cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Models of Adoptive T-Cell-Mediated Regression of Established Tumors

Most of the chapters in this volume deal with the physiology and protective functions of macrophages as revealed by in vitro assays. Evidence that activated macrophages can express tumoristatic or tumoricidal function in vitro has been accumulating for 15 years or so and has resulted in the suggestion (Adams and Snyderman, 1979) that macrophages play a role in protecting against neoplastic colonization. It might be inferred, on the basis of in vitro evidence, moreover, that macrophages have the potential to destroy an established growing tumor, provided ways could be found to cause these cells to acquire tumoricidal function in the tumor bed. There is evidence (Evans, 1972; Russel and McIntosh, 1977) that progressive tumors can contain surprisingly large numbers of macrophages. It also has been shown (Russel and McIntosh, 1977) that Moloney sarcomas undergoing spontaneous regression in syngeneic mice contain macrophages that, on isolation, can lyse tumor cells in vitro. However, because of the reductionistic nature of the evidence obtained, no number of results obtained with in vitro assays can permit the conclusion that macrophages destroy tumors in vivo. The same criticism can be leveled against evidence showing that tumor-sensitized cytolytic T cells and natural killer (NK) cells lyse tumor cells in vitro. Sooner or later experiments will have to be designed to determine whether any one of these types of host cells, in the absence of the others, can express tumoricidal function in vivo and destroy an established tumor. The best models to employ in an attempt to identify the ultimate effectors of tumor regression would be models of immunologically mediated regression of established tumors.
Combustion Chemistry and Smoke

Publisher Summary The combustion of biomass in the open environment is a source of pollution and greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Incomplete combustion, primarily from the smoldering phase, results in a very complex mixture of gaseous and particulate matter called smoke. The mixture is somewhat dependent on the elemental composition, size distribution, and moisture content of the fuel particles at the time of burning. The environmental conditions prevailing at the time of the fire and the type of fire (whether heading, backing, flanking, or an area fire) are important as well. Combustion efficiency can be calculated and/or estimated for determining the magnitude of emission factors for different compounds and particulate matter for different combinations of fuel and fire. The outcome of these calculations can be used for assessing management strategies in developing environmental impact assessments. By knowing fuel loading, available fuel, and ratio of fuel consumed by phase of combustion, the amount and rate of release of smoke can be estimated. Fires burning in vegetative fuels, whether prescribed or wildfires, emit a complex mixture of particles and gases into the atmosphere. The diversity in composition of combustion products results from wide ranges in fuel types, fuel chemistry, and fire behavior. This chapter discusses the state of knowledge concerning the effect of these variables on the characteristics of smoke. In addition, the chemical and physical characteristics of the vegetation affect the rate of combustion and influence the overall fire behavior.
Stand-alone surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation: a novel bilateral double-port approach.

Background: To explore an effective, reproducible and less invasive surgical approach for lone atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: A modified “mini-maze” including pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), box-lesion and left atrial appendage (LAA) resection was applied for AF patients in our center from January 2016 to June 2017. A 2.5 cm thoracotomy extended with tissue retractor was made as working port in the fourth intercostal space on each anterior side of the chest. The thoracoscope was inserted in another port lateral to main port for observing. During PVI, the tip of the clamp could be adjusted to reach as superior as the roof of left atrium for transmural lesions. The floor line was made by linear ablation pen. The LAA was removed by stapler before PVI for better exposure of the roof. Results: This modified “mini-maze” was successfully completed in 53 non-paroxysmal AF patients except 1 was converted to sternotomy due to intraoperative hemorrhage. All patients recovered uneventfully. Seven-day Holter was accessed in 3, 6 and 12 months respectively in all patients. The mean follow-up was 14 (range, 3–30) months. Sinus rhythm was achieved in 48.1%, 64.8% before discharge and 3 months after surgery respectively, Twenty-eight patients in sinus rhythm or not, underwent catheter mapping and ablation three months after the operation to conform the lesion set made by this procedure. Sinus rhythm reached 87.0% after subsequent catheter ablation without any anti-arrhythmia treatment at 12 months. All patients survived without stroke, hemorrhage and pulmonary vein stenosis. Conclusions: Modified “mini-maze” procedure is safe, less invasive and highly reproducible for lone AF. Sequential hybrid procedure will shape the treatment of non-paroxysmal AF.
Limited by our limitations.

Study limitations represent weaknesses within a research design that may influence outcomes and conclusions of the research. Researchers have an obligation to the academic community to present complete and honest limitations of a presented study. Too often, authors use generic descriptions to describe study limitations. Including redundant or irrelevant limitations is an ineffective use of the already limited word count. A meaningful presentation of study limitations should describe the potential limitation, explain the implication of the limitation, provide possible alternative approaches, and describe steps taken to mitigate the limitation. This includes placing research findings within their proper context to ensure readers do not overemphasize or minimize findings. A more complete presentation will enrich the readers’ understanding of the study’s limitations and support future investigation.
Asymmetric scattering of flexural waves in a parity-time symmetric metamaterial beam.

Non-Hermitian parity-time ( PT) symmetric systems that possess real eigenvalues have been intensively investigated in quantum mechanics and rapidly extended to optics and acoustics demonstrating a lot of unconventional wave phenomena. Here, a PT symmetric metamaterial beam is designed based on shunted piezoelectric patches and asymmetric wave scattering in the form of flexural waves is demonstrated through analytical and numerical approaches. The gain and loss components in the PT symmetric beam are realized by the introduction of negative and positive resistances into the external shunting circuits, respectively. Effective medium theory and transfer matrix method are employed to determine the effective material parameters and scattering properties of the PT symmetric metamaterial beam. Unidirectional reflectionlessness has been demonstrated analytically and numerically, together with illustrations of the PT phase transition and exceptional points. The tunability of exceptional points is studied by changing the spacing between piezoelectric patches and shunting circuit parameters. The design explores complex material parameters of the beam structure, and could open unique ways to asymmetric wave control, enhanced sensing, amplification, and localization of flexural waves.
Special Educators' Working Conditions in Self-Contained Settings for Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders: A Descriptive Analysis.

Special education teachers (SETs) who teach students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) in self-contained settings are often less qualified, more stressed and burned out, and more likely ...
Effect of a post-translational modification mimic on protein translocation through a nanopore

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins are recognized as crucial components of cell signaling pathways through modulating folding, altering stability, changing interactions with ligands, and, therefore, serving multiple regulatory functions. PTMs occur as covalent modifications of the protein's amino acid side chains or the length and composition of their termini. Here we study the functional consequences of PTMs for α-synuclein (αSyn) interactions with the nanopore of the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) of the outer mitochondrial membrane. PTMs were mimicked by a divalent Alexa Fluor 488 sidechain attached separately at two positions on the αSyn C-terminus. Using single-channel reconstitution into planar lipid membranes, we find that such modifications change interactions drastically in both efficiency of VDAC inhibition by αSyn and its translocation through the VDAC nanopore. Analysis of the on/off kinetics in terms of an interaction “quasipotential” allows the positions of the C-terminal modifications to be determined with an accuracy of about three residues. Moreover, our results uncover a previously unobserved mechanism by which cytosolic proteins control β-barrel channels and thus a new regulatory function for PTMs.
AN EXPEDIENT TO SOLID PHASE EDMAN DEGRADATION.

The synthesis of p-isothiocyanatobenzoylhomoserine lactone from DL-homoserine as well as from L-methionine is described. The compound constitutes a good tool in the solid phase Edman degradation of tryptic protein fragments terminated by lysine.
High Pressure Food Process Design for Food Safety and Quality

High pressure based technologies are of interest, as they enable the food processors to inactivate harmful and spoilage organisms, extend product shelf life, while having minimal impact on nutrients and fresh like quality attributes of foods. However, simultaneous application of pressure-thermal treatment is required for spore inactivation. Pressure in combination with heat can have synergistic, antagonistic or additive effects on various physical, biochemical and biological reactions in food matrices. It is also important to characterize the engineering properties of foods as influenced by pressure-heat combinations and model the extent of process non-uniformity within processed volume. Suitably controlling the pressure-thermal intensity enables the processors to manufacture various pasteurized, extended shelf-life, and shelf-stable foods. Therefore, this chapter summarizes basic principles associated with food process design and development of high-pressure based technologies, factors governing food safety and quality, and highlight relevant industrial applications.
VM Introspection-based Allowlisting for IaaS

Cloud computing has become the main backend of the IT infrastructure as it provides ubiquitous and on-demand computing to serve to a wide range of users including end-users and high-performance demanding agencies. The users can allocate and free resources allocated for their Virtual Machines (VMs) as needed. However, with the rapid growth of interest in cloud computing systems, several issues have arisen especially in the domain of cybersecurity. It is a known fact that not only the malicious users can freely allocate VMs, but also they can infect victims' VMs to run their own tools that include cryptocurrency mining, ransomware, or cyberattacks against others. Even though there exist intrusion detection systems (IDS), running an IDS on every VM can be a costly process and it would require fine configuration that only a small subset of the cloud users are knowledgeable about. Therefore, to overcome this challenge, in this paper we present a VM introspection based allowlisting method to be deployed and managed directly by the cloud providers to check if there are any malicious software running on the VMs with minimum user intervention. Our middleware monitors the processes and if it detects unknown events, it will notify the users and/or can take action as needed.
Natural Resources, Conflict of Interests, and Their Management

As essential sources of livelihood, income, and influence, people everywhere develop strong desires to control their natural resources. Consequently, communities readily mobilize around land issues, thereby making land and resources therein the foundation for many disagreements. Nonetheless, relentless expansion in urbanization, population growth, and climate change are causing significant shortages in the supply of essential natural resources. Intense competition for the resources has created a need for strategies that accommodate multiple interests and respond to changing needs of the people. The availability of low-cost digital mapping technology has created a unique opportunity to explore novel, spatially driven participatory mapping strategies for managing natural resource conflicts and prevent the disputes from escalating into violent clashes. Besides mapping, the participatory mapping projects create platforms for adversarial parties to meet, exchange views, and learn to develop trust for each other to prepare them for consensus over divisive issues. This chapter provides an overview of natural resources and explains how the growing environmental threats and demand for natural resources has increased the frequency and intensity of resource conflicts, rendered traditional resource management strategies ineffective, thereby necessitating the search for new strategies for managing resource conflicts.
Federal Reserve Policy in a World of Low Interest Rates

The Federal Reserve (Fed) is tasked with maintaining price stability and achieving maximum employment. In practice, over the last decades the Fed has sought to achieve its objectives primarily through the manipulation of a short-term inter-bank interest rate, the federal funds rate (FFR). At the height of the Great Recession of 2007-2009, the Fed pushed its benchmark policy rate to zero. With its principal tool unavailable, the Fed resorted to a sequence of unconventional policy actions in attempt to provide further stimulus to the economy. These actions included large-scale asset purchases (more commonly referred to as quantitative easing, or QE) and forward guidance. These programs were viewed by most as solutions to the temporary problem of the zero lower bound (ZLB) on the short-term policy rate. Market participants never expected the ZLB to last more than a couple of years (Bauer and Rudebusch 2016; Wu and Xia 2016), but in actuality the FFR was at zero for seven years. And though the Fed began raising the FFR at the end of 2015, it has since cut it twice, and at present the FFR sits less than two hundred basis points above zero. Markets are expecting further rate cuts in the near future. A substantial body of research finds that the so-called natural rate of interest, or sometimes “r-star,” is on a continuing secular downward trend. While the Laubach and Williams (2003) estimate of r-star declined substantially in the wake of the Great Recession, this decline is part of a longer-run downward trend. In standard models, optimal policy entails adjusting the policy rate to track movements in the natural rate. With the natural rate hovering so close to zero, there is little room for conventional policy rate cuts should the need arise. All signs therefore point towards an extended period in which interest rates are significantly lower than their average levels from the 1980s to 2000s. This means that the problem of the ZLB and the inability to push the FFR down in response to deteriorating economic conditions is likely to arise again. As a consequence, the Fed must move away from its conventional operating framework – for example, by significantly raising its inflation target, experimenting with negative rates, or more regularly using unconventional tools like QE as a substitute for conventional rate cuts at the ZLB. Which of these options should the Fed and other central banks choose?
Utility of a Novel Scale to Assess Readiness for Discharge After Bariatric Surgery

The safe release of a patient from hospital care after bariatric surgery depends upon the achievement of satisfactory health status. Here, we describe a new objective scale (the Readiness for Discharge, RFD Scale) to measure the patient’s suitability for hospital discharge after bariatric surgery. We conducted a retrospective, observational analysis of data collected in a randomized clinical trial of an enhanced recovery after surgery protocol for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy from 3/15/2018 to 1/12/2019. Nursing staff assessed 122 patients every 4–8 h after surgery using a checklist to document 5 components: ambulation, vital signs, pain, nausea, and oral intake of clear fluid. Satisfaction of each component was scored as “1” (satisfactory) or “0” (not satisfactory). Scores were summed and analyzed for patterns. RFD = 5 marked the patient as ready for discharge. Sufficient intake of clear liquid was the last RFD component satisfied in 87% of patients. Two overall response patterns emerged: “Steady Progressors” (n = 51) whose RFD score rose steadily from 0 to 5 without reversion to a lower score; and “Oscillators” (n = 71) who had at least one temporary decrease in RFD score on the way to attaining 5, or showed a simultaneous oscillation of components without change in RFD. The RFD checklist allows objective scoring of medical readiness for discharge after LSG and has the potential to improve clinical communication.
Metabolomic analysis of PFO-related stroke shows immediate and persistent decrease of homocysteine post PFO closure (P2.277)

Objective We aimed to find out the small molecules affected by PFO closure. The changes of these factors should be closely related to the pathology of PFO-related stroke. Background PFO can increase the risk of stroke by enabling direct mixing of venous and arterial circulation and serving as a conduit for venous clots. Our previous study found that PFO disturbs pulmonary filtration of harmful factor, serotonin (5HT), which stays high in circulation and creates a prothrombotic state. In the context of endovascular PFO closure, a bedside model to understand PFO circulatory signaling, we performed a full metabolomic profile of other mediators that may respond to PFO closure. Method Patients were recruited in accordance with IRB approval. Plasma was sampled from left (LA) and right (RA) atria pre and post PFO closure and also from venous 3 months post closure. A discovery metabolite screening was performed in 14 patients and analysis was performed with one-way ANOVA. Result With strict analysis (537 metabolites, one-way ANOVA, p<0.01), we identified homocysteine (HCY) with the most prominent change after PFO closure. While HCY levels in the left atrium (LA) and right atrium (RA) were comparable pre-closure (pre-LA: 5.61±0.09; pre-RA: 5.30±0.48), HCY immediately decreased in LA post closure (post-LA: 4.56±0.04) and remained low in peripheral venous blood at 3-month follow-up (4.57±0.06; p=0.0036). Conclusion We found PFO closure to lower HYC immediately in left atrial (arterial) blood, and this effect persists in peripheral venous circulation at 3 months post procedure. Since high level of HYC is independently associated with stroke and heart disease, our results suggest that mechanical PFO repair may improve circulatory profile of PFO stroke patients. Studies in a larger patient cohort and validation of other important metabolites are ongoing. Disclosure: Dr. Deng has nothing to disclose. Dr. Beecher has nothing to disclose. Dr. Burant has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lopez has nothing to disclose. Dr. De Jong has nothing to disclose. Dr. Palacios has nothing to disclose. Dr. Inglessis has nothing to disclose. Dr. Silverman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Feeney has nothing to disclose. Dr. Elia has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wickham has nothing to disclose. Dr. McMullin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dec has nothing to disclose. Dr. Buonanno has nothing to disclose. Dr. Eng H has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ning has nothing to disclose.
The nature and influence of the victim-offender relationship in kidnapping incidents

Abstract Purpose Examine the nature of the victim-offender relationship in kidnapping incidents and test hypotheses about its association with victim injury, sexual victimization, arrest, and the correlates of arrest. Methods Data from the National Incident Based Reporting System were analyzed to examine the characteristics of familial, acquaintance, and stranger kidnappings. A series of logistic regression models were estimated to determine whether the victim-offender relationship was associated with victim injury, sexual victimization, arrest, and the correlates of arrest. Results Victim injury was more likely to occur in kidnappings perpetrated by non-strangers; the odds of sexual victimization were greater in stranger kidnappings; and the likelihood of arrest was greater in non-stranger kidnappings. In addition, variables hypothesized to influence the perceived seriousness of the crime – such as victim injury and the use of a knife – were related to arrest in non-stranger kidnappings. Conversely, variables that might help identify and/or provide evidence against a suspect – such as the co-occurrence of other crimes –were positively associated with arrest in stranger kidnappings. Conclusions The victim-offender relationship is important for understanding the nature and outcomes of kidnapping incidents. We discuss the implications of our findings.
Carboplatin Rechallenge After Hypersensitivity Reactions in Pediatric Patients With Low-Grade Glioma

Background The high prevalence of carboplatin hypersensitivity reactions (HSR) significantly affects the treatment of pediatric patients with low-grade glioma (LGG). Rechallenging patients is an option that must balance the risks of repeat allergic reaction to the benefits of retaining an effective anti-tumor regimen. Procedure We performed a retrospective review of children with LGG treated with carboplatin and vincristine between October 2000 and April 2013, who had a documented HSR to carboplatin. Patients were re-exposed to carboplatin using either precautionary measures (prolonged infusion time and premedication with H1 antagonists, H2 antagonists, and corticosteroids), a desensitization protocol, or both. Results We report the results of our institutional experience of carboplatin re-exposure using both premedication with a prolonged infusion time and a desensitization protocol. Overall, 40 of 55 (73%) patients were successfully rechallenged with carboplatin, including 19 of 25 (76%) patients who underwent desensitization. Conclusion Our results demonstrate re-exposure to be a safe alternative to abandoning carboplatin for patients with a hypersensitivity reaction. We propose a clinical algorithm for treatment. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015; 9999:1–6 © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Supreme Foresight: Judicial Takings, Regulatory Takings, and the Public Trust Doctrine

Before the Supreme Court issued its decision in Stop the Beach Renourishment, Inc., v. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, many expected the Court to finally speak about whether the public trust doctrine qualifies as a background principle for modern takings law, and whether judicial decisions can constitute an unconstitutional taking. In deciding against private property rights and in favor of states’ rights to protect their beaches, however, the Supreme Court once again avoided finally deciding these issues. Nonetheless, had the Court instead adopted the expected “foreseeability” approach to determine whether there was a judicial taking, the result would likely have been the same. That is because the public trust doctrine, which is a background principle of property law under Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council, allows Florida to reclaim its beaches after a destructive storm and does not unconstitutionally take any private property rights.
Maternally Derived Anti-Dengue Antibodiesand Risk of DHF in Infants: A Case-Control Study

This study proposes to directly test the hypothesis that antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is the critical factor in the development of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in infants. DHF occurs in two distinct clinical settings: a) in children and adults with secondary DENV infection, and b) in infants with primary DENV infection born to mothers with prior DENV infection. The ADE hypothesis proposes that pre-existing serotype-cross-reactive non-neutralizing anti-DENV antibodies bind the heterotypic DENV during secondary infection and enhance its uptake into immune cells, leading to increased viral load and DHF. This model suggests that DHF in DENV-infected infants is caused by the enhancing effect of waning maternal anti-DENV antibodies, thus causing a “physiologic secondary infection” during an infant’s primary infection and thereby increasing the infant’s risk for DHF. The effect of maternal immunity on DHF in infants has been studied exclusively in Southeast Asia. However, the maternal DENV seroprevalence approaches 100% in this part of the world. As a consequence, the ADE model of infant DHF cannot truly be tested in Southeast Asia, because all infants possess anti-DENV antibody at birth. In the Western Hemisphere, by contrast, women may have experienced either a single DENV infection, more than one DENV infection, or no DENV infection at all. The ability to include DENV-seronegative mothers as controls allows for the ADE hypothesis to be directly tested in a clinical study. To our knowledge, no such study has been previously conducted. This thesis presents a case-control study designed to evaluate the influence of positive maternal dengue seroprevalence on the risk of DHF in infants. As the MSCI program provides instruction in study design, this thesis does not present findings. The clinical trial described herein began in May 2010 and enrollment is expected to continue through May 2012 (see Table 4).
Integrin antagonists prevent costimulatory blockade-resistant transplant rejection by CD8(+) memory T cells.

The success of belatacept in late-stage clinical trials inaugurates the arrival of a new class of immunosuppressants based on costimulatory blockade, an immunosuppression strategy that disrupts essential signals required for alloreactive T-cell activation. Despite having improved renal function, kidney transplant recipients treated with belatacept experienced increased rates of acute rejection. This finding has renewed focus on costimulatory blockade-resistant rejection and specifically the role of alloreactive memory T cells in mediating this resistance. To study the mechanisms of costimulatory blockade-resistant rejection and enhance the clinical efficacy of costimulatory blockade, we developed an experimental transplant system that models a donor-specific memory CD8+ T-cell response. After confirming that graft-specific memory T cells mediate costimulatory blockade-resistant rejection, we characterized the role of integrins in this rejection. The resistance of memory T cells to costimulatory blockade was abrogated when costimulatory blockade was coupled with either anti-VLA-4 or anti-LFA-1. Mechanistic studies revealed that in the presence of costimulatory blockade, anti-VLA-4 impaired T-cell trafficking to the graft but not memory T-cell recall effector function, whereas anti-LFA-1 attenuated both trafficking and memory recall effector function. As antagonists against these integrins are clinically approved, these findings may have significant translational potential for future clinical transplant trials.
Using the Exact Kohn-Sham Exchange Energy Density Functional and Potential to Study Errors Introduced by Approximate Correlation Functionals

ABSTRACT We compare total atomic valence energies, total crystal energies, lattice constants, bulk moduli, and cohesive energies using several different Kohn- Sham exchange and correlation functionals with experimental values for Si and Ge. In particular, we have used the KLI approximation to the exact Kohn-Sham exchange potential together with different correlation functionals. The KLI approximation yields the exact Kohn-Sham exchange energy to one part in 10 5 allowing us to obtain accurate estimates of the errors arising from the correlation functionals.
Morphological phylogenetics of the Tenthredinidae (Insecta : Hymenoptera)

The Tenthredinoidea is the most diverse superfamily of non-apocritan Hymenoptera. It is also one of the largest herbivorous groups within the order, some species having substantial economic impact. Until very recently, no comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of the superfamily had been undertaken. This paper presents the largest morphological dataset assembled so far for elucidating the phylogeny of the Tenthredinoidea. In total, 129 taxa were scored for 146 characters from the adult head, thorax, wings and ovipositor apparatus. The emphasis of the taxon sample is on Tenthredinidae (104 terminals), which is by far the largest family in the Tenthredinoidea. The results of the cladistic analyses confirm the monophyly of the Tenthredinoidea, the first split being between the Blasticotomidae and the remaining families (Tenthredinoidea s. str., also monophyletic), and the monophyly of all families except Tenthredinidae. The analyses fail to consistently retrieve any of the six currently recognised subfamilies within Tenthredinidae, although core clades of Heterarthrinae, Nematinae, Selandriinae and Tenthredininae are often supported. Diprionidae are placed inside the Nematinae under some weighting conditions. The failure to corroborate the tenthredinid subfamilies might be ascribed to an insufficient character/terminal ratio, but also to problems with the existing classification. Inclusion of characters from the male genitalia and the larval stages as well as molecular data currently being assembled will hopefully lead to a more robust classification of the Tenthredinidae in the future.
Influence of microstructure coarsening on thermomechanical fatigue behavior of Pb/Sn eutectic solder joints

The influence of microstructure coarsening on thermomechanical fatigue behavior of eutectic solder joint is investigated by numerical simulation. A phase growth model is selected based on the experimental observation and incorporated in a damage mechanics based viscoplastic constitutive model. Comparisons between the simulations with and without coarsening effect are made for isothermal, cyclic shear testing and thermal cycling of solder joints in BGA electronic packaging.
Attempt to superstring theory with arbitrary dimension

The path integral approach of the fermionic string withN=1, 2, 4, 8 local supersymmetry is considered. By introduction of ghost number current in the path integral, we make an attempt to shift their critical dimensions arbitrarily.
Aberrancy: electrophysiologic aspects.

Abstract Possible electrophysiologic causes of aberrancy are discussed on the basis of data derived from studies on transmembrane potentials of single cardiac cells. Aberrancy is considered to result from impulse spread in fibers of the His-Purkinje system (1) in which membrane potential at excitation is reduced (that is, it is less negative than the normal resting potential) due to incomplete repolarization, enhanced automaticity (phase 4 depolarization) of latent pacemakers and low resting potential; (2) in which responsiveness is depressed; or (3) in which some combination of these conditions prevails. For purposes of this discussion aberrancy is classified into 3 general groups: (1) aberrancy occurring in conjunction with shortening of the cycle; (2) aberrancy occurring in conjunction with prolongation of the cycle; and (3) aberrancy occurring in the absence of changes in cycle length. Comparisons are made between data derived from studies on animals and from studies on human cardiac tissues in order to assess the extent to which hypotheses and predictions based on the former are applicable to considerations of aberrancy in man. Such comparisons also provide clues as to the greater incidence of aberrancy in the diseased as compared to the normal heart.
Odontoid Process Fracture in Children: Delayed Diagnosis and Successful Conservative Management with a Halo Cast

Odontoid fractures in children younger than seven years of age represent a disruption through the cartilage plate (synchondrosis) that connects the odontoid to the body and neural arches of the axis1,2. Unrecognized and untreated fractures of the odontoid3-5 and acute ligamentous injuries6 in young children may compromise the vascularity of the process, causing the development of an os odontoideum. Because the resulting atlantoaxial instability may be asymptomatic or produce minimal complaints, the diagnosis of an odontoid abnormality can be delayed for several years3-6. We present the cases of two children who sustained a fracture of the odontoid at an undetermined time prior to diagnosis. Despite the delayed diagnosis, both patients were managed successfully nonoperatively. The parents were informed that data concerning these cases would be submitted for publication. Figs. 1-A, 1-B, 1-C, and 1-D Figs. 1-A through 1-D Case 1. Fig. 1-A Initial radiograph demonstrating an odontoid fracture. Computerized tomographic scout images with reduction of the fracture in extension. Radiograph made four days after halo application. Radiograph showing remodeling of the healed fracture at five years. ### Case 1 In April 1993, a very active four-year and nine-month-old boy was seen at a hospital in another state because of headache and neck stiffness. No injury was reported at that time. He underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and serum testing for C-reactive protein. The magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed normal findings, and the C-reactive protein level was within normal limits. Two weeks later, he was seen in the emergency department of a local hospital with a very stiff neck. The neurological examination revealed normal findings, as did the radiographic skeletal survey. Cutaneous signs of child abuse were absent. The mother reported that the child had had development of acute neck pain and stiffness two to three …
Teaching Ethics in International Business Courses: The Impacts of Religions

Implicit in most comparative ethical studies is the assumption that cultural and religious differences between countries are the major reasons behind the variations in ethical beliefs and business practice across nations. This article examines research on the international ethical issues and the common moral concerns that permeate differing religious and philosophical perspectives—not only Judaism and Christianity, but also Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism with emphasis on the Golden Rule. Many commonalities were found. The authors suggest that students (and practitioners) should understand the basic tenets of the major religions and their implications on international business ethics because of the apparent failure of current philosophical approaches.
Spin and spin-isospin correlations in spin-orbit and tensor coupled systems, and application to the nuclear case

Abstract We exploit various symmetries to derive the spin and spin-isospin susceptibilities of systems with spin-orbit and tensor interactions. We consider anisotropic g-factors and discuss effective magnetization. Explicit expressions are given for some interesting cases. The results are applied to the nuclear case.
Understanding design-manufacture interaction using compromise decision support problems—I. A formulation for composite pressure vessels

Abstract The decision support problem (DSP) technique is being developed to facilitate the concurrent implementation of design, manufacture and maintenance. This involves the development of a domain-independent method (and the associated software) that can be used to process domain-dependent information and thereby provide support for human judgment. Modeling and gaining an understanding of the interaction between design and manufacture is an important step in this development. We found that there was a need for a test problem to study and understand various issues associated with the interaction between design and manufacture. In this paper, we introduce a conceptual model of a process for design (particularized for composite material components) that includes two principal phases, namely, that of ‘designing for concept’ and ‘designing for manufacture’. We report on the formulation of a comprehensive ‘non-textbook’ problem for modeling and understanding the issues involved in preliminary synthesis and then extend this problem to help understand the interaction between design and manufacture. The problem is formulated as a compromise DSP template and subsequently solved. The template for preliminary synthesis of composite pressure vessels and our observations are reported in part II of this paper and the lessons learned with regard to the interaction between design and manufacture through exercising the template are reported in part III. The focus in all three papers is on the method and understanding the subsequent ramifications—and not on the designs which are obtained by solving the templates.
Tenderization of Hot-boned Broiler Breast Meat by Clamping During Chilling

Hot-boned broiler breast fillets were tightly clamped between rigid aluminum plates during chilling to determine whether tenderness is increased if breast fillets are not allowed to shorten during rigor. In two experiments, 6-wk-old broilers were processed in a pilot plant. Approximately 5 min after evisceration, the breast fillets (pectoralis major) were deboned, and each fillet was subjected to one of two treatments while chilling for 2 h in ice slush. Fillets were placed in perforated plastic bags (hot-boned control) or clamped between rigid aluminum plates that compressed the meat to a uniform thickness of 7.2 mm during chilling. In Experiment 2, chilling time in ice slush was 1 h, and a third treatment was added to make an incomplete block design in which one breast half was left intact on the carcass and was deboned immediately after chilling. All breast fillets were sealed in plastic bags after the chilling period, held overnight at 4 C, and then cooked at 85 C for 30 min in a steam kettle. In Experiment 1, clamping for 2 h reduced Warner-Bratzler shear values of hot-boned fillets from 11.4 to 2.7 kg. In Experiment 2, shear values for the treatments were 13.0, 9.2, and 5.1 kg for the hot-boned, cold-boned, and hot-boned clamped treatments, respectively, with significantly lower shear values for the clamped fillets. Clamped fillets were significantly thinner than the control fillets in both experiments. Cooked yield as a percentage of postchill weight was significantly higher for the clamped compared to the hot-boned control pieces, 81.1 versus 77.3%, with cold-boned pieces being intermediate and not different from the other treatments. Shear values were reduced, and cooked yield was increased by clamping hot-boned fillets during chilling.
Tunable 503 ns optical delay of 40 Gbit/s RZ-OOK and RZ-DPSK using a wavelength scheme for phase conjugation to reduce residual dispersion and increase delay.

We demonstrate a method for a tunable optical delay element that allows for minimal residual dispersion and double the relative delay. A tunable delay of 503 ns for 40 Gbit/s return-to-zero on-off keying and return-to-zero differential phase-shift keying is shown with a reduction in residual dispersion of ~95%.
Interactions among Zebra Mussel Shells, Invertebrate Prey, and Eurasian Ruffe or Yellow Perch

The exotic zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, is established in all of the Laurentian Great Lakes and may affect benthivorous fishes by increasing the complexity of benthic substrates and changing energy flow patterns within the food web. Native yellow perch, Perca flavescens, and the nonindigenous Eurasian ruffe, Gymnocephalus cernuus, are benthivores that may compete for limited food resources. As ruffe spread to areas with more dense zebra mussel populations, the zone of interaction among zebra mussels, yellow perch, and ruffe will increase and intensify. In the laboratory, the effect of zebra mussel shells on the ability of these fishes to forage on amphipods (Gammarus pseudolimnaeus) and chironomids (Chironomus plumosus) was examined in light and darkness. In 12 h, ruffe consumed more amphipods than did similar-sized yellow perch, particularly in darkness on bare cobble, and in light within zebra mussels. Amphipods decreased activity more in the presence of ruffe than yellow perch. More amphipods were found in zebra mussel shells than in bare cobble, whether or not fish were present. In darkness, when ruffe consumed more amphipods on bare cobble, amphipods became more associated with zebra mussel shells. Although ruffe consumed more amphipods than yellow perch, perch consumed more chironomids than ruffe on bare cobble. The presence of zebra mussel shells altered the relative consumption of invertebrates in some substrate-light combinations. Experiments such as these help to improve understanding of the direct and indirect effects of predation between and among native and nonindigenous species that may exert structuring forces on the nearshore communities of the Great Lakes currently or in the future.
SPIRAL TIP MOVEMENT: THE ROLE OF THE ACTION POTENTIAL WAVELENGTH IN POLYMORPHIC CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS

Sudden cardiac death is often preceded by re-entrant (spiral wave) tachyarrhythmias associated with a prolongation of the action potential wavelength. Potassium channel blockade, hypokalemia and genetic alterations in membrane ion channels (e.g. long QT syndrome) can all lead to extension of the action potential wavelength. In experiments with cardiac cells, we have found that potassium channel blockade can also promote transient oscillation of the membrane potential which can then initiate transient or sustained rhythm disturbances. Using a simple FitzHugh–Nagumo model of an excitable cell, we observed that extending the time required for an excited cell to return to the rest state (equivalent to potassium channel blockade or hypokalemia) amplified the region of spiral tip movement (meandering). When the region of meandering was large relative to the total myocardial surface, the QRS amplitude and configuration varied from one re-entrant cycle to the next and resembled the patterns seen in the cardiac ar...
The thymus-adrenal connection: thymosin has corticotropin-releasing activity in primates

Endotoxin-free thymosin fraction 5 elevated corticotropin, beta-endorphin, and cortisol in a dose- and time-dependent fashion when administered intravenously to prepubertal cynomolgus monkeys. Two synthetic component peptides of thymosin fraction 5 had no acute effects on pituitary function, suggesting that some other peptides in thymosin fraction 5 were responsible for its corticotropin-releasing activity. In agreement with these observations, total thymectomy of juvenile macaques was associated with decreases in plasma cortisol, corticotropin, and beta-endorphin. These findings indicate that the prepubertal primate thymus contains corticotropin-releasing activity that may contribute to a physiological immunoregulatory circuit between the developing immunological and pituitary-adrenal systems.
On the lengths of crossing exursions: the case of a discrete normal process with underlying exponential autocovariance

An expression is derived for the probability distribution of excursion lengths above a fixed level, for the specific case of a discrete random process sampled from an underlying, continuous normal process with exponential autocovariance function. The expression can be integrated numerically for small excursion lengths, and used with time-series simulations to qualitatively reveal the form of the distribution. Such computations indicate that excursions lengths are well approximated by a Weibull distribution to at least the 0.95 probability value. The fit improves with increasing fixed level, and with decreasing time constant of the process. In addition, an expression is given for the expected number of crossings of a fixed level, analogous to well known formulae used in estimating expected values for the cases of a continuous process and a discrete stepped process.
Ethylmalonyl Coenzyme A Mutase Operates as a Metabolic Control Point in Methylobacterium extorquens AM1

The metabolism of one- and two-carbon compounds by the methylotrophic bacterium Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 involves high carbon flux through the ethylmalonyl coenzyme A (ethylmalonyl-CoA) pathway (EMC pathway). During growth on ethylamine, the EMC pathway operates as a linear pathway carrying the full assimilatory flux to produce glyoxylate, malate, and succinate. Assimilatory carbon enters the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway directly as acetyl-CoA, bypassing pathways for formaldehyde oxidation/assimilation and the regulatory mechanisms controlling them, making ethylamine growth a useful condition to study the regulation of the EMC pathway. Wild-type M. extorquens cells were grown at steady state on a limiting concentration of succinate, and the growth substrate was then switched to ethylamine, a condition where the cell must make a sudden switch from utilizing the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle to using the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway for assimilation, which has been an effective strategy for identifying metabolic control points. A 9-h lag in growth was observed, during which butyryl-CoA, a degradation product of ethylmalonyl-CoA, accumulated, suggesting a metabolic imbalance. Ethylmalonyl-CoA mutase activity increased to a level sufficient for the observed growth rate at 9 h, which correlated with an upregulation of RNA transcripts for ecm and a decrease in the levels of ethylmalonyl-CoA. When the wild-type strain overexpressing ecm was tested with the same substrate switchover experiment, ethylmalonyl-CoA did not accumulate, growth resumed earlier, and, after a transient period of slow growth, the culture grew at a higher rate than that of the control. These findings demonstrate that ethylmalonyl-CoA mutase is a metabolic control point in the EMC pathway, expanding our understanding of its regulation.
Methane absorption in the Jovian atmosphere I. The Lorentz half-width in the 3v3 band at 1.1 μm

Abstract The Lorentz half-width α L , of the fine-structure components of the methane 3 v 3 R -branch in the Jovian spectrum has been measured from photoelectric observations of the singlet R(1). A value of α L = 0.088 −0.011 +0.015 A, or 0.072 −0.009 +0.009 cm −1 , has been found. Curves of growth for the 3 v 3 R -branch manifolds have been calculated, using the measured value of α L and assuming a reflecting-layer atmosphere. The Walker-Hayes (1967) equivalent widths have been reanalyzed for rotational temperature and methane abundance. The half-width derived here is significantly different from a similar measurement made by C. B. Farmer (1969) . The source of the discrepancy remains obscure.
Foreign borrowing, agricultural productivity, and the Nigerian economy: A macro-sectoral analysis

Abstract This paper analyses, through a macro-sectoral model, the impacts of expanded domestic spending of externally borrowed funds directed toward increasing the productivity of a specific sector of the Nigerian economy. The results of model simulation suggest that the important policy priority is to increase the share of agricultural sector public investment expenditure financed through concessional foreign borrowing. Higher investment shares are required for research, extension, high-yielding varieties, small-scale irrigation, resource conservation, and an antidesertification program.
Development of a smart RFID-based corrosion sensor

The development and test of a smart RFID-based corrosion sensor is presented. The sensor has a small size (5 cm × 3 cm × 1.8 cm) allowing it to be embedded in concrete or other construction materials. The corrosion sensor is built around a low-power microcontroller which enables multiple and complex measurements to take place. The sensor is totally passive and it does not require batteries. Its power supply is derived from an electromagnetic field transmitted by an external RFID reader. This field is also used for data communication. The sensor contains a potentiostat that is used to perform linear polarization measurements on a corrosion cell. The sensor can also measure temperature and its own supply voltage. Unlike existing embeddable corrosion sensors, the developed sensor can acquire full polarization curves with a resolution of 10 bits. The sensor can communicate with ISO-15693 compliant RFID readers.