rank analysis is found to compare favourably with the more model-dependent analysis in most cases of practical importance.
Research on Jewish Education In the Diaspora: Some Reflections

* Based on a paper presented to the Workshop on Research and Policy‐Making in Jewish Education, Tel‐Aviv University, March 19–22, 1984.
Dimensions of smoking behavior

Abstract This study examines the interrelationships among topography and frequency measures and attempts to specify the structural dimensions of smoking behavior. Twenty-four male smokers were observed on two occasions and six measures of smoking behavior were obtained. A principal components analysis subjected to varimax rotation resulted in three orthogonal factors, inhalation (puff frequency and puff duration), cigarette rate (frequency and inter-cigarette interval) and amount smoked (% of tobacco burned and cigarette duration). These factors accounted for 80% of the variance. Both frequency and topography measures were stable over the two smoking occasions. Implications for future measurement of smoking behavior are discussed.
Experimental and theoretical investigation of neonlike selenium x-ray laser spectral linewidths and their variation with amplification.

This paper describes recent x-ray laser spectral linewidth measurements and discusses the consequences of these measurements. The experiments observed the 206.38- and 182.45-A laser transitions in neonlike selenium using an extremely high-resolution soft-x-ray spectrometer, and measured the spectral linewidths and relative spectral intensities of the laser lines from amplifiers of varying lengths. The data allow the intrinsic (unamplified) linewidths of the 206- and 182-A lasers to be extrapolated as 50 and 35 mA, respectively. The intrinsic spectral width of the 206-A laser is somewhat greater than the predicted 43-mA Voigt-profile width based on calculated transition rates and on the expected ion temperature in the plasma, and while the number of data points obtained with the 182-A laser is small and a conclusive comparison with calculations is not possible, the extrapolated intrinsic linewidth of this laser is clearly consistent with the predicted 37-mA Voigt-profile width and is not significantly broader or narrower than expected. The data also show significant gain narrowing of both lines with increasing amplifier length and show no significant rebroadening of the 206-A laser in long, saturated amplifiers. We discuss line broadening and line transfer calculations we have performed which show that the saturated 206-A laser line transfermore » behavior can be treated homogeneously due to non-negligible homogeneous lifetime broadening contributions, which significantly reduce inhomogeneous Doppler saturation rebroadening, and due to collisional redistribution rates which are large enough in any case to homogenize the otherwise inhomogeneous Doppler contributions. We also discuss the implications of these results with regard to earlier suggestions that Dicke narrowing effects could play a significant role in determining the intrinsic line profiles of these laser transitions, and we conclude that Dicke narrowing effects are not likely to be significant for either laser.« less
Factors Associated with the Use of Evidence-Based Practices to Treat Psychological Trauma by Psychotherapists with Trauma Treatment Expertise

This paper investigates 10 socio-demographic and case characteristic variables as predictors of use of evidence-based practice and non-evidence-based practice in the treatment of psychological trauma. A national random sample of 2,400 trauma treatment specialists in all 50 states and the District of Columbia were sent surveys with a response rate of 29.6% (N = 711) usable surveys returned. Stepwise regressions conducted on evidence-based practice use indicated that special trauma training, older age, and higher percentage of PTSD on the case load were the only significant predictors of evidence-based practice use. Implications for trauma practices are indicated.
The existence of the spinodal, an incompletely solved problem in the thermodynamics of solids

A thermodynamic investigation of the concept of the spinodal, usually considered to be a curve within the coexistence curve of an alloy with a miscibility gap, demonstrates that no thermodynamic meaning can be ascribed to the concept unless additional constraints and thermodynamic variables are assigned to the system. Such constraints are usually applied implicitly in solid solution models like the Bragg-Williams model, but it is difficult to characterize such poorly defined constraints in terms of the new thermodynamic variables which should be associated with them. A method of constraining the solution out of its unstable state, inside the spinodal. is introduced which can be characterized in terms of simple thermodynamic variables. The relation of the spinodal, thereby induced. to the rate process of spinodal decomposition is discussed. As an important byproduct of this work, it is demonstrated that the traditional stability criterion, requiring the positiveness of the second derivative of free energy with respect to composition, is really invalid, except that it is asymptotically valid for fluctuations of macroscopic extent. Also, critical discussions concerning the differences, if any, between stable and metastable equilibria are presented. It is concluded that the existing theories of spinodal decomposition are, in mechanistic form, valid and essentially correct, even if a completely unambiguous definition of the spinodal cannot be given. Eine thermodynamische Untersuchung des Konzepts der Spinodalen, allgemein als ein Bereich der Koexistenzkurve einer Legierung mit einer Mischungslucke betrachtet, zeigt, das diesem Konzept solange keinerlei thermodynamischer Sinn beigemessen werden kann, wie nicht zusatzliche Bedingungen und thermodynamische Variable eingefuhrt wurden. Solche Einschrankungen sind normalerweise implizit in den Modellen fester Losungen, wie dem Bragg-Williams-Modell, enthalten. Es ist schwierig, diese ungenau definierten Bedingungen durch neue thermodynamische Variable zu beschreiben. Es wird eine Methode eingefuhrt, die die Spinodale als verbotenen bereich behandelt. Sie kann in Termen Einfacher thermodynamischer Variable beschrieben werden. Die dabei eingefuhrte Beziehung der Spinodalen zur spinodalen Entmischung wird diskutiert. Als ein wichtiges Nebenergebnis dieser Arbeit wird gezeigt, das das traditionelle Stabilitatskriterium - die zweite Ableitung der freien Energie mus in Hinblick auf die Zusammensetzung positive sein- nicht gultig ist. Als Ausnahme besteht, das dies Kriterium asymptotisch gultig ist fur makroskopische Fluktuationen, Die Unterschiede zwischen stabilen und metastabilen Gleichgewichten werden. sofern, sie uberhaupt existieren, kritisch diskutiert.
Mechanism of Anti-asialo GM1 Prevention of Graft-vs-Host Disease: Identification of Allo-antigen Activated T Cells

The purpose of this study was to begin to dissect the mechanism whereby anti-asialo GM1 (alpha ASGM1) prevents otherwise lethal graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) across multiple minor histocompatibility barriers in mice. Phenotypic characterization of cells from the peak proliferative time of the graft-vs-host reaction (C57BL/6J lymph node cells----irradiated LP/J, days 5-7) revealed the alpha ASGM1 and alpha Thy 1.2 identified cells with an approximate 80% concordance and that NK-1.1 staining was negligible. Because resting T cells do not label with alpha ASGM1, the epitope recognized by alpha ASGM1 on GVHR T cells is an activation antigen. Because asialo GM1 has been previously found on the surface of activated macrophages, we wanted to distinguish between the two most likely targets for the in vivo effect of alpha ASGM1 infusions (T cells or macrophages). We compared the effects of alpha ASGM1 infusions on alloantigen-stimulated T-cell proliferation versus antigen presentation: T-cell proliferation was markedly reduced by alpha ASGM1 infusions, whereas antigen presentation function was not diminished. We conclude that the mechanism whereby alpha ASGM1 prevents GVHD does not involve NK cells or antigen presenting cells, but does involve activated donor T cells. The potential therapeutic advantage of such an antibody for use in human disorders compared to pan-immunosuppression lies in its ability to eliminate selectively those T cells involved in the immunologic process (i.e. activated T cells) while sparing the remainder of the T-cell repertoire.
Elevations in IFN-γ, IL-5, and IL-10 in Patients with the Autoimmune Disease Primary Biliary Cirrhosis: Association with Autoantibodies and Soluble CD30

Abstract Antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) which recognize the E2 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex are found in virtually all patients with the autoimmune liver disease primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The factors that contribute to elevated AMA and the relationship of the autoantibodies to disease pathogenesis have not been elucidated. Since cytokines are important regulators of antibody production and isotype switching, the association of specific cytokines to antibody production was examined in patients with PBC. Elevations in IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 were detected in serum from patients with PBC. However, only IFN-γ (6012 ± 1128 pg/ml vs 147 ± 89 pg/ml,P
Deconfined quantum criticality and Néel order via dimer disorder

Recent results on the nature of the quantum critical point between N\'eel and valence bond solid (VBS) ordered phases of two-dimensional quantum magnets are examined by an attack from the VBS side. This approach leads to an appealingly simple physical description, and further insight into the properties of the transition.
Populations of repeated DNA sequences in the human genome.

Abstract Some properties of the repeated sequences in the DNA of the human genome have been investigated. The human genome consists of 7 × 10 9 base pairs and about 35% of these are repeated sequences. The repeated sequences were divided into families, or groups of families having different reassociation rates. The most rapidly-renaturing repeated sequences constitute 10% of the genome and appear to be closely spaced, possibly in tandem arrangement, while the slowly-reassociating repeated sequences are dispersed. In addition, the rapidly-reassociating sequences were fractionated with respect to the G + C content by thermal elution chromatography. Repetitious sequences, both fast- and slow-reassociating, were found in every arbitrary temperature segment. This indicates the heterogeneity of the repeated sequences since they apparently occurred in the entire spectrum, from very A + T-rich to very G + C-rich varieties. In situ DNA-[ 3 H]RNA hybridization experiments were performed with human cells and [ 3 H]RNA complementary to the various human repetitious DNA fractions. The results suggest that (a) unlike the case of mouse where essentially all centromeric heterochromatins are composed of one DNA family, human heterochromatin is composed of a variety of DNA families, and (b) mapping human chromosomes by nucleic-acid hybridization appears feasible.
Orosensory stimulation of feeding by oils in preweanling and adult rats.

Abstract To determine the Orosensory control of ingestion by oils, we investigated the acceptance and preference of corn oil and of mineral oil in a series of experiments with preweanling rat pups, adult male, Sprague-Dawley rats, and adult female lean and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats. Emulsions of corn oil in water (≥25%), administered by anterior intraoral catheter, elicited more intake than water at 14, but not 7, days of age. By 21 days of age, intake was a sensitive function of emulsified corn oil concentrations (≥6.25%). In experiments with adult rats, the sham feeding technique was used to maximize the relationship between orosensory stimulation and intake. Rats sham fed approximately similar volumes of 100% corn oil and 100% mineral oil. Maximal rate of intake was about 1 ml/min. The large intake of mineral oil is compelling evidence for the potency of the orosensory stimuli of oil to control intake in the absence of postingestive metabolic effects. The orosensory control is very sensitive in the adult rat−0.78% corn oil produced a larger intake than water. The orosensory control of acceptance (1-bottle tests) did not correlate with preference (2-bottle tests): 100% corn oil and 100% mineral oil were equally accepted, but rats showed a very strong preference for 100% corn oil. The peripheral sensory mechanism of this orosensory control is unknown. As a working hypothesis, we suggest that oral tactile mechanisms of the trigeminal afferent nerves provide the necessary sensory pathway. The central sensory and hedonic processing of the orosensory stimuli of oils is also unknown, although we obtained pharmacological evidence that central dopaminergic activity, particularly at D-2 receptors, is necessary for normal sensory and/or hedonic processing of corn oil.
Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries Simulating Coronary Heart Disease in Adults

Two middle-aged adults with corrected transposition of the great arteries presented with chest pain and dyspnea, initially attributed to coronary arterial disease with left ventricular dysfunction and mitral regurgitation. The clinical diagnosis of coronary arterial disease was supported in these patients by electrocardiographic changes of probable old anteroseptal myocardial infarction and by an abnormal cardiac silhouette on the chest x-ray film suggestive of ventricular aneurysm. Coronary arterio graphic studies in both patients showed that the morphologic left coronary artery supplied the venous ventricle, and the right coronary artery supplied the systemic ventricle. Neither patient had coronary arterial luminal narrowing. We propose that anginal chest pain in these patients resulted from inadequate coronary reserve of the morphologic right ventricle functioning as a systemic ventricle.
Low Dielectric Constant Sicoh Films As Potential Candidates for Interconnect Dielectrics

The quest to improve the high performance in ULSI circuits, is driving the search for new materials with low dielectric constants (k=2.5-3.0) for the back end of the line (BEOL) interconnect structures. Novel SiCOH films comprising Si, C, O and H, have been deposited by a PECVD deposition technique. The films have been characterized as-deposited and after anneals of up to 8 hours at 400°C. The atomic composition of the films has been determined by RBS and FRES analysis and their optical properties have been determined by FTIR and index of refraction measurements. The mechanical properties have been determined by measurements of stress and of crack development velocity in water. Metal insulator silicon structures have been used to test the electrical properties of the SiCOH films. After an initial stabilization anneal, the SiCOH films are thermally stable up to 400°C have low tensile stresses (<50 MPa), an extremely low crack propagation velocity, and a hydrophobic behavior. According to the deposition conditions the films have dielectric constants in the range of 2.8 to 3.5. These film properties, combined with an easy-to-integrate deposition process indicate that the material has a strong potential as an interconnect dielectric.
Religion and Enmity in Ireland: Institutions and Relational Beliefs:

Les opinions different quant au role que joue la religion dans le conflit en Irlande du Nord. L'auteur envisage la religion a differents niveaux: le niveau institutionnel, avec la contribution indirecte de l'Eglise catholique romaine et celle, directe, des societes orangistes; le niveau doctrinal, considere tout particulierement a travers la tradition conventionnelle du fondamentalisme protestant; le niveau des croyances relationnelles, envisagees specialement du cote protestant; et enfin le niveau culturel, a l'interface des croyances religieuses relationnelles et des croyances "nationales-politiques". La facon suivant laquelle la religion est reliee au politique et au conflit differe selon que l'on considere l'un ou l'autre des deux blocs d'interet: nationalistes catholiques irlandais et republicains d'un cote; protestants unionistes et loyalistes d'Ulster de l'autre. Le role de l'Eglise catholique ne peut etre pleinement compris que si l'on tient compte des relations existant tout a la fois entre les deux populations de l'ensemble de l'Irlande et des relations entretenues entre celles-ci au sein meme de l'Irlande du Nord.
Comments on critical opalescence of macromolecular solutions

Abstract Experimental observations of critical opalescence of polystyrene in cyclohexane indicate that angular dissymmetry unexpectedly obeys the Debye formula [2, 3], and the Debye interaction parameter l is related to the number average molecular weight by the relation: l 2 = 0.91 M 0.57 n .
A modula based language supporting hierarchical development and verification

This paper describes a proposal for a modification to the language Modula. The modification was motivated by a desire to bring to the language the ability to build hierarchical systems and to support program verification efforts. In the modified language, called SB-Mod, modules are grouped into levels and calls are permitted from the modules of one level to those of a higher level. Verification is supported through a set of clearly described synchronization constructs and by restricting the flow of information between levels. A result of this is that levels do not interfere with each other and can be treated separately for purposes of verification. In considering modifications, an attempt was made to provide the user with a variety of control mechanisms, while at the same time avoiding situations in which excessive run-time overhead would be incurred.
Estimating lysozyme crystallization growth rates and solubility from isothermal microcalorimetry.

A microcalorimetric technique has been developed to measure crystal-growth kinetics and enthalpies of crystallization. The enthalpy of crystallization of hen egg-white lysozyme in 0.1 M acetate buffer at pH 4.6 was determined at 287 K using this technique. The enthalpies were directly measured to be −14.3 ± 2.0 and −14.6 ± 1.3 kcal mol−1 (1 kcal mol−1 = 4.184 kJ mol−1) for 3 and 5% NaCl solutions, respectively, which is in good agreement with values estimated from previous solubility measurements. Non-linear regression of the transient heat flow allowed measurement of the crystal growth rate as a function of protein supersaturation as well as the solubility. The crystal growth rates determined by this method were found to agree with those in the literature under the same solution conditions.
The retrieval effectiveness of five clustering algorithms as a function of indexing exhaustivity

The retrieval effectiveness of five hierarchical clustering methods (single link, complete link, group average, Ward's method, and weighted average) is examined as a function of indexing exhaustivity with four test collections (CF, Cranfield, Medlars, and Time). Evaluations of retrieval effectiveness, based on three measures of optimal retrieval performance, confirm earlier findings that the performance of a retrieval system based on single-link clustering varies as a function of indexing exhaustively but fail to find similar patterns for other clustering methods. The data also confirm earlier findings regarding the poor performance of single-link clustering in a retrieval environment. The poor performance of single-link clustering appears to derive from that method's tendency to produce a small number of large, ill-defined document clusters. By contrast, the data examined here found the retrieval performance of the other clustering methods to be generally comparable. The data presented here also provide an opportunity to examine the theoretical limits of cluster-based retrieval and to compare these theoretical limits to the effectiveness of operational implementations. Performance standards for the four document collections examined here were found to vary widely, and the effectiveness of operational implementations were found to be in the range defined as «unacceptable». Further improvements in search strategies and document representations warrant investigation
PREGRAPHITIC AND POORLY GRAPHITISED CARBONS IN POROUS CHONDRITIC MICROMETEORITES

Two forms of crystalline carbon in porous chondritic micrometeorites W7029E5, U2011C2, and U2022C7/C8 are mixed layered pregraphitic carbons with C/(C+H+O+N) (at. pct) about 0.45. This bulk composition is inferred from the presence of three groupings of d(002) basal spacings at 0.45 nm, 0.37 nm, and 0.348 nm. Mixed layered carbons represent incomplete carbonization and graphitization of precursor material. In U2022C7/C8, carbonization mostly involved volatile loss. The formation of pregraphitic carbons indicates a sustained thermal regime in parent bodies of these micrometeorities (i.e., short-period comets, outer-belt asteroids, or protocomet nuclei). Temperatures of the sustained thermal regime remain unspecified, but carbon reactions were probably facilitated by catalytic support from layer silicates in these samples. Poorly graphitized carbon in U2022C7/C8 formed during a transient thermal event which is most likely flash-heating during micrometeoroid deceleration in the earth's atmosphere.
Chagas disease: a role for autoimmunity?

Despite many years of investigation and discussion, the cause of disease in chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection remains a hotly debated topic. The primary point of contention is whether Chagas disease is an autoimmune disease resulting from inappropriate immune responses to self antigens that are induced and perhaps perpetuated by T. cruzi infection, or whether this disease is a result of the inability to adequately, and without significant cumulative damage, control T. cruzi infection on the part of some hosts, including the 30-40% of infected individuals who develop clinical disease. This review updates some of the data applicable to this debate with emphasis on the role of parasite persistence in Chagas disease.
Aqueous pyrite oxidation by dissolved oxygen and by ferric iron

Abstract Rates of aqueous, abiotic pyrite oxidation were measured in oxygen-saturated and anaerobic Fe(III)-saturated solutions with initial pH from 2 to 9. These studies included analyses of sulfite, thiosulfate, polythionates and sulfate and procedures for cleaning oxidation products from pyrite surfaces were evaluated. Pyrite oxidation in oxygen-saturated solutions produced (1) rates that were only slightly dependent on initial pH, (2) linear increases in sulfoxy anions and (3) thiosulfate and polythionates at pH > 3.9. Intermediate sulfoxy anions were observed only at high stirring rates. In anaerobic Fe(III)-saturated solutions, no intermediates were observed except traces of sulfite at pH 9. The faster rate of oxidation in Fe(III)-saturated solutions supports a reaction mechanism in which Fe(III) is the direct oxidant of pyrite in both aerobic and anaerobic systems. The proposal of this mechanism is also supported by theoretical considerations regarding the low probability of a direct reaction between paramagnetic molecular oxygen and diamagnetic pyrite. Results from a study of sphalerite oxidation support the hypothesis that thiosulfate is a key intermediate in sulfate production, regardless of the bonding structure of the sulfide mineral.
Analysis of Black Powder by Ion Mobility−Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Ion mobility−time-of-flight mass spectrometry (IM−TOFMS) was used to identify and correlate response ions associated with three black powder samples by mass and mobility. Vapors produced by thermal desorption of the black powders were ionized by a 63Ni source; subsequent response ions were separated and identified using IM−TOFMS. The same response ions were found for each black powder regardless of geographic origin. The most intense mass and mobility peaks were attributed to ionic forms of sulfur allotropes (32Sn−, where n = 1−5). Vapor samples from GOEX black powder were also analyzed by two stand-alone ion mobility spectrometry systems, yielding an average reduced mobility value (Ko) of 2.28 ± 0.02 cm2 V−1 s−1 for black powder across all three instruments.
Exchange-correlation effect of electrons on pair interaction in a layered fermi gas

Abstract Taking into account electron exchange-correlation effects, a pairwise interaction potential is obtained in a layered lattice with two-dimensional electron sheets. It exhibits an attraction between two like test charges for some electron (hole) densities and amazing behaviors with the change of the carrier density in a layer and along the direction normal to it. Also, the asymptotic expressions of the potential are presented. Its applications to a layered system, such as the Cu O oxides, superlattices and graphite intercalation compounds may lead to a significant understanding of some unusual behaviors of these materials.
Stochastic Cramer-Rao bound of DOA estimates for non-circular Gaussian signals

This paper focuses on the stochastic Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) on direction of arrival (DOA) estimation accuracy for non-circular Gaussian sources. We derive an explicit expression of the CRB for DOA parameters alone in the case of non-circular complex Gaussian sources by two different methods. One of them consists of computing the asymptotic covariance matrix of the maximum likelihood (ML) estimator, and the other is obtained directly from an extended Slepian-Bangs formula. Finally some properties of this CRB are proved.
Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging of Tumor Integrin αvβ3 Expression with Cy7-Labeled RGD Multimers

Purpose Cell adhesion molecule integrin αvβ3 is an excellent target for tumor interventions because of its unique expression on the surface of several types of solid tumor cells and on almost all sprouting tumor vasculatures. Here, we describe the development of near-infrared (NIR) fluorochrome Cy7-labeled RGD peptides for tumor integrin targeting.
Impact of Information Technology, Clinical Resource Constraints, and Patient-Centered Practice Characteristics on Quality of Care.

Objective: Factors in the practice environment, such as health information technology (IT) infrastructure, availability of other clinical resources, and financial incentives, may influence whether practices are able to successfully implement the patientcentered medical home (PCMH) model and realize its benefits. This study investigates the impacts of those PCMH-related elements on primary care physicians’ perception of quality of care. Methods: A multiple logistic regression model was estimated using the 2004 to 2005 CTS Physician Survey, a national sample of salaried primary care physicians (n ¼ 1733). Results:The patient-centered practice environment and availability of clinical resources increased physicians’ perceived quality of care. Although IT use for clinical information access did enhance physicians’ ability to provide high quality of care, a similar positive impact of IT use was not found for e-prescribing or the exchange of clinical patient information. Lack of resources was negatively associated with physician perception of quality of care. Conclusion: Since health IT is an important foundation of PCMH, patient-centered practices are more likely to have health IT in place to support care delivery. However, despite its potential to enhance delivery of primary care, simply making health IT available does not necessarily translate into physicians’ perceptions that it enhances the quality of care they provide. It is critical for health-care managers and policy makers to ensure that primary care physicians fully recognize and embrace the use of new technology to improve both the quality of care provided and the patient outcomes.