cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Trust me, I’m your neighbour” How to improve epidemic risk containment through community trust

The COVID-19 crisis, while still in its first phase where a cure or vaccine are not available, has made societal safety highly depending on the commitment of individual citizens. Governments and policy-makers must make a priority over issuing public communication which can involve population and maximize their compliance. Our ability to encourage appropriate behaviour in citizens can be enhanced by regarding community safety as a public good or a social dilemma, and applying insights from behavioural studies on public good scenarios in the planning of public risk communication and policies. This brief communication will report some insights from experiments on cooperation for public goods where the stake is the avoidance of a potential loss instead of a gain, discussing the main motives of individual contribution. Implications for the containment of risk from the COVID-19 epidemic will be discussed.
Topological Goldstone phases of matter

The author gives a general theory of the circumstances, in which Goldstone modes associated with spontaneous symmetry breaking can be ``topologically nontrivial'' in the sense, for example, that topological defects, such as skyrmions, carry nontrivial quantum numbers. The core physical idea is that such defects can always be mapped to nontrivial configurations of a background gauge field for the residual symmetry, such as fluxes and monopoles.
Failure of Fredholm solvability for the Dirichlet problem corresponding to weakly elliptic systems

It is known (cf. Martell et al. in Rev Mat Iberoam 32(3):913–970, 2016) that the $$L^p$$ -Dirichlet problem for constant coefficient second-order systems satisfying the Legendre-Hadamard (strong) ellipticity condition is well posed in the upper half-space. However, this may fail if only weak ellipticity for the system in question is assumed. In this paper we shall show that the aforementioned failure is at a fundamental level, in the sense that there exist systems which are weakly elliptic (i.e., their characteristic matrix is invertible) for which the $$L^p$$ -Dirichlet problem in the upper half-space is not even Fredholm solvable.
Increased Risk of Advanced Colonic Adenomas and Timing of Surveillance Colonoscopy Following Solid Organ Transplantation

Detection and removal of colonic adenomatous polyps (CAP) decreases colorectal cancer (CRC) development, particularly with more or larger polyps or polyps with advanced villous/dysplastic histology. Immunosuppression following solid organ transplantation (SOT) may accelerate CAP development and progression compared to average-risk population but the benefit of earlier colonoscopic surveillance is unclear. Study the impact of maintenance immunosuppression post-SOT on developmental timing, multiplicity and pathological features of CAP, by measuring incidence of advanced CAP (villous histology, size ≥ 10 mm, ≥ 3 polyps, presence of dysplasia) post-SOT and the incidence of newly diagnosed CRC compared to average-risk age-matched population. Single-center retrospective cohort study of SOT recipients. 295 SOT recipients were included and were compared with 291 age-matched average-risk controls. The mean interval between screening and surveillance colonoscopies between SOT and control groups was 6.3 years vs 5.9 years (p = 0.13). Post-SOT maintenance immunosuppression mean duration averaged 59.9 months at surveillance colonoscopy. On surveillance examinations, SOT recipients exhibited more advanced (≥ 10 mm) adenomas compared to matched controls (9.2% vs. 3.8%, p = 0.034; adjusted OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.07–5.30). SOT recipients appear at higher risk for developing advanced CAP, suggesting that earlier surveillance should be considered.
Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: A Comprehensive Review and Multidisciplinary Approach to Surgical Treatment

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is an underdiagnosed and undertreated sequelae of acute pulmonary embolism. In this comprehensive review, we provide an introductory overview of CTEPH, highlight recent advances in its diagnostic imaging, and describe the surgical technique for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE), the only established curative treatment for CTEPH. We also discuss the emerging role of balloon pulmonary angioplasty, both independently and combined with PTE, for patients with inoperable, residual, or refractory pulmonary hypertension post PTE. Finally, we stress the importance of a specialized multidisciplinary team approach to CTEPH patient care and share our approach to optimizing care for these patients.
Lung metabolome of 1,3-butadiene exposed Collaborative Cross mice reflects metabolic phenotype of human lung cancer.

Abstract 1,3-Butadiene (BD) exposure is known to cause numerous adverse health effects, including cancer, in animals and humans. BD is metabolized to reactive epoxide intermediates, which are genotoxic, but it is not well know what other effects of BD has on cellular metabolism. We examined the effects of exposure to BD on the mouse lung metabolome in the genetically heterogeneous collaborative cross outbred mouse model. Mice were exposed to 3 concentrations of BD for 10 days (2, 20, and 200 ppm), and lung tissues were analyzed using high-resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. As compared to controls (0 ppm BD), BD had extensive effects on lung metabolism at all concentrations of exposure, including the lowest concentration of 2 ppm, as reflected by reprogramming of multiple metabolic pathways. Metabolites participating in glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were elevated, with 6 out of 10 metabolites demonstrating a 2 to 8-fold increase, including the oncometabolite fumarate. Fatty acid levels, sphingosine, and sphinganine were decreased (2 to 8-fold), and fatty acyl-CoAs were significantly increased (16 to 31-fold), suggesting adjustments in lipid metabolism. Furthermore, metabolites involved in basic amino acid metabolism, steroid hormone metabolism, and nucleic acid metabolism were significantly altered. Overall, these changes mirror the metabolic alterations found in lung cancer cells, suggesting that very low doses of BD induce metabolic adaptations that may prevent or promote adverse health effects such as tumor formation.
UAV-UGV Teaming for Rapid Radiological Mapping

This paper presents a novel configuration of UAV-UGV teams for rapid radiological mapping. The UGVs are equipped with low cost Geiger-Muller counters whose measurements are simulated using Poisson statistics. Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) is used to generate a model of the radiation field that includes uncertainty estimates. In the current work, the UAVs do not have sensors and only act as carrier drones for the UGVs equipped with sensors. The UAVs leverage information-driven path planning where the metric for information is the uncertainty in the GPR model. This information metric is used to determine regions to deploy the UGVs. The UGVs cover their given region using Boustrophedon cellular decomposition. Monte Carlo studies show that UAV-UGV teams using information theoretic path planning (ITPP) are able to lower the model error significantly faster relative to control experiments with UGV-only mapping or with UAV-UGV teams performing random sampling (RS). The model error decays exponentially for the UAV-UGV teams but only linearly for the UGV-only teams. These results illustrate a potential system concept for UAV-UGV teams performing radiation mapping and provide baseline results quantifying potential performance improvements over systems employing only mobile ground sensors.
TU‐AB‐BRA‐04: Quantitative Radiomics: Sensitivity of PET Textural Features to Image Acquisition and Reconstruction Parameters Implies the Need for Standards

Purpose: Despite increased use of heterogeneity metrics for PET imaging, standards for metrics such as textural features have yet to be developed. We evaluated the quantitative variability caused by image acquisition and reconstruction parameters on PET textural features. Methods: PET images of the NEMA IQ phantom were simulated with realistic image acquisition noise. 35 features based on intensity histograms (IH), co-occurrence matrices (COM), neighborhood-difference matrices (NDM), and zone-size matrices (ZSM) were evaluated within lesions (13, 17, 22, 28, 33 mm diameter). Variability in metrics across 50 independent images was evaluated as percent difference from mean for three phantom girths (850, 1030, 1200 mm) and two OSEM reconstructions (2 iterations, 28 subsets, 5 mm FWHM filtration vs 6 iterations, 28 subsets, 8.6 mm FWHM filtration). Also, patient sample size to detect a clinical effect of 30% with Bonferroni-corrected α=0.001 and 95% power was estimated. Results: As a class, NDM features demonstrated greatest sensitivity in means (5–50% difference for medium girth and reconstruction comparisons and 10–100% for large girth comparisons). Some IH features (standard deviation, energy, entropy) had variability below 10% for all sensitivity studies, while others (kurtosis, skewness) had variability above 30%. COM and ZSM features had complex sensitivities; correlation, energy, entropy (COM) and zone percentage, short-zone emphasis, zone-size non-uniformity (ZSM) had variability less than 5% while other metrics had differences up to 30%. Trends were similar for sample size estimation; for example, coarseness, contrast, and strength required 12, 38, and 52 patients to detect a 30% effect for the small girth case but 38, 88, and 128 patients in the large girth case. Conclusion: The sensitivity of PET textural features to image acquisition and reconstruction parameters is large and feature-dependent. Standards are needed to ensure that prospective trials which incorporate textural features are properly designed to detect clinical endpoints. Supported by NIH grants R01 CA169072, U01 CA148131, NCI Contract (SAIC-Frederick) 24XS036-004, and a research contract from GE Healthcare.
In This Parched Land, Lunacy and Love: A Review of "Khamsin", by Moshe Dor

"GLEAMING SANDS of gold fell in bewitching folds toward the sea ... a vast haven between blue and green . . . Camel caravans passed, bells clanging on their swaying necks. . . . Beyond . . . stretched a desert of white sand. Out there stood a solitary lamp post like a light house. In the long summer evenings the lamp cast long shadows on the sand. Children would sit around it, telling stories." From that lovely remembrance and evocation of the lay of earth and sky on the Mediterranean coast and the open and impressionable to pography of a child's mind, the acclaimed Israeli poet, Moshe Dor, author of some thirty volumes of poetry and winner of Israel's top literary award, the Bialik Prize, proceeds in Khamsin with a series of meditations on his coming of age as an artist and a man in Israel. The memoirs section, "This Parched Land," is followed by a selection of poems collected under the rubric "More Distant than Lunacy, than Love?" This memoir/poetry collection was translated from the original Hebrew by Pulitzer Prize recipient Henry Taylor and fourteen other authors, including Myra Sklarew and Barbara Goldberg. Dor's father was a Zionist-socialist pioneer, who grew up under Romanov despotism and who made "aliya" by stealthily crossing the Soviet border to migrate to Israel. Dor was born in 1932 and grew up in the Workers' Quarter of Tel Aviv as a precocious book-hungry child who was painfully handicapped by stuttering and who in spite of a desperate longing to fight in the 1948 War of Liberation was deemed too young to join in, a lucky circumstance for we who were spared the misfortune of being denied his poetry. After the war, Dor joined with other writers to form Likrat, the anti-Soviet, anti-bureaucratic literary vanguard in Jerusalem of the early 50s. About the anti-Soviet stance of Likrat in an Israel where Stalinist "socialist realism" was still a formi dable presence, Dor simply says: "Stalin's Soviet Union disgusted me."
Automated localization of cysts in diabetic macular edema using optical coherence tomography images

This paper presents a novel automated system that localizes cysts in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). First, in each image, six sub-retinal layers are detected using an iterative high-pass filtering approach. Next, significantly dark regions within the retinal micro-structure are detected as candidate cystoid regions. Each candidate cystoid region is then further analyzed using solidity, mean and maximum pixel value of the negative OCT image as decisive features for estimating the area of cystoid regions. The proposed system achieves 90% correlation between the estimated cystoid area and the manually marked area, and a mean error of 4.6%. Finally the proposed algorithm locates the cysts in the inner plexiform region, inner nuclear region and outer nuclear region with an accuracy of 88%, 86% and 80%, respectively.
Dielectric behavior of ferroelectric thin films at high frequencies

The high-frequency dielectric response of sol-gel-derived lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films have been investigated. Conceptualizing the presence of interface layers was critical in explaining the dielectric measurements. By a careful control of the processing parameters, aided by rapid thermal annealing, the low-frequency dielectric characteristics could be sustained up to a gigahertz range. Ba/sub 0.5/Sr/sub 0.5/TiO/sub 3/, which is paraelectric at room temperature, appears to be a potential candidate material for high-frequency applications. >
Novel Peptide-Conjugated Maresins Stimulate Tissue Regeneration and Clearance of Infections in Planaria and Inflammatory Exudates

During the resolution of inflammation chemical mediators are produced in resolving exudates that regulate inflammation, stimulate resolution and tissue regeneration. Identification of novel signals...
Solar power variability and spatial diversification: implications from an electric grid load balancing perspective: Solar power variability: characterization and implications

SUMMARY Quantifying the severity of the intermittencies in solar irradiation is important for (i) understanding the potential impacts of high solar power penetration levels on the electric grid and (ii) evaluating the need for technologies that may be necessary to complement solar power in order to balance the electric grid. This study uses a spectral method to distinguish between cloud-induced and diurnal cycle-induced transients and to quantify the severity of intermittencies occurring over a range of timescales. The method is used to quantify variability between specific sites as well as to evaluate the sensitivity of solar power variability to spatial diversification of the solar farm portfolio. Results indicate that increasing the spatial diversity of the solar farm portfolio reduces the magnitude of the fluctuations in power output as a fraction of the total system capacity. This behavior is associated with two forces: (i) a reduction in the influence of fluctuations occurring at an individual site on the total profile and (ii) should the sites in question be sufficiently spaced apart, the fluctuations in solar irradiation that each site exhibits are uncorrelated and do not generally add up in tandem at short timescales. These effects reduce the degree of uncertainty and variability associated with solar farm output and demonstrate a reduction in the maximum magnitude of solar power fluctuations for a given solar penetration level. The rate of increase of the maximum solar power deviation from the 1-h average associated with increases in desired solar penetration level decreases in an inverse exponential manner with the number of sufficiently spaced sites composing the solar farm portfolio. These results imply that a lower amount of regulation or energy storage capacity is needed to regulate solar intermittency if solar installations and the accommodating transmission infrastructure are designed and operated appropriately. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Large-Scale Structure from Spatial Condensation and Reproducing Dark Mass

Accounting for large-scale structure in our universe will require not only reasonably accurate mathematical models of its cosmogony, topology and cosmology, but also a more deeper understanding of our fundamental physical concepts of space, time and energy. The foundations for a new "Spatial Condensation (SC-)" cosmological model for our closed 3-D universe has already been presented and this paper will explore the new and different predictions for the evolution of its large-scale structure. Accounting begins with a spatial condensation solution of the "cosmological constant" problem for the infamous 10^120 factor for vacuum energy. The newly derived "expansion forces" demark that distance where gravity gives way to the Hubble flow and decelerates peculiar velocities towards "rest" in the comoving reference frame. The postulated new dark mass, that scales differently than matter with the expansion, provides the seeds for the condensation of matter and the formation of black holes even before the decoupling of matter and radiation. Graphics of the predicted size of large-scale structures are presented versus astronomical measurements.
Preservation of Blood Ammonia by Rapid Freezing-A Method for Delayed Determinations

A method is described for preservation of blood for delayed determinations of ammonia by rapid freezing of the samples in a dry ice and acetone solution followed by storage of the specimens in the frozen state. The method was evaluated by first establishing the reproducibility of the chemical method used for blood ammonia analysis in 714 consecutive samples of dog blood which were analyzed in duplicate, and then determining whether freezing caused greater changes in ammonia concentration than one would expect knowing the reproducibility of the chemical method. Studies in 200 samples of dog blood with ammonia levels of 16 to 2904 µg./100 ml., each of which was analyzed immediately and after 24 hr. of freezing, showed that freezing and storage for 24 hr. did not significantly affect the blood ammonia content. Studies of 22 samples of frozen dog blood with ammonia levels of 11 to 2624 µg/100 ml., parts of each of which were analyzed daily for 5 consecutive days, showed that storage in the frozen state for up to 72 hr. had no significant effect on the ammonia concentration, but that storage for 96 hr. or longer resulted in increases in blood ammonia beyond acceptable limits. It is concluded that accurate delayed measurements of blood ammonia may be accomplished by rapid freezing of the blood immediately after shedding, and storage of the frozen samples for up to 72 hr.
Arrays of micro-fabricated quadrupole mass filters

A miniature quadrupole mass filter array is being developed for use in a micro gas analyzer. Both high sensitivity and high resolution are needed over a wide range of ion mass-to-charge ratios, from 20 to 200 atomic mass units per electron charge.
Quantitative computer assisted tomography (QCT) and mechanical properties of cancellous bone

The density of cylindrical cancellous bone samples was obtained by quantitative computer assisted tomography (QCT). Their compressive strength was measured. Two groups of purified bone graft cylinders (Pelican Tissue Bank) were tested. In one, the major trabecular orientation was vertical, while the other had random orientation. In addition, cancellous bone plugs were harvested from the femoral head, trochanter and condyles of both femurs of a fresh 40 year old cadaver keeping the samples orientation in the direction of physiological loading. The correlation between strength and bone mineral density by QCT showed a power law relationship for the processed bone graft samples with preferred trabecular orientation and unprocessed cadaver bone plugs. No correlation was seen for the group with random trabecular orientation. Thus trabecular orientation plays an important role in relating the strength to mineral density values by QCT. >
Presentation and Outcomes of C4d-Negative Antibody-Mediated Rejection After Kidney Transplantation.

The updated Banff classification allows for the diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in the absence of peritubular capillary C4d staining. Our objective was to quantify allograft loss risk in patients with consistently C4d-negative AMR (n = 51) compared with C4d-positive AMR patients (n = 156) and matched control subjects without AMR. All first-year posttransplant biopsy results from January 2004 through June 2014 were reviewed and correlated with the presence of donor-specific antibody (DSA). C4d-negative AMR patients were not different from C4d-positive AMR patients on any baseline characteristics, including immunologic risk factors (panel reactive antibody, prior transplant, HLA mismatch, donor type, DSA class, and anti-HLA/ABO-incompatibility). C4d-positive AMR patients were significantly more likely to have a clinical presentation (85.3% vs. 54.9%, p < 0.001), and those patients presented substantially earlier posttransplantation (median 14 [interquartile range 8-32] days vs. 46 [interquartile range 20-191], p < 0.001) and were three times more common (7.8% vs 2.5%). One- and 2-year post-AMR-defining biopsy graft survival in C4d-negative AMR patients was 93.4% and 90.2% versus 86.8% and 82.6% in C4d-positive AMR patients, respectively (p = 0.4). C4d-negative AMR was associated with a 2.56-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.08-6.05, p = 0.033) increased risk of graft loss compared with AMR-free matched controls. No clinical characteristics were identified that reliably distinguished C4d-negative from C4d-positive AMR. However, both phenotypes are associated with increased graft loss and thus warrant consideration for intervention.
α-Synuclein Reduces Tension and Increases Undulations in Simulations of Small Unilamellar Vesicles.

Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations we have explored the effect of α-Synuclein (αSyn) on the structural and mechanical properties of small unilamellar vesicles in the fluid-phase. The study is motivated by observations that a high density of membrane-bound αSyn inhibits the fusion of synthetic small unilamellar vesicles. By combining three-dimensional pressure tensor calculations with our recently developed spherical harmonics fluctuation analysis approach, we show a reduction in membrane surface tension and increased membrane undulations when αSyn is bound to the vesicle’s outer leaflet at a 200:1 L/P. The protein effects these changes by decreasing the negative pressure in the headgroup region of the outer leaflet and increasing the positive pressure throughout the hydrocarbon core.
Presentation of self on the Web: an ethnographic study of teenage girls’ weblogs

Through their use of weblogs, teenage girls are bridging their offline and online relationships. As the girls use this medium to construct themselves and their relationships, they must address the dual nature of weblogs as a tool for interpersonal communication and mass communication. This study examines two aspects of teen girls’ blog use: (1) challenges and hazards of conducting interpersonal communication in a mass medium, and (2) self‐presentation strategies used to negotiate a dual audience. Methodology for the study included an ethnographic study of 40 weblogs, an in‐depth analysis of six weblogs and a set of 13 in‐depth interviews.
The protein index ofNostoc commune UTEX 584 (cyanobacteria): changes induced in immobilized cells by water stress

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the effects of water stress (immobilization and rapid drying, desiccation, rewetting) on the protein index of the desiccation-tolerant cyanobacteriumNostoc commune UTEX 584. Five major “landmark” protein constellations were detected in the protein index of control cells (in liquid culture) and were designated A (1 protein), B (7 proteins), C (8 proteins), D (3 proteins) and E (2 proteins). These included proteins which showed different sensitivities to water stress. Upon immobilization and rapid drying of the cells at a water potential ({ie87-1}) of -99.5 MPa (aw=0.5) for 30 min, few changes took place in the index. Four conspicuous proteins and the majority of proteins in the size range 18 to 97 K diminished in abundance while most proteins of constellations A, B and C were detected in fluorographs with the same intensity as in the control. Although protein synthesis continued during this time of drying, no novel class of proteins was detected. The level of incorporation of35S in protein increased rapidly during the first 60 min of rehydration, and then decreased gradually for a further 2.5 h. Extant proteins that were hardly detectable after 24 h of drying, reappeared and increased in abundance upon rewetting of cells for 60 min while a number of proteins which disappeared after drying did not appear during this time. No novel class of proteins appeared upon rewetting. During further rehydration, extensive proteolysis was observed.
Obstacles to the practice of licensed lay midwifery

Abstract Intensive interviews with licensed lay midwives in one of ten states that have recently reactivated and revised legislation legalizing such alternative practitioners for low risk clientele revealed a number of obstacles to their practice. The obstacles stem from the same rules and regulations developed by medical practitioners that made their homebirth service legal. Even after surmounting the difficulties of obtaining a license, the midwives find widespread unwillingness among private physicians to provide the required prenatal screening examination and medical back-up. The opposition of physicians to the licensed midwifery program is voiced in terms of concern about the safety of homebirths, particularly those attended by nonphysicians. Yet, the outcomes from the first 4 years of the program give no support for such concerns. Physician reluctance to cooperate with the legal program, combined with restrictions prohibiting the licensed midwives from sulturing minor tears and administering a single dose of an antihemorrhagic drug in an emergency transfer, do compromise the overall quality of midwifery care. While accepting their subordinate position to medical practitioners, the midwives are struggling to establish the continuum of care for homebirth women implied in their licensure law.
Processing by Endoplasmic Reticulum Mannosidases Partitions a Secretion-impaired Glycoprotein into Distinct Disposal Pathways

In the early secretory pathway, a distinct set of processing enzymes and family of lectins facilitate the folding and quality control of newly synthesized glycoproteins. In this regard, we recently identified a mechanism in which processing by endoplasmic reticulum mannosidase I, which attenuates the removal of glucose from asparagine-linked oligosaccharides, sorts terminally misfolded alpha(1)-antitrypsin for proteasome-mediated degradation in response to its abrogated physical dissociation from calnexin (Liu, Y., Choudhury, P., Cabral, C., and Sifers, R. N. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 5861-5867). In the present study, we examined the quality control of genetic variant PI Z, which undergoes inappropriate polymerization following biosynthesis. Here we show that in stably transfected hepatoma cells the additional processing of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides by endoplasmic reticulum mannosidase II partitions variant PI Z away from the conventional disposal mechanism in response to an arrested posttranslational interaction with calnexin. Intracellular disposal is accomplished by a nonproteasomal system that functions independently of cytosolic components but is sensitive to tyrosine phosphatase inhibition. The functional role of ER mannosidase II in glycoprotein quality control is discussed.
Medicare part D information seeking: The role of recognition of need and patient activation

Abstract Background In 2006, Medicare beneficiaries had the opportunity to choose from multiple newly available Medicare prescription drug plans (PDPs). Many beneficiaries reported difficulty in finding helpful information, whereas others reported they never looked for information. Objectives This study examines antecedents of beneficiary information-seeking behaviors when learning about Medicare part D and choosing a PDP by using the Wilson Model of Information Behavior as a conceptual framework. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of 7008 Medicare beneficiaries from the 2004 to 2005 Medicare Current Beneficiary Surveys was used to predict whether a beneficiary sought Medicare part D information and the number of information sources used among those who sought information. A negative binomial hurdle model was used to estimate the determinants of these outcomes. Particular attention was given to the roles of information need and patient activation in predicting the outcomes. Results The results show that beneficiaries stating a need for information were more likely to seek information (odds ratio [OR] = 2.02) and use multiple information sources (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.13). Beneficiaries with low patient activation were less likely to seek information (OR = 0.97) and use multiple information sources (IRR = 0.98). Conclusions Information need and patient activation are antecedents of both the decision to seek Medicare part D information and how beneficiaries seek information. Interventions aimed at improving Medicare part D-related information seeking and decision making should focus on helping beneficiaries identify their need for information accurately and increasing their level of activation.
Initial kinetics of degradation of MS2 ribonucleic acid by ribonuclease, heat and alkali and the presence of configurational restraints in this ribonucleic acid.

The initial kinetics of degradation of MS2 RNA by ribonuclease, heat and alkali were followed by the exponential decline in RNA infectivity. The turnover number of pancreatic ribonuclease is independent of RNA concentration between 10^(11) and 10^(15) RNA molecules per ml. Inactivation at high pH is almost proportional to the hydroxyl ion concentration between pH 11 and 12·3. The activation energy for thermal inactivation at neutral pH is 22 kcal./mole. MS2 RNA possesses no covalent configurational restraints, as shown by the correspondence between the decline in infectivity produced by ribonuclease and the production of RNA fragments, by the coincident sedimentation of the RNA infective material and the bulk RNA under a variety of conditions, and by the presence of only one component when the RNA is sedimented under denaturing conditions. The RNA chain does form intramolecular hydrogen bonds, which under certain conditions give rise to a multiplicity of discrete, infective components.
Sectioning and fault analysis of junction transistors

Special techniques have recently been developed by the authors to enable microsections to be readily made on high-frequency p-n-p and p-n-i-p junction transistors. It is impossible to use standard metallographic techniques when sectioning these devices, owing to the extreme fragility of the very thin germanium wafers used in their fabrication. Wafers as thin as 0.001 in may be encountered, and it has been found necessary to encapsulate the specimens in two stages, using different resins, to ensure adequate support of the wafer edges and so avoid chipping of the wafers during the subsequent grinding and polishing operations. A detailed grinding and polishing procedure has been developed to give optimum surface finish. The junction structure can finally be shown up by preferential etching.After preparation, the specimens can be microscopically examined, photographed and much valuable information extracted concerning the wetting, alloy penetration, recrystallization, crystal orientation and junction geometry. It is possible to examine the effect of the final clean-up etch used during manufacture, and in some cases to explain soft reverse-junction characteristics.The paper describes the preparation of large numbers of sections on a routine basis, using these techniques, and a number of examples are shown and typical faults discussed. The information obtained from these samples has proved of considerable value, particularly during the early stages of any new development.
Stratification and prestige among elite experts in methodological and mathematical sociology circa 1975

Abstract This discussion has two purposes. One is to describe the social differentiation of experts within an elite invisible college devoted to methodological and mathematical work circa 1975. The other is to illustrate the positional approach in network analysis. After introducing the invisible college to be considered, the form of stratification within it is described. Although completely interconnected to one another, experts are stratified across five structurally unique statuses. The form of stratification is given greater empirical meaning by considering its content. There is a subtle linkage between the extent to which a status is defined by substantive and methodological influence relations. The most prominent experts have merged their methodological concerns with specific substantive concerns. The most prestigious status is occupied by a “social statistics elite” to whom a “mobility elite” exists as a satellite status. Methodology leaders among social psychologists divide into a group pursuing the study of three-person groups, a “triads elite”, and a group with more general interests, a “social psychology elite”. Finally, a “mathematical sociology elite” jointly define no status since they have highly dissimilar substantive relations with one another and other experts. The last question addressed concerns the distribution of prestige in the college. As would be expected under a norm of universalism, the relative prestige of experts within the college is uniquely determined only by an expert's record of publishing in the college's core journals. The discussion concludes with comments.
Regional analysis and interaction models: an italian example

Abstract The paper is concerned with some methodological and technical aspects of regional analysis and model building and focuses on a specific application with Italian data at provincial level. The frame of reference of the discussion is national territorial planning and the definition of spatial policies of urbanization and regional development. Regional analysis is seen in relation to planning decision making, data availability, socio-economic determinants and spatial analysis. These relationships are stated in a specific way which suggests methodological approaches for a comprehensive and systematic monitoring of the state of the region.
A Good Suggestion

THE approaching meeting in London of librarians representing the most important English, and, I believe, foreign, collections of books, makes the present a suitable time to ofler suggestions as to the management of such collections.
Extraordinary Infrared Transmission Resonances of Metal Microarrays for Sensing Nanocoating Thickness

Nanocoatings of TiO2 (60−105 nm in thickness) were applied to one side of freestanding Ni films with microarrays of subwavelength holes exhibiting the extraordinary transmission effect in the infrared. Shifts, attenuation, and broadening of the transmission resonances at perpendicular incidence have been observed versus coating thickness. The Ni microarrays exhibit potential as sensors for nanoscale coating thickness and dielectric properties, all of which are accomplished simply by placing mesh in the sample region of an FTIR spectrometer in transmission mode, at perpendicular incidence, without any angle tuning. A second order relation between resonance shifts and coating thickness has been developed which accounts for the effect of changing wavelength of this configuration. A framework is developed for converting these results to momentum space allowing comparison with surface plasmon attenuated total reflection experiments. This exercise illuminates the need for better theoretical models of radiation ...
The impact of bisphenol A and triclosan on immune parameters in the U.S. population, NHANES 2003-2006.

BackgroundExposure to environmental toxicants is associated with numerous disease outcomes, many of which involve underlying immune and inflammatory dysfunction.ObjectivesTo address the gap between...
An information systems approach to the intervention and prevention of AIDS

Abstract According to the Second Annual Meeting of National AIDS Demonstration Research (1990) hosted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a large amount of data is collected in AIDS intervention and prevention research. But so far those data are not substantially processed, analyzed, and utilized. By employing an information systems approach, available data can be used more effectively for AIDS epidemic research and for better intervention and prevention. The objectives of this paper are: (a) to provide a conceptual framework of information systems in AIDS intervention and prevention; (b) to show the applications of such information systems, which will inspire AIDS intervention and prevention researchers to take the lead in implementations of information systems technology; and (c) to present an example of such information systems that has been implemented in recent years.
Transcriptional regulation of the murine C5a receptor gene: NF-Y is required for basal and LPS induced expression in macrophages and endothelial cells

The anaphylatoxin receptors of the complement system are important in immune defense but also play a role in autoimmune disease. Reports have demonstrated induced C5a receptor (C5aR) expression in a number of disease states, yet little is known about the regulation of this gene. We have examined sequences in the presumptive promoter-enhancer region in order to study the regulation of this gene. Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) analyses were used to identify the transcriptional start site, and we then cloned 2278 bp of sequence from this region for use in luciferase assays. Deletion analyses of 5' sequences demonstrated that the majority of this region is dispensable for expression in macrophages and endothelial cells (ECs). A 232 bp region proximal to the transcription start site was fully capable of directing expression in macrophages and ECs, while being minimally active in cells that do not express the receptor. The transcriptional regulatory site most critical for this expression matches the consensus sequence for nuclear factor-Y (NF-Y) at position -96. Site-directed mutagenesis of this site resulted in a 70-90% decrease in luciferase activity depending on the cell type. Electrophoretic mobility shift/supershift assay (EMSA) analyses demonstrated the specific binding of NF-Y to labeled oligonucleotides containing the putative CCAAT site with macrophages and EC nuclear extracts, and antibodies to NF-Y were able to supershift this -96 NF-Y complex. We also demonstrate LPS leads to enhanced C5aR transcription and this is mediated predominantly through the NF-Y site. The data reported in this study might be critical for determination of transcription factors that can be targeted pharmacologically to modulate the expression of the C5aR in infectious disease or autoimmunity.
Protective effector memory CD4 T cells depend on ICOS for survival.

Memory CD4 T cells play a vital role in protection against re-infection by pathogens as diverse as helminthes or influenza viruses. Inducible costimulator (ICOS) is highly expressed on memory CD4 T cells and has been shown to augment proliferation and survival of activated CD4 T cells. However, the role of ICOS costimulation on the development and maintenance of memory CD4 T cells remains controversial. Herein, we describe a significant defect in the number of effector memory (EM) phenotype cells in ICOS−/− and ICOSL−/− mice that becomes progressively more dramatic as the mice age. This decrease was not due to a defect in the homeostatic proliferation of EM phenotype CD4 T cells in ICOS−/− or ICOSL−/− mice. To determine whether ICOS regulated the development or survival of EM CD4 T cells, we utilized an adoptive transfer model. We found no defect in development of EM CD4 T cells, but long-term survival of ICOS−/− EM CD4 T cells was significantly compromised compared to wild-type cells. The defect in survival was specific to EM cells as the central memory (CM) ICOS−/− CD4 T cells persisted as well as wild type cells. To determine the physiological consequences of a specific defect in EM CD4 T cells, wild-type and ICOS−/− mice were infected with influenza virus. ICOS−/− mice developed significantly fewer influenza-specific EM CD4 T cells and were more susceptible to re-infection than wild-type mice. Collectively, our findings demonstrate a role for ICOS costimulation in the maintenance of EM but not CM CD4 T cells.
Working in the mangroves and beyond: scientific forestry and the labour question in early colonial Tanzania.

Germans arrived in Tanzania with a vision of scientific forestry derived from European and Asian templates of forest management that was premised on the creation of forest reserves emptied of human settlement. They found a land scape and human environment that was not amenable to established practices of rotational forestry. In particular, a general labour dearth and resistance from Tanzanian peasants and labour migrants forced German foresters to compro mise their forestry blueprint. The backdrop of the Maji Maji rebellion of 1905 led colonial authorities to back away from the unbridled use of force to muster labour for forest work, and land abundance in most of the colony stymied the introduction of taungya methods of forest squatting as practised in Asia. Early priority given to managing mangrove forests for revenue generation further undermined established precepts of scientific forestry, seen in the trend toward granting concessions to private entrepreneurs for mangrove bark exploitation rather than for timber. The persistence of an African and Asian consumer demand for mangrove poles and fuel wood subverted a vision of rotational forestry based on timber milling. Problems of labour procurement and retention furthermore undermined efforts to demarcate and conserve inland dry canopy forests, and obviated the expansion of managed forestry into woodland savannahs. By the end of German rule managed state forestry had therefore failed to reshape the landscape according to a Eurocentric and Asian model of development.
WHY DOES HIGH Tc SOMETIMES DEPEND ON OXIDATION — AN INVESTIGATION OF MADELUNG POTENTIALS

Some high temperature superconductors require atmospheres of oxygen for the formation of the superconducting phase, and others do not. The former corrode more easily and includes the doped compound (La1.5Ba0.5) CuO4. In the latter class, Cu ions inhabit sites with large ionic potential, which apparently allows the formation of high charge states such as Cu(d8) or CuO+. An elementary code was used to examine potentials on a number of defect sites. Thus a high charge state on polyvalent Cu is a feature common to both types of superconductors.
Effect of intragastric and intraperitoneal water and saline loads on the pharmacologic induction of drinking in rats

Abstract Water intake, induced by subcutaneous (SC) administration of angiotensin II (AII, 200 μg/kg), isoproterenol (25 μg/kg), 5-hydroxytryptophan (25 mg/kg), and bethanechol (8 mg/kg), was reduced completely to control level by administration of either an intragastric (IG) or intraperitoneal (IP) load of distilled water (3% of body weight) prior to administration of the dipsogen. A similar load of isotonic saline given by both the IG and IP routes was either ineffective or only partially effective in reducing the dipsogenic response. The similar effectiveness of IP and IG loads of water in inhibiting the responsiveness to administration of dipsogenic agents argues against a gastrointestinal mechanism as an integral part of the feedback process limiting water intake in the rat. In addition, the lack of a significant effect of similar IP and IG loads of saline suggests that stretch of either the gastrointestinal or intraperitoneal spaces is not an important factor in the inhibition observed. A possibility exists that osmotic dilution, as a result of the water load, may play a role in the feedback inhibition of the drinking responses to the dipsogenic agents used in these studies, even though the responses were mediated via the AII receptor pathway rather than the osmoreceptor pathway.
Absence of Anatomic Origin from Heart of Pulmonary Arterial Supply

Among certain patients with cardiovascular malformations, a common phenomenon is a ventricular septal defect and absence of anatomic origin of the pulmonary arterial supply from the heart. In this situation, true pulmonary arteries may be present or absent. In the latter case, the pulmonary arterial supply comes through bronchial arteries. When true pulmonary arteries are present, the left and right pulmonary arteries either may be in continuity at their origins (confluence) or they may arise from separate sites (nonconfluence). When confluence is present, the two pulmonary arteries may arise either from an atretic pulmonary trunk or from certain forms of persistent truncus arteriosus. Pulmonary atresia may be localized to the proximal end of the pulmonary trunk or diffuse in this vessel. When nonconfluence is present, each pulmonary artery arises separately from one of three possible sources as follows: (1) a form of persistent truncus arteriosus, (2) through ducti arteriosi from the aortic arch system, ...
Modification of near-wall turbulence structure in a shear-driven three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer

Most high Reynolds number flows of engineering interest are three-dimensional in nature. Key features of three-dimensional turbulent boundary layers (3DTBLs) include: non-colateral shear stress and strain rate vectors, and decreasing ratio of the shear stresses to the turbulent kinetic energy with increasing three-dimensionality. These are indicators that the skewing has a significant effect on the structure of turbulence. In order to further investigate the flow physics and turbulence structure of these complex flows, an innovative method for generating a planar shear-driven 3DTBL was developed. A specialized facility incorporating a relatively simple geometry and allowing for varying strengths of crossflow was constructed to facilitate studies where the skewing is decoupled from the confounding effects of streamwise pressure gradient and curvature. On-line planar particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements and flow visualization results indicate that the experimental configuration generates the desired complex flow, which exhibits typical characteristics associated with 3DTBLs. Furthermore, spanwise shear results in modification of the near-wall turbulence structure. Analysis of near-wall flow visualization photographs revealed a reduction of mean streak length with increasing spanwise shear, while streak spacing remained relatively constant. In the most strongly sheared case, where the belt velocity is twice that of the freestream velocity, the mean streak length was reduced by approximately 50%.