cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Evaluation of Florida's Zika Response Using the WHO Health Systems Framework: Can We Apply These Lessons to COVID-19?

From 2016 to 2018 Florida documented 1471 cases of Zika virus, 299 of which were pregnant women (Florida Department of Health, https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/mosquito-bornediseases/surveillance.html , 2019a). Florida’s response required unprecedented rapid and continuous cross-sector communication, adaptation, and coordination. Zika tested public health systems in new ways, particularly for maternal child health populations. The systems are now being challenged again, as the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic spreads throughout Florida. This qualitative journey mapping evaluation of Florida’s response focused on care for pregnant women and families with infants exposed to Zika virus. Fifteen focus groups and interviews were conducted with 33 public health and healthcare workers who managed outbreak response, case investigations, and patient care in south Florida. Data were thematically analyzed, and the results were framed by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Healthcare Systems Framework of six building blocks: health service delivery, health workforce, health information systems, access to essential medicines, financing, and leadership and governance (World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/healthsystems/strategy/everybodys_business.pdf , 2007, https://www.who.int/healthinfo/systems/monitoring/en/ , 2010). Results highlighted coordination of resources, essential services and treatment, data collection, communication among public health and healthcare systems, and dissemination of information. Community education, testing accuracy and turnaround time, financing, and continuity of health services were areas of need, and there was room for improvement in all indicator areas. The WHO Framework encapsulated important infrastructure and process factors relevant to the Florida Zika response as well as future epidemics. In this context, similarities, differences, and implications for the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic response are discussed.
Ventilators for Nonintensivists: Troubleshooting Elevations in Plateau Pressure.

As COVID-19 has rapidly evolved into a pandemic, many physicians without prior critical care training are being called upon to help manage SARS Co-V-2 infected patients who develop respiratory fail...
Control Without Confirmation: The Politics of Vacancies in Presidential Appointments

Scholarship on separation of powers assumes executives are constrained by legislative approval when placing agents in top policy-making positions. But presidents frequently fill vacancies in agency leadership with unconfirmed, temporary officials or leave them empty entirely. I develop a novel dataset of vacancies across 15 executive departments from 1977 to 2016 and reevaluate the conventional perspective that appointment power operates only through formal channels. I argue that presidents’ nomination strategies include leaving positions empty and making interim appointments, and this choice reflects presidents’ priorities and the character of vacant positions. The evidence indicates that interim appointees are more likely when positions have a substantial capacity to act on presidential expansion priorities and suggest that presidents can capitalize on their first-mover advantage to evade Senate confirmation. The results further suggest that separation of powers models may need to consider how deliberate inaction and sidestepping of formal powers influence political control and policy-making strategies.
Rank consistent ordinal regression for neural networks with application to age estimation

Abstract In many real-world prediction tasks, class labels include information about the relative ordering between labels, which is not captured by commonly-used loss functions such as multi-category cross-entropy. Recently, the deep learning community adopted ordinal regression frameworks to take such ordering information into account. Neural networks were equipped with ordinal regression capabilities by transforming ordinal targets into binary classification subtasks. However, this method suffers from inconsistencies among the different binary classifiers. To resolve these inconsistencies, we propose the COnsistent RAnk Logits (CORAL) framework with strong theoretical guarantees for rank-monotonicity and consistent confidence scores. Moreover, the proposed method is architecture-agnostic and can extend arbitrary state-of-the-art deep neural network classifiers for ordinal regression tasks. The empirical evaluation of the proposed rank-consistent method on a range of face-image datasets for age prediction shows a substantial reduction of the prediction error compared to the reference ordinal regression network.
Complicated lithospheric structure beneath the contiguous US revealed by teleseismic S reflections

Lithospheric discontinuities, including the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) and the enigmatic mid-lithospheric discontinuities (MLDs), hold important clues about the structure and evolutio...
Automatic Gold Sphere Drill Machine

The gold a sphere machine drill machine was created to scale back the negative effects of a manual drilling the sphere, like sphere cracking, breaking, bending, and a range of alternative things that may be entirely eliminated by utilizing this machine-driven a drilling machine. This full model plays a big half in an automation within the Automatic drill machine Arduino UNO, At mega 16, Stepper motor, Servo motor, the dc motor, a lcd, Keyboard, Power supply, and conjointly a mechanical ARM. Because of a crack bending and alternative impacts, this full machine drill machine model can stop the sphere from desirous to be redesigned.
Investigating the Robustness and Generalizability of Deep Reinforcement Learning Based Optimal Trade Execution Systems

Recently, researchers from both academia and the financial industry have attempted to leverage the cutting edge techniques of Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) to develop autonomous trade execution systems. They desire a system that could learn from the trade data and develop trade execution strategies to optimize the execution costs. While several researchers have reported success in developing such autonomous trade execution systems, none of them have investigated the robustness of the systems. Despite the powerfulness of DRL, the overfitting and generalization remain a challenge in DRL. For real-world applications, especially in financial trading, the DRL system’s robustness is critical, as the cost of wrong decisions could be devastating. In our experiment, we investigate the robustness of the DRL based autonomous trade execution systems by applying the policies learned from one stock to other stocks directly without any refining or training. As different stocks have different dynamics, they might serve as suitable environments to investigate the systems’ capability to generalize. The result suggests that the DRL systems have generalized well on other stocks without further refining or training on the specific stock’s historical trade data. The result is significant from two perspectives: 1) It suggests that the DRL based trade execution systems can generalize well, which gives us and potential users more confidence in their performances; 2) It also presents an opportunity to develop a more sample efficient system.
The Role of Tumor Microenvironment and Exosomes in Dormancy and Relapse.

Recent advancements in the field of cancer have established that the process of metastasis is organ-specific with tumor cell dissemination occurring in the very early stages of disease. Pre-metastatic niches are actively remodeled and transformed by both primary tumor specific factors and by influences from the extracellular matrix.Although improvements in cancer therapies have significantly improved outcomes in patients with early stage disease, the risk of recurrence and relapse leading to mortality remains high. Recent studies have emerged highlighting the influence of dormant tumor cells and exosomes as key players in cancer relapse. In this review we discuss the critical mediators of tumor progression and their link to cancer dormancy, while also exploring possible therapeutics for targeting relapse.
Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology (Ihprpt) Sic Recession Model

SiC stability and recession rates were modeled in hydrogen/oxygen combustion environments for the Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology (IHPRPT) program. The IHPRPT program is a government and industry program to improve U.S. rocket propulsion systems. Within this program SiC-based ceramic matrix composites are being considered for transpiration cooled injector faceplates or rocket engine thrust chamber liners. Material testing under conditions representative of these environments was conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center, Cell 22. For the study described herein, SiC degradation was modeled under these Cell 22 test conditions for comparison to actual test results: molar mixture ratio, MR (O2:H2) = 6, material temperatures to 1700 C, combustion gas pressures between 0.34 and 2.10 atm, and gas velocities between 8,000 and 12,000 fps. Recession was calculated assuming rates were controlled by volatility of thermally grown silica limited by gas boundary layer transport. Assumptions for use of this model were explored, including the presence of silica on the SiC surface, laminar gas boundary layer limited volatility, and accuracy of thermochemical data for volatile Si-O-H species. Recession rates were calculated as a function of temperature. It was found that at 1700 C, the highest temperature considered, the calculated recession rates were negligible, about 200 m/h, relative to the expected lifetime of the material. Results compared favorably to testing observations. Other mechanisms contributing to SiC recession are briefly described including consumption of underlying carbon and pitting. A simple expression for liquid flow on the material surface was developed from a one-dimensional treatment of the Navier-Stokes Equation. This relationship is useful to determine under which conditions glassy coatings or thermally grown silica would flow on the material surface, removing protective layers by shear forces. The velocity of liquid flow was found to depend on the gas velocity, the viscosity of gas and liquid, as well as the thickness of the gas boundary layer and the liquid layer. Calculated flow rates of a borosilicate glass coating compared well to flow rates observed for this coating tested on a SiC panel in Cell 22.
Mailed Missives: Reflections on Postage Stamps and Life Lived

The author presents a reflection on the unlikely topic of postage stamps, guiding the reader toward appreciation of the unnoticed.
An Efficiency Comparison of City Managers and Elected Mayors

Previous research has concluded that there are no efficiency differences between elected mayor-council (EMC) and council-manager (CM) city governments. However, the CM form has recently surpassed the EMC form to become the most popular U.S. city government. This paper provides an alternative method of testing the relative efficiency of the two forms of government. Relying on capitalization theory of local public goods, I develop a hedonic price model for Ohio metropolitan home sales. Results show that houses within a CM city have a pricing premium that can be attributed to the relative efficiency of the CM government.
Stability of gravity‐driven multiphase flow in porous media: 40 Years of advancements

[1] Gravity-driven multiphase flow in porous media is ubiquitous in the geophysical world; the classic case in hydrology is vertical infiltration of precipitation into a soil. For homogenous porous media, infiltrations are sometimes observed to be stable and laterally uniform, but other times are observed to be unstable and produce preferential flow paths. Since Saffman and Taylor (1958), researchers have attempted to define criteria that determine instability. Saffman and Taylor's analysis consisted of two regions of single phase flow, while Parlange and Hill (1976) integrated this analysis with the multiphase flow equations to provide testable predictions. In the subsequent 40 years, great advances have been made determining the complex interactions between multiphase flow and instability. Theoretically, the stability of the standard multiphase flow equations has been verified, showing the necessity of extensions to the multiphase flow equations to describe the observed unstable flow. Experimentally, it has been shown that the instability is related to a phenomena in 1-D infiltrations called saturation or pressure overshoot. In this review, the connection between overshoot and instability is detailed, and it is described how models of overshoot can simplify the analysis of current and future models of instability and multiphase flow.
Role for Rab11a in mediating TLR dependent cross-presentation responses

Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is critical for accelerated phagosome maturation and enhanced major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) presentation of phagocytosed antigens. Since cross-presentation is another consequence of phagosome maturation, we hypothesized that like MHC II presentation, the presentation of exogenous antigens on MHC class I (MHC I) by dendritic cells (DCs) is positively regulated by TLRs. Using antigen derived from bacteria, infected apoptotic cells or antigen-coated beads conjugated to a TLR ligand, our results show that cross-presentation is severely impaired when TLR signaling is abrogated in the cross-presenting DC or when TLR ligands are absent from phagocytic cargo. To delineate the mechanisms behind TLR enhancement of cross-presentation, we studied trafficking of MHC I in the presence or absence of TLR signaling. We observed recruitment of MHC I selectively to phagosomes containing TLR ligands along with the concomitant enrichment of the small guanosine tri-phosphatase (GTPase) Rab11a. In fact, Rab11a was crucial for TLR mediated enhancement of cross-presentation as selective knock-down of Rab11a abrogated the ability of DCs to cross-present antigen. Our results demonstrate a role for Rab11a in trafficking MHC I to phagosomes that engage TLR signaling, thus mediating enhanced cross-presentation of microbial antigens. Results from our studies have implications on anti-viral and anti-bacterial immunity as well as tumor immunotherapy.
Combined Hamartoma of the Retina and Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Hamartomas of the pigment epithelium are not unusual, especially when the patient has other evidence of congenital malformations. There is usually visual loss. Strabismus or leukocoria may also be a presenting sign. Most diagnoses are made during routine examination of the patient. If the discmacula is involved directly or by traction, acuity is diminished. Peripheral lesions may not affect the acuity.
The Meaning of RTI in Vietnam—A Qualitative Study of Illness Representation: Collaboration or Self-Regulation?:

In collaboration with the National Committee for Population and Family Planning, a study was conducted in a rural and urban commune of northern Vietnam to provide community-level information about women's reproductive health and behaviors. Ethnographic and structured interviews were conducted with 32 women. A psychosocial model of health behavior, the Dual Process Model, was applied to provide a theoretical framework for understanding women's interpretations of, and strategies for, coping with symptoms of reproductive tract infections (RTIs). Women were found to interpret and manage RTI symptoms collaboratively with other women. Therefore, women's approach to care seeking was influenced heavily by their peer network and not driven by their method of family planning.
Solutions to Problems

In subsonic flow, the aerodynamic coefficient dependency upon the small parameters is given in Table 15.1.
Evolutionary Diagnostics of LBV Spectra and Systems in the LMC

The characteristics of the Ofpe/WN9 class in the LMC, including two newly discovered members, are reviewed; a strong relationship between this class and the LBVs is established by HDE 269858 = Radcliffe 127, currently in outburst with a spectrum identical to that of S Doradus. The evidence for CNO-cycle products, i.e., enhanced N and He, on the surfaces and in the circumstellar nebulae of Ofpe/WN9 objects and LBVs is discussed, with emphasis on recent near-IR observations of He/H. Finally, the occurrence of several Ofpe/WN9 and LBV stars in compact multiple systems will enable valuable information about the evolutionary status of the peculiar objects to be derived. Strong threads unite these three topics: the same objects frequently recur in each.
Sales technology within the salesperson's relationships: A research agenda

Abstract The average cost of a sales call has declined approximately 15% over the past decade, while average salesperson compensation has doubled. These statistics illustrate an important benefit of technology: salespeople are more productive. To better understand the impact technology has played on sales and sales management, this paper examines the impact of sales technology from four perspectives: the salesperson, the field sales manager, the sales executive, and the customer. Noting that the needs and evaluations of technology vary, depending upon the functional position and viewpoint, a research agenda is offered that reflects these various perspectives.
Sum of responding as a function of sum of reinforcement on two-key concurrent schedules

Four pigeons pecked for food reinforcers delivered by several two-key concurrent schedules. The sum of the rates of reinforcement provided by the component schedules varied from 25 to 300 reinforcers/h. The ratio of the rates of reinforcement remained constant at 1:4. The sum of the rates of responding generated by the component schedules increased with increases in the sum of the rates of reinforcement which the components provided. The increase in response rate was predicted by equations proposed by Catania (1963) and by Herrnstein (1970). But the data conformed more closely to Herrnstein’s equation.
Modulation of Serum and Pituitary Luteinizing Hormone Bioactivity by Androgen in the Rat

The biological and immunological activities of serum and pituitary LH were analyzed in normal and castrated rats using the rat interstitial cell testosterone assay and RIAs for intact rat LH (rLH), rLH alpha, and rLH beta. After castration, the bioactivity to immunoactivity ratio of both serum and pituitary LH decreased by about 50% between the 5th and 25th days and returned to normal by 60 days. This decrease in the bioactivity to immunoreactivity ratio of LH in castrated males was not due to increased subunit production and was prevented by the administration of testosterone propionate (50 micrograms/day) from the time of castration. These observations indicate that androgens of their metabolites modify the bioactivity of the circulating and stored forms of the LH molecule.
Tory II-C Nuclear Instrumentation System

The design of the nuclear instrumentation system for the Pluto series of nuclear ramjet test reactors is an attempt to provide a very flexible nuclear sensing system that will be adequate for Tory II-C and following test reactors. The nuclear detectors will be exposed to the leakage neutron flux from the reactor during operation. Since the leakage flux is proportional to reactor power, the neutron detectors will give a measure of reactor power. A difficulty in providing nuclear instruments for this reactor is the uncertainty in the neutron energy spectrum of the leakage flux at the detectors. Since detector response varies with neutron energy, a large margin of flexibility is desirable. A difficulty which may be encountered is a significant shift in neutron energy spectrum at high power and temperature. This would make indicated nuclear power nonlinear with calorimetric power. A difficulty in insufficient instrument overlap was encountered with the Tory II-A experiment where a large margin of flexibility would have been useful. The detector placement for the Tory II-A experiment had the power range detectors in line with the reactor and main air pipe. At high air flows there was a much greater mass of air between the detectors and the reactor, allowing fewer neutrons to reach the detectors per unit reactor power. This is the reason for the power range detectors being placed off to the side of the Tory II-C test vehicle. Not all difficulties can be foreseen, but provision is made where possible to overcome them.
DNA repair: How yeast repairs radical damage

Cloning of the OGG1 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has revealed that DNA glycosylases are not necessarily conserved throughout phylogeny, yet there is a DNA-repair protein superfamily with a wide substrate specificity found from bacteria to man.
Aerosols in the agricultural setting.

ABSTRACT This report summarizes discussions chaired by Kent Pinkerton held during the New Paths: Health and Safety in Western Agriculture conference, November 11–13, 2008. Research on air quality and aerosols in the agricultural setting was presented and discussed, providing insight into critical issues by many of the prominent scientists in this field. The panel discussion provided an overview of recent advances and future directions for research regarding sampling and exposure assessment of biologically active aerosols. This analysis considers chemical composition, individual exposures, and subsequent health effects experienced in large- and small-scale farming operations. The breakout discussion focused on other sources of particulate matter associated with agricultural activities prominent in various regions of the western United States. The complementary directions for these discussions fully demonstrate the wide range of concerns and issues that exist regarding bioaerosols and ambient dust associate...
Correction of Pulmonary Abnormalities in Sftpd-/- Mice Requires the Collagenous Domain of Surfactant Protein D

Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a member of the collectin family of innate defense proteins. Members of this family share four distinct structural domains: an N-terminal cross-linking domain, a collagenous domain, a neck region, and a carbohydrate recognition domain. In this study, the function of the collagenous domain was evaluated by expressing a SP-D collagen deletion mutant protein (rSftpdCDM) in wild type and SP-D null mice (Sftpd-/-). rSftpdCDM formed disulfide-linked trimers that further oligomerized into higher order structures. The mutant protein effectively bound carbohydrate and aggregated bacteria in vitro. Whereas rSftpdCDM did not disrupt pulmonary morphology or surfactant phospholipid levels in wild type mice, the mutant protein failed to rescue the emphysema or enlarged foamy macrophages that are characteristic of Sftpd-/- mice. Moreover, rSftpdCDM partitioned with small aggregate surfactant in a manner similar to SP-D, but rSftpdCDM did not correct the abnormal surfactant ultrastructure or phospholipid levels observed in Sftpd-/- mice. In contrast, rSftpdCDM completely corrected viral clearance and the abnormal inflammatory response that occurs following pulmonary influenza A challenge in Sftpd-/- mice. Our findings indicate that the collagen domain of SP-D is not required for assembly of disulfide-stabilized oligomers or the innate immune response to viral pathogens. The collagen domain of SP-D is required for the regulation of pulmonary macrophage activation, airspace remodeling, and surfactant lipid homeostasis.
Diffusion characteristics of β-aminopropionitrile in peripheral nerve

Abstract β-Aminopropionitrile (β-APN), a lathyrogen, alters the physical characteristics of fibrous scar tissue and as such may have potential clinical use in treatment of injured spinal cord and peripheral nerve by reducing the physical barrier to axon regeneration. For β-APN to exert its lathyrogenic effect, it must permeate the injury site and gain access to the developing collagenous scar. To investigate the diffusion characteristics, β-[ 14 C]APN solution was applied as an immersion bath to rat sciatic nerve using both in vivo and in vitro preparations for intervals of 15 to 90 min. The four experimental groups studied were (a) intact nerve, (b) hemisected nerve, (c) nerve with epineurium removed, and (d) nerve with both epineurium and perineurium removed. The isotope labeling index determined by autoradiography and scintillation counting indicated the perineurium as the primary barrier to significant diffusion of β-APN in normal nerve. When perineurium was incised or removed, β-APN entered the endoneurial matrix. β-APN concentration in the epineurium and perineurium increased with increasing bathing time in vitro ; but it decreased markedly after 15 min of in vivo bathing. These findings indicate that topical application of β-APN to injured peripheral nerve would be a successful method of exposing fibrogenic intraneural tissue to the inhibitory effect on lysyl oxidase enzymes. Continuous application, however, will be necessary because of the rapid β-APN removal documented in the in vivo preparation.
Review of in vitro activity of third-generation cephalosporins and other newer beta-lactam antibiotics against clinically important bacteria.

Abstract The third-generation cephalosporins and some newer beta-lactam compounds such as the monobactams and carbapenems, when compared with first- and second-generation cephalosporins, have an extended spectrum of activity and generally greater activity against gram-negative bacilli of clinical importance. The increased spectrum includes the Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Although the third-generation cephalosporins have some activity against P. aeruginosa, of those drugs now available in the United States, ceftazidime and cefoperazone are much more active than the others, and ceftazidime is more active than cefoperazone. The activity of the third-generation compounds against Acinetobacter species and other Pseudomonas species is limited. These compounds inhibit the growth of Hemophilus and Neisseria species (including beta-lactamase-producing isolates), nonenterococcal streptococci, and anaerobic gram-positive cocci. They also inhibit the growth of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci but generally are not as active against these organisms as are the first-generation cephalosporins. They do not inhibit methicillin-resistant S. aureus. The activity of third-generation cephalosporins against anaerobes varies, but moxalactam and ceftizoxime are similar in activity to cefoxitin, a second-generation compound. The third-generation cephalosporins do not inhibit the growth of Listeria. A majority of organisms resistant to cephalothin and cefamandole (first- and second-generation cephalosporins) and to aminoglycosides are Inhibited by thirdgeneration cephalosporins.
Properties of learning and memory inDrosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster can be conditioned to avoid an odorant selectively after being shocked in its presence (Quinn et al., 1974). In the following study learning and memory properties of the flies are reported. The major part of the conditioned behavior is acquired after a single training trial (Fig. 2). Similar degrees of learning are obtained by using various odorants in various combinations (Table 1). The flies can learn to avoid selectively several odorants at a time, can learn to discriminate between different concentrations of the same odorant (Fig. 4), and can also learn to distinguish a mixture of odorants from its components. If not extinguished, the selective avoidance decays slowly and can be detected for hours, its magnitude depending upon the intensity of training (Fig. 6). Memory can be disrupted by narcosis during the first ∼20 min after training, but not afterwards (Fig. 7). A study of learning properties of wild-type strains and various morphological and behavioral mutants reveals differences in performance (Table 2). However, the differences cannot be attributed with certainty to differences in learning and memory, per se, because the mutants differ in other aspects of behavior, e.g., locomotor activity and phototaxis. Of the wild-type strains tested, Canton-S performed the best.
Myosin and paramyosin of Caenorhabditis elegans: Biochemical and structural properties of wild-type and mutant proteins

Abstract Myosin and paramyosin have been purified from the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. The properties of the myosin in general resemble those of other myosins. The native molecule is a dimer of heavy (210,000 dalton) polypeptide chains and contains 18,000 and 16,000 dalton light chains. When rapidly precipitated from solution, it forms small, bipolar aggregates, about 150 nm long, consistent with the expected molecular structure of a rigid rod with a globular head region at one end. Its ATPase activity is stimulated by CA 2+ and EDTA. The myosin binds to F actin in a polar and ATP-sensitive manner, and the Mg 2+ -ATPase is activated by either F actin or nematode thin filaments. Dialysis of myosin to low ionic strength produces very long filaments. When a myosin-paramyosin mixture is dialyzed under the same conditions, co-filaments form which consist of a myosin cortex, surrounding a paramyosin core. Some properties of myosins from the mutants E675 and E190, which have functionally and structurally altered body wall muscles, are compared with those of wild-type myosin. These myosins behave normally in in vitro tests. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of the myosin heavy chain composition.
Passive Ranging of Dynamic Rocket Plumes Using Infrared and Visible Oxygen Attenuation

Atmospheric oxygen absorption bands in observed spectra of boost phase missiles can be used to accurately estimate range from sensor to target. One method is to compare observed values of band averaged absorption to radiative transfer models. This is most effective using bands where there is a single absorbing species. This work compares spectral attenuation of two oxygen absorption bands in the near-infrared (NIR) and visible (Vis) spectrum, centered at 762 nm and 690 nm, to passively determine range. Spectra were observed from a static test of a full-scale solid rocket motor at a 900m range. The NIR O 2 band provided range estimates accurate to within 3%, while the Vis O 2 band had a range error of 15%. A Falcon 9 rocket launch at an initial range of 13km was also tracked and observed for 90 seconds after ignition. The NIR O 2 band provided in-flight range estimates accurate to within 2% error for the first 30 seconds of tracked observation. The Vis O 2 band also provided accurate range estimates with an error of approximately 4%. Rocket plumes are expected to be significantly brighter at longer wavelengths, but absorption in the NIR band is nearly ten times stronger than the Vis band, causing saturation at shorter path lengths. An atmospheric band is considered saturated when all the in-band frequencies emitted from the rocket plume are absorbed before reaching the sensor.
Observations on the Incidence and Characteristics of Blood and Meat Spots in Hens’ Eggs

Abstract BURMESTER and Card (1938) showed that meat spots in chicken eggs are degenerated blood spots. Nalbandov and Card (1944) proposed that blood spots in eggs are the result of intrafollicular hemorrhages that may occur any time prior to ovulation. They support the finding of Burmester and Card (1938) and state that the rate of transition of a blood spot to a meat spot is dependent on environmental temperature and pH. Recently Jeffrey (1945) presented evidence which confirms this theory of the formation of meat spots. At the present time there is little or no definite information on the cause of intrafollicular hemorrhages or how to prevent them. Attempts to influence the incidence of blood spots by supplementary vitamin feeding have been unsuccessful. From the genetic standpoint, however, ample evidence has been accumulated to show that the tendency to blood spot formation is inherited (Quinn and Godfrey (1940), Nalbandov and Card . . .
Catastrophic release of heat and fluid flow in the continental crust

Heat may be released catastrophically from the continental crust by the onset of free convection in orogenic zones. Orogeny itself could create the conditions necessary for free convection by increasing the permeability of the crust. In the specific case of a continental collision zone, the conditions favoring free convection may move progressively into continental interiors, perhaps to repeated episodes of convection and related thermal events. Simple models and assumptions suggest that individual episodes of convection circulation and heat release persist for periods of time of the order of 10 6 yr or less. The rate and magnitude of energy release depend upon the initial thermal state and permeability of the crust and the depth of fluid circulation. Estimates made from typical parameters indicate that the total thermal energy released from the crust is approximately equivalent to an increase of background heat flow from about 60 to 200 mW/m 2 for a period of 10 6 yr. A significant amount of this heat can be transported into the interior of a continent by a gravity-driven flow system if a continuous aquifer of sufficient permeability is present. The hypothesis could explain several phenomena attributed to tectonically driven fluids associated with the Alleghenian-Ouachita orogeny. These include the formation of Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc deposits, widespread potassic alteration, and remagnetizations. Although speculative, the hypothesis is consistent with our current state of knowledge concerning the extent of fluid circulation in the continental crust.
A novel test of the monetary approach using black market exchange rates and the Johansen-Juselius cointegration method

Abstract Cointegration is appropriate for testing long-run exchange rate theories such as the monetary approach, but the post-1973 floating exchange rate period may be too short. We confirm the monetary model using longer black market exchange rate series and the Johansen—Juselius cointegration method.
Effectiveness and safety of bivalirudin during percutaneous coronary intervention in a single medical center

A recent large-scale, randomized trial demonstrated the noninferiority of a strategy of bivalirudin with provisional glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibition compared with routine GP IIb/IIIa inhibition. There is a paucity of outcome data with bivalirudin use in the setting of real-world experience. We evaluated 6,996 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention between January 2001 and December 2004 to compare early and late outcomes with a bivalirudin-based antithrombotic regimen with those with a heparin-based regimen. Propensity adjustment was performed to correct for baseline differences in patient characteristics. Bivalirudin-based therapy was used in 1,070 patients, heparin only in 801 patients, and heparin plus GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors in 5,125 patients. Compared with patients who received heparin or those who received heparin plus GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors, patients who received bivalirudin had lower incidences of bleeding (blood transfusion rate 1.7% vs 4.0%, p 5 times the upper limit of normal 2.7% vs 4.3%, p = 0.016). Differences in bleeding end points remained significant after adjusting for the propensity to receive bivalirudin, but there was no difference in ischemic events. There was no difference in unadjusted long-term survival rate (log-rank test p = 0.46, total number of deaths 412, mean follow-up 17 months) or in propensity-adjusted long-term survival rate (hazard ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval 0.90 to 2.08, p = 0.14). Compared with heparin with or without GP IIb/IIIa inhibition, the use of bivalirudin in a large consecutive patient registry at a tertiary care center was associated with fewer bleeding events and no evident increase in the incidence of ischemic complications.
Regulatory T-cell vaccination independent of auto-antigen

To date, efforts to treat autoimmune diseases have primarily focused on the disease symptoms rather than on the cause of the disease. In large part, this is attributed to not knowing the responsible auto-antigens (auto-Ags) for driving the self-reactivity coupled with the poor success of treating autoimmune diseases using oral tolerance methods. Nonetheless, if tolerogenic approaches or methods that stimulate regulatory T (Treg) cells can be devised, these could subdue autoimmune diseases. To forward such efforts, our approach with colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) fimbriae is to establish bystander immunity to ultimately drive the development of auto-Ag-specific Treg cells. Using an attenuated Salmonella vaccine expressing CFA/I fimbriae, fimbriae-specific Treg cells were induced without compromising the vaccine's capacity to protect against travelers' diarrhea or salmonellosis. By adapting the vaccine's anti-inflammatory properties, it was found that it could also dampen experimental inflammatory diseases resembling multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis. Because of this bystander effect, disease-specific Treg cells are eventually induced to resolve disease. Interestingly, this same vaccine could elicit the required Treg cell subset for each disease. For MS-like disease, conventional CD25+ Treg cells are stimulated, but for arthritis CD39+ Treg cells are induced instead. This review article will examine the potential of treating autoimmune diseases without having previous knowledge of the auto-Ag using an innocuous antigen to stimulate Treg cells via the production of transforming growth factor-β and interleukin-10.
Vascular action of cocoa flavanols in humans: the roots of the story

Diet patterns are widely recognized as contributors to hypertension. Widely studied potential contributors include intake of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, soluble fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, alcohol, protein, and calories. We add to that list the effect of dietary flavanols present in certain cocoas, which have sufficient activity on vascular nitric oxide to influence blood pressure control. Kuna Indians who live on islands near Panama have little age-related rise in blood pressure or hypertension. On migration to Panama City, blood pressure rises with age, and the frequency of essential hypertension matches urban levels elsewhere. We have identified a specific food that probably makes an important contribution to cardiovascular status. Island-dwelling Kuna drink more than 5 cups of flavanol-rich cocoa per day and incorporate that cocoa into many recipes. Mainland Kuna ingest little cocoa, and what they take is commercially available and flavanol-poor. The flavanol-rich cocoa activates nitric oxide synthase in vitro and in intact humans in the doses that the Kuna employ. Vasodilator responses to flavonoid-rich cocoa are prevented or reversed by the arginine analog, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. Island-dwelling Kuna have a 3-fold larger urinary nitrate:nitrite than do Mainland dwellers. As endothelial dysfunction is central to current thinking on cardiovascular pathophysiology, a food that enhances endothelial function could have broad implications. The list of candidate conditions that might be influenced is impressive, ranging from atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus to hypertension and preeclampsia, to vascular dementias and end-stage renal disease. The next decade will be interesting.
Water-Soluble Polymers. 79. Interaction of Microblocky Twin-Tailed Acrylamido Terpolymers with Anionic, Cationic, and Nonionic Surfactants

Terpolymers composed of acrylic acid, methacrylamide, and DiC6, DiC8, or DiC10 twin-tailed hydrophobic monomers have been synthesized using micellar polymerization methods, and the interactions of ...
Recent developments in nuclear theory

Two recent developments are reviewed. (1) The Pairing-Plus-Quadrupole model has recently been extended to medium-weight nuclei with A=108–134. (2) The semiclassical unified field theory of fundamental forces has been developed.
Neuropsychological recovery following acute cerebellar ataxia.

Abstract Acute Cerebellar Ataxia (ACA) is a not infrequent disorder in childhood characterized by sudden onset of such cerebellar signs as truncal ataxia, dysmetria, tremors, nystagmus, and hypotonicity. Despite the suggestion in the literature that children who have suffered from ACA may continue to have neurological deficits, there have not been any attempts to address systematically and quantitatively the nature and frequency of dysfunction in the cognitive and motor domains. To this end, 15 patients with a discharge diagnosis of ACA at Children's Hospital of Michigan were administered a Wechsler Intelligence Scale, visual-spatial tests, achievement tests, and a test of motor speed, targeting, and finger dexterity (the Purdue Pegboard). Results indicated that higher level cognitive functions, ncluding those in the linguistic and visual-perceptual domain, remained intact. In addition, the distribution of academic achievement scores was not markedly atypical. However, Purdue Pegboard performances in the ...
Theories of intelligence and students' daily self-handicapping behaviors

Abstract The current study sought to examine the relationship between students' theory of intelligence and daily self-handicapping behaviors. Ninth grade students completed a background survey with an eight-item measure assessing one's theory of intelligence (Dweck, 1999) and global measures of procrastination and self-handicapping. Participants then completed daily surveys for 2 weeks in which they reported how much homework they had, perceived school difficulty, time spent studying and in other domains, and how much effort they spent on their homework/studying. Results revealed that the strength of one's entity theory of intelligence was positively associated with self-handicapping and procrastination, replicating past findings. It was also found that entity theories of intelligence were associated with reduced responsiveness to daily school demands when compared to incremental theories. Not only do these results demonstrate an association between theory of intelligence and maladaptive school behaviors, but they show how these behaviors manifest on a daily basis.
Inhibition of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II)--induced renal toxicity in the rat.

The hydroxyl-containing dithiocarbamates, sodium (di(hydroxyethl)-dithiocarbamate (NaY) and sodium N-methyl, N-dithiocarboxy-D-glucamine (NaG), appear to possess definite advantages over sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) in reducing the cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (Cis-Pt)-induced renal damage in rats given Cis-Pt as an IV bolus of 7.5 mg/kg 1 h before the IP administration of the dithiocarbamate. Renal damage, as estimated by blood urea nitrogen (BUN) values and serum creatinine levels, was less at all times up until sacrifice in animals given naY or NaG than in those given DDTC. An even more effective method for suppression of Cis-Pt renal toxicity is to use a combination of procedures. The most efficacious combination involves a 24-h pretreatment with DDTC or NaG plus acetazolamide and normal saline hydration 30 min before administration of Cis-Pt, followed by post-treatment with NaG. With this combination therapy renal function can be almost completely spared. Although DDTC or NaG pretreatment is highly effective when used in conjunction with NaG post-treatment, DDTC or NaG pretreatment alone has no renal sparing effect on renal function or renal platinum accumulation. In experiments in which antidotes were given 1 h after Cis-Pt and the animals were followed up for 75 days, a chronic interstitial nephritis at 75 days, suggesting a persistent cell-mediated immune response to Cis-Pt-induced renal damage, may be the basis for chronically abnormal renal function resulting from Cis-Pt. Treatment with all three dithiocarbamates, NaY, NaG, and DDTC, reduced the intensity of this cellular reaction and also reduced platinum levels in the kidneys. Although NaY and NaG are effective heavy metal chelators and renal function is spared and kidney platinum levels are substantially reduced by the dithiocarbamates, no parallel loss of antineoplastic activity by Cis-Pt on the rat Walker carcinoma was observed. Since the dithiocarbamates have no known human toxicity that would disqualify their clinical use, phase 1 clinical trials are indicated.
ANGULAR RATE ESTIMATION FOR GYROLESS SATELLITE ATTITUDE CONTROL

This paper presents the results of a study to develop and evaluate an attitude and attitude rate estimation technique for a multi -body spacecraft that includes a real time angular rate calculation from the system dynamic model and a Kalman filter estimator with attitude sensor updates provided by star trackers. The performances of this method, dynamic gyro, are compared with that of rate gyros and the effects of primary error sources in the dynamic model are analyzed. It is shown that the corrections provided by a star tracker based Kalman filter make the system robust to measurement and parameter know ledge error sources. This method provides an imperfect but operative means of estimating multi -body spacecraft angular rates. This method is ideally suited to a spacecraft designed specifically for its implementation with precise internal sensors and mec hanism to monitor spacecraft parameters and integrated external torque estimation modeling.
Work and Family Perspectives from Research University Faculty.

Having a child creates priorities, adds perspective, and helps women to be clear about what they can do (and what they are willing to do) to succeed as a faculty member.
Classification of coals according to degree of coalification by reflectance of the vitrinite component

Abstract The utility of reflectance of the vitrinite component of coals as a criterion of degree of coalification has been investigated. Present standard systems for classification of coals by rank are intended mainly as guides for utilization behaviour, and there is a need for more widespread acceptance and usage of an objective rank criterion based more firmly on physical/chemical characteristics of a coal. The relations of reflectance of vitrinite to other commonly used or proposed rank parameters have been studied, using voluminous data supplied by United States and European laboratories. These relations were found to be excellent for high-rank bituminous coals, good for anthracitic coals, fair for low-rank bituminous coals, and rather poor for subbituminous coals, lignites, and brown coals. The data for the last category are least numerous, and work is continuing on their reflectance—rank characteristics, especially for the International Commission on Coal Petrology. The reflectance ranges established for present rank categories are listed and it is proposed that they be included in standard classification systems as supplementary criteria of rank.
Lexical and talker effects on word recognition among native and non-native listeners with normal and impaired hearing.

Evidence suggests that word recognition depends on numerous talker-, listener-, and stimulus-related characteristics. The current study examined the effects of talker variability and lexical diffic...
Assembly language courses in transition

Although the CS 3 course of the ACM Curriculum '78 was defined almost a decade ago, the broader perspectives that are desired for that course have not been present in many undergraduate programs. Only recently has the pivotal role of this course begun to attract the attention of computer science faculties. This development is prompted by the increasing awareness in our profession of the need to convey basic principles along with programming skills in introductory courses, and is accompanied by the increasing availability of more well-rounded textbooks. This paper describes the transition at Clemson University from a skills-oriented “assembly language course” to a principles-oriented “introduction to computer systems” course. The course that has resulted will better prepare students for subsequent studies in languages, operating systems, and applications support software.