cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synopsis of the 2020 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs/U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline: The Diagnosis and Management of Hypertension in the Primary Care Setting.

Description In January 2020, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) approved a joint clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and management of hypertension in the primary care setting. Methods The VA/DoD Evidence-Based Practice Work Group convened a joint VA/DoD guideline development effort that included a multidisciplinary panel of practicing clinician stakeholders and conformed to the Institute of Medicine's tenets for trustworthy clinical practice guidelines. The guideline panel developed key questions in collaboration with the ECRI Institute, which systematically searched and evaluated the literature from 15 December 2013 to 25 March 2019 and developed and rated recommendations by using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) system. Recommendations This synopsis summarizes key features of the guideline in several key areas: the measurement of blood pressure, the definition of hypertension, target treatment goals, and nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic treatment of essential and resistant hypertension.
Plastic pollution solutions: emerging technologies to prevent and collect marine plastic pollution

As plastic waste accumulates in the ocean at alarming rates, the need for efficient and sustainable remediation solutions is urgent. One solution is the development and mobilization of technologies that either 1)prevent plastics from entering waterways or2) collect marine and riverineplastic pollution. To date, however, few reports have focused on these technologies, and information on various technological developments is scattered. This leaves policymakers, innovators, and researchers without a central, comprehensive, and reliable source of information on the status of available technology to target this global problem. The goal of this study was to address this gap by creating a comprehensive inventory of technologies currently used or in development to prevent the leakage of plastic pollution or collect existing plastic pollution. Our Plastic Pollution Prevention and Collection Technology Inventory (https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/plastics-technology-inventory) can be used as a roadmap for researchers and governments to 1) facilitate comparisons between the scope of solutions and the breadth and severity of the plastic pollution problem and 2) assist in identifying strengths and weaknesses of current technological approaches. We created this inventory from a systematic search and review of resources that identified technologies. Technologies were organized by the type of technology and target plastics (i.e., macroplastics, microplastic, or both). We identified 52 technologies that fall into the two categories of prevention or collection of plastic pollution. Of these, 59% focus specifically on collecting macroplastic waste already in waterways. While these efforts to collect plastic pollution are laudable, their current capacity and widespread implementation are limited in comparison to their potential and the vast extent of the plastic pollution problem. Similarly, few technologies attempt to prevent plastic pollution leakage, and those that do are limited in scope. A comprehensive approach is needed that combines technology, policymaking, and advocacy to prevent further plastic pollution and the subsequent damage to aquatic ecosystems and human health.
Imaging Studies Section (Echocardiograms and Angiograms)

To prepare for the imaging studies section of the board exam, you MUST know the answer option lists for the section INSIDE AND OUT. You can find the answer option lists on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) official website, http://www.abim.org/, under the tab, “take the exam your complete guide,” then under the “Prepare for the Exam: Take the Tutorial” section, near the bottom is a pdf file called “Sample Cases—Electrocardiograms and Imaging Studies (pdf).” Pay extra attention to the last page, which explains the scoring of sample cases.
A Scoping Review of Patient Preferences for HIV Self-Testing Services in the United States: Implications for Harm Reduction

Purpose Despite marked progress in the ability to test for, treat, and prevent HIV, the epidemic remains a significant public health concern, especially among key populations including prisoners; sex workers; transgender individuals; gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM); and Black and Latinx MSM. This scoping review was conducted to provide an overview of the current research describing patient preferences for HIVST in the United States to understand what key populations value about HIVST and why they are willing to use it. A targeted search for published literature on patient preferences for HIVST was conducted using Ovid Medline, PsychINFO, and an HIVST research database. Results We reviewed 700 abstracts and 139 full texts. We found 19 articles published between January 2014 and April 2020 that included findings related to HIVST preferences. Overall, HIVST was preferred to more traditional testing. Six primary factors emerged as important HIVST values including: 1) convenience, 2) type of test; 3) cost, 4) stigma reduction, 5) risk reduction, and 6) self-control. Linkage to care was also identified as a key factor when considering HIVST as an option. Much of what makes HIVST attractive to individuals is their ability to self-determine how HIVST can be best integrated into their lives as a harm reduction tool for stigma and sexual risk mitigation. Conclusion While there is substantial evidence suggesting HIVST is feasible for use and there are aspects of HIVST that are beneficial and preferred over traditional testing approaches, there is a lack of rigorous implementation studies exploring how best to scale up HIVST in community settings. HIVST has the potential to be a powerful biobehavioral HIV prevention and harm reduction tool to empower individuals to engage with testing on their own terms while providing pathways to prevention and care support.
Predicting Stance Polarity and Intensity in Cyber Argumentation With Deep Bidirectional Transformers

In online deliberation, participants argue in support or opposition to one another’s arguments and ideas to advocate their position. Often their stance expressed in their posts is implicit and must be derived from the post’s text. Existing stance detection models predict the polarity of the user’s stance from the text, but do not consider the stance’s intensity. We introduce a new research problem, stance polarity, and intensity prediction in response relationships between posts. This problem seeks to predict both the stance polarity and intensity of a replying post toward its parent post in online deliberation. Using our cyber argumentation platform, we have collected an empirical data set with explicitly labeled stance polarity and intensity relationships. In this work, we create six models: five are adapted from top-performing stance detection models and another novel model that fine-tunes the deep bidirectional transformer model BERT. We train and test these six models on our empirical data set to compare their performance for stance polarity and intensity prediction and stance detection. Our results demonstrate that our method of encoding the stance polarity and intensity labels allows the models to predict stance polarity and intensity without compromising their accuracy for stance detection, making these models more versatile. Our results reveal that a novel split architecture for fine-tuning the BERT model outperforms the other models for stance polarity and intensity prediction by 5% accuracy. This work is the first to train models for predicting both the stance polarity and intensity in one combined task while maintaining good accuracy.
Lack of local anaesthetic efficacy of fentanyl in the abaxial sesamoid block model

Fentanyl and other opioid drugs have their effect in the central nervous system; however, activity at peripheral sites has also been demonstrated. Pain-suppression activity at peripheral sites raises the possibility of skilled individuals producing local anaesthetic effects with small doses of opioid drugs that would be difficult to detect forensically and could be used to affect the outcome of a race. Therefore, the local pain-suppression effect (peripheral nerve inhibition) of fentanyl was tested using an abaxial sesamoid block/hoof withdrawal model. With this model, fentanyl did not produce significant anaesthesia when tested in eight Thoroughbred horses. This suggests that fentanyl at this or lower doses is unlikely to reduce pain perception when applied directly to sensory neurons. However, the effect of fentanyl and other opioids on joint pain perception of horses, especially inflamed joints, is unknown.
Vaginal Microbiome Composition in Early Pregnancy and Risk of Spontaneous Preterm and Early Term Birth Among African American Women.

Objective To evaluate the association between the early pregnancy vaginal microbiome and spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) and early term birth (sETB) among African American women. Methods Vaginal samples collected in early pregnancy (8-14 weeks' gestation) from 436 women enrolled in the Emory University African American Vaginal, Oral, and Gut Microbiome in Pregnancy Study underwent 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V3-V4 region, taxonomic classification, and community state type (CST) assignment. We compared vaginal CST and abundance of taxa for women whose pregnancy ended in sPTB (N = 44) or sETB (N= 84) to those who delivered full term (N = 231). Results Nearly half of the women had a vaginal microbiome classified as CST IV (Diverse CST), while one-third had CST III (L. iners dominated) and just 16% had CST I, II, or V (non-iners Lactobacillus dominated). Compared to vaginal CST I, II, or V (non-iners Lactobacillus dominated), both CST III (L. iners dominated) and CST IV (Diverse) were associated with sPTB with an adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 4.1 (1.1, infinity) and 7.7 (2.2, infinity), respectively, in multivariate logistic regression. In contrast, no vaginal CST was associated with sETB. The linear decomposition model (LDM) based on amplicon sequence variant (ASV) relative abundance found a significant overall effect of the vaginal microbiome on sPTB (p=0.034) but not sETB (p=0.320), whereas the LDM based on presence/absence of ASV found no overall effect on sPTB (p=0.328) but a significant effect on sETB (p=0.030). In testing for ASV-specific effects, the LDM found that no ASV was significantly associated with sPTB considering either relative abundance or presence/absence data after controlling for multiple comparisons (FDR 10%), although in marginal analysis the relative abundance of Gardnerella vaginalis (p=0.011), non-iners Lactobacillus (p=0.016), and Mobiluncus curtisii (p=0.035) and the presence of Atopobium vaginae (p=0.049), BVAB2 (p=0.024), Dialister microaerophilis (p=0.011), and Prevotella amnii (p=0.044) were associated with sPTB. The LDM identified the higher abundance of 7 ASVs and the presence of 13 ASVs, all commonly residents of the gut, as associated with sETB at FDR Conclusions In this cohort of African American women, an early pregnancy vaginal CST III or IV was associated with an increased risk of sPTB but not sETB. The relative abundance and presence of distinct taxa within the early pregnancy vaginal microbiome was associated with either sPTB or sETB.
An Experience that Forever Changed My Worldview

This is a reflection on the author's experience on an immersion trip to El Salvador as a part of her participation in the Ignatian Colleagues Program (cohort 7).
Sex-specific expression mechanism of hepatic estrogen inactivating enzyme and transporters in diabetic women.

Abstract Circulating estrogens levels significantly decrease in menopause and levels off in postmenopausal women. Accordingly, the liver represses levels of enzymes and membrane transporters, thereby decreasing capability of inactivating and excreting estrogens. Women increasingly develop type 2 diabetes during or after menopause. Estrogens are known to promote liver diseases in these women. Here, we have found that the estrogen inactivating sulfotransferase (SULT1E1) and an ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2), a gene encoding breast cancer resistance protein that exports sulfated estrogens, increased their expression levels in diabetic women but not men. For the sulfotransferase gene, phosphorylated nuclear receptors ERα and RORα, at Ser212 and Ser100, respectively, bind their response elements to activate the SULT1E1 promoter in women. This coordinated increase in estrogen inactivation and excretion, and the phosphorylated nuclear receptor-mediated gene activation could be a defense mechanism against toxicities of estrogens through inactivation and excretion in the livers of women.
Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethical Leadership, and Trust Propensity: A Multi-Experience Model of Perceived Ethical Climate

Existing research on the formation of employee ethical climate perceptions focuses mainly on organization characteristics as antecedents, and although other constructs have been considered, these constructs have typically been studied in isolation. Thus, our understanding of the context in which ethical climate perceptions develop is incomplete. To address this limitation, we build upon the work of Rupp (Organ Psychol Rev 1:72–94, 2011) to develop and test a multi-experience model of ethical climate which links aspects of the corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethics, justice, and trust literatures and helps to explain how employees’ ethical climate perceptions form. We argue that in forming ethical climate perceptions, employees consider the actions or characteristics of a complex web of actors. Specifically, we propose that employees look (1) outward at how communities are impacted by their organization’s actions (e.g., CSR), (2) upward to make inferences about the ethicality of leaders in their organizations (e.g., ethical leadership), and (3) inward at their own propensity to trust others as they form their perceptions. Using a multiple-wave field study (N = 201) conducted at a privately held US corporation, we find substantial evidence in support of our model.
Theory of the Stark Effect in Highly Excited Atoms

The physics of a Rydberg atom in a uniform dc electric field is a solvable problem [1]. The theory underlying this assertion has several components, which in turn rely on certain approximations, but the machinery as a whole has been put to the experimental test and found to be accurate to a level of up to 10 ppm [2]. The broad assumptions that allow one to investigate atoms, ions, and perhaps even molecules with some success are made in the spirit of multichannel quantum-defect theory (MQDT) [3, 4]. Such a treatment is appropriate to Rydberg systems, wherein one electron is significantly more excited than any of the others. The finer structural aspects of the atom + field system—as reflected in the detailed features of an observable spectrum—are associated with the highly excited electron only. The thrust of the present approach is to obtain a complete description of an excited hydrogen atom in an electric field, and to consider modifications to the atomic spectrum introduced by the presence of a nonhydrogenic atom’s core.
The isolated Photosystem II reaction center: first attempts to directly measure the kinetics of primary charge separation

Direct measurements of the intrinsic rate of primary charge separation in the isolated Photosystem II (PS II) reaction center complex had to await the availability of suitable, stabilized reaction center materials as well as sophisticated femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopic techniques. The events that led to the first direct measurements of the primary charge separation act in PS II and discussions of the results thereafter are chronicled in this brief historical review.
Structural Studies on Polypeptide Hormones II. POLARIZATION OF FLUORESCENCE

The rotational characteristics of polypeptides containing a tryptophanyl residue have been evaluated by polarization of fluorescence measurements in concentrated glycerol solutions. A curve has been obtained showing the dependence of relaxation time on chain size based on the behavior of two series of peptides, i.e. Glyx−Trp−Glyy and adrenocorticotropic hormone and some of its fragments. If these molecules are structureless polypeptides then it can be ascertained, from the relaxation times of molecules with unknown structures, whether the indole group possesses unrestricted or restricted rotational freedom. In the latter case, one can conclude that there exist some elements of structure in the molecule. Several hormones and polypeptides (gastrin, glucagon, parathyroid hormone, and mellitin) and some of their fragments have been evaluated for tertiary interactions by this procedure.
Re: CAPTCHAs: understanding CAPTCHA-solving services in an economic context

Reverse Turing tests, or CAPTCHAs, have become an ubiquitous defense used to protect open Web resources from being exploited at scale. An effective CAPTCHA resists existing mechanistic software solving, yet can be solved with high probability by a human being. In response, a robust solving ecosystem has emerged, reselling both automated solving technology and realtime human labor to bypass these protections. Thus, CAPTCHAs can increasingly be understood and evaluated in purely economic terms; the market price of a solution vs the monetizable value of the asset being protected. We examine the market-side of this question in depth, analyzing the behavior and dynamics of CAPTCHA-solving service providers, their price performance, and the underlying labor markets driving this economy.
Femtosecond dynamics in hydrogen-bonding solvents: formamides

The series formamide (FA), N-methyl-formamide (NMF), and N,N-dimethyl-formamide (DMF) have been studied by using the optical-heterodyne-detected optical Kerr effect (OHD-OKE). The formamides are of great interest because of their high polarities, large dielectric constants, and strong intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions. The amides are frequently used in synthetic chemistry as solvents, and they are valued as model compounds for studying hydrogen-bonding interactions between proteins and water.
Eyewitness: Suggestibility of

The accuracy of eyewitness accounts is critical in the criminal justice system. Numerous studies over the past 100 years have produced a variety of results on the processes that enhance and impair eyewitness memory. Groundbreaking advances include Binet's distinction between suggestion and autosuggestion, Bartlett's theory that memory is reconstructive, Loftus' pivotal work that produced the misinformation effect, and Brainerd and Reyna's fuzzy trace theory (FTT). Although eyewitness memory can be quite accurate, a variety of factors can interfere with accurate retention. For example, conversing with cowitnesses and autosuggestion are potential sources of misinformation that can adversely affect the accuracy of eyewitness memory. Time delays, such as those intervening between experiencing an event and a subsequent police interview, and false memories, due to autosuggestion or overt implantation, must also be considered when evaluating the memory of a witness. Fortunately, warnings against both misinformation and the potential for false memories can improve accuracy. DNA testing has resulted in many exonerations for those convicted because of inaccurate eyewitness memories, and as a result, those in the criminal justice system are becoming more aware of the importance of improving eyewitness accuracy. In this article we identify some of the key factors that affect adult eyewitness memory in forensically meaningful ways. Keywords: eyewitness; suggestibility; memory; adult; witness; accuracy; misinformation
Corrigendum to: “Energy conservation investments: A comparison between China and the US”: [Energy Policy 35 (2007) 916–924]

The author regrets that an error occurred in the first sentence of the sixth paragraph in the Introduction (p. 917). The corrected sentence is given below: ‘‘Further, if the current trend in energy use in China is not altered significantly, coal consumption in China could reach over 6.6 billion tons by 2020, or exceeding the global coal consumption in 2004 by 40% (BP, 2005).’’ The associated footnote (5) should read as follows: ‘‘Coal consumption data for 2000 and 2004 are from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2005. Growth rate of coal use is assumed to be 7.5% for China from 2004 to 2020.’’
Software Tamper Resistance Using Program Certificates

Software tamper resistence and disabling device cryptograghically are investigated via run-time result checking of computations. The device needs to receive a new cryptograghic key after each pre-set period of time in order to continue function. The software execution integrity is checked by the authority when deciding whether or not to give out a new key. If the modification of the software execution causes an error in the computational result, it can always be detected and the device can be disabled cryptograghically by not given a new key. The detection is done via a run-time result checking using a certificate-based technique. Certificate-based techniques for run-time result verification are designed to support a secondary checker computation of a result by the authority by using the same input together with a special output, namely, the certificate, utilized by the primary computation in the device. We have designed the properties in the formal definition that the certificate design needs to satisfy in order to allow the result be checked in a provably "fool-proof" manner. The checker computation is done by the authority after the certificate is returned from the device. Since the checker algorithm is only known to the authority, not anybody else, it is hard for the hacker to forge the right information to be included in the certificate to fool the checker.
A novel mouse model for Ataxia-telangiectasia with a N-terminal mutation displays a behavioral defect and a low incidence of lymphoma but no increased oxidative burden

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare multi-system disorder caused by mutations in the ATM gene. Significant heterogeneity exists in the underlying genetic mutations and clinical phenotypes. A number of mouse models have been generated that harbor mutations in the distal region of the gene, and a recent study suggests the presence of residual ATM protein in the brain of one such model. These mice recapitulate many of the characteristics of A-T seen in humans, with the notable exception of neurodegeneration. In order to study how an N-terminal mutation affects the disease phenotype, we generated an inducible Atm mutant mouse model (Atm(tm1Mmpl/tm1Mmpl), referred to as A-T [M]) predicted to express only the first 62 amino acids of Atm. Cells derived from A-T [M] mutant mice exhibited reduced cellular proliferation and an altered DNA damage response, but surprisingly, showed no evidence of an oxidative imbalance. Examination of the A-T [M] animals revealed an altered immunophenotype consistent with A-T. In contrast to mice harboring C-terminal Atm mutations that disproportionately develop thymic lymphomas, A-T [M] mice developed lymphoma at a similar rate as human A-T patients. Morphological analyses of A-T [M] cerebella revealed no substantial cellular defects, similar to other models of A-T, although mice display behavioral defects consistent with cerebellar dysfunction. Overall, these results suggest that loss of Atm is not necessarily associated with an oxidized phenotype as has been previously proposed and that loss of ATM protein is not sufficient to induce cerebellar degeneration in mice.
APPARENT ELONGATIONAL VISCOSITY OF DILUTE POLYMER SOLUTIONS

Apparent elongational viscosity studies were made on dilute solutions of high molecular weight polymers using a fiber spinning apparatus designed for low shear viscosity liquids with substantial elongational effects. The experimental method involved the flow of solutions of polyacrylamide and poly(ethylene oxide) from a tube into an evacuated vessel. Experimental results showed that the apparent elongational viscosity obtained from the jet shape increased linearly with the stretch rate.
Concentration of androgens in systemic plasma of rats, guinea pigs, salamanders and pigeons.

The concentrations of androstenedione, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone have been measured in systemic plasma of adult male specimens of domesticated rats, guinea pigs and pigeons and the salamander Necturus. Values for normal human subjects are given for comparison. Striking differences were observed in testosterone concentration among the variousspecies. Several interpretations of this finding are discussed. The androgen content of plasma of sexually mature rats was compared with that of a few pools of plasma from immature animals. The data indicate that the testosterone/androstenedione ratio increases at puberty in the rat. {Endocrinology 82: 115, 1968)
Stimulation of calcium release from cultured embryonic chick bones by parathyroid glands of the freshwater turtle.

Abstract The relative calcium-mobilizing activity of homogenates prepared from parathyroid glands of turtles, Chrysemys picta and C. scripta , was tested in an in vitro system using embryonic chick bone. Addition of the homogenate to prelabeled bone cultures resulted in a significant increase in release of 45 Ca into the medium after 8, 24, and 72 hr of incubation. At 8 hr, all doses increased calcium release 90% above paired control values. At 24 and 72 hr, the responses to the homogenate were dose-dependent. Commercial bovine parathyroid extract also stimulated dose-dependent release of calcium in this assay system.
Introduction of Tissue Doppler Imaging Echocardiography—Based on Pulsed-wave Mode

Noninvasive evaluation of global left ventricular (LV) myocardial contractile function using echocardiography has depended on M-mode and two-dimensional measurement of the LV dimension and area changes between diastolic and systolic phases, which provide an estimation of volume changes between diastole and systole, to calculate the ejection fraction as an index of LV contractile function. The LV ejection fraction represents a contractile function in summary of several LV myocardial segments. Noninvasive evaluation by echocardiography for regional myocardial contractile function depends mainly on visual assessment of the segmental myocardial motion velocity, especially the endocardial inward motion velocity. Human visual assessment is subjective and, hence, has a certain degree of intraobserver and interobserver variability. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) echocardiography, a technique which can have a frame rate of up to 200 frames per second (fps), is far beyond the capability of human vision (30 fps). TDI can detect the high-intensity, low- velocity motion of regional myocardium, mainly on the LV longitudinal axis using three apical views. The myocardium of the LV basal segments moves towards the apex during systole; hence, the systolic motion velocity is highest in the basal segments, middle in the LV mid-segments, and lowest in apical segments. The strain (S) image calculates regional myocardial deformation and is defined as the change in length divided by the original length, (L1–L0)/L0. The S is expressed as the percentage change, that is, the degree of regional deformation. A negative S represents a regional myocardial shortening, and a positive S represents a regional myocardial lengthening. The rate at which the S change occurs is called the strain rate (SR) image. The SR is expressed as 1/second and a negative value represents a regional rate of change in deformation during systolic shortening. A total displacement (D) at end-systole of a certain segment can also represent a regional myocardial contractile function. A segmental mean D can be acquired quickly and coded in colors to represent a semi-quantitative regional myocardial contractile function index display using a color bar. Recently, a tissue synchronization image mode has been developed for a more convenient quantification of time-to-peak velocity on several myocardial segments. In this context, examples on each mode acquired from normal and diseased regional myocardium will be shown. Thus, TDI will hopefully be more easily and widely accepted by echocardiographers and in clinical applications.
Spontaneous transfer of chirality in an atropisomerically enriched two-axis system

An enantioselective reaction involving a molecule with two axes of stereochemical consequence produces four stereoisomers, and rather than racemizing as the system approaches equilibrium, one of the diastereomeric pairs drifts spontaneously to a higher enantiomeric ratio. Chiral molecules — those that are not identical to their mirror image — contain a stereogenic chiral centre, typically a tetrahedral atom and usually carbon, connected to four different substituents. This paper describes a novel catalytic reaction that produces a more complex type of chirality in which two axes of chirality are present within the same molecule, so that an enantioselective reaction produces four stereoisomers. Rather than racemizing as the system approaches equilibrium, one of the diastereomeric pairs drifts spontaneously to a higher enantiomeric ratio. One of the most well-recognized stereogenic elements in a chiral molecule is an sp3-hybridized carbon atom that is connected to four different substituents. Axes of chirality can also exist about bonds with hindered barriers of rotation; molecules containing such axes are known as atropisomers1. Understanding the dynamics of these systems can be useful, for example, in the design of single-atropisomer drugs2 or molecular switches and motors3. For molecules that exhibit a single axis of chirality, rotation about that axis leads to racemization as the system reaches equilibrium. Here we report a two-axis system for which an enantioselective reaction produces four stereoisomers (two enantiomeric pairs): following a catalytic asymmetric transformation, we observe a kinetically controlled product distribution that is perturbed from the system’s equilibrium position. As the system undergoes isomerization, one of the diastereomeric pairs drifts spontaneously to a higher enantiomeric ratio. In a compensatory manner, the enantiomeric ratio of the other diastereomeric pair decreases. These observations are made for a class of unsymmetrical amides that exhibits two asymmetric axes—one axis is defined through a benzamide substructure, and the other axis is associated with differentially N,N-disubstituted amides. The stereodynamics of these substrates provides an opportunity to observe a curious interplay of kinetics and thermodynamics intrinsic to a system of stereoisomers that is constrained to a situation of partial equilibrium.
Spectrum and Potential Pathogenesis of Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome

Background Controversy still exists over the etiology and pathophysiology of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS). This large single-center case series aims to describe the clinical and imaging features of RPLS in an attempt to deduce the etiology of the disorder and the mechanisms of brain injury. Methods A retrospective chart and imaging review was conducted on 59 cases of RPLS in 55 patients. Results Five RPLS imaging patterns were observed: posterior predominant (n = 40), anterior predominant (n = 7), diffuse lesion (n = 7), basal ganglia predominant (n = 3), and brainstem/cerebellum predominant patterns (n = 2). RPLS resulted in permanent neurologic deficits in 14 patients and death in 4 patients. Hypertension was seen in 57 (97%) cases, and mean arterial blood pressure exceeded 140 mm Hg in 30 (51%) cases. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed a significant worsening of vasogenic edema in 2 cases, both with persistent hypertension. Magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed areas of ischemia in 14 cases, all within or at areas closely adjacent to vasogenic edema. Diffuse vasculopathy was seen in 8 cases. There was a lack of correlation between the presence of vasculopathy and the degree of vasogenic edema ( P = .62), but a correlation was suggested between ischemia and vasculopathy ( P = .02). Conclusions This study strongly suggests that hypertension-induced vasodilation rather than vasoconstriction-mediated hypoxia is likely the major mechanism responsible for the development of vasogenic edema, and that vasoconstriction may contribute to the development of ischemia in RPLS.
Mutants ofEnterococcus faecalis deficient as recipients in mating with donors carrying pheromone-inducible plasmids

From Enterococcus faecalis cells containing random chromosomal insertions of Tn916, strains resistant to a lytic phage were selected and tested for conjugal mating ability. The phage-resistant strains all showed decreased recipient ability (Con-) in broth matings with donors carrying pheromone-inducible plasmids. These strains were normal with respect to donor ability in broth matings and recipient ability in filter matings. The data suggest that the mutants are deficient in the binding substance receptor for the pheromone-induced donor aggregation substance. These mutants contained multiple insertions of Tn916, and none of the individual insertions from the mutant strains were capable of generating the phenotype. Analysis of cell envelope lipoteichoic acids and protein revealed changes in both associated with the Con- phenotype.
Human information processing and its relevance to accounting: A laboratory study☆

Abstract The purpose of this research was to empirically test emerging behavioral science theories which have import in our understanding of the complex information processing and decision-making behavior of users of accounting information. A multi-stage laboratory experiment which utilized accounting students as decision-makers was used to test several research hypotheses. In the experimental tasks, the subjects knew the nature of the decision and had the opportunity to seek information at a cost to aid them in deciding on an alternative. The findings are supportive to the applicability of general and idiosyncratic information processing theories to managerial environments.
Local/global stiffness matrix formulation for composite materials and structures

Abstract An efficient algorithm is outlined for solving boundary-value problems involving laminated composite materials and structures that require satisfaction of both continuity of tractions and displacements along common interfaces. The method is based on the systematic construction of a global stiffness matrix for the entire laminated structure in terms of local stiffness matrices of the individual layers. The local stiffness matrix relates the traction components at the upper and lower (or inner and outer) surface of a given layer to the corresponding displacements. The assembly of local stiffness matrices into a global stiffness matrix is carried out by enforcing continuity conditions along the interfaces which, in effect, leads to reformulation of the problem in terms of interfacial displacements as the basic unknown variables. This, in turn, results in the elimination of certain redundant continuity conditions and thus reduction in the number of simultaneous algebraic equations that need to be solved. An additional advantage of the local/global stiffness matrix formulation is the ease with which certain mixed boundary-value problems can be reduced to singular integral equations of the Fredholm type for the determination of unknown quantities such as the contact pressure in the case of contact problems and the crack-opening displacement in the case of interfacial crack problems.
Ozone inactivation of anti-elastase activity of chicken ovoinhibitor and human α-l-proteinase inhibitor

Summary Treatment of chicken ovoinhibitor with ozone inhibits the anti-elastase activity more than anti-trypsin and anti-chymotrypsin. Treatment of diluted human serum with ozone also shows that anti-elastase is inactivated more than anti-trypsin and anti-chymotrypsin. Treatment of purified human α -1-proteinase inhibitor with a 9 fold molar excess of ozone, inhibited anti-elastase 55%, anti-chymotrypsin 29% and anti-trypsin 18%.
Eastern Yucatan Continental Margin and Western Caribbean Tectonics

The eastern Yucatan continental margin and the rest of the Western Caribbean are characterized by linear fault ridges that merge southwestward. This tectonic fabric is believed to be the result of the rotation of the Yucatan peninsula away from Guatemala-Honduras. Initial rotation formed the Yucatan basin and fragmented the Greater Antillean geosyncline in Late Jurassic-mid-Cretaceous time. Late Cenozoic rotation produced the Cayman Ridge-Cayman Trough-Nicaraguan Rise complex, and the late Cenozoic orogenic activity in eastern Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica. Left-lateral motion along the Cayman Trough since the Eocene is believed to be several tens of kilometers, not 180-200 km as previously suggested by others.
Distribution of bacterial abundance and cell-specific nucleic acid content in the Northeast Pacific Ocean

Abstract We tested the idea that bacterial cells with high nucleic acid content (HNA cells) are the active component of marine bacterioplankton assemblages, while bacteria with low nucleic acid content (LNA cells) are inactive, with a large data set (>1700 discrete samples) based on flow cytometric analysis of bacterioplankton in the Northeast Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon and northern California, USA. Samples were collected in the upper 150 m of the water column from the coast to 250 km offshore during 14 cruises from March 2001 to September 2003. During this period, a wide range of trophic states was encountered, from dense diatom blooms (chlorophyll- a concentrations up to 43 μg l −1 ) at shelf stations during upwelling season (March–September) to lower chlorophyll- a concentrations (0.1–5 μg l −1 ) during winter (November–February) and at basin stations (>1700 m depth). We found only weakly positive relations of log total bacterial abundance to log chlorophyll- a concentration (as a proxy for availability of organic substrate), and of HNA bacteria as a fraction of total bacteria to log chlorophyll- a . Abundance of HNA and LNA bacteria co-varied positively in all regions, although HNA bacteria were more responsive to high phytoplankton biomass in shelf waters than in slope and basin waters. Since LNA cell abundance in general showed responses similar to those of HNA cell abundance to changes in phytoplankton biomass, our data do not support the hypothesis that HNA cells are the sole active component of marine bacterioplankton.
Influence of pH and Heating on Physicochemical Properties of Whey Protein-Stabilized Emulsions Containing a Nonionic Surfactant

The influence of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolauarate (Tween 20) on droplet flocculation in 20 wt % soybean oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by whey protein isolate (WPI) was investigated by light scattering, rheology, and creaming measurements. In the absence of Tween 20, emulsions were prone to droplet flocculation near the isoelectric point (pI) of the proteins (4 5) it decreased the amount of flocculation and shifted it to lower pH values. The higher concentrations of Tween 20 also reduced the extent of droplet flocculation in emulsions heated at 78 °C for 30 min in the presence of 100 mM NaCl. The results are explained in terms of competitive adsorption, protein−surfactant interact...
A SAS MACRO FOR LOGLINEAR SMOOTHING: APPLICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The two purposes of this paper are to provide a SAS IML macro that performs loglinear smoothing and to apply this macro to loglinear smoothing problems that have not been extensively discussed in the test-equating literature. The SAS macro is demonstrated on univariate, bivariate, and trivariate smoothing problems. The univariate and bivariate examples reproduce published results (von Davier, Holland, & Thayer, 2004). The trivariate example extends the bivariate smoothing example to allow for comparisons of subgroups' univariate and bivariate distributions. The implications are that important questions about distribution differences and subpopulation invariance of equating functions can be considered through comparisons and evaluations of complex loglinear models that are easily fit with this SAS IML macro.
Direct measurement of strain in the posterolateral bundle of the anterior cruciate ligament

The general objectives of the work reported in this article were to describe and validate a method for directly measuring strain in the posterolateral bundle (PLB) of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The method is a procedure for gaining surgical access to the posterior fibers of the PLB through a portal incised in the joint capsule and then suturing a liquid metal strain gage (LMSG) on to these fibres. Because the incision possibly alters the load-displacement mechanics of the joint, validation included performing experiments to test the hypothesis that the incision did not significantly affect load-displacement relations. To illustrate the utility of the method, strains in both the anteromedial bundle (AMB) and PLB were measured and compared over the full range of flexion. Validation experiments revealed that the capsular incision as well as other incisions had no measurable effect on the load-displacement mechanics of the joint. Also, the PLB strain was significantly different from the AMB strain during passive flexion with a reciprocating function in load sharing evident between the two bundles.
Tellurium NaX zeolites: II. Nature of active sites

Abstract An unusual dehydrocyclization catalyst can be prepared from an intimate mixture of NaX zeolite and tellurium metal. Careful X-ray diffraction studies by researchers at Mobil Research and Development Company indicated that the active site was a Te2− species nestled in the supercage of the zeolite and coordinated to sodium ions in the zeolite. Our ESCA spectra, however, point toward elemental Te0 as the active sites, and sodium NMR data confirm that the Te is coordinated to sodium ions in the host oxide. These sites are capable of accommodating up to 2H/Te in an activated adsorption process. A dehydrogenation mechanism consistent with the observed kinetics involves the simultaneous removal of two hydrogen atoms by these Te0 sites in a rate limiting step.
Nature of decadal-scale sediment accumulation on the western shelf of the Mississippi River delta

Abstract Sediment delivered to coastal systems by rivers (15×109 tons) plays a key role in the global carbon and nutrient cycles, as deltas and continental shelves are considered to be the main repositories of organic matter in marine sediments. The Mississippi River, delivering more than 60% of the total dissolved and suspended materials from the conterminous US, dominates coastal and margin processes in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Draining approximately 41% of the conterminous US, the Mississippi and Atchafalaya river system deliver approximately 2×108 tons of suspended matter to the northern Gulf shelf each year. Unlike previous work, this study provides a comprehensive evaluation of sediment accumulation covering majority of the shelf ( Three types of 210Pb profiles were observed from short cores (15–45 cm) collected on the shelf. Proximal to Southwest Pass in 30–100 m water depths, non-steady-state profiles were observed indicating rapid accumulation. Sediment accumulation rates in this area are typically >2.5 cm yr−1 (>1.8 g cm−2 yr−1). Kasten cores (∼200 cm in length) collected near Southwest Pass also indicate rapid deposition (>4 cm yr−1; >3 g cm−2 yr−1) on a longer timescale than that captured in the box cores. Near shore (
Ownership Duration in the Residential Housing Market: The Influence of Structure, Tenure, Household and Neighborhood Factors

Turnover rates are important as determinants of the level of activity in housing related industries, in effecting housing market adjustments, and in revealing prices in illiquid, highly segmented, informationally inefficient housing markets. This study examines the relative influence of structure features, tenure, household characteristics and neighborhood factors on ownership turnover rates. The study exploits a Chicago database of just under 50,000 paired sales of attached housing units, with at least one of the sales occurring between 1992 and June of 2002. Within the framework of a Cox proportional hazard model, we focus on a number of factors affecting turnover rates, including whether the housing unit is owner-occupied or rented at the time of sale, price at the time of sale, unit size, age, location in a tax increment financing district, housing density, structure size, year of sale, and neighborhood within Chicago (by Community Area). Finding strong spatial segmentation in turnover (hazard) rates, we further examine the capacity of four sets of Census-derived variables to explain the spatial variation. The household characteristics offer decidedly the strongest power in explaining the segmentation. Results from the hazard model, combined with results from the analysis of spatial variation suggest a household life cycle model of variation in turnover rates.
Development of actuator for suspension control

Abstract Resent suspension control systems adopt a stepping motor to achieve fine control of the shock absorber, and an expensive rare earth magnet, which has high maximum energy product, is used in the stepping motor to keep the directed damping force of the shock absorber without electricity supply. To replace the magnet with a cheap ferrite magnet, we developed auxiliary poles technology by finding the generating mechanism of detent torque of a stepping motor through three-dimensional magnetic field analysis using the finite element method. This technology makes detent torque of the stepping motor increase and allows stepping motor for suspension control using a ferrite magnet instead of a rare earth magnet.
Ethyl Palmitate and Ethyl Oleate Are the Predominant Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters in the Blood after Ethanol Ingestion and Their Synthesis Is Differentially Influenced by the Extracellular Concentrations of Their Corresponding Fatty Acids

The possibility that fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), esterification products of fatty acids and ethanol, are mediators of ethanol-induced organ damage was suggested by an autopsy study in which individuals who died while acutely intoxicated were found to have FAEEs predominantly in the organs damaged by ethanol abuse. We initially observed in human subjects after ethanol consumption that there is a marked preference for the synthesis of ethyl palmitate and ethyl oleate over other FAEEs. To investigate the basis for this relative fatty acid specificity for FAEE synthesis, we used an in vitro system of Hep G2 cells incubated with ethanol. The cells were capable of synthesizing FAEEs upon exposure to ethanol and they showed a preference for synthesis of ethyl palmitate and ethyl oleate, as was found in human plasma after ethanol ingestion. This finding allowed us to explore the metabolic preference for palmitate and oleate for FAEE synthesis at the biochemical level using intact cells. We demonstrated that the preferential selection of palmitate and oleate for FAEE synthesis was not likely to be the result of specificity for palmitate and oleate by FAEE synthase or preferential uptake of palmitate and oleate by Hep G2 cells. In studies to determine whether the preference for ethyl palmitate and ethyl oleate synthesis was a result of higher concentrations of palmitate and oleate in the extracellular medium, we observed that the synthesis of ethyl oleate, ethyl linoleate, and ethyl arachidonate, but not ethyl palmitate, is influenced by the extracellular concentration of its corresponding fatty acid. The results of our studies indicate that ethyl palmitate and ethyl oleate are the predominant ethyl esters synthesized, that there is no preferential uptake or enzyme affinity for their fatty acid precursors to explain the predominance, and that ethyl palmitate synthesis is uniquely unaffected by the concentration of palmitate in the extracellular medium.