cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developing information technology for infection prevention surveillance

The potential to automate at least part of the surveillance process for health care-associated infections was seen as soon as hospitals began to implement computer systems. Progress toward automated surveillance has been ongoing for the last several decades. But as more information becomes available electronically in the healthcare setting, the promise of electronic surveillance for healthcare-associated infections has become closer to reality. Although true fully automated surveillance is not here yet, significant progress is being made at a number of centers for electronic surveillance of central catheter-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and other healthcare-associated infections. We review the progress that has been made in this area and issues that need to be addressed as surveillance systems are implemented, as well as promising areas for future development.
Environmental Satisfaction, Sociability, and Well-Being among Urban Elderly:

A review of the literature indicates that until recently little attention has been paid to the effects of the environment on well-being among the aged. This study analyzes data relevant to both the individual and his or her environment from a large (N = 2265) national sample of low- and middle-income elderly. A recursive causal model is presented; the results indicate that perceived health and housing satisfaction contribute the most to well-being among the elderly. In addition, for men and women home ownership was not found to affect well-being positively. For men who owned their own homes lower scores on well-being were reported. The findings also indicate that while the quantity of neighbor interaction benefits the well-being of men, women benefit more from the positive sentiments of sociability in the neighborhood. This study emphasizes the importance of environmental satisfaction and neighborhood sociability as key determinants of well-being in later life.
THE EFFECT OF FREE-CHOICE COUMAPHOS SALT MIXTURES ON CATTLE AND CATTLE PARASITES.

Pastured steer calves on a hay diet were given 0, 0.5, 1, and 2% coumaphos salt, free choice, for 205 days, then 0 and 2% coumaphos salt for 146 additional days. Observations were made for any adverse effects that may have been caused by the treatment plus any effect the treatments had on parasite control. Very poor control of cattle grubs and no control of lice or internal parasites resulted in all the treatments. Salt consumption increased as the concentration of coumaphos was increased, and over a 205-day winter test the animals on the 0.5, 1, and 2% coumaphos salt consumed an average of 78, 190, and 390 rag of actual coumaphos/head/day, respectively. The animals that were continued on the 2% coumaphos salt consumed an average of 607 mg of actual coumaphos/head/day during the 146 days of the summer test and consumed an overall average of 487 mg/head/day for 351 days. All treated animals consumed more salt than the untreated. No significant differences were found in weight gains among the treated animals during the winter test. A significant difference was found between winter and summer gains made by the animals on the 2% coumaphos salt. The untreated animals averaged 75 lb/head more during the summer than the treated, whereas during the winter the treated averaged 67 lb/head more than the untreated. Control of adult horn flies, Haematobia irritans (L.), and face flies, Musca autumnalis DeGeer, was erratic. Bioassay of feces collected from treated animals, however, showed 100% reduction of face flies whereas field observations of 2- to 3-day-old dung piles showed 79% reduction of face fly larval development.
Heterotopic regeneration of peripheral nerve fibres into the subarachnoid space.

Within the spinal cord meninges of SJL/J mice afflicted with chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis for up to seven months postinoculation, networks of aberrant regenerated nerve fibres myelinated by Schwann cells have been observed. These P.N.S. elements are believed to have been derived from incoming sensory fibres from the spinal nerve roots which had been interrupted during acute stages of the disease. This phenomenon might also have been related to the occurrence of marked nerve fibre loss and gliosis within superficial tracts in the spinal cord. P.N.S. elements within the subarachnoid space were first apparent six weeks postinoculation, and were distributed around the entire spinal cord and tended to be more concentrated around meningeal blood vessels. Schwann cells associated with these fibres frequently contained centrioles and cilia and daughter Schwann cells apparently arose from parent cells already committed to axons.
Solvent-Isotope and pH Effects on Flagellar Rotation in Escherichia coli

Abstract We studied changes in speed of the flagellar rotary motor of Escherichia coli when tethered cells or cells carrying small latex spheres on flagellar stubs were shifted from H 2 O to D 2 O or subjected to changes in external pH. In the high-torque, low-speed regime, solvent isotope effects were found to be small; in the low-torque, high-speed regime, they were large. The boundaries between these regimes were close to those found earlier in measurements of the torque-speed relationship of the flagellar rotary motor (Berg and Turner, 1993, Biophys. J. 65:2201–2216; Chen and Berg, 2000, Biophys. J ., 78:1036–1041). This observation provides direct evidence that the decline in torque at high speed is due primarily to limits in rates of proton transfer. However, variations of speed (and torque) with shifts of external pH (from 4.7 to 8.8) were small for both regimes. Therefore, rates of proton transfer are not very dependent on external pH.
Mechanisms of Ileal Adaptation for Glucose Absorption after Proximal-Based Small Bowel Resection

The hexose transmembrane transporters SGLT1 and GLUT2 are present in low quantities in ileum where little glucose absorption occurs normally; however, glucose uptake in ileum is highly adaptable after small bowel resection. Ileal adaptability for glucose absorption after jejunal resection is mediated predominately by upregulation of GLUT2. Rats underwent 70% proximal-based jejunoileal resection. Transporter-mediated glucose uptake was measured in proximal and distal remnant ileum 1 and 4 wk postoperatively (n = 6 rats, each) and in corresponding ileal segments in control and 1 wk sham laparotomy rats (n = 6, each) without and with selective inhibitors of SGLT1 and GLUT2. In separate groups of rats (n = 6, each), protein (Western blots), mRNA (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]), and villus height (histomorphology) were measured. After 70% proximal intestinal resection, there was no dramatic change in protein or mRNA expression per cell of either SGLT1 or GLUT2, but median glucose uptake (nmol/cm/min) increased markedly from 52 (range 28–63) in controls to 118 (range 80–171) at 1 wk, and 203 (range 93–248) at 4 wk (p ≤ 0.04 each) correlating with change in villus height (p ≤ 0.03). Ileal adaptation for glucose transport occurs through cellular proliferation (hyperplasia) and not through cellular upregulation of glucose transporters.
Electromagnetic considerations for pixellated planar bolometer arrays in the single-mode limit

Filled arrays of planar bolometers are finding astronomical applications at wavelengths as long as several millimeters. In order to minimize detector size while maintaining element number and performance it is common to push these arrays to scales approaching the single-mode limit. Doing so introduces several new challenges that are not experienced with multi-mode far-infrared detectors having similar pixel size. First, diffractive effects by the pixels themselves are no longer insignificant and will ultimately limit the resolution and polarization response of the optical system. Second, it is necessary to re-examine the coupling between the incident radiation and the individual bolometer absorbing elements. The relatively low f-numbers often employed with millimeter wavelength focal planes can make ideal backshort performance and construction problematic. In addition, typical methods for stray light control that rely on multiple reflections in a lossy medium can fail due to physical size constraints. For these applications, we find resonant absorbers and anti-reflection coatings as effective strategies which can be implemented in the available focal plane area to control stray light.
Striving for Balance: A Hundred Years of the American Society for Engineering Education

This paper provides an overview of the history of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) from its founding in 1893 to the present. The authors see two major continuities in the organization’s hundred year history: the search for methods of improving classroom instruction and the pursuit of national recognition as the spokesman for engineering education. An organization concerned with classroom teaching draws its strength from the ranks of teaching faculty; an organization seeking national visibility must draw its leaders from administrators, especially deans. ASEE’s history is viewed as an continuing effort to balance these two broad purposes within a single organization.
Detection by ELISA of low transferrin levels in bronchoalveolar secretions of preterm infants.

Abstract Transferrin levels in bronchoalveolar secretions (BAS) are very low compared to serum levels in humans. For the exact measurement of transferrin concentrations in BAS a very sensitive assay was developed as a double sandwich enzyme immunoassay using the combination of a polyclonal and a monoclonal antibody against human transferrin. The measurable range of the assay was 1.5 to 100 ng/ml of human transferrin. The lowest measurable value was 0.84 ng/ml and the sensitivity of the assay was 0.88 ng/ml. The coefficient of variation was 14.1% for 25 ng/ml (intra-assay) and 11–20% (inter-assay). The levels measured in 123 samples of BAS of preterm infants ranged between 0.03 and 8.93 (μg/μg secretory component (SC)). The determination of transferrin in BAS of preterm infants is helpful in determining oxidative damage, e.g. the availability of free iron, in the neonatal lung. The transferrin concentration in BAS of neonates who recovered from respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in the first six days of life was 0.48 compared to 0.52 ((μg/μg SC), median range) for infants who developed chronic lung disease.
Compression Acceleration in Astrophysical Plasmas and the Production of f(v) v ?5 Spectra in the Heliosphere

We present a new derivation of the acceleration of fast charged particles by random compressions and expansions based on a quasilinear approximation applied to the Parker transport equation, and explore its consequences. This process has been suggested in a recent series of papers by Fisk & Gloeckler (F&G) as the origin of the quiet-time suprathermal ion population observed throughout the inner heliosphere with an omnidirectional distribution function close to the form f(v) v ?5. Our derivation does not agree with a recent equation derived by F&G. We show that, while our equation conserves particles, the F&G equation does not. Solutions of the correct quasilinear equation are presented, which show that the compressive acceleration process does not produce power-law velocity spectra with indices less than (i.e., softer than) ?3. We show that the transport equations for two other types of stochastic acceleration, by a spectrum of Alfv?n waves and by transit-time damping of oblique magnetosonic waves, yield comparable acceleration rates but also do not produce power-law spectra with indices less than ?3. Conversely, the process of diffusive shock acceleration, responsible for energetic storm particle events, corotating ion events and probably most large solar energetic particle (SEP) events, readily produces power-law velocity spectra with indices in a range including ?5. It is suggested that the quiet-time suprathermal ion population is composed predominantly of remnant ions from these events as well as a contribution from impulsive SEP events.
Distributed algorithms for guiding navigation across a sensor network

We develop distributed algorithms for self-organizing sensor networks that respond to directing a target through a region. The sensor network models the danger levels sensed across its area and has the ability to adapt to changes. It represents the dangerous areas as obstacles. A protocol that combines the artificial potential field of the sensors with the goal location for the moving object guides the object incrementally across the network to the goal, while maintaining the safest distance to the danger areas. We give the analysis to the protocol and report on hardware experiments using a physical sensor network consisting of Mote sensors.
Combination ergotamine and caffeine improves seated blood pressure and presyncopal symptoms in autonomic failure

Severely affected patients with autonomic failure require pressor agents to counteract the blood pressure fall and improve presyncopal symptoms upon standing. Previous studies suggest that combination ergotamine and caffeine may be effective in the treatment of autonomic failure, but the efficacy of this drug has not been evaluated in controlled trials. Therefore, we compared the effects of ergotamine/caffeine on seated blood pressure and orthostatic tolerance and symptoms in 12 primary autonomic failure patients without history of coronary artery disease. Patients were randomized to receive a single oral dose of placebo, midodrine (5-10 mg), or ergotamine and caffeine (1 mg and 100 mg, respectively) in a single-blind, crossover study. Blood pressure was measured while patients were seated and after standing for up to 10 minutes, at baseline and at 1 hour post-drug. Ergotamine/caffeine increased seated systolic blood pressure, the primary outcome, compared with placebo (131±19 and 95±12 mmHg, respectively, at 1 hour post-drug; p=0.003 for time effect). Midodrine also significantly increased seated systolic blood pressure (121±19 mmHg at 1 hour post-drug; p=0.015 for time effect versus placebo), but this effect was not different from ergotamine/caffeine (p=0.621). There was no significant effect of either medication on orthostatic tolerance; however, ergotamine/caffeine improved presyncopal symptoms (p=0.034). These findings suggest that combination ergotamine and caffeine elicits a seated pressor response that is similar in magnitude to midodrine, and improves symptoms in autonomic failure. Thus, ergotamine/caffeine could be used as an alternate treatment for autonomic failure, in carefully selected patients without comorbid coronary artery disease.
An arbitrarily-oriented plane crack in an anisotropic elastic slab

Abstract The problem of an arbitrarily-oriented plane crack in an anisotropic elastic slab is considered. Through the use of a Fourier transform technique, the problem is reduced to a system of simultaneous Fredholm integral equations of the second kind. Once these integral equations are solved, relevant quantities such as the crack energy can be readily computed. Numerical results pertaining to the stability of a plane crack in a particular elastic slab are given.
URINARY EXCRETION OF BETA‐HYDROXYBUTYRATE AND ACETOACETATE DURING EXPERIMENTAL KETOSIS

Acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate in blood and urine have been studied in experimental ketosis produced in healthy young men and women by: (a) exercise in the post-absorptive state, (b) starvation and exercise, or (c) a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. With an increasing severity of ketosis, the plot of rate of excretion of acetoacetate against its concentration in the blood was a straight line, whereas the plot of the rate of excretion of beta-hydroxybutyrate against its concentration in the blood was exponential. The two ketone bodies had a constant ratio in the plasma, but, as ketosis progressed, beta-hydroxybutyrate became the preponderant molecule in the urine. The renal clearances of both acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate were much lower than that for creatinine.
Infiltration of the tensor tympani and stapedius muscles in otitis media. An experimental study in the cat

A longitudinal sequential study of otitis media was done in an experimental animal (cat) using eustachian tube obstruction. Fifty animals were used. Cellular infiltration of the tensor tympani and stapedius muscles was studied in a continuum from day 1 to 6 months after inducing otitis media. We observed that there is infiltration of the connective tissue of both muscles in otitis media, and that the cellular changes follow the same pattern as that seen in the mucoperiostium and the round window of the middle ear, although to a lesser degree. In this first report of sequential changes in middle ear muscles in otitis media, clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Bulk boundary-layer concepts for simplified models of tropical dynamics

We review bulk representations of tropical and subtropical maritime atmospheric boundary layers. Three types of bulk representations are studied in detail: stratocumulus topped mixed layers, trade-wind layers, and sub-cloud mixed layers. Through the development of a consistent description of these disparate regimes, connections among their varied representations are emphasized, as well as their relation to regions of deeper convection. New results relating to the equilibrium mass flux and cloud fraction in the trade winds; the ability of bulk models to represent qualitatively major cloud regimes; and the relationship amongst different bulk representations of the surface layer are presented. Throughout we emphasize the identification of consistent and physically based mixing and cloud regime rules for use in intermediate complexity models of the tropical climate, which in turn can be used to study cloud and dynamical interactions on larger scales.
Language Brokering: An Integrative Review of the Literature.

This article reviews the literature in the area of language brokering. Language brokers are children of immigrant families who translate and interpret for their parents and other individuals. Results suggest that language brokers possess unique characteristics that make them suitable for their role as the family’s translator and interpreter. Parents select the child language broker based on certain personal qualities. Language brokers translate and interpret a variety of documents in a variety of settings. There is not a clear understanding of the influence of language brokering on children’s academic performance. There is not a clear understanding of how language brokering experiences help or harm the parent-child relationship. Further research is needed to better understand the role that language brokering plays in the lives and well-being of children.
Optical morphological processing of disordered structures

Morphological processing combined with other techniques is used to analyze disordered structures. Disordered structures can consists of a number of objects of a given shape (the task is to determine the number of objects and their length and orientation distribution) or texture (this occurs when the number of particles is large) and the task is to describe the texture and to discriminate different textures. To solve such problems, we employ a new morphological skeletonization algorithm, a Hough Transform together with morphological operations, morphological erosions with directional structuring elements, and develop new parameters to describe and distinguish textures. Our algorithms can be implemented in digital or optical processors.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
From 9-1-1 call to death: Evaluating traumatic deaths in seven regions for early recognition of high-risk patients

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to characterize initial clinical presentations of patients served by emergency medical services (EMS) who die following injury, with particular attention to patients with occult ("talk-and-die") presentations. METHODS: This was a population-based, multiregion, mixed-methods retrospective cohort study of fatally injured children and adults evaluated by 94 EMS agencies transporting to 122 hospitals in seven Western US regions from 2006 to 2008. Fatalities were divided into two main groups: occult injuries (talk-and-die; Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score ≥ 13, no cardiopulmonary arrest, and no intubation) versus overt injuries (all other patients). These groups were further subdivided by timing of death: early (48 hours). We then compared demographic, physiologic, procedural, and injury patterns using descriptive statistics. We also used qualitative methods to analyze available EMS chart narratives for contextual information from the out-of-hospital encounter. RESULTS: During the 3-year study period, 3,358 persons served by 9-1-1 EMS providers died, with 1,225 (37.1%) in the field, 1,016 (30.8%) early in the hospital, and 1,060 (32.1%) late in the hospital. Of the 2,133 patients transported to a hospital, there were 612 (28.7%) talk-and-die patients, of whom 114 (18.6%) died early. Talk-and-die patients were older (median age, 81 years; interquartile range, 67-87 years), normotensive (median systolic blood pressure, 138 mm Hg; interquartile range, 116-160 mm Hg), commonly injured by falls (71.3%), and frequently (52.4%) died in nontrauma hospitals. Compared with overtly injured patients, talk-and-die patients had relatively fewer serious head injuries (13.7%) but more frequent extremity injuries (20.3% vs. 10.6%) and orthopedic interventions (25.3% vs. 5.0%). EMS personnel often found talk-and-die patients lying on the ground with hip pain or extremity injuries. CONCLUSION: Patients served by EMS who "talk-and-die" are typically older adults with falls, transported to nontrauma hospitals, with subtle clinical indications of the severity of their injuries. Improving recognition of talk-and-die patients may avoid fatal outcomes in a portion of these patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Epidemiologic study, level III. Language: en
Thin, pedoturbated, and locally sourced loess in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Abstract Soil surveys document thin but discontinuous loess deposits across large tracts of Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula (UP), which we informally call the Peshekee loess. Our study is the first to examine the distribution, thickness and textural characteristics of these loess deposits, and speculate as to their origins. Peshekee loess is typically 20–70 cm thick and underlain by sandy glacial deposits. At most sites, pedoturbation has mixed some of the lower materials into the loess, resulting in a particle size mode within the 25–75 μm fraction (from the loess), but also a secondary mode in the 250–500 μm fraction (from the pedoturbated sand). We introduce a method by which the mixed sand data are removed, or “filtered out,” of the original particle size data, to better reflect the original textural characteristics of the loess. Our data – from 237 upland sites – show that the textural and thickness attributes of the loess change markedly across the region, pointing to the influence of many localized loess sources, and suggesting that this loess was transported mainly over short distances. The Peshekee loess deposits were mainly derived locally from moraines, outwash plains, and floodplains of small meltwater streams – interspersed within the region and at its periphery. We identify and name four main loess “core” regions, each of which has distinct characteristics that set it apart, and describe each of these as a unique “type” of loess with one or more local source areas. Loess from each core area overlaps with neighboring loess deposits.
Influence of monsoonally-forced Ekman dynamics upon surface layer depth and plankton biomass distribution in the Arabian Sea

Abstract Oceanic surface layer properties in the central Arabian Sea at the height of the northeast 1986, 1987 and southwest 1987 monsoons are described. Data from two research cruises on the R.R.S. Charles Darwin are combined with Comprehensive Ocean—Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) winds and a simple model to consider the influence of the monsoons on the surface layers of the Arabian Sea. In December 1986 (NE monsoon) the top of the thermocline was fairly uniform with a mean depth of approximately 60 m. In contrast, this depth varied with latitude in the SW monsoon, with the shallowest depths occurring under the region of maximum winds and the maximum depths to the south of the monsoon jet. This situation is tied to the Ekman flow which leads to open ocean upwelling to the north of the wind maximum, thus suppressing the development of the mixed layer. The thermocline to the south is deepened by a combination of Ekman pumping and advection of dense fluid from the north. A simple two-dimensional model incorporating a non-penetrative mixed layer and a slab Ekman layer flow is used to examine the factors involved in the evolution of the surface layers during the monsoons. The combination of upwelling and surface layer deepening leads to latitudinal gradients in phytoplankton biomass. The major effect in the SW monsoon is the upwelling induced by Ekman dynamics and a consequent shoaling of the nitracline in the northern Arabian Sea. Vertical mixing and the associated deepening of the surface layer dominate phytoplankton distributions in the NE monsoons.
Static correlations in macro-ionic suspensions: Analytic and numerical results in a hypernetted-chain-mean-spherical approximation

The static correlations in highly charged colloidal and micellar suspensions, with and without added electrolyte, are examined using the hypernetted-chain approximation (HNC) for the macro-ion--macro-ion correlations and the mean-spherical approximation for the other correlations. By taking the point-ion limit for the counter-ions, an analytic solution for the counter-ion part of the problem can be obtained; this maps the macro-ion part of the problem onto a one-component problem where the macro-ions interact via a screened Coulomb potential with the Gouy-Chapman form for the screening length and an effective charge that depends on the macro-ion--macro-ion pair correlations. Numerical solutions of the effective one-component equation in the HNC approximation are presented, and in particular, the effects of macro-ion charge, nonadditive core diameters, and added electrolyte are examined. As we show, there can be a strong renormalization of the effective macro-ion charge and reentrant melting in colloidal crystals.
AJC Editor's Consensus: Psoriasis and Coronary Artery Disease

Dr. Friedewald has received honoraria for speaking from Novartis, East Hanover, New Jersey. Dr. Cather has received honoraria for speaking, consulting, and board membership from Amgen; Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois; Astellas, Tokyo, Japan; and Genentech, South San Francisco, California. Dr. Gelfand has received consulting fees from Amgen; Genentech; Pfizer, New York, New York; Celgene, Summit, New Jersey; and Centocor, Horsham, Pennsylvania. Dr. Gelfand is a grants investigator for Amgen, Centocor, and Pfizer. Dr. Gordon has received honoraria for consulting and research grants from Abbott and Centocor and honoraria for consulting from Amgen. Dr. Gibbons has received honoraria for speaking from Merck, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey; and Novartis. Dr. Grundy is a consultant for Merck; Merck/Schering-Plough, Kenilworth, New Jersey; Kos, Abbott Park, Illinois; Pfizer; Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, Indiana; GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Abbott Laboratories; Fournier, Chenove, France; Bristol-Myers Squibb, Plainsboro, New Jersey; Sankyo, Santa Clara, California; AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Delaware; and Sanofi-Aventis, Bridgewater, New Jersey. Dr. Grundy is a research grants investigator for Merck, Abbott, and Kos. Dr. Jarratt is a research grants investigator for Abbott, Amgen, and Genentech. Dr. Krueger has no relevant financial relationships to disclose. Dr. Ridker has received investigator-initiated research grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; AstraZeneca; Novartis; Merck; Sanofi-Aventis; the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, Las Vegas, Nevada; and the Leducq Foundation, Paris, France. Dr. Ridker is a consultant for AstraZeneca; Merck/Schering-Plough; Dade Behring, Deerfield, Illinois; and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California. Dr Ridker is listed as a co-inventor on patents held by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, that relate to the use of inflammatory biomarkers in the detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Stone is a consultant for Abbott; Merck; Schering-Plough; and Unilever, Rotterdam, The Netherlands (donated to American Heart Association). Dr. Stone has received honoraria for educational activities from Abbott, Merck, Pfizer, and Unilever. Dr. Roberts has received honoraria for speaking from Merck/ScheringPlough, AstraZeneca, and Novartis.
The Sensitivity of the General Circulation to Arctic Sea Ice Boundaries: A Numerical Experiment

Results are presented for a set of numerical experiments conducted with the Goddard (formerly GISS) general circulation model. The experiments were designed to test the model atmospheric response to a single fixed and specified parameter, the total ice cover in the Davis Strait, Barents Sea, East Greenland Sea, Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea. Margin variations are considered that are substantially smaller than those involved in ice age or ice-free Arctic simulations. Anomaly is defined as the mean of two runs corresponding to climatological maximum sea ice conditions. Model results indicate that the ice margin anomalies are capable of altering local climates in certain regions of high and middle latitudes. Possible interactions between high latitudes and subtropical regions are suggested.
Temporal parameters of responsiveness to maternal pheromone in Acomys cahirinus.

Abstract In a series of two-choice preference tests, 15-and 20-day-old A. cahirinus pups were found to prefer chemical cues produced by a lactating female over such cues emanating from a nonlactating female. Twenty-five-day-old pups, however, showed reliable preferences for bedding material soiled by a nonlactating female when paired against either lactating female-soiled bedding or clean bedding material. Although 25-day-old pups are no longer responsive to chemical stimuli produced by lactating females (maternal pheromone), 2-day-old pups are attracted to such cues emanating from lactating females as late as 35 and 38 days postpartum. Therefore, there does not appear to be close temporal synchrony between the waning of responsiveness to maternal pheromone and the production thereof.
Energy Flow Diagrams for Teaching Physics Concepts

Energy is arguably the central unifying concept in physics. The validity of the principles of energy extends almost without change from “classical” physics through all of modern physics. Even processes that are too complex or too far outside the Newtonian regime to be easily described in terms of forces can be described in an accurate and conceptually transparent manner in terms of energy. Thus, energy is a useful central organizing principle in teaching physics conceptually. Every physical process is an energy transformation of some forms of energy into other forms. “Energy flow diagrams” present these transformations visually and approximately quantitatively.1 Even for complex processes where analysis in terms of force and motion would be out of the question, energy flow diagrams show the physical fundamentals in a meaningful manner. This paper discusses energy flow diagrams for a few simple processes, and proceeds to complex socially significant processes.
Ruling out exotic models of b quark decay

Abstract We consider three broad classes of nonstandard models for b quark decay: (1) b → llq with charged or neutral leptons of arbitrary flavor; (2) b → l q q ; and (3) b → qa − where a − is a Higgs boson or hyperpion. For these classes of models we have calculated the charged energy fraction and the inclusive yields of electrons, muons, protons, and lambdas. We demonstrate that these model predictions are inconsistent with CLEO measurements at the γ (4S).
Emotional vitality in infancy as a predictor of cognitive and language abilities in toddlerhood

Previous work by our group has shown that infant emotional vitality (EV), the lively expression of shared emotion both positive and negative, predicts cognitive and language abilities in toddlerhood. Specifically, infants who demonstrated a pattern of high emotional expression combined with high bids to their caregivers, fared significantly better on the Bayley II and Preschool Language Scales (PLS-3) at 2 years of age than infants who showed both low expression and low bids to mother. That study was conducted on a large, low-income, ethnically diverse sample. The current study was undertaken with a smaller but demographically similar sample as an effort to demonstrate the value of EV as a construct and to provide additional information about its links with later developmental outcomes. Replication that included a variation in the age at which EV was assessed provides support for the generalizability of the construct. In addition, this study examined EV's effects further into childhood than did the original study in order to insure they are not limited to a brief window in toddlerhood. The results indicate that over and above maternal psychological resources, EV expressed during positive/joyful and frustrating circumstances in 8-month-olds accounted for significant portions of variance in expressive language at 30 months and cognitive-developmental assessments at 24 and 36 months. This study supports EV as an important relational-emotional behaviour that increases experiences that optimize developmental outcomes. Successful replication suggests that EV holds promise as a construct with clinical utility for early interventions attempting to improve developmental outcomes in children from poor families. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of long magnets on inductive maglev ride quality

The effect on ride quality of levitating a vehicle with inductive maglev forces which are distributed along the length of the vehicle is described. For a Magneplane vehicle that is 50 m long traveling at 100 m/s, the effect is to substantially attenuate heave disturbances above 1.5 Hz and pitch disturbances above 3 Hz.
Localized pulsed nanosecond discharges in a counterflow nonpremixed flame environment

A flame is a very unusual environment for the development of a gas discharge, since it presents strong gradients in temperature, composition, and pre-ionization. In this paper we examine how such an environment impacts the development of the plasma when using repetitive pulsed nanosecond discharges, one of the main strategies used in the field of plasma assisted combustion. Experiments were performed in a counterflow nonpremixed burner with parallel electrodes at the nozzle exits and nanosecond-resolved photography of the plasma emission is presented. It was shown that the discharge development in stratified media may take place in the form of a dielectric barrier discharge with a localized energy deposition. In the experiments presented the discharge energy was coupled to the flame front because of the high rate of chemi-ionization and the gas density decrease in the flame.
Role for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Membrane Vesicles in Iron Acquisition

Mycobacterium tuberculosis releases membrane vesicles packed with molecules that can modulate the immune response. Because environmental conditions often influence the production and content of bacterial vesicles, this study examined M. tuberculosis microvesicles released under iron limitation, a common condition faced by pathogens inside the host. The findings indicate that M. tuberculosis increases microvesicle production in response to iron restriction and that these microvesicles contain mycobactin, which can serve as an iron donor and supports replication of iron-starved mycobacteria. Consequently, the results revealed a role of microvesicles in iron acquisition in M. tuberculosis, which can be critical for survival in the host.
A Simple Model for Examining Composition Effects in Eutectic Nucleation

We present a simple thermodynamic calculation for a strongly partitioning eutectic system, to examine how the critical nucleus energy changes, depending upon assumptions of the chemical diffusion. The calculations show that for strongly partitioning systems, the maximum undercooling may occur at a composition significantly different than the eutectic composition, particularly if the rate of diffusion is slow in the undercooled state. These simple calculations emphasize the role that partitioning and composition may play in determining optimal compositions in metallic glass systems, which typically occur near (but not at) deep eutectic compositions.
T-cell-T-cell collaboration in allograft responses

T-cell-T-cell collaboration in allogeneic responses traditionally has been viewed as the requirement for CD4+ T helper cells in the activation of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. In this regard, the role of the CD4+ T cell is primarily to provide growth factors, such as interleukin-2, on which the CD8+ T cell is dependent. However, expanding information concerning the function of T-cell subsets, and the roles of antigen-presenting cells and cytokines in regulating immune responses, requires that the basic tenets of T-cell interactions be re-evaluated.
GnRH interaction with anterior pituitary. IV. Effect of estradiol-17 beta on GnRH-mediated release of LH from ovine pituitary cells obtained during the breeding season, anestrous season, and period of transition into or out of the breeding season.

The effect of estradiol-17�3 (estradiol) on gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)-mediated release of luceinizinghormone (LH) was investigated in pituitary cellsobtained from ovariectomized ewes during the breeding season, anestrous season, and periods of transition into and out of the breeding season. Half of the enzymatically dispersed cells were cultured for 18 h with estradiol (10-s M), and the remainder served as controls. After the cells had been washed six times with estradiol-free buffer, they were resuspended and incubated in estradiol-free media for 2 h at 37#{176}C with concentrations of GnRH ranging from 2 X 10�2 to 3.2 X 10� M. The quantity of LH released into the media and that retained in the cells were determined by radioimmunoassay. The concentration of GnREI required to elicit half maximal (ED50) release of LH was calculated for each ewe. Although the magnitude of the effect varied between sheep, estradiol treatment of pituitary cells obtained during the breeding season (n = 5) decreased the ED50 ‘s (P 0.80, P>0.82, respectively). In pituitary cells obtained from ewes during the period of transition into or out of the breeding season (n = 7), estradiol treatment increased the ED50 in four ewes, decreased the ED50 ‘s in two ewes, and had no effect in one ewe. Both total LH/100,000 cells and the quantity of LH released after GnRI-I administration were depressed (P<O.05) compared with nonestradiol-treated controls. These data indicate that in pituitary cells obtained from castrate ewes treatment with estradiol alters GnRH-mediated release of LH in a manner that varies with season. It is apparent that estradiol enhances GnRH-mediated release of LH during the breeding season, but does not enhance GnRH-mediated release of LH during the anestrous season or period of transition into or out of the breeding season. In addition, the data suggest that estradiol may depress release of LH during these
Partial Disk Failures: Using Software to Analyze Physical Damage

A good understanding of disk failures is crucial to ensure a reliable storage of data. There have been numerous studies characterizing disk failures under the common assumption that failed disks are generally unusable. Contrary to this assumption, partial disk failures are very common, e.g., caused by a head crash resulting in a small number of inaccessible disk sectors. Nevertheless, the damage can sometimes be catastrophic if the file system meta-data were among the affected sectors. As disk density rapidly increases, the likelihood of losing data also rises. This paper describes our experience in analyzing partial disk failures using the physical locations of damaged disk sectors to assess the extent and characteristics of the damage on disk platter surfaces. Based on our findings, we propose several fault-tolerance techniques to proactively guard against permanent data loss due to partial disk failures.
Analysis of Indentation Crack as a Wedge‐Loaded Half‐Penny Crack

agreement with the value established from calibration. In the second part of the paper the analysis of Lawn et uZ.~ is extended, and the resulting expression is shown to give an upper bound for 6. Differences between the wedge and the point-force models and their implications to equilibrium growth of the indenter cracks under external load are also discussed. Selvadurai and Singh4 recently considered the problem of axisymmetric opening of a penny-shaped crack by a smoothly embedded rigid circular disk inclusion. An expression for the stress-intensity factor was evaluated in the form of a series that involves the ratio of the radius of the rigid circular inclusion, b, to the radius of the penny-shaped crack (Fig. 1):
Destroying Noncomplete Regular Components in Graph Partitions

We prove that if G is a graph and r1,...,rk∈Zi¾?0 such that i¾?i=1krii¾?ΔG+2-k then VG can be partitioned into sets V1,...,Vk such that ΔG[Vi]i¾?ri and G[Vi] contains no noncomplete ri-regular components for each 1i¾?ii¾?k. In particular, the vertex set of any graph G can be partitioned into i¾?ΔG+23i¾? sets, each of which induces a disjoint union of triangles and paths.
Identification of the Neuroprotective Molecular Region of Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor and Its Binding Sites on Motor Neurons

Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a member of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) family, is a survival factor for various types of neurons. We studied the mechanisms by which human PEDF protects motor neurons from degeneration, with the goal of eventually conducting human clinical trials. We first searched for a molecular region of human PEDF essential to motor neuron protection. Using a spinal cord culture model of chronic glutamate toxicity, we show herein that a synthetic 44 mer peptide from an N-terminal region of the human PEDF molecule that lacks the homologous serpin-reactive region contains its full neuroprotective activity. We also investigated the presence and distribution of PEDF receptors in the spinal cord. Using a fluoresceinated PEDF probe, we show that spinal motor neurons contain specific binding sites for PEDF. Kinetics analyses using a radiolabeled PEDF probe demonstrate that purified rat motor neurons contain a single class of saturable and specific binding sites. This study indicates that a small peptide fragment of the human PEDF molecule could be engineered to contain all of its motor neuron protective activity, and that the neuroprotective action is likely to be mediated directly on motor neurons via a single class of PEDF receptors. The data support the pharmacotherapeutic potential of PEDF as a neuroprotectant in human motor neuron degeneration.
Netropsin specifically enhances RNA polymerase II termination at terminator sites in vitro.

Abstract We describe an in vitro system that emulates the specific and efficient transcriptional termination associated with the human gastrin gene terminator in vivo. The system involves a dC-tailed DNA template containing the gastrin gene terminator sequence, purified RNA polymerase II, and purified elongation factor TFIIS. In this system, the basal level of termination by RNA polymerase II at the gastrin gene terminator is specifically enhanced by netropsin, an (A + T)-rich minor groove-binding peptide. This enhanced termination is maintained even with TFIIS, which normally suppresses termination at this site. In vitro termination is terminator sequence-specific. Mutant sequences that reduce or abolish termination in vivo show corresponding reductions in activity in the in vitro system. This in vitro emulation of in vivo activities of wild-type and mutant terminators strongly suggests that netropsin and a putative termination factor may share some aspects of their biochemical mechanisms. The general applicability of this system to the study of RNA polymerase II elongation and termination is suggested by the enhancement of termination seen at both the gastrin and human histone H3.3 gene terminators.
On the energy-bandwidth tradeoff for AWGN relay channels

This paper investigates the energy-bandwidth trade-off of various relaying strategies over the AWGN channel. The total energy consumption per information bit includes the receiver circuit processing energy at the relay and destination as well as the transmitted energy. With the cooperation of the source and relay, the end-to-end bandwidth efficiency can be improved at the cost of receiver processing energy. We consider both decode-and-forward and amplify-and-forward strategies. Energy-bandwidth tradeoffs for the decode-and-forward and amplify-and-forward relaying strategies are compared. It is shown that for low rates, the case without cooperation outperforms the case with cooperation for both strategies. However when the energy required for processing at the receiver is ignored, it is helpful to cooperate for the amplify-and-forward scheme while the result depends on the desired rate for the decode-and-forward scheme. It is also shown that the amplify-and-forward scheme does not achieve the minimum energy per bit at low SNR due to its noise propagation characteristic. Bounds on the minimum total energy consumption are derived and compared with the result without cooperation.
Fiber recirculating delay-line tunable depolarizer.

A new type of all-single-mode fiber depolarizer, based upon a 2 × 2 coupler and a recirculating delay line and useable with a coherent light source, is proposed and demonstrated. The reduction in the degree of polarization is examined theoretically and experimentally. Design criteria and principles are discussed. With a narrow-band laser source, the degree of polarization was tuned between 99.8% and 1.15%. Experiments illustrate how this depolarizer can eliminate the effects of induced polarization fluctuation in a polarization-sensitive fiber-optic system. The experimental results support the theoretical model.
Lifting from a Conveyor

This study aimed to achieve a better understanding of the effect of the load speed on lifting kinematics and kinetics while lifting from a conveyor. The inertial characteristics of a load moving on a conveyor have the potential to influence lifting technique and low back stress. Participants in this study lifted loads from a conveyor with four load speeds (0 m/s, 0.7 m/s, 1.3 m/s, and 2.4 m/s) while trunk motions and ground reaction forces were monitored. Results revealed that increasing horizontal load speed generated greater sagittal angle and greater lateral ground reaction forces but significantly lower trunk accelerations. The results suggested that the participants maintained a more flexed trunk posture under the higher load speed conditions and utilized the inertia of the load to reduce the peak accelerations of the torso.