cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of celiac disease in cirrhosis and outcome of cirrhosis on a gluten free diet: a prospective study.

Background & Aims Current consensus suggests CD to be a multi-systemic disease that could affect any organ system including the liver. It remains under-diagnosed in the US and its prevalence and management in cirrhotic patients has not been studied. Our aim was (1) to estimate the prevalence of CD in cirrhosis, (2) to characterize cirrhotic patients with abnormal celiac serology and normal small bowel biopsy and (3) to evaluate the effect of a GFD on the liver. Methods A total of 204 consecutive patients with biopsy proven cirrhosis scheduled for an upper endoscopy (EGD) to assess and treat gastro-esophageal varices (GEV) at the Cleveland Clinic between 5/1/2008 and 5/30/2010 were enrolled in the study and followed for 2years. Results CD affects 2.5% of cirrhotic patients and more than twice the prevalence in the general population. Abnormal EMA >1/10 and high hTTG levels >20IU can be used to diagnose CD in cirrhosis. Sensitivities and specificities are 100% for EMA and 80% and 94% for hTTG, respectively. After a GFD, patients with CD showed a return to normal levels of their celiac serology, small bowel biopsy and liver enzyme abnormalities. Conclusions CD is at least twice more common in cirrhotic patients than in the general population and GFD improves liver tests. CD can occur coincidentally with other liver disorders and screening may be warranted during the evaluation of patients with cirrhosis. Abnormal EMA and high hTTG levels can be used to diagnose CD in cirrhosis.
The effects of cold on corneal thickness and on aqueous humor and blood plasma composition of Rana pipiens

Abstract When summer frogs are switched from a normal ambient temperature of 18–20°C to 4–8°C, the cornea undergoes a limited initial swelling, following which a new steady-state thickness and corneal transparency are maintained for days. In contrast, enucleated eyes kept under the same conditions show a rapid, continuous swelling until loss of transparency prevents further thickness determination. Maintenance of corneal thickness in situ is some-what jeopardized by destruction of the central nervous system, or by the elimination of general circulation; but even in the dead frog, the rate and extent of cold-induced corneal swelling in the in situ eye is less than that observed at the same temperature on enucleated eyes. Preliminary results also indicate that the cornea of summer frogs has a greater tendency to swell in the cold than the cornea of winter frogs. These observations, together with previous results obtained on normothermic and hibernating woodchucks, indicate that enucleation of the eye may alter some parameters of corneal function which render the cornea more vulnerable to cold-induced depression of metabolically-dependent dehydration mechanisms.
An Abnormal Audiogram

A 35-year-old woman presented for evaluation of slowly progressive right-sided hearing loss. For the past 6 months, she noted when lying on her left side an inability to hear the television or her baby crying. She also noted right-sided aural fullness and occasional right-sided headache. She had no facial weakness, tinnitus, vertigo, otorrhea, or otalgia; and no history of prior ear surgery, ear infections, noise exposure, or ear or head trauma. She currently takes no medications. Otoscopic examination results were normal. A 512-Hz tuning fork examination showed a left-sided lateralization when the vibrating tuning fork was placed on the center of her forehead (Weber test) and bilateral air greater than bone conduction with the vibrating tuning fork placed in front of her ear canal vs her mastoid tip (Rinne test). Facial motor and sensory function were intact and symmetric. The rest of the head and neck examination was unremarkable. An audiogram was ordered (Figure).
Transient TTP in childhood

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a type of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia that is uncommon in childhood. Adults with TTP have a high mortality rate unless they are treated with plasma exchange. There are few reports of children with acquired idiopathic TTP, and most of those children received some form of treatment. We describe a child with acquired idiopathic TTP who had severe thrombocytopenia and anemia that resolved over several months without the use of any medications. This case suggests that some children with acquired idiopathic TTP might be safely observed without ill effects. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;52:424–426. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Development of kin bias among rhesus monkeys: maternal transmission or individual learning?

Abstract We examined the possible roles of maternal transmission and independent learning in the development and perpetuation of kin networks across generations of free-ranging rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta , on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. We tested predictions derived from maternal transmission and independent learning hypotheses by examining the extent to which variation in the degree of kin bias displayed by individual infants was related to variation in mother–infant interaction and aspects of the infant's social environment. High levels of kin bias in infants were related independently to high levels of both proximity to the mother and to potential social risk. At 25–30 weeks of age, infants displayed degrees of kin bias that were moderately correlated with those of their mothers. However, infants that spent large amounts of time near the mother did not necessarily develop degrees of kin bias that were highly similar to those of their mothers. The extent to which infants developed degrees of kin bias similar to their mothers was significantly correlated with the degree to which they experienced similar levels of social risk. The results suggest that, while intense mother–infant interaction contributes to the development of high degrees of kin bias in infants, the perpetuation of similar degrees of kin bias across generations may depend on mothers and infants having similar experiences with mutual kin and nonkin. We suggest that the perpetuation of kin bias across generations may be viewed as socially biased independent learning (Galef 1995, Animal Behaviour , 49, 1325–1334).
Polypeptide Chains of Rabbit Gamma Globulin

Rabbit gamma globulin has been extensively reduced, and its polypeptide chains separated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 in SM guanidine hydrochloride. The larger H (or A) chains make up two-thirds of the molecule and have a molecular weight of approximately 55,000 each. The smaller L (or B) chains account for the other one-third and have a molecular weight of approximately 25,000 each. The data are consistent with a model of the gamma globulin molecule that has two H and two L chains.
Fair Value and Its Economic Consequence on the Volatility Measures of Earnings, Stock Price and Government Debt Yield

Many banks and commentators argued that fair value accounting was the root caused the procyclical decline in bank assets and capitals, the failures of large financial sector and extreme volatility in financial asset prices during the GFC. Fair value measurements may result in different figures for earnings and capital, both of which are important as buffers against insolvency. Fair value may also convey different messages to the market, either value relevance or volatility, it will lead to different economic consequences in allocating capital resource. This study is an attempt to review the studies of fair value and its impact on earnings volatility and stock price volatility and takes a step further it shows the way in which fair value could potentially introduce volatility into the financial system in particularly a mathematical derivation shows that the government bonds volatility is affected by earnings volatility and its decomposition of fair value and historical cost earnings volatilities. As such, fair value may contribute to a highly volatile market and general investors need to understand the tradeoff between fair value relevance and volatility in making an investment decision.
Acceptability of time out from reinforcement procedures for disruptive child behavior

Acceptability of time out and reinforcement procedures as applied to deviant child behavior was evaluated in two experiments. Clinical cases were described to undergraduate students along with four different treatments in a replicated Latin Square design. Experiment 1 compared the acceptability of nonexclusionary time out (withdrawal of attention and contingent observation), exclusionary time out (isolation in a time out room), and reinforcement of incompatible behavior to treat behavior problem children. Reinforcement of incompatible behavior and nonexclusionary forms of time out were rated as more acceptable than isolation. Experiment 2 examined whether the acceptability of isolation could be increased by altering the manner in which it was presented and implemented. The four treatments included isolation, isolation presented in a contingency contract, withdrawal of attention backed by isolation, and reinforcement of incompatible behavior. The results indicated that isolation was markedly more acceptable when included in a contingency contract and when used to back up another form of time out than when used by itself. Overall, the results suggested that acceptability of alternative treatments can be readily distinguished and that procedures can be added to a particular treatment to increase its acceptability.
Critical role of Kupffer cell CR3 (CD11b/CD18) in the clearance of IgM-opsonized erythrocytes or soluble β-glucan

Liver macrophages (Kupffer cells) play a major role in blood clearance of both C3-opsonized immune complexes and therapeutic beta-glucan polysaccharides. Human Kupffer cells express three types of C3-receptors: CR1 (C3b-receptor; CD35), CR3 (iC3b- and beta-glucan-receptor), and CR4 (iC3b-receptor; CD11c/CD18). Studies of isolated macrophages have suggested that CR3 is the major receptor mediating capture of either C3-opsonized erythrocytes (E) or beta-glucans. In this investigation, the organ distribution and function of CR3 in the clearance of IgM-opsonized E and soluble CR3-binding polysaccharides were explored in normal vs. CR3-knockout (CR3-KO) mice. Analysis of intravenously (i.v.) injected 125I-anti-CR3 showed that the major vascular reservoir of CR3 was the liver, followed by spleen and lungs. By contrast, clearance of 125I-anti-CR1 appeared to be mediated predominantly by splenic B lymphocytes, as only subsets of splenic macrophages or Kupffer cells were found to express CR1. Clearance of IgM-opsonized 51Cr-E occurred rapidly to the livers of normal mice but was nearly absent in CR3-KO mice. Soluble 125I-beta-glucan exhibited rapid clearance to the liver in normal mice, whereas clearance in CR3-KO mice was significantly reduced. In conclusion, Kupffer cell CR3 plays a crucial role in the clearance of both IgM-opsonized E and beta-glucans.
Planar nanoscale architecture for organic thin-film field-effect transistors

A nanoscale architecture for an organic thin-film field-effect transistor is presented. It comprises an aluminum gate electrode, which forms its own oxide in air, placed near a titanium/gold source, and drain electrodes in the same horizontal plane. The gate to channel separation is about 50nm with the channel length also being around 50nm for the best performing devices. Although pentacene is used for the purpose of device demonstration, this architecture lends itself well to any organic or polymer semiconductor as well as the possibility for molecular devices.
Control and belief in the just world: What's good also can be bad

The just world hypothesis provides an explanation for the finding that observers derogate victims. By admitting the appropriateness of a victim's fate, observers may develop a sense of control over the possibility of similar fates. Two experiments investigated the relationship between the magnitude of motivation for control over the environment and tendency to derogate victims. In Experiment One, situational controllability and uncontrollability were manipulated within a learned helplessness procedure and derogation of a victimized stranger assessed. In Experiment Two, subjects completed the Need for Control and Belief in the Just World scales, measures of motivation for environmental control and the tendency to derogate victims. The results indicate that motivation and need for control underlie victim derogation.
Modeling soil quality thresholds to ecosystem recovery at Fort Benning, GA, USA

Abstract The objective of this research was to use a simple model of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics to predict nutrient thresholds to ecosystem recovery on degraded soils at Fort Benning, Georgia, in the southeastern USA. Artillery, wheeled, and tracked vehicle training at military installations can produce soil disturbance and potentially create barren, degraded soils. Ecosystem reclamation is an important component of natural resource management at military installations. Four factors were important to the development of thresholds to recovery of aboveground biomass on degraded soils: (1) initial amounts of aboveground biomass, (2) initial soil C stocks (i.e., soil quality), (3) relative recovery rates of biomass, and (4) soil sand content. Forests and old fields on soils with varying sand content had different predicted thresholds for ecosystem recovery. Soil C stocks at barren sites on Fort Benning were generally below predicted thresholds to 100% recovery of desired future ecosystem conditions defined on the basis of aboveground biomass. Predicted thresholds to ecosystem recovery were less on soils with more than 70% sand content. The lower thresholds for old field and forest recovery on more sandy soils were apparently due to higher relative rates of net soil N mineralization. Calculations with the model indicated that a combination of desired future conditions, initial levels of soil quality (defined by soil C stocks), and the rate of biomass accumulation determine the predicted success of ecosystem recovery on disturbed soils.
Nonlinear single step fuzzy image reconstruction algorithm for grounded conductors in ECT

A nonlinear single step algorithm based on Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) to reconstruct images in Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) is proposed. Monitoring the grounded metal characteristics during the casting process in the Lost Foam Casting process is a novel application for the ECT system. Applying traditional image reconstruction algorithms based on the linear sensitivity matrix is impossible for imaging grounded conductive materials. The proposed FIS overcomes the linearity of the system by applying fuzzy rules on the sensitivity areas for each electrode pair rather than using the sensitivity values. Simulations using ANSYS and LabVIEW are conducted to test the FIS reconstruction algorithm. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the fuzzy system to detect, in one step, the size and position of the grounded metal in the imaging area.
Further evidence of the validity of the O'Brien Multiphasic Narcissism Inventory.

This study examined further aspects of the validity of the O'Brien Multiphasic Narcissism Inventory. The current research sought to determine whether the factorial structure of the O'Brien scales d...
Facilities for gamma and neutron irradiations

Abstract We review various gamma and neutron sources and discuss interactions of these radiations with matter. As an application we give a description of the gamma and neutron irradiation facilities at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Sorption hysteresis of benzene in charcoal particles.

Charcoal is found in water, soil, and sediment where it may act as a sorbent of organic pollutants. The sorption of organic compounds to natural solids often shows hysteresis. The purpose of this study was to determine the source of pronounced hysteresis that we found in the sorption of a hydrophobic compound (benzene) in water to a maple-wood charcoal prepared by oxygen-limited pyrolysis at 673 K. Gas adsorption (N2, Ar, CO2), 13C NMR, and FTIR show the charcoal to be a microporous solid composed primarily of elemental (aromatic) C and secondarily of carboxyl and phenolic C. Nonlocal density functional theory (N2, Ar) and Monte Carlo (CO2) calculations reveal a porosity of 0.15 cm3/g, specific surface area of 400 m2/g, and appreciable porosity in ultramicropores <10 A. Benzene sorption−desorption conditions were chosen to eliminate artificial causes of hysteresis (rate-limiting diffusion, degradation, colloids effect). Charcoal sorbed up to its own weight of benzene at ∼69% of benzene water solubility. S...
Auditing disclosure risks of on‐line broker‐dealers

This paper discusses disclosures required of on‐line broker‐dealers, and recommends various internal measures that on‐line broker‐dealers should take to comply with securities trading regulations. On‐line trading is transforming the relationship between investors and broker‐dealers. While the services offered by on‐line broker‐dealers may be different from those offered by full‐service brokers, the differences are diminishing, and both activities are subject to the same rules and regulations. A GAO report of May 2000, revealed that many on‐line broker‐dealers did not comply with disclosure requirements, resulting in complaints by customers who lost money or financial opportunities. As the SEC is strengthening its examinations, this article is helpful to firms that offer trading on‐line to comply with disclosure requirements for investor protection. This article is especially helpful for internal auditors of these firms in implementing internal policy and procedures to ensure adequate disclosures and to mitigate risks of investors’ litigation.
The future of high-resolution electron microscopy

Abstract In summary of the final discussion session of the conference on high-resolution electron microscopy, the prospects for the use of high-resolution imaging and related techniques are reported to be exciting for the analysis of crystal structures, crystal defects and crystal surfaces, but considerable difficulties in instrumentation may prevent rapid progress in some directions. In other directions the limitations imposed by the nature of the interactions of electrons with matter have already been approached.
The autism diagnosis in translation: shared affect in children and mouse models of ASD

In the absence of molecular biomarkers that can be used to diagnose ASD, current diagnostic tools depend upon clinical assessments of behavior. Research efforts with human subjects have successfully utilized standardized diagnostic instruments, which include clinician interviews with parents and direct observation of the children themselves [Risi et al., 2006]. However, because clinical instruments are semi-structured and rely heavily on dynamic social processes and clinical skill, scores from these measures do not necessarily lend themselves directly to experimental investigations into the causes of ASD. Studies of the neurobiology of autism require experimental animal models. Mice are particularly useful for elucidating genetic and toxicological contributions to impairments in social function [Halladay et al., 2009]. Behavioral tests have been developed that are relevant to autism [Crawley, 2004, 2007], including measures of repetitive behaviors [Lewis, Tanimura, Lee, & Bodfish, 2007; Moy et al., 2008], social behavior [Brodkin, 2007; Lijam et al., 1997; Moretti, Bouwknecht, Teague, Paylor, & Zoghbi, 2005], and vocal communication [D'Amato et al., 2005; Panksepp et al., 2007; Scattoni et al., 2008]. Advances also include development of high-throughput measures of mouse sociability that can be used to reliably compare inbred mouse strains [Moy et al., 2008; Nadler et al., 2004], as well as measures of social reward [Panksepp & Lahvis, 2007] and empathy [Chen, Panksepp, & Lahvis, 2009; Langford et al., 2006]. With continued generation of mouse gene-targeted mice that are directly relevant to genetic linkages in ASD, there remains an urgent need to utilize a full suite of mouse behavioral tests that allows for a comprehensive assessment of the spectrum of social difficulties relevant to ASD. Using impairments in shared affect as an example, this paper explores potential avenues for collaboration between clinical and basic scientists, within an amply considered translational framework.
Effects of systematic errors on the mixing ratios of trace gases obtained from occultation spectra.

The influence of systematic errors in the parameters of the models describing the geometry and the atmosphere on the profiles of trace gases retrieved from simulated solar occultation spectra, collected at satellite altitudes, is investigated. Because of smearing effects and other uncertainties, it may be preferable to calibrate the spectra internally by measuring absorption lines of an atmospheric gas such as CO2 whose vertical distribution is assumed rather than to relay on externally supplied information.
Detection of atmospheric pressure loading using very long baseline interferometry measurements

Loading of the Earth by the temporal redistribution of global atmospheric mass is likely to displace the positions of geodetic monuments by tens of millimeters both vertically and horizontally. Estimates of these displacements are determined by convolving National Meteorological Center (NMC) global values of atmospheric surface pressure with Farrell's elastic Green's functions. An analysis of the distances between radio telescopes determined by very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) between 1984 and 1992 reveals that in many of the cases studied there is a significant contribution to baseline length change due to atmospheric pressure loading. Our analysis covers intersite distances of between 1000 and 10,000 km and is restricted to those baselines measured more than 100 times. Accounting for the load effects (after first removing a best fit slope) reduces the weighted root-mean-square (WRMS) scatter of the baseline length residuals on 11 of the 22 baselines investigated. The slight degradation observed in the WRMS scatter on the remaining baselines is largely consistent with the expected statistical fluctuations when a small correction is applied to a data set having a much larger random noise. The results from all baselines are consistent with approximately 60% of the computed pressure contribution being present in the VLBI length determinations. Site dependent coefficients determined by fitting local pressure to the theoretical radial displacement are found to reproduce the deformation caused by the regional pressure to within 25% for most inland sites. The coefficients are less reliable at near coastal and island stations.
Effect of Ototopical Medications on Tympanostomy Tube Biofilms

Objective: Examine how ototopical medications affect biofilms on fluoroplastic tympanostomy tubes. Study Design: In vitro comparison of different ototopical medications against a clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm on tympanostomy tubes treated for 5, 10, 14, and 21 days. Methods: Under sterile conditions 21 tympanostomy tubes were cut in half. These were attached to pegs of two Calgary Biofilm Devices via rubber cement. Device 1 evaluated microbial growth as colony forming units (CFUs). Device 2 evaluated presence of biofilms. Tubes were prepped for biofilm growth, incubated, and stressed for 72 hours. Afterward, one tube per device was removed and forcefully washed. One was sonificated for 5 minutes, serially diluted, and plated for CFUs. Formalin preserved the other for biofilm evaluation by scanning electron microscopy. Next, tubes were exposed to five drops of Ciprofloxacin, Ciprofloxacin/Dexamethasone, Dexamethasone, Ofloxacin, or saline for 1 hour. Afterward, the ototopicals were removed and sterile broth was placed in the wells as a nutrient. This was repeated every 12 hours for 5, 10, 14, and 21 days of treatment. Prior to the last dose of treatment intervals, a streak plate was performed to evaluate for microbial growth in the wells. The tubes were evaluated for CFUs and biofilms at each interval as previously described. Results: Microbial activity in CFUs decreased by day 5 and continued through day 21 for the antibiotic containing drops. Despite treatment, the biofilm was never eradicated and continued to progress. Conclusions: Infectivity of the biofilm is neutralized by antibiotic ototopicals; however, the biofilm will progress despite treatment.
Differences in mortality of black and white patients enrolled in the program of all-inclusive care for the elderly.

OBJECTIVES:BTo examine the relationship between race and mortality in frail community-dwelling older people with access to a program providing comprehensive access and coordination of services. DESIGN:A longitudinal cohort study. SETTING:Twelve nationwide demonstration sites of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) from 1990 to 1996. PACE provides comprehensive medical and long-term care services for nursing home–eligible older people who live in the community. PARTICIPANTS:Two thousand two white patients and 859 black patients. MEASUREMENTS:Patients were followed after enrollment until death or the end of the follow-up period. Time from enrollment to death was measured with adjustment of the Cox proportional hazards model for comorbid conditions, functional status, site, and other demographic characteristics. RESULTS:Black patients were younger than white patients (mean age 77 vs 80, P < .001) but had worse functional status (mean activity of daily living (ADL) score 6.5 vs 7.2, P < .001) on enrollment. Survival for black and white patients was 88% and 86% at 1 year, 67% and 61% at 3 years, and 51% and 42% at 5 years, respectively (unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for black patients = 0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.67–0.89). After adjustment for baseline comorbid conditions, functional status, site, and demographic characteristics, black patients still had a lower mortality rate (HR = 0.77; 95% CI = .65–0.93). The survival advantage for black patients did not emerge until about 1 year after PACE enrollment (HR for first year after enrollment = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.72–1.31; HR after first year = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.54–0.85, P-value for time interaction < .001). During the first year of enrollment, black patients were more likely to improve and less likely to decline in ADL function than white patients (P < .001). CONCLUSION:In PACE, a system providing access to and coordination of comprehensive medical and long-term care services for frail older people, black patients have a lower mortality rate than white patients. This survival advantage, which emerges approximately 1 year after PACE enrollment, may be related to the comprehensive access and coordination of services provided by the PACE program. J Am Geriatr Soc 51:246–251, 2003.
A pH switch in supramolecular polymeric capsules.

A switchable, supramolecular polymer is introduced which is held together through hydrogen bonding and reversibly precipitates−redissolves upon subtle pH control. Precipitating, it entraps and stores guest molecules within the self-assembling capsules incorporated within the polymeric chain.
Forward masking and suppression in the midbrain of the southern grey treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)

1. Characteristics of the midbrain averaged evoked potential (AEP) in the southern grey treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) are documented. This potential reflects the response of neuron populations to both simple and complex auditory stimuli and should have great practical importance for comparative and developmental studies. 2. A slow and fast component of this potential are demonstrated which grow in amplitude linearly with signal intensity but which are subject to different masking effects. Masking is a robust phenomenon for the slow component and is studied in depth. 3. Application of a preceding (forward) masker tone causes a reduction in the response to a tonal signal (probe). Maximal masking effects require a masker that is 0 to +10 dB re: probe level, 10 to 40 ms in duration and separated from probe offset by an interstimulus interval of 20 ms or less. 4. The effectiveness of a masker is studied as a function of its frequency relative to that of the probe. These forward masking ‘tuning curves’ are similar to tuning curves from single units of the eighth nerve and midbrain of other anuran species. Q10 values vary from 0.73 to 2.22. Tuning curves with low or mid-frequency sensitivity show a continuous distribution of best frequencies while high frequency tuning curves are apparently limited to a single narrow range of best frequencies. 5. Two tone suppression experiments using the AEP document the existence of this phenomenon at the level of the torus semicircularis.
Extruded Fiber-Reinforced Composites

Publisher Summary High performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCC) exhibit increased tensile strength, enhanced toughness, and sometimes, a strain-hardening response. The amount of fiber reinforcement needed to achieve this behavior is higher than what can typically be added to conventional cast-in-place concrete. This chapter presents the mechanical properties of extruded HPFRCC containing several fiber types, along and in hybrid combinations. Hybrid composites containing two or more fiber types can be considered to optimize the desired properties of composites by taking advantage of the properties of each fiber. Polypropylene fibers have a lower elastic modulus than the cementitious matrix and a relatively poor fiber-matrix bond, while glass fibers have a higher elastic modulus than the cementitious matrix and a relatively strong fiber-matrix bond. Fly ash can replace cement in extruded composites. Its round particle morphology serves as a rheological aid. It is less expensive and more environmentally sound than cement. Fly ash also improves the mechanical performance of extruded composites, especially those containing glass fibers. The replacement of 70% of the cement, by volume, with fly ash in a glass-fiber extruded composite increases the strength by 10% and the toughness by 50%. This improvement in performance might be a result of an increase in porosity with the addition of fly ash, which weakens the bond strength enough to increase fiber pullout at failure.
Equatorial 150‐km irregularities observed at Pohnpei

First observations of meter-scale equatorial 150-km plasma irregularities outside the American longitude sector are reported. The observations conducted at Pohnpei (western Pacific) with a wind profiling ST radar demonstrate the feasibility of making ionospheric electric field measurements with low cost instruments and also reveal a potentially important anisotropy in the angular distribution of 150-km VHF radar echoes.
60 Prolactin (Prl) Secretion in Long-term Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

The therapy employed for the treatment of childhood ALL is known to cause disturbances in the neuroendocrine control of growth hormone (GH) secretion. Recent data suggest that this is due primarily to hypothalamic damage. Since Prl levels are frequently elevated and diurnal variation is lost when hypothalamic damage is present, we assessed Prl secretion in a group of long-term survivors of ALL. We studied 5 males between the ages of 11 8/12 - 20 5/12 yrs. The patients were euthyroid and had been off treatment for 2-10 yrs. 4 of 5 had received cranial radiation (2400 rads). 2 of 4 irradiated patients had demonstrated blunted peak GH levels (<7 ng/ml) during sleep. Prl levels were determined in PM prior to sleep (q 30 min) and q 20 minutes during sleep. The awake PM Prl concentrations in patients (8.7 ± 1.0 ng/nl) were not different from controls (5.6± 0.8 ng/ml). The patients' mean Prl levels during sleep (13.9 ± 0.7 ng/ml) and mean Prl output (476 ± 98 area units) were not significantly different from those of the controls (9.0 ± 0.4 ng/ml and 333 ± 40 area units). All patients showed normal augmentation of Prl during sleep. These results suggest that the neuroendocrine mechanisms controlling Prl secretion are less sensitive to the toxic effects of ALL therapy than those controlling GH secretion.
Cytomegalovirus seroconversion rates and risk factors: implications for congenital CMV†‡

Congenital CMV infection is caused by in utero mother-to-fetus transmission and is a leading cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities. The highest risk of disability is to children born to women who have a primary infection during pregnancy, which can be detected by measuring seroconversion. We reviewed studies that reported rates of CMV seroconversion in different populations. Among pregnant women, annual seroconversion rates typically ranged from 1 to 7% (summary annual rate = 2.3%, 95% CI = 2.1-2.4%). Healthcare workers, including those caring for infants and children, had seroconversion rates similar to pregnant women (summary annual rate = 2.3%, 95% CI = 1.9-2.9%). Among day-care providers, seroconversion rates ranged from 0 to 12.5% (summary annual rate = 8.5%, 95% CI = 6.1-11.6%). Parents whose child was not shedding CMV were much less likely to seroconvert (summary annual rate = 2.1%, 95% CI = 0.3-6.8%) than were parents who had a child shedding CMV (summary annual rate = 24%, 95% CI = 18-30%). Nevertheless, over the course of a year, most parents exposed to a CMV-shedding child do not become infected. Other groups with elevated risk included families with a CMV-shedding member, female minority adolescents and women attending sexually transmitted disease clinics. The relatively low rate of CMV seroconversion in most populations is encouraging for behavioural interventions and for vaccine strategies attempting to prevent infection during pregnancy.
Decentralized modular diagnosis of concurrent discrete event systems

The problem of decentralized modular fault diagnosis of concurrent discrete event systems, that is composed of a set of component modules, is formulated and studied. In the proposed decentralized modular framework, diagnosis is performed by the local diagnosers, located at the component sites, using their own local observations. This is to ensure the scalability of the approach with respect to the number of component modules, and we require that the local diagnosers be ldquomodularly computablerdquo, i.e., their computation should be based on the local models, and not the global models. It is also required that there are no missed-detections (every fault is detected within a bounded number of transitions) and no false-alarms (a fault detection report is issued only when a fault has occurred). We formally define the decentralized modular diagnosis problem and introduce the notion of modular diagnosability as a key property for the existence of desired decentralized modular diagnosers. We show that under this property, the complexity for constructing the local diagnosers is polynomial in the number of local modules. We present a method for testing the modular diagnosability property by reducing it to an instance of a certain codiagnosability property for which known verification techniques exist.
VIZMO++: a visualization, authoring, and educational tool for motion planning

Comprehension of concepts and algorithms involved in the robotics field can be improved through the use of an interactive visualization tool. In this paper we present an interactive tool for visualizing and editing motion planning environments, problem instances, and their solutions. Teachers can take advantage of visualization tools to help their students to better understand motion planning and its complexity as well as the different strategies that have been developed to solve the motion planning problem. While the tool we present allows the animation, manipulation, and evaluation of solution paths found by any motion planner, it is specialized for sampling-based randomized planners such as probabilistic roadmap (PRM) and rapidly-exploring random tree (RRT) methods
Some alternate models for nearly constant loss in conductive systems

The qualitative serial-response approach recently suggested by Le\'on, Rivera, and co-authors for describing nearly constant loss (NCL) in conductive systems proposes that NCL arises entirely from vibrating ions confined in cages by potential barriers. Their identification of the cage potential-well activation energy as that of single ions and also as that of the thermally activated crossover between hopping and NCL behavior is inconsistent with prior identification of the single-ion energy in the Ngai coupling model, casting doubt on the physical basis of the serial approach. Its authors suggested that their experimental data, showing hopping and NCL behavior, could not be described by means of a parallel (sum) combination of expressions describing these two processes. Here, using essentially exact synthetic data of the same character as the experimental frequency-response data of these authors, it is demonstrated that either a parallel or a series complex constant-phase response element (CPE) can lead to NCL results similar to theirs with a crossover between hopping and NCL response not of exact Arrhenius form. A plausible alternate to the serial NCL model is discussed. It involves a quantitative parallel CPE model that identifies NCL frequency response as being primarily a bulk-dielectric phenomenon arising from interactions between oscillating mobile charge carriers and the dipoles of the bulk material.
Identification of SMARCAL1 as a Component of the DNA Damage Response

SMARCAL1 (also known as HARP) is a SWI/SNF family protein with an ATPase activity stimulated by DNA containing both single-stranded and double-stranded regions. Mutations in SMARCAL1 are associated with the disease Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia, a multisystem autosomal recessive disorder characterized by T cell immunodeficiency, growth inhibition, and renal dysfunction. The cellular function of SMARCAL1, however, is unknown. Here, using Xenopus egg extracts and mass spectrometry, we identify SMARCAL1 as a protein recruited to double-stranded DNA breaks. SMARCAL1 binds to double-stranded breaks and stalled replication forks in both egg extract and human cells, specifically colocalizing with the single-stranded DNA binding factor RPA. In addition, SMARCAL1 interacts physically with RPA independently of DNA. SMARCAL1 is phosphorylated in a caffeine-sensitive manner in response to double-stranded breaks and stalled replication forks. It has been suggested that stalled forks can be stabilized by a mechanism involving caffeine-sensitive kinases, or they collapse and subsequently recruit Rad51 to promote homologous recombination repair. We show that depletion of SMARCAL1 from U2OS cells leads to increased frequency of RAD51 foci upon generation of stalled replication forks, indicating that fork breakdown is more prevalent in the absence of SMARCAL1. We propose that SMARCAL1 is a novel DNA damage-binding protein involved in replication fork stabilization.
Precursors bind to specific sites on thylakoid membranes prior to transport on the delta pH protein translocation system.

The Delta pH pathway is one of two systems for protein transport to the thylakoid lumen. It is a novel transport system that requires only the thylakoidal ΔpH to power translocation. Several substrates of the Delta pH pathway, including the intermediate precursor form of OE17 (iOE17) and the truncated precursor form of OE17 (tOE17), were shown to bind to the membrane in the absence of the ΔpH and be transported into the lumen when the ΔpH was restored. Binding occurred without energy or soluble factors, and efficient transport from the bound state (∼80–90%) required only the ΔpH. Binding is due to protein-protein interactions because protease pretreatment of thylakoids destroyed their binding capability. Precursors are bound to a specific site on the Delta pH pathway because binding was competed by saturating amounts of Delta pH pathway precursor proteins, but not by a Sec pathway precursor protein. These results suggested that precursor tOE17 binds to components of the Delta pathway translocation machinery. Hcf106 and Tha4 are two components of the Delta pH pathway machinery. Antibodies to Hcf106 or Tha4, when prebound to thylakoids, specifically inhibited precursor transport on the Delta pH pathway. However, only Hcf106 antibodies reduced the level of precursor binding. These results suggest that Hcf106 functions in early steps of the transport process.
Soil Temperature in the Peanut Pod Zone with Subsurface Drip Irrigation

Maintaining soil temperatures at specified levels (below 29 C) in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is vital to crop growth, development, and pod yield. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems are not designed to wet the soil surface. Possible lack of moisture in the pod zone could result in elevated soil temperatures that could be detrimental to the peanut crop. The objective of this study was to document the response of pod zone soil temperature when irrigated with a SDI system. Thermocouple sensors were inserted at 5-cm soil depth in the crop row and at specified distances from the crop row in SDI and nonirrigated (NI) treatments. Maximum hourly and daily soil temperature data were measured at three locations, one in Virginia and two in Georgia. The maximum daily soil temperature decreased as plant canopy increased. During the first 50 d after planting (DAP), the average maximum soil temperature was 1 to 2 C cooler for both the SDI and NI treatments than the average maximum air temperature. From 50 DAP to harvest, the average maximum soil temperatures for SDI and NI treatments were 6 C cooler than the average maximum air temperature. During pod filling and maturation, the average maximum soil temperature was about 5 C cooler (27 C) for SDI treatments than the maximum air temperature and 2 C cooler than the recommended 29 C. Soil temperature in the NI treatments did exceed 29 C during periods of drought but decreased to values similar to SDI treatments immediately following a rainfall event. Overall, SDI can maintain maximum soil temperatures below critical values (29 C) during peanut fruit initiation to crop harvest.
Intergroup Disparities and Implicit Bias: A Commentary

Despite changing societal norms that are less tolerant of overt discrimination, demonstrable disparities between racial and gender groups remain. The contributors to this impressive special issue document and offer explanations for these disparities in employment and professional contexts, and with regard to disparate outcomes associated with the legal system, and in medical and health care contexts. In our commentary, we examine these aggregate-level disparities and the individual-level explanatory accounts proposed for their existence. The evidence that these papers present is often enough to rule out alternative explanatory accounts, and implicit bias remains a viable account for disparities that, to varying degrees, fit with the available data and the claim that implicit biases are contributing to an understanding of ongoing real-world disparities. As such, we believe that implicit bias research will continue to play a crucial role in understanding and hopefully reducing these aggregate-level disparities in employment, legal, and health care domains.
Friend Turned Foe: Evolution of Enterococcal Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance

The enterococci are an ancient genus that evolved along with the tree of life. These intrinsically rugged bacteria are highly adapted members of the intestinal consortia of a range of hosts that spans the animal kingdom. Enterococci are also leading opportunistic hospital pathogens, causing infections that are often resistant to treatment with most antibiotics. Despite the importance of enterococci as hospital pathogens, the vast majority live outside of humans, and nearly all of their evolutionary history took place before the appearance of modern humans. Because hospital infections represent evolutionary end points, traits that exacerbate human infection are unlikely to have evolved for that purpose. However, clusters of traits have converged in specific lineages that are well adapted to colonize the antibiotic-perturbed gastrointestinal tracts of patients and that thrive in the hospital environment. Here we discuss these traits in an evolutionary context, as well as how comparative genomics is providing new insights into the evolution of the enterococci.
Control Performance Variation due to Nonlinear Aerothermoelasticity in a Hypersonic Vehicle: Insights for Structural Design

Hypersonic flight is an inherently difficult problem because of the nonlinear aerothermoelastic coupling effects in the dynamics. This paper considers how the performance varies for a recent nonlinear robust controller design in the presence of different temperature profiles. Specifically, various temperature profile models and related nonlinear temperature dependent disturbances are used to characterize the relative control performance for each model by using normalized steady-state error as the controller performance metric. This performance metric provides a potential inroad to examine the interplay between structural/thermal protection design and control development.
Plasma Insulin Response Among Nauruans: Prediction of Deterioration in Glucose Tolerance Over 6 Yr

A longitudinal study of 266 randomly selected nondiabetic Nauruans [215 with normal tolerance and 51 with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)] over 6 yr showed that deterioration in glucose tolerance status had occurred in 61 subjects. Of the subjects with initially normal tolerance, 34 (16%) progressed to IGT and 14 (6.5%) progressed to diabetes. Thirteen of the subjects with IGT (25%) progressed to diabetes. Subjects were examined in 1975 through 1976, and follow-up examinations were performed in 1982. After age, a high 2-h plasma insulin response to a glucose load was the factor most predictiveof progression from normal tolerance to both diabetes ( P P P P P P P 7.8 mM.
The transcription factor ETS-1 regulates angiotensin II-stimulated fibronectin production in mesangial cells

Angiotensin II (ANG II) produced as result of activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease via its hemodynamic effects on the...
Multiple Ubiquitin Ligase–Mediated Processes Require COP9 Signalosome and AXR1 Function

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is an evolutionarily conserved multiprotein complex that mediates the repression of photomorphogenesis in the dark in Arabidopsis through the degradation of transcription factors such as HY5 and HYH. CSN-mediated HY5 and HYH degradation also requires the activity of the putative E3 ubiquitin ligase (E3) component COP1 and the E2-conjugating enzyme variant COP10. Recently, it was shown that CSN also is required for auxin responses mediated by the SCF-type E3 SCF(TIR1). To determine whether Arabidopsis CSN is required for E3-mediated processes in a more general manner, we generated plants with reduced E3 function by suppressing AtRBX1, an essential core subunit of SCF-type E3s. We observed that AtRBX1 transgenic plants share multiple phenotypes with CSN reduced-function plants, such as morphological defects and reduced responses to auxin, jasmonic acid, and cold stress, suggesting that CSN is required for multiple AtRBX1-mediated processes. Furthermore, we observed that mutants with defects in AXR1, a protein that had been described only as a regulator of SCF(TIR1) function, also is required for other E3-mediated processes and for the COP1/COP10/CSN-mediated repression of photomorphogenesis in the dark. We conclude that CSN and AXR1 are of general importance for different pathways that are controlled by E3-mediated protein degradation.
Photodegradable polymers: Poly(arylene keto amine)s

Low-molecular-weight poly(arylene keto amines) were prepared from the polymerization of 4,4-bis(chloroacetyl)diphenyl ether, 4, 4′-bis(bromoacetyl) diphenyl ether, and 4,4′-bis(2-bromopropionyl) diphenyl ether with piperazine, 4, 4′-trimethylenedipiperidine, and N, N′-dimethyl-1,3-propanediamine. These film-forming polymers and suitable monomeric model compounds were found to be degraded by photolysis. The poly(keto amines) resisted degradation by the fungi As-pergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus.