cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does the expectation or perception of noncontraceptive benefits lead to higher rates of short-acting reversible contraceptive continuation for adolescents and young adult women?

Abstract Objective Continuation rates of short-acting contraception among young women are low; we attempted to determine if continuation is higher when women expect noncontraceptive benefits at initiation or perceive benefits 6 months later. Study design A total of 243 young women ages 13–24 years initiating short-acting methods in an adolescent-only family planning clinic completed post-visit surveys that included directed and open-ended questions about anticipated noncontraceptive benefits. The study participants were contacted 6 months later. We compared contraceptive continuation between those who expected noncontraceptive benefits and those who did not and between those who reported experiencing benefits and those who did not. We examined the concordance between expectations and reported experiences. Results Six months after initiation, 69.3% of women were using the same method. Baseline expectation of noncontraceptive benefits was not associated with 6-month continuation. The experience of any benefit listed by the patient (odds ratio=2.69, 95% confidence interval 1.1, 6.0) was associated with greater continuation. Concordance between expectation and perception of noncontraceptive benefits was low (Kappa=0.2). Conclusions Women who experienced noncontraceptive benefits at 6 months of use were more likely to continue short-acting contraception. Women who expected benefits when initiating were not more likely to report experiencing them, and many women who did not expect benefits reported them and were more likely to continue. These findings imply that building expectations of noncontraceptive benefits, e.g., through counseling, may not improve continuation and that new contraceptive development should include consideration of tangible noncontraceptive benefits. Implications Although adolescents and young women who perceive noncontraceptive benefits after 6 months of use are more likely to continue, the expectation of such benefits does not correlate with continuation.
The GIS/hydrology interface: the present and the future

Abstract A geographic information and database system (GIS/D) is a computer hardware and software system designed to collect, manage, analyze, and display spatially referenced data, and integrate it with other database information. GIS/D technology is spreading rapidly throughout the hydrologic and water related fields on a worldwide basis. This rate of spread can be expected to accelerate in the years to come as increasing populations, coupled with growing political sensitivity to “quality of life issues” result in new laws that stress orderly, integrated planning between all layers of government. Technological changes can be expected to further hasten the spread of GIS/D's.
The Nature of the Penetrating Cosmic Rays

Geiger-M\"uller tube experiments have been performed to determine the nature of the cosmic rays present at depths of 30 and 300 meters water equivalent from the top of the atmosphere. At both of these depths, the observable cosmic rays are penetrating ionizing rays accompanied by soft showers. The ratio of the soft showers to the penetrating rays increases with depth.
Pulmonary microsomal alterations following short-term low level inhalation of p-xylene in rats.

Abstract Rats exposed to 300 ppm para -xylene vapor for 1,3 or 5 days, 6 h/day, exhibited alterations in pulmonary microsomal membrane structural and metabolic parameters. Following 1 day of exposure, conjugated diene levels were elevated while total phospholipid levels, P -450 content, benzyloxyresorufin O -dealkylase activity and 2-aminofluorene N -hydroxylase activity were decreased. Core and leaflet membrane fluidity, ethoxyresorufin O -deethylase activity and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity were unchanged at this time. Altered parameters began to return to control values by day 3 of exposure except for 2-aminofluorene N -hydroxylase activity, which remained decreased throughout the time course, and core membrane fluidity which was increased following 3 days of exposure. After 5 days of exposure, all parameters returned to control levels with the exception of AHH activity which was increased 41% at this time. Extracellular surfactant levels were also decreased by 1 and 3 days of exposure but returned to control values after 5 days. Initial pulmonary alterations produced by low level p -xylene exposure may be mediated by a peroxidative process. The initial damage triggers an adaptive response in lung tissue which possibly involves enzyme induction and/or cell proliferation. The increase in AHH activity after 5 days of exposure could have important consequences on the metabolism of co-administered xenobiotics.
Advancing Newborn Health and Survival in Developing Countries: A Conceptual Framework

Four million newborns die every year at home, often without skilled care at delivery or any other contact with the formal health system. Improved household practices and use of services, often in the community, should improve survival. We developed a conceptual framework for household and community newborn and maternal care that acknowledges the inseparability of the mother and neonate, yet stresses elements relating to the newborn, heretofore underemphasized in safe motherhood and child-survival programs. The framework identifies five paths that, if implemented well, would generally improve newborn outcomes: (1) use of routine maternal and newborn care and good-quality services; (2) response to maternal danger signs; (3) response to the nonbreathing newborn; (4) care for the low birth weight baby; and (5) response to newborn danger signs, particularly those of infection. This model, balancing preventive (19 routine behaviors) and curative care (14 special behaviors), is rooted in the community, bridges safe motherhood and child survival, and provides a framework for newborn health research, programmatic, and advocacy agendas for developing countries.
Brd4-Mediated Nuclear Retention of the Papillomavirus E2 Protein Contributes to Its Stabilization in Host Cells

Papillomavirus E2 is a multifunctional viral protein that regulates many aspects of the viral life cycle including viral episome maintenance, transcriptional activation, and repression. E2 is degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Cellular bromodomain protein Brd4 has been implicated in the stabilization of the E2 protein. E2 normally shuttles between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. In this study, we demonstrate that E2 ubiquitylation mostly occurs in the cytoplasm. We also find that the interaction with Brd4 promotes nuclear retention of papillomavirus E2 proteins and contributes to their stabilization in the nucleus. Compared to wild type E2 proteins, nuclear-localization-defective mutants are rapidly degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway; however, co-expression of Brd4 redirects these mutants into the nucleus and significantly increases their stability. We further demonstrate that tethering E2 proteins to chromatin as either double-bromodomain fusion proteins or histone 2B (H2B) fusion proteins significantly stabilizes the E2 proteins. Our studies suggest that chromatin recruitment of the E2 protein via interaction with Brd4 prevents E2 ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation in the cytoplasm, leading to its stabilization in the nucleus. These studies bring new insights for understanding Brd4-mediated E2 stabilization, and provide an additional mechanism by which the chromatin-associated Brd4 regulates E2 functions.
Multi-mode noise analysis of cantilevers for scanning probe microscopy

A multi-mode analysis of micro-cantilever dynamics is presented. We derive the power spectral density of the cantilever displacement due to a thermal noise source and predict the cantilevers’s fundamental resonant frequency and higher harmonics. The first mode in the multi-mode model is equivalent to the traditional single-mode model. Experimental results obtained with a silicon nitride cantilever at 300 K are in excellent qualitative agreement with the multi-mode model. The multi-mode model may be used to obtain accurate values of the cantilever properties such as the elastic modulus,effective mass, thickness and moment of inertia.
An application of Shannon's rate-distortion theory to analog communication over feedback channels

We show that an algorithm, due to Omura and Schalkwijk, for transmitting real numbers over a white Gaussian noise channel, is most efficient in a minimum-mean-square-error sense because, at least for white Gaussian sources, it achieves the lower bound predicted by Shannon's theory of fidelity criteria (rate-distortion theory).
Electroseismic Wave Theory of Frenkel and More Recent Developments

Frenkel’s 1944 theory of porous media acoustics is carefully scrutinized. After some manipulation, Frenkel’s equations are seen to have nearly identical form to Biot’s 1962 equations. The only difference is that Frenkel includes an extraneous fluid-pressure gradient in his bulk force balance. Frenkel also makes a slight error in the development of his effective poroelastic moduli that prevents him from being the first to obtain the so-called “fluid-substitution” relations. Outside of these two small problems, Frenkel’s analysis can be considered correct. He limits his treatment of electroseismic phenomena to explain the electric field that accompanies a compressional seismic wave in a homogeneous material. He predicts that the electric field in a compressional wave is directly proportional to the particle acceleration and this has been verified by the recent field measurements of Garambois and Dietrich. However, such electric fields are only a small part of the total electroseismic response of the earth. ...
xM: a graphical user interface for mobile ad-hoc sensor and PDA networks

In this paper we present our newly developed graphical user interface xM that allows us to interface, observe and control Sensor and PDA networks. We introduce the design concepts and ideas behind xM. In particular, we detail solutions to two important issues that arise when debugging and experimenting with our ad-hoc routing protocols: handling different hardware and managing device output. xM is designed to support the developer and researcher in optimizing and speeding up common and often repetitive tasks. The goal of our user interface is to present features, like different network and failure scenarios, offered by our backend implementation in a clear and simple way.
Slow light femtosecond pulses by adiabatic plasmonic nanofocusing

We demonstrate broadband slow light through adiabatic nanofocusing of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on a conical tip. A few femtosecond group delay for nanofocused pulses is found, corresponding to an SPP velocity of less than 0.2c at the apex of the tip.
Asymmetry parameters of the phase function for isolated and densely packed spherical particles with multiple internal inclusions in the geometric optics limit

Since large, homogeneous dielectric particles have positive asymmetry parameters even when they are densely packed, it has been hypothesized that negative asymmetry parameters retrieved with Hapke's phenomenological model of bidirectional reflectance result from a complicated internal structure of planetary regolith particles. This paper tests that hypothesis by theoretically computing asymmetry parameters for isolated and densely packed composite spherical particles with size typical of regolith grains. It is assumed that the wavelength of the scattered light is much smaller than the particle size, and that particles are filled with large numbers of small inclusions. The computations show that it is essentially impossible to make asymmetry parameters of planetary regolith particles even slightly negative by filling the particles with large numbers of internal inclusions in the form of voids and/or grains with a refractive index substantially different from that of the host medium. Asymmetry parameters are positive even for densely packed composite particles with no internal absorption and extreme values of the internal scattering coefficient. Furthermore, they are sharply increased by even modest absorption inside composite particles, by reducing the refractive index contrast between the inclusions and the host particles, and/or by decreasing the packing density. Thus, the negative asymmetry parameters retrieved with Hapke's model need another explanation rather than assuming that they are real and are the result of a complicated internal structure of regolith particles. Besides the opposition-effect term, Hapke's model is nothing more than an approximate solution of the radiative transfer equation which inherently violates the energy conservation law. Therefore, the negative asymmetry parameters are likely to be numerical artefacts resulting from the approximations made in the model.
Church versus state in South Africa : the Christian Institute and the resurgence of African nationalism

This article is an attempt to analyze Christian discontent as it has emerged in South Africa since the decade of passive resistance which culminated in 1960 with the banning and forc ing underground of the African National Congress and the Pan Africanist Congress. Its focus is the Christian Institute and a range of adjacent organizations that have contributed to renewed patterns of African protest.
Surgical Educator Preferences Regarding Key Objective Structured Clinical Examination Topics

Abstract Background. Numerous methods are used for assessing the performance of surgical residents and students. Unfortunately, these same methods are often unsatisfactory. One technique that is gaining increased favor is the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). It is unclear what areas of evaluation might best be included in such an examination so as to optimize its value. Therefore, this study evaluated the opinions of an international body of surgical educators. Methods. A survey was distributed to 674 attending surgical educators; it asked respondents to select and rank the five most important topics from four areas. These areas included 84 topics from History Taking, Physical Examination, Data Interpretation, and Surgical Technique. A weighted score was calculated for each topic by assigning points according to a Likert scale ranking. Results. Among 674 surveys distributed, 243 responses (36.1%) were received; 25 of the 243 responses were excluded, for a usable response rate of 218/674 (32.3%). The five highest ranked topics were (History Taking) “abdominal pain” 29.2%, “breast mass” 10.8%, “gastrointestinal bleeding” 8.5%, “bowel obstruction” 8.5%, “trauma” 7.2%; (Physical Examination) “acute abdomen” 28.9%, “trauma survey” 18.2%, “breast examination” 15.8%, “peripheral vascular” 8.9%, “cardiopulmonary” 7.5%; (Data Interpretation) “chest X ray” 21%, “abdominal series” 20.2%, “CT scan” 19.6%, “mammogram” 10.1%, “cervical spine films” 5.2%; and (Surgical Technique) “central line” 16.1%, “basic suture skills” 14.2%, “bowel anastomosis” 8.0%, “informed consent” 7.9%, “intubation” 6.4%. Conclusion. This survey offers useful data regarding those skills viewed as most important by experienced surgical educators, and offers guidelines for composition of surgical OSCEs.
Unicameral bone cyst of the calcaneus.

The patient was a 21-year-old man, currently serving in the military, who was referred to a physical therapist for a chief complaint of left lateral ankle pain of 2 months in duration, after an inversion ankle injury sustained while hiking. At the time of the initial evaluation, the physical therapist reviewed computed tomography images and the radiologist#x0027;s report, which noted a cystic lesion in the anterior calcaneus, with a small area of communication with the subtalar joint, which was concerning for a pathologic fracture. The patient was diagnosed with a unicameral bone cyst of the calcaneus and subsequently underwent curettage and packing with a multipotential cellular bone matrix containing adult stem cells. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2012;42(1):43. doi:10.2519/jospt.2012.0401
Current concepts of the urinary bladder defenses against infection

There are several important components to the defenses of the bladder against infection. Bacteria intermittently gain access to the urinary tract via nonlaminar retrograde flow in the urethra. In susceptible patients, an infection is more likely to be established than in non-susceptible ones. Anatomic abnormalities and alterations of bladder filling and emptying predispose the patient to an infection. The bladder mucin layer acts as a barrier to infection by decreasing adherence of bacteria to the bladder mucosa. A local immune response produces urinary antibody which also lessens bacterial adherence to urinary tract epithelium. Susceptible patients exhibit a different arrangement or density of receptors for bacteria on their epithelial cells which influences susceptibility. Since periurethral colonization by pathogenic bacteria precedes bladder infection, colonization of the introitus with urinary tract pathogens facilitates access of these bacteria to the bladder and increases susceptibility to urinary tract infections. These components of the bladder defense mechanisms may offer opportunities for innovative treatment.
GENETICAL STUDIES OF QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERS IN PEAS . 1 . A SEVEN-PARENT DIALLEL CROSS OF CULTIVARS

1. Results from the F2 generation of a set of half diallel crosses involving seven pea cultivars are discussed with reference to a number of plant characters likely to be of commercial interest. These characters are days to and node of first flower, mean internode length, number of flowers per node and number of ovules per pod. 2. An outline is given of a series of analytical steps to which the data for each character were subjected. 3. All characters were found to be under genetic control; a polygenic system in the case of four of the characters, the fifth, mean internode length, being additionally controlled by a major gene, In general, the genetic system was of an additive nature, dominance and interaction being of minor importance. 4. The policy of the majority of pea breeders has been to intercross the most desirable cultivars and as far as the seven parents used in those experiments are concerned, this will continue to be the right policy.
Dimensional changes of extended-pour alginate impression materials.

Introduction Recently, manufacturers have marketed alginate impression materials, claiming dimensional stability for up to 100 hours to allow shipping to a dental laboratory for digital model fabrication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dimensional changes of these newer materials after storage at different temperatures and times. Methods Two extended-pour alginates (claiming 100 hours of accuracy) (Kromopan; Lascod, Florence, Italy; and Triphasix; Parkell, Edgewood, NY), 2 traditional alginates (Jeltrate; Dentsply-Caulk, York, Pa; and Kromatica; Matech, Sylmar, Calif), and 1 vinyl polysiloxane (VP Mix; Henry Schein, Melville, NY) were used to impress a scored aluminum die. The distance between the score lines was measured on the impressions at 10 minutes, 24 hours, and 100 hours after mix, and the percentages of dimensional change were calculated. Temperature effects were studied by storage at cold (–9°C), room (22°C), or hot (46°C) temperatures for 8 hours. Results All alginates had statistically significant dimensional changes at 24 and 100 hours (0.69%-6.13%). VP Mix exhibited no statistically significant changes for any storage condition. The Kromopan (100 hour) and Kromatica (traditional) alginates were the most stable (0.85%-2.22% at 100 hours). Triphasix (100 hour) and Jeltrate (traditional) were the least stable (1.53%-4.73% at 100 hours). Cold-temperature storage resulted in the most dimensional changes (1.96%-4.73% at 100 hours). Room-temperature storage resulted in the least dimensional changes (0.97%-1.53% at 100 hours). Conclusions All alginate impression materials in the study had significant changes at 24 and 100 hours in all storage conditions tested.
The natural history and conservation of the snub-nosed monkeys (genus Rhinopithecus)

Abstract The four species of the genus Rhinopithecus (Colobinae) are limited to Vietnam and China, but occupy diverse habitats ranging from Vietnam's tropical lowlands to China's temperate mountains. As a result, the genus displays a striking range of morphological and behavioral adaptations. The geographic distribution of member taxa is restricted, and extinction now threatens all members of the genus. This paper reviews the evolution, distribution, and ecology pertinent to the conservation of the four species of the genus Rhinopithecus, collectively known as the snub-nosed monkeys. Information from Chinese sources is synthesized and made available in English for the first time. As an endangered monophyletic group, this genus merits special attention in biological conservation.
A simple quantitative model of macromolecular crowding effects on protein folding: Application to the murine prion protein(121–231)

Abstract A model of protein folding kinetics is applied to study the effects of macromolecular crowding on protein folding rate and stability. Macromolecular crowding is found to promote a decrease of the entropic cost of folding of proteins that produces an increase of both the stability and the folding rate. The acceleration of the folding rate due to macromolecular crowding is shown to be a topology-dependent effect. The model is applied to the folding dynamics of the murine prion protein (121–231). The differential effect of macromolecular crowding as a function of protein topology suffices to make non-native configurations relatively more accessible.
Heterologous expression to assay for plant lectins or receptors

Heterologous expression of genes for membrane proteins can provide a useful approach to analyze ligand binding and other cell surface characteristics. We analyzed the expression and processing of a barley lectin gene in mammalian cells and demonstrated that this cytotoxic plant lectin could be expressed in a functional state using a transient expression system. The mammalian cells did not recognize all the processing signals on the lectin, and, as a result, the protein was secreted into the medium. The lectin expression studies suggest that it would be feasible to use the mammalian system for the expression and identification of plant genes encoding proteins that are able to bind the Nod factor, a bacterially-produced signal molecule required for the establishment of the legume-Rhizobium symbiosis. A Nod factor-binding assay was developed, and specific sets of transfected mammalian cells were shown to exhibit Nod factor-binding activity.
Time-Shifted Fluorescence Cumulant Analysis in Fluorescent Fluctuation Spectroscopy

Brightness analysis of fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy (FFS) data has been developed as an analytical and experimental tool for studying protein interactions quantitatively and non-invasively in living cells. Real photon count detectors introduce dead-time and afterpulsing effects, which alter the measured photon count statistics. Careful consideration of these detector artifacts in the analysis of FFS experiments is crucial to avoid misinterpretation of FFS experimental data and is especially important for cell based studies, where large differences in concentration introduce various degrees of dead-time and afterpulsing bias. Even with careful and lengthy characterization of the detector, the correction process becomes unstable for large bias values. Brightness analysis based on the photon count distribution or its moments is strongly affected by dead-time and afterpulsing. Here, we introduce an alternative brightness analysis method called time-shifted fluorescent cumulant analysis. The new analysis leads to significantly reduced detector artifacts than the previously used conventional methods, and therefore is an attractive method for cell-based FFS studies. In this study, we demonstrate the capabilities of time-shifted fluorescence cumulant analysis and compare it with conventional brightness analysis methods. This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (GM64589) and the National Science Foundation (PHY 0346782).
Computer simulation of metabolism in palmitate-perfused rat heart. I. Palmitate oxidation

A computer model of the fatty acid oxidation pathway in perfused rat heart was constructed. It includes uptake, activation, and β-oxidation of fatty acids, triglyceride synthesis and hydrolysis, and carnitine-dependent transport of acyl groups across the mitochondrial membrane under pseudosteady state conditions. Fatty acid utilization may be limited by β-oxidation in hypoxia or ischemia but probably not in aerobic conditions. Nonesterified fatty acids bound to proteins are found to be metabolically available. The model predicts that stearate, but not palmitate, can support the highest observed respiration rate for perfused rat heart without supplementation by other substrates. Fatty acids are preferentially oxidized rather than being stored as triglycerides because the cystosolic acyl CoA level is lower than the Km for triglyceride synthesis. It is suggested that feedback inhibition of triglyceride lipase regulates utilization of triglycerides as fuel in aerobic hearts.
Tuberculosis at the end of the twentieth century.

Tuberculosis has once again emerged as a significant public health problem in Western countries. Much of the rise has been fueled by the growing numbers of persons infected with HIV. Co-infection withMycobacterium tuberculosis and HIV has been shown to result in high rates of active tuberculosis, and possibly in acceleration of progression to AIDS. Primary tuberculosis occurs at high rates among dually infected persons, further emphasizing the need for effective isolation of infectious cases. Recent preliminary studies have demonstrated that the survival of persons with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis can be six months and longer, far in excess of the 4 to 12 weeks reported previously. At least seven health care workers have died of occupationally-acquired multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, making control of the spread of tuberculosis in health care settings an urgent public health priority.
Investigating a new display format for CarPlay to decrease impact of mode change inputs

"Mobile integration" operating systems such as CarPlay, Android Auto, and Microsoft Auto allow a mobile phone user to leverage the displays and controls built into a vehicle. As these systems become more prevalent, user interfaces must be designed such that drivers can use them effectively and safely along with the "native" infotainment interface in the vehicle. Currently, the mobile operating system takes over all pixels in a vehicle's infotainment touch screen. This forces users to switch between two very different interfaces if they need to access both native and mobile-based applications. This "mode change" creates possible confusion and lack of visual momentum, which could affect driving and safety. The current paper compared the "mode change" interaction that mobile integration systems are using to a new, "windowed" design. We studied infotainment task and driving performance, visual behaviors, workload, and preferences. Results point towards the windowed design improving task performance, decreasing workload, and reducing negative impacts on driving performance. The impact of these findings and further research is discussed.
Emerging disease modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disease, is thought to be mediated in part by CNS autoantigen-specific T cells. The aetiology of the disease is unclear, but includes genetic and environmental factors. The disease onset often occurs in young adults and is characterised by bouts of neurological symptoms such as numbness, weakness, imbalance or visual difficulties that may not be recovered from. Sometimes the course is more progressive. Since the disease can be disabling, several treatments have been developed that reduce the risk of relapse and progression of sustained disability. Although earlier treatment is encouraged, currently approved disease modifying therapies for MS are only partially effective, administered parenterally and associated with significant side effects and potential toxicities. Therefore, many promising new therapies are under development that target various goals, including immunosuppression, immunomodulation, cell traffic through th...
Evolving a monkey Hanuman, poster art and postcolonial anxiety

Hanuman, simian sidekick to the principal human hero of the Ramayana tradition, has evolved within comparatively recent times into one of the most popular and ubiquitous of Hindu deities. He is revered by tens of millions as their ishta-deva or ‘chosen, personal deity’, and his shrines have proliferated in both urban and rural areas. The visual representation of this deity has likewise evolved conventions that, through the mass reproduction and gradual homogenisation characteristic of 20th century popular art, have crystallised in a number of readily-recognisable icons. After briefly surveying the range of Hanuman's historical representations, this essay focuses on a subset of 20th century images in which the divine monkey appears as afurless, humanised, and (of late) heavily-muscled hero with only vestigial simian characteristics, and situates these images within the context of a number of contemporary trends in popular visual culture. Finally, it attempts to link this new visual convention to a widespre...
Novel Multiagent Based Load Restoration Algorithm for Microgrids

Once a fault in microgrids has been cleared, it is necessary to restore the unfaulted but out-of-service loads as much as possible in a timely manner. This paper proposes a novel fully distributed multiagent based load restoration algorithm. According to the algorithm, each agent makes synchronized load restoration decision according to discovered information. During the information discovery process, agents only communicate with their direct neighbors, and the global information is discovered based on the Average-Consensus Theorem. In this way, total net power, indexes and demands of loads that are ready for restoration can be obtained. Then the load restoration problem can be modeled and solved using existing algorithms for the 0-1 Knapsack problem. To achieve adaptivity and stability, a distributed algorithm for coefficient setting is proposed and compared against existing algorithms and a particle swarm optimization based algorithm. Theoretically, the proposed load restoration algorithm can be applied to systems of any size and structure. Simulation studies with power systems of different scale demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
CmeABC Functions as a Multidrug Efflux System in Campylobacter jejuni

Campylobacter jejuni, a gram-negative organism causing gastroenteritis in humans, is increasingly resistant to antibiotics. However, little is known about the drug efflux mechanisms in this pathogen. Here we characterized an efflux pump encoded by a three-gene operon (designated cmeABC) that contributes to multidrug resistance in C. jejuni 81-176. CmeABC shares significant sequence and structural homology with known tripartite multidrug efflux pumps in other gram-negative bacteria, and it consists of a periplasmic fusion protein (CmeA), an inner membrane efflux transporter belonging to the resistance-nodulation-cell division superfamily (CmeB), and an outer membrane protein (CmeC). Immunoblotting using CmeABC-specific antibodies demonstrated that cmeABC was expressed in wild-type 81-176; however, an isogenic mutant (9B6) with a transposon insertion in the cmeB gene showed impaired production of CmeB and CmeC. Compared to wild-type 81-176, 9B6 showed a 2- to 4,000-fold decrease in resistance to a range of antibiotics, heavy metals, bile salts, and other antimicrobial agents. Accumulation assays demonstrated that significantly more ethidium bromide and ciprofloxacin accumulated in mutant 9B6 than in wild-type 81-176. Addition of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, an efflux pump inhibitor, increased the accumulation of ciprofloxacin in wild-type 81-176 to the level of mutant 9B6. PCR and immunoblotting analysis also showed that cmeABC was broadly distributed in various C. jejuni isolates and constitutively expressed in wild-type strains. Together, these findings formally establish that CmeABC functions as a tripartite multidrug efflux pump that contributes to the intrinsic resistance of C. jejuni to a broad range of structurally unrelated antimicrobial agents.
Energy-efficient computing for wildlife tracking: design tradeoffs and early experiences with ZebraNet

Over the past decade, mobile computing and wireless communication have become increasingly important drivers of many new computing applications. The field of wireless sensor networks particularly focuses on applications involving autonomous use of compute, sensing, and wireless communication devices for both scientific and commercial purposes. This paper examines the research decisions and design tradeoffs that arise when applying wireless peer-to-peer networking techniques in a mobile sensor network designed to support wildlife tracking for biology research.The ZebraNet system includes custom tracking collars (nodes) carried by animals under study across a large, wild area; the collars operate as a peer-to-peer network to deliver logged data back to researchers. The collars include global positioning system (GPS), Flash memory, wireless transceivers, and a small CPU; essentially each node is a small, wireless computing device. Since there is no cellular service or broadcast communication covering the region where animals are studied, ad hoc, peer-to-peer routing is needed. Although numerous ad hoc protocols exist, additional challenges arise because the researchers themselves are mobile and thus there is no fixed base station towards which to aim data. Overall, our goal is to use the least energy, storage, and other resources necessary to maintain a reliable system with a very high `data homing' success rate. We plan to deploy a 30-node ZebraNet system at the Mpala Research Centre in central Kenya. More broadly, we believe that the domain-centric protocols and energy tradeoffs presented here for ZebraNet will have general applicability in other wireless and sensor applications.
Nonlinear coherent optical image processing using logarithmic transmittance of bacteriorhodopsin films

The transmission properties of some bacteriorhodopsin-film spatial light modulators are uniquely suited to allow nonlinear optical image-processing operations to be applied to images with multiplicative noise characteristics. A logarithmic amplitude-transmission characteristic of the film permits the conversion of multiplicative noise to additive noise, which may then be linearly filtered out in the Fourier plane of the transformed image. I present experimental results demonstrating the principle and the capability for several different image and noise situations, including deterministic noise and speckle. The bacteriorhodopsin film studied here displays the logarithmic transmission response for write intensities spanning a dynamic range greater than 2 orders of magnitude.
Bacterial spore detection and analysis using hyperpolarized 129Xe chemical exchange saturation transfer (Hyper-CEST) NMR

Previously, we reported hyperpolarized 129Xe chemical exchange saturation transfer (Hyper-CEST) NMR techniques for the ultrasensitive (i.e., 1 picomolar) detection of xenon host molecules known as cryptophane. Here, we demonstrate a more general role for Hyper-CEST NMR as a spectroscopic method for probing nanoporous structures, without the requirement for cryptophane or engineered xenon-binding sites. Hyper-CEST 129Xe NMR spectroscopy was employed to detect Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus subtilis spores in solution, and interrogate the layers that comprise their structures. 129Xe–spore samples were selectively irradiated with radiofrequency pulses; the depolarized 129Xe returned to aqueous solution and depleted the 129Xe-water signal, providing measurable contrast. Removal of the outermost spore layers in B. anthracis and B. subtilis (the exosporium and coat, respectively) enhanced 129Xe exchange with the spore interior. Notably, the spores were invisible to hyperpolarized 129Xe NMR direct detection methods, highlighting the lack of high-affinity xenon-binding sites, and the potential for extending Hyper-CEST NMR structural analysis to other biological and synthetic nanoporous structures.
Full Quantum Mechanical Simulation of Ultra-Small Silicon Devices in Three-Dimensions: Physics and Issues

The combination of the need for alternative devices and the improvement in process technology has led to the examination of silicon quantum wires for future MOS technology. However, in order to properly model these devices, a full three-dimensional quantum mechanical treatment is required. In this paper, we present the results of a three-dimensional, fully quantum mechanical, self-consistent simulation of a silicon quantum wire MOSFET (Metal Oxide Field Effect Transistor) with a narrow channel (8 nm). A quasi-standing wave is formed in the narrow channel at certain gate voltages as the electron density is trapped in narrow channel. These effects are the result of two competing effects: (1) the interaction of the propagating electrons with the channel dopants, as well as with the dopants in the source and drain of the device. (2) the reflections from the boundaries that form the narrow channel both on the source side and the drain side.
Asthma Exacerbations in North American Adults : Who Are the “Frequent Fliers” in the Emergency Department?

Objective To characterize adult asthma patients according to frequency of emergency department (ED) visits in the past year. Design Adults presenting with acute asthma to 83 US EDs underwent structured interviews in the ED and by telephone 2 weeks later. Results The 3,151 enrolled patients were classified into four groups: those reporting no ED visits in the past year (27%), one to two visits (27%), three to five visits (25%), and six or more visits (21%). The number of ED visits (NEDV) was associated with older age, nonwhite race, lower socioeconomic status, and several markers of chronic asthma severity (all p Conclusions High NEDV is associated with characteristics that may help with identification of "frequent fliers" in the ED. A better understanding of these characteristics may advance ongoing efforts to decrease asthma health-care disparities, including differential access to primary asthma care. National guidelines recommend specific ED treatments then referral to a PCP. Although longitudinal care is surely important, attempts to reduce frequent ED asthma visits may be better directed toward more specific preventive and educational needs.
The organization and mutability of the forepaw and hindpaw representations in the somatosensory cortex of the neonatal rat.

The present study demonstrates that the primary somatosensory cortex of the rat contains a map of the entire body surface that is discernible with a routine anatomical staining technique, the succinic dehydrogenase reaction. The overall proportions of this map are relatively constant from rat to rat and very similar to those reported in previous physiological investigations (Welker: Brain Res. 26:259–275, '71, J. Comp. Neurol. 166:173–190, '76). We found 67% of the map to be related to the head of the rat, 15% to the forelimb, 14% to the trunk, and 4% to the hindlimb. Within the forelimb and indlimb representations, there is a consistent internal organization that can be related to specific peripheral structures (digits or palm pads). Further, damage to either the periphery or the nerves innervating these regions on the day of birth produces disruptions in the normal pattern, but damage on day 6 or later does not. We interpret these results as indicating that the role of the periphery in organizing central neuronal structures during development previously demonstrated for the trigeminal system extends to the entire rat somatosensory system. Comparison of the present results with physiological studies of adult cortical maps after peripheral damage suggests to us that different substrates underlie the changes reported in the adult.
OBESITY IN AN INSTITUTIONALISED ADULT MENTALLY RETARDED POPULATION

The frequency of obesity, as defined by standards based on triceps skinfold, and selected body measurements are reported in an institutionalised adult mentally retarded population. Among 161 adults, aged eighteen to seventy-three years, twenty-two out of 108 males (20.4 per cent) and nine out of fifty-three females (17.0 per cent) were obese. These findings suggest that obesity is a significant health-related problem in institutionalised retarded adults. Although differences were not statistically significant, the frequency of obesity was higher in moderately retarded than in mildly or severely retarded residents. Further surveys are needed of larger samples, along with studies of possible contributory factors (e.g., dietary habits and level of physical activity).
Seed dispersal by woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha) at Tinigua National Park, Colombia: dispersal distance, germination rates, and dispersal quantity.

The purpose of this study was to describe seed dispersal patterns of woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha) in terms of dispersal quantity and two factors related to dispersal quality: germination rates of dispersed seeds and the distance of dispersal to parental trees. The possible influence of retention time, travel distance, seed size, activity patterns, and fruit abundance on dispersal distance was also analyzed. Observations on activity, diet, daily movements, and seed dispersal were made on focal individuals of a group of woolly monkeys at a tropical rain forest in Tinigua National Park (Colombia). Sixty hours of focal samples per month were completed during 1 year. A total of 753 depositions were collected during the study. Each dropping contained seeds from an average of 2.68 different species (range 0 to 9). Collected depositions contained an underestimated total of 50,168 seeds (>1 mm). Given a population density of 30 individuals/km2, the woolly monkeys in the study area disperse more than 25,000 seeds/km2/day. These seeds belong to 112 different plant species. Germination rates of dispersed seeds are usually similar or higher than those of non-swallowed seeds. It was possible to determine dispersal distance in 264 cases when the focal animal was continuously followed from ingestion at the parental tree to deposition. Only 1% of these depositions landed in close proximity (<15 m) of the parental tree. It was very common that the droppings were deposited between 100 and 500 m from the parent tree, and up to 1.5 km. Higher retention times and longer travel distances were not correlated with increased dispersal distance. Two main reasons for this result were the prolonged and variable passage rates (avg=11.2 hr ± 6.5 SD.) and the circuitous routes of monkeys in this forest. Am. J. Primatol. 50:275–289, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bit-Error-Rate Monitoring for Active Wavelength Control of Resonant Modulators

A new method uses bit-error-rate measurements to acquire and stabilize the wavelength of an optical resonant modulator to an optical carrier wave. This is attractive because it uses the pertinent metric, bit error rate, to optimize the modulator resonance independent of other system variations, meaning it can compensate for system aging and drift even in the heater element itself.
Constitutionalism, Judicial Supremacy, and Judicial Review: Waluchow's Defense of Judicial Review against Waldron

Jeremy Waldron is well known for his disdain of U.S. jurisprudential doctrine that allows courts to invalidate democratically enacted legislation on the ground it violates certain fundamental constitutional (and quasi-moral) rights. He believes that where disagreement on the relevant substantive issues is wide spread among citizens and officials alike, it is illegitimate for judges to impose their views on the majority by invalidating a piece of enacted law. Even if we assume, plausibly enough, there are objective moral constraints on what restrictions on behavior may be en acted into law, judges have no privileged access to the objective truth and must, like everyone else, rely on their own subjective intuitions and views. Given that judges are hence no more likely than citizens or legislators to reach the correct decision about what morality requires, these disagreements should be democratically resolved. As he puts it, if disagreement about rights is to be sorted out by counting heads, it should be the heads of citizens who have ultimate sovereignty in a democracy, rather than those of unelected judges, that ought to count. In this essay, I consider Wilfrid Waluchow’s response to Waldron’s argument in his out standing new book, A Common Law Theory of Judicial Review, in which he attempts to provide the practice of judicial review with something akin to the foundation that justifies allowing judges authority over the development of the common law. I will begin with a short explication of Waldron’s argument and then consider Waluchow’s objections to Waldron, as well as Waluchow’s living-tree conception of a common-law constitution with content that evolves through a common law approach to reasoning in constitutional disputes.
Administration of Antiserum to Ovine FSH in the Female Rat: Failure to Influence Immediate Events of Cycle1

We have previously shown that antiserum to ovine LH can block ovulation and/or estrogen secretion when administered at appropriate times during the rat estrous cycle (Endocrinology 86: 1420, 1970; 89: 161, 1971). In the present study, an antiserum to ovine FSH was shown to prevent the effects of rat pituitary extract in the Steelman—Pohley assay. This antiserum, when administered to cycling rats, did not block ovulation or estrogen secretion during the cycle in which it was administered. After a single injection at proestrus, it reduced ovarian and uterine weights at the time of autopsy at the second metestrus. Following single or multiple injections of the antiserum there was some histological evidence that follicles in the cycle (s) after injection did not ovulate normally. Multiple injections of the antiserum did not block puberty in female rats when administered starting on day 26. The results suggest the following possibilities: (1) the response in the Steelman—Pohley assay does not reflect the same ...
ar‐Tetrahydro‐α‐Naphthol

ar-Tetrahydro-α-naphthol intermediate: 5,8-dihydro-1-naphthol solvent: 250 ml. of petroleum ether product: ar-Tetrahydro-α-naphthol Keywords: reduction, CC HC–CH; reduction, miscellaneous; lithium, handling of; hydrogenation apparatus
The Role of Anticoagulants in the Prevention of Pregnancy Complications

The role of anticoagulants in the prevention of pregnancy complications, including recurrent miscarriage, late fetal loss, and preeclampsia, continues to be an area of active research and debate. Although prophylactic anticoagulation with heparin and aspirin is considered the standard of care in some conditions, such as obstetric antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, the optimal management of pregnant women with factor V Leiden mutation, prothrombin G20210A mutation, and other inherited thrombophilias without a history of thrombosis remains unknown. Some studies suggest a benefit of heparins in preventing late-term losses but not earlier miscarriages in the inherited thrombophilias. In the following review, we will discuss the recent literature regarding anticoagulation and pregnancy complications and conclude with our suggested approach to the management of these challenging patients.