cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FDG PET/CT of infection: should it replace labeled leukocyte scintigraphy of inpatients?

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to compare the sensitivity, specificity, and helpfulness to referring clinicians of labeled leukocyte scintigraphy versus FDG PET/CT in inpatients with suspected infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS. In this retrospective study, labeled leukocyte scintigraphy and FDG PET/CT examinations performed from 2009 to 2017 for suspected infection in inpatients were identified. Sensitivity, specificity, and helpfulness of PET/CT versus labeled leukocyte scintigraphy were calculated by means of a mixed generalized linear model. Number of yearly tests and radiopharmaceutical costs were also assessed. RESULTS. Fifty-seven patients (30 men, 27 women; median age, 65 years; range, 21-91 years) underwent whole-body labeled leukocyte scintigraphy. Forty-two patients (30 male patients, 12 female patients; median age, 62.5 years; range, 12-91 years) underwent PET/CT for suspected infection. Labeled leukocyte scintigraphy was 66.7% sensitive, whereas the sensitivity of PET/CT was 89.7% (p = 0.0485). The higher sensitivity of PET/CT did not come at a cost to specificity, which was 73.3% as opposed to 76.9% for labeled leukocyte scintigraphy (p = 0.8050). The odds of a positive study being helpful increased 4.6-fold for PET/CT versus labeled leukocyte scintigraphy (p = 0.0412). From 2009 to 2011, 33 labeled leukocyte scintigraphic examinations were performed versus two PET/CT examinations; and from 2012 to 2014, 16 labeled leukocyte scintigraphic versus 22 PET/CT examinations; from 2015 to 2017, eight labeled leukocyte scintigraphic versus 18 PET/CT examinations. The cost of labeled leukocytes increased between 2009 and 2017, but that of FDG decreased. By 2017, a labeled leukocyte radiopharmaceutical dose was approximately 10 times the cost of an FDG dose. CONCLUSION. PET/CT was more sensitive than and as specific as labeled leukocyte scintigraphy for identifying a source of infection in inpatients, and it was more helpful to referring clinicians. Use of PET/CT increased over time and was associated with substantial savings in radiopharmaceutical cost.
Opens source column: simulating adaptive video streaming using Sabre

Sabre is an open source framework for simulating adaptive bitrate (ABR) video-player algorithms. ABR is used when delivering online video to different devices with different connectivity characteristics. The delivery bitrate is adapted dynamically to match the network connection, with the design of the ABR algorithms being a very active research area. Sabre is a useful tool for researchers to simulate performance of their ABR algorithms and to fairly compare performance of different algorithms.
The Guilty and the

Recent claims have been made that police have obtained "false" confessions from innocent persons and that these false confessions have even led to the conviction of innocent persons. This article scrutinizes these claims, examining in detail a number of alleged false confessions collected in a recent paper by Professors Richard Leo and Richard Ofshe. After close examination of trial court records and other similar sources, the article concludes that these allegedly false confessions were in all likelihood actually true confessions given by guilty criminals. The article concludes by exploring the lessons that might be drawn from the high proportion of guilty criminals in the collection of "innocent" false confessors. Academic research on miscarriages of justice should not rely on mass media descriptions of the evidence against criminal defendants. The media too often slants its coverage in the direction of discovering "news" by finding that an innocent person has been wrongfully convicted. Moreover, reliance on second-hand media accounts overgeneralizes the false confession problem, obscuring the fact that the false confession problem is apparently concentrated among a narrow and vulnerable population: the mentally retarded.
Quantifying Downstream Healthcare Utilization in Studies of Genomic Testing.

Abstract Objectives The challenges of understanding how interventions influence follow-up medical care are magnified during genomic testing because few patients have received it to date and because the scope of information it provides is complex and often unexpected. We tested a novel strategy for quantifying downstream healthcare utilization after genomic testing to more comprehensively and efficiently identify related services. We also evaluated the effectiveness of different methods for collecting these data. Methods We developed a risk-based approach for a trial of newborn genomic sequencing in which we defined primary conditions based on existing diagnoses and family histories of disease and defined secondary conditions based on unexpected findings. We then created patient-specific lists of services associated with managing primary and secondary conditions. Services were quantified based on medical record reviews, surveys, and telephone check-ins with parents. Results By focusing on services that genomic testing would most likely influence in the short-term, we reduced the number of services in our analyses by more than 90% compared with analyses of all observed services. We also identified the same services that were ordered in response to unexpected findings as were identified during expert review and by confirming whether recommendations were completed. Data also showed that quantifying healthcare utilization with surveys and telephone check-ins alone would have missed the majority of attributable services. Conclusions Our risk-based strategy provides an improved approach for assessing the short-term impact of genomic testing and other interventions on healthcare utilization while conforming as much as possible to existing best-practice recommendations.
Experimental and Computational Study of the Structure, Steric Properties, and Binding Equilibria of Neopentylphosphine Palladium Complexes.

Steric properties of crystallographically and computationally determined structures of linear palladium(0) and square planar palladium(II) complexes of di(tert-butyl)neopentylphosphine (P(t-Bu)2Np)...
Effect of histamine-receptor antagonism on leg blood flow during exercise

Leg blood flow during exercise was increased by taking antihistamines, which block the receptors for histamine, a molecule often associated with inflammatory and immune responses. The elevated bloo...
Language, Emotion, and the Politics of Vulnerability

Previous research on language and emotion in anthropology has demonstrated that rather than being a private, subjective, and prediscursive experience belonging to individuals, emotion is an intersu...
Fast vehicle detection with probabilistic feature grouping and its application to vehicle tracking

Generating vehicle trajectories from video data is an important application of ITS (intelligent transportation systems). We introduce a new tracking approach which uses model-based 3-D vehicle detection and description algorithm. Our vehicle detection and description algorithm is based on a probabilistic line feature grouping, and it is faster (by up to an order of magnitude) and more flexible than previous image-based algorithms. We present the system implementation and the vehicle detection and tracking results.
Dissecting heart age using cardiac magnetic resonance videos, electrocardiograms, biobanks, and deep learning

Heart disease is the first cause of death after age 65 and, with the world population aging, its prevalence is expected to starkly increase. We used deep learning to build a heart age predictor on 45,000 heart magnetic resonance videos [MRI] and electrocardiograms [ECG] from the UK Biobank cohort (age range 45-81 years). We predicted age with a root mean squared error [RMSE] of 2.81+/-0.02 years (R-Squared=85.6+/-0.2%) and found that accelerated heart aging is heritable at more than 35%. MRI-based anatomical features predicted age better than ECG-based electro-physiological features (RMSE=2.89+/-0.02 years vs. 6.09+/-.0.02 years), and heart anatomical and electrical aging are weakly correlated (Pearson correlation=.249+/-.002). Our attention maps highlighted the aorta, the mitral valve, and the interventricular septum as key anatomical features driving heart age prediction. We identified genetic (e.g titin gene) and non-genetic correlates (e.g smoking) of accelerated heart aging.
Short- Versus Standard-Course Nonmacrolide Antibiotic Treatment in Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Retrospective, Observational Cohort Study

Purpose In critically ill patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and without positive microbiological data, the efficacy and tolerability of short-course nonmacrolide antibiotics are ill-described and have pertinent implications in antimicrobial stewardship. This study compared the efficacy and tolerability of nonmacrolide antibiotic strategies in critically ill patients with AECOPD and without pertinent positive microbiological testing. Methods This single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted in culture-negative critically ill adults admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2019, for the treatment of AECOPD. Included patients received treatment with an empiric corticosteroid, azithromycin, and/or a nonmacrolide antibiotic. Patients treated with a nonmacrolide antibiotic for ≤3 and >3 days made up the short- and standard-course groups, respectively. The prevalence of in-hospital mortality, progression to the need for ventilation, and/or readmission for AECOPD within 30 days (primary composite end point) was compared between the two groups. Additional end points included hospital and ICU lengths of stay (LOS), all-cause 30-day readmission, and prevalence of antibiotic-related adverse events. Findings A total of 135 patients were included (short course, 66; standard course, 69). The differences in the primary composite end point (short vs standard, 24.2% vs 39.1%; P = 0.06) and its individual components were not significant. The median ICU LOS (2 vs 3 days) and hospital LOS (4 vs 6 days) were shorter in the short-course group (both, P Implications Short-course nonmacrolide therapy in patients with AECOPD and no positive microbiological testing was not associated with differences in mortality, progression to ventilation, readmission rate, or prevalence of adverse drug events. Larger-scale prospective studies are needed to validate these findings.
How do ethnic groups compete for a new province in a decentralised Indonesia

How do ethnic groups compete in a decentralized Indonesia? How do their political competitions to claim a new province lead to open conflict? The Indonesian government devised its massive territori...
Towards a standardization of the murine tail bleeding model.

*Departments of Pharmacology and Pediatrics, The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Division of Pediatrics,The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA; and Department of Experimental Pharmacology, TA Bio Therapeutics,Baxter BioScience, Vienna, AustriaTo cite this article: Greene TK, Schiviz A, Hoellriegl W, Poncz M, Muchitsch E-M, on behalf of the Animal Models Subcommittee of the Scientiﬁcand Standardization Committee of the ISTH. Towards a standardization of the murine tail bleeding model. J Thromb Haemost 2010; 8: 2820–2.
Mandating Minimum Quality in Mass Arbitration

The Supreme Court's decision in McMahon and its progeny has led many businesses and employers to embrace what was once deemed a localized, industry-specific practice. The "new" or "mass arbitration" only mildly resembles the traditional system employed by niches in industry for settling commercial matters among commercial actors. While the "old" system involved parties who were relatively equal in bargaining power and knowledge, these systems for mass arbitration lack a freely entered bargain and resemble more closely, contracts of adhesion. Privatized arbitration resolves issues of both statutory and substantive law, and there is a strong argument, given the inexperience of the non-drafters, to impose both procedural and substantive due process controls on the system. The players arguably use arbitration as an alternative to litigation because of its efficiency and low costs as compared with litigation in the courts. However, the system cannot provide an equal forum for dispute resolution unless the relative outcomes are arguably the same. Otherwise, the system fails society's expectations of fairness, morality, effectiveness and market stability.Several strides have been made, despite the Supreme Court's insistence that privatized arbitration is a fair system, to ensure that privatized arbitration produces fair results. Courts have invigorated the doctrine of unconconscionability to review arbitration clauses imposed on inexperienced players, judicial review of arbitration agreements, creation of due process protocols (both an Employment Protocol and Consumer Protocol), and various organization (AAA, JAMS) standards. While these advancements may better the system, they are of no use without some kind of lawful, meaningful enforcement. In particular, this article addresses the effect these concerns have had on securities arbitration. Securities investments have not declined, indicating that perhaps, the system is viewed as a fair means of resolution.Even if the system is regarded as being beneficial to the market itself, it lacks the moral soundness necessary to be supported fully by the public and the legal community. To this end, it is suggested that the system provide neutral, quality, and independent arbitrators, provide equal access to sufficient information, eliminate unconscionable clauses (distant venue, high costs, one-sided arbitration rules), eliminate jurisdiction clauses that fail to provide adequate procedural and substantive due process, provide fairness in costs and fee shifting, allow the full range of remedies available in litigation, provide for equal access to representation and the legal market, and provide a meaningful, effective standard of review. Legislative authority may be the best solution for overall mass arbitration, but for securities arbitration, the SEC provides a legitimate, authoritative agency which could arguably effectuate these standards in a meaningful manner.
The Antiapoptotic Actions of Mood Stabilizers

: Two primary drugs used to treat bipolar mood disorder are lithium and valproate. Emerging evidence supports the notion that both mood stabilizers have neuroprotective effects. In primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule cells and cortical neurons, lithium and valproate robustly and potently protect against glutamate-induced, N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated excitotoxicity. The neuroprotective mechanisms involve inactivation of NMDA receptors through inhibition of NR2B tyrosine phosphorylation, activation of cell survival factors such as the PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway, and induction of neurotrophic/neuroprotective proteins, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor, heat-shock protein (HSP), and Bcl-2. Both drugs are also effective against other forms of insults such as ER stress in neurally related cell types. The molecular targets likely involve glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) for lithium and valproate, respectively. In a rat cerebral artery occlusion model of stroke, postinsult treatment with lithium or valproate reduces ischemia-induced brain infarction, caspase-3 activation, and neurological deficits, and these neuroprotective effects are associated with HSP70 upregulation and, in the case of valproate, HDAC inhibition. In a rat excitotoxic model of Huntington's disease in which an excitotoxin is infused into the striatum to activate NMDA receptors, short-term lithium pretreatment is sufficient to protect against DNA damage, caspase activation, and apoptosis of striatal neurons, and this neuroprotection is concurrent with Bcl-2 induction. Moreover, lithium treatment increases cell proliferation near the site of striatal injury, and some newborn cells have phenotypes of neurons and astroglia. Thus, lithium and valproate are potential drugs for treating some forms of neurodegenerative diseases.
From Maize to Haze: Agricultural Shocks and the Growth of the Mexican Drug Sector

Understanding how economic incentives affect illegal drug production is essential for crafting policies in response to the international drug trade. Policymakers typically face a choice between two strategies:targetingcriminalgroupsvialawenforcement, andofferingproducersincentivestoengage in alternate activities. Yet, little is known about how the returns to alternate legal activities affect drug supply. We contribute to this literature by examining how shocks to legal commodity prices affect the drug trade in Mexico. Our analysis exploits exogenous movements in the Mexican maize price stemming from weather conditions in U.S. maize-growing regions, as well as exports of other major maize producers. Using data on over 2200 municipios spanning 1990-2010, we show that lower prices differentially increased the cultivation of both marijuana and opium poppies in municipios
Discovering Structure in the Space of Activation Profiles in fMRI

We present a method for discovering patterns of activation observed through fMRI in experiments with multiple stimuli/tasks. We introduce an explicit parameterization for the profiles of activation and represent fMRI time courses as such profiles using linear regression estimates. Working in the space of activation profiles, we design a mixture model that finds the major activation patterns along with their localization maps and derive an algorithm for fitting the model to the fMRI data. The method enables functional group analysis independent of spatial correspondence among subjects. We validate this model in the context of category selectivity in the visual cortex, demonstrating good agreement with prior findings based on hypothesis-driven methods.
Laterally coupled InAs quantum dot distributed feedback lasers at 1.3 /spl mu/m

InAs quantum dot (QD) distributed feedback lasers at 1.3 /spl mu/m were fabricated using four stacks of InAs QD's embedded within strained InGaAs quantum wells as an active region. The lasers show stable single mode continuous wave operation at temperature of 90/spl deg/C with side mode suppression ratios of above 30 dB, threshold currents as low as 20 mA and output power up to 4 mW.
Rapid Finite-Difference Computation of Subsonic and Slightly Supercritical Aerodynamic Flows

Rapid iterative (or semidirect) computation methods are developed for highly efficient finite-difference solution of the nonlinear equations of subsonic and transonic aerodynamics. Applicability is restricted to subsonic through slightly supercritical conditions. At each iteration, a fast, direct elliptic algorithm solves the entire computation field. A special acceleration device for the iterative convergence is developed. The methods are applied, using a recently developed direct Cauchy-Riemann solver, to the nonlinear transonic small-disturbance equations for a biconvex airfoil. At M = 0.7, t/c = 0.1 (subcritical), three iterations on a 39 x 32 mesh (totalling 2.45 sec on an IBM 360/67 computer) obtain convergence within 0.1%. A slightly supercritical case requires seven iterations (6.75 sec) for convergence within 1%. A very recent revision of the Cauchy-Riemann solver reduces these computing times by more than 30%. Strong supercritical cases do not converge, but the results, including the small computation times and the computational accuracy, demonstrate the usefulness of these techniques in subsonic flow computations through the critical condition and suggest the potential usefulness of further developments for transonic flow.
Intraocular Pressure and Outflow Facility are Unchanged Following Acute and Chronic Intracameral Chondroitinase ABC and Hyaluronidase in Monkeys

Abstract We determined the effect of chronic and acute loss of glycosaminoglycans from the aqueous outflow pathway on intraocular pressure (IOP) and outflow facility in the subhuman primate eye. For the study of the chronic effects of the GAGases, cynomolgus monkeys received intracameral injections of hyaluronidase (Streptomyces, 5 or 50 units,n=2) or chondroitinase ABC (0.05 or 0.25 units,n=2) biweekly for 8 months (4 months for each dose). IOP was measured at 3, 7, 10 and 14 days after each injection. Outflow facility (2-level constant pressure) was determined at 2, 4, 6, and 8 months. Monkeys were killed 6 days after the last injection. The changes in the distribution of hyaluronic acid and sulfated proteoglycans in the outflow pathway were examined using substrate-specific histochemical techniques. The acute effects of these enzymes on outflow facilities (30 min or 2 hr after enzyme) were determined in another group of animals (n=4 for each time enzyme−1). IOP and outflow facility were unchanged compared to controls (heat inactivated enzyme) at any time in the chronically or acutely treated monkeys. Hyaluronic acid staining was absent in the outflow pathways of eyes treated chronically with hyaluronidase compared with control eyes, while collagen-associated sulfated proteoglycans were decreased but not completely removed by the chronic chondroitinase ABC treatment. Chronic loss of these glycosaminoglycans from the trabecular meshwork does not appear to contribute to the IOP elevation and decrease in outflow facility that accompanies open-angle glaucoma. Most importantly, no increase in outflow facility was found with acute hyaluronidase or chondroitinase treatment.
Thermodynamic stability of CoOOH and its coprecipitation with manganese

Abstract A precipitate of cobalt oxyhydroxides formed by bubbling oxygen through a dilute solution of Co(NO3)2 held at pH 9.0 and 25°C was aged for 23 months in contact with the original solution, with access to atmospheric oxygen. Co3O4 and CoOOH were identified in the precipitate by X-ray diffraction. Chemical equilibria involving these solids were evaluated by measurements of solution pH and Co2+ activities and by redox potential measurements and gave a ΔG coOOH 0 of −92.3 ± 0.5 kcal/mole . This value and other thermodynamic data show relative feasibility of hypothetical reaction steps and changes in reaction paths during automated coprecipitation titrations and subsequent aging of a precipitate that finally contained βMnOOH, MnO2 (birnessite) and CoOOH.
Adolf Wallenberg: Giant in Neurology and Refugee from Nazi Europe

Adolf Wallenberg became the “anatomical conscience” to at least one famed neurologist, and was known worldwide by top neurologists. His comprehensive clinical-pathological descriptions of what became known as Wallenberg Syndrome had a large impact on neurology and launched his career. He did not let a skull base injury from an accident, or his service in the German army in World War I, impede his progress. Despite his accomplishments, because he was Jewish he was stripped of his research laboratory and forced to stop working when the Nazis took over his native Danzig. He barely escaped just before World War II began and immigrated to England, then to the United States. Because of his impact on neurology and his unusual strife, his story is one that neuroscientists should not forget.
ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE ENHANCES THE FLUORESCENCE OF 4',6-DIAMIDINO-2-PHENYLINDOLE (DAPI)-LABELED ESCHERICHIA COLI O157:H7

Live cells of E. coli 0157:H7 were labeled by 4',6 -diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) in buffers of different pH. The extent of labeling was relatively insensitive to pH in the range of 6.5 to 9.5. The fluorescence intensity of ∼ 10 4 DAPI-labeled bacteria per ml in optical cuvettes could be detected by a luminescence spectrometer. With a fluorescence microplate reader attachment, less than 10 3 of labeled bacteria could be measured. DAPI-labeling inhibited the growth and respiratory activities of the bacteria. The addition of 0.5 to 6 mM concentrations of ATP. induced a substantial increase in the fluorescence of labeled bacteria. Maximal enhancement by A TP was observed from bacteria still maintaining low levels of physiological activities. The enhancement favored more alkaline media with pH greater than 9. A replacement of ATP with ADP or AMP diminished the extent of enhancement. Other triphosphate nucleotides did not enhance fluorescence of DAPI-labeled bacteria. Comparable ATP enhancements were also observed with Pseudomonas alcaligenes and Shewanella putrefaciens. Solubilization/destruction of cell membranes of labeled bacteria by detergents essentially eliminated the ATP enhancement. Absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic measurements indicated that ATP could interact with free and bound DAPI. These results suggest that observed ATP enhancement in fluorescence intensity of DAPI labels in intact cells may be applied to increase the sensitivity of microorganism detection.
"Epi-neck" scanning: another use for echocardiography?

A M d PIAORTIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY was developed because the distal ascending aorta is difficult to adequately isualize with conventional transesophageal echocardiograhy.1 These small probes (that also possess Doppler technolgy) are sterilely wrapped and applied directly to the ascending orta area of interest after the chest is opened. This case report escribes novel use of an epiaortic probe to evaluate a pulsatile ass in the neck of a patient scheduled for elective cardiac urgery. The information obtained caused the surgeon to alter he surgical plan.
Optical Stark effects in the dynamics of a Raman coupled model

Abstract By means of a unitary transformation, a Raman-coupled model of two-photon processes in an effective two-level system is derived from the Hamiltonian of a three-level atom interacting with a pump and a Stokes mode. The effect of optical Stark shifts on the dynamics is investigated.
Signatures of short distance physics in the cosmic microwave background

We systematically investigate the effect of short distance physics on the spectrum of temperature anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background produced during inflation. We present a general argument---assuming only low-energy locality---that the size of such effects is of order ${H}^{2}{/M}^{2},$ where H is the Hubble parameter during inflation and M is the scale of the high-energy physics. We evaluate the strength of such effects in a number of specific string and M theory models. In weakly coupled field theory and string theory models, the effects are far too small to be observed. In phenomenologically attractive Ho\ifmmode \check{r}\else \v{r}\fi{}ava-Witten compactifications, the effects are much larger but still unobservable. In certain M theory models, for which the fundamental Planck scale is several orders of magnitude below the conventional scale of grand unification, the effects may be on the threshold of detectability. However, observations of both the scalar and tensor fluctuation contributions to the cosmic microwave background power spectrum---with a precision near the cosmic variance limit---are necessary in order to demonstrate unambiguously the existence of these signatures of high-energy physics. This is a formidable experimental challenge.
Exploitative Briefcase Businessmen, Parasites, and Other Myths and Legends: Assembly Traders and the Performance of Maize Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa

Summary Small-scale assemblers are both the most vilified and least understood actors in food value chains in Sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on data from Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique, this article explores how maize assemblers influence the market access conditions of small-scale farmers. Assembly markets for maize are found to be highly competitive in terms of the number of traders operating and marketing margins. Farmers’ market access conditions in remote areas are particularly improved by the operation of assembly traders. Direct state operations in markets have sometimes unintentionally exacerbated market access conditions for farmers through their effects on rural assembly markets. While smallholder farmers face important marketing challenges, the brightest prospects for effectively addressing them require greater support for the development of competitive assembly markets rather than supplanting them.
Contributions of maternal Child-Rearing Rearing Practices and play contexts to sibling interactions☆

Abstract Twenty-four school-aged sibling pairs were observed in their homes while watching television, playing with a construction task, and playing a popular board game. Three behaviors were operationalized and observed: teacher, manager, and helper. Instances of prosocial and agonistic behavior were also observed. The mothers of each sibling pair provided responses to selected subscales of Block's (1965) Child-Rearing Practices Report (CRPR). The results revealed several associations between maternal rearing practices and the behavior of the older siblings while playing alone with the younger siblings. Managing and helping behaviors were positively related to maternal child-rearing practices which encouraged curiosity and openness, and to the mother's value of a separate life from her children. The performance of these behaviors was negatively related to maternal inconsistency and anxiety induction. In addition, maternal use of non-punitive control techniques and mother's enjoyment of her maternal role were related respectively to less agonistic behavior and more prosocial behavior. Fewer reliable associations were found between maternal rearing practices and the behavior of younger siblings. An analysis of the influence of the play contexts revealed that the board game occasioned more managing, helping, and teching than the other play contexts. The implications of these results for the study of sibling interactions are discussed.
The Legionella pneumophila prp locus; required during infection of macrophages and amoebae.

Transposon mutagenesis was performed using mTn 10phoA to identify Legionella pneumophila genes that are expressed under certain in vitro conditions, and are required for intracellular replication. Of the 1653 PhoA fusions examined, 19 PhoA(+)fusion mutants were isolated and screened for differential expression of fusion proteins after growth at 30 or 37 degrees C, in the presence of low iron, or increased magnesium concentrations. The mutants were examined for their cytopathogenicity and intracellular replication within U937 macrophage-like cells and the protozoan Hartmannella vermiformis. One of the mutants generated, BS10, was defective in its multiplication within U937 macrophage-like cells and H. vermiformis. The defect in BS10 was complemented with a cosmid clone containing the wild type locus. The open reading frame interrupted by the insertion was homologous to prpD of Salmonella typhimurium and mmgE of Bacillus subtilis.
Strapdown inertial attitude-indication evaluations

Gyro test package, dynamic test facility and real time attitude algorithm to investigate operational capabilities of strapdown inertial attitude package
A detailed chronology of the most recent major eruptive period at Mount Hood, Oregon

The most recent eruptive period of Mount Hood volcano, the Old Maid eruptive period, was characterized by volcano-hydrologic events (hydrologic events initiated by volcanic activity) which resulted in extensive lahar inundation in the White, Sandy, and Zigzag River drainages and produced a lithic pyroclastic flow which traveled at least 9 km down the White River from the vent area at Crater Rock. Interpretations of downstream textural changes in deposits indicate that one lahar reached as far as Tygh Valley (65 km from the vent) before transforming into a lahar runout (hyperconcentrated flow). The runout inundated Tygh Valley and flowed into the Deschutes River, 75 km (flow path) from the volcano. A single lahar traveled more than 30 km down the Sandy River before transforming to a runout. Correlative sands and gravels are found as far as the apex of the Sandy River delta, more than 80 km from the volcano; these suggest that the flow underwent minimal attenuation of stage height throughout the length of Sandy River. Approximate dates ranging from 1760 A.D. to 1810 A.D. for various Old Maid-age events are inferred from dendrochronologic studies of old growth trees. There have been no apparent major topographic changes in the vent area since the end of Old Maid-age activity, enabling the events of the Old Maid eruptive period to be used as a model for future eruptive activity.
Applications of modern estimation techniques to aircraft navigation

Our purpose in this paper is to highlight a few of the techniques and ideas that have found great utility in the design and analysis of Kalman filters. We focus attention on little discussed pragmatic aspects of filter design and details of computer implementation which are crucial for successful aircraft applications.
Subsite mapping of Aspergillus niger glucoamylases I and II with malto‐ and isomaltooligosaccharides

Glucoamylase, industrially derived from Aspergillus niger, was chromatographically separated into forms I and II and purified to near homogeneity. Preparations were proved to be free of D-glucosyltransferase by electrophoretic and differential inhibition tests. Maximum rates and Michaelis constants were obtained for both glucoamylases I and II with maltooligosaccharides from maltose to maltoheptaose and with isomaltooligosaccharides from isomaltose to isomaltohexaose. Subsite maps were calculated from these kinetic data and were not significantly different for the two forms. Subsites in both forms had lower affinities for D-glucosyl residues contained in isomaltooligosaccharides than for D-glucosyl residues in maltooligosaccharides.
Pulse CO/sub 2/ laser drilling of green alumina ceramic

Ceramics are used as thermal conductors and electrical insulators in integrated circuit packaging. We have investigated TEA CO/sub 2/ laser drilling of green alumina ceramic sheets consisting predominantly of alumina with approximately 10% PVB (polyvinyl butyral) as the polymer binder. Experiments with 9.5 and 10.6 /spl mu/m wavelengths show that the holes made with a 9.5 /spl mu/m CO/sub 2/ laser beam, where a larger percentage of the total laser energy is deposited directly into the polymer binder, are smaller, more straight-sided and cleaner.
Surgical Techniques and Outcomes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Preadolescent Patients

Purpose To determine whether any anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction technique is clinically superior in skeletally immature patients with wide-open physes. Methods We searched Medline and Embase from 1966 to mid July 2009. Inclusion criteria required clinical studies of ACL reconstructions to define skeletally immature patients as having at least 1 of the following criteria: (1) chronologic age of less than 15 years in boys or less than 14 years in girls; (2) bone age of less than 15 years in boys or less than 14 years in girls; (3) Tanner stage I, II, or III; and (4) at least 10 cm of total growth after the reconstruction. Thirteen case series were identified and were evaluated for patient characteristics, surgical technique, clinical outcomes, and bone growth results. Results Four studies used physeal-sparing techniques. Six studies used transphyseal techniques. Two studies used a combined technique, and a multicenter study reported results of both techniques. Within the physeal-sparing group, there were 2 studies that used an entirely extra-epiphyseal technique and 2 studies that used intra-epiphyseal techniques. Overall clinical outcomes were excellent, with growth complications being very rare in all of these series. Conclusions Both physeal-sparing and transphyseal reconstructions can produce excellent clinical outcomes with a very low incidence of growth complications in Tanner stage II and III patients. Tanner stage I patients had excellent clinical results with physeal-sparing techniques (both extra- and intra-epiphyseal techniques). Not enough Tanner stage I patients underwent transphyseal techniques to support or discourage their use. This evidence supports considering the expansion of transphyseal reconstruction indications from Tanner stage IV patients to Tanner stage II and III patients. More studies evaluating transphyseal techniques in Tanner stage I patients are needed at this time. Level of Evidence Level IV, systematic review.
Reduction of perforin, granzyme B, and cytokine interferon gamma by ethanol in male Fischer 344 rats.

Background Chronic alcohol consumption can impair the immune system and predispose individuals to an increased risk of cancer and infection. Natural killer (NK) cells are the first line of defense against viral, bacterial, and fungal infections and play an important role in cellular resistance to malignancy and tumor metastasis. We have shown previously that ethanol administration suppresses NK cell cytolytic activity in male Fischer rats. This study analyzed the effects of ethanol on perforin, granzyme B, and the cytokine interferon (IFN)-gamma, factors that modulate NK cell cytolytic activity, to understand the molecular mechanism involved in ethanol's suppression of NK cell activity. Methods A group of male Fischer rats was fed an ethanol-containing diet (8.7% v/v), whereas a control group was pair-fed an isocaloric diet. At the end of 2 weeks, animals were decapitated, and spleen tissues were immediately removed and used for analysis of NK cell cytolytic activity, perforin, granzyme B, and IFN-gamma messenger RNA (mRNA) or protein levels. The mRNA levels of perforin, granzyme B, and IFN-gamma were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and protein levels of these factors were analyzed by Western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or enzymatic activity assay. Results Ethanol reduced the NK cell cytolytic activity and decreased the mRNA expression of perforin, granzyme B, and IFN-gamma in ethanol-fed animals when compared with pair-fed animals. Ethanol also significantly reduced the protein levels of perforin and IFN-gamma and the enzyme activity of granzyme B in alcohol-fed animals as compared with pair-fed animals. Conclusions These data suggest that chronic ethanol consumption may suppress NK cell cytolytic activity in male Fischer rats by decreasing the production, activity, or both of granzyme B, perforin, and IFN-gamma.
Quantitative, mechanistic and physiologically realistic approach to the biopharmaceutical design of oral drug delivery systems

AbstractThe anatomical reserve length for the intestinal absorption of drugs is presented as the framework by which many physicochemical, physiological and dosage form factors are put into quantitative interrelationships. The concept is a basic science approach to the optimization of oral drug formulations and provides a perspective in the selection of strategies and options within established boundaries. The framework, thus far described here, provides the base upon which refinements and other considerations can be added.What is not covered here are considerations of absorption windows, which we have defined as that part of the small intestine where absorption occurs for special mechanistic reasons. The windows include the pH-absorption window, distribution of aqueous pore pathways along the intestinal tract, specialized membrane transport mechanisms, membrane distribution of enzyme systems and differences in transit times in the intestinal tract. We have omitted this interesting topic from the reserve l...
The multiple modes of interaction of the solar wind with a comet as it approaches the sun

A quasi-steady 1-D hydrodynamic model, with mass addition, has been used to study the various modes of interaction of the solar wind with a medium-bright, H2O-dominated comet (such as P/Halley) approaching the Sun. At large heliocentric distances (d ≳ 5 AU) the solar wind penetrates unimpeded on to the surface. As the comet moves further in, mass loading of the solar wind by heavy ions from the fledgling cometary atmosphere causes it to slow down, thereby causing a significant enhancement of the interplanetary field. Still further in at d ≈ 3.14 AU, as the mass loading reaches a critical value, a collision-less standing shock is formed in the solar wind upstream of the nucleus. As d decreases further, the distance of this shock from the nucleus increases. The cometary atmosphere becomes dense enough to stand off the solar wind ahead of the nuclear surface and form a well defined tangential discontinuity surface (or ‘ionopause’) only when d reaches the value 2.65 AU. When d ≲ 2.65 AU an ‘inner’ shock could, in principle, also form within the cometary ionosphere, although its existence would depend on the detailed thermodynamics of the cometary ionosphere. Resolution of this question is beyond the scope of the present analysis. The conclusions of the present study would be qualitatively valid for other comets having sizes, surface optical properties and chemical compositions, different from those adopted here. The helio-centric distances at which the various transitions take place from the one mode of solar wind interaction to another, would, of course, be different, with all these distances being smaller for less active comets.
Variation of resorption rates in vivo of various bones in immature rats.

Abstract The 3H-tetracycline method of measuring bone resorption in vivo was applied to the comparison of various whole bones in rats of two different ages. The rat was chosen because it grows via modelling processes and contains little, if any, cortical remodelling except for a small amount of trabecular remodelling. It was found that resorption rates in vivo are high and similar in almost all of the 18 bones measured between birth and 2 weeks of age. However, in weanling rats studied at 4–6 weeks of age, resorption rates in the skull and in the long bones had decreased significantly while remaining high in the vertebrae, scapula, sternum and pelvis. Bones of neonatal rats were quite alike in their rates of bone resorption, but the bones of the weanlings manifested significant heterogeneity in their rates. It is known that anatomic heterogeneity of metabolic turnover of various bones characterizes the mature state in humans and dogs as well. The present data are unique in that they reflect absolute resorption rates in vivo uncomplicated by the extensive re-utilization of calcium inherent in other isotopic or non-isotopic protocols.
Transdifferentiation of chicken embryonic cells into muscle cells by the 3' untranslated region of muscle tropomyosin.

Abstract Transfection with a plasmid encoding the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of skeletal muscle tropomyosin induces chicken embryonic fibroblasts to express skeletal tropomyosin. Such cells become spindle shaped, fuse, and express titin, a marker of striated muscle differentiation. Skeletal muscle tropomyosin and titin organize in sarcomeric arrays. When the tropomyosin 3' UTR is expressed in osteoblasts, less skeletal muscle tropomyosin is expressed, and titin expression is delayed. Some transfected osteoblasts become spindle shaped but do not fuse nor organize these proteins into sarcomeres. Transfected cells expressing muscle tropomyosin organize muscle and nonmuscle isoforms into the same structures. Thus, the skeletal muscle tropomyosin 3' UTR induces transdifferentiation into a striated muscle phenotype in a cell-type-specific context.
Charge transport by Andreev reflection through a mesoscopic superconducting island

We present extensive experimental data on charge transport by Andreev reflection through a mesoscopic superconducting island coupled to two normal metal leads through small tunnel junctions and to a capacitive gate. The data show the systematic dependence on the gate-induced charge ${\mathit{Q}}_{0}$ of both the Coulomb blockade of Andreev reflection and of striking voltage thresholds that correspond to specific tunneling processes. The magnitude of this Andreev current and its dependence on ${\mathit{Q}}_{0}$ are in excellent agreement with recent theory, provided that interference between the two tunneling electrons is taken into account.
Optical Explorations of Single Biomolecules and Enzymes in Solution with an Anti-Brownian Electrokinetic Trap

Abstract (35 Word Limit) The Anti-Brownian ELectrokinetic (ABEL) trap enables study of single nanoscale objects in solution. New optimal trap designs as well as applications to a variety of proteins and enzymes will be described.
Onlay-Tube-Onlay Urethroplasty Technique in Primary Perineal Hypospadias Surgery

We extended the principles of the onlay flap to the most severe hypospadias cases. Four patients with perineal hypospadias required central division of the urethral plate to correct chordee despite dorsal plication. The urethra was reconstructed in 1 stage by proximally and distally onlaying to the remaining urethral plate a flap with its central portion tubularized to fill the gap where there was no longer a urethral plate. All patients have good cosmetic and functional results at 1 year of followup. There were no strictures or diverticula but 1 fistula developed. This technique extends the principles and advantages of an onlay flap to those severe hypospadias cases that require division of the urethral plate to correct chordee.
Violent Geographies: Fear, Terror, and Political Violence by Derek Gregory and Allan Pred, eds.

This book marks a struggle against misinformation and a struggle to create and disseminate knowledge. Of the eighteen chapters that follow the introduction, sixteen discuss political violence enact...
A Mutant of Chlamydomonas moewusii lacking contractile vacuoles

SYNOPSIS. An X-ray induced mutant (S-16) of Chlamydomonas moewusii Gerloff lacked observable contractile vacuoles. Unlike the wild strain with vacuoles, S-16 survived only when the osmotic pressure of the medium was above 1.5 atmospheres and was provided by compounds that penetrate cell membranes slowly, like NaCl or sucrose. In solutions of such compounds, when the osmotic pressure was above 2.1 atmospheres, growth of S-16 was similar to that of the wild strain. S-16 did not grow at all in isosmotic solutions of ethylene glycol cr other rapidly penetrating compounds. Urea and glycerol, which penetrate only moderately rapidly, allowed an intermediate growth. Thus, S-16 cells are dependent upon the prevention of net inward diffusion of water. Contractile vacuoles of the wild strain were not seen when cells were suspended in solutions that allowed growth of S-16. but were visible in isosmotic solutions cf ethylene glycol or ethanol. S-16 cells ultimately burst in solutions of low osmotic pressure; large vacuole-like areas were formed but did not contract. The pulsation rate of vacuoles of the wild strain was relatively independent of osmetic pressure; vacuoles became smaller and finally invisible at higher osmotic pressures. It is concluded that the sole essential function of contractile vacuoles in C. moewusii is elimination of water.
Descartes and the Danger of Irresolution

Descartes's approach to practical judgments about what is beneficial or harmful, or what to pursue or avoid, is almost exactly the opposite of his approach to theoretical judgments about the true nature of things. Instead of the cautious skepticism for which Descartes is known, throughout his ethical writings he recommends developing the habit of making firm judgments and resolutely carrying them out, no matter how doubtful and uncertain they may be. Descartes, strikingly, takes irresolution to be the source of remorse and repentance, of vice, and of a weak soul. In order to explain its dangerousness, this essay offers an analysis of irresolution as a failure of the will to determine itself to follow a judgment in the face of ignorance or uncertainty. This analysis connects irresolution to weakness of will and explains why Descartes regards resolution as an essential component of virtue.
Moisture in Epoxy Resin Composites

Abstract The effect of external loading on the rate of water uptake by unidirectional composites is examined as a function of the loading angle (0) with respect to the fibre direction in glass and graphite-reinforced epoxies. The moisture uptake under the effect of the external load increases with 0, suggesting a dependence on the matrix volume increase, itself a function of the strain and of the Poisson's ratio.