cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of inhibitory receptors by B cells in chronic human infectious diseases restricts responses to membrane-associated antigens

Chronic human infectious diseases, including malaria, are associated with a large expansion of a phenotypically and transcriptionally distinct subpopulation of B cells distinguished by their high expression of a variety of inhibitory receptors including FcγRIIB. Because these B cells, termed atypical memory B cells (MBCs), are unable to respond to soluble antigens, it was suggested that they contributed to the poor acquisition of immunity in chronic infections. Here, we show that the high expression of FcγRIIB restricts atypical MBC responses to membrane-associated antigens that function to actively exclude FcγRIIB from the B cell immune synapse and include the co-receptor CD19, allowing B cell antigen receptor signaling and differentiation toward plasma cells. Thus, chronic infectious diseases result in the expansion of B cells that robustly respond to antigens that associate with cell surfaces, such as antigens in immune complexes, but are unable to respond to fully soluble antigens, such as self-antigens.
Advanced automated target recognition (ATR) and multi-target tracker (MTT) with electro-optical (EO) sensors

We are interested in ATR on various military target types such as military tanks and mobile rocket/missile launching vehicles from as high of UAV flying altitudes as possible. However, many of our current high-flying UAV datasets do not contain these types of military targets. Therefore, a high-fidelity target insertion (HFTI) tool has been developed for testing Advanced ATR on military targets. In this paper, we present results on development of Advanced ATR using the state-of-the-art Transfer Learning and Deep Learning (DL) Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) target detection and recognition models for the military target detection and recognition. Large labelled training datasets have been generated by the newly developed HFTI tool to train the CNN ATR. We have developed and tested two different CNN ATRs: (1) detection-based YOLOv2 model and (2) segmentation-based U-Net model. Both ATRs have achieved promising performance. A Multi-Target Tracker (MTT) has also been developed to track military vehicles that were detected and recognized by the CNN U-Net ATR. In the presentation, we will show live videos for the ATR performance with accurate multiple (moving and static) targets recognition and tracking.
Novel Use of Rapid Antigen Influenza Testing in the Outpatient Setting To Provide an Early Warning Sign of Influenza Activity in the Emergency Departments of an Integrated Health System.

Seasonal influenza virus is associated with high morbidity and mortality especially in vulnerable patient populations. Here we demonstrate the novel use of Sofia Influenza A + B FIA, a rapid antigen-based influenza point-of-care test (POCT), combined with Virena software for automatic de-identified tracking of influenza activity across the Los Angeles area and for predicting surges of influenza cases in the emergency department (ED). We divided outpatient clinics into 6 geographic zones and compared weekly influenza activity. In the outpatient setting, there were 1,666 and 274 influenza A and influenza B positives, respectively, across the 2018-2019 influenza season and 1,857 and 1,449 influenza A and influenza B positives, respectively, during the 2019-2020 influenza season, with zone-specific differences observed. Moreover, we found that a rapid increase in outpatient influenza was followed by an influx in influenza positive cases in the ED, offering a 1-3 week warning sign for ED influx of triple or quadruple the number of influenza cases compared to the prior week. Sofia Influenza A + B FIA allows for surveillance of real-time deidentified influenza activity. Tracking of such data may serve as a valuable region-specific influenza indicator and predictor to guide infection prevention measures in both the outpatient and hospital settings. High impact interventions include designating areas of waiting rooms for influenza-like illnesses, altering staff scheduling in anticipation of surges, and securing sufficient personal protective equipment and antivirals during the height of influenza season.
Tailoring Polysulfide Properties through Variations of Inverse Vulcanization

Inverse vulcanization combines elemental sulfur, a petroleum waste product, and organic monomers to synthesize high sulfur content polysulfides without the need for solvents. The low cost, syntheti...
COVID-19 vaccines: modes of immune activation and future challenges.

The new vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are novel in terms of specificity, their wide dissemination across the global population and the inclusion of newly licensed mRNA platforms. We discuss here how the approved vaccines trigger innate immunity to promote durable immunological memory and consider the future implications of protecting populations with these vaccines. This Comment outlines how the recently licensed vaccines for COVID-19 activate innate immune mechanisms to promote immune memory to SARS-CoV-2. The authors also consider future challenges that could limit vaccine efficacy.
Sexual Minority Status and Age of Onset of Adolescent Suicide Ideation and Behavior

OBJECTIVES To determine if sexual minority adolescents have earlier onset of suicidality and faster progressions from ideation to plan and attempt than heterosexual adolescents. METHODS A population-based longitudinal cohort of 1771 adolescents participated in the NEXT Generation Health Study. Participants reported sexual minority status (defined by sexual attraction) in 2010–2011 and retrospectively reported age at onset of suicidality in 2015–2016. RESULTS Sexual minority adolescents (5.8% of weighted sample) had higher lifetime risk of suicide ideation (26.1% vs 13.0%), plan (16.6% vs 5.4%), and attempt (12.0% vs 5.4%) than heterosexual adolescents. Survival analyses adjusted for demographic characteristics and depressive symptoms revealed positive associations of sexual minority status with time to first onset of suicide ideation (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–3.06) and plan (HR = 2.69; 95% CI 1.30–5.56). The association between sexual minority status and age at onset of suicide attempt was stronger at age CONCLUSIONS Sexual minority adolescents had earlier onset of suicidality and faster progression from suicide ideation to plan than heterosexual adolescents. The assessment of sexual minority status in routine pediatric care has the potential to inform suicide risk screening, management, and intervention efforts among early sexual minority adolescents.
Development of Transesophageal Echocardiography

Technology using reflected sound waves to localize objects was initially developed for naval sonar but expanded in many directions. The use of ultrasound for imaging dynamic cardiac structures was first introduced in 1954 by Edler and Hertz [1] and has since revolutionized diagnostic approaches to cardiac disease. Ultrasound waves reflected from cardiac surfaces can be presented as dots or moving lines (M-mode echocardiography), but a more understandable representation of the heart is provided when the reflected ultrasound waves are oriented in two dimensions to produce an image resembling a cross section of the heart (2D echocardiography). Transmission of ultrasound into living tissue has proved to be safe, and comfortable for patients; thus since 1954 many refinements have taken place to explore its full potential in clinical and research use. A variety of hand-held transducers capable of emitting and receiving ultrasound have been used by cardiologists. The standard technique requires that the transducer is placed on the skin surface overlying the heart. Since ultrasound frequencies are not transmitted well through air, contact between the skin and the transducer is maintained by the use of a coupling gel applied liberally to the skin. The heart lies at a variable depth within the thorax and thus cardiac imaging is often facilitated by positioning the patient on his left side so that the heart falls against the left anterior chest wall. With all the various improvements in equipment, successful cardiac imaging still requires first of all that the heart lie within the field of view of the ultrasound transducer, and it is essentially this particular aspect of imaging that led to the development of esophageal transducers.
Globalization and Corporate Social Responsibility: How Non-Governmental Organizations Influence Labor and Environmental Codes of Conduct

Concerns over the potential negative spillovers from globalization have resulted in increasing demands for multinational corporations (MNCs) to adhere to international standards and codes of responsibility. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been important advocates for development and adoption of these standards and codes. In this paper, we provide a brief review of the emergence of NGOs and their influence on debates about globalization, and a specific assessment of NGO efforts to promote stronger labor and environmental policies of multinational corporations. We examine the role of NGOs in development and enforcement of twelve international agreements and codes of conduct addressing labor issues and environmental practices. We use findings from these cases and insights from international business and other managerial theory to develop propositions that explain the circumstances under which NGOs have more or less influence in developing and enforcing international codes.
Epilogue: Classroom Learning, Looking Ahead

Publisher Summary This chapter suggests a simple description of the learning process as a first step in the development of a shared terminology of classroom learning. The Constructivist movement can be viewed as a political force within the education profession. This movement functions at two levels of analysis: macro-level of analysis, which is the standards movement, and micro-level of analysis where the focus is on individual teachers, and interacting with individual students in a specific social setting. Learning is obviously basic to the educative process, and it must also be considered as a fundamental process or characteristic of mind. A motivated student encounters a problem situation and exhibits persistent goal-oriented activity involving, construction of varied domain-specific strategies and procedures that result in a problem solution. A major problem in the literature today is a failure to distinguish between the learning process and the product of that learning process. A conceptualization of the learning process is dynamic rather than static and must be addressed from the perspective of the learner. Common perspectives include the view that academic knowledge construction on the part of students is basically a learning process that involves change.
The Sleeping Picasso

It was Friday afternoon in Tucson, the reeking crotch of the universe, as Vince called the sunbaked burg, and he was more bored than at any other time he could recall, which was saying something. It was 103? outside and as dreary and tortuous as slow death. The swamp cooler loudly but hopelessly huffed out an ineffectual stream of stale air, and the knots of flies scattered across the ce?ing sat stupefied and motionless in the swelter. It was so hot they refused, or perhaps forgot how, to fly. Outside, the frail blooms on the potted fauna Uned up astride the porch rails wilted and curled up like fists. He slumped on the ratty couch, enervated by the wet-rag embrace of heat and humidity, staring Ustlessly at the fuzzy images on the old TV with the missing knobs and buzzing speaker. Days like this said to him, emphatically: you can run, but you cannot hide. It was something he hated but had accepted?for the time being, at least?as one of the unavoidable and lesser evils of Uving in the desert. Like snakes, bugs, snowbirds and packrats. Bad as it was, though, he had been through worse. Much worse.
Simulation-Based Study of the Inserted-Oxide FinFET for Future Low-Power System-on-Chip Applications

The performance of an evolutionary FinFET design (iFinFET) is compared against that of the bulk FinFET and gate-all-around (GAA) FET via TCAD three-dimensional device simulations. The results show that the iFinFET is a promising candidate for future low-power system-on-chip applications, providing superior electrostatic integrity relative to the FinFET without the additional process complexity and substantial gate capacitance penalty of the GAA FET.
The Neoconservative Revolution: The Rise of the Neoconservatives

Irving Howe has said that when intellectuals are moved to action, they create a magazine. Irving Kristol is a case in point. He helped to advance the embryonic neoconservative movement in 1965 by founding The Public Interest . At the time, Kristol's social and political views were undergoing change. Although he had known poverty firsthand and was sympathetic to the goals of Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society, his skepticism of government planning had led him to believe that poverty could be overcome only by gradual economic growth that brought with it greater economic opportunity for outsiders. A disillusioned liberal, he feared that radical dissent had fallen prey to leftist totalitarianism. He shared with traditional conservatives their distaste for the eruptions of the counterculture. Yet he had no faith in the anti–New Deal, anti–Fair Deal conservatism advanced by Barry Goldwater's 1964 campaign. “We are children of the Depression,” his wife, Gertrude Himmelfarb, told an interviewer, “and are committed to the New Deal kind of welfare state – by present terms, a very minimal welfare state. Social Security is something we regard as a very good thing.” Kristol considered Bill Buckley's National Review “too strident,” insufficiently “analytical” and “intellectual.” He rejected also National Review 's “hostility to the New Deal and its enthusiasm for Jeffersonian individualism.” On the other hand, he distrusted what passed for social scientific thought embodied in the poverty programs, and was troubled by what he perceived as the vague, unfocused idealism of left-wing ideologues.
Gene expression in antigen-specific CD8+ T cells during viral infection.

Following infection with intracellular pathogens, Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells become activated and begin to proliferate. As these cells become activated, they elaborate effector functions including cytokine production and cytolysis. After the infection has been cleared, the immune system returns to homeostasis through apoptosis of the majority of the Ag-specific effector cells. The surviving memory cells can persist for extended periods and provide protection against reinfection. Little is known about the changes in gene expression as Ag-specific cells progress through these stages of development, i.e., naive to effector to memory. Using recombinant MHC class I tetramers, we isolated Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells from mice infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus at various time points and performed semiquantitative RT-PCR. We examined expression of: 1) genes involved in cell cycle control, 2) effector and regulatory functions, and 3) susceptibility to apoptosis. We found that Ag-specific CD8(+) memory T cells contain high steady-state levels of Bcl-2, BAX:, IFN-gamma, and lung Kruppel-like factor (LKLF), and decreased levels of p21 and p27 mRNA. Moreover, the pattern of gene expression between naive and memory cells is distinct and suggests that these two cell types control susceptibility to apoptosis through different mechanisms.
Ancient Bodies, Modern Lives: How Evolution Has Shaped Women's Health, by W. Trevathan

An in-depth understanding of evolution, biology, or evolutionary medicine is not necessary to appreciate this book because the author provides useful overviews of these concepts for the reader. Usi...
Parasite infections and gastrointestinal motility

The sections in this article are: 1 Parasite-Induced Alterations 1.1 Esophagus 1.2 Stomach 1.3 Small Intestine 1.4 Cecum, Colon, and Rectum 2 Basis For Motility Changes 2.1 Parasite-Derived Substances 2.2 Gastrointestinal Hormone Imbalances 2.3 Inflammation 3 Summary
Toward Clinical Application and Molecular Understanding of the Mechanobiology of Bone Healing

Bone healing is sensitive to mechanical loading. Study of the mechanisms by which mechanical loads modulate healing can yield new strategies for the treatment of bone injuries. This article reviews the basic biological and biomechanical stages of bone healing and then summarizes the phenomenological evidence of the mechanosensitivity of the healing process. We then turn our focus to more mechanistic studies. Noting that the puzzle of bone-healing mechanobiology is multi-scale—spanning from the scale of bone as an organ system down to subcellular components—we review these studies according to this hierarchy of length scales and thus highlight how little is known about cellular and subcellular mechanobiology during bone healing. Progress in filling this gap in knowledge, so as to develop a more molecular-based understanding of bone-healing mechanobiology, is discussed, along with prospects for clinical translation.
Port Efficiency and Trade Flows

Growing international trade and increasing congestion focus attention on trade facilitation. Ocean ports are a central and necessary component in facilitating trade. Yet, there is only limited comprehensive information available on the efficiency of ports or evidence of the effect of port efficiency on trade. We develop and apply a straightforward approach to estimate port efficiency. The approach uses detailed data on US imports and associated import costs, yielding estimates across ports, products, and time. These measures are incorporated into a gravity trade model where we estimate that improved port efficiency significantly increases trade volumes.
Reduced posterior mesofrontal cortex activation by risky rewards in substance-dependent patients

Substance-dependent individuals show disadvantageous decision-making, as well as alterated frontocortical recruitment when performing experimental tasks. We investigated whether substance-dependent patients (SDP) would show blunted recruitment of posterior mesofrontal cortex (PMC) by a conflict between concurrently increasing reward and risk of penalty in a monetary game of "chicken." SDP and controls performed: motor control (no reward) trials, guaranteed reward trials in which reward was not at risk, and risky trials where subjects were required to terminate their reward accrual before a secret varying time limit or else "bust" and forfeit that trial's winnings (low penalty) or the current trial's winnings plus an equal amount of previous winnings (high penalty). Reward accrual duration at risk of "busting" correlated negatively with trait neuroticism. The contrast between winning guaranteed reward versus non-reward activated the caudate head bilaterally in SDP but not controls. Accumulation of money at risk of low- or high-penalty (contrasted with accumulating guaranteed money) activated the PMC in both groups, but with a greater magnitude and more anterior extent in controls. Pre-decision signal increase in a PMC volume of interest negatively correlated with risk-taking in low-penalty trials, and was blunted in SDP relative to controls under both penalty conditions after controlling for individual differences in actual risk-taking and the higher neuroticism of SDP. These data suggest that SDP are characterized by a combination of: (a) striatal hypersensitivity to reward, and (b) under-recruitment of the specialized conflict-monitoring circuitry of the PMC when reward entails potential penalties.
Interrelationship between the transition temperatures of the (2223) and (2212) phases of Bi-based superconductors

Abstract Thermal cycling and quenching of Bi 1.6 Pb 0.4 Sr 2 Ca 3 Cu 4 O x samples consisting of the (2223) phase ( T c ∼110 K) with admixture of the (2212) phase ( T c ∼85 K) has been used to change the sample weight, thus affecting the oxygen stoichiometry. Resistivity and magnetic studies of these samples showed that whereas T c of the (2212) phase increased from 67 K to 89 K with ∼0.22% weight loss, the T c of the (2223) phase decreased from 105 K to 89 K.
Natural Killer Cell Activity in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

ABSTRACT: The exact role of natural killer (NK) cells in host defense is unclear, but they may be important as an early response to certain infections. We evaluated NK cell phenotype and activity in premature very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) (n = 52) with an average gestational age of 29.3 wk (24–35 wk) and an average birth weight of 1124 g (537–1480 g). All patients initially were evaluated within 7 d of birth. Samples also were obtained at 2, 4, and 6 wk in some infants. The proportion of mononuclear cells expressing the phenotypic marker of NK cells (NKH-1; CD56) was significantly lower in VLBWI than in adults (2.5 ± 1.4 versus, 12.5 ± 7.8%, p < 0.0001) or term infants (2.5 ± 1.4 versus 9.5 ± 7.1%, p < 0.0001). VLBWI also had significantly diminished NK activity expressed as the percentage of specific lysis compared with adults (4.7 ± 4.4 versus 32.3 ± 14.5%, p < 0.0001) or term infants (4.7 ± 4.4 versus 15.5 ± 10.8%, p < 0.0001). Both the number of cells expressing the NK phenotype and the NK lytic activity in VLBWI increased in the 6 wk after birth. NK activity in VLBWI was enhanced by IL-2 and in most cases by interferon-γ.
New approaches for enhanced detection of enteroviruses from Hawaiian environmental waters.

Health risks associated with sewage-contaminated recreational waters are of important public health concern. Reliable water monitoring systems are therefore crucial. Current recreational water quality criteria rely predominantly on the enumeration of bacterial indicators, while potentially dangerous viral pathogens often remain undetected. Human enteric viruses have been proposed as alternative indicators; however, their detection is often hindered by low viral concentrations present in the environment. Reported here are novel and effective laboratory protocols for viral concentration and highly sensitive and optimized RT-PCR for the efficient detection of enteroviruses, an important enteric virus subset, in Hawaiian environmental waters. Eighteen published enterovirus primer pairs were comparatively evaluated for detection sensitivity. The primer set exhibiting the lowest detection limit under optimized conditions, EQ-1/EQ-2, was validated in a field survey of 22 recreational bodies of water located around the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Eleven sites tested positive for enterovirus, indicating fecal contamination at these locations. As an additional means of viral concentration, shellfish were collected from 9 sample sites and subjected to dissection, RNA extraction, and subsequent RT-PCR. Shellfish tissue from 6 of 9 sites tested positive for enterovirus. The techniques implemented here are valuable resources to aid accurate reflection of microbial contamination in Hawaii’s environmental waters.
Lingua: cultural exchange through language partnerships

Language barriers prevent people from communicating directly and are often a reflection of larger cultural divisions that hinder connection. Exposure to foreign languages and cultures through travel can help bridge this divide, but is not always feasible given time and monetary constraints. Language exchange partnerships are an excellent way to learn a new language, but are often difficult to maintain due to lack of common ground between partners and the absence of supporting materials. We present Lingua, a system to connect individuals with different linguistic backgrounds, and provide them a digital space tailored to support language learning through conversation with a partner. Their dialogue is driven in part by the application's support for using shared multimedia to offer examples of their respective cultures.
Mindfulness and counseling self-efficacy: The mediating role of attention and empathy.

This study examined the predictive relationship between mindfulness and counseling, self-efficacy and the potential mediating effects of attention and empathy. Master's-level counseling interns and doctoral counseling students (N = 179) were surveyed to determine levels of mindfulness. attention. empathy. and counseling self-efficacy. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients revealed significant pairwise relationships between the 4 variables of interest. A multiple-mediator path analysis supported the hypotheses that mindfulness is a significant predictor of counseling self-efficacy and that attention is a mediator of that relationship, Results suggest that mindfulness may be an important variable in the development of key counselor preparation outcomes.
A Study of Narcissism, Affiliation, Intimacy, and Power Motives among Students in Business Administration

This research examined the intercorrelations of scores on narcissism and the motives for affiliation, intimacy, and power. 65 students in a Master's program for business administration were given t...
Effect of Dietary Protein-Energy Ratios on Digestion and Growth of Holstein Calves at Ages 8 to 18 Weeks, and on Free Amino Acids in Blood

Abstract Responses to varying ratios of dietary protein to energy were observed in Holstein calves 8 to 18 weeks of age. Four equal groups of seven males each were fed practical rations of readily available feedstuffs. Ratios of protein:energy were 1:15.1, 1:17.3, 1:19.1 and 1:25.5 (grams digestible protein per kilocalorie of digestible energy) by varying the proportions of soybean oil meal and. corn. Growth and feed utilization were similar for the four groups. Average daily gain was 1.12kg and feed consumption averaged 4.26kg per calf daily. Apparent digestibility of dry matter and of energy was higher by calves on diets having 1:15.1 and 1:25.5 ratios than by those receiving intermediate ratios. Digestibility of nitrogen was greatest in the group fed the 1:15.1 ratio. Total free amino acids of the blood were significantly higher in those groups on the 1:15.1 and 1:17.3 ratios than in the other two groups. Significant differences for serine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine were similar to those of total amino acids.
SEPARABILITY HYPOTHESIS AND THE THEORY OF SECOND BEST

To find the way to obtain the maximization of social welfare has been a focus of welfare economics. Pareto optimal conditions are usually considered a sufficient condition for the Welfare maximization, i.e., the first best solution. Under the mixed economy, however, it is almost impossible to reach this “Utopia” (pareto optimum) with institutional constraints such as monopoly and taxes. The second best solution then becomes the realistic and interesting problem few economists have paid attention to in the last two decades. In studying the second best theory, the following question arises: If a constraint, which prevents the satisfaction of at least one of the paretian conditons, is introduced into a general equilibrium system, which second best conditions depart from the corresponding paretian condition?
Temporal patterns of host availability, brown-headed cowbird brood parasitism, and parasite egg mass

I studied relationships between temporal patterns of host availability, brood parasitism, and egg mass for the parasitic brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater). At a study site consisting largely of edge habitat in north-eastern Illinois, I found 834 bird nests from 27 species. A total of 407 cowbird eggs and nestlings were found in these nests over three laying seasons. Nearly all (n= 379; 93%) were found in the nests of seven host species. For these species and all taken together, weekly nest availability generally decreased whereas parasitism frequency generally increased throughout the cowbird laying season, but the proportions of nests parasitized and the mean number of cowbird eggs in them did not. Additionally, no correlation was found between the proportions of nests parasitized and nest availability. Cowbird egg mass generally increased throughout the laying season, indicating that foraging conditions improved and that, early in the laying season, egg mass and quality may be less important than quantity. Consistently high weekly levels of parasitism indicate that cowbird reproduction was less limited by resources needed for egg production and more by the availability of suitable host nests. Fluctuating weekly host availabilities suggest that previously established, constant rates of cowbird egg laying would produce an excess of eggs during periods of low host availability. Further, the low frequency of parasitism (1%) of nests in stages too advanced for successful parasitism, and of abandoned nests, is consistent with the hypothesis that cowbirds' consistently high rate of egg production helps assure an egg is available when an appropriate nest is found. Frequently, nests were parasitized multiple times, raising the possibility that cowbirds were interfering with their own reproduction. A diverse host community increases the possibility that a decline of any one host species is unlikely to affect cowbird reproduction significantly.
Tip-Induced Structural Rearrangements of Alkanethiolate Self-Assembled Monolayers on Gold

A method for preparing self-assembled monolayers of decanethiolate on Au(111) with large (ca. 50−100 nm) regions of hexagonal (√3×√3 R30) lattice is reported. Such samples could be transformed from this structure to a c(4×2) superlattice under the influence of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip. These images were comparable to those obtained by thermally annealing the sample. Using an atomic force microscope tip in friction force mode (FFM), the c(4×2) superlattice could be observed on thermally annealed samples, but pressing upon the sample with a moderate tip load (as high as 80 nN) did not induce this structure. Comparative analysis of the results obtained by these two techniques suggests that this transformation occurred as the result of the tip pressing upon the surface. In addition to this final structure, intermediate structures were observed during these tip-induced transformations. The STM-induced transformation revealed an intermediate structure of p2 symmetry. The FFM-induced transformat...
Laser-fluorescence imaging of O2 in combustion flows using an ArF laser.

Planar laser-induced fluorescence images of O2 in flames have been acquired using an ArF excimer laser as the excitation source. The 193-nm radiation excites several rovibronic lines of the O2 Schumann–Runge (B3∑u− ← X3∑g−) band system. The resultant fluorescence is detected with an image-intensified 100 × 100 photodiode array camera. Images from several CH4/air flames are presented. High-speed sequences of images have been acquired using the high-repetition-rate capability of the excimer laser. These sequences display the real-time evolution of discrete flame structures. The dependence of the fluorescence signal on temperature and O2 concentration is discussed.
Computer use and wage returns: The complementary roles of IT-related human capital and nonroutine tasks

The effect of computer use on individual workers is relatively underresearched in the IS literature. Prior studies on computer use usually treat technologies as a “black box” and rarely look into how computers are used in workplaces and why IT-related skills are important there. In this study, we use the data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the data on job requirements for over 12,000 occupations from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), to examine the complementary roles of skill sets and nonroutine tasks in providing computer-use wage returns for individual workers. We find that computer use is associated with increased levels of interactive and numerical skills required for the general workforce. In addition, workers who use computers at work and possess higher levels of interactive skills receive higher wages. We also find that computer use complements performing nonroutine tasks, particularly nonroutine abstract tasks in contributing to the wage premium. As the tasks become increasingly routine, the impact of computer use on wage returns diminishes.
Delineation of the intimate details of the backbone conformation of pyridine nucleotide coenzymes in aqueous solution.

Abstract The noise free 300 MHz 1H NMR spectra of β-DPN+, recorded in the Fourier mode at 12° and 68°C have been completely analysed by extensive computer simulation. It is shown, whether the coenzyme exists as an equilibrium mixture of folded ⇄ extended forms (12°C) or in overwhelminghly extended forms (68°C), the backbone of both the nicotinamide and adenine fragments preferentially exist in 2 E-gg-g′g′ conformation. This orientation is significantly different from those reported in the solid state for the extended species in contact with the enzyme where 2 E-tg-g′g′ and 3 E-tg-g′g′ orientations have been observed. It is suggested that specific interactions of the backbone with the various amino acid residues in the enzyme induces conformational aberrations in the backbone. Intimate details of the backbone conformation of the extended forms of AcPy-DPN+ and β-TPN+ are also presented.
Experience with recipient splenic artery inflow in adult liver transplantation: a case series.

Introduction Hepatic artery thrombosis following orthotopic liver transplant is one of the most common reasons for early graft failure. Meticulous reconstitution of hepatic artery flow remains essential for good outcomes. Prior surgery, body habitus, hepatic artery inadequacy and anatomic differences can complicate hepatic artery revascularization.
Dietary approaches to hypertension: a call to pharmacists to promote lifestyle changes.

Objectives To describe guideline updates regarding a dietary approach to preventing or treating hypertension and to encourage pharmacists to provide education to patients on the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and reducing dietary sodium intake. Data sources Abstracts and published articles identified by searching Medline (January 2001 to July 2011) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (January 2001 to July 2011) using the terms hypertension , cardiovascular risk , risk reduction behavior , health behavior , community pharmacy services , counseling , diet , and sodium-restricted diet , as well as reports from the Institute of Medicine and Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. Data synthesis In the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, the recommended daily dietary sodium intakes for individuals with hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes was reduced to less than 1,500 mg per day. All other healthy individuals are recommended to achieve dietary sodium intakes of less than 2,300 mg per day. Americans are consuming excessive amounts of dietary sodium in the form of processed foods, which poses a barrier to blood pressure control. Pharmacists should recommend the DASH diet as a way to reduce intake of dietary sodium and use available nutrition resources found on the ChooseMyPlate.gov and Food and Drug Administration websites. Pharmacists should integrate approaches using behavioral and motivational strategies to provide education that is culturally sensitive and appeals to individuals with marginal health literacy. Conclusion Community and ambulatory practice pharmacists, as well as collaborative practice models between pharmacists and physicians, should optimize medication management and incorporate lifestyle interventions that reduce dietary sodium intake as part of a comprehensive approach to improve hypertension outcomes.
Obesity and seatbelt use: a fatal relationship

Abstract Background Seatbelts significantly reduce the risk of death in motor vehicle accidents, but a certain number of individuals from some subgroups tend not to wear their seatbelts. Objectives In this study, we hypothesized that obese drivers (in fatal crashes) were less likely to wear seatbelts than their normal-weight counterparts. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on the drivers in motor vehicle crashes entered into the Fatality Analysis Reporting System database between 2003 and 2009. A number of precrash variables were found to be significantly associated with seatbelt use. These were entered into a multivariate logistic regression model using stepwise selection. Drivers were grouped into weight categories based on the World Health Organization definitions of obesity by body mass index. Seatbelt use was then examined by body mass index, adjusted for precrash variables that were significantly associated with seatbelt use. Results The odds of seatbelt use for normal-weight individuals were found to be 67% higher than the odds of seatbelt use in the morbidly obese. The relationship of seatbelt use between the different weight groups and the morbidly obese is as follows (odds ratios [ORs] for each comparison are listed with 95% confidence limits [CL]): underweight vs morbidly obese (OR, 1.62; CL, 1.47-1.79), normal weight vs morbidly obese (OR, 1.67; CL, 1.54-1.81), overweight vs morbidly obese (OR, 1.60; CL, 1.48-1.74), slightly obese vs morbidly obese (OR, 1.40; CL, 1.29-1.52), and moderately obese vs morbidly obese (OR, 1.24; CL, 1.13-1.36). Conclusion Seatbelt use is significantly less likely in obese individuals compared with their normal-weight counterparts.
Effects of acute infusion of the muscarinic cholinergic agonist arecoline on verbal memory and visuo-spatial function in dementia of the Alzheimer type.

Abstract Raffaele, Kathleen C., Annamaria Berardi, P. Pearse Morris, Sanjay Asthana, James V. Haxby, Stanley I. Rapoport, and Timothy T. Soncrant: Effects of Acute Infusion of the Muscarinic Cholinergic Agonist Arecoline on Verbal Memory and Visuo-spatial Function in Dementia of the Alzheimer Type. Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. & Biol. Psychiat. 1991, 15 (5) : 643–648. 1. 1. Treatment of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) with arecoline, a muscarinic cholinergic receptor agonist, reportedly improves performance on a picture recognition memory task, but not on other memory measures. To examine further possible performance improvements following arecoline treatment, patients with DAT were treated with a 30 min intravenous infusion of arecoline (5 mg). 2. 2. Psychometric testing was done at five time points (two before and three following the infusion). Patients were tested on a memory task (Buschke selective reminding) and a test of visuo-spatial performance (figure copying). 3. 3. No net change from baseline was seen in mean scores following arecoline infusion. However, the changes in performance on the two tasks were correlated (p 4. 4. This result suggests that although individual patients vary in their response to a given dose of arecoline, their responses are consistent across types of tasks. Thus the lack of a mean drug effect may be due to individual differences in response rather than to a lack of response.
A Pinpunch Apparatus for Quantifying the Growth Rate Distribution in Monocot Leaves

On decrit un appareil qui mesure la distribution du taux de croissance de la feuille. Cette methode est destructive et demande beaucoup de manipulations mais contribue a la comprehension des processus de croissance des feuilles de plantes telles que le mais, le sorgho et la canne a sucre
Carbon/nutrient balance as a predictor of plant defense in Alaskan balsam poplar: Potential importance of metabolite turnover

The carbon/nutrient balance hypothesis fails to correctly predict effects of fertilization and shading on concentrations of defensive metabolites in Alaskan balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera). Of six metabolites analyzed, only one responded in the predicted fashion to fertilization and one to shading. These results and those of other similar studies suggest that while the carbon/nutrient balance hypothesis may correctly predict the effects of fertilization and shading on the concentrations of metabolic “end products”, it fails for many metabolites because of the dynamics associated with their production and turnover. In metabolites that turn over, static concentration is a poor predictor of defensive investment.
Filling the THz gap—high power sources and applications

Electromagnetic waves centred at a frequency of 1 THz lie between photonics on the one hand and electronics on the other, and are very hard to generate and detect. However, since the THz part of the spectrum is energetically equivalent to many important physical, chemical and biological processes including superconducting gaps and protein dynamical processes, it is of great interest to facilitate experimental research in this region. This has stimulated major steps in the past decade for filling this gap in the usable spectrum. In this review paper we describe the evolution of a new generation of sources that boost the average power available in the THz region by more than a million-fold, making this region routinely accessible for the first time. This is achieved using two enhancement factors, namely relativistic electrons and super-radiance. We will also point to the scientific potential for discovery that is now enabled in this region.
The Myth of Clinical Judgment

Professions that provide services to people with disabilities typically do so from a clinical perspective. Yet evidence on the exercise of clinical judgment raises a number of questions about its influence. Other factors such as economics, bureaucratic exigency, politics, service traditions, and societal prejudice may render reliance on clinical judgment little more than a mythology. This paper examines the status of clinical judgment in two areas of policy and practice, namely, placement of students in special education settings, and residential placements and programs for people with developmental disabilities.
SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF ELECTRON RECOMBINATION WITH MONATOMIC IONS IN A HELIUM PLASMA

Recent work on electron-ion recombination has shown that a model including recombination into highly excited bound levels through electron-electron-ion collisions and transitions between the bound levels through electron-atom collisions, as well as the usual radiative transitions, is in good agreement with experiments in which processes involving molecular ions, etc., are unimportant. By making absolute intensity measurements of the lines of helium emitted from the decaying plasma of an arc jet in the visible and near ultraviolet, the number densities of the excited states of helium have been calculated. From these measurements electron temperatures between 0.15 and 0.30 eV and electron densities between 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{12}$ and 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{14}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ are found, with a fractional ionization of the order of 1%. When interpreted by means of the collisional-radiative recombination model, these measurements also give values for ${K}_{n,n\ensuremath{-}1}$, the collisional de-excitation rate constant of an excited helium atom from level $n$ to $n\ensuremath{-}1$. The constancy of ${K}_{n,n\ensuremath{-}1}$ over a range of electron density from 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{12}$ to 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{14}$ per ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ indicates the validity of the model, and the values of ${K}_{n,n\ensuremath{-}1}$ are in reasonable agreement with a recent theory of classical excitation cross sections. A square-root dependence of this cross section on the excess energy is indicated, since the values of ${K}_{n,n\ensuremath{-}1}$ appear to be independent of electron temperature. It is then found that ${Q}_{2,3}=9.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\ensuremath{\surd}E$, ${Q}_{3,4}=73\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\ensuremath{\surd}E$, and ${Q}_{4,5}=380\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\ensuremath{\surd}E$, where ${Q}_{n,n+1}$ is the averaged excitation cross section from the levels with principal quantum number $n$ to the levels with principal quantum number $n+1$ in units ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}15}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, and $E$ is the excess energy in eV. These cross sections have an estimated error of about 30% in the threshold energy range to about 0.3 eV.
New developments in proton conducting membranes for fuel cells

Research efforts on proton conducting polymeric membranes for fuel cells are discussed and future R&D directions are identified. The key membrane performance issues for hydrogen/air fuel cells are high proton conductivity under dry conditions, low gas crossover, and good mechanical/chemical stability. For direct liquid methanol fuel cells, there is a need for highly durable membranes with a high proton conductivity and low methanol crossover. Fluorinated ionomers continue to dominate the fuel cell membrane landscape and it is unlikely that a hydrocarbon polymer will supplant these materials anytime soon, especially for automotive applications. Promising strategies for improving membrane performance and durability in a hydrogen/air fuel cell include the use of ultra-low equivalent weight semicrystalline ionomers, covalently attaching conductive and water retaining particles to an ionomer, and adding a porous/nanofiber reinforcements to minimize in-plane swelling and shrinking. For direct methanol fuel cells, the best commercial material is Nafion 117, but pre-stretched films of recast Nafion outperform all commercial membranes and show great potential.
Noninvasive Determinations of the Anaerobic Threshold: Reliability and Validity in Patients with COPD

We compared the intraobserver and interobserver agreement of blood (BCT) and gas exchange (GET) methods for determination of the anaerobic threshold (AT) in patients with COPD. In addition, we determined the sensitivity and specificity of the gas exchange methods for determination of the AT. Two noninvasive methods, the V-slope (VS) and the ventilatory equivalents method (VEM) were compared with two blood sampling methods, the log standard HCO 3 (SB) vs log V ˙ O 2 (SBT) and base excess (BE) vs V ˙ O 2 (BET). Twenty-nine patients with COPD (FEV 1 <60%) performed incremental exercise tests to exhaustion while breath-by-breath gas exchange measurements were made. Blood samples were drawn at the end of each minute for SB and BE. Two trained observers determined the V ˙ O 2 at the threshold for each of the four indices on two separate occasions two weeks apart. Our results demonstrated the following: only modest interobserver and intraobserver agreement was noted by Spearman rank correlations; the VEM was as sensitive as the VS in COPD patients; and the presence of a true metabolic acidosis was not reliably predicted by GET methods. Moreover, although the blood methods accurately identified the presence of metabolic acidosis, there was disagreement on the actual point of the BGT. We conclude that gas exchange indices were not helpful for the determination of metabolic acidosis in patients with COPD.
Soviet geomagnetism, aeronomy and solar‐terrestrial physics

During December 1968, each of us made separate visits to a number of Soviet institutes and laboratories engaged in space-physics research. Akasofu visited the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radiowave Propagation of the Academy of Sciences (IZMIRAN) in Moscow; the Institute of Physics of the Atmosphere and the Institute of Physics of the Earth, both of the Academy of Sciences in Moscow; as well as the Moscow State University, and the Leningrad State University in Leningrad. Wilcox visited the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory and Pulkovo Observatory. In Moscow he visited IZMIRAN, the Lebedev Institute, and the Astronomical Council of the Academy of Sciences.
Grafting of polystyrene onto cellulose acetate by nucleophilic displacement of mesylate groups using the polystyrylcarboxylate anion

La reaction est complete a 75°C apres 20 h. Le greffage apparait etre limite par l'efficacite de la carboxylation du polystyrene