cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Active Self-aspects as a Basis for Encoding Specificity Effects in Memory

The self-concept is known to be multifaceted, containing self-aspects that vary in activation (Linville & Carlston, 1994; McConnell, 2011). However, little is known about how these self-aspects function in memory. The present study tested whether variations in active self-aspects are capable of eliciting encoding specificity effects (similar to state-dependent memory). The results revealed that people exhibit superior memory when their active self-aspect is the same at both encoding and retrieval of information, relative to when different self-aspects are active at encoding and retrieval. This study provides additional evidence that self-aspects are important and variable memory structures. Importantly, encoding specificity was found regardless of whether the information was encoded in a self-referential or semantic manner, providing the first evidence that self-aspects are also implicated in memory that is not self-referential.
Numerical simulation and field testing of flame-jet thermal spallation drilling—1. Model development

Abstract Certain polycrystalline rocks will fracture into thin, disk-like fragments when exposed to rapid surface heating. Some current hard-rock drilling methods using supersonic flame-jets as heat sources exploit this behavior for efficient granite quarrying or blasthole formation. Recent extensions of Weibull's theory of rock failure to quantitatively analyze rock spallation are employed to estimate spall size distributions and rock surface temperatures at the onset of spallation. A numerical drilling simulation code incorporating rock failure criteria and turbulent flow effects is developed to predict spallation rates and hole radii under field-drilling conditions. Because an accurate description of heat transfer through a turbulent wall jet is required, the wall-function method is generalized in a crude way to account for compressible flow past roughened, non-adiabatic rock surfaces.
A Constitutively Expressed, Truncated umuDC Operon Regulates the recA-Dependent DNA Damage Induction of a Gene in Acinetobacter baylyi Strain ADP1

In response to environmentally caused DNA damage, SOS genes are up-regulated due to RecA-mediated relief of LexA repression. In Escherichia coli, the SOS umuDC operon is required for DNA damage checkpoint functions and for replicating damaged DNA in the error-prone process called SOS mutagenesis. In the model soil bacterium Acinetobacter baylyi strain ADP1, however, the content, regulation, and function of the umuDC operon are unusual. The umuC gene is incomplete, and a remnant of an ISEhe3-like transposase has replaced the middle 57% of the umuC coding region. The umuD open reading frame is intact, but it is 1.5 times the size of other umuD genes and has an extra 5' region that lacks homology to known umuD genes. Analysis of a umuD::lacZ fusion showed that umuD was expressed at very high levels in both the absence and presence of mitomycin C and that this expression was not affected in a recA-deficient background. The umuD mutation did not affect the growth rate or survival after UV-induced DNA damage. However, the UmuD-like protein found in ADP1 (UmuDAb) was required for induction of an adjacent DNA damage-inducible gene, ddrR. The umuD mutation specifically reduced the DNA damage induction of the RecA-dependent DNA damage-inducible ddrR locus by 83% (from 12.9-fold to 2.3-fold induction), but it did not affect the 33.9-fold induction of benA, an unrelated benzoate degradation gene. These data suggest that the response of the ADP1 umuDC operon to DNA damage is unusual and that UmuDAb specifically regulates the expression of at least one DNA damage-inducible gene.
The stability of tropomyosin at acid pH: effects of anion binding.

Abstract The α-helical coiled-coil tropomyosin homodimer, ααTm, unfolds cooperatively with T 1/2 = 47°C, at neutral pH, 0.5 M NaCl. At pH 2, where each chain contains 55 positive charges, no cooperative unfolding occurs to at least 80°C. The NaCl and K 2 SO 4 dependence of thermal unfolding of ααTm and a less stable protein, ββTm, were studied with circular dichroism. For ααTm, 10 mM NaCl, or 0.5 mM K 2 SO 4 , was sufficient to increase the unfolding temperature by 80°C. For ββTm, similar concentrations of NaCl and K 2 SO 4 as for ααTm increased the unfolding temperature of the most stable domain. Titrations indicated that two to three anions bind preferentially to the ββTm intermediate. Thus anions bind to Tm at acid pH values to greatly stabilize the helix. But even in the absence of added salt, Tm is more stable at pH 2 than pH 7, suggesting destabilization by negatively charged amino acids.
The effects of refugee and non-refugee immigrants on US trade with their home countries

Employing data on US immigrants and trade with 59 home countries for the years 1996–2001, we compare the extent to which refugee and non-refugee immigrants affect US trade with their home countries and provide the first evidence of variation in the US immigrant–trade relationship across immigrant types. We also consider the abilities of refugee and non-refugee immigrants to offset the trade-inhibiting influence of cultural distance. Our results show that while immigrants, in general, exert positive influences on US imports from – and exports to – their home countries, the influence of refugee immigrants is quite minimal when compared with that of non-refugee immigrants. For both immigrant types, however, evidence supporting the notion that immigrants act to offset cultural distance is observed. To conceptualize the economic meaning of our results, we provide estimates of the extent to which each type of immigrants offset transport costs.
4U 1820-30 as a potential test of the nonsymmetric gravitational theory of Moffat

Recent observations of the X-ray burst source 4U 1820-30 have revealed a 685 s modulation of the luminosity. How this system could provide a stringent test of the nonsymmetric gravitational theory (NGT) of Moffat (1979), provided the observed periodicity is due to orbital motion of a binary system, is discussed. The possible orbital period change predicted by general relativity may be detectable in this system.
Severe erosive arthritis of large joints in chronic renal failure

Two cases of chronic renal failure are presented in which a large joint severe erosive arthritis was the prominent radiologic feature of their renal osteodystrophy. In one both knees were involved, and in the other both knees and one wrist. Distal clavicular erosions were present in both, but hands were not radiographically involved. The literature is reviewed in regards other reports of erosive arthritis complicating renal failure.
TEM Study of High Quality GaN Grown by OMVPE Using an Intermediate Layer

We report on high quality GaN layers grown with the use of one intermediate layer. The defect analysis shows that the density of dislocation is only 8×107/cm2 in these layers, compared to over 1010/cm2 for layers grown without the intermediate layer (IL). Electron microscopy on cross-section samples shows that deposition under certain specific conditions of a low- temperature IL directly benefits the quality of the subsequently deposited GaN layer. The growth of the GaN top layer appears to be similar to growth observed for lateral epitaxial overgrowth layers. This first time observation opens the possibility for using standard growth methods of GaN compounds to achieve a dislocation density comparable to that achieved with lateral overgrowth epitaxy.
Mechanistic evaluation of cracking in in-service asphalt pavements

Cracking in asphalt pavements is a complex problem that is affected by pavement structural design, material properties, and environmental conditions. It is now well accepted that load-related top-down fatigue cracking (i.e., cracking that initiates at the surface of the pavement and propagates downward) commonly occurs in asphalt pavements. Conventional fracture mechanics-based finite element analysis must assume the location of macrocrack initiation a priori and, therefore, is not appropriate for general-purpose cracking simulation. This paper presents the use of the layered viscoelastic pavement analysis for critical distresses (LVECD) program to evaluate 18 pavements in local condition regions of 9 in-service pavement sites in North Carolina. In order to obtain the material properties of the individual layers from the field-extracted cores, dynamic modulus tests and simplified viscoelastic continuum damage tests are performed using small geometry specimens obtained from 150 mm diameter cores. This study verifies the capability of the LVECD model to capture crack initiation locations, propagation propensity, and cracking severity by comparing the simulation results with the observations of field cores and the field condition survey of in-service pavements in North Carolina. Overall, the agreement rate between the field core observations and field condition survey and the predicted LVECD simulation results is about 78 % in terms of cracking direction and severity.
Pathway-Specific Feedforward Circuits between Thalamus and Neocortex Revealed by Selective Optical Stimulation of Axons

Thalamocortical and corticothalamic pathways mediate bidirectional communication between the thalamus and neocortex. These pathways are entwined, making their study challenging. Here we used lentiviruses to express channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), a light-sensitive cation channel, in either thalamocortical or corticothalamic projection cells. Infection occurred only locally, but efferent axons and their terminals expressed ChR2 strongly, allowing selective optical activation of each pathway. Laser stimulation of ChR2-expressing thalamocortical axons/terminals evoked robust synaptic responses in cortical excitatory cells and fast-spiking (FS) inhibitory interneurons, but only weak responses in somatostatin-containing interneurons. Strong FS cell activation led to feedforward inhibition in all cortical neuron types, including FS cells. Corticothalamic stimulation excited thalamic relay cells and inhibitory neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). TRN activation triggered inhibition in relay cells but not in TRN neurons. Thus, a major difference between thalamocortical and corticothalamic processing was the extent to which feedforward inhibitory neurons were themselves engaged by feedforward inhibition.
Influence of chlorine on the surface area and morphology of TiO2

Abstract Changes in BET surface area and morphology of TiO2 (anatase) were studied as a function of temperature and level of chlorine contamination. The obj
A Critique of Du Boisian Reason: Kanye West and the Fruitfulness of Double-Consciousness

This article seeks to disentangle a number of outstanding controversies regarding the radical potential of W.E.B. Du Bois's seminal notion of double-consciousness. The author concludes that the early Du Bois—of the 1897 “Strivings”—idealistically conflates double-consciousness with the racist veil, thereby erroneously negating the materiality of the latter. This error persists only briefly, and Du Bois's transformation is already palpable by the 1903 publication of Souls, especially “On the Coming of John.” Against those who would dismiss the relevance of double-consciousness, the author demonstrates that the continued relevance of double-consciousness is simultaneously the liberation of the concept from its idealistic and middle-class content through the recognition of the veil in all its materiality. Finally, the author assesses the recent work of rap artist Kanye West, whose political progression parallels that of Du Bois before him, arguing that this progression is intimately linked to the radical pot...
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING OF HEART RATE AND GALVANIC SKIN RESPONSE IN THE RAT

A comparison was made between classical conditioning and pseudoconditioning of heart rate (HR) and galvanic skin response (GSR) using low or high intensity shock as unconditioned stimuli (UCS). Conditioning treatment involved 5-sec delayed conditioning, 32 trials/session for 5 sessions with shock administered randomly on half the trials. Pseudoconditioning was exactly the same except for pairing of CS and UCS. In contrast to pseudoconditioning, which produced mild acceleration of HR, minimal GSR, and frequent somatic response to the CS (as defined electromyographically), conditioning treatment produced consistent deceleration of HR, larger magnitude and frequency of GSR, and minimal overt somatic response to CS. The conditioned decelerative HR response developed rapidly and persisted throughout the experiment. Such apparent conditioning phenomena may still involve sensitization-type effects and somatic interactions.
William Isaac Thomas and the Helen Culver Fund for Race Psychology: the beginnings of scientific sociology at the University of Chicago, 1910-1913.

W. I. Thomas is not given full credit for his contributions to the early development of scientific sociology in the United States and, in particular, the Chicago School of Sociology. Based on new documentary evidence regarding the Helen Culver Fund for Race Psychology and also a reconsideration of a 1912 article by Thomas, it is suggested that Thomas had been evolving his new scientific approach to sociology very early (1910 to 1913), before contact with men who were said to have influenced him (for example, Robert Park and Florian Znaniecki). In discussing the substance of his scientific approach to sociology, emphasis is placed on six traits: empirical, inductive, comparative, systematic or strategic, analytic or conceptual, and social psychological. Each quality is illustrated from his personal and professional writing from that period. The implications of Thomas's work for “schools” of sociological thought and for the role of private philanthropy are considered briefly.
A 7-year study of bloodstream infections in an English children's hospital.

Knowledge of the pattern of bloodstream infection (BSI) can help determine antibiotic prescribing policy and infection control procedures. Data on 2364 consecutive episodes of BSI at Birmingham Children’s Hospital over 7 years were collected prospectively. A total of 1224 (51.8%) episodes were community-acquired, but only 281 (11.9%) were in previously healthy children. Intravascular devices (IVDs) were the most common source of infection, accounting for 48.9% of episodes. Gram-positive, gram-negative and anaerobic bacteria accounted for 66.2%, 31.3% and 0.4% of isolates, and 2.2% were yeasts. Coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus and enterococci accounted for over 50% of all isolates. Of these, only enterococci were predominantly hospital-acquired. Neisseria meningitidis was the most common cause of community-acquired BSI in previously healthy children. Of cases of meningococcaemia, 55.6% were diagnosed by PCR alone. Antibiotic resistance, especially in Enterobacteriaceae, S. aureus and enterococci, was more common than in earlier studies of BSI in children, and varied between specialties. The overall mortality rate directly attributable to infection was 2.4%, but was higher in neonates (6.2%) and in previously healthy children with community-acquired infections (5.3%). Conclusion:intravascular devices have emerged as the commonest source of bloodstream infection in children, leading to marked similarities in the species distribution of blood culture isolates across specialties other than General Paediatrics, and explaining the low overall mortality rate. Antibiotic resistance was found frequently in most commonly isolated pathogens, but differences between specialties suggest the existence of local risk factors, some of which might be amenable to infection control interventions.
Problems and Opportunities for Cooperation among Public Managers on the U.S.-Mexico Border

With the approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) comes the possibility of an infusion of billions of dollars into the U.S.-Mexico border regions; yet, we know little about whether local public managers are prepared to undertake joint projects. This study explores existing linkages between U.S. and Mexican mid-level public managers, how these managers perceive their counterparts, and the barriers to increased cooperation that they must overcome. Existing arrangements are few and informal, mostly among transportation, public safety, and health officials. Mid-level managers are rarely in touch with their counterparts due to differences in language, culture, government, and public administration systems. Because of this lack of contact, some negative stereotypes about counterparts persist. Currently, cross-border cooperation is sporadic, unrewarding, and subject to reversals. We must do more to create the conditions for successful, lasting bi-national public-sector projects.
Thrombospondin-1 is a CD47-dependent endogenous inhibitor of hydrogen sulfide signaling in T cell activation

Thrombospondin-1 is a potent suppressor of T cell activation via its receptor CD47. However, the precise mechanism for this inhibition remains unclear. Because H2S is an endogenous potentiator of T cell activation and is necessary for full T cell activation, we hypothesized that thrombospondin-1 signaling through CD47 inhibits T cell activation by antagonizing H2S signaling. Primary T cells from thrombospondin-1 null mice were more sensitive to H2S-dependent activation assessed by proliferation and induction of interleukin-2 and CD69 mRNAs. Exogenous thrombospondin-1 inhibited H2S responses in wild type and thrombospondin-1 null T cells but enhanced the same responses in CD47 null T cells. Fibronectin, which shares integrin and glycosaminoglycan binding properties with thrombospondin-1 but not CD47 binding, did not inhibit H2S signaling. A CD47-binding peptide derived from thrombospondin-1 inhibited H2S-induced activation, whereas two other functional sequences from thrombospondin-1 enhanced H2S signaling. Therefore, engaging CD47 is necessary and sufficient for thrombospondin-1 to inhibit H2S-dependent T cell activation. H2S stimulated T cell activation by potentiating MEK-dependent ERK phosphorylation, and thrombospondin-1 inhibited this signaling in a CD47-dependent manner. Thrombospondin-1 also limited activation-dependent T cell expression of the H2S biosynthetic enzymes cystathionine β-synthase and cystathionine γ-lyase, thereby limiting the autocrine role of H2S in T cell activation. Thus, thrombospondin-1 signaling through CD47 is the first identified endogenous inhibitor of H2S signaling and constitutes a novel mechanism that negatively regulates T cell activation.
Graded allocation between vegetative and reproductive growth for annual plants in growing seasons of random length

Abstract Optimal allocation strategies are calculated for annual plants in fluctuating environments using a two-component model of plant growth, in which photosynthate is partitioned between a vegetative and a reproductive component. Previous studies have shown that final reproductive yield is maximized by a sequence of complete switches from purely vegetative to purely reproductive growth in an environment of fixed length. In most cases this final yield is maximized by a single switch. Here we assume that in temporally varying environments natural selection acts to maximize the geometric mean of final yield. We show that the geometric mean of final yield is maximized by a graded allocation strategy that prescribes a mix of vegetative and reproductive growth. Examples of graded optimal allocation strategies are provided.
Serum From Patients With Severe Preeclampsia Is Not Cytotoxic to Endothelial Cells

OBJECTIVE We evaluated the hypothesis that circulating factors in preeclampsia promote direct endothelial cell injury using an in vitro index of cytotoxicity. METHODS Subconfluent umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers were established and radiolabeled with chromium (51Cr), then randomly exposed for 24 hours in triplicate to 20% sera from nonlaboring patients with severe preeclampsia (n = 5) or mild preeclampsia and normotensive controls (n = 5). Additional experiments were performed by exposing endothelial monolayers to sera for 3 and 48 hours, and under hypoxic conditions (1% oxygen). Cytotoxicity was defined by the percentage of 51Cr release, expressed as the ratio of radioactivity in the supernatant to the maximum cell-associated radioactivity. RESULTS Mean 51Cr release was similar in all experiments comparing preeclamptic and normal sera. Although consistently greater 51Cr release was noted in hypoxic as compared with normoxic incubations, no differences in cytotoxicity were identified among severe preeclampsia, mild preeclampsia, and normal sera in hypoxia. CONCLUSION Sera from patients with preeclampsia do not appear to be cytotoxic to vascular endothelium in this in vitro model.
Low-dose aspirin: protection from the panacea

Abstract Lai et al. prospectively studied the role of gastric acid suppression in the prevention of recurrence of ulcer complications after eradication of Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) infection in patients taking long-term low-dose aspirin. They enrolled 123 H. pylori -treated patients who had developed ulcer complications 1 month or longer after commencing low-dose aspirin treatment. The primary endpoints were clinical (recurrence of ulcer complications defined as bleeding, perforation, or obstruction). A total of 245 (243 with gastric outlet obstruction and two with upper GI bleeding) patients were screened. Of these, 171 were infected with H. pylori and 123 met the criteria for inclusion into the study. These patients were randomized to 100 mg of aspirin and 30 mg of lansoprazole (62 patients) or to 100 mg of aspirin and a matched placebo (61 patients). The mean duration of follow-up was 12 months. Fourteen upper GI events were reported to a blinded committee that confirmed 10 adverse outcomes. There was one (1.6%) episode of GI bleeding in the lansoprazole group compared with nine (14.8%) in the placebo group (adjusted hazards ratio = 9.6, 95% CI = 1.2–76.1). However, four of the nine patients in the placebo group had a recurrence of H. pylori , and two had taken nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The authors concluded that in patients with ulcer complications related to the long-term use of low-dose aspirin, treatment with lansoprazole in addition to the eradication of H. pylori infection significantly reduce the rate of recurrence of ulcer complications.
Ganciclovir for cytomegalovirus: a call for indefinite prophylaxis in lung transplantation.

Background Universal ganciclovir (GCV) prophylaxis is a strategy aimed at reducing cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and delaying the development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). However, the optimal duration of GCV prophylaxis remains unclear. We report our experience with GCV prophylaxis administered indefinitely and its effect on CMV pneumonitis, BOS and survival after lung transplantation (LT). Methods One hundred fifty-one patients surviving >100 days after LT were analyzed. GCV was given to 130 CMV donor- or recipient-seropositive patients. Data from 90 patients who received indefinite GCV prophylaxis (IND) and 40 patients who discontinued their GCV prophylaxis (STOP) were compared. Results CMV pneumonitis occurred in 16%, 8%, 17% and 19% of patients in the D + R + , D − R + , D + R − and D − R − groups, respectively. In the STOP cohort, 15 of 40 patients developed CMV pneumonitis (median time 79 days) after GCV was stopped. Ten of these 15 patients developed BOS (median time 116 days) after discontinuing GCV. The risk of CMV pneumonitis in the STOP cohort was significantly higher when GCV prophylaxis was discontinued within the first year. Cumulative incidence of CMV pneumonitis in the IND and STOP groups at 5 years was 2% and 57%, respectively ( p Conclusions Indefinite GCV prophylaxis prevents CMV pneumonitis in 98% of LT recipients. Thirty-eight percent of patients discontinuing prophylaxis developed CMV pneumonitis, 50% of whom progressed to BOS within 1 year. Continuing ganciclovir prophylaxis indefinitely after lung transplantation should be considered.
Evolving global epidemiology, syndromic classification, general management, and prevention of unknown mushroom poisonings.

Objective:To assess the evolving global epidemiology of mushroom poisoning and to identify new and emerging mushroom poisonings and their treatments, a descriptive analysis and review of the world’s salient scientific literature on mushroom poisoning was conducted.Data Source:Data sources from obser
Time Course of Cellular Proliferation, Intimal Hyperplasia, and Remodeling Following Angioplasty in Monkeys With Established Atherosclerosis A Nonhuman Primate Model of Restenosis

Abstract Animal models of arterial injury have failed to predict effective therapy to prevent restenosis in humans. While this may relate to species differences in the control of smooth muscle cell growth, many studies have used nonatherosclerotic animals, thereby failing to consider the importance of atherosclerosis in the response to injury. In an attempt to model human restenosis more accurately, we characterized the response to angioplasty in atherosclerotic monkeys. Twenty-one cynomolgus monkeys were fed an atherogenic diet for 36 months (plasma cholesterol, 12±1 mmol/L [470±23 mg/dL]). Angioplasty was then performed in the left iliac artery. After 4, 7, 14, or 28 days, bromodeoxyuridine was given to label proliferating cells, and iliac arteries were fixed in situ at physiological pressure (5 or 6 animals at each time point). Comparisons were made between injured and uninjured iliac arteries within each animal. Angioplasty often fractured the intimal plaque and media, transiently increasing lumen caliber (4 days: lumen area, 232.5±80.3% of control) and artery size as reflected by external elastic lamina area (EEL). EEL and lumen caliber returned to baseline by 7 days. Proliferation was increased throughout the artery wall at 4 and 7 days and later declined to control rates (4 days, injured versus uninjured: adventitia, 45.0±6.2% versus 16.3±7.2%; media, 8.6±2.6% versus 0.6±0.1%; intima, 16.0±5.6% versus 7.8±3.1%). The intima thickened markedly from 14 to 28 days, but an increase in EEL generally prevented further loss of the short-term gain in lumen caliber (28 days, percent of control: intimal area, 342.8±88.9%; EEL area, 150.2±28.9%; lumen area, 119.3±21.3%). The response to angioplasty in atherosclerotic monkeys appears to closely resemble that in humans. Plaque fracture, delayed recoil, intimal hyperplasia, and remodeling may each be important in determining late lumen caliber. This primate model should prove valuable in defining cellular and biochemical mediators of human restenosis.
Single-jet experiments for HIF thick-liquid chambers $

Abstract Thick liquid chambers for heavy-ion inertial fusion energy will use large numbers of stationary and oscillating molten salt jets to create pockets for target injection and ignition. The modularity provided by multiple jets allows the study and optimization of single jets prior to studies of the interactions of multiple jets. This paper reports the scaling requirements for achieving hydrodynamically similar jets using water with geometrically scaled nozzles, and experimental results for the formation of stationary and oscillating sheet jets.
Partial Gastrectomy with Billroth II Reconstruction

Partial gastrectomy with Billroth I reconstruction is performed to treat complicated peptic ulcer disease and sometimes for early gastric malignancies. This chapter lists the indications, essential steps, common technical variations, and complications of the procedure. A detailed template operative dictation note is included.
USDA MATURITY INDICES AND PALATABILITY OF BEEF RIB STEAKS1

In a population of 195 beef carcasses, as maturity increased (by whole USDA groups) from A to B, flavor, tenderness and overall palatability ratings for rib steaks decreased (P < .05); further increases in maturity (B vs. E) resulted in subsequent decreases (P < .05) in tenderness and overall palatability. Subdivision of whole maturity groups into thirds and subsequent data analyses supported precepts in USDA grade standards of declining palatability with advancing maturity, but the declines, when they occurred, were nearly linear through the extremes (from A− to E+) and did not support the concept, in USDA grade standards, of a precipitous decline in eating satisfaction at or near the B+/C− maturity line. Among seven carcass maturity indices, all were similarly and singularly related (P < .05) to palatability of rib steaks, with some measure of skeletal maturity (the best of these was color/shape of the rib bones) plus some measure of muscle maturity (the best of these was color of the longissimus muscle) combining (by means of multiple regression analyses) to predict tenderness (panel ratings and shear values) with maximum precision. Neither total pigment concentration (a chemical measure of muscle color), amount of ether-extractable lipid (a chemical measure of intramuscular fatness) nor marbling score (a visual measure of intramuscular fatness) was able to explain more than about 7% of the observed variability in palatability ratings for cooked beef steaks. Data suggest that more attention should be paid to appearance of rib bones in a carcass (to better assess effects of maturity) and that less attention could be paid to differences between SLIGHT, SMALL and MODEST in marbling in the ribeyes, in attempting to predict, via USDA grading, the palatability of beef rib steaks.
Induction of immune responses against human papillomaviruses by hypervariable epitope constructs

An ideal prophylactic vaccine against human papillomaviruses (HPV) would be one that can induce broadly reactive antibody titres to at least the major oncogenic strains of HPV. It has been previously shown that HPV structural proteins are highly immunogenic but fail to elicit cross-reactive immune responses against heterologous strains of HPV. Recent studies have demonstrated that the immunity induced by virus-like particles is mostly type specific. In the present study, we determined the breadth of reactivity of antibodies induced in mice immunized with hypervariable epitope constructs (HECs), which represent sequence variants of immunodominant B-cell epitopes of the major capsid protein L1 of HPV. In order to test the breadth of reactivity, sera from immunized mice were tested against peptides representing analogous sequences of HPV types 16, 18, 31 and 45. Mice immunized with HECs based on two epitopes mounted antibody responses that cross-reacted with two different analogues, 16 and 18. Significantly, antibodies from mice immunized with HECs also inhibited haemagglutination mediated by HPV-16 L1 VLPs, suggesting that immunization resulted in the development of antibodies that could bind to viral capsid proteins in their native conformation. Our observations suggest that HECs may overcome the restriction of type specific immunity against HPV.
A case of an acute kidney injury secondary to an implanted aminoglycoside

CASE PRESENTATION An 80-year-old African American woman with a past medical history of type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, bilateral knee replacements and peripheral vascular disease presented to the nephrology clinic for evaluation of an elevated serum creatinine. Six weeks earlier she underwent removal of a total knee prosthesis due to septic arthritis with coagulase-negative staphylococci. A vancomycin and tobramycin-impregnated cement spacer block was mixed in the operating room and implanted. Her serum creatinine concentration (sCr) was 0.9 mg/dl upon hospital discharge. Periodic laboratory studies performed at the nursing facility showed a steady increase in sCr to 1.6 mg/dl at 2 weeks and then to 3.7 mg/dl by 6 weeks (Figure 1). One week before to presentation at the nephrology clinic, she began to develop uremic symptoms including nausea, vomiting, a metallic taste, and muscle cramps. Her furosemide and lisinopril had been held for 3 weeks due to her rising serum creatinine with no improvement. Her medications on presentation were insulin, omeprazole, synthroid, metoprolol, multivitamin, clopidogrel, atorvastatin, amlodipine, warfarin and minocycline. The minocycline had been initiated after she completed a 2-week course of intravenous vancomycin. Other than the warfarin, minocycline and intravenous vancomycin, she was on no new medications. There was no documented history of hypotension and she took no non-steroidal, herbal or over-the-counter medications. Physical examination revealed that she was afebrile, her blood pressure was 124/73 mmHg and pulse was 73 beats/min. She was alert and conversant. There was pitting edema of the lower extremities to the knee, but the lungs were clear to auscultation. No rashes or joint abnormalities were noted. She did not have asterixis. She had no auditory or vestibular symptoms although these were not formally tested. Laboratory studies are shown in Table 1. Her urinalysis revealed a specific gravity of 1.013, pH of 5.0, no protein or blood, and a positive spot leukocyte esterase with 2–5 white blood count per high powered field. Urine microscopic analysis by the nephrology consult team revealed few renal tubular epithelial cells and scant granular casts without red blood cells. She remained non-oliguric during her first few days of her admission. Based upon her clinical presentation, tobramycin toxicity from her knee cement spacer was suspected. Since this diagnosis would entail surgical treatment, a transjugular renal biopsy was performed for confirmation (Figures 2, 3).
Echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function are associated with risk of atrial fibrillation in blacks: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Background Several studies have examined the link between atrial fibrillation (AF) and various echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function in whites and other racial groups but not in blacks. Exploring AF risk factors in blacks is important given that the lower incidence of AF in this racial group despite higher risk factors, is not completely explained. Methods We examined the association of echocardiographic measures with AF incidence in 2283 blacks (64.5% women, mean age 58.8 years) free of diagnosed AF and enrolled in the Jackson cohort of Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, a prospective study of cardiovascular disease. Echocardiography was performed in 1993–1995, and incident AF was determined by electrocardiograms at a follow-up study exam, hospitalization discharge codes and death certificates through the end of 2009. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for AF associated with the echocardiographic measures, adjusting for age, sex, and known AF risk factors. Results During an average follow-up of 13.5 years, 191 (8.4%) individuals developed AF. Left ventricular (LV) internal diameter 2-D (diastole) and percent fractional shortening of LV diameter displayed a U-shaped relationship with risk of AF, while left atrial diameter displayed a J-shaped nonlinear association. LV mass index was associated positively with AF. E/A ratio 1.5 and ejection fraction (EF <50%) were also associated with higher AF risk. These measures improved risk stratification for AF in addition to traditional risk factors, although not significantly {C-statistic of 0.767 (0.714–0.819) vs. 0.744 (0.691–0.797)}. Conclusions In a community-based population of blacks, echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function are significantly associated with an increased risk of AF.
Introduction to the fields of psychology: A course proposal

Describing a course designed to assist in the better preparation of undergraduates for graduate school.
Atrioventricular block produced by swallowing, with documentation by His bundle recordings

Abstract A patient is presented with a history of recurrent syncope while swallowing. His bundle recordings were obtained during swallowing, and periods of Mobitz type II atrioventricular block were noted. The site of the block was found to be above the His bundle. The procedure was repeated 1 week later after administration of digitalis had been discontinued. The relation of esophageal abnormalities, digitalis and intrinsic heart disease to this syndrome is discussed.
Architecture-based software reliability modeling

Reliability is one of the essential quality requirements of software systems, especially for life critical ones. Software reliability modeling provides a means for estimating reliability of software, which facilitates effective decision making for quality control. Existing models either use a black-box approach that is based on test data of the whole system or a white-box approach that uses components' reliabilities and inter-component interactions. While the black-box approach is applicable to the late phases of software development, the white-box approach can support decisions on early component reuse and later component upgrades and updates. However, the white-box based models have traditionally considered only homogeneous software behaviors. For this reason, we extended the white-box to an architecture-based approach, utilizing the characteristics of architectural styles to capture design information and to realize non-uniform heterogeneous software behaviors. Adhered to the behaviors, a state machine of a discrete-time Markov model is constructed and employed to compute software reliability. Our approach allows reliability to be modeled at architectural design stage to decide components for reuse as well as later testing and maintenance phases for continuous software evolution. In contrast to the black-box approach, the model only needs to retest the influenced portions for a behavioral or structural change, instead of the complete system. This model yields a compelling result after being applied to an industrial real-time component-based financial system. We believe that this architecture-based modeling technique can have a great potential for use to effectively improve software quality.
A novel nicotinic-cholinergic role in behavioral sensitization to amphetamine-induced stereotypy in mice

Abstract Cholinergic antagonists were used to investigate the role of the cholinergic system in amphetamine- and cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization to stereotypy in mice. Systemically, mecamylamine (l mg/kg) and dihydro-β-erythroidine (2 mg/kg) - nicotinic antagonists - and atropine (2 mg/kg) - a muscarinic antagonist - were ineffective against psychostimulant-induced stereotypy in naive animals. The nicotinic antagonists, however, blocked both the induction and expression of sensitization to amphetamine; in contrast, atropine was ineffective. All three drugs were ineffective against either the induction or expression of cocaine sensitization. Intrastriatally, the nicotinic antagonists blocked induction but not expression of amphetamine-induced sensitization. The results suggest that the nicotinic system participates in sensitization induced by amphetamine but not cocaine; that the nicotinic component of the amphetamine response in sensitized animals is novel as compared to the response in naive animals; and that the striatum is a locus for the nicotinic involvement in induction but not expression. The data add support to the inference that behavioral sensitization represents not only a quantitative but a qualitative change in response to amphetamine.
Network design for reverse and closed-loop supply chains: An annotated bibliography of models and solution approaches

Historically, both the theory and practice of supply chain management have placed an emphasis on manufacturing and distribution operations, i.e., the forward channel, which consists of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and customers. Recently, increased attention to product recovery practices has extended the scope of traditional supply chain management by drawing attention to collection, demanufacturing, and remanufacturing operations, i.e., the reverse channel, which consists of final-users, collectors, demanufacturers, and remanufacturers. To optimize the performance of the extended supply chain, there is a need to establish an effective and efficient infrastructure via optimal network design. As a result, network design for product recovery has attracted the attention of a growing number of researchers in the past decade. In an attempt to draw more academic attention to this area, this annotated bibliography provides a detailed account of the published literature. The article is organized into two main sections that focus on (i) reverse supply chain network design, which is concerned with establishing an infrastructure to manage the reverse channel only and (ii) closed-loop supply chain network design, which is concerned with establishing an infrastructure to manage both forward and reverse channels in a coordinated manner. Specifically, we describe the operational characteristics of the underlying supply chain system considered in each paper, highlight the features of the network design model proposed therein, and discuss the proposed solution approach along with a brief description of significant computational work, if available. In conclusion, a critical review of the published literature is given and potential areas for future research are identified. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, 2009
Effect of diffusion on collection and impaction of a sphere

Abstract The relation between fraction impacted and collection efficiency of particles in a flowing suspension on a body is delineated. The effects of inertia, diffusion, and particle-surface interaction are given by parameters correlating relaxation time to diffusion time and deposition velocity by surface force to that by diffusion.
Intensification of experimental atherosclerosis by semi-starvation diet.

Conclusion and SummaryFollowing a 12-week period of feeding 1 % cholesterol, rabbits developed atherosclerotic plaques in thoracic aorta having an average severity (percent of aorta surface covered with plaques) of 24 ± 4%. Following return to a normal cholesterol-free diet for 12 weeks there was a small increase in plaque intensity to 36 ± 6%. In contrast, in a group of rabbits maintained on a semi-starvation level cholesterol-frete diet, there was a striking increase in plaque intensity to 59 ± 8%. These results are interpreted in terms of a more severe hyper-lipemia which was found in this latter group of animals in response to the reduced caloric intake rather than to any specific nutritional deficiency.
Two lipocortin-like proteins, endonexin II and anchorin CII, may be alternate splices of the same gene

The annexins are a family of phospholipid- and Ca2+-binding proteins that are structurally related. Two members of this family, human endonexin II and chicken anchorin CII, may arise from the same gene by alternative splicing of two structurally unrelated segments.
The White Researcher in the Multicultural Community: Lessons in HIV Prevention Education Learned in the Field

Abstract Effective HIV intervention, and its evaluation, requires close collaboration between community members and researchers. This article explores our experience as white, middle-class researchers in poor, inner city, multicultural neighborhoods. Research role demands put us at an automatic distance from our respondents, clients, and community membersources of valuable information for design and evaluation of interventions. Distance is further compounded by differences in culture, mutual stereotypes, and the history of the research enterprise in these and similar communities. Strategies for reducing distance include methods for undoing stereotypes, emphasizing research as a joint enterprise, stressing fairness, learning about the contexts within which the community functions, and assessing and addressing immediate community needs. The authors provide examples from their own experiences creating and maintaining collaborative HIV interventions and their evaluation. A discussion is included of the ways i...
Synthesis and Properties of Novel Polyanions of Potential Antitumor Activity

Abstract A large number of naturally occurring polyanionic materials are known each of which possesses its own set of physiological properties. Within recent years, a wide variety of synthetic polyanions have become available, and investigators have compared their physiological properties with the naturally occurring polyanions. Perhaps, the most widely investigated synthetic polyanion is the 1:2 regularly alternating cycloco-polymer (DVE-MA) of divinyl ether (DVE) and maleic anhydride (MA), first discovered in these laboratories in 1951. This material has been investigated extensively, both from the standpoint of its chemical structure and its biological activity. Although certain aspects of its structure remain to be determined, it has been shown to possess a wide spectrum of biological activity. It possesses antitumor as well as other activities and is an interferon inducer. Many structural modifications of DVE-MA have been synthesized which also possess antitumor activity and interferon-inducing capab...
Is LDL-C Passed Its Prime? The Emerging Role of Non-HDL, LDL-P, and ApoB in CHD Risk Assessment

Recently, my son, an internal medicine resident of a major academic medical center, called to ask my advice about a patient in the hospital. The case involved a 52-year-old female with type 2 diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoker with an LDL-C of 95 mg/dL, an HDL of 32 mg/dL, and triglycerides of 300 mg/dL. He wanted to initiate statin therapy, but both his senior residents and attending physician were adamant that pharmacological therapy was not indicated because her LDL-C was already below the 100 mg/dL goal according to the ATP III guidelines. This case, along with the tragic death of Tim Russert with an “optimal level” of LDL-C of 68 mg/dL (but a low HDL and elevated triglycerides), highlight the need for a different paradigm to better assess CHD risk and guide treatment. See accompanying article on page 1666 Targeting LDL-C as the primary goal of therapy was established by the NCEP ATP I guidelines and reinforced in ATP II and ATP III.1 ATP III added non–HDL-C as a secondary goal in patients at their LDL-C target with triglycerides ≥200 mg/dL, but according to surveys, non-HDL goal achievement has significantly lagged …
Cell Culture Studies on Patients with Extreme Insulin Resistance. II. Abnormal Biological Responses in Cultured Fibroblasts

Insulin stimulation of glycogen synthase and of thymidine incorporation into DNA has been examined in fibroblasts derived from three insulin-resistant patients: two with the type A syndrome of insulin resistance and acanthosis nigricans and one with the syndrome of leprechaunism. All three cell lines were previously shown to exhibit abnormal insulin-binding properties with alterations in receptor number or affinity. In the basal state, fibroblasts from all three patients contained normal levels of total glycogen synthase activity. Two of the cell lines, those of type A patient A-l and those of the leprechaun infant, had an abnormally high percentage of the enzyme in its glucose-6-phosphate-independent or dephosphorylated form and lower than normal cellular glycogen stores, consistent with an inverse correlation between percent I activity and glycogen content observed with other cells. Cells from patient A-3 had normal levels of glycogen and a low percentage of enzyme in the independent form. Insulin activ...
ON ASYMPTOTICS OF THE SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION FOR A CLASS OF LINEAR PROCESS MODELS IN ECONOMICS

Let Y(n) = X,0p(i)e(n - i), n = 1,2, . . be a moving average process of infinite order where the innovations e (k) are in the domain of attraction of a stable law with index t eE (0,2) and the parameter sequence decreases at a polynomial or exponential rate. These and similar processes have recently received increased attention both in the econometrics and statistics/probability literature. The present paper studies almost sure uniform rates of convergence of the empirical distribution function. Applications of these infinite variance processes in econometrics are mentioned.