cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of pre-existing T cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in uninfected individuals with COVID-19 mortality in different countries

Abstract Several recent studies identified SARS-CoV-2 reactive T cells in people without exposure to the virus. However, pathophysiological implications of these findings remain unknown. Here, the potential impact of pre-existing T cell reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 in uninfected individuals on markedly different COVID-19 mortality levels in different countries has been investigated. The inverse correlation is documented between the prevalence of pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 reactive T cells in people without exposure to the virus and COVID-19 mortality rates in different countries. In countries with similar levels of pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive T cells in uninfected individuals, differences in COVID-19 mortality appear linked with the extend and consistency of implementations of social measures designed to limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (lockdown; physical distancing; mask wearing). Collectively, these observations support the model that the level of pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 reactive T cells is one of the important determinants of the innate herd immunity against COVID-19. Together with the consistent social measures directed to limit the virus spread, high levels of pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 reactive T cells appear significant determinants diminishing the COVID-19 mortality. Observations reported in this contribution should have significant impact on definitions of the herd immunity threshold required to effectively stop the pandemic in different countries across the globe.
Distraction enterogenesis in the murine colon.

Abstract Background/Purpose Distraction enterogenesis with intraluminal spring technology has been successfully used to lengthen segments of murine small intestine. We hypothesized that biocompatible springs could also be used to lengthen murine large intestine. Methods Age and weight matched C57BL/6 mice underwent surgical insertion of nitinol spring-loaded capsules into the cecum. Segment lengths were measured at initial spring placement and at euthanasia after 7 and 14 days. Histologic adaptations were evaluated at scarification. Results Cecal segments loaded with compressed springs lengthened an average of 150%, which was significantly longer than control segments loaded with either empty capsules or uncompressed springs. Muscularis layers tended to be thicker in the compressed spring groups compared to control groups. Conclusions Insertion of a compressed nitinol spring into the cecum results in significant colonic lengthening in a mouse model. The ability to increase cecum length serves as proof of concept that distraction enterogenesis technology may be feasibly applied to large intestinal models. The use of distraction enterogenesis technology shows promise for application to clinical models in the treatment of pediatric intestinal disease.
Fair Public-Key Cryptosystems

We show how to construct public-key cryptosystems that are fair, that is, strike a good balance, in a democratic country, between the needs of the Government and those of the Citizens. Fair public-key cryptosystems guarantee that: (1) the system cannot be misused by criminal organizations and (2) the Citizens mantarn exactly the same rights to privacy they currently have under the law.We actually show how to transform any public-key cryptosystem into a fair one. The transformed systems preserve the security and efficiency of the original ones. Thus one can still use whatever system he believes to be more secure, and enjoy the additional properties of fairness. Moreover, for today's best known cryptosystems, we show that the transformation to fair ones is particularly efficient and convenient.As we shall explain, our solution compares favorably with the Clipper Chip, the encryption proposal more recently put forward by the Clinton Administration for solving similar problems.
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide kinase from Azotobacter vinelandii. I. Purification and properties of the enzyme.

Abstract A method is described for the purification of NAD+ kinase from extracts of Azotobacter vinelandii (ATCC 9104) cells. The specific activity of the purified enzyme is the highest so far reported. The enzyme requires a metal ion for activity. There is a lack of specificity for the nature of the phosphate donor in the kinase reaction. The Michaelis constants for the enzyme substrates have been determined by a direct spectrophotometric assay method which is described. The enzyme is protected to a remarkable extent from heat inactivation by NAD+. The enzyme appears to be a sulfhydryl enzyme; the sulfhydryl groups are protected by NAD+.
Effects of antihypertensive therapy on blood pressure control, cognition, and reactivity. A placebo-controlled comparison of prazosin, propranolol, and hydrochlorothiazide.

Abstract A randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to compare the effects of treatment with prazosin, propranolol, or hydrochlorothiazide on the following variables: blood pressure, cognitive and psychomotor skills, cardiovascular reactivity to natural and laboratory challenges, and serum lipid and lipoprotein levels. Side effects were recorded and patients evaluated how they felt during their treatment. Sixty-nine men, 35 percent black, aged 25 to 55 (mean 51.3) years, with diastolic blood pressures between 90 and 104 mm Hg (mean, 93.3 mm Hg), completed the study. There were no differences between active treatment groups in the proportion of patients with controlled blood pressure during the maintenance phase of the study. In the cognitive and psychomotor tests, the hydrochlorothiazide group showed significantly less improvement from baseline than the other treatment groups on the block design subscale of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, and there was a trend for the propranolol group to have less improvement from baseline than the other groups on the digit span subscale. There were no other significant pretreatment to post-treatment changes in the other cognitive or psychomotor tests, the Russell Revision of the Wechsler Memory Scale, or a number of computerized reaction-time and signal-detection tasks. In the reactivity testing, there was a significantly lower increase in heart rate in the prazosin group compared with placebo during the second laboratory challenge of the Stroop Color Interference Test. Post-treatment declines in ambulatory blood pressure were seen in all of the drug treatment groups in average and maximal diastolic and systolic blood pressures. Both propranolol and hydrochlorothiazide treatment resulted in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels that were higher than baseline and the hydrochlorothiazide treatment had significantly, increased total cholesterol levels. In contrast, the prazosin-treated group experienced no adverse changes in these parameters. Overall, the propranolol group had significantly more moderate and severe side effects than did the other three groups. Considering the pattern of blood pressure control, cognitive and psychomotor effects, changes in lipid levels, and magnitude of side effects, prazosin seems to have the most advantageous profile in this study of the three antihypertensive agents evaluated.
An Intrusion Detection System for Aglets

Mobile agent systems provide support for the execution of mobile software components, called agents. Agents acting on behalf of different users can move between execution environments hosted by different organizations. The security implications of this model are evident and these security concerns have been addressed by extending the authentication and access control mechanisms originally conceived for distributed operating systems to mobile agent systems. Other well-known security mechanisms have been neglected. In particular, satisfactory auditing mechanisms have seldom been implemented for mobile agent systems. The lack of complete and reliable auditing makes it difficult to analyze the actions of mobile components to look for evidence of malicious behavior. This paper presents an auditing facility for the Aglets mobile agent system and an intrusion detection system that takes advantage of this facility. The paper describes how auditing was introduced into the Aglets system, the steps involved in developing the intrusion detection system, and the empirical evaluation of the approach.
Group IV organometallic sulfur compounds

Abstract A number of thio derivatives of the types (C 6 H 5 ) 2 MSR and (C 6 H 5 ) 2 M(SR) 2 , M = Ge, Sn or Pb, have been synthesized by reactions of thiols with the triphenyl- or diphenyl-metal halides in the presence of a tertiary organic base. The thermal and hydrolytic stabilities of these compounds are discussed. Heterocyclic derivatives with metal atoms in the ring were isolated from reactions of the dihalodiphenylmetal compounds with ethanedithiol, thioglycolic acid and 2-hydroxyethanethiol.
Broad and local-scale patterns of exotic earthworm functional groups in forests of National Wildlife Refuges of the Upper Midwest, USA

The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world’s largest network of lands set aside specifically for wildlife conservation. For refuge planners and managers tasked with maintaining ecological integrity and wildlife habitat, many uncertainties exist. In forests in the Upper Midwest, for instance, exotic earthworms are impacting ecosystem structure and function, but their community composition and effects on refuges is unknown. We examined the association of earthworm functional group abundance and community composition within upland forests of refuges with broad scale patterns of anthropogenic land use and local scale differences in forest characteristics. Patterns of anthropogenic land cover, including proportion of the land, mean patch area, and largest patch index, were strongly correlated with the biomass of epi-endogeic earthworms. Earthworm community diversity, however, was inversely related to patterns of dominating anthropogenic land cover, and increased under high ratios of natural to anthropogenic lands in the surrounding ecoregion. Within forests, earthworm community composition could be partially explained by variables representing both dispersal opportunities and habitat suitability. In general, heavily-invaded forests had low conifer dominance, high silt content, high basal area, greater amounts of anthropogenic cover within 500 m, and were closer to roads and farther from agriculture. However, the relationship between local forest characteristics and biomass differed greatly among earthworm functional groups and between refuges dominated by natural lands and those dominated by anthropogenic lands. For refuges with high earthworm loads and well developed earthworm communities, managers may be confounded in restoring historic conditions and may need to look at multiple tools, including artificial regeneration, to mitigate for current earthworm effects. In refuges seemingly in earlier stages of earthworm invasion, future planning and management should be tempered by potential effects observed in those refuges in more anthropogenic landscapes.
Phosphorus effect on phosphatase activity in endomycorrhizal maize

Success of a mycorrhizal symbiosis is influenced by the availability of phosphorus (P) in the soil. Maize (Zea mays L. cv. Great Lakes 586) plants were grown under five different levels of soil P, either in the presence or absence of formononetin or the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus Glomus intraradices Schenck and Smith. We detected physiological differences in mycorrhizal roots very early in the development of symbiosis, before the onset of nutrient-dependent responses. Under low P levels, VAM roots accumulated a greater shoot dry weight (13%), root P concentration (15%) and protein concentration (30%) than non-VAM roots, although root growth was not statistically significantly different. At higher P levels, mycorrhizal roots weighed less than non-VAM roots (10%) without a concomitant host alteration of growth or root P concentration. Mycorrhizal colonization decreased as soil P increased. Formononetin-treatment enhanced colonization of the root by G. intraradices and partially overcame inhibition of VAM colonization by high soil P concentrations. This is the first report that formononetin improves root colonization under high levels of soil P. Acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities were closely related to the level of fungal colonization in corn roots. ACP activity in corn roots responded more to soil P availability than did ALP activity (38% more). These results suggest that ACP was involved in the increased uptake of P from the soil, while ALP may be linked to active phosphate assimilation or transport in mycorrhizal roots. Thus, soil P directly affected a number of enzymes essential in host-endophyte interplay, while formononetin enhanced fungal colonization.
Some Biochemical, Cytological, and Morphogenetic Comparisons Between Astasia longa and a Bleached Euglena gracilis*

SYNOPSIS. The relationship between Astasia longa and a streptomycin-bleached strain of Euglena grocilis has been examined by several criteria. The organisms differ in their sensitivity to actinomycin D and 8-azaguanine in their ability to incorporate C14-labeled leucine, and in their sensitivity to a new antibiotic called primycin. Euglena forms an induced acid phosphatase when grown in phosphate-deficient medium, but Astasia does not. On the basis of these and other differences, it is suggested that these two organisms are separate genera. Understanding of cell division in these cells has been increased by discovery of an array of tubular fibrils corresponding to a spindle apparatus in the nucleus of a dividing Astasia. This finding, plus the observation that presumptive pellicle complexes are formed during prophase, clarify the fission mechanisms in these organisms.
Urban–rural contrasts in summer soil-surface temperature and active-layer thickness, Barrow, Alaska, USA

Abstract Increasing urbanization and development in the Arctic may exacerbate the local impacts of climate warming in areas underlain by permafrost. As part of the Barrow Urban Heat-Island Study (BUHIS), hourly air and near-surface soil temperatures (5 cm depth) were collected at 66 sites in and near Barrow, Alaska. Comparison of near-surface soil temperatures, categorized by land-cover type, revealed that urban temperatures in each category were higher than those in corresponding units of the surrounding undeveloped area. Mean summer soil-surface temperatures within comparable land-cover units were 0.3–2.3°C higher in the urban area. Active-layer thickness was greater by 15–40 cm at the urban sites than at locations with similar vegetation in the rural portions of the study area. Engineering criteria established from measurements made at ‘rural’ meteorological sites or from general maps of a large region may assume colder soils than are actually present, raising the possibility that inappropriate design ...
On late miocene abyssal hydrography

Abstract This contribution is a summary of our studies on late Miocene isotope stratigraphy. We interpret the results using simple models and present additional evidence that the δ 13 C shift at 6.2 Ma was a time-stratigraphic event. The average deep-water metabolic CO 2 and nutrient content remained unchanged across the δ 13 C shift, but the net flow of deep waters towards the North Pacific was intensified. The late Miocene deep-ocean density structure was similar to that of today's oceans, and bottom water temperatures were 1°C warmer if constant ice volume is assumed.
Locally Precise Response Surface Models for the Generalization of Controlled Dynamic Systems and Associated Performance Measures

This treatment demonstrates the utility of response surface models (RSMs) as predictive, companion tools which aid in the development of harvesting (control) strategies applicable to predator-prey dynamic systems. To this end a control algorithm is derived that considers the regulation of a predator-prey natural resource while considering revenue for commercial ventures and regulatory agencies. Numerical simulations provide the mechanism to quantify performance measures associated with control algorithms, yet complicated problems require that all “tools” available be considered. Complex problems may be more tractable when simulation results are combined with alternate, continuous models exhibiting predictive capacities. For this reason, RSMs are appealing; analytic evaluation of the state, the gradient, and the Hessian matrix is possible. From these models we may glean valuable information linked to the gathered data revealing information about the “true nature” of the ecological system. Therefore, we propose to create RSMs based on scattered data obtained from the ordinary differential equation (ODE) dynamic system model. These response surface models are constructed using radial basis functions (RBFs); RSMs so created have the desirable property of matching the objective function value exactly at each sampled data point. Furthermore, they have the ability to interpolate to any desired point throughout the parameter space. This is powerful as the “objective function” may be any function of critical importance to the analyst which in this treatment is the predator biomass time rate of change (ODE) itself. This has the immediate implication of providing a single ODE model, with a “locally” or even perhaps a “globally” precise nature. Since such models are constructed from scattered data, which is consistent with what would be collected from field measurements, a further connection of theory to practice is realized. It will be shown that these RSMs provide greater insight into ecological systems, with special emphasis on parameter estimation.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Electronic computer solution for the MPN equation used in the determination of bacterial populations

The utility and the practical precision of the Most Probable Number method for determining bacterial populations is currently restricted by a lack of adequate tables of solved examples or alternatively by an easy and quick solution to individual problems. Where an electronic computer is available, these restrictions need not apply. A computer programme and example solution for tabulated data and individual problems are presented in this paper.
On the estimation of hospital cost functions

Data from 166 general hospitals in New York State (1981) is used to estimate a quadratic and logarithmic long-run cost function. Both equations fit the data very well but give very different results. The quadratic appears in confirm the commonly-held view of a shallow U-shaped average cost curve, whereas the log function indicates significant economies of scale: a total and average cost elasticity of 0.9 and -0.10, respectively (using beds or patient days to measure output). Ramsey's RESET test is used to discriminate between the two models and the quadratic is clearly rejected as a misspecification. Scale economies thus exist even where the usual quadratic suggests otherwise.
Intravenous Glucagon Beneficial During Colonoscopy in Patient with IBS

Background and Aim: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel disorder characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort and altered bowel habits. Patients with IBS requiring colonoscopy take longer time to cecum with higher need for medications used for conscious sedation. Glucagon is routinely used during endoscopic procedures to reduce peristalsis that interfere with the procedure. However, randomized controlled data using glucagon during endoscopic procedures are lacking. We designed a prospective randomized placebo-controlled trial to study the effect of intravenous glucagon given during colonoscopy. Materials and Methods: We received approval from the FDA for this off-label use of glucagon during colonoscopy. This is a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study. Patients were selected based on ROME III criteria for IBS; patients who met Rome III criteria and had an indication for colonoscopy for age-specific colon cancer screening or for work up of any alarm signs. We selected 34 patients meeting the Rome III for IBS and randomized into Group A and Group B. Both the performing endoscopist and patients were blinded. These patients in both groups initially received a standard dose of conscious sedation, up to 100 mcg of fentanyl and up to 5 mg of midazolam intravenously. In Group A, 17 patients, in addition to conscious sedation, received 1 ml saline as placebo. In Group B, 17 patients, in addition to conscious sedation, received 1 mg of intravenous glucagon. Parameters evaluated were as follows: 1) Total time required for colonoscopy 2) Completion of colonoscopy as documented by cecal intubation or visualization of appendicular orifice 3) Level of comfort in patient concerned to postprocedure spasmodic pain, which was based on Wong-Baker FACES pain rating scale and 4) Calculate the amount of sedation required in both groups of patients and also at what extent glucagon helped to decrease the requirement of sedatives. Data was analyzed using the student t-test.
Focusing light into turbid media: time-reversed ultrasonically encoded (TRUE) focusing

In turbid media such as biological tissues, light undergoes multiple scattering. Consequently, it is not possible to focus light at depths beyond one transport mean free path in such media. To break through this limit, we proposed and experimentally demonstrated a novel technique, based on ultrasonic encoding of diffused laser light and optical time reversal, which effectively focuses light into a turbid medium. In the experimental implementation of the Time-Reversed Ultrasonically Encoded (TRUE) optical focusing, a turbid medium was illuminated by a laser beam with a long coherence length. The incident light was multiply scattered inside the medium and ultrasonically encoded within the ultrasonic focal zone. The wavefront of the ultrasonically encoded light was then time reversed by a Phase Conjugate Mirror (PCM) outside the medium. The time-reversed (or phase conjugated) optical wavefront traced back the trajectories of the ultrasonically encoded diffused light, and converged to the ultrasonic focal zone. With a commercially available photorefractive crystal as the PCM, the main approaches for increasing focusing depth are to improve the efficiencies of ultrasonic encoding and time reversal. Our recent experiments showed that light can be focused into a 5-mm thick tissue-mimicking phantom (optical thickness = 50, i.e., geometric thickness = 50 mean free paths) with a dynamically adjustable focus. The TRUE optical focusing opens a door to focusing light into turbid media or manipulating light-matter interactions.
Use of uranyl acetate en bloc to improve tissue preservation and labeling for post‐embedding immunoelectron microscopy

We have developed a protocol for post-embedding immunoelectron microscopy that utilizes uranyl acetate, en bloc, as a secondary tissue fixative. Squirrel and cat retinas were fixed in 1% paraformaldehyde-1% glutaraldehyde for one hour. Secondary fixation was by 2% uranyl acetate, en bloc, (1 hour) during tissue dehydration. The tissue was embedded in LR White or Lowicryl K4M resin. Post-embedding immunoelectron microscopy (indirect immunogold) was performed on thin sections with antibodies to four different classes of proteins (filamentous, cytoplasmic, membrane, and extracellular matrix). The sections were then stained sequentially on drops of uranyl acetate and lead citrate, and by vapors of osmium tetroxide. Uranyl acetate fixation and/or staining of the sections by osmium tetroxide was omitted from the control experiments. Differences after secondary fixation with uranyl acetate and staining of the thin sections with osmium tetroxide were better overall preservation and enhanced contrast of the extracellular matrix, membranes, cytoplasm, and DNA. Antigenicity, as evidenced by the immunolabeling of the four proteins, was retained. Quantitation of the immunolabeling for the cytoplasmic and membrane proteins revealed significantly increased labeling densities in tissue postfixed with uranyl acetate. The improved tissue preservation and immunolabeling of proteins indicate that secondary fixation with uranyl acetate can be a valuable addition to post-embedding immunocytochemistry.
Use it or lose it--do effortful mental activities protect against dementia?

The past 15 years, since the cloning of the gene for amyloid precursor protein, have witnessed breathtaking advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia. Most findings point to a final common pathway involving the accumulation in the brain of the toxic β-amyloid peptide, a degradation product of amyloid precursor protein, resulting in progressive neuronal damage and concomitant cognitive deterioration. Notably, the border between Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia has become increasingly blurred as shared pathologic processes have been identified. Against this background comes the study by Verghese et al. in this . . .
Angiotensin injected into the neostriatum after learning disrupts retention performance

Angiotensin II, injected into the dorsal neostriatum of rats 5 minutes after they had learned a passive avoidance task, disrupted the retention of the task 24 hours later. Identical neostriatal injections given 22 hours after learning (2 hours before retention) were without effect on retention performance. Ventral neostriatum or posterior thalamus were ineffective sites for injection of angiotensin. Injection of thyrotropin releasing hormone or lysine-8-vasopressin into the dorsal neostriatum was ineffective. These findings indicate a possible role for endogenous angiotensin in the neostriatum on retention performance and suggest potential involvement in mnemonic processes.
Distributions of pancreatic ribonuclease, chymotrypsin, and trypsin in vertebrates

Abstract The distribution of pancreatic ribonuclease in 38 species of vertebrates has been analyzed. The occurrence of trypsin and chymotrypsin has also been determined in pancreas from a majority of these species. A ribonuclease of the same type as that produced by the exocrine pancreas of the cow was found in moderate or high levels in all of the species of ungulates examined; particularly high contents exist in the ruminants, and also in the two marsupials tested. It is also present in lower but appreciable amounts in some species of whales, turtles, and frogs. However, it was found to be virtually absent in the rabbit, elephant, dog, cat, and primates; in birds and certain amphibia; and in the elasmobranch and teleost fishes examined. Also described are the effects of acid in inactivating some ribonucleases in pancreatic extracts and in releasing others from a bound state. Trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like enzymes were found abundantly in all species investigated. In addition, considerable amounts of other proteases and/or peptidases, which have neither tryptic nor chymotryptic activities, are present in many species. This latter protease fraction is resistant to specific irreversible inhibitors of trypsin and chymotrypsin. The contributions of the various proteases to the total caseinolytic activity vary greatly among the species. The proteases in an extract from tuna were partly purified, and were characterized by the use of specific substrates and inhibitors.
Formation of the BC ring system of upenamide via a Staudinger/aza-Wittig reaction.

The BC ring system of upenamide was assembled using a stereoselective Diels−Alder reaction followed by a Staudinger/aza-Wittig/imine hydrolysis reaction. Stereoselective aldol coupling with an aldehyde that incorporates the DE ring system led to an advanced synthetic intermediate en route to the marine alkaloid upenamide.
Gliomas: Predicting Time to Progression or Survival with Cerebral Blood Volume Measurements at Dynamic Susceptibility-weighted Contrast-enhanced Perfusion MR Imaging

Purpose: To retrospectively determine whether relative cerebral blood volume (CBV) measurements can be used to predict clinical outcome in patients with high-grade gliomas (HGGs) and low-grade gliomas (LGGs) and specifically whether patients who have gliomas with a high initial relative CBV have more rapid progression than those who have gliomas with a low relative CBV. Materials and Methods: Approval for this retrospective HIPAA-compliant study was obtained from the Institutional Board of Research Associates, with waiver of informed consent. One hundred eighty-nine patients (122 male and 67 female patients; median age, 43 years; range, 4–80 years) were examined with dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast material–enhanced perfusion magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and were followed up clinically with MR imaging (median follow-up, 334 days). Log-rank tests were used to evaluate the association between relative CBV and time to progression by using Kaplan-Meier curves. Binary logistic regression was used t...
The use of main concept analysis to measure discourse production in Cantonese-speaking persons with aphasia: a preliminary report.

Abstract Discourse produced by speakers with aphasia contains rich and valuable information for researchers to understand the manifestation of aphasia as well as for clinicians to plan specific treatment components for their clients. Various approaches to investigate aphasic discourse have been proposed in the English literature. However, this is not the case in Chinese. As a result, clinical evaluations of aphasic discourse have not been a common practice. This problem is further compounded by the lack of validated stimuli that are culturally appropriate for language elicitation. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to develop and validate four sequential pictorial stimuli for elicitation of language samples in Cantonese speakers with aphasia, and (b) to investigate the use of a main concept measurement, a clinically oriented quantitative system, to analyze the elicited language samples. Twenty speakers with aphasia and ten normal speakers were invited to participate in this study. The aphasic group produced significantly less key information than the normal group. More importantly, a strong relationship was also found between aphasia severity and production of main concepts. While the results of the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability suggested the scoring system to be reliable, the test–retest results yielded strong and significant correlations across two testing sessions one to three weeks apart. Learning outcomes: Readers will demonstrate better understanding of (1) the development and validation of newly devised sequential pictorial stimuli to elicit oral language production, and (2) the use of a main concept measurement to quantify aphasic connected speech in Cantonese Chinese.
Differential Identification: An Empirical Note

This paper examines hypotheses derived from “differential identification.” Specifically, the degree of delinquency involvement of an individual is compared with that of those individuals with whom he identifies—whether positively or negatively. The degree of delinquency involvement was measured by a self-reported delinquency scale. Results suggest similar delinquency involvement among close friends.
Enhanced production of bovine tumor necrosis factor-α during the periparturient period

This study examined the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-(u) by mononuclear cells isolated from peripheral blood and supramammary lymph nodes of periparturient and mid to late lactating dairy cows. Monocyte-enriched cell populations were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and analyzed for TNF-(Y concentrations. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to determine the frequencies of relevant cell populations. Isolated mononuclear cells from periparturient dairy cows produced significantly higher levels of TNF-a than mid to late lactating dairy cows regardless of tissue location. A corresponding increase in the frequency of monocytes also was observed in tissue samples obtained from periparturient animals. The higher proportion of monocytes capable of producing TNF-a: in the periparturient dairy cow may account for the increased levels of this potent mediator. Within the periparturient period, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were found to produce significantly less TNF-(r than cells isolated from mammary lymph nodes. However, flow cytometric analysis revealed similar monocyte concentrations in both the peripheral blood and mammary lymph node. This indicates that the differences in cytokine production may be due to variations in monocyte activation state with respect to tissue location. It is possible that greater potential to produce TNF-(Y during the periparturient period may contribute to the severe acute phase response of the mammary gland to coliform infections during this time. Limiting TNF-(Y production by monocytes, particularly within the mammary gland, may reduce the severity of clinical coliform mastitis in periparturient dairy cattle.
Heat recovery without heat transfer surfaces

Abstract Most heat recovery systems involve heat transfer surfaces. This fact means high initial investment, high maintenance costs and efficiency decrease because of the fouling of the heat transfer surfaces. This article describes the working principles of a surface-less heat recovery system, the mathematical approach to treat such systems and what parameters can be used to evaluate and compare this system with others. The article concludes with numerical examples.
Changes in reproductive biomarkers in an endangered fish species (bonytail chub, Gila elegans) exposed to low levels of organic wastewater compounds in a controlled experiment

Abstract In arid regions of the southwestern United States, municipal wastewater treatment plants commonly discharge treated effluent directly into streams that would otherwise be dry most of the year. A better understanding is needed of how effluent-dependent waters (EDWs) differ from more natural aquatic ecosystems and the ecological effect of low levels of environmentally persistent organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) with distance from the pollutant source. In a controlled experiment, we found 26 compounds common to municipal effluent in treatment raceways all at concentrations
Quantitative assessment of localization and colocalization of glutamate, aspartate, glycine, and GABA immunoreactivity in the chick retina.

We examined the posthatch chick retina for the frequency of occurrence of localization and colocalization of four amino acid transmitter candidates: glutamate (Glu), aspartate (Asp), gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glycine (Gly) using postembedding methods. We support previous studies of Glu, Asp, GABA, and Gly localization in the direct and indirect functional pathways of the chick retina and extend these studies with new qualitative and quantitative observations. We found that photoreceptors show distinct cellular immunoreactivity for both Glu (Glu+) and Asp+, but not for Gly (Gly−) or GABA. Moreover, there is compartmentalization of Glu and Asp staining within the photoreceptors. All horizontal cells react strongly with Asp and Glu, about three-fourths are GABA+ and three-fourths of these are Gly+. Bipolar cells are uniformly Glu+, heterogeneously Asp+, occasionally Gly+, but GABA−. A majority of amacrine cells stain heterogeneously with all antibodies: 90% are Gly+, slightly more than half colocalize Glu, GABA, and Gly. Furthermore, amacrine cells in the outer two or three rows of cells are more likely to be stained by Gly than Glu, Asp, or GABA. Confirming previous studies, ganglion cells were mostly immunoreactive for Glu and Asp with fewer reactive for GABA and Gly. Stong and distinctly cellular immunoreactivity was found in both central and peripheral retina. Our findings show: 1) there is extensive colocalization of Glu, Asp, GABA, and Gly among most retinal neurons, including some cells that contain all four; 2) cells of the direct functional pathway tend to be labeled by Glu and Asp generally to the exclusion of GABA and Gly, while those of the indirect pathway tend to be labeled by GABA+ and/or Gly+ in addition to Glu+ and Asp+; 3) different cell body layers have distinct patterns of colocalization; and 4) there is no qualitative difference in staining patterns between peripheral and central retina. Anat Rec 260:158–179, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dosage of 5 S and ribosomal genes during oogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract During growth, the Drosophila egg chamber increases its DNA content over a thousandfold, mainly by polyploidization of the nurse cell nuclei. We wanted to determine if 5 S and ribosomal genes are replicated to the same extent as the remaining DNA. Egg chambers were mass fractionated to represent different size classes and, therefore, different stages of oogenesis. Nucleic acids were extracted from each class of egg chambers, and after removal and quantitation of the RNA, the content of 5 S and ribosomal genes in the different DNA fractions was assayed by filter hybridization. Diploid DNA and DNA from polytene salivary gland cells served as references. It was concluded that: (1) Ribosomal genes become underreplicated as oogenesis proceeds, but to a much lower extent than in polytene chromosomes of salivary glands of the same organism. (2) By contrast, 5 S genes are equally replicated in egg chambers of all stages of oogenesis. (3) Notwithstanding the large increase in DNA content of egg chambers during oogenesis, the increase in total RNA content (mostly ribosomal RNA) is over 15 times as large.
Applying System Execution Modeling Tools to Evaluate Enterprise Distributed Real-time and Embedded System QoS

Component middleware is popular for enterprise distributed systems because it provides effective reuse of the core intellectual property (i.e., the "business logic"). Component-based enterprise distributed real-time and embedded (DRE) systems, however, incur new integration problems associated with component configuration and deployment. New research is therefore needed to minimize the gap between the development and deployment/ configuration of components, so that deployment and configuration strategies can be evaluated well before system integration. This paper uses an industrial case study from the domain of shipboard computing to show how system execution modeling tools can provide software and system engineers with quantitative estimates of system bottlenecks and performance characteristics to help evaluate the performance of componentbased enterprise DRE systems and reduce time/effort in the integration phase. The results from our case study show the benefits of system execution modeling tools and pinpoint where more work is needed.
Optical guided wave arithmetic

Two novel full adder architectures are proposed that can be implemented with optical couplers using fiber optics or integrated optics. The first adder has the advantage over other proposed approaches by requiring only three different component devices: optical logical OR, op- tical logical NOT, and optical couplers. Configurations of the three com- ponents are described that are relatively simple to implement and are expected to function at greater than gigabit per second rates. The sec- ond adder requires fewer gates by using additional different gates: ana- log ADD and thresholding. Methods of implementing in fiber optics and with integrated optics are suggested including the synchronization of the lasers and methods for changing phase. The optical full adder can be used to provide high speed word addition by multiplexing independent additions. The pros and cons of fiber optics versus integrated optics for one architecture versus the other are discussed. © 1999 Society of Photo- Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (S0091-3286(99)00603-0)
Box-Tiao Time Series Models for Impact Assessment: A Comment on the Recent Work of Deutsch and Alt

Deutsch and Alt (1977) use a time series quasi-experiment to assess the impact of the Massachusetts gun control law on gun-related crime in Boston. They conclude that the new law resulted in a statistically significant drop in both armed robberies and gun assaults, though not in homocides. However, our reanalysis of their data suggests that these conclusions are extremely tenuous. First, Deutsch and Alt have seriously mis specified the stochastic components for the three time series. We report alternative models which, in all three cases, have better statistical properties. Second, Deutsch and Alt conduct their analysis only six months after passage of the new law. This postintervention time series segment is obviously too short a period to permit specification of the inter vention component. Our reanalysis demonstrates that there is inconclusive evidence for the effect claimed by Deutsch and Alt.
Phase-Plane and Cross-Correlation Analysis for Estimating Optimal Regularization in Inverse Heat Conduction

b = probe position, m c = specific heat capacity, J∕ kgK k = thermal conductivity,W∕ mK M = number of data points beyond the initial condition Mf = multiplication factor Nm = integer parameter N = truncation order P = maximum number of future time parameters q 0 0 = heat flux, W∕m q 0 0 c = calibration net surface heat flux, W∕m q 0 0 r = run net surface heat flux, W∕m q 0 0 s = external heat source,W∕m q 0 0 r; N;γm = approximate run heat flux, W∕m
Scapholunate ligamentous instabilities (dissociations, subdislocations, dislocations).

Summary Scapholunate dissociation represents a portion of a perilunar dislocation or a residual thereof. It leads to a weak and painful wrist. Recognition is often delayed and adequate treatment challenging. Reconstruction using tendinous augmentation of the ligamentous structures is helpful but uncertain. Repair of the interosseous membrane to the scaphoid with capsular plication, reduction and temporary fixation, and ligamentous augmentation may restore alignment and function. Salvage procedures are necessary in instances of failed reconstruction, late or severe scapholunate dissociation.
Reliability analysis of a finite range failure model

Abstract The Bayes estimates of reliability and hazard rate functions of the finite range failure model (1) have been developed based on life tests that are terminated at a preassigned time point taking the order of observations into consideration. For the parameter involved, the priors gamma, Weibull and log normal densities have been considered. The importance of the distributions, considered here as priors, in the theory of reliability has led the authors to use them as prior distributions.
Influence of novel versus home environments on sensitization to the psychomotor stimulant effects of cocaine and amphetamine.

The acute psychomotor response (rotational behavior in rats with a unilateral 6-OHDA lesion), and the development of sensitization, were studied in rats that received seven consecutive daily injections of amphetamine (Experiment 1) or cocaine (Experiment 2) either at home or in a 'novel' test environment. The home (HOME) and novel (NOVEL) cages were physically identical, but one group lived and was tested in these cages, whereas the rats in the other group were transported from the stainless steel hanging cages where they lived, to those NOVEl test cages, for each test session. In Exp. 1, the acute psychomotor response to 3.0 mg/kg of amphetamine i.p. and the development of sensitization (increase in the rotational response between the first and the the seventh test session) were greater in the NOVEL than in the HOME environment. In Expt. 2, there were no significant group differences in the acute response to 20 mg/kg of cocaine i.p., but the animals tested in the NOVEL environment showed greater sensitization than animals tested in the HOME environment. In addition, the animals pretreated with cocaine in the NOVEL environment, but not those pretreated with cocaine in the HOME environment, showed conditioned rotational behavior in response to an injection of saline. These data indicate that: (i) sensitization to the psychomotor activating effects of both amphetamine and cocaine is enhanced in a NOVEL environment; (ii) this phenomenon appears to the independent of the effects of the NOVEL environment on the acute response to these drugs; (iii) a robust conditioned psychomotor response to contextual cues develops only when cocaine treatments are given in the NOVEL test environment.
Numerical convergence for the Bellman equation of stochastic optimal control with quadratic costs and constraints

A modified predictor-corrector, Crank-Nicolson computational algorithm is examined for the Bellman equation of stochastic optimal control with quadratic costs and constrained control. A linearized comparison equation is heuristically derived for the nonlinear and discontinuous Bellman equation. Convergence of the method is studied using von Neumann's Fourier stability method. A mesh ratio type condition for the convergence is derived for the comparison equation. This condition is uniform for both parabolic and hyperbolic versions of the nonlinear equation. The results are valid for Gaussian stochastic noise and Poisson noise. The numerical algorithm is tested for the Bellman partial differential equation corresponding to the single state, single control problem on VAX 4000 machine. The mesh ratio is varied to study the convergence and performance of the algorithm. The experimental results are compared against the analytical findings.
Magnetic Moment of Helium in Its S 1 3 Metastable State

The ratio of the electronic ${g}_{J}$ value of He in its $1s2s$, $^{3}S_{1}$ metastable state to the ${g}_{J}$ of H in its ground state has been redetermined by the atomic beam magnetic resonance method using separated oscillating fields. At magnetic fields of about 540 and 575 gauss the transitions $\ensuremath{\Delta}m=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1, \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2$ in He and $(F, m)=(1, 0)\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}(1, \ensuremath{-}1)$ in H are observed at frequencies of approximately 1570 Mc/sec and 1140 Mc/sec, respectively. The natural line shapes for the separated oscillating fields method are obtained with spacings between the oscillating fields of both 4.2 cm and 2.2 cm. The experimental result is ${\frac{{g}_{J}(\mathrm{He}, ^{3}S_{1})}{{g}_{J}(\mathrm{H}, ^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}})}|}_{\mathrm{exp}}=1\ensuremath{-}(23.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.8)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$, which agrees with an earlier measurement having an accuracy of 16 ppm, and also with the theoretical value ${\frac{{g}_{J}(\mathrm{He}, ^{3}S_{1})}{{g}_{J}(\mathrm{H}, ^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}})}|}_{\mathrm{theor}}=1\ensuremath{-}(23.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ obtained by Perl and Hughes, which was computed from the Breit equation for He with the addition of a term to represent the interaction of the anomalous spin magnetic moment of each electron with the external magnetic field.
Forsaking Honor or For the Sake of Honor: A Case Study of Lee-Allen University

A basketball player at a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and religiously affiliated school cheats in a course and receives an “F.” Under the school's academic policy, a failing ...
Attribute Allocation and Retrieval Scheme for Large-Scale Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor network is an emerging technology that enables remote monitoring of large geographical regions. In this paper, we address the problem of distributing attributes over such a large-scale sensor network so that the cost of data retrieval is minimized. The proposed scheme is a data-centric storage scheme where the attributes are distributed over the network depending on the correlations between them. The problem addressed here is similar to the Allocation Problem of distributed databases. In this paper, we have defined the Allocation Problem in the context of sensor networks and have proposed a scheme for finding a good distribution of attributes to the sensor network. We also propose an architecture for query processing given such a distribution of attributes. We analytically determine the conditions under which the proposed architecture is beneficial and present simulation results to demonstrate the same. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to determine an allocation of attributes over a sensor network based on the correlations between attributes.