cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Institutional Factors and Job Turnover Among Music Administrators at the College Level

The purpose of this investigation was to discover relationships that may exist between institutional factors and the job turnover rate of chief music administrators. Data were gathered by means of a questionnaire that was distributed to all full-member schools of NASM. The data were subjected to chi-square analysis by computer through use of SPSS. Significant results were revealed in three instances: administrator turnover and the presence of reorganization of the music unit, administrator length of service and. the presence of reorganization of the music unit, and administrator length of service and the presence of reduction of nonacademic music staff. Analysis also revealed that 77.0% of the respondents were serving in their first positions as chief music administrator and that only 13.5% of those surveyed had served previously in that role during the period of the study, thereby raising questions regarding the existence of a career path in college-level music administration.
Where were the Pan-African mountains? No evidence of 500 m.y. detrital zircons

Abstract Evidence for or against the collision hypothesis for the origin of intracontinental mobile belts, such as the Pan-African, is difficult to devise in view of the complexities of collision sutures. We propose that the simple criterion of elevation, with subsequent deep erosion of crystalline rocks which shed isotopically dateable zircons into adjacent sediments, such as in the case of the Appalachians, may provide such evidence. Zircons from the Phanerozoic sedimentary deposits in northern Africa, collected in Tunisia, Morocco, Sicily and Egypt, have been found to contain radiogenic lead which in all cases lies along primary chords of about 1750 m.y. in a Concordia plot. Evidence in the data points to the absence of any significant contribution of Pan African zircons (about 500 m.y.) in any of the samples, which cover a range in time of deposition from Ordovician to the present. From this evidence we conclude that the extensive Pan-African mobile belts which should have developed great chains of mountains over a large proportion of Africa if they resulted from subduction or collision, were not of that origin.
Mechanisms and selection of evolvability: experimental evidence.

The vast number of species we see around us today, all stemming from a common ancestor, clearly demonstrates the capacity of organisms to adapt to new environments. Understanding the underlying basis of differences in the capacity of genotypes to adapt – that is, their evolvability – has become a major research field. Several mechanisms have been demonstrated to influence evolvability, including differences in mutation rate, mutational robustness, and some kinds of gene interactions. However, the benefits of increased evolvability are indirect, so that the conditions required for selection of evolvability traits are expected to be more limited than for traits that confer immediately beneficial phenotypes. Moreover, just because a trait can affect evolvability does not mean that it actually does so in a particular environment. Instead, some other function of the trait may better explain its success. Nevertheless, there is accumulating experimental evidence that some traits can increase the evolvability of a genotype and that these traits do influence evolutionary outcomes. We discuss recent theory and experiments that demonstrate the potential for traits that influence evolvability to arise and be selected.
New deoxygenative transformations; reactions of (CO)4Fe[Si(CH3)3]2 with acyclic ethers

Abstract The reaction of cis -(CO) 4 Fe[Si(CH 3 ) 3 ] 2 (I) with CH 3 OSi(CH 3 ) 3 and C 6 H 5 CH 2 -OSi(CH 3 ) 3 at 80°C affords good yields of [(CH 3 ) 3 Si] 2 O and the deoxygenation products RSi(CH 3 ) 3 (R  CH 3 , C 6 H 5 CH 2 ). These reactions are proposed to occur via (CO) 4 Fe(R)Si(CH 3 ) 3 intermediates. This is supported by the observed formation of cis -(CO) 4 Fe(CH 3 )Si(CH 3 ) 3 (II) during the more rapid reaction of I with (CH 3 ) 2 O; subsequent (CH 3 ) 4 Si elimination occurs. With (C 6 H 5 CH 2 ) 2 O, I reacts at 80°C to yield C 6 H 5 CH 2 Si(CH 3 ) 3 and C 6 H 5 CH 2 OSi(CH 3 ) 3 as primary products. With C 6 H 5 CH 2 OCH 3 , I effects regioselective benzyloxygen bond cleavage.
Dislocation density reduction in multicrystalline silicon solar cell material by high temperature annealing

We propose and demonstrate a method to remove performance-limiting dislocations from multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar cell material, appropriate for wafers or bricks. Dislocation density reductions of >95% are achieved in commercial mc-Si via high temperature annealing with an impurity diffusion barrier, with controlled ambient and time-temperature profiles. The dislocation density reduction follows temperature-dependent models developed by Kuhlmann [Proc. Phys. Soc., London, Sect. A 64, 140 (1951)] and Nes [Acta Metall. Mater. 43, 2189 (1995)]. It is believed that higher annealing temperatures (>1170 °C) allow dislocation movement unconstrained by crystallographic glide planes, leading to dislocation annihilation within minutes.
Lineage analysis in the chicken inner ear shows differences in clonal dispersion for epithelial, neuronal, and mesenchymal cells.

The epithelial components of the vertebrate inner ear and its associated ganglion arise from the otic placode. The cell types formed include neurons, hair-cell mechanoreceptors, supporting cells, secretory cells that make endolymphatic fluid or otolithic membranes, and simple epithelial cells lining the fluid-filled cavities. The epithelial sheet is surrounded by an inner layer of connective and vascular tissues and an outer capsule of bone. To explore the mechanisms of cell fate specification in the ear, retrovirus-mediated lineage analysis was performed after injecting virus into the chicken otocyst on embryonic days 2.5-5.5. Because lineage analysis might reveal developmental compartments, an effort was made to study clonal dispersion by sampling infected cells from different parts of the same ear, including the auditory ganglion, cochlea, saccule, utricle, and semicircular canals. Lineage relationships were confirmed for 75 clones by amplification and sequencing of a variable DNA tag carried by each virus. While mesenchymal clones could span different structural parts of the ear, epithelial clones did not. The circumscribed epithelial clones indicated that their progenitors were not highly migratory. Ganglion cell clones, in contrast, were more dispersed. There was no evidence for a common lineage between sensory cells and their associated neurons, a prediction based on a proposal that the ear sensory organs and fly mechanosensory organs are evolutionarily homologous. As expected, placodal derivatives were unrelated to adjacent mesenchymal cells or to nonneuronal cells of the ganglion. Within the otic capsule, fibroblasts and cartilage cells could be related by lineage.
Interaction of the Debt Agency Problems and Optimal Capital Structure: Theory and Evidence

Does more leverage always worsen the debt agency problem? This paper presents a unified analysis that accounts for both risk-shifting and under-investment debt agency problems. For firms with positive marginal volatility of investment (defined as the change in cash flow volatility corresponding to a change of investment scale), equity holders' risk-shifting incentive will mitigate the under-investment problem. This implies that, contrary to conventional views, the total agency cost of debt does not uniformly increase with leverage. This model further predicts that, for high-growth firms in which the under-investment problem is severe, the optimal debt ratio is positively related to the marginal volatility of investment. Empirical results support this prediction.
Atherosclerosis in familial lines of pigeons fed exogenous cholesterol.

Abstract Exogenous cholesterol was fed to Fl pigeons of high and low serum cholesterol differentiated lines of White Carneau and Racing Homer pigeons that had previously been developed by selection and positive assortive mating. The serum cholesterol response of the various high and low lines was dependent upon the breed and the amount of cholesterol in the diet. Racing Homer pigeons were found to be more resistant to aortic atherosclerosis and more susceptible to coronary atherosclerosis than White Carneau pigeons. Data from necropsy examinations showed significant differences in both aortic and coronary atherosclerosis between lines within the White Carneau breed, but no differences between lines of the Racing Homer breed. Mean organ weights for the 4 lines of pigeons were reported.
Reliability and Optimum Design of the Interconnections of a Power System

A power system is assumed to be a communication network where interconnecting lines are information channels and current flow is equivalent to information flow. Given a set of power stations and cities with current demands, the interconnecting (lossless) links may be unreliable. Techniques to compute the probability of satisfying the power demands and methods of increasing this probability are discussed. In reality, there is a cost associated with sending a flow through a given line. A synthesis procedure, based on linear programming, to design a minimum cost distribution system which satisfies the given power demands is presented. Various extensions and generalizations of the problem are also given.
MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF WORLDWIDE TANKER CASUALTIES1

ABSTRACT Previous research on the relationships between oil tanker characteristics and casualty events suggests that vessel flag, size, and age may be important determinants of casualty rates. These studies have been bivariate primarily, examining one factor at a time, providing uncertain results given the interdependent nature of the factors affecting tanker casualties, such as age and size. This paper describes a multivariate analysis of the relative effects of vessel flag, size and age on the casualty rates of oil tankers for the period 1969 to 1978. Among the findings discussed are: (1) vessels operating under certain flags of registry have much higher casualty rates than others in the world fleet; 2) smaller vessels exhibit higher casualty rates than larger ones; and 3) older vessels appear to be no more accident prone than newer vessels. With few exceptions, these basic findings are invariant with respect to accident cause and accident location.
Cross-sectional variation in the stock market reaction to bond rating changes

Abstract Previous research has found that the stock market reacts negatively to bond rating downgrades and that downgrades tend to follow periods of negative returns, indicating that at least some downgrades are partially predictable. Hypothesizing that the reaction to a downgrade depends on both the implications for cash flows and the degree of surprise, we explore how the reaction to downgrade announcements varies across bond issues. We find that the equity market reacts much more negatively to bond rating downgrades to and within the speculative bond category than to downgrades within the investment grade category. Within the speculative category, the reaction is stronger, the lower the old and new ratings are. The reaction to multiple-level downgrades is not very different from that to single-level downgrades. The market reaction is also stronger if the firm has experienced negative pre-downgrade abnormal returns. Our evidence indicates that downgrades are viewed by the market as providing information on likely future earnings before interest charges, not just likely future interest charges. It is also consistent with Billett's (1996) hypothesis that low rated debt makes a firm less attractive as a takeover target.
Intelligence research at the interface between differential and cognitive psychology: Prospects and proposals

Abstract There seems to be widespread agreement among theoreticians and methodologists alike that new approaches to studying intelligence should somehow combine the differential and cognitive (information-processing) approaches that have been used in the past, and that the combination should somehow enable the investigator to isolate components of intelligence that are elementary (at some level of analysis). Researchers disagree, however, as to how the differential and cognitive approaches should be combined, and consequently, in how elementary components of intelligence should be isolated and in what they are. How does an investigator choose from among the multiple paths available for theory and research? In this article, I propose some guidelines that may help investigators make informed choices. The article is divided into three major parts. In the first, I propose guidelines for choosing from among various methodologies for studying intelligence, and then describe briefly at least some of the methods that meet (or come close to meeting) these guidelines. In the second part, I propose guidelines for the specification of subtheories (and eventually, full-fledged theories) of intelligence, and illustrate how these guidelines can be met. Finally, I describe the direction in which I believe our subtheories and methods should lead us.
The structure of E. coli β-galactosidase

E. coli beta-galactosidase is a tetramer of four identical 1023-amino acid chains. Each chain consists of five domains, the third of which is an eight-stranded alpha/beta barrel that comprises much of the active site. This site does, however, include elements from other domains and other subunits. The N-terminal region of the polypeptide chains help form one of the subunit interfaces. Taken together these features provide a structural basis for the well-known property of alpha-complementation. Catalytic activity proceeds via the formation of a covalent galactosyl intermediate with Glu537, and includes 'shallow' and 'deep' modes of substrate binding.
Full recovery after severe serotonin syndrome, severe rhabdomyolysis, multi-organ failure and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy from MDMA.

Abstract 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), popularly known as “ecstasy” is a synthetic, psychoactive drug used recreationally for its euphoric and “energy increasing” effects. MDMA has been linked to several severe adverse effects including the development of serotonin syndrome and sudden death. Individuals of Asian descent have been shown to have a predisposition for these severe adverse effects. We present a case of a young Asian-American male who following MDMA ingestion presented with severe rhabdomyolysis (CK 130,350 U/L), multiple organ failure and severe serotonin syndrome with one of the highest recorded temperatures ‘108.9 °F (42.7 °C)’ in a survivor of severe serotonin syndrome. The patient initially received supportive care including ventilatory support; he eventually needed hemodialysis, but went on to make a full recovery within 3 weeks. This case shows and emphasizes the importance of ‘aggressive’ supportive care on patient prognosis particularly for patients on the extreme end of the serotonin syndrome.
Determinants of Intestinal Detoxication of Lipid Hydroperoxides

It has long been recognized that hydroperoxides are agents of cytotoxicity. However, in recent years, it is increasingly apparent that lipid hydroperoxide may play an important role in mediating cellular and molecular events in degenerative pathophysiological processes that lead to intestinal disorders, such as cancer. Yet, surprisingly, little is known of the intestinal disposition of peroxidized lipids and of the metabolic factors that determine mucosal peroxide elimination. The present paper summarizes the evidence for the pivotal role of reductant (GSH and NADPH) availability in intestinal peroxide detoxication. This information will provide important insights into the relationship between luminal lipid hydroperoxides and intestinal GSH redox homeostasis, and is pertinent to understanding how dietary oxidants like lipid peroxides, can impact intestinal integrity with implications for genesis of gut pathology.
How the choice of data reduction can strongly influence uncertainty assessment: A re-analysis of Mn-bath experiments

Abstract The Mn-bath technique is widely used, especially by standardization laboratories, for the absolute determination of neutron emission rates. Understanding the limitations of the technique, and in particular the total measurement uncertainty, is crucial if quality results, fit for purpose, are to be reported. In this work, we show that the way in which the acquired data is analyzed can strongly influence the uncertainty assessment. We take a carefully performed set of Mn-bath measurements from the literature as our example and show that the same data when reanalyzed can be used to justify an uncertainty smaller by about an order of magnitude than was originally reported. This finding should caution all those involved in radiation measurements to critically assess their approach to data analysis and to perform a careful uncertainty analysis taking into account possible alternatives.
Europa's surface composition and sputter‐produced ionosphere

The efficient sputtering and decomposition of Europa's regolith by energetic charged particles produces an atmosphere representative of its surface composition. In addition to O2 and H2 from the decomposition of ice, we show that molecules representative of organics and salts will be present in ionic form at levels detectable using an ion mass spectrometer on an orbiting spacecraft. Such an instrument can also measure isotope ratios to determine surface age.
Hierarchical recognition of activities of daily living using multi-scale, multi-perspective vision and RFID

Research on computer-based recognition of ordinary household activities of daily living (ADLs) has been spurred by the need for technology to support care of the elderly in the home environment. We address the issue of recognizing ADLs at multiple levels of detail by combining multi-view computer vision and radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based direct sensors. Multiple places in our smart home testbed are covered by distributed synchronized cameras with different imaging resolutions. Learning object appearance models without costly manual labeling is achieved by applying the RFID sensing. A hierarchical recognition scheme is proposed by building a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) that encompasses both coarse-level and fine-level ADL recognition. Advantages of the proposed approach include robust segmentation of objects, view-independent tracking and representation of objects and persons in 3D space, efficient handling of occlusion, and the recognition of human activity at both a coarse and fine level of detail.
Why Customers Feel Locked Into Relationships: Using Qualitative Research to Uncover The Lock-in Factors

This research explores the lock-in phenomena in service relationships, using qualitative research to uncover the factors keeping customers in service relationships. We conducted 22 in-depth interviews, with 44 service relationships discussed. Four broad categories of service relationship lock-in factors emerge from the interviews, with 14 specific subcategories. The four broad categories of lock-in factors are relational benefits of staying, switching barriers, obligatory factors, and personality factors. All the categories appear across both positive and negative relationships, although interesting differences in category prevalence between positive and negative relationships are insightful and discussed. In the majority of service relationships, participants mention multiple factors in regard to lock-in, rather than just one factor or category. Researchers in marketing have paid little attention to obligatory factors and personality factors and yet these factors are present in the data in a substantial ...
High voltage electron microscopy of interfacial defects in GaAs

Abstract High voltage transmission electron microscopy has been utilized in order to study possible causes of electrical breakdown at interfacial regions in a n+/n−n+ gallium arsenide pulse generating device. Electron optical examination revealed defects which consist of inclusions rich in silicon and glide dislocation arrays. These defects were observed at the free surface as well as at the epi-epi and epi-substrate interfaces. The silicon impurities probably arise from quartz tubing used in the diffusional processing and are responsible for the production of the dislocation arrays. In turn these defects undoubtedly are the cause of electrical breakdown, and consequently silicon or other deposits should not be allowed to form during device manufacture.
The Unbearable Vagueness of Being

When I consult the literature on the Sorites paradox, I feel like a tourist in a land whose the natives do not try to make me feel welcome.1 The insight, or tolerance principle, that is the basis for generating the paradox is that there are differences too insignificant to make a difference. A single hair cannot make the difference between being bald and not being bald. If it doesn’t make a difference with a person who has no hair at all, then it won’t with one who has a single hair; and so it won’t with one with two hairs; and so on, yielding the absurdity that there are no cases of non-baldness.
Metabolic activation of a pyrazinone-containing thrombin inhibitor. Evidence for novel biotransformation involving pyrazinone ring oxidation, rearrangement, and covalent binding to proteins.

Compound I, (2-{3-[(2,2-difluoro-2(2-pyridyl)ethyl)amino]-6-methyl-2-oxohydropyrazinyl}-N-[(3-fluoro(2-pyridyl))methyl]acetamide, is a potent competitive inhibitor of thrombin that reacts stoichiom...
The Case for “e-Supplements” for Improving Instructional Health: Do they make a difference?

The purpose of this study is to determine if the use of electronic media and digital media (e-supplements) with traditional (face to face) classroom sessions affect final exam grades and course grades. Fifty MBA graduate students (two sections) in a very traditional research methods course had the option to use Web links, PDF files, Doc files, YouTube videos, and other topical resources to supplement and augment their classroom experience. Learning activities were intentionally developed from several important theoretical positions. Results indicate those students who used the electronic media and other sources to supplement the classroom and textbook instruction scored significantly higher on the final examination and their overall final grade in the course (p
Rifampin chemoprophylaxis for household contacts of patients with invasive infections due to Haemophilus influenzae type b

To determine the efficacy of rifampin chemprophylaxis in eradication of oropharyngeal carriage of Haemophilus influenzae type b, we conducted a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial among household contracts of patients hospitalized for invasive HIB infection. Seventy-nine index patients and 400 close contacts were studied; 26.5% of contacts were colonized. The efficacy of rifampin (10 mg/kg/dose 600 mg/dose maximum, twice daily for two days) in eradicating carriage was 52% and varied with age (75.6% in persons >-5 and 27% in those
Research on Defining Regional Boundary of the COREX Melter Gasifier by Using Image Processing

In this paper, a two-dimensional hot model of melter gasifier, in which paraffin and corn are used to simulate DRI, coke and lump coal respectively, has been established to study the regional boundary in this paper. While the whole experimental process is recorded by the high-speed camera, the image processing method is put forward to define each regional boundary. By means of this method, the boundary of raceway, cohesive zone can be obtained quantificationally.
Acyl-Homoserine-Lactone Autoinducer in the Gastrointesinal Tract of Feedlot Cattle and Correlation to Season, E. Coli O157:H7 Prevalence, and Diet

Acyl-homoserine-lactone autoinducer (AHL) produced by nonenterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli species in cattle appears to be required for enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) colonization of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The current research aimed to examine the effect of season, diet, EHEC shedding, and location within the GIT on AHL prevalence in the ruminant. Luminal content samples were collected from the rumen and rectum of feedlot cattle at slaughter in the spring, summer, fall, and winter for culture of E. coli O157:H7 and AHL determination. During the spring collection, samples were additionally collected from the cecum and small intestine, but these samples all were AHL negative and therefore not examined again. To assess the influence of diet on AHL prevalence, 14 lambs were fed either 100% forage or 80% concentrate diets and experimentally inoculated with EHEC. At 8 days after infection, all the lambs were killed, and necropsies were taken, with luminal contents collected from the GIT. The collections from the feedlot cattle had AHL in 100% of the rumen content samples from the spring, summer, and fall, but not in any of the winter samples. No other GIT samples from feedlot cattle were AHL positive, and all the samples from the sheep study were AHL negative. The cattle seemed to show a weak correlation between ruminal AHL and EHEC prevalence. This research found AHL only in the rumen and not in the lower GIT of feedlot cattle. However, it is unclear whether this is because the pH of the lower gut destroys the AHL or because a lack of certain bacteria in the lower gut producing AHL.
Building an automated SOAP classifier for emergency department reports

Information extraction applications that extract structured event and entity information from unstructured text can leverage knowledge of clinical report structure to improve performance. The Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan (SOAP) framework, used to structure progress notes to facilitate problem-specific, clinical decision making by physicians, is one example of a well-known, canonical structure in the medical domain. Although its applicability to structuring data is understood, its contribution to information extraction tasks has not yet been determined. The first step to evaluating the SOAP framework's usefulness for clinical information extraction is to apply the model to clinical narratives and develop an automated SOAP classifier that classifies sentences from clinical reports. In this quantitative study, we applied the SOAP framework to sentences from emergency department reports, and trained and evaluated SOAP classifiers built with various linguistic features. We found the SOAP framework can be applied manually to emergency department reports with high agreement (Cohen's kappa coefficients over 0.70). Using a variety of features, we found classifiers for each SOAP class can be created with moderate to outstanding performance with F"1 scores of 93.9 (subjective), 94.5 (objective), 75.7 (assessment), and 77.0 (plan). We look forward to expanding the framework and applying the SOAP classification to clinical information extraction tasks.
STABILITY OF SINGLE AXIS GYROS IN A CIRCULAR ORBIT

The stability of single axis gyros mounted on a vehicle in circular motion about a central force field is examined for several orientations of the spin vector and output axis. When the orientation of the output axis is in the radial or tangential direction of the orbit, as in the case of pitch or roll sensors, the stability is dependent on the ratio of the spin angular velocity to the vehicle angular velocity around the orbit and the ratio of the moments of inertia of the gyro wheel. When the orientation of the output axis is fixed in inertial space, as in an inertial platform, the equations of motion are of the Mathieu type. The stability in this case is independent of the spin angular velocity of the gyro wheel and is a function of the moment of inertia ratio of the wheel, the angular velocity of the vehicle around the orbit, and the desired orentation of the spin velocity vector.
Response of epithelial and mesenchymal cells to culture on basement lamella observed by scanning microscopy

The basement lamella of Xenopus tadpole skin has been viewed in situ by scanning microscopy, then isolated by trypsin treatment and used as a substrate for cell culture. The basal lamina may also be viewed after EDTA treatment. Responses of epithelial and mesenchymal cells to the lamella have been compared. Mesenchymal cells from chick skin and heart ventricle flatten and attach between the plies of the lamella, then infiltrate it. Myoblasts appear to move less readily within the lamella. Embryonic Xenopus skin epithelium spreads over the surface. Isolated chick skin epithelial cells first begin to spread, then round up and eventually attach to each other in clusters which form a flat basal surface above the lamella. Thus epithelial and mesenchymal cells cultured on this isolated extracellular material mimic aspects of normal tissue organization.
Ethanol-elicited alterations in the oligomycin sensitivity and structural stability of the mitochondrial F0 . F1 ATPase.

Liver mitochondria from rats fed ethanol chronically demonstrated a 35% decrease in mitochondrial ATPase activity. Moreover, the ATPase activity was inhibited only 61% by addition of oligomycin. Treatment of mitochondria from ethanol-fed rats with the detergent, Lubrol-WX, caused the release of 36% of the F1 from the resulting inner membrane particles. In comparison, only 5% of the F1 was dissociated when control mitochondria were subjected to the Lubrol treatment. However, when the units of ATPase activity from the supernatant and particles obtained after Lubrol treatment were added together, their sums were equivalent in preparations from control and ethanol-fed animals. Moreover, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analyses indicated equal amounts of the alpha + beta subunits of F1 in mitochondria from control and ethanol-fed rats. Reconstitution experiments with urea particles and F1 prepared from both control and ethanol mitochondria revealed a decrease in oligomycin sensitivity which could be attributed to an alteration in the functioning of either the oligomycin sensitivity conferring protein or a membrane sector subunit that interacts with oligomycin. Analysis by reconstitution also demonstrated that there were no ethanol-elicited alterations in the properties of the F1 portion of the ATP synthase complex. These observations indicate that the activity of the ATP synthase complex is altered significantly by ethanol-elicited changes in the functioning of those polypeptides involved in modulating both oligomycin sensitivity and the association of F1 with membrane sector subunits.
Interferon Gamma Release Assay in a 12-month-old BCG-Vaccinated Infant with Latent Tuberculosis Infection and Isolated Mycobacterium fortuitum

The aim is to present a case of serial use of interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) test in the evaluation of an infant with a latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) accompanied with a positive finding of Mycobacterium (M.) fortuitum in gastric juice. In addition to routine diagnostic evaluation (tuberculin skin test (TST), culture of gastric juice, chest X-rays), a 12-month-old female infant with a history of close family contact and a case of active tuberculosis was investigated with IGRA (QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube, Cellestis, Carnegie, Australia). Tuberculin skin tests were positive. The first result of IGRA (on admission) was negative; the second (day 16) and third (day 57) results of IGRA were positive. M. fortuitum was cultured from gastric juice samples. Positive IGRA finding confirmed LTBI, and prophylaxis with isoniazid was administered. Since M. fortuitum does not express antigens that could be confirmed by the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test, isolation of M. fortuitum could be interpreted as a possible contamination.
Gamete Aging and Its Consequences

This review describes primarily research performed at the University of Illinois and concerned with 1) the effect of spermatozoan age on fertility and embryonic mortality and 2) cellular changes accompanying gamete aging. Under natural conditions the aging of ova may be of far greater consequence to the reproductive performance of a species than the aging of sperm. On the other hand under the conditions of artificial insemination of domestic animals the aging of sperm takes on a far greater importance than under natural conditions. Evidence has been found to suggest senescence in the egg results in either failure of the defense mechanism against polyspermy or deterioration of the haploid female genome. When bull sperm are stored an early improvement in fertility occurs and is attributed to the selective death of sperm containing aberrant chromatin or other abnormalities. On the other hand the early improvement is followed by a decrease in fertility and an increase in embryonic mortality of fertilized eggs. These negative effects are believed to relate to a change in the genetic information contributed by the sperm.(Authors modified)
Cholestasis and alcoholic liver disease.

Patients with alcoholic liver disease frequently manifest clinical or histologic evidence of cholestasis. Although cholestasis is defined as an impairment of bile excretion, it is a term frequently used by pathologists to describe the retention of bile in hepatocytes, canaliculi, or bile ducts leading to microscopically visible bile thrombi. Cholestasis usually presents clinically as jaundice or elevation in serum bilirubin, although histologic cholestasis and clinical jaundice do not always co-exist. True cholestasis is therefore more properly defined as increased bile salt retention and elevated serum alkaline phosphatase; only a minority of such patients have jaundice. This article reviews the prevalence and prognostic significance of cholestasis in alcoholic liver disease. Although the precise mechanisms by which alcohol intake leads to intrahepatic cholestasis are not well understood, the available data are examined, and the differential diagnosis and clinical evaluation of jaundice in patients with alcoholic liver disease are discussed.
Simultaneous Cre catalyzed recombination of two alleles to restore neomycin sensitivity and facilitate homozygous mutations

Cells homozygous for neo-expressing mutations can be derived by culturing heterozygotes with elevated G418. We demonstrate that this strategy is significantly less efficient if hyg is substituted for neo. Therefore, to introduce additional mutations Cre recombinase was used to remove floxed neo from both alleles of homozygotes at two different loci. The rate-determining step in Cre excision appeared independent of substrate copy number. Incorporating cytosine deaminase and Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase allowed negative selection for both targeting and Cre excision. The resulting G418-sensitive homozygous mutants should allow mutagenesis at additional loci and avoid untoward effects of retained selection markers.
Targeted Transduction via CD4 by a Lentiviral Vector Uses a Clathrin-Mediated Entry Pathway

We recently developed a novel targeting Sindbis virus envelope pseudotyped lentiviral vector, 2.2ZZ, which acquires specific transduction capacity by antibody conjugation and binding with specific antigens on the surface of targeted cells. Here we characterize the virological properties of this vector by examining its targeting to CD4 antigen. Our results show that entry is dependent on CD4 cell surface density and occurs via the clathrin-mediated endocytic pathway. These findings provide insight into the mechanism of infection by a new viral vector with combined properties of Sindbis virus and lentiviruses and infectivity conferred by monoclonal antibody-ligand interactions.
Performance of CMOS differential circuits

Differential CMOS logic family has potential advantages over the standard static CMOS logic family implemented using NAND/NOR logic. These circuits tend to be faster and require fewer transistors. In this paper, various static and dynamic circuit techniques from the differential logic family are evaluated using application circuits like adders and multipliers. Circuits with self-timed characteristics are also considered. Evaluations are performed in terms of area, number of transistors, and propagation delay. Results indicate that in general, dynamic differential circuit techniques are faster than their conventional static counterparts. Further improvement in circuit performance can be achieved by choosing an appropriate differential structure to match logic structure being implemented. Second, even though the circuit techniques such as differential split-level perform better, they may not be widely accepted mainly because of the increase in circuit complexity and cost. Lastly, the self-timed dynamic differential circuit techniques yield considerable improvement in speed without having the problems of charge distribution or race conditions typically associated with the conventional single-ended domino circuit technique.
Screening clinical breast examination: how often does it miss lethal breast cancer?

Background: Although most American women regularly receive screening clinical breast examination (CBE), little is known about CBE accuracy in community practice. We sought to estimate the rate of cancer detection (sensitivity) of screening CBE performed by community-based clinicians on women who ultimately died of breast cancer, as well as to identify factors associated with accurate detection. Subjects and Methods: We evaluated CBE accuracy among asymptomatic female health plan enrollees in fi ve states (WA, OR, CA, MA, and MN) who received a CBE within 1 year of breast cancer diagnosis and who died of breast cancer within 15 years of diagnosis (N = 485). Sensitivity was estimated as the proportion whose exam was abnormal. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses identifi ed patient characteristics associated with cancer detection. Results: An abnormality was noted on screening CBE in one of fi ve women who ultimately succumbed to breast cancer (sensitivity = 21.6%; 95% confi dence interval [CI] = 18.1% to 25.6%). The odds of a true-positive screening CBE (sensitivity) were decreased among women using estrogen (odds ratio [OR] = 0.23; 95% CI = 0.07 to 0.80), receiving a Pap smear during the same visit as CBE (OR = 0.45; 95% CI = 0.27 to 0.72), and with increasing chronic disease comorbidity ( P trend = .08). Conclusion: Screening CBE as performed in the community may be insuffi ciently sensitive to detect most lethal breast cancers. Low sensitivity of screening CBE in community practice may be partly attributable to its performance alongside time- consuming clinical tasks such as Pap smear screening or chronic illness care. [J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 2005;35:67 – 71]
Development of a secondary organic aerosol formation mechanism: comparison with smog chamber experiments and atmospheric measurements

Abstract. A new mechanism to simulate the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) from reactive primary hydrocarbons is presented, together with comparisons with experimental smog chamber results and ambient measurements found in the literature. The SOA formation mechanism is based on an approach using calculated vapor pressures and a selection of species that can partition to the aerosol phase from a gas phase photochemical mechanism. The mechanism has been validated against smog chamber measurements using α-pinene, xylene and toluene as SOA precursors, and has an average error of 17%. Qualitative comparisons with smog chamber measurements using isoprene were also performed. A comparison against SOA production in the TORCH 2003 experiment (atmospheric measurements) had an average error of only 12%. This contrasts with previous efforts, in which it was necessary to increase partition coefficients by a factor of 500 in order to match the observed values. Calculations for rural and urban-influenced regions in the eastern U.S. suggest that most of the SOA is biogenic in origin, mainly originated from isoprene. A 0-dimensional calculation based on the New England Air Quality Study also showed good agreement with measured SOA, with about 40% of the total SOA from anthropogenic precursors. This mechanism can be implemented in a general circulation model (GCM) to estimate global SOA formation under ambient NOx and HOx levels.
Aldosterone Receptor Antagonism Reduces Urinary C-Reactive Protein Excretion in Angiotensin II-Infused, Hypertensive Rats

Abstract Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) may contribute to elevated arterial pressure in angiotensin (Ang) II–dependent hypertension. However, the in vivo effects of Ang II and of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonism on CRP during Ang II–dependent hypertension have not been examined. In addition, urinary CRP excretion as a method to monitor the progression of Ang II–induced inflammation has not been evaluated. Urine samples were collected from 3 groups (n = 10/group) of rats: normotensive control, Ang II–infused (60 ng/minute), and Ang II + eplerenone (epl; 25 mg/day). A diet containing epl (0.1%) was provided after 1 week of Ang II infusion. After 28 days, Ang II increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) from 136 ± 5 to 207 ± 8 mm Hg; this response in SBP was not altered after MR antagonism (215 ± 6 mm Hg). Ang II infusion increased plasma CRP from 14 ± 2 to 26 ± 3 μg/mL and increased urinary immunoreactive CRP (irCRP) excretion nearly 8-fold (143 ± 26 vs. 1102 ± 115 ng/day). Treatment with eplerenone reduced plasma CRP by 25% and urinary irCRP by 34% in Ang II–infused rats, suggesting that aldosterone contributes to the CRP-associated inflammatory response in Ang II–dependent hypertension. The increase in SBP preceded the increase in irCRP excretion by at least 4 days, suggesting that CRP does not significantly contribute to increased arterial BP in Ang II–dependent hypertension. The blockade of MR reduced plasma CRP and urinary irCRP excretion, demonstrating the contribution of aldosterone to the Ang II–induced generation of CRP. Furthermore, urinary CRP may serve as a noninvasive index for monitoring cardiovascular inflammation during hypertension.
Comparison of Agonist-Induced Internalization of the Human EP2 and EP4 Prostaglandin Receptors: Role of the Carboxyl Terminus in EP4 Receptor Sequestration

Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) couples to stimulation of adenylyl cyclase through two distinct G protein-coupled receptors designated EP2 and EP4. Although they have similar affinities for PGE(2), the EP(2) and EP4 receptors have distinct structural characteristics. EP2 is a 358-amino-acid protein with short third intracellular loop and C-terminal domains, whereas EP4 consists of 488 amino acids with a long third intracellular loop and a long cytoplasmic tail. The ability of the HA epitope-tagged receptors to undergo PGE(2)-induced internalization was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence microscopy after expression in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. The EP2 receptor did not internalize, whereas the EP4 receptor underwent rapid internalization. Truncation of the EP4 receptor after amino acid 350, which removes 138 residues, abolished internalization. Truncation after amino acid 369 markedly attenuated internalization, whereas truncation after amino acid 383 had little effect. Serine and threonine residues in the region 350 to 383 were mutated to determine their role in internalization. The mutants S370-382A, a full-length receptor containing six serine-to-alanine mutations in the region 370 to 382, and S354-369A, containing four serine mutations and one threonine mutation in the region 350 to 370, both internalized to the same extent as the wild-type. A further mutant, designated S354-382A, containing amino acid substitutions S354A, S359A, S364A, S366G, T369A, S370A, S371A, S374A, S377A, S379A, and S382A, also internalized to the same extent as the wild-type. We conclude that the C terminus of the EP4 receptor is involved in internalization; however, serine and threonine residues do not seem to be involved.
Scaling and crossover functions for the conductance in the directed network model of edge states

We consider the directed network (DN) of edge states on the surface of a cylinder of length L and circumference C. By mapping it to a ferromagnetic superspin chain and using a scaling analysis we show its equivalence to a one-dimensional supersymmetric nonlinear \ensuremath{\sigma} model in the scaling limit for any value of the ratio L/C, except for short systems where L is less than of order ${\mathrm{C}}^{1\mathrm{/}2}$. For the \ensuremath{\sigma} model, the universal crossover functions for the conductance and its variance have been determined previously. We also show that the DN model can be mapped directly onto the random matrix (Fokker-Planck) approach to disordered quasi-one-dimensional wires, which implies that the entire distribution of the conductance is the same as in the latter system for any value of L/C in the same scaling limit. The results of Chalker and Dohmen [Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 4496 (1995)] are explained quantitatively.
Subgroup Analysis of Topical Tranexamic Acid in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic agent that can effectively be utilized for the reduction of blood loss when administered via intravenous or intraarticular injection following total joint arthroplasty. Despite data published to date, it remains unclear as to which specific patient groups undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) would benefit most regarding transfusion reduction from TXA administration. Using a retrospective cohort study model involving 123 THA patients who received topical TXA compared against 111 THA controls who did not receive TXA, we assessed data within the following subgroups: age, gender, BMI, preoperative hemoglobin, and surgical approach. Critical analysis of these subgroups revealed that the most reliable and consistent response to TXA was found in patients who were female and over 65 years old. Continued study of TXA administration in THA is essential to help reduce blood losses, minimize blood product transfusion, and improve outcomes following THA.
The future of International Cooperation in Geophysics for the benefit of whom

In recent years the structure of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) and the actions of many ICSU bodies have increasingly come under criticism from governments, scientific academies, and individual scientists. National committees are taking a hard look at the benefits of adhering to nongovernmental organizations, and threats of withdrawal are being voiced here and there. The worldwide wave of nationalism and/or isolationism, the wave of anti-intellectualism sweeping through many countries, and the frightening turn to introspection and to irrational beliefs of the young generation in many countries all have had an impact on government and politics that in my view seriously imperils the future of international cooperation in scientific research. Those of us scientists who feel a social responsibility and accountability to our fellow men and women cannot remain indifferent.
Reaction of Boranes with TMS Diazomethane and Dimethylsulfoxonium Methylide. Synthesis of Poly(methylidene‐co‐TMSmethylidene) Random Copolymers

Borane reacts with TDM by a sequence of insertion and disproportionation reactions to yield tris-(trimethylsilyl-methyl)borane. No further addition of TDM occurs. Triallyl-borane and tris-(4-methoxyphenylethyl)borane initiate the copolymerization of tDM and dimethylsulfoxonium methylide. The reactions afford TMS-substituted polymethylene oligomers. The resultant poly(methylidene-co-TMSmethylidene) random copolymers arise from incorporation of TMSmethylidene (CHSiMe 3 ) and methylidene (CH 2 ) groups into the growing polymer chain one carbon at a time.