cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NK Cell Tolerance in Mixed Allogeneic Chimeras

Alterations in inhibitory receptor expression on NK cells have been detected in mixed allogeneic chimeras and in mosaic MHC class I-expressing transgenic mice. However, it is not known whether or not NK cells are tolerant to host and donor Ags in mixed chimeras. In vitro studies have shown a lack of mutual tolerance of separated donor and host NK cells obtained from mixed chimeras. Using BALB/c-->B6 fully MHC-mismatched mixed chimeras, we have now investigated this question in vivo. Neither donor nor host NK cells in mixed chimeras showed evidence for activation, as indicated by expression of B220 and Thy-1.2 on NK cells in chimeric mice at levels similar to those in nonchimeric control mice. Lethally irradiated, established mixed BALB/c--> B6 chimeras rejected a low dose of beta(2)-microglobulin-deficient bone marrow cells (BMC) efficiently but did not reject BALB/c or B6 BMCs. In contrast, similarly conditioned B6 mice rejected both BALB/c and beta(2)-microglobulin-deficient BMCs. Thus, NK cells were specifically tolerant to the donor and the host in mixed allogeneic chimeras. The similar growth of RMA lymphoma cells in both chimeric and control B6 mice further supports the conclusion that donor BALB/c NK cells are tolerant to B6 Ags in chimeras. Administration of a high dose of exogenous IL-2 could not break NK cell tolerance in chimeric mice, suggesting that NK cell tolerance in chimeras is not due to a lack of activating cytokine. No reduction in the level of expression of the activating receptor Ly-49D, recognizing a donor MHC molecule, was detected among recipient NK cells in mixed chimeras. Thus, the present studies demonstrate that NK cells in mixed chimeras are stably tolerant to both donor and host Ags, by mechanisms that are as yet unexplained.
Comparing Measures of Promiscuity and Exploring Their Relationship to Toxicity

Recent research has focused on algorithms to derive numerical measures of selectivity based on panels of in vitro pharmacology assays so that one molecule's activity profile may be compared easily with that of another. However, the questions concerning which method or algorithm is best to use, the optimal number of assays required to give an accurate measure of selectivity and the correlation of these measures to in vivo toxicity have remained largely unexplored. In this manuscript we describe a systematic approach to compare and contrast different calculation methods for promiscuity and determine the optimal number and constitution of a panel of assays to measure the selectivity/promiscuity of compounds across all targets. We then go on to examine their relationship to toxicity using a Pfizer proprietary compound set that has both selectivity profiles and exploratory toxicology study results. From this study we conclude that all five methods studied are useful in estimating compound selectivity; that a small panel of between 15 to 30 binding assays can be used as a surrogate for a broader panel enabling higher throughput with lower costs and this panel will most likely have the highest prediction power when correlating this measure to in vivo effects.
Selective staining of the internal limiting membrane using the sequential intraoperative instillation of whole blood followed by indocyanine green dye.

Purpose To reduce the retention of indocyanine green (ICG) on the retina by selectively staining the internal limiting membrane (ILM) with whole blood during ICG-assisted ILM peeling. Design Interventional, non-comparative, prospective case series. Methods Autologous whole blood was applied to cover the macular area and selectively removed to expose the area needed to be stained. ICG solution (1 mg/ml) diluted in glucose 5% was used to selectively stain the macular area. The stained ILM was removed completely. Results We studied 22 patients with macular holes, eight with macular pucker and four with diabetic macular edemas. The ILM was selectively stained successfully by ICG with whole blood. One month after surgery, we found no autofluorescence in the posterior pole by infrared-sensitive camera. Conclusions Autologous whole blood can help to achieve the goal of selectively staining ILM, further reducing the retention of ICG. It may further reduce ICG toxic effects.
Measurement of the Mueller matrix for ocean water

The normalized light scattering polarization matrix has been measured for ocean water using an electrooptic light scattering polarimeter. Measurements were done on samples from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. The polarization effects in the matrices were found to have, in general, a form which is similar to polarization effects in the Rayleigh scattering approximation; for example, all off-diagonal matrix elements except S12 and S21 were zero. Mueller matrix elements were calculated using a Mie computer code and compared to the measured matrices for ocean water. A simple one-component distribution was found to produce a reasonably good fit.
Butane Firebreathing in Adolescents: A Potentially Dangerous Practice

Firebreathing is sometimes seen in magic acts. This is, potentially, a very dangerous practice without the proper precautions. What follows is a report of an adolescent who became a habitual butane firebreather after imitating this act. He developed hemorrhagic esophagitis and gastritis. The type of adolescent who may experiment with dangerous practices is discussed.
Shallow Site Archaeology: Artifact Dispersal, Stratigraphy, and Radiocarbon Dating at the Barger Gulch Locality B Folsom Site, Middle Park, Colorado

Shallowly buried archaeological sites are particularly susceptible to surface and subsurface disturbance processes. Yet, because cultural deposition often operates on short time scales relative to geologic deposition, vertical artifact distributions can be used to clarify questions of site formation. In particular, patterns in artifact distributions that cannot be explained by occupation histories must be explained by natural processes that have affected sites. Buried only 10–50 cm beneath the ground surface for 10,450 14C yr, the Folsom component at Barger Gulch Locality B (Middle Park, Colorado) exhibits many signs of post-depositional disturbance. Through examination of variation in the vertical distribution of the artifact assemblage, we are able to establish that only a Folsom component is present. Using vertical artifact distributions, stratigraphy, and radiocarbon dating, we are able to reconstruct the series of events that have impacted the site. The Folsom occupation (˜10,450 14C yr B.P.) was likely initially buried in a late-Pleistocene eolian silt loam. Erosion brought the artifacts to rest on a deflation surface at some time prior to 9400 14C yr B.P. A mollic epipedon formed in sediments that accumulated between 9400 and 7000 14C yr B.P. Some time after 5200 14C yr B.P., this soil was partially truncated, and artifacts that had previously dispersed upward created a secondary lag at its upper contact. This surface was buried again and artifact dispersal continued. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Improved superconducting Nb/sub 3/Sn wire using Nb(Ti), Sn(Ga), Cu, and Ag powders

Superconducting Nb/sub 3/Sn wire was produced by means of the powder metallurgy process using Nb-2.9 at.% Ti and Sn-6.2 at.% Ga powders to which small quantities of Cu, Ag or Cu+Ag powders were added. Using heat treatments at 950 degrees C and 750 degrees C, these additions increased the overall critical current density to 10/sup 8/ A/cm/sup 2/ at 22.8 T and 4.2 K. B/sub c2/ versus T measurements showed an increase in B/sub c2/ at temperatures of 6-18 K, of about 1 T, and T/sub c/ was increased by about 0.4 K. In a different wire annealed in a U-shape, the overall J/sub c/ at 23.5 T was 0.5*10/sup 8/ A/m/sup 2/ at 4.2 K, 1.4*10/sup 8/ A/cm/sup 2/ at 2.5 K, and 1.9*10/sup 8/ A/m/sup 2/ at 1.6 K. n-values were measured at fields up to 23 T. The different chemical activities of Ga and Sn when dissolved in Cu are discussed. >
Subsidizing Urban Growth: A Colorado Chronicle

Urban modeling is a field that can provoke both a sense of solid satisfaction and tremendous frustration. The satisfaction arises from continuing theoretical development and increasingly sophisticated modeling efforts. The frustration arises from the seeming lack of any real impact on decision making. Savas [Savas, E. S. 1975. New directions for urban analysis. Interfaces6 1, November 1--9.] has noted that when an analyst does manage an implementation, it will most likely be in the less glamorous and ultimately less critical area of operations, rather than a broader policy question. This state of things is not without its champions [Fein, L. J. 1969. Proximate planning and urban theory. Jim Chard, Jon York, eds. Urban America: Crisis and opportunity. Dickenson Publishing Co., Belmont, California, 62--73.], who envision with horror an analyst's cost-effective city. However, this is small comfort to the professional who sees the same mistakes repeatedly made, and who seeks a cure. Is it simply that similar vested interests are always at play, overwhelming the dispassionate view of the planner and social scientist? Here is the tale, an illustration of the rare happy marriage of rational analysis and political pressure.
Forecasting Applications of an Adaptive Multiple Exponential Smoothing Model

This paper introduces a class of multiple exponential smoothing models useful in automated or minimal intervention industrial forecasting systems. These models are an alternative to simple univariate exponential smoothing and Trigg and Leach type adaptive models, which treat time series as unrelated and so cannot explicitly accommodate interrelationships that may exist between two or more time series. Moreover, the multiple models are adaptive in that the smoothing matrix, which is a generalization of the smoothing constant of univariate models, changes from period to period. Maximum likelihood estimates of the model parameters, including the full variance-covariance structure as well as the smoothing matrix, are provided, thus freeing the model user from the need for making ad hoc estimates of parameter values, a feature of simple univariate exponential smoothing. The forecast performance of this multiple time series model is compared with that of other univariate models using automobile sales data and some promising results are obtained.
Effect of canopy and grazing on soil bulk density

This study compared soil surface bulk density between: 1) sites not grazed by cattle > 26 years; 2) sites not grazed for 6 years; 3) sites grazed for 15 years to October residual dry matter levels of > 1100 kg ha -1 ; 4) sites grazed for 15 years to October residual dry matter levels of 670 to 900 kg ha -1 ; 5) sites grazed for 15 years to October residual dry matter levels of 0.05) between sites not grazed > 26 years and sites not grazed for 6 years. Grazing to residual dry matter levels of > 1100, 670 to 900, and 6 or 26 years. For the purpose of maintaining soil surface bulk density current residual dry matter recommendations for sites with canopy cover > 50% appear appropriate, but recommendations for open grasslands need additional review. In particular, residual dry matter level must be directly linked to soil surface infiltration capacity.
Enhanced pool boiling for electronics cooling using porous fin tops on open microchannels with FC-87

Abstract The miniaturization trend in microelectronics demands effective heat removal from the high energy density components. Pool boiling in vapor chambers is a cooling technique which uses phase change to remove heat directly from the surface to effectively manage the thermal heat transfer needs. The enhancement in pool boiling can be achieved by providing additional nucleation sites and/or increasing the heat transfer surface area. In this paper, an enhanced copper surface with porous fin tops on open micorchannels is used with FC-87 as the working fluid. A maximum Critical Heat Flux (CHF) of 37 W/cm2 is achieved here which translates to a 270% enhancement in CHF compared to a plain chip. High speed images obtained suggest that separate liquid–vapor pathways generated from nucleation on the porous fin tops surface was responsible for the enhancement. The cohesive effect of channel width and channel depth is also studied here.
Comparing Dutch and U.S. Approaches to Reducing Emissions of Co2

In this essay Professor Pierce compares the approaches of Dutch and U.S. Courts to efforts to mitigate anthropogenic climate change by reducing emissions of Greenhouse Gasses.
Exercises in Competitive Decision Making

One student and a counterpart must make a series of interactive decisions engaging in a competitive strategy or a cooperative strategy. Each student’s goal with these exercises is to maximize his own total profit over the nine interactions. Success depends on the type of strategy chosen by each.
Reply to “Comment on: Structure, transport, and vertical coherence of the Gulf Stream from the Straits of Florida to the Southeast Newfoundland Ridge, by Meinen and Luther” by Dana K. Savidge

Abstract Savidge (2016) raises a concern about how the spatial averaging embodied in our Gulf Stream analysis of vertical coherence ( Meinen and Luther, 2016 ) might contribute to the low coherence found. This response addresses the concerns raised in the Savidge (2016) short comment.
Nuclear Force Adaptability for Deterrence and Assurance: A Prudent Alternative to Minimum Deterrence

This monograph, Nuclear Force Adaptability for Deterrence and Assurance: A Prudent Alternative to Minimum Deterrence, is the second in a series examining the U.S. goals of deterrence, extended deterrence and the assurance of allies, and how to think about the corresponding U.S. standards of adequacy for measuring “how much is enough?” It begins by examining the manifest character of the contemporary threat environment in which the United States must pursue its strategic goals of deterring foes and assuring allies. Fortunately, there is considerable available evidence regarding the character of the contemporary threat environment and its general directions. Noted historians have compared this threat environment not to the bipolar Cold War, but to the highly dynamic threat environments leading to World War I and World War II. The uncertainties involved are daunting given the great diversity of hostile and potentially hostile states and non-state actors, leaderships, goals, perceptions, and forces that could...
Footpad Responses in Nude Mice Immunized with Chicken Erythrocytes

It is not yet clear whether the precursors of helper T lymphocytes and cytotoxic/suppressor T lymphocytes have common or independent origins and pathways of intrathymic maturation1– 3. Evidence has been presented for a differential timing of the appearance in the thymus of the progeny of these precursors1. In addition, there is increasing evidence for alternate extrathymic pathways of T-cell differentiation and maturation4, 5. Shimamoto et al.6, reported that T-cells responsible for delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) to chicken red blood cells (CRBC) were less thymic dependent than T-cells involved in cytotoxicity or in helper functions for antibody production. We have attempted to clarify the degree of thymus dependency of such DTH responses. We employed young adult athymic (nude) mice, which do not possess significant numbers of T-cells as shown by flow cytometric analysis. We appeared to be able to demonstrate a “DTH” response to chicken erythrocytes in such mice. However we believe these observations are most easily explained as a potent non-specific immune reaction.
Ibn ?A??? All?h al-Sakandar?: A Sufi, ??lim and Faq?h

Ibn ?A??? All?h al-Sakandar? (d 1309) is known as the true founder of the S?dhil? Madhhab. Little is known about his role in creating both social peace and political stability in Mamluk Egypt. Comparing him to Ibr?h?m al-Dus?q? , I will study three aspects of this role. First, I will study his introduction of a new model of the Sufi-the Faqih vis-a-vis the Sufi-the Theologian, a model that created reconciliation between the two historical enemies: the Sufis and the Jurists. Second, Ibn ?A??? All?h moved from Alexandria to Cairo to be a teacher at al-Azhar University, turning Sufism into a respected discipline, and closing the gap between urban Islam and periphery Islam. Third, he forged a political alliance with Sul??n Qal?w?n that saved the Sul??n enough popular support to create political stability after long years of political turmoil.
Riley v. California: A Pyrrhic Victory for Privacy Rights?

In Riley v. California, the United States Supreme Court ushered privacy protections into the digital era and signaled that the Fourth Amendment would not become a constitutional afterthought. The Court unanimously held that, absent exigent circumstances, law enforcement officers could not search any area of an arrestee’s cell phone, including the outgoing call log, without a warrant and probable cause. At first glance, Riley appears to be a landmark decision in favor of individual privacy rights. As with most things, however, the devil is in the details, and the details in Riley make any celebration over the seemingly enhanced protections for privacy rights premature.
Geophysical Evidence of Basement Controlled Faulting In the Ellenburger Group And Viola Limestone, Fort Worth Basin, Texas

This work compares horizontal derivative of the tilt derivative maps (HD_TDR), seismic attributes including most positive curvature and image enhancing over most positive curvature-sliced along the Viola Lm. and Ellenburger Group horizons, and azimuth frequency diagrams (rose diagrams) for two different areas in order to compare the Maximum and Minimum Horizontal stress of lineaments related to collapse structures, and faults and fracture patterns at specific horizons with the discontinuities in the basement.
Stimuli-Responsive Genetically Engineered Polymer Hydrogel Demonstrates Emergent Optical Responses

Biopolymer-based optical hydrogels represent an emerging class of materials with potential applications in biocompatible integrated optoelectronic devices, bioimaging applications, and stretchable/flexible photonics. We have synthesized stimuli-responsive three-dimensional hydrogels from genetically engineered elastin-like polymers (ELPs) and have loaded these hydrogels with an amine-containing p-phenylenevinylene oligomer (OPPV) derivative featuring highly tunable, environmentally sensitive optical properties. The composite ELP/OPPV hydrogels exhibit both pH- and temperature-dependent fluorescence emission, from which we have characterized a unique optical behavior that emerged from OPPV within the hydrogel environment. By systematic comparison with free OPPV in solution, our results suggest that this distinct behavior is due to local electronic effects arising from interactions between the hydrophobic ELP microenvironment and the nonprotonated OPPV species at pH 7 or higher.
Curved slip zones in an elastic half-plane

Abstract Slip on a curved fault loaded by far-field compressive stress induces changes in normal stress along the fault surface. A two-dimensional crack model is developed to quantify these stresses for curved fault geometries. Under plane strain (or plane stress), the curved slipping region is replaced by continuously distributed dislocations, and the corresponding singular integral equation for the dislocation density is derived and solved numerically. Because our solution scheme incorporates the exact asymptotic form of slip near the end of the slipping region, results for the stress intensity factors are accurate. To determine the effects of fault curvature on faulting, the changes in fault-normal stress accompanying dip-slip are calculated for typical faulting events. The changes in normal stress accompanying normal faulting increase the frictional resistance to slip advance near the free surface, and those accompanying reverse faulting reduce the frictional resistance to slip advance near the free surface. Under compressional tectonic loading, slip is retarded on the planar slip zones of higher dips, but enhanced if the dip decreases with depth. On the other hand, under extensional tectonic loading, slip is retarded on the planar slip zones of smaller dips, but enhanced if the dip increases with depth. Curvature of a concave-downward slip zone enhances compressive normal stress at the shallow end of the slip zone under compressional tectonic loading, tending to prevent propagation of the slip zones to the free surface. On the other hand, the curvature of a concave-upward slip zone reduces the compressive normal stress at the shallow end under the uniform extensional tectonic loading, thus assisting propagation of slip zones to the free surface. By contrast, for deep slip zones, the changes in normal stress are practically not affected by the fault curvature. To illustrate the local stress field near a sharp bend, we examine a sharply curved slip zone subjected to frictional sliding. Slip on such a fault induces significant compressional fault-normal stress near the bend. These changes add compression across the slip zone, thus increasing the frictional resistance to slip over the curved bend. Our results show that the magnitude of induced normal stresses is sharply localized near the bend.
Complications of Permanent Bladder Catheter Drainage in Spinal Cord Injury Patients

AbstractWe reviewed the effect of permanent bladder catheter drainage on the course of 59 long-term spinal cord injury patients. Current renal function, findings on excretory urography and major renal, bladder, genital and urethral complications were tabulated. Although all long-term spinal cord injury patients had severe renal function, depression and abnormal excretory urograms patients with indwelling bladder catheters had a significantly higher complication rate than those managed without an indwelling catheter.
Heavy Metal Removal Using Bound Macrocycles

Aza macrocycles bound to silica gel beads were found to selectively remove heavy metal cations such as Pb 2+ , Cd 2+ , Ag + , and Hg 2+ from aqueous solutions. These bound macrocycles have a virtually infinite selectivity of binding with heavy metals over alkali and alkaline earth cations. The material is very stable and can be reused hundreds of times. Columns may be regenerated using an acidic eluent solution. Equilibrium constants were determined by column tests. Removal of heavy metals was demonstrated in bench scale tests using a synthetic contaminated water and in pilot scale tests using a naturally contaminated river water. Heavy metal concentrations could be effectively reduced to the µg/L level using the process.
Use or Non-Use of Parallel Linking Fields in RLIN for Hebrew-Script Access Points

RLIN tagging practice for Hebraic headings is examined in light of cataloging time and efficiency. It is argued that the rule that the roman heading must be a systematic romanization of the Hebrew heading in order for the two to be linked as parallel is inappropriate.
Some Objections to the Theory

Max Weber’s definition of the modern state is compared and contrasted to the account offered in the previous chapter. The two are distinguished from one another, but both are found useful. Deontological libertarianism, as championed by Murray Rothbard, condemns all states for perpetration of violence and violation of property rights. This view is examined sympathetically but ultimately rejected. Necessary conditions for the formation of an ordered anarchy are examined.
Platelet Glycoprotein 1b-1X in Hemostasis and Malignancy.

The platelet paradigm in hemostasis and thrombosis involves an initiation step dependent upon platelet membrane receptors binding to ligands on a damaged or inflamed vascular surface. Once bound to the surface, platelets provide a unique microenvironment supporting the accumulation of more platelets and the elaboration of a fibrin-rich network produced by coagulation factors. This paradigm has been established from decades of research. The platelet-specific receptor, glycoprotein (GP) Ib-IX, is critical in this process and can initiate the formation of a platelet-rich thrombus by tethering the platelet to a thrombogenic surface. Several ligands binding to GP Ib-IX have been identified, but von Willebrand factor (vWF) and the resultant GP Ib-IX/vWF axis has emerged as a major initiator of platelet thrombus formation in the arterial circulation. Newer, emerging data supports a role for platelets in pathological events beyond the prevention of blood loss. We have obtained data supporting the hypothesis that platelet GP Ib-IX contributes to malignancy. Knockout and transgenic mouse colonies have been generated in our laboratory and bred to C57BL/6J animals to generate several congenic strains (> 10 generation backcrosses) with dysfunctional platelet GP Ib-IX. These colonies have been used to characterize tumor metastasis and primary tumor growth in syngeneic models where the host animals are immunocompetent. The results demonstrate platelet GP Ib-IX contributes to tumorigenesis, as a functional absence of GP Ib-IX correlates with a significant reduction in the number of metastatic foci using models of experimental metastasis. In addition, an absence of GP Ib-IX significantly reduces primary tumor burden. A second series of experiments has determined that platelet GP VI, a key activation receptor on the surface of platelets also contributes to progression of experimental metastasis. The importance of metastasis in the prognosis for recovery from cancer can not be over-emphasized. Indeed, the spread of metastatic disease represents a fundamental change in significantly shortening the lifespan of patients with breast cancer. Thus, understanding the molecules that regulate metastasis identifies potential targets for therapeutic intervention that could significantly improve the prognosis for the breast cancer patient. Several decades of prior work in hemostasis and thrombosis has placed this project in a position to quickly provide new information and understanding on the links between hemostasis and cancer.
Efficiency and Equity Implications of Charging Nonresidents Full-Cost Tuitions

With fixed costs and a break-even constraint describing a public university, tuition and subsidy structures are endogenously determined that maximize constrained welfare, defined as students' value (net consumers' surplus) minus the taxpayer appropriation. Requiring nonresidents to pay full-cost tuitions introduces relative deviations in demand that lead to efficiency losses and income transfers. To measure these effects, demand and cost expressions are developed to replicate standard decentralized budgeting frameworks for the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. Efficiency losses associated with requiring nonresidents to pay fully allocated costs are modest (2%–6%) compared to orders of magnitude larger distributional transfers from nonresidents to residents and taxpayers. (JEL I22, I28)
Endoscopic ultrasound with tissue sampling is accurate in the diagnosis and subclassification of gastrointestinal spindle cell neoplasms.

Background and Objectives: Mesenchymal (spindle cell) neoplasms (SCN) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are an important subtype of subepithelial lesions that need subclassification to assess their malignant potential. Reported success rates of accurate subclassification with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided biopsies are variable. Our goal was to analyze our experience using EUS-guided TruCut biopsy (EUS-TCB) in the majority of patients. Methods: Retrospective analysis in patients who underwent EUS with biopsies for suspected SCN at our tertiary referral center between 2004 and 2013. Results: A total of 146 patients with suspected SCN underwent EUS with tissue acquisition. Thirteen patients were excluded from analysis because tissue acquisition established a definite diagnosis other than SCN. In the remaining 133 patients, tissue acquisition was diagnostic of SCN in 118 (88.7%) and nondiagnostic in 15 (11.3%). Subclassification based on immunohistochemistry (IHC) was possible in 109 of the 133 cases (81.9%). The final diagnosis was GI stromal tumor in 64, leiomyoma in 39, and schwannoma in 6 cases. The percentage of patients who were subclassified by the various EUS-guided techniques together was 72.18%, and the percentage of patients who were subclassified specifically with EUS-TCB was 61.65%. Tissue specimens that enabled a specific diagnosis based on histological or cytological characteristics in conjunctions with IHC were obtained with EUS core biopsy in 83 (TCB in 82 and ProCore needle biopsy in 1), fine-needle aspiration in 13, mucosal resection in 10, and forceps biopsies (bite-on-bite) in 3 cases. Conclusion: EUS with endoscopic tissue acquisition is accurate in the diagnosis and subclassification of SCN. In experienced hands, the EUS-TruCut needle is a valuable tool with a high success rate for this indication.
Infection prevention staffing and resources in U.S. acute care hospitals: Results from the APIC MegaSurvey

Background Given the changing nature of infection prevention and control (IPC), appropriate infection preventionist (IP) staffing needs to be established. In this study, we aimed to describe current IP staffing levels and IPC department resources in U.S. acute care hospitals. Methods These data came from the 2015 MegaSurvey conducted by the Association of Professionals in Infection Prevention and Epidemiology. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were conducted to examine differences in respondent, facility, and department characteristics by facility size (average inpatient census ≤100 vs >100). Results Data from 1623 respondents were included. Most (72%) had single-site responsibilities and dedicated 76%-100% of their job to IPC (68%). The overall median IP staffing was 1.25 IPs per 100 inpatient census (interquartile range = 1.81). Almost half (46%) represented facilities with daily inpatient census ≤100; the average number of IPs in these facilities was 1.1 (standard deviation = 0.7). The reported number of IPs increased steadily with higher patient census. Significant differences were observed in IP staffing, responsibilities, and support to the IPC department between smaller and larger hospitals. Conclusions This study represents the current snapshot of IP staffing and IPC resources in acute care hospitals. Findings indicate important differences between large and small facilities in staffing and IPC resources. The field of infection prevention would benefit from a comprehensive assessment of IPC department staffing and resource needs.
Forming a Research Question from a Multi-Center Database

It is not uncommon for individuals to ask biostatisiticians and epidemiologists to assist them with a research project. Often the request is in the shape of statistical analyses. However, most of these requests are nothing more than missed opportunities. This manuscript focuses on the reasons underlying such a statement. Most individuals might say that the most important aspect of a study is its conclusion. Many who would disagree with this sentiment and would feel that the most important aspect of a study rather is the question it intends to address. If this question is not articulated sufficiently, any additional information stemming from the study will most likely be irrelevant. Herein, some principles for formulating (successfully) a question from a multi-center database will be described.
The Periodic Threshold Contact Process

We consider the periodic threshold contact process with period 2 in one dimension with parameters λ and µ. This process dies out if λ + µ +2 > 4λµ. We obtain a sufficient condition for its survival, which is satisfied by (λ, µ) = (2.17, 2.18), (2.00, 2.37), and (1.50, 3.62), for example. These results were motivated by recent work of Cox and Durrett on the threshold voter model.
The Order of the Prophets: Series in Early French Social Science and Socialism

According to the editors of an influential text in the history of social science, “in the first half of the nineteenth century the expression series seemed destined to a great philosophical future”. The expression itself seems to encourage speculation on destiny. Elements laid out in a temporal sequence ask to be continued through the addition of subsequent terms. “Series” were particularly prominent in the French Restoration and July Monarchy (1815–48) in works announcing a new social science. For example, the physician and republican conspirator J. P. B. Buchez, a former follower of Henri de Saint-Simon who led a movement of Catholic social reform, made “series” central to his Introduction a la science de l’histoire. Mathematical series show a “progression”, not “a simple succession of unrelated numbers”; in human history, we discover two simultaneous series: “one growing, that of good; one diminishing, that of evil.” The inevitability of positive progress was confirmed by recent findings in physiology, zoology and geology. Correlations between the developmental stages of organisms, species, and the Earth were proof that humanity’s presence in the world “was no accident”, and that “labour, devotion and sacrifice” were part of the “universal order”. The “great law of progress” pointed toward a socialist republic in fulfilment both of scripture and of the promise of 1789. For Buchez, as for many of his contemporaries, series both described and predicted. At the same time, they were a call to action. This period gave birth to two closely related neologisms: “sociology”, coined by Auguste Comte, and “socialism”, which entered French in the works of Pierre Leroux. Both terms were shaped by new experiences of time. Michel Foucault offered one perspective on these changes in his archaeology of the human sciences: the modern episteme, he wrote, was defined by the replacement of static series by historical series. At the end of the eighteenth century, the temporal pre-eminence of classificatory tables of differences and identities, including the “animal series” stretching from the simplest organisms up to man, gave way to the temporally oriented series of language, life and labour: philology’s sequences of roots and inflections, Cuvier’s “micro-series” of organs and “macro-series” of organisms, and the “great linear, homogeneous series ... of production” identified by Ricardo. According to Foucault these newly historically-minded disciplines provided models for the “hazy” knowledge in the human and social sciences and shaped the temporal orientation
Iterated Homology of Simplicial Complexes

We develop an iterated homology theory for simplicial complexes. This theory is a variation on one due to Kalai. For Δ a simplicial complex of dimension i>d − 1, and each i>r e 0, …,i>d, we define i>rth iterated homology groups of Δ. When i>r e 0, this corresponds to ordinary homology. If Δ is a cone over Δ′, then when i>r e 1, we get the homology of Δ′. If a simplicial complex is (nonpure) shellable, then its iterated Betti numbers give the restriction numbers, i>hi>k,j, of the shelling. Iterated Betti numbers are preserved by algebraic shifting, and may be interpreted combinatorially in terms of the algebraically shifted complex in several ways. In addition, the depth of a simplicial complex can be characterized in terms of its iterated Betti numbers.
GENETIC CONTROL OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO STAPHYLOCOCCAL NUCLEASE

A number of inbred and congenic resistant strains of mice were immunized with staphylococcal nuclease (Nase). Antibody responses were measured in the sera of the animals by a sensitive method involving inhibition of enzymatic hydrolysis of DNA, High responder strains included A/J, DBA/2, BALB/c, AKR/J, C57BR, and SJL/J. DBA/1 and C57BL/6 mice were low responders. The strain distribution of anti-Nase response potential was compatible with the relevant immune response gene(s) being linked to the murine major histocompatibility complex. Linkage of this response to H-2 was demonstrated by the findings that: ( a ) the congenic C3H/HeJ and C3H.SW mice were respectively high and low responders; ( b ) the congenic lines B10.A and B10.D2 were high responders, whereas the C57BL/10 strain was a poor responder; and ( c ) anti-Nase response potential of F2 progeny from DBA/1 x SJL/J matings correlated with their H-2 type. Three B10.A recombinant lines were used to map this Ir gene within H-2 . B10.A(4R) was a high responder to Nase, whereas B10.A(2R) and B10.A(5R) were both low responders. We wish to propose the name Ir -Nase for the gene(s) controlling antibody responsiveness to this immunogen. Our data indicate that Ir -Nase is located within the same chromosomal segment of the H-2 complex as is Ir -IgG.
Incidence of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation on ibrutinib compared to other tyrosine kinase inhibitors: A large multi-institution general practice study.

e22076Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are a widely used class of antineoplastic agents. Meta-analysis of clinical trials has demonstrated an increased incidence of atrial fibrillation...
Women in the field: Positioning, troubling, and (em)bodying researcher identities in international and comparative education

In this paper, I consider not only issues associated with the positionality of the researcher in international and comparative education fieldwork, but also how the researcher’s gender intercedes a...
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, a Sequel of Untreated Childhood Onset Growth Hormone Deficiency Developing in a 17-Year-Old Patient.

In a seminal report, a 17-year-old boy with panhypopituitarism had fatty liver (FL) amelioration with growth hormone (GH). By extension, since hepatic insulin resistance (IR) is key to FL and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), GH then may ameliorate the IR of T2DM. We present a 17-year-old nonobese female with untreated childhood onset growth hormone deficiency (CO-GHD) who developed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and steatohepatitis with bridging fibrosis. Based on height z-score of – 3.1 and a history of radiation therapy as treatment for a medulloblastoma at 7 years of age, GHD was quite likely. GH therapy was, however, not initiated at 15 years of age (when growth was concerning) based on full skeletal maturity. After she developed T2DM, GHD was confirmed and GH was initiated. With its initiation, though insulin dose decreased from 2.9 (~155 units) to 1.9 units/kg/day (~ 100 units), her T2DM was, however, not fully reversed. This illustrates the natural history of untreated CO-GHD and shows that though hepatic IR can be ameliorated by GH, full reversal of T2DM may be prevented with irreversible hepatic changes (fibrosis). Clinicians caring for pediatric patients and otherwise should remember that, even in patients beyond the cessation of linear growth, GH can have a crucial role in both glucose and lipid metabolism.
Densest versus Jammed Packings of Two-Dimensional Bent-Core Trimers

We identify the maximally dense lattice packings of tangent-disk trimers with fixed bond angles ($\ensuremath{\theta}={\ensuremath{\theta}}_{0}$) and contrast them to both their nonmaximally-dense-but-strictly-jammed lattice packings as well as the disordered jammed states they form for a range of compression protocols. While only ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{0}=0,\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{60}^{\ensuremath{\circ}},\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\mathrm{and}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{120}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$ trimers can form the triangular lattice, maximally-dense maximally-symmetric packings for all ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{0}$ fall into just two categories distinguished by their bond topologies: half-elongated-triangular for $0l{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{0}l{60}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$ and elongated-snub-square for ${60}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}l{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{0}l{120}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$. The presence of degenerate, lower-symmetry versions of these densest packings combined with several families of less-dense-but-strictly jammed lattice packings act in concert to promote jamming.
Contextual engineering assessment using an influence-identification tool

Purpose This paper aims to introduce a new thought process and associated predictive tool to assist designers of infrastructure for unfamiliar rural societies in understanding the specific non-engineering influences that can lead to greater effectiveness of engineered infrastructure. Design/methodology/approach Using sociological principles, a simple checklist tool has been designed to assess specific societal conditions that may influence intervention outcomes. The tool, when weighted by regional predispositions, allows the designer to incorporate five non-engineering influences into technical design of engineered infrastructure. Findings Early deployment of the tool indicates that the predictive process helps to adapt technical designs to societal contexts. It also enhances consultant understanding of the client’s values and needs to achieve a collaborative technical solution. Research limitations/implications Long-term outcomes have not been assessed, so additional time is needed to confirm the value of context in design performance. Further evaluations will refine the technical guideline process as well. Practical implications Merging sociological understanding with technical design allows engineers to assimilate client values and indigenous beliefs into an infrastructure, preventing rejection due to incompatibility with local context. Originality/value The concept of contextual engineering, which melds technical approach with societal influences, is the original contribution of the author, as is the predictive tool.
The route most traveled: the Afar Salt Trail, north Ethiopia

espanolEn Africa como en otros lugares, los investigadores han demostrado que estructuras politicas, sociales y economicas tempranas fueron moldeadas por la produccion de sal asi como por su distribucion y comercio de larga distancia en areas donde la sal era un recurso critico. Sin embargo, a pesar del importante rol de la sal en el desarrollo de estas estructuras, los estudios arqueologicos del comercio de sal se han centrado casi exclusivamente en artefactos y referencias a textos historicos. Como resultado, hacen falta datos acerca de las diversas y complejas rutas a traves de las cuales esta importante mercancia ha viajado asi como de la naturaleza de su transporte. Este trabajo examina evidencia del comercio e intercambio de sal en el antiguo Aksum (400AC-900 DC) desde las tierras bajas de los desiertos de Etiopia hasta las tierras altas del norte de Etiopia y Eritrea, a partir de trabajo de campo arqueologico y etnoarqueologico reciente llevado a cabo en el desierto de Danakil y pueblos aksumitas. Los datos revelan que el camino de sal de Afar atraviesa diversas ecozonas regionales, pueblos comerciantes de las tierras altas, y pueblos de las laderas, por medio de varias rutas de las tierras altas y una ruta principal en las tierras bajas. El estudio muestra que los caravaneros seguian el camino menos costoso en la porcion de la ruta ubicada en las tierras altas, con pendientes ideales para viajes en manada y abundantes fuentes de agua. El estudio tambien describe campamentos caravaneros antiguos que datan alrededor del siglo V de la era cristiana y muestra que los participantes diferian en terminos de religion e identidad. EnglishIn Africa and elsewhere, scholars have demonstrated that early social, political, and economic structures were shaped by salt production, distribution, and long-distance trade in areas where salt was a critical resource. However, despite salt's significant role in developing these structures, archaeological studies of the salt trade have focused almost exclusively on artifacts and historical text references. As a result, data on the diverse and complex routes through which this important commodity has traveled and the nature of its transportation are lacking. This paper examines evidence of ancient Aksumite (400 BC-900 AD) salt trade and exchange from the lowland Ethiopian deserts to the North Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands, drawing on recent ethnoarchaeological and archaeological fieldwork conducted in the Danakil Desert and Aksumite towns. The data reveal that the Afar salt trail passes through diverse regional ecozones, highland trader towns, and foothill towns, via several highland routes and one major lowland route. The study shows that caravaners followed the least costly path on the highland portion of the route, with ideal slopes for pack travel and plentiful water sources. The study also describes ancient caravan campsites dating to ca. 5th century CE and shows that participants differed in religion and identity.
An Assessment of Arabic Handwriting Recognition Technology

Automated methods for the recognition of Arabic script are at an early stage compared to their counterparts for the recognition of Latin and Chinese scripts. An assessment of the technology for Arabic handwriting recognition is provided based on the published literature. An introduction to the Arabic script is given followed by a description of algorithms for the processes involved: segmentation, feature extraction, classification, and search. Existing corpora for Arabic are described together with a design for corpus collection. The paper is concluded by identifying technology gaps and providing a bibliography of the recent literature on Arabic recognition.
Does Responsibility for Financial Tasks Influence Credit Knowledge and Behavior?: Evidence from a Panel of US Couples

Managing financial matters, an important household task, is often handled by one partner. The decisions executed by the household financial manager have important implications for household financial well-being. The division of responsibility contributes to the accumulation of financial knowledge and experiences that build financial capability. Using unique panel data from the Survey of Consumer Payment Choice, this study examines who couples choose to manage household finances and how the division of financial responsibility influences credit knowledge and behavior. We find that partners who earn more are more likely to be responsible for managing savings and investments as well as paying monthly bills controlling for individual- and household-level fixed characteristics, like ability. We also find that the partner who defers responsibility for savings and investing is less likely to know their credit rating. This finding holds when controlling for measured financial literacy. We do not find evidence that deferring financial responsibility is associated with estimated credit score nor credit card repayment behavior.