cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role for Toll-like receptor 2 in the immune response to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in mouse otitis media.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common pathogen associated with otitis media. To examine the role of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in host defense against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in the middle ear, wild-type (WT; C57BL/6) and TLR2-deficient (TLR2−/−) mice were inoculated with Streptococcus pneumoniae (1 × 106 CFU) through the tympanic membrane. Nineteen of 37 TLR2−/− mice showed bacteremia and died within 3 days after the challenge, compared to only 4 of 32 WT mice that died. Of those that survived, more severe hearing loss in the TLR2−/− mice than in the WT mice was indicated by an elevation in auditory-evoked brain stem response thresholds at 3 or 7 days postinoculation. The histological pathology was characterized by effusion and tissue damage in the middle ear, and in the TLR2−/− mice, the outcome of infection became more severe at 7 days. At both 3 and 7 days postchallenge, the TLR2−/− mice had higher blood bacterial titers than the WT mice (P < 0.05), and typical bacteria were identified in the effusion from both ears of both mouse groups by acridine orange staining. Moreover, by 3 days postchallenge, the mRNA accumulation levels of NF-κB, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1β, MIP1α, Muc5ac, and Muc5b were significantly lower in the ears of TLR2−/− mice than in WT mice. In summary, TLR2−/− mice may produce relatively low levels of proinflammatory cytokines following pneumococcal challenge, thus hindering the clearance of bacteria from the middle ear and leading to sepsis and a high mortality rate. This study provides evidence that TLR2 is important in the molecular pathogenesis and host response to otitis media.
A refined parameter estimating approach for HIV dynamic model

HIV dynamic models, a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), have provided new understanding of the pathogenesis of HIV infection and the treatment effects of antiviral therapies. However, to estimate parameters for ODEs is very challenging due to the complexity of this nonlinear system. In this article, we propose a comprehensive procedure to deal with this issue. In the proposed procedure, a series of cutting-edge statistical methods and techniques are employed, including nonparametric mixed-effects smoothing-based methods for ODE models and stochastic approximation expectation–maximization (EM) approach for mixed-effects ODE models. A simulation study is performed to validate the proposed approach. An application example from a real HIV clinical trial study is used to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed method.
Gene Targeting to the Stroma of the Prostate and Bone

Stromal-epithelial interactions mediated by paracrine signaling mechanisms dictate prostate development and progression of prostate cancer. The regulatory role of androgens in both the prostate stromal and epithelial compartments set the prostate apart from many other organs and tissues with regard to gene targeting. The identification of androgen-dependent prostate epithelial promoters has allowed successful gene targeting to the prostate epithelial compartment. Currently, there are no transgenic mouse models available to specifically alter gene expression within the prostate stromal compartment. As a primary metastatic site for prostate cancer is bone, the functional dissection of the bone stromal compartment is important for understanding stromal-epithelial interactions associated with metastatic tumor growth. Use of currently available methodologies for the expression or deletion of gene expression in recent research studies has advanced our understanding of the stroma. However, the complexity of stromal heterogeneity within the prostate remains a challenge to obtaining compartment or cell-lineage-specific in vivo models necessary for furthering our understanding of prostatic developmental, benign, tumorigenic, and metastatic growth.
Who Can You Turn To? Tie Activation within Core Business Discussion Networks

We examine the connection between personal network characteristics and the activation of ties for access to resources during routine times. We focus on factors affecting business owners' use of their core network ties to obtain legal, loan, financial and expert advice. Owners rely more on core business ties when their core networks contain a high proportion of men, are very dense, and have high occupational heterogeneity. We conclude with suggestions for future research and implications for other populations in need of routine resources.
PROPERTIES OF RESTRUCTURED PORK PRODUCT AS INFLUENCED BY MEAT PARTICLE SIZE, TEMPERATURE AND COMMINUTION METHOD

The process of flaked, formed and sectioned meat products could change the identity of lesser valued meat cuts via comminution, shaping and slicing. This study of flaking versus grinding included comparisons of three different meat temperatures prior to processing and three different comminution particle sizes on the chemical, physical and organoleptic analysis of the fabricated product. Flaked product did not differ from ground product regarding proximate composition. Temperature prior to comminution did not affect percentages of ash, moisture or crude fat in the fabricated product. The protein percent was lower for the -5.6°C product (P < 0.05) than the 32.2 or 2.2°C product, and fabricated product from -5.6°C meat had a significantly lower (P < 0.01) water-holding capacity than the two higher temperatures. Cooking loss increased significantly (P < 0.01) as meat processing temperature decreased. Comminution particle size had no influence on chemical properties of the fabricated product; however, percent cook-out significantly decreased (P < 0.05) as particle size became smaller. Taste panel results showed that the flaked product was more cohesive (P < 0.01) and more acceptable (P < 0.01) than the ground product.
Dispersion effect analysis with multiwavelength combination sources in optical sensor applications

Using a multiwavelength combination source, the central fringe in the interference fringe pattern in a white light interferometric sensor system can often be more easily identified, which is important for high precision and absolute measurement. However, owing to the possible optical path imbalance inside the optical dispersive elements which are usually involved in such systems, the zero optical path difference (OPD) position corresponding to one of the individual sources may not coincide with that of the others and consequently the central fringe intensity may decrease. This may be associated with a substantial degree of fringe pattern asymmetry, which causes a significant problem with central fringe identification. In this work, the effect of zero OPD position variation with the wavelength on fringe patterns of multiwavelength combination sources are analyzed and a method to alleviate such an effect is proposed, supported by a simple theoretical analysis and experimental results.
Acute erythroid leukemia as defined in the World Health Organization classification is a rare and pathogenetically heterogeneous disease

The diagnostic criteria for acute erythroid leukemia have been controversial since this disease was initially described. Using the current World Health Organization classification criteria, we retrospectively reviewed cases of acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome in which erythroid precursors were ≥50% of the bone marrow nucleated cell population and the diagnosis of erythroleukemia was considered using older classification schemes. We collected 90 cases and separated them into four diagnostic groups: acute erythroid leukemia, erythroleukemia or erythroid/myeloid type (n=20); acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes (n=22); therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (n=32); and refractory anemia with excess blasts and preceding or concurrent history of erythropoietin therapy for anemia (n=16). Patients with acute erythroid leukemia were the youngest patient group and had the best overall survival. There was a statistically significant difference in overall survival between patients with acute erythroid leukemia versus acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes (P=0.003) and between patients with acute erythroid leukemia versus therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (P 3) was the only statistically significant independent variable that adversely affected survival in the acute erythroid leukemia group. Monosomy 5/del(5q) and monosomy 7/del(7q) were overrepresented in the context of complex chromosomal abnormalities. Our data suggest that acute erythroid leukemia, as currently defined in the World Health Organization classification, has become a rare disease. A majority of the cases reported previously as erythroleukemia are now classified as other entities. In addition, our data suggest that the current definition of acute erythroid leukemia, erythroleukemia type remains heterogeneous. One subset of acute erythroid leukemia patients has relatively low blast counts and are diploid. The prognosis of this patient subset is relatively good. The other subset has cytogenetic abnormalities similar to those in myelodysplastic syndromes and a poor prognosis.
Circadian patterns of heart rate variability in normals, chronic stable angina and diabetes mellitus

The purpose of our investigation was to compare circadian patterns of heart rate variability as assessed by 24-h ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings in normal subjects, chronic stable angina, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus. The study population consisted of three groups: 12 normal subjects, 23 chronic angina patients, and 23 Type 1 diabetics. For purposes of analyzing circadian variation, the ECG recordings were divided into daytime (08:00-00.00 h) and night-time (00:00-08:00 h) periods. Analysis was performed for all time and frequency domain measures of heart rate variability, attempting to identify differences in day-to-night variability among these three groups. All time domain parameters except standard deviation of all 5-min mean RR intervals, and all frequency domain indices maintain significant circadian variations (P<0.0001), with the greatest day to night variation seen in normals, the least in diabetics, and intermediate values in chronic angina. These changes in heart rate variability circadian rhythms reflect significant reductions in cardiac parasympathetic activity with the most marked reduction in nocturnal vagal activity. Given the circadian pattern of myocardial ischemia and infarction, these data suggest that quantification of the magnitude of circadian variation in heart rate variability may have the potential to further risk stratify chronic angina and diabetes for future cardiac events.
TH-D-AUD A-03: Central Axis Neutron Production Determination for a Double Scatterer Passive System

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to determine which components along the central axis of a passive beam delivery system for proton therapy contributes the most to the production of secondary neutrons.Method and Materials: In this work a passive beam delivery system was modeled based on the MD Anderson Cancer Center treatment nozzle. We performed Monte Carlo simulations with Los Alamos code MCNPX. In these simulations a 200 MeV proton beam is shaped by a rotational modulator wheel (RMW), a secondary scatterer and by a collimating system including a variable snout. Cylindrical volumes were placed along the beam central axis to determine the radial distribution of the neutrons produced. The volumes were made of concentric cylinders with radius ranging from 50 mm to 20 mm. The volumes were placed after the RMW, the secondary scatterer, before and after the snout. The neutron flux and energy spectra were determined for each volume radii and for three treatment volumes. Results: After the RMW the neutron flux was higher for all treatment volumes diminishing as the distance along the central axis increased. The flux increased slightly just before the final snout for the smaller field sizes indicating a backscatter contribution as the proton beam is finally collimated. At the end of the nozzle the flux was lower than after the RMW. The larger neutron flux with energies ranging from 130 MeV to almost 200 MeV was found at smaller radii. As the radial distance increased the flux of energetic neutrons diminished. Conclusion: We found that the RMW was the major source of neutrons in the treatment nozzle. The flux diminished as the distance increased indicating a 1/r2 dependency. The other shaping components contribute to the neutron production but it is difficult to differentiate between contributors after the RMW.
Risk stratification in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKL), a subtype of natural killer/T-cell malignancies, is a rare subset of lymphomas with significant biological and clinical heterogeneity. The prognosis of ENKL is variable and therapeutic approaches are not well established. The optimal dose, combination, and sequence of radiotherapy and chemotherapy are evolving, as is the role of stem cell transplantation. Radiotherapy is an essential component of therapy for early-stage disease. The clinical course of advanced disease is highly aggressive, with frequent chemotherapy resistance and a poor prognosis. For relapsed disease, asparaginase-based regimens have provided encouraging results and are currently under investigation in the frontline setting. Our article discusses the key aspects of biology, pathogenesis and clinical presentation that contribute to the heterogeneity, and proposes a stratified approach to the treatment of ENKL based on clinical, pathologic and biologic risk factors. Although considerable a...
Hydrogen-induced reconstruction of the W(100) surface, studied by surface core level spectroscopy

Abstract We report W(4ƒ) surface core level shifts which yield new information on the energetics of the W(100) (1 × 1) → C(2 × 2)H phase transition. At small hydrogen coverages we find two co-existing surface core levels from atoms on normal lattice sites and from atoms in reconstructed domains. These surface levels are shifted to smaller binding energy (toward E F ) by 0.35 eV and 0.13 eV relative to the bulk level, respectively. The most stable configuration is obtained at a fractional coverage θ H ≅ 0.2, at which all surface atoms are shown to be paired with neighboring atoms in the surface plane.
Ion Association Trends in Alkaline Earth-Metal Tetraphenylborates

A family of cationic heavy alkaline earth-metal complexes based on the weakly coordinating tetraphenylborate anion [BPh4]– provides unique insight into ion association trends within this family of compounds. The compounds were prepared by protonolysis of the respective alkaline earth-metal bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)]amides M[N(SiMe3)2]2(thf)2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) with ammonium tetraphenylborates [R3NH][BPh4] (R = Me, Et) in various stoichiometric ratios, resulting in the separated ions [M(donor)n][BPh4]2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba; n = number of donors). All compounds but [Ba(hmpa)6][BPh4]2 (3c) were characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, 1H and 13C NMR, IR spectroscopy and melting point.
A signal detection analysis of gist-based discrimination of genetic breast cancer risk

Pervasive biases in probability judgment render the probability scale a poor response mode for assessing risk judgments. By applying fuzzy trace theory, we used ordinal gist categories as a response mode, coupled with a signal detection model to assess risk judgments. The signal detection model is an extension of the familiar model used in binary choice paradigms. It provides three measures of discriminability—low versus medium risk, medium versus high risk, and low versus high risk—and two measures of response bias. We used the model to assess the effectiveness of BRCA Gist, an intelligent tutoring system designed to improve women’s judgments and understanding of genetic risk for breast cancer. Participants were randomly assigned to the BRCA Gist intelligent tutoring system, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Web pages, or a control group, and then they rated cases that had been developed using the Pedigree Assessment Tool and also vetted by medical experts. BRCA Gist participants demonstrated increased discriminability for all three risk categories, relative to the control group; the NCI group showed increased discriminability for two of the three levels. This result suggests that BRCA Gist best improved discriminability among genetic risk categories, and both BRCA Gist and the NCI website improved participants’ ability to discriminate, rather than simply shifting their decision criterion. A spreadsheet that fits the model and compares parameters across the conditions can be downloaded from the Behavior Research Methods website and used in any research involving categorical responses.
Activity-dependent regulation of interleukin-1β immunoreactivity in the developing rat olfactory bulb

Abstract Interleukin-1β is a relatively small and abundant polypeptide that plays diverse roles in the central nervous system. In the present study, patterns of interleukin-1β expression were observed in the olfactory bulbs of rats that had either undergone unilateral closure of the external naris or sham surgery on postnatal day 1 and then survived until postnatal day 30. Interleukin-1β-immunoreactive fibers occupied distinct layers of the olfactory bulb. Dense immunostaining was found in the periglomerular and granule cell layers. Odor deprivation resulted in a noticeable reduction in interleukin-1β immunoreactivity only in the periglomerular layer. The data demonstrate that interleukin-1β is present abundantly in the bulbs, and that it can be regulated in an activity-dependent manner.
Signaling from lysosomes to mitochondria sensitizes cancer cells to photodynamic treatment

Previously, we showed that photosensitizers that localize to lysosomes are more effective in killing cancer cells than ones directed to mitochondria after photodynamic treatment (PDT). The photosensitizer, phthalocyanine 4 (Pc 4), localizes primarily to mitochondrial membranes in cancer cells, resulting in mitochondria-mediated cell death. However, analogues of Pc 4 (e.g., Pc 181) that primarily target lysosomes still produce mitochondria-mediated cell death, although the time course is slower compared to Pc 4-PDT. In A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells, these new analogues preferentially localized in lysosomes were highly efficient in inducing apoptotic cell death. To assess further how lysosomes contribute to PDT, we monitored cell killing of A431 cells after Pc 4-PDT in the presence and absence of bafilomycin, an inhibitor of the acidic vacuolar proton pump that collapses the pH gradient of the lysosomal/endosomal compartment. Bafilomycin by itself was not toxic but greatly enhanced Pc 4-PDT-induced mitochondrial depolarization and cell killing. Both depolarization and cell killing were substantially prevented by iron chelators. The fact that Pc 4-PDT plus bafilomycin treatment did not induce lysosomal membrane damage prior to mitochondrial depolarization suggests that bafilomycin instead induced release of redox active iron from lysosomes into the cytosol that further translocated into mitochondria, where iron-mediated free radical formation occurred. In conclusion, agents that disturb lysosomal function could potentially be used as adjuvants with mitochondrion-targeted photosensitizers to enhance phototoxicity.
Revisiting Effects of Contextual Strength on the Subordinate Bias Effect: Evidence from Eye Movements

In this study, we examined two issues regarding the role of context in ambiguity resolution: whether access to the contextually appropriate meaning is exhaustive or selective, and whether the contextually inappropriate meaning is inhibited. Participants read texts in which a biased ambiguous word was encountered twice while their eye movements were measured. The context preceding the first encounter varied in the extent to which the subordinate meaning was supported; the context preceding the second encounter always supported the dominant meaning. The findings suggest that lexical access is exhaustive but can be influenced by context, and that the subsequent accessibility of the contextually inappropriate meaning is unaffected by previous selection processes. The results were interpreted in terms of the assumptions of the reordered-access model and activation mechanisms that operate during reading.
Effect of immune serum from rats on infective larvae of Nippostrongylus muris

Abstract 1. 1. The infectivity of larvae of Nippostrongylus muris is reduced if they are injected with immune serum into normal rats. 2. 2. If after the exposure period to immune serum the larvae are washed and then injected, the infectivity is not decreased appreciably unless the exposure period is prolonged. 3. 3. Prolonged exposure to immune serum before injection has an increasing deleterious effect on the infectivity of larvae.
Neuroprotection and traumatic brain injury: the search continues.

During the last decade, experimental studies of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have provided important new insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms leading to posttraumatic tissue damage and associated neurological dysfunction. The concept of delayed or secondary tissue injury has strong experimental support and a cascade of secondary injury factors has been delineated. 1,2 These observations have led to the application of targeted pharmacotherapies, whose aim is to block specific pathobiological pathways. 2,3 Such research has been aided by the development of rodent models of head injury that simulate critical components of clinical neurotrauma, as well as by the development of novel neuroprotective agents. 3,4 These experimental studies have identified mechanisms of delayed tissue damage and have demonstrated the effectiveness of a number of pharmacological treatment strategies, 1-4 However, despite this enormous experimental promise, the clinical studies to date have been disappointing, 5,6 Here we explore the conceptual and methodological issues that have contributed to this discrepancy between preclinical and clinical studies.
Bias expansion of spatial statistics and approximation of differenced lattice point counts

Investigations of spatial statistics, computed from lattice data in the plane, can lead to a special lattice point counting problem. The statistical goal is to expand the asymptotic expectation or large-sample bias of certain spatial covariance estimators, where this bias typically depends on the shape of a spatial sampling region. In particular, such bias expansions often require approximating a difference between two lattice point counts, where the counts correspond to a set of increasing domain (i.e., the sampling region) and an intersection of this set with a vector translate of itself. Non-trivially, the approximation error needs to be of smaller order than the spatial region’s perimeter length. For all convex regions in 2-dimensional Euclidean space and certain unions of convex sets, we show that a difference in areas can approximate a difference in lattice point counts to this required accuracy, even though area can poorly measure the lattice point count of any single set involved in the difference. When investigating large-sample properties of spatial estimators, this approximation result facilitates direct calculation of limiting bias, because, unlike counts, differences in areas are often tractable to compute even with non-rectangular regions. We illustrate the counting approximations with two statistical examples.
Control of intrinsic factor secretion in rats

Investigation of a possible hormonal control of intrinsic factor secretion associated with vitamin B12 deficiency was done using parabiotic rat experiments. Although total intrinsic factor secretion per hour from the stomachs of these vitamin B12 deficient animals was not significantly increased over control values; the tendency toward increased secretion, as well as increased secretion when measured by concentration, suggests that there may be a blood-borne substance released from the stomachs of B12 deficient rats which increases intrinsic factor release from the normal rat stomach. The possible existence of a previously undescribed gastric hormone which regulates intrinsic factor secretion without affecting gastric juice volume and acid secretion is discussed.
CLC Transporters: The Search for Conformational Change

The conventional alternating-access mechanism for transporter function requires outward-facing, inward-facing, and occluded conformational states. The CLC mechanism has been suggested to deviate from the conventional transporter mechanism and involve almost no global protein movement. However, because this idea is based chiefly on our inability thus far to observe additional conformations crystallographically, alternative strategies for investigating conformational change are essential.
The consequences for human reproduction of a robust inflammatory response.

ABSTRACT Innate and adaptive immune responsiveness is variable within the population. Since robust immune reactions are critical to the survival of humans, the existence of immune variability in the population suggests the existence of competing, alternative phenotypes. Although women with powerful immune responsiveness may be more likely to survive to reproduce, their reproductive experiences may be less successful than women who are not as responsive. Normal pregnancy elicits a maternal inflammatory reaction. This can be understood on the basis of maternal‐fetal conflict theory: inflammation is a component of the maternal attempt to limit excessive fetal demands. However, an overly aggressive inflammatory reaction has been shown to relate to a variety of adverse reproductive outcomes. Reviewed here are several examples, including the fallopian tube damage that results from pelvic inflammatory disease, the upregulated inflammatory response among women who develop preeclampsia, an association between immu...
Spatio-temporal associations of albacore CPUEs in the Northeastern Pacific with regional SST and climate environmental variables

National Marine Fisheries Service, SouthwestFisheries Science Center, 8604 La Jolla ShoresDr, La Jolla, CA92037–1508, USA*Corresponding Author: tel: +1 541 231 5021; fax: +541 737 2064; E-mail: ajasonphillips@gmail.comPhillips,A.J.,Ciannelli,L.,Brodeur,R.D.,Pearcy,W.G.,andChilders,J.Spatio-temporalassociationsofalbacoreCPUEsintheNortheasternPaciﬁcwith regional SSTand climateenvironmental variables. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 71: 1717–1727.Received25 March2013; accepted13 December 2013; advance accesspublication 14 February 2014.
Styles of learning and learning of styles: Educational conflicts for American Indian/Alaskan Native youth

This article presents a review of the literature about American Indian/Alaskan Native learning styles and related teaching styles. The topic of learning styles has recently emerged as a consideration for understanding the problems American Indian/Alaskan Native students are experiencing as they enter and leave formal educational programmes. The premise upon which the learning styles explanation is based suggests that culture plays an important part in determining how students have learned to learn at home. When that style is not congruent with the school learning style, the student is expected to change her/his style to fit that of the school.
Effects of communication style on women's satisfaction with physicians

Abstract One-hundred college women read one of two versions of a vignette that asked them to imagine themselves as having early-stage breast cancer and learning about two equally effective treatments (lumpectomy with radiation versus mastectomy). The physician gave identical information about the disease and treatment options in both versions. However, in one, the physician left the treatment decision to the patient and did not give a recommendation of one treatment over the other. In the other version, the physician told the patient which of the treatments she should have (unspecified in the vignette). Participants then rated the physician on five dimensions. One significant difference emerged: women faced with the prospect of making the decision themselves were less likely to say that they would seek out the services of another physician as compared to women in the condition where the physician intended to recommend a specific treatment.
Formation and properties of PZT on ZrTiO4 substrate

Abstract PZT piezoceramics were prepared by the evaporation of PbO on the ZrTiO4 ceramic substrate at high temperature. The formation of PZT was investigated as a function of unreacted ZrO2 and TiO2 remaining on the substrate after calcining. Studies were emphasized on the electrical properties after PZT was formed on the substrate. It revealed that PZT was easily fabricated using this PbO evaporation technique. But, at higher temperature, cracks would be formed on the substrate surface. Cracks could be prevented by sintering below 1200 °C for 2h. The electrical properties of PZT formed on ZrTiO4 by this method will be presented.
The Effect of Age and Chilling Temperature on the Concentration of Scopolin and Caffeoylquinic Acids in Tobacco

Through the use of paper chromatographic separation, and fluorometric and spectrophotometric analysis, three caffeoylquinic acid isomers and scopolin have been quantilaed in tobacco as a function of age and chilling temperature. Coldchilled plants exhibited nitrate deficiency symptoms and 4-5 fold increases over control plants in chlorogenic acid (CGA) concentration in all plant sections except the roots. Varying lesser increases in neochlorogenic acid, “Band 510”, and scopolin concentration were also observed in the above ground sections of chilled plants. Roots of cold-chilled plants contained lesser concentrations of CGA and scopolin than control plants after 15 days of treatment. Leaves from the same control plant were found to decrease in CGA, Band 510 and scopolin concentration with age, while neochlorogenic acid concentrations changed little. In stem sections CGA concentration also decreased basipetally while the concentrations of scopolin increased. Similar leaf age studies done with cold-chilled plants revealed phenolic concentration changes comparable to those of control plants, even though their concentrations were appreciably higher.
Inequality, Culture, and Interpersonal Violence

Prologue: Within a society that is arguably one of the most violent in the world, rates of violence are even higher among some socioeconomic and ethnic groups in the United States. Studies have sought to establish links between culture, race, inequality, and violence, beginning with early immigrant populations to this country and focusing more recently on violence among urban populations of varied ethnic origin. While this may be relatively new ground for public health researchers, social scientists have been wrestling with various theories for decades. In this paper Darnell Hawkins examines the relevance of these theories for the current effort to shape public policy on violence. He argues that “neither extant notions of cultural difference nor socioeconomic inequality offer fully satisfactory explanations for the group differences in rates of violence observed in modern America.” His observation is that “cultural differences, as opposed to poverty and socioeconomic inequality, appear to be the choice of...
Quantitative sputum gram stains in chronic bronchial disease

The assessment of bacterial flora of the bronchial system can provide useful information for determining the presence of acute bacterial infections in patients with chronic bronchial disease. The authors examined the value of quantitative sputum gram stains performed in patients during acute bronchial exacerbations, recovery from such exacerbations, acute allergic exacerbations of chronic extrinsic asthma, and a stable period. The mean number of each morphologic type of microorganism was determined for 20 oil immersion fields. Ninety-nine percent of the patients without clinical evidence of bacterial infection had fewer than 16Haemophilus influenzae-like, 10 pneumococcus-like, and 18Neisseria-like microorganisms per gram stain oil immersion field. Even during the recovery period, when the patients were on antibiotics, we noted few gram negative rods, diphtheroid-like, or staphylococcus-like microorganisms on gram stain. The data indicate that upper limits may be set for numbers of microorganisms seen on gram stain in the absence of clinically apparent acute bacterial infection in chronic lung disease.
Applying wetland reference data to functional assessment, mitigation, and restoration

This study demonstrates an approach for rapidly collecting quantitative field data on reference wetland sites and using those data to assess functions (ecological processes) in wetlands. We demonstrate the hydrogeomorphic (HGM) assessment procedure by identifying ecological functions performed by mineral soil wet flats, obtaining quantitative field data from 19 wet flats (reference sites) in southeastern North Carolina, and modeling wetland functions using variables derived from those field data. We chose a subset of the 19 reference sites to demonstrate how HGM assessment can be used to measure ecosystem functions before and after a project site is altered and the degree to which ecosystem restoration can compensate for a reduction in functions caused by a project’s impact. We also illustrate how HGM assessment can be used to determine the minimum area over which restoration should be applied to achieve a no-net-loss in function objective. This minimum area can be determine by dividing the degree to which a function is reduced through project alteration by the degree to which a function is increased through restoration. The ratio of wetland area restored to wetland area altered by a project impact (compensatory mitigation ratio) varies among functions and is influenced by (1) the magnitude to which any given function occurs at a project site both before and after the site is altered, (2) the magnitude to which any given function occurs at a compensatory mitigation site both before and after restoration is applied, and (3) the rate at which any given function is restored.
About the cover [photograph of Blas Cabrera Felipe]

Recounts the life and professional achievements of Blas Cabrera Felipe. Blas Cabrera Felipe was born on 20 May 1878 in Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain, and died on 1 August 1945 in Mexico City, Mexico. Cabrera is regarded as the father of twentieth-century physics in Spain.
Resistance to Volatile Anesthetics by Mutations Enhancing Excitatory Neurotransmitter Release in Caenorhabditis elegans

The molecular mechanisms whereby volatile general anesthetics (VAs) disrupt behavior remain undefined. In Caenorhabditis elegans mutations in the gene unc-64, which encodes the presynaptic protein syntaxin 1A, produce large allele-specific differences in VA sensitivity. UNC-64 syntaxin normally functions to mediate fusion of neurotransmitter vesicles with the presynaptic membrane. The precise role of syntaxin in the VA mechanism is as yet unclear, but a variety of results suggests that a protein interacting with syntaxin to regulate neurotransmitter release is essential for VA action in C. elegans. To identify additional proteins that function with syntaxin to control neurotransmitter release and VA action, we screened for suppressors of the phenotypes produced by unc-64 reduction of function. Loss-of-function mutations in slo-1, which encodes a Ca2+-activated K+ channel, and in unc-43, which encodes CaM-kinase II, and a gain-of-function mutation in egl-30, which encodes Gqα, were isolated as syntaxin suppressors. The slo-1 and egl-30 mutations conferred resistance to VAs, but unc-43 mutations did not. The effects of slo-1 and egl-30 on VA sensitivity can be explained by their actions upstream or parallel to syntaxin to increase the level of excitatory neurotransmitter release. These results strengthen the link between transmitter release and VA action.
Tryptophan Inhibits Biofilm Formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been implicated in the pathology of chronic wounds. Both the d and l isoforms of tryptophan inhibited P. aeruginosa biofilm formation on tissue culture plates, with an equimolar ratio of d and l isoforms producing the greatest inhibitory effect. Addition of d-/l-tryptophan to existing biofilms inhibited further biofilm growth and caused partial biofilm disassembly. Tryptophan significantly increased swimming motility, which may be responsible in part for diminished biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa.
Global Carbon Cycle

Despite the low concentrations in the atmosphere relative to nitrogen or oxygen, carbon dioxide (CO2) plays a significant role in the Earth's life cycle and in controlling the global climate. The positive and negative feedback mechanisms associated with the exchange of atmospheric carbon with the ocean and organic material found on the land surface (called the terrestrial biosphere) appear to have been relatively well balanced for most of humankind's existence. Since the beginning of the industrial era, however, humans have been extracting fossil carbon from the Earth's interior and combusting it for energy production. Much of this fossil carbon is converted to CO2 gas and released into the environment where it is altering the carbon balance between the atmosphere, ocean and terrestrial biosphere. Recent changes observed in the global climate are consistent with the predicted response to increasing CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Key Concepts: Carbon is an essential component of life on Earth. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations varied considerably in the distant past depending on the balance of several geochemical processes. Geochemical evidence suggests that atmospheric CO2 levels dropped below 300 ppm approximately 20 million years ago and have remained below that level until the beginning of the twentieth century. The atmosphere, terrestrial biosphere and the ocean are the only systems that have natural exchanges of carbon on time-scales relevant to human society. Humans are in the process of altering the global carbon cycle at a rate that is unprecedented in Earth's history through land-use practices and the burning of fossil fuels. As we change the balance of the carbon cycle it is clear that the global climate is changing, but it is not clear how global ecosystems might respond. Keywords: carbon dioxide; greenhouse gas; terrestrial biosphere; oceans; atmosphere; feedback mechanisms
Regulated Expression of FcγR in Human Dendritic Cells Controls Cross-Presentation of Antigen-Antibody Complexes

Receptors for IgG (FcgammaR) expressed in dendritic cells (DCs) influence the initiation of Ab-mediated immunity. Dynamic variations in FcgammaR expression allow DCs to adjust their capacity to capture Ab-opsonized Ag. The current paradigm predicts a progressive decline in FcgammaR-mediated phagocytic function upon DC maturation. Surprisingly, we find that expression of the phagocytic receptor FcgammaRIIa is preserved in immature and mature DCs at comparable levels with macrophages. Moreover, phagocytosis of antigenic peptides directed to FcgammaRIIa on DCs leads to dramatic increases in Ag cross-presentation and T cell activation. In immature DCs, high expression of inhibitory FcgammaRIIb correlates with decreased uptake and cross-presentation of Ab-Ag complexes. In contrast, engagement of FcgammaRIIb is not associated with changes in cross-presentation in mature DCs. We provide evidence that FcgammaRIIb expression is patently reduced in mature DCs, an effect that is modulated by treatment with cytokines. The regulated expression of activating and inhibitory FcgammaRs in DCs emerges as a critical checkpoint in the process of Ag uptake and cross-presentation.
Likelihood of NIH extramural funding.

Biomedical scientists need an estimate of the probability that their National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant application will be funded. Previous letters in Science from our caucus (16 Dec. 1994, p. 1789; 7 July 1995, p. 13) provided the success rates of NIH grant requests. This
The split closure of a strictly convex body

The Chvatal-Gomory closure and the split closure of a rational polyhedron are rational polyhedra. It has been recently shown that the Chvatal-Gomory closure of a strictly convex body is also a rational polytope. In this note, we show that the split closure of a strictly convex body is defined by a finite number of split disjunctions, but is not necessarily polyhedral. We also give a closed form expression in the original variable space of a split cut for full-dimensional ellipsoids.
Deterministic and band-limited stochastic energy harvesting from uniaxial excitation of a multilayer piezoelectric stack

Abstract Deterministic and band-limited stochastic energy harvesting scenarios using a multilayer piezoelectric stack configuration are investigated for uniaxial dynamic pressure loading. The motivation for exploring this off-resonant energy harvesting problem derives from typical civil infrastructure systems subjected to dynamic compressive forces in deterministic or stochastic forms due to vehicular or human loads, among other examples of compressive loading. Modeling of vibrational energy harvesters in the existing literature has been mostly focused on deterministic forms of mechanical vibration as in the typical case of harmonic excitation, while the efforts on stochastic energy harvesting have thus far considered second-order systems such as piezoelectric cantilevers. In this paper, we present electromechanical modeling, analytical and numerical solutions, and experimental validations of piezoelectric energy harvesting from harmonic, periodic, and band-limited stochastic excitation of a multilayer piezoelectric stack under axial compressive loading in the off-resonant low-frequency range. The deterministic problem employs the voltage output-to-pressure input frequency response function of the harvester for a given electrical load, which is also extended to periodic excitation. The analytical stochastic electromechanical solution employs the power spectral density of band-limited stochastic excitation to predict the expected value of the power output. The first one of the two numerical solution methods uses the Fourier series representation of the excitation history to solve the resulting ordinary differential equation, while the second method employs an Euler–Maruyama scheme to directly solve the governing electromechanical stochastic differential equation. The electromechanical models are validated through several experiments for a multilayer PZT-5H stack under harmonic and band-limited stochastic excitations at different pressure levels. The figure of merit is also extracted for this particular energy harvesting problem to choose the optimal material. Soft piezoelectric ceramics (e.g. PZT-5H and PZT-5A) offer larger power output as compared to hard ceramics (e.g. PZT-8), and likewise, soft single crystals (e.g. PMN-PT and PMN-PZT) produce larger power as compared to their hard counterparts (e.g. PMN-PZT-Mn); and furthermore, single crystals (e.g. PMN-PT and PMN-PZT) generate more power than standard ceramics (e.g. PZT-5H and PZT-5A) for low-frequency, off-resonant excitation of piezoelectric stacks.
Relationship between presurgical memory performance on the Wechsler Memory Scale-III and memory change following temporal resection for treatment of intractable epilepsy

Previous research demonstrated a relationship between preoperative memory measured by the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) and postsurgical memory change in patients who underwent left (LATL), but not right (RATL) anterior temporal lobectomy. The current study replicated previous efforts using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition (WMS-III) in a larger sample. The WMS-III was administered to 161 patients with medically intractable epilepsy prior to and approximately 6 months following LATL or RATL. Correlations between presurgical memory on WMS-III indices and memory change following surgery were calculated for each group. Significant negative relationships were found between pre- and postsurgical memory scores in patients who underwent LATL on all WMS-III measures (r=-0.31 to -0.43). Significant negative correlations were observed in patients who underwent RATL only on visual memory measures (r=-0.24 to -0.44). Findings support previous conclusions using the WMS-R showing that patients who undergo LATL with higher presurgical memory ability are at greater risk for memory decline following temporal resection than patients with lower presurgical memory scores.
“How Did I Do?” versus “How Did We Do?” Cultural Contrasts of Performance Feedback Use and Self-Efficacy

Research shows that feedback concerning a person’s prior performance is an important determinant of self-efficacy and subsequent work activity. In addition, several recent cultural models posit that people use different aspects of their environment in assessing their self-concepts. In this article, the authors explore Triandis’s sampling-probability hypothesis of cultural influence by examining the relationship of an individual’s cultural values and performance feedback referents to an individual’s self-efficacy. A laboratory experiment is used to test hypotheses concerning the nature of self-efficacy and feedback referent (self vs. group) in relation to individualism-collectivism. The results show that, depending on cultural values held, participants relied on different combinations of individual- and group-based feedback. The results are discussed with regard to a general model of self-efficacy and culture in an organizational environment.
RF modeling and design of flip-chip configurations of microwave devices on PCBs

In this paper, a new application of coplanar strip transmission lines in microwave flip-chip configurations, implemented with solder joints, is presented. Preliminary HFSS simulation results give reflection loss, -20xlog(S11), higher than 20 dB up to 40 GHz for flip-chip configurations of microwave devices on PCBs using coplanar strip lines, here S11 is the reflection coefficient S-parameter. The attenuation coefficient of different types of transmission lines with 50-ohm characteristic impedance, such as microstrip lines, coplanar waveguides, and coplanar strip lines on the GaAs chip and on the polymer-based board, were calculated up to 46 GHz and compared. For a complete flip-chip assembly of GaAs chip on a PCB, the total insertion loss is lower, 2.0 dB for frequencies up to 40 GHz. We have learned that, to improve performance further, the solder joints have to be simulated and designed as an integral part of the transmission line. To achieve high transmission over the solder joints, both impedance matching and geometrical matching are necessary. Geometrical matching means that the electrical field distribution of the microwave in the transmission line and that in the solder joints are similar. The geometrical matching requirement is not well recognized and thus is often ignored.