cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental evidence of gender effects in arbitration decisions

The study investigates arbitrator gender and arbitrator-grievant gender effects on the decisions of 146 arbitrators rendered on a hypothetical sexual harassment case. Gender was not found to have a statistically significant effect on the decisions examined. However, other characteristics of the arbitrator—level of experience and level of education—were found to influence the arbitral decision.
Impact of type 2 diabetes on lower urinary tract symptoms in men: a cohort study

Studies of the impact of type 2 diabetes on the prevalence and incidence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among men have provided divergent results. We sought to examine this issue using two large and diverse cohorts. This study used questionnaire and clinical data from two large multiethnic cohorts, the California Men’s Health Study (CMHS) and Research Program in Genes, Environment and Health (RPGEH). Diabetes characteristics data were derived from questionnaire and Diabetes Registry data. LUTS were measured using a standardized scale. Socioeconomic and comorbidity data were obtained by self-report. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between baseline DM status and prevalence and incidence of LUTS, with adjustment for potential confounding variables. We found type 2 diabetes to be associated with prevalent LUTS (odds ratio (OR) = 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26, 1.38). The association was stronger among men with type 2 diabetes who were on active pharmaceutical treatment and had it for a longer duration. No association was observed between type 2 diabetes and new onset LUTS. Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of LUTS.
Characterization of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) binding to cloned porcine GHRH receptor.

Abstract To study structure-activity relationships of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), a competitive binding assay was developed using cloned porcine adenopituitary GHRH receptors expressed in human kidney 293 cells. Specific binding of [His 1 , 125 I-Tyr 10 ,Nle 27 ]hGHRH(1–32)-NH 2 increased linearly with protein concentration (10–45 μg protein/tube). Binding reached equilibrium after 90 min at 30°C and remained constant for at least 240 min. Binding was reversible to one class of high-affinity sites ( K d = 1.04 ± 0.19 n M , B max = 3.9 ± 0.53 pmol/mg protein). Binding was selective with a rank order of affinity (IC 50 ) for porcine GHRH (2.8 ± 0.51 n M ), rat GHRH (3.1 ± 0.69 n M ), [ N -Ac-Tyr 1 , d -Arg 2 ]hGHRH(3–29)-NH 2 (3.9 ± 0.58 n M ), and [ d -Thr 7 ]GHRH(1–29)-NH 2 (189.7 ± 14.3 n M ), consistent with their binding to a GHRH receptor. Nonhydrolyzable guanine nucleotides inhibited binding. These data describe a selective and reliable method for a competitive GHRH binding assay that for the first time utilizes rapid filtration to terminate the binding assay.
PILOT-SCALE ELECTROKINETIC CLEANUP OF LEAD-CONTAMINATED SOILS

The results of two pilot-scale experiments on enhanced electrokinetic extraction of lead from contaminated soil samples collected from a military Small Arms Training Facility are presented. The tests were conducted using two boxes with electrode spacing of 87 cm (Box 1) and 174 cm (Box 2). The soil was formed of a sandy layer on top of a clayey sand layer. The soil contained bullet fragments and the mean initial lead concentration in the minus 2.00 mm soil fraction was 3041 mg∕kg and 1187 mg∕kg in the sand and clayey sand layers, respectively. A current density of 1.3 A∕ m2 was used in both tests and was doubled after 112 days of processing. organic acid was used to maintain the catholyte pH between 4 and 5. Box 1 and Box 2 were processed for 9 months and 11 months, respectively. The results showed that organic acid amendment at the cathode reduced the voltage and energy requirement by 70% and enhanced lead extraction. Lead transport showed a delay of about 14 days in the initial transport front developme...
Gene transcript analysis of assimilatory iron limitation in Geobacteraceae during groundwater bioremediation

Summary Limitations on the availability of Fe(III) as an electron acceptor are thought to play an important role in restricting the growth and activity of Geobacter species during bioremediation of contaminated subsurface environments, but the possibility that these organisms might also be limited in the subsurface by the availability of iron for assimilatory purposes was not previously considered because copious quantities of Fe(II) are produced as the result of Fe(III) reduction. Analysis of multiple Geobacteraceae genomes revealed the presence of a three-gene cluster consisting of homologues of two irondependent regulators, fur and dtxR (ideR), separated by a homologue of feoB, which encodes an Fe(II) uptake protein. This cluster appears to be conserved among members of the Geobacteraceae and was detected in several environments. Expression of the fur-feoB-ideR cluster decreased as Fe(II) concentrations increased in chemostat cultures. The number of Geobacteraceae feoB transcripts in groundwater samples from a site undergoing in situ uranium bioremediation was relatively high until the concentration of dissolved Fe(II) increased near the end of the field experiment. These results suggest that, because much of the Fe(II) is sequestered in solid phases, Geobacter species, which have a high requirement for iron for iron-sulfur proteins, may be limited by the amount of iron available for assimilatory purposes. These results demonstrate the ability of transcript analysis to reveal previously unsuspected aspects of
Effects of the south Asian absorbing haze on the northeast monsoon and surface-air heat exchange

The effects of the south Asian haze on the regional climate are assessed using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model version 3 (CCM3) at the T42/L18 resolution. This haze, as documented during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) campaign (1995‐2000), consists mainly of anthropogenic aerosols, and spans over most of south Asia and the north Indian Ocean. It reduces the net solar flux at the surface by as much as 20‐40 W m 22 on a monthly mean basis and heats the lowest 3-km atmosphere by as much as 0.4‐0.8 K day21, which enhances the solar heating of this layer by 50%‐100%. This widespread haze layer is a seasonal phenomenon limited to the dry period between November and May. The imposed haze radiative forcing leads to several large and statistically significant climate changes during the dry monsoon season, which include cooling of the land surface, and warming of the atmosphere. These temperature change features lead to the stabilization of the boundary layer that results in a reduction of evaporation and sensible heat flux from the land. The dynamical response to the aerosol forcing is surprisingly large. The aerosol forcing weakens the north‐south temperature gradient in the lower level, which results in an enhancement of the area mean low-level convergence and a northward shift of the ITCZ. The increase in low-level convergence leads to increased convective rainfall and latent heat release, which in turn leads to a further increase in lowlevel convergence. This positive feedback between the low-level convergence and deep convective heating increases the average precipitation over the haze area by as much as 20%. The ocean surface undergoes a suppression of evaporation. Because of this decreased evaporation accompanied by the increase in the hazearea precipitation, the precipitation over the rest of the Tropics decreases, with a large fraction of this decrease concentrated over the Indonesian and the western Pacific warm pool region. The prescribed dry monsoon haze effect affects the summertime wet monsoon too, but a detailed analysis has to await the availability of yearround aerosol data. The major inference from this study is that the effects of absorbing aerosols on the regional climate can be quite large. The simulated surface temperature response was very sensitive to the ratio ( R) of the surface aerosol forcing to the atmospheric forcing. The R itself varies from 21.5 in clear skies to about 20.5 in overcast skies over ocean, and available experimental data are not sufficient to constrain its value more narrowly.
Anti-f sensitization detected by an acidified indirect Coombs test.

ummary 1A case of blood group incompatibility is presented with evidence indicating that anti-f was the antibody involved. 2The anti-f antibody was detected by means of the indirect Coombs Test modified by acidifying the patient's serum. 3The antibody gave a stronger reaction with “ff” than with “Ff” blood cells and reacted with blood specimens of various Rh-Hr genotypes in a manner which would be expected for the anti-f antibody. 4There is some evidence that the anti-f antibody in this case was an auto-antibody, capable of attacking the patient's own blood cells. Resume 1Les auteurs presentent un cas d'incompatibilite de groupe sanguin demontrant clairement que l'anticorps incrimine est un anti-f. 2Cet anticorps anti-f a ete mis en evidence au moyen de la methode indirecte selon Coombs apres acidification du serum du patient. 3Cet anticorps donne des reactions plus fortes avec les erythrocytes du type «ff» qu'avec les erythrocytes du type «Ff»; de plus, les reactions a l'egard d'erythrocytes de differents genotypes Rhesus correspondent au mode d'action que l'on prevoyait pour l'anticorps anti-f. 4Il semble evident que l'anticorps anti-f trouve dans ce cas est un auto-anticorps susceptible d'attaquer des erythrocytes du patient lui-meme. Zusammenfassung 1Es wird uber eine Blutgruppenunvertraglichkeit bedingt durch Anti-f berichtet. 2Der Anti-f Antikorper wurde im indirekten Coombstest nachgewiesen. Der Nachweis gelang nur bei Ansauerung des Patientenserums. 3Der Antikorper reagierte mit «ff»-Blutproben starker als mit «Ff»-Blutproben. Im Ansatz mit Blutproben der verschiedensten Rh-Hr-Genotypen zeigte er die fur Anti-f typischen Reaktionen. 4Es ist anzunehmen, das es sich bei dem hier beschriebenen Anti-f-Antikorper um einen Autoantikorper handelte, der mit den Erythrozyten des Patienten zu reagieren vermochte.
Repeated Randomization and Matching in Multi‐Arm Trials

Cluster randomized trials with relatively few clusters have been widely used in recent years for evaluation of health-care strategies. The balance match weighted (BMW) design, introduced in Xu and Kalbfleisch (2010, Biometrics 66, 813-823), applies the optimal full matching with constraints technique to a prospective randomized design with the aim of minimizing the mean squared error (MSE) of the treatment effect estimator. This is accomplished through consideration of M independent randomizations of the experimental units and then selecting the one which provides the most balance evaluated by matching on the estimated propensity scores. Often in practice, clinical trials may involve more than two treatment arms and multiple treatment options need to be evaluated. Therefore, we consider extensions of the BMW propensity score matching method to allow for studies with three or more arms. In this article, we propose three approaches to extend the BMW design to clinical trials with more than two arms and evaluate the property of the extended design in simulation studies.
Direct least-squares estimation of spatiotemporal distributions from dynamic SPECT projections using a spatial segmentation and temporal B-splines

Artifacts can result when reconstructing a dynamic image sequence from inconsistent, as well as insufficient and truncated, cone beam single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) projection data acquired by a slowly rotating gantry. The artifacts can lead to biases in kinetic model parameters estimated from time-activity curves generated by overlaying volumes of interest on the images. However, the biases in time-activity curve estimates and subsequent kinetic parameter estimates can be reduced significantly by first modeling the spatial and temporal distribution of the radiopharmaceutical throughout the projected field of view and then estimating the time-activity curves directly from the projections. This approach is potentially useful for clinical SPECT studies involving slowly rotating gantries, particularly those using a single-detector system or body contouring orbits with a multidetector system. The authors have implemented computationally efficient methods for fully four-dimensional (4-D) direct estimation of spatiotemporal distributions from dynamic SPECT projection data. Temporal B-splines providing various orders of temporal continuity, as well as various time samplings, were used to model the time-activity curves for segmented blood pool and tissue volumes in simulated cone beam and parallel beam cardiac data acquisitions. Least-squares estimates of time-activity curves were obtained quickly using a workstation. Given faithful spatial modeling, accurate curve estimates were obtained using cubic, quadratic, or linear B-splines and a relatively rapid time sampling during initial tracer uptake. From these curves, kinetic parameters were estimated accurately for noiseless data and with some bias for noisy data. A preliminary study of spatial segmentation errors showed that spatial model mismatch adversely affected quantitative accuracy, but also resulted in structured errors (projected model versus raw data) that were easily detected in the authors' simulations. This suggests iterative refinement of the spatial model to reduce structured errors as an area of future research.
Expression, Purification and Characterization of the Rat Luteal 20α-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase1

The enzyme, rat ovarian 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20αHSD), plays a central role in luteolysis and parturition. It catalyzes the reduction of progesterone, leading to the formation of progestationally inactive steroid, 20α-hydroxypregn-4-ene-3-one (20α-hydroxyprogesterone). Recently, we reported the cloning, sequencing, and deduced amino acid sequence of the rat luteal 20αHSD. To further investigate whether phosphorylation and/or glycosylation affect the activity of 20αHSD and to study its kinetic and biochemical properties, we established both bacterial and insect expression systems for obtaining large quantities of enzyme. The recombinant (rec) 20αHSD expressed as glutathione-S-transferase-20αHSD fusion protein was purified from bacterial lysates by affinity binding to glutathione-Sepharose beads followed by thrombin digestion, whereas the rec enzyme expressed in baculovirus-insect cell system was purified to apparent homogeneity by ion exchange chromatography, followed by dye affinity chromatogr...
After the helicopter is gone: Investigating anomalies in stream-axis em data from the Colorado River, Texas

Ongoing investigations of salinization along the upper Colorado River, Texas present an opportunity to integrate results from a stream-axis airborne geophysical survey, well drilling and sampling, and groundand borehole-geophysical surveys. Airborne electromagnetic induction (EM) measurements along 437 km of river and tributary stream axes identifi ed discrete salinized streambed segments, including several near oil fi elds. An initial round of monitor wells verifi ed groundwater salinization in one of the oil fi elds, but did not adequately delineate salinization nor identify specifi c salinity source areas. Subsequent ground and borehole geophysical surveys complemented airborne EM and well data by establishing lateral and vertical salinization bounds, discovering possible salinity source areas, and determining optimal locations for additional monitor wells.
Interactive effects of external manganese, the toxic metals copper and zinc, and light in controlling cellular manganese and growth in a coastal diatom

Manganese is a fundamental component of the photosystem 11 reaction center, and thus its requirement should be linked to light utilization. High levels of Cu and Zn antagonize Mn nutrition by inhibiting cellular Mn uptake. Experiments were conducted to examine the interactive effects of Mn, the toxic metals Cu and Zn, and light on cellular Mn, chlorophyll a (Chl a), and specific growth rate in Thalassiosiru pseudonana. Cu and Zn inhibition of growth rate occurred only at. low Mn ion concentrations, an effect that was independent of light intensity and was totally accounted for by inhibition of Mn uptake by these metals. Cells grown at growth-limiting low light intensities contained high levels of Mn and Chl a, which are needed for the synthesis of additional photosynthetic units during low-light acclimation. This additional Mn was not provided by higher cellular Mn uptake rates, since these rates were the same in light-saturated and light-limited cells. However, because steady-state cell Mn is equal to the uptake rate divided by the specific growth rate, the cells were able to accumulate the additional Mn needed for acclimation once light limitation caused growth rate to decline, a inherent negative feedback relation. In seawater, Mn and Cu may interact with light in controlling algal growth rate, since the free ion concentration of both metals is influenced by iight within the euphotic zone.
Adaptation of Bulk Constitutive Equations to Insoluble Monolayer Collapse at the Air-Water Interface

A constitutive equation based on stress-strain models of bulk solids was adapted to relate the surface pressure, compression rate, and temperature of an insoluble monolayer of monodendrons during collapse at the air-water interface. A power law relation between compression rate and surface pressure and an Arrhenius temperature dependence of the steady-state creep rate were observed in data from compression rate and creep experiments in the collapse region. These relations were combined into a single constitutive equation to calculate the temperature dependence of the collapse pressure with a maximum error of 5 percent for temperatures ranging from 10° to 25°C.
Student reflections on peer reviewing solutions to Model-Eliciting Activities

A double-blind peer review process is embedded in the implementation of Model-Eliciting Activities - a type of open-ended problem used in a large first-year engineering course. Students conduct the peer review along three dimensions: Mathematical Model, Re-usability & Modifiability, and Audience (Share-ability). Classmates bring to bear both their own solution development experience as well as their own educational and personal backgrounds when providing feedback to their peers. In this paper, we examine the results of a reflection instrument used to investigate how students felt about their ability to provide reviews along the three rubric dimensions across three MEAs implemented in a single semester. Further we exam the results of a second instrument that is used by student teams to provide feedback to their reviewers on the quality of the reviews received.
Early use of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor after brachytherapy restores and preserves erectile function

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the early use of phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDEIs) after brachytherapy (BT) is associated with better erectile function, as of men potent before BT 38-70% have erectile dysfunction afterward. PATIENTS AND METHODS We evaluated a prospectively created database of 2500 patients who had had BT at our institution since 1992. We measured baseline age, cancer stage, Gleason grade, prostate specific antigen (PSA) level at diagnosis, implant type, use of neoadjuvant and adjuvant hormonal suppression therapy, use of external beam radiotherapy in conjunction with interstitial therapy, and follow-up PSA levels. Men were stratified by their use of PDEIs at 1 year after implantation (late group). We excluded all men who did not have baseline Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) scores and at least one follow-up SHIM score; the latter were obtained at 6-month intervals after BT. Data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS In all, 210 men met the inclusion criteria; 85 began using PDEIs within a year of BT, and 125 started after a year. The mean time to PDEI use was 191 days in the early and 595 days in the late group. The median age was 62 years in the early and 63 years in the late group (P = 0.02). Baseline Gleason scores did not differ, nor did PSA levels between the groups. Of men in the early group, 48% received neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant hormonal suppression therapy, vs half of men in the late group. Baseline SHIM scores were not significantly different, nor were scores at the first two follow-up assessments, but the scores at 18-36 months after BT were significantly different. CONCLUSION The early use of PDEIs after BT is associated with a significant improvement in and maintenance of erectile function compared with late use. Men undergoing BT should be encouraged to use PDEIs early after implantation, to preserve erectile function.
Distributed power controlled medium access control for ad-hoc wireless networks

We develop and investigate a new medium access control (MAC) algorithm and protocol for ad-hoc wireless networks that employs power control spatial-reuse scheduling techniques. We. introduce a novel interference graph (the power-based interference graph), whose independence and chromatic numbers provide fundamental bounds for the integrated scheduling-power control problem. Based on the properties of the power-based interference graph, we develop two distributed algorithms (the distributed power controlled scheduling algorithms, DPCSs), which merely utilize the local information in the process of time slot allocation and power control. We show that both algorithms lead to a significant increase in the network throughput level through-spatial reuse of the communications resources while (Pareto) optimizing the power consumption.
Supportive Parenting Moderates the Effect of Discrimination upon Anger, Hostile View of Relationships, and Violence among African American Boys

Studies have shown that exposure to discrimination increases the probability that African American adolescents will engage in delinquent behavior, especially acts of violence. The present study extended this research by examining the extent to which supportive parenting buffers a youth from these deleterious consequences of discrimination. Analyses based upon two waves of data from a sample of 332 African American adolescent males and their caretakers supported this hypothesis. Further the results indicated that there are two avenues whereby supportive parenting reduces the probability that discrimination will lead to violence. First, supportive parenting decreases the chances that discrimination will lead to anger and a hostile view of relationships. Second, supportive parenting lowers the risk that anger or a hostile view of relationships, when they develop, will result in violence.
A modified cross-correlation method for system identification of power converters with digital control

For digitally controlled switching power converters, on-line system identification can be used to assess the system dynamic responses and stability margins. This paper presents a modified correlation method for system identification of power converters with digital control. By injecting a multiperiod pseudo random binary signal (PRBS) to the control input of a power converter, the system frequency response can be derived by cross-correlation of the input signal and the sensed output signal. Compared to the conventional cross-correlation method, averaging the cross-correlation over multiple periods of the injected PRBS can significantly improve the identification results in the presence of PRBS-induced artifacts, switching and quantization noises. An experimental digitally controlled forward converter with an FPGA-based controller is used to demonstrate accurate and effective identification of the converter control-to-output response.
Composing college and career : mobility, complexity and agency at the nexus of high school, college and work.

v INTRODUCTION 1 Location and Intervention 6 Chapter Summaries 8 CHAPTER I: FRAMING MOBILE LITERACIES: READING-WRITING AS MOBILE PRACTICE 14 Key Terms for Mobile Practice 17 Space-Time and Movement: Assumptions and Alternatives 21 Becomings of Places and Agencies 36 CHAPTER II: IMAGINED MOBILITIES IN COMPOSITION STUDIES 42 A Narrative of Cognitive Mobility 45 A Narrative of Social Mobility 51 A Narrative of College and Career Mobility 58 Toward a Mobile Methodology for Composition Studies 66 CHAPTER III: PROJECTIONS OF IM(MOBILITY) AT THE NEXUS OF HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE 87 Pathways to Prosperity 90
Length of Residence and Vehicle Ownership in Relation to Physical Activity Among U.S. Immigrants

Physical activity among U.S. immigrants over time is not well understood. Transportation may affect this trajectory. Using a survey of documented immigrants (N = 7240), we performed simple, then multivariable logistic regression to calculate ORs and 95 % CIs between length of residence (LOR) and both light-to-moderate (LPA) and vigorous (VPA) activity. We adjusted for demographic variables, then vehicle ownership to assess changes in ORs. Compared to new arrivals, all four LOR time-intervals were associated with lower odds of LPA and higher odds of VPA in simple analysis. All ORs for LPA remained significant after including demographics, but only one remained significant after adding vehicle ownership. Two ORs for VPA remained significant after including demographics and after adding vehicle ownership. Immigrants lower their light-to-moderate activity the longer they reside in the U.S., partly from substituting driving for walking. Efforts to maintain walking for transportation among immigrants are warranted.
IRA and Keogh Assets

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are a critically important component of the assets that will be available to fund retirees' expenses. This paper examines the level of assets in these accounts, the types of financial institutions in which they are held, the breakdown of the assets into Keogh and various IRA types, tax deductible contributions to the plans, and the percentage of Americans age 21 and older who have one of these accounts.
International Judicialization in the Arab World: An Initial Assessment

Over the past 20 years, international judicialization — that is, the increasing creation and use of international judicial bodies — has attracted much scholarly attention. Yet despite the concerted effort of growing numbers of scholars from an expanding and disparate number of fields (e.g. law, political science, history, philosophy, sociology) there are still significant gaps in knowledge on the factors leading to success or checks to international judicialization.One of the least-studied areas of international judicialization is the Arab world. Although reaching most of the globe, international judicialization has mostly left unaffected this large and critical area, which is populated by more than 360 million people and quickly growing. Arab countries appear relatively seldom before global international adjudicative bodies, and the few adjudicative bodies created, or in the process of being created, in the region have been crippled by significant problems.This paper provides first an overview of international judicialization in the Arab world and participation of Arab states in global international judicialization. Second, it advances some explanations for the factors that have led to the attempt to create international adjudicative bodies in the Arab world and the reasons why these bodies have largely failed to take roots.
Invited editorial on "Lung volume and upper airway collapsibility: what does it tell us about pathogenic mechanisms?".

the pharyngeal airway is a complicated structure combining soft tissue and boney elements that make it prone to collapse when neuromuscular activity wanes during sleep. Anatomic structures form a pliable conduit capable of changing airway patency dynamically to support its respiratory, alimentary,
Bacterial Evasion of Host Antimicrobial Peptide Defenses

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), also known as host defense peptides, are small naturally occurring microbicidal molecules produced by the host innate immune response that function as a first line of defense to kill pathogenic microorganisms by inducing deleterious cell membrane damage. AMPs also possess signaling and chemoattractant activities and can modulate the innate immune response to enhance protective immunity or suppress inflammation. Human pathogens have evolved defense molecules and strategies to counter and survive the AMPs released by host immune cells such as neutrophils and macrophages. Here, we review the various mechanisms used by human bacterial pathogens to resist AMP-mediated killing, including surface charge modification, active efflux, alteration of membrane fluidity, inactivation by proteolytic digestion, and entrapment by surface proteins and polysaccharides. Enhanced understanding of AMP resistance at the molecular level may offer insight into the mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis and augment the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and drug design for the treatment of recalcitrant multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.
Congenital Disorders of the Functions of Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils

This review has concentrated on clinical syndromes for which a congenital basis of polymorphonuclear neutrophil dysfunction has been identified. The first clinical syndrome found to be associated with dysfunctional polymorphs was chronic granulomatous disease of childhood. Identification of a cellular defect in oxidative metabolism and microbicidal activity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils from patients with CGD stimulated intense investigation of the function of phagocytes in several clinical entities characterized by increased susceptibility to infection. Other diseases with a probable congenital basis for polymorph dysfunction include Chediak-Higashi syndrome, myeloperoxidase deficiency, severe glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, and Down's syndrome. Functional defects have also been identified in neutrophils with morphologic abnormalities, such as the Pelger-Huet anomaly and the May-Hegglin anomaly, and in neutrophils without alkaline phosphatase or with a disorder of the glutathione system. The evidence for a relation between these cellular disorders and susceptibility to infection is tentative. Patients with congenital disorders of polymorphonuclear neutrophil microbicidal function frequently suffer prolonged infections in spite of appropriate antimicrobial therapy, and severe lesions recur with discouraging frequency. These lesions are usually soft tissue or bone abscesses, and the etiologic agents are typically staphylococci, gram-negative enteric species, or fungi. The infectious disease problems of patients with phagocytic cell disorders are usually quite distinct from the problems of patients without immunoglobulins or with complement deficiency. Patients with agammaglobulinemia, for example, suffer recurrent septicemia or meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumonia or H. influenzae. Septicemia, especially with the pyogenic bacterial species, is unusual in patients with polymorphoinuclear dysfunction. A major contribution of the currently intense investigation of cells from patients with congenital disorders of phagocyte function has been the greatly increased understanding of the molecular events necessary for the normal function of these cells. The role of the oxidative metabolic burst during phagocytosis has been clearly identified as essential to the microbicidal function of polymorphs and monocytes, and the glutathione system has been identified as essential to the regulation of these oxidative reactions. It is anticipated that these studies may lead to practical methods for "stimulating the phagocytes" in patients with increased susceptibility to infection.
Minimally Invasive Surgical Approach for Odontoid Lesions: A Technical Description in a Case of High Cervical Osteomyelitis and Abscess.

Background Cervical approaches to the dens are limited by the presence of several structures, including the spinal cord, vertebral arteries, C1 articular pillars, and C2 nerves. Surgical approaches to access the high anterior cervical spine classically encompass the extended anterior retropharyngeal route, transoral route, and extreme lateral route, each of which has its own pattern of morbidity or complications. Percutaneous procedures to drain infections in this area have a limited yield. Osteomyelitis of the dens is a rare but serious condition that is associated with significant mortality. Patients with cervical osteomyelitis and epidural abscess are likely to have significant coexistent medical comorbidities and are often poor candidates for extensive surgical procedures. A minimally invasive approach that gives access to the entire odontoid process would allow for more aggressive treatments and potentially even a complete odontoidectomy without resection of the C1 anterior arch. Case Description We describe a minimally invasive approach to drainage and debridement of an atlantoaxial epidural abscess and osteomyelitis. Using minimally invasive techniques from a posterolateral trajectory in a cadaveric specimen, we were able to safely access the anterior epidural space, odontoid, and retropharynx. We then performed this approach in our patient who was unable to tolerate a large surgical procedure. Conclusions We developed, tested, and then applied a minimally invasive approach that combined tubular retractors with positioning of the head and neck to optimize the exposure in a patient with a complex abscess that involved the ventral epidural space, odontoid process, and retropharyngeal space. The abscesses were successfully drained along with local tissue debridement without complication. A posterolateral minimally invasive approach is a safe alternative in patients with an atlantoaxial epidural abscess, odontoid osteomyelitis, or retropharyngeal abscess with significant medical comorbidities who are unlikely to tolerate a more extensive surgery. It can also be used for resections of lesions of an oncologic nature and could even be used to resect pannus or os odontoideum, without necessitating an anterior approach or resection even of the C1 arch.
Work duration does not affect cortisol output in experienced firefighters performing live burn drills

Work duration may affect firefighters' stress responses. Forty-two firefighters (38 males) performed either 2 (SWD) or 3 (LWD) bouts of simulated fire suppression activity. Salivary cortisol, self-reported fear and anxiety, and perceptual thermal responses were measured. Cortisol was evaluated using area-under-the-curve calculations (Pruessner et al., 2003). Affective responses between the two conditions were compared using T-tests. Pearson product moment correlations were used to analyze the relationships between affect and change in thermal load perception. Cortisol decreased across the protocol in both groups, and no difference was found in cortisol or affect between the groups. Cortisol decreased (F4,36 = 3.43, p < 0.05) in the SWD group from a mean concentration of 40.93 ± 11.41 nmol/L to 25.07 ± 9.88 nmol/L at the end of the protocol. In the LWD group, the mean cortisol concentration decreased from 42.89 ± 11.83 to 25.07 ± 8.82 at the end of the protocol (F5,50 = 14.77, p < 0.01). Anxiety increased in the LWD (F4,72 = 5.11, p = 0.001) but not the SWD group. Fear increased in the SWD (F3,48 = 14.15, p < 0.001) and LWD group (F4,60 = 4.47, p < 0.01). The present findings suggests a moderate fear load with firefighting, which appears not to be associated with duration of work bout. Examination of more varied work bout lengths may reveal an association between anxiety and work duration. However, the work bout durations investigated in the current study comprise the range of what is practical from an occupational standpoint and the physiological capabilities of the firefighters.
Effects of L-tryptophan load on the metabolism of tryptophan-2-C14 in man.

Abstract Metabolic studies were performed in several patients to determine the effect of a loading dose (1 or 2 Gm.) of L-tryptophan on the metabolism of a tracer dose of (17 to 78 mg.) of DL-tryptophan-2-C 14 . In two patients the per cent of an oral tracer dose of DL-tryptophan -2-C 14 expired as CO 2 was 4.52 and 7.33. These values increased to 24.5 and 22.7 per cent when a 2.0 Gm. load of L-tryptophan was given at the same time. The loading dose did not change total urinary radioactivity appreciably but did increase two-to fourfold the radioactivity in kynurenine and combined kynurenic and xanthurenic acids. Administration of the tracer dose intravenously rather than orally caused an earlier excretion of C 14 O 2 but increased only slightly the total per cent of dose appearing in CO 2 . After an oral dose of labeled tryptophan the activity in serum rose within 1 hour and then remained almost constant for 31 hours, at which time about 6.8 per cent of the activity remained in the serum; after 25 weeks about 0.7 per cent of the dose was present in the serum. A possible explanation of the effects seen with the loading doses of L-tryptophan is that the load of tryptophan saturates certain pathways allowing more of the labeled tryptophan to enter the kynurenine-CO 2 pathway via tryptophan pyrrolase, an enzyme known to adapt to tryptophan administration in other species.
Reticulocyte ripening in experimental anemia and hypoproteinemia; effect of amino acids in vitro.

Ripening time of reticulocytes has been measured in dogs with an experimental hemorrhagic anemia and in "doubly depleted" dogs (anemia plus hypoproteinemia). In dogs submitted to hemorrhagic anemia alone, receiving a basal protein containing diet low in iron, the ripening time is the same as in nonanemic dogs, regardless of the potency for hemoglobin synthesis of any supplementary diet. In anemic and hypoproteinemic dogs, i.e., "doubly depleted" dogs, a close relationship exists between the rate of hemoglobin regeneration and the ripening time of reticulocytes. Feeding a basal nonprotein diet results in a block of the ripening effect; however, if a potent diet for hemoglobin regeneration is given, the ripening time becomes normal. Measurement of the ripening time in a "doubly depleted" dog provides a gross evaluation of the potency of a diet, as it concerns hemoglobin synthesis. The block of reticulocyte ripening in doubly depleted dogs may be lifted by addition of amino acids to the blood in vitro. Only the ten amino acids essential for growth and glycine are necessary. It appears therefore that the block in double depletion is caused essentially by the depletion of some protein factor or factors. The significance of these experimental results is discussed, relative to the problem of in vivo and in vitro synthesis of hemoglobin.
Research of SIP DoS Defense Mechanism Based on Queue Theory

The SIP is becoming the core of multimedia communication network through the IP, based on which the 3G network has been operated in our country. The easy implementation, high destruction and hard tracking against attacking source which are the characters of DoS attack cause the great security threat to SIP. Focusing on the research on defense mechanisms of DoS attacks in SIP protocol, this paper proposes a model based on queue theory to approximately analyze the DoS attack, and then presents a DoS attack defense method. Simulation was taken to analyze the performance of the defense mechanism.
Variable Liberalization

In the wake of the current trend of increasing the number of cores on a chip, compiler optimizations for improving the memory performance have assumed increased importance. Loop fusion is one such key optimization that can alleviate memory and bandwidth wall and thus improve parallel performance. However, we find that loop fusion in interesting memory-intensive applications is prevented by the existence of dependences between temporary variables that appear in different loop nests. Furthermore, known techniques of allowing useful transformations in the presence of temporary variables, such as privatization and expansion, prove insufficient in such cases.In this work, we introduce variable liberalization, a technique that selectively removes dependences on temporary variables in different loop nests to achieve loop fusion while preserving the semantical correctness of the optimized program. This removal of extra-stringent dependences effectively amounts to variable expansion, thus achieving the benefit of an increased degree of freedom for program transformation but without an actual expansion. Hence, there is no corresponding increase in the memory footprint incurred. We implement liberalization in the Pluto polyhedral compiler and evaluate its performance on nine hot regions in five real applications. Results demonstrate parallel performance improvement of 1.92 × over the Intel compiler, averaged over the nine hot regions, and an overall improvement of as much as 2.17 × for an entire application, on an eight-core Intel Xeon processor.
The corporation under Russian law, 1800–1917: Birzhevaia goriachka (Stock-exchange fever), 1856–1870

The whole system [of merchant taxation in Russia] seems most elaborately devised to destroy all enterprise, and to depress as much as possible the spirit of trade, in a country which naturally possesses it in but a very limited degree; and it must be long ere the resources of the country can be properly developed while the government seeks its own aggrandisement regardless of the prosperity of the community, since the protection it affords to home manufactures, by the duty on foreign goods, is effectually neutralized by the expenses attendant upon the sale and manufacture of the home product itself. – Laurence Oliphant, traveler (1852) Having surveyed the intentions of the tsarist policy makers, we must now shift the focus of our discussion from the law itself to the object of the law: corporations and their managers. The efforts of Finance Minister Reutern and his successors to reform the corporate law of 1836 can be understood only in the context of the persistent abuses that marred the corporate economy in the early decades of the reign of Alexander II. It is, of course, impossible to review all aspects of economic development in this period, but several episodes well illuminated in the memoir literature and other primary sources may be cited to show the interplay between the law and trends in corporate development.
Effects of Donor Vitamin A Deficiency and Pharmacologic Modulation of Donor T Cell Retinoic Acid Pathway on the Severity of Experimental Graft-versus-Host Disease.

Abstract Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is the major cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). A combination of genetic and nongenetic factors dictates the incidence and severity of GVHD. Recent studies have identified the potential role of the retinoic acid (RA)/retinoic acid receptor (RAR) pathway in the pathogenesis of GVHD. RA is the active metabolite of vitamin A. Thus, a clinically relevant question is whether HSCT donor and/or recipient vitamin A status affects the development of GVHD. It has been previously reported that recipient vitamin A deficiency is associated with reduced intestinal GVHD and prolonged overall survival after experimental allogeneic HSCT. However, it is still unknown whether donor vitamin A status influences GVHD development. In the current study, we report that chronic vitamin A deficiency changes the composition of T cell compartment of donor mice with a reduction in the percentage of CD4+ T cells. We showed that although vitamin A deficiency does not affect donor T cell alloreactivity on a per cell basis, a decreased proportion of donor CD4+ T cells in marrow graft inoculums leads to reduced incidence and severity of GVHD. Furthermore, our proof of principle studies using a pan-RAR antagonist demonstrated that transient inhibition of donor T cell RAR signaling can reduce T cell alloreactivity and their ability to cause lethal GVHD. Our studies provide preclinical evidence that donor vitamin A deficiency may be a nongenetic factor that can modulate the severity of GVHD and pharmacologic interfering RA/RAR pathway in donor T cells might be a valuable approach for mitigating GVHD after allogeneic HSCT.
Officers and Their Emperor

Parnell analyzes the relationship army officers had with the emperor, which was critical for senior officers because it determined their appointment to or dismissal from high office. Central to this topic is the relationship of Belisarius and Justinian, for which there is much source evidence, but less famous generals such as John, Bessas, and Martin are also considered. Parnell examines promotions, assignments, and transfers as evidence of the nature of these complicated relationships. The emperors prioritized their security first in the form of the officer’s loyalty, the competence of the officer second, and the proper behavior of the officer third. This meant that officers could get away with misbehavior and sometimes even outright incompetence as long as they convinced the emperor of their loyalty.
Presentation of the Mineralogical Society of America Dana Medal for 2001 to George R. Rossman

The scientific career of George Rossman is a work in progress. Despite all his contributions to original research in mineral spectroscopy and despite his inspirational role in the career of many young scientists, it is therefore most suitable to recognize him with a mid-career award. Simply put, to award George the Roebling Medal today would be to risk pre-empting the Mineralogical Society’s opportunity in the future to recognize for posterity all the work that we confidently expect George to contribute over the next decade and more. The Society therefore keeps its powder dry by selecting George Rossman as the ideal recipient of the inaugural Dana Medal. George works on many things, but in my unauthorized, petrologist’s view, the simplest way to characterize the unifying theme of all his work is mineralogy that goes beyond X-ray diffraction and hence incorporates the study of non-periodic phenomena. This tendency is probably attributable to his background in chemistry; indeed, George loves to brag that he never took a course in mineralogy. Hence, when George began working on minerals as a graduate student in chemistry at Caltech in the late 1960s, he may not have realized that spectroscopy was decidedly a fringe activity in mineralogy. Today, however, in part because of George’s role as …
Community Mental Health Support Services in a Special Education Setting.

This paper describes a state- and county-sponsored program that provides preventive and crisis-intervention services in three schools serving severely emotionally disturbed students. Students in th...
A 5GS/s 156MHz BW 70dB DR continuous-time sigma-delta modulator with time-interleaved reference data-weighted averaging

Conventional dynamic element matching limits the continuous time ΣΔ ADC architecture at high speeds. This work introduces a Time-Interleaved Reference Data-Weighted-Averaging (TI-RDWA) architecture that breaks the speed limitation of the traditional DEM decoder. Time-interleaving eliminates the reference voltage settling bottleneck, enabling DWA operation at 5 GHz, while still achieving the benefits of first order shaping of feedback DAC mismatch. The prototype 5GS/s ADC has 70dB and 84dB measured dynamic range and SFDR, respectively, in a 156MHz bandwidth. TI-RDWA improves SFDR by 17dB. The 40nm CMOS prototype consumes 233mW.