cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MicroCT Imaging of Heart Valve Tissue in Fluid

Heart valve computational models require high quality geometric input data, commonly obtained using micro-computed tomography. Whether in the open or closed configuration, most studies utilize dry valves, which poses significant challenges including gravitational and surface tension effects along with desiccation induced mechanical changes. These challenges are overcome by scanning in a stress-free configuration in fluid. Utilizing fluid backgrounds however reduces overall contrast due to the similar density of fluid and tissue. The work presented here demonstrates imaging of the mitral valve by utilizing an iodine-based staining solution to improve the contrast of valve tissue against a fluid background and investigates the role of stain time and concentration. It is determined that an Olea europaea oil bath with a relatively high concentration, short stain time approach produces high quality imagery suitable for creating accurate 3D renderings. Micro-CT scanning of heart valves in fluid is shown to be feasible using iodine staining techniques.
A Hardware-Friendly Approach Towards Sparse Neural Networks Based on LFSR-Generated Pseudo-Random Sequences

The increase in the number of edge devices has led to the emergence of edge computing where the computations are performed on the device. In recent years, deep neural networks (DNNs) have become the state-of-the-art method in a broad range of applications, from image recognition, to cognitive tasks to control. However, neural network models are typically large and computationally expensive and therefore not deployable on power and memory constrained edge devices. Sparsification techniques have been proposed to reduce the memory foot-print of neural network models. However, they typically lead to substantial hardware and memory overhead. In this article, we propose a hardware-aware pruning method using linear feedback shift register (LFSRs) to generate the locations of non-zero weights in real-time during inference. We call this LFSR-generated pseudo-random sequence based sparsity (LGPS) technique. We explore two different architectures for our hardware-friendly LGPS technique, based on (1) row/column indexing with LFSRs and (2) column-wise indexing with nested LFSRs, respectively. Using the proposed method, we present a total saving of energy and area up to 37.47% and 49.93% respectively and speed up of $1.53\times $ w.r.t the baseline pruning method, for the VGG-16 network on down-sampled ImageNet.
Teach like an Entrepreneur: A Faculty Development Initiative

The purpose of this document is to describe a special session to be presented at the 2020 Frontiers in Education Conference. This special session will feature a workshop that was created as part of a larger a faculty development initiative within the College of Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. The faculty development initiative, called Entrepreneurial Mindset for Innovative Teaching (EMIT), was funded as part of the Engineering Faculty Impact Collaborative (EFIC) being led by Arizona State University and the Kern Family Foundation. The EMIT project builds on the idea that the practices and mindset associated with quality teaching mirror practices of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial mindset. The special session will feature the introductory workshop developed as part of the overarching EMIT program. The session will be interactive and will allow participants to consider how the processes of teaching and entrepreneurship can be similar. Activities included in the session will be reflections, pair-and-share, case studies, and small- and large-group discussions.
Obesity: distributional effects of sweetener taxes

While sweetener taxes are prevalent worldwide to mitigate the excess consumption of sweeteners that are believed to contribute to obesity, in the United States, a sweetener tax is less effective if applied to aggregate sweetener consumption rather than only to consumption by obese consumers. The demand for sweeteners is not equal across all consumers; some consumers under-consume sweeteners, while others over-consume. We evaluate the distributional effect of an 11 cents/kg tax on both sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for consumers as a whole compared to only those consumers who are obese. We use a demand model that is based on classical welfare economics to estimate the distributional effects of a sweetener tax in the United States on both over-consumers and under-consumers of sweeteners. We also estimate the impact of a selective sweetener tax only on over-consumers. An 11 cents/kg tax on consumers will reduce sugar and HFCS consumption for both groups of consumers and cost US consumers of sweeteners a total of US$989 million/year based on the AHA-standard (sugar over-consumers: US$619, under-consumers: US$14; HFCS over-consumers: US$349, under-consumers: US$7). US consumers will lose US$976 million/year based on the FDA-standard (sugar over-consumers: US$568, under-consumers: US$58; HFCS over-consumers: US$322, under-consumers: US$28). For a selective tax only on over-consumers (inelastic [−0.35] demand), the tax will range between US$1.08 and US$1.26 per kilogram of sugar and between US$1.26 and US$1.43 per kilogram of HFCS. Aggregate sweetener taxes cause a welfare loss to both under-consumers and over-consumers of sweeteners. However, if a selective sweetener tax is imposed only on over-consumers of sweeteners (obese adults), a much higher tax would be necessary, depending on the percentage of population of under-consumers. A selective tax would also be excessively regressive on lower-income people who often over-consume sweeteners.
Executive Control of Agency Adjudication: Capacity, Selection and Precedential Rulemaking

While the volume of adjudication by federal agencies far outstrips the volume of cases decided by the federal judiciary, researchers have devoted relatively little attention to agency adjudication and political control thereof. We study three mechanisms of presidential control of immigration adjudication: capacity-building, selection, and precedential rulemaking. First, consistent with work on bureaucratic capacity, the Trump administration achieved its goal of increasing removals of noncitizens through an unprecedented increase in total hiring of immigration judges. Second, contrary to expectations from the literatures on judicial behavior and bureaucratic politics, we find little evidence of partisan effects in immigration judge selection. Third, we demonstrate the substantial power of what we call “precedential rulemaking” – the power by the Attorney General to select cases in which to issue binding precedent. These results illustrate the importance of incorporating mechanisms of supervisory and legal control into the study of administrative courts.
IL-1β and the Intestinal Epithelial Tight Junction Barrier

The intestinal epithelial tight junction (TJ) barrier controls the paracellular permeation of contents from the intestinal lumen into the intestinal tissue and systemic circulation. A defective intestinal TJ barrier has been implicated as an important pathogenic factor in inflammatory diseases of the gut including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and celiac disease. Previous studies have shown that pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are produced during intestinal inflammation, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ, have important intestinal TJ barrier-modulating actions. Recent studies have shown that the IL-1β-induced increase in intestinal TJ permeability is an important contributing factor of intestinal inflammation. The IL-1β-induced increase in intestinal TJ permeability is mediated by regulatory signaling pathways and activation of nuclear transcription factor nuclear factor-κB, myosin light chain kinase gene activation, and post-transcriptional occludin gene modulation by microRNA and contributes to the intestinal inflammatory process. In this review, the regulatory role of IL-1β on intestinal TJ barrier, the intracellular mechanisms that mediate the IL-1β modulation of intestinal TJ permeability, and the potential therapeutic targeting of the TJ barrier are discussed.
Concordancing the web: promise and problems, tools and techniques

The web is an inexhaustible reservoir of machine-readable texts in most of the world’s written languages for compiling corpora or consulting directly as a ‘corpus’. This paper first surveys some characteristics of the web and discusses the potential rewards and practical limitations of exploiting the web either directly as a linguistic corpus or to compile corpora. Particular attention is paid to search engines, our gateways to the web. The author then reviews several innovative applications of web data to corpus-related issues. KWiCFinder (KF), developed by the author to help realize the web’s promise for language scholars and learners, is described and motivated in detail. KF, readily accessible to novices yet powerful enough for advanced researchers, conducts web searches, retrieves matching online documents, and produces an interactive keyword in context concordance of the search terms. This paper then discusses the pitfalls of ‘webidence’ in serious research and proposes an initial solution. Finally the author reviews the future of the web for corpus research and application.
Handbook of Discrete and Combinatorial Mathematics

Foundations. Counting Methods. Sequences. Number Theory. Algebraic Structures. Linear Algebra. Discrete Probability. Graph Theory. Trees. Networks and Flows. Partially Ordered Sets. Combinatorial Designs. Discrete and Computational Geometry. Coding Theory and Cryptology. Discrete Optimization. Theoretical Computer Science. Information Structures. Data Mining. Bioinformatics.
Metabolic functions of myo-inositol. V. Utilization of glycine and serine in nucleotide and nucleic acid biosynthesis by inositol-deficient KB cells.

Abstract The effect of myo-inositol deficiency on the ability of KB cells to synthesize de novo nucleotides and nucleic acids was studied with the aid of 1-14C-serine and 2-14C-glycine. Cells grown for 2 or 3 days without inositol showed a greater rate of incorporation of glycine into purine nucleotides than normal cells, when incubated with 1.7 mm 14C-serine or 14C-glycine. Similar results were obtained when the rates of incorporation of radioactivity into nucleic acids and proteins were measured as a function of inositol deficiency. The level of serine hydroxymethylase activity, the size of the intracellular glycine pool, and the rate of interconversion of serine and glycine were not affected by the deficiency. When incubated with 2-14C-glycine or 1-14C-serine inositol-deficient cells were unable to concentrate these amino acids to the same extent as normal cells. It is concluded that inositol deficiency impairs the ability of KB cells to maintain normal concentration gradients of glycine and serine across the cell membrane.
Brief announcement: concurrent wait-free red-black trees

Motivation: With the prevalence of multi-core multi-processor systems, concurrent data structures are becoming increasingly important. Concurrency is most often managed through locks. However, lock-based implementations of concurrent data structures are vulnerable to problems such as deadlock, priority inversion and convoying. Non-blocking algorithms avoid the pitfalls of locks by using hardware-supported read-modify-write instructions such as load-linked/storeconditional (LL/SC) and compare-and-swap (CAS). In this announcement, we focus on a non-blocking concurrent red-black tree. Red-black tree is a type of selfbalancing binary search tree that provides good worst-case time complexity for search and modify (insert, update and delete) operations. However, red-black trees have been remarkably resistant to parallelization using both lock-based and lock-free techniques. The tree structure causes the root and high level nodes to become the subject of high contention and thus become a bottleneck. This problem is only exacerbated by the introduction of balancing requirements. We present a suite of wait-free algorithms for concurrently accessing an external red-black tree, obtained through a progressive sequence of modifications to an existing general framework. In all our algorithms, search operations only execute read and write instructions on shared memory.
An intelligent agent for Web-based process redesign

Process redesign is an expensive, time consuming and labor-intensive activity. Analysis of the redesign process indicates the "first generation" computer-based tools are inadequate for redesign today. Knowledge-based systems and intelligent agents have the ability to address the key, intellectual activities required for effective process redesign. An intelligent redesign agent called KOPeR is developed and employed, in an "industrial strength" reengineering engagement, to redesign processes from the procurement domain. This paper describes the KOPeR design and implementation and highlights its use as a redesign agent in the field. The field results reveal insights into the use, utility and potential of this agent technology, and the paper closes with a number of promising future directions for related research.
A survey of architectures for the discrete and continuous wavelet transforms

Wavelet transforms have proven to be useful tools for several applications, including signal analysis, signal coding, and image compression. This paper surveys the VLSI architectures that have been proposed for computing the discrete and continuous wavelet transforms for 1-D and 2-D signals. The proposed architectures range from SIMD arrays to folded architectures such as systolic arrays and parallel filters. The SIMD arrays have a size that is proportional to that of the data sequence and are optimal with respect to time. The folded architectures, on the other hand, support single chip implementations and are optimal with respect to both area and time under the word-serial model.
Prevalence of the amyloidogenic transthyretin (TTR) V122I allele in 14 333 African–Americans

AbstractBackground: Transthyretin (TTR) V122I (rs76992529) is one of 111 variants caused by point mutations in the coding sequence of the human TTR gene that are associated with systemic amyloidosis. It results from a G to A transition at a CG dinucleotide in codon 142(122 of the mature protein) of the gene and has been described almost exclusively in people of African descent. Several series have reported allele frequencies from 0.015 to 0.020 in African-Americans.Objective: To define more accurately the frequency of the TTR V122I variant allele in the African-American population.Methods: DNA isolated from blood spots from 1688 New York State African-American newborns was genotyped for the TTR V122I allele. We also compiled new data from the Jackson Heart Study and previously unpublished data from the Dallas Heart Study, plus data from a San Diego “wellness study”, providing 15 650 additional allelotypes to those already reported.Results: Among the New York newborns, the TTR V122I allele was present in 6...
Anaerobic Oxidation of Toluene, Phenol, and p-Cresol by the Dissimilatory Iron-Reducing Organism, GS-15

The dissimilatory Fe(III) reducer, GS-15, is the first microorganism known to couple the oxidation of aromatic compounds to the reduction of Fe(III) and the first example of a pure culture of any kind known to anaerobically oxidize an aromatic hydrocarbon, toluene. In this study, the metabolism of toluene, phenol, and p-cresol by GS-15 was investigated in more detail. GS-15 grew in an anaerobic medium with toluene as the sole electron donor and Fe(III) oxide as the electron acceptor. Growth coincided with Fe(III) reduction. [ring-14C]toluene was oxidized to 14CO2, and the stoichiometry of 14CO2 production and Fe(III) reduction indicated that GS-15 completely oxidized toluene to carbon dioxide with Fe(III) as the electron acceptor. Magnetite was the primary iron end product during toluene oxidation. Phenol and p-cresol were also completely oxidized to carbon dioxide with Fe(III) as the sole electron acceptor, and GS-15 could obtain energy to support growth by oxidizing either of these compounds as the sole electron donor. p-Hydroxybenzoate was a transitory extracellular intermediate of phenol and p-cresol metabolism but not of toluene metabolism. GS-15 oxidized potential aromatic intermediates in the oxidation of toluene (benzylalcohol and benzaldehyde) and p-cresol (p-hydroxybenzylalcohol and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde). The metabolism described here provides a model for how aromatic hydrocarbons and phenols may be oxidized with the reduction of Fe(III) in contaminated aquifers and petroleum-containing sediments. Images
Geochemical Problems in the Production of the Venus Clouds

Spectroscopic evidence is strong that the clouds of Venus are composed of ferrous chloride hydrate. At the surface of the planet it appears as though the vapor pressure of ferrous chloride may be quite low (10-6 atm), especially if such vapor is allowed to come to equilibrium with the other constituents of the Venus atmosphere. The formation of magnetite (Fe3O4) may be favored, and the spectrum of magnetite is shown in relation to the spectrum of the Venus cloud cover. The presence of ferrous chloride in the upper atmosphere may be due to a non-equilibrium condition.
In situ visualization of dynamic interactions of cellulase and cellulose molecules

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose from biomass is potentially considered as a new approach for the next generation of biofuels for sustainable energy. However, because of the rigid and complex structure of cellulose, the low efficiency of the enzymatic hydrolysis has been deemed as the bottleneck in biorefining industry. The mechanism of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose is not well understood due to the absence of direct observation methods. In the present study, in order to study the mechanism of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose, we used an atomic force microscopy (AFM) to dynamically observe the changes happening during the cellulase and cellulose interaction. To improve the imaging rate of AFM (which was too slow to capture the interactions between these two nano structures), a scan strategy named compressive scan is used, associated with prior knowledge based image reconstruction methods. With the help of compressive scan, we are able to dynamically capture the action of the cellulase-CBH I (from family 7 cellobiohydrolase) on the cellulose crystal nanofibrils. The result is helpful for understanding the mechanism of enzymatic interaction and increasing the efficiency of hydrolysis process.
Plasma emission spectroscopy for operating and developing the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) H(-) ion sources.

A RF-driven, Cs-enhanced H− ion source feeds the SNS accelerator with a high current (typically >50 mA), ∼1.0 ms pulsed beam at 60 Hz. To achieve the persistent high current beam for several weeks long service cycles, each newly installed ion source undergoes a rigorous conditioning and cesiation processes. Plasma conditioning outgases the system and sputter-cleans the ion conversion surfaces. A cesiation process immediately following the plasma conditioning releases Cs to provide coverage on the ion conversion surfaces. The effectiveness of the ion source conditioning and cesiation is monitored with plasma emission spectroscopy using a high-sensitivity optical spectrometer. Plasma emission spectroscopy is also used to provide a means for diagnosing and confirming a failure of the insulating coating of the ion source RF antenna which is immersed in the plasma. Emissions of composition elements of the antenna coating material, Na emission being the most significant, drastically elevate to signal a failure ...
Approaches to locating areas of interest related to questions in a document for non-visual readers

This poster describes an approach to creating a tool to aid blind, low-vision, dyslexic, and other non-visual readers in skimming a document to answer questions. The goal is to give them information similar to that obtained by a visual reader's skimming experience. Towards this goal, we examine approaches to locating areas of interest within a document that are related to a question. The areas of interest in relation to a question were determined through user studies in which visual readers skimmed through documents for answers to questions while being tracked by an eye tracking system. We then examined methods of automatically identifying the areas of interest using keywords related to the content of the question. This poster focuses on the effectiveness of these different methods in identifying the areas of interest.
Retaining experienced hospital administrators: a neglected topic in healthcare.

Abstract The sharp increase in the present need for healthcare services has been attributed to the expanding population of older adults (those above the age of 65 years) and the increasing number of aging healthcare professionals seeking retirement without enough qualified replacements. In this regard, retaining experienced healthcare professionals, especially hospital administrators, may be the key to managing this growing demand for healthcare services at present and for the future. Veteran hospital administrators have many years of experience and can offer a wide array of skills and competencies to their organization. As such, organizations should make every effort to retain these individuals and implement efforts for their continued contribution to the healthcare industry. Given the nature of their work and the various changes accompanying aging, experienced hospital administrators may have specific personal and professional challenges that may be compelling them to consider retirement options. The au...
Evidence that aberrant protein metabolism contributes to chemoresistance in multiple myeloma cells

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable B lymphocyte cancer. To date, a comparative analysis of global protein metabolism for the MM cell line CCL-155 (RPMI-8226) and the non-cancerous B lymphocyte cell line CCL-156 (RPMI‑1788) has not been published. Here, we report that both global protein synthesis and degradation occur at a higher rate in MM cells and demonstrate that alkylating agents can reduce global protein degradation in both cell lines, but the effect is greater in CCL-156 cells. Treatment with melphalan plus the proteasome inhibitor MG132 reduced global protein degradation for MM cells to roughly 60% of that seen without drugs, but the reduction was approximately three times greater for CCL-156 cells. This drug combination was growth inhibitory for both cell lines, but CCL-156 inhibition was 2-fold greater than that of the MM cell line. Additionally, treatment with melphalan plus the lysosomal inhibitor chloroquine did not affect growth of MM cells more than melphalan alone, whereas this combination drastically inhibited growth of CCL-156 cells despite protein degradation being maintained at 60% level for both cell lines. This suggests that a lysosomal function other than protein degradation is required for recovery from alkylation damage in CCL-156 cells. In general, CCL-156 cells were affected to a greater extent for both protein degradation and growth inhibition with most drug combinations tested. Statistical analysis of our data (p=0.066) provides evidence that aberrant proteasome-mediated protein degradation correlates with chemoresistance in MM cells, but that lysosome-mediated protein degradation does not.
Architecting Web sites for high performance

Web site applications are some of the most challenging high-performance applications currently being developed and deployed. The challenges emerge from the specific combination of high variability in workload characteristics and of high performance demands regarding the service level, scalability, availability, and costs. In recent years, a large body of research has addressed the Web site application domain, and a host of innovative software and hardware solutions have been proposed and deployed. This paper is an overview of recent solutions concerning the architectures and the software infrastructures used in building Web site applications. The presentation emphasizes three of the main functions in a complex Web site: the processing of client requests, the control of service levels, and the interaction with remote network caches.
The capacity of the photon counting channel

Previous work has shown that the capacity of the single-mode photon-counting channel in the region in which quantum effects are most pronounced is 1/(kT \ln 2) bit/J. Here T is the quantum noise temperature, and k is Boltzmann's constant. However, to achieve this, the number of photons per second must be very low, so this does not determine the capacity of the average power-limited photon channel in bits per second. Here the previous work is extended and the capacity is determined in bits per second. This includes a determination of the optimum counting time. The capacity in bits per second is for low T asymptotic to P_{s}/(kT \ln 2) , where P_{s} is the average signal power. This is high enough to suggest that photon counting be seriously considered for applications such as a deep space to near Earth link. Some related problems are also considered including a peak power limitation.
A hand-held multimedia translation and interpretation system for diet management

We propose a system for helping individuals who follow a medical diet maintain this diet while visiting countries where a foreign language is spoken. Our focus is on diets where certain foods must either be restricted (e.g., metabolic diseases), avoided (e.g., food intolerance or allergies), or preferably consumed for medical reasons. However, our framework can be used to manage other diets (e.g., vegan) as well. The system is based on the use of a hand-held multimedia device such as a PDA or mobile telephone to analyze and/or disambiguate the content of foods offered on restaurant menus and interpret them in the context of specific diets. The system also provides the option to communicate diet-related instructions or information to a local person (e.g., a waiter) as well as obtain clarifications through dialogue. All computations are performed within the device and do not require a network connection. Real-time text translation is a challenge. We address this challenge with a light-weight, context-specific machine translation method. This method builds on a modification of existing open source Machine Translation (MT) software to obtain a fast and accurate translation. In particular, we describe a method we call n-gram consolidation that joins words in a language pair and increases the accuracy of the translation. We developed and implemented this system on the iPod Touch for English speakers traveling in Spain. Our tests indicate that our translation method yields the correct translation more often than general purpose translation engines such as Google Translate, and does so almost instantaneously. The memory requirements of the application, including the database of picture, are also well within the limits of the device.
QE reduction due to pixel vignetting in CMOS image sensors

CMOS image sensor designers take advantage of technology scaling either by reducing pixel size or by adding more transistors to the pixel. In both cases, the distance from the chip surface to the photodiode increases relative to the photodiode planar dimensions. As a result, light must ravel through an increasingly deeper and narrower `tunnel' before it reaches the photodiode. This is especially problematic for light incident at oblique angles; the narrow tunnel walls cast a shadow on the photodiode, which in turn severely reduces its effective QE. We refer to this phenomenon as pixel vignetting. The paper presents experimental results from a 640 X 512 CMOS image sensor fabricated using a 0.35(mu) 4-layer metal CMOs process that shows significant QE reduction of up to 50% for off-axis relative to on-axis pixels. Using simple geometric models of the sensor and the imaging optics, we compare the QE for on and off-axis pixels. We find that our analysis results support the hypothesis that the experimentally observed QE reduction is indeed due to pixel vignetting. We show that pixel vignetting becomes more severe as CMOS technology scales, even for a 2-layer metal APS pixel. Finally, we briefly discuss several potential solutions to the pixel vignetting problem.
The Role of I and B in Peritonitis Associated with the Nephrotic Syndrome of Childhood

Children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) are susceptible to bacterial infections, including primary bacterial peritonitis. Immunologic abnormalities associated with NS include low serum levels of the complement proteins I and B of the alternative complement pathway. We developed a novel and highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay using murine MAb to I and B to quantitate urinary concentrations of these proteins. We studied 22 patients with minimal change NS, including seven with a history of peritonitis (1.6 +/- 0.3 episodes, mean +/- SEM) and 15 without such a history. The two groups did not differ significantly in age, sex, race, age at onset of disease, or duration of disease. Children with minimal change NS complicated by peritonitis had 1) increased urinary excretion of both I (p < 0.05) and B (p < 0.05) in relapse versus remission, 2) greater excretion of I in both relapse (p < 0.01) and remission (p < 0.05) compared with patients without peritonitis, 3) greater excretion of B in relapse compared with patients without peritonitis (p < 0.05), and 4) decreased plasma levels of I compared with patients without peritonitis and controls (p < 0.01) and decreased plasma levels of B compared with controls. Increased urinary excretion of I correlated with decreased plasma levels of I (r = 0.88, p < 0.001). These data support our initial hypothesis that depressed plasma concentrations of these proteins of the alternative complement pathway may predispose patients with minimal change NS to peritonitis and that urinary loss of these proteins is a tenable mechanism.
A theory of transversely isotropic plastic viscoelastic fluids to represent the flow of talc and similar disc-like particle suspensions in thermoplastics

Abstract An anisotropic formulation of a linear plastic viscoelastic fluid is presented. This is specialized to transversely isotropic form intended to represent the behavior of suspensions of ordered oriented disc flake particles such as talc and mica whose surfaces are oriented parallel to apparatus surfaces and which exhibit yield values in flow. Asymptotic formulations of this theory are described. Non-linear generalizations of the linear theory are developed and discussed in terms of experiment.
Oral Lesions among Women Living with or at Risk for HIV Infection

Abstract Purpose: Our objectives were to compare the prevalence of oropharyngeal mucosal lesions among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive and demographically similar seronegative women, and to determine the association of oral lesions with immunosuppression, substance abuse, use of medications, and utilization of dental services. Population and Methods: Participants in a multicenter, longitudinal cohort study of HIV infection in women were evaluated at baseline by interview, physical examination, and laboratory studies. Results: Oropharyngeal pathology was found in 40% of seropositive and 23% of seronegative women. Oral candidiasis was identified in 15% of seropositive and 3% of seronegative women. Among seropositive women, history of previous oral candidiasis, lower CD4 lymphocyte counts, and current antibiotic use were associated with oral candidiasis. Hairy leukoplakia was identified in 5% of seropositive women and was significantly associated with lower CD4 lymphocyte counts. Gingival erythema and ulcerative gingivitis were found in 23% of participants overall, but were unrelated to HIV serostatus or CD4 lymphocyte count. Substance abuse, lack of dental care, and African-American race were associated with gingival pathology. Conclusion: The high prevalence of oral lesions among HIV seropositive and at-risk seronegative women underscores the need for routine oral examination and targeted treatment of this population.
Toward a Natural History of Ethical Censorship

Acting under a mandate to protect human subjects of research, institutional review boards (IRBs) have become nationwide instruments for implementing censorship. As censors, IRBs constitute an historical novelty in the United States. In the past censorship has been administered as the overt policy of centralized agencies. Examples include the use of government criminal prosecution offices to bans books as obscene and the Hays Commission, Hollywood’s all-encompassing, ‘‘self-policing’’ funnel for prescreening and forcing the editing of movies. Previous forms of censorship were not always shy to declare their purpose. While stimulating many subtle processes of repression in work organizations, Cold War politicians histrionically demanded repression of subversive professors, journalists, and entertainment writers, providing clear political targets for opposition. By contrast, the IRB censorship role has operated behind multiple masks: the institution’s inspiring ethical mandate, which itself emerged as a way retrospectively to oppose infamous examples of brutish, overbearing state power; the confidentiality that surrounds IRB administrative proceedings, which exists without explicit rationale but may be justified as a beneficent precaution to protect researchers from the humiliation of public rejection when proposals are found wanting; and the operationalization of repressive power in a form especially difficult to map, namely through the highly differentiated, vast social geography of higher education. Advocates and critics of IRB power often debate the interest of avoiding harm to research subjects against the value of protecting freedom for critical inquiry and expression. But if IRB censorship operates in relatively hidden ways, a research program will be required to ground any compelling conclusions. How to structure that research is not obvious. Malcolm Feeley wisely counsels that
Psychobiological modeling of age-related memory changes

Useful models of age-related human and animal memory changes should simulate specific features of cognitive impairment associated with aging. It is necessary but not sufficient to demonstrate that manipulations such as these produced by lesions and drugs cause impairments in some cognitive function such as memory. A useful model should be able to reproduce a pattern of cognitive changes in which islands of spared versus impaired functioning resemble those associated with aging and differ from those produced by other conditions. This requires the use of research strategies utilizing multivariate treatment and dependent measure designs. The papers in this section illustrate the value of such a research approach.
Magnetohydrodynamic Vortex Containment, Part 4: System Performance Assessment

This is the last in a series of papers on the effectiveness of using magnetohydrodynamically driven vortices to contain uranium in a gas core nuclear propulsion system. This paper evaluates the overall system performance, with particular focus on optimizing the power conversion system that supplies electrical power to the magnetohydrodynamic drive. The system is unique in that it is essentially nuclear thermal, however, it requires a large recirculation of electrical power. Although the assumed power conversion system is thermodynamic (Brayton) it is shown that this conversion can be accomplished either with a greatly reduced radiator area or, under some circumstances, without the need for radiators at all, by sinking waste heat into the propellant stream. A baseline set of system parameters is presented.
Localization of the Major Ethidium Bromide Binding Site on tRNA

Binding of ethidium bromide to Escherichia coli tRNAVal and an RNA minihelix based on the acceptor stem and T-arm of tRNAVal was investigated by 19F and 1H NMR spectroscopy of RNAs labeled with fluorine by incorporation of 5-fluorouracil. Ethidium bromide selectively intercalates into the acceptor stem of the tRNAVal. More than one ethidium bromide binding site is found in the acceptor stem, the strongest between base pairs A6:U67 and U7:A66. 19F and 1H spectra of the 5-fluorouracil-substituted minihelix RNA indicate that the molecule exists in solution as a 12 base-paired stem and a single-stranded loop. Ethidium bromide no longer intercalates between base pairs corresponding to the tRNAVal acceptor stem in this molecule. Instead, it intercalates between base pairs at the bottom of the long stem-loop structure. These observations suggest that ethidium bromide has a preferred intercalation site close to the base of an RNA helical stem.
Identification of variables critical to reproducible delipidation of serum

We have developed a modified method for delipidation of serum which allows for highly reproducible preparations. Using this method, rigorous control of experimental conditions for investigation of lipid metabolism in vitro can be attained. To consistently obtain dry, white flakes of protein which readily dissolve to form delipidated serum, we have established that (a) the exact time at which the delipidated protein precipitate is rinsed with ethyl ether and (b) the thickness of the filtered protein cake, quantitated as square centimeter filter area per milliliter of serum delipidated, must be carefully controlled.
Does worry about breast cancer predict screening behaviors? A meta-analysis of the prospective evidence.

Abstract Objective. Many women worry about the possibility of developing breast cancer, but there is conflicting evidence concerning whether cancer worry acts as a facilitator or inhibitor of breast cancer screening. Method. We conducted a meta-analysis of 12 prospective studies that measured worry about breast cancer at baseline and subsequent breast self-examination (BSE) or mammography utilization among 3342 high-risk and general population women. Results. The data consistently show that breast cancer worry has a small but reliable ( r = 0.12) association with breast cancer screening behavior, such that greater worry predicts a greater likelihood of screening. We also found that the means for breast cancer worry were consistently in the lower third of the scales, despite differences in measurement approaches, sample utilization, or the date that the study was conducted. Conclusion. The meta-analysis supports the contention that breast cancer worry may motivate screening behavior, and that high levels of breast cancer worry are uncommon.
The use of quantitative perfusion fluorometry to measure relative tumor and liver blood flow after transient microembolization.

Optimal chemotherapy delivery to the tumor depends on regional drug concentration, tumor perfusion, tissue drug uptake, and metabolism. Modulation of tumor blood flow has been used to improve tumor response to treatment. Transient microembolization is one method to alter regional blood flow, but its effects on relative changes in tumor and liver blood flow have not been previously measured. This study used quantitative perfusion fluorometry (QPF) to evaluate blood flow distribution in liver and tumor before and after hepatic arterial infusion of degradable starch microspheres (DSMs) in 10 New Zealand white rabbits. QPF was compared with radioactive xenon-133 washout, an established method for measuring blood flow. Xenon-133 was injected intraparenchymally and the clearance rate was measured allowing calculation of relative blood flow. QPF was then used to measure liver and tumor blood flow in a hepatic VX-2 tumor model after hepatic artery injection of DSMs. Initial tumor blood flow was 55% of liver flow. DSMs produced a significant and transient decrease in hepatic blood flow that was decreased to 40% of baseline after 25 min. Changes in relative hepatic blood flow after DSMs as measured by QPF correlated strongly with results obtained by xenon-133 washout (R = 0.97, P < 0.01). Fluorometry's simplicity and reliability may be clinically useful to evaluate tumor blood flow characteristics.
Effects of an Appointment Reminder Call on Patient Show Rates

A pilot study (N = 80) was conducted to determine if (1) prospective substance-dependent patients randomly selected to be reminded (TC) of their scheduled intake evaluation the day before their first appointment would have a higher show rate than those not contacted (NC); and (2) if TC subjects administered a satisfaction questionnaire 1-3 days after intake would exhibit higher treatment retention rates at one week and one month posttreatment entry than NC subjects not exposed to the questionnaire. The findings suggest that reminding prospective patients of their initial scheduled appointments and following up with phone calls to those who fail to show can improve the rate at which patients will initiate treatment, provided initial appointments are scheduled in a timely manner (7 days or less). Similarly, the combination of the reminder call and the satisfaction questionnaire were associated with higher treatment retention rates for those whose initial appointments were scheduled in a timely manner.
Long-Range Coupling in an Allosteric Receptor Revealed by Mutant Cycle Analysis

The functional coupling of residues that are far apart in space is the quintessential property of allosteric proteins. For example, in Cys-loop receptors, the gating of an intrinsic ion channel is allosterically regulated by the binding of small molecule neurotransmitters 50–60 A from the channel gate. Some residues near the binding site must have as their primary function the communication of the binding event to the gating region. These gating pathway residues are essential to function, but their identification and characterization can be challenging. This work introduces a simple strategy, derived from mutant cycle analysis, for identifying gating pathway residues using macroscopic measurements alone. In the exemplar Cys-loop receptor, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, a well-characterized reporter mutation (βL9′S) known to impact gating, was combined with mutations of target residues in the ligand-binding domain hypothesized or previously found to be functionally significant. A mutant cycle analysis of the macroscopic EC50 measurements can then provide insights into the role of the target residue. This new method, elucidating long-range functional coupling in allosteric receptors, can be applied to several reporter mutations in a wide variety of receptors to identify previously characterized and novel mutations that impact the gating pathway. We support our interpretation of macroscopic data with single-channel studies. Elucidating long-range functional coupling in allosteric receptors should be broadly applicable to determining functional roles of residues in allosteric receptors.
The pathologic anatomy of mesocardia

Abstract Mesocardia is that condition in which the longitudinal axis of the heart lies in the mid-sagittal plane and the heart has no apex. Thirteen cases of mesocardia are presented. There were 5 cases of mesoversion, associated with situs solitus of the viscera and normal spleen; 2 cases of presumptive mesoversion, associated with situs inversus of viscera and abnormal spleen; 4 of mixed mesocardia with atrial situs solitus and ventricular inversion, with situs solitus of viscera with or without abnormal spleens; 1 of presumptive mixed mesocardia with atrial situs inversus and normal ventricles, with situs inversus of organs with normal spleen; and 1 case of indeterminate type with situs inversus of viscera and abnormal spleen. Thus, from the stand-point of position of chambers, the type of hearts found in mesocardia resembled those found in dextrocardia and levocardia. If the spleen was normal, then the atrial situs in all cases agreed with that of the viscera and the venous return was normal. Mesocardia reflects that embryonic condition before the formed heart points to the right or left and acquires an apex.
Cytosolic phospholipase A2α inhibition prevents neuronal NMDA receptor-stimulated arachidonic acid mobilization and prostaglandin production but not subsequent cell death

Phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) enzymes encompass a superfamily of at least 13 extracellular and intracellular esterases that hydrolyze the sn-2 fatty acyl bonds of phospholipids to yield fatty acids and lysophospholipids. The purpose of this study was to characterize which phospholipase paralog regulates NMDA receptor-mediated arachidonic acid (AA) release. Using mixed cortical cell cultures containing both neurons and astrocytes, we found that [(3)H]-AA released into the extracellular medium following NMDA receptor stimulation (100 microM) increased with time and was completely prevented by the addition of the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 (10 microM) or by removal of extracellular Ca(2+). Neither diacylglycerol lipase inhibition (RHC-80267; 10 microM) nor selective inhibition of Ca(2+)-independent PLA(2) [bromoenol lactone (BEL); 10 microM] alone had an effect on NMDA receptor-stimulated release of [(3)H]-AA. Release was prevented by methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphonate (MAFP) (5 microM) and AACOCF(3) (1 microM), inhibitors of both cytosolic PLA(2) (cPLA(2)) and Ca(2+)-independent PLA(2) isozymes. This inhibition effectively translated to block of NMDA-induced prostaglandin (PG) production. An inhibitor of p38MAPK, SB 203580 (7.5 microM), also significantly reduced NMDA-induced PG production providing suggestive evidence for the role of cPLA(2)alpha. Its involvement in release was confirmed using cultures derived from mice deficient in cPLA(2)alpha, which failed to produce PGs in response to NMDA receptor stimulation. Interestingly, neither MAFP, AACOCF(3) nor cultures derived from cPLA(2)alpha null mutant animals showed any protection against NMDA-mediated neurotoxicity, indicating that inhibition of this enzyme may not be a viable protective strategy in disorders of the cortex involving over-activation of the NMDA receptor.
Safe disposal of reactive flotation tailings and retorted fines of Eastern Oil Shale by an agglomeration process

Abstract The agglomeration and encapsulation process has strong potential for safe disposal of reactive flotation tailings and retorted sands. The reactive materials are agglomerated with the addition of suitable binders using a disc pelletizer and encapsulated in glassy matrix with silicate sols. The cold bonded agglomerates are strong, stable and resistant to accelerated weathering. The application of an agglomeration process has inhibited the dissolution of most heavy metal ions from the waste materials. Strength and long term leaching propensity tests have shown that the agglomerates are excellent materials for reclamation and mine backfill. X-ray CT scan and scanning electron microscope energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) measurements have shown that the metal sulfides, such as reactive pyrites, are still intact in the agglomerate even after extensive weathering.
Sleep and gastric function in irritable bowel syndrome: Derailing the brain-gut axis

Background —Recently, several studies have shown an alteration in bowel function during sleep in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and a recent study also suggests a remarkable increase in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. These studies have suggested that an alteration in CNS function may play an important role in the pathogenesis of IBS. Aims —To confirm the presence of an alteration in REM sleep in patients with IBS and to assess the relation between sleep and a non-invasive measure of gastric functioning, the electrogastrogram (EGG). Patients —Ten patients with IBSand 10 age and sex matched normal volunteers. Methods —All subjects slept one night in the sleep laboratory and underwent polysomnographic monitoring to determine sleep patterns, and recording of the EGG from surface electrodes. Results —The IBS group had a notable and significant increase in the percentage and duration of REM sleep (p Conclusions —Results confirmed the enhancement of REM sleep in patients with IBS and suggested an intrinsic alteration in autonomic and CNS functioning in patients with IBS.