cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reactions observed in boys of various ages (ten to fourteen) to a crippling, progressive, and fatal illness (muscular dystrophy)☆

Abstract A day care program for dystrophic boys, with the purpose of studying reactions to the disease, has been described and the findings reviewed. The latter have included relative absence of serious emotional illness, “seesaw” responses and poor controls, and high degree of motivation for motor activities. The following conclusions would seem to emerge: 1. 1. The failure of the dystrophic child to develop dominant modes of conscious attitudes and adequate controls over behavior, in favor of seesawing and impulsive responses, may be understood in terms of reactions to the illness and its consequences. 2. 2. Motility appears to be so important to these children psychologically as well as physically that progressive disability does not diminish interest in these areas. 3. 3. Absence of serious psychiatric illness in these cases may be in part due to protection from stresses of normal life and in part concerned with reaction to the reality stress which the illness represents. 4. 4. Experience in the day care program suggests that some of the difficulties may respond to specially designed teaching and therapeutic techniques. The importance of increased attention to psychologic aspects in these children is emphasized.
Tax cuts, budget deficits, and Medicaid cuts: does "starving the beast" mean that children's health must take two steps backward?

The Colorado experience with Medicaid published in this issue of Pediatrics 1 demonstrates how attempts to restrain the growth in Medicaid expenditures can restrict access to primary care and preventive services and ultimately increase per-capita Medicaid expenditures because of higher preventable hospitalization rates. This study deserves the attention of national and state policy makers because of the federal Conference Agreement on the Federal Budget Resolution that includes $10 billion in Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program reductions. In many states these federal reductions are likely to derail needed increases in Medicaid payments for physician services to levels that at least cover overhead expenses. Do these budget reductions mean that we will be taking 2 steps back on the path to improving the lives of America's children as we address the consequences of our large and growing national deficit and the demographic impact of an aging population? These structural deficits and projections of future entitlement spending pit the needs of children … Address correspondence to Steve Berman, MD, Children's Hospital, 1056 E 19th Ave, B032, Denver, CO 80218. E-mail: berman.stephen{at}tchden.org
Stable isotope and trace element geochemistry of the basal Bouse Formation carbonate, southwestern United States: Implications for the Pliocene uplift history of the Colorado Plateau

The upper Miocene to Pliocene Bouse Formation, exposed in the lower Colorado River trough (Arizona, California, Nevada), has variously been interpreted as a marine, estuarine, or freshwater deposit. The Bouse Formation is now commonly found at elevations of >300 m and up to 550 m above sea level. Deposition of the Bouse in a transgressive marine (or estuarine) environment requires rapid drowning of the lower Colorado River trough during Pliocene time and subsequent uplift of the nearby Colorado Plateau. Basal Bouse Formation carbonate samples were analyzed for stable isotope composition, minor and trace element concentrations, and mineralogy, in order to investigate the depositional environment. Most of the data presented here are consistent with deposition of the basal Bouse Formation carbonate in a lacustrine environment, although some data are consistent with a possible estuarine origin, with additional evidence for diagenesis affecting individual samples. Our preferred interpretation is that deposition took place in a chain of freshwater lakes fed by the proto–Colorado River, which may have built a delta out into an estuarine environment now exposed as the southernmost part of the formation. This interpretation is in accord with that proposed by J.E. Spencer and P.J. Patchett and implies that the present-day elevations of basal Bouse Formation carbonate in the Colorado River trough place no constraints upon the rate and timing of uplift of the Colorado Plateau.
Microbial Acceleration of Olivine Dissolution via Siderophore Production

Abstract Silicate minerals represent an important reservoir of essential nutrients at Earth's surface. Due to the slow kinetics of primary silicate mineral dissolution and the potential for nutrient sequestration by secondary mineral precipitation, the bioavailability of many silicate-bound nutrients may be limited by the ability of microorganisms to actively scavenge these nutrients via organic ligand production. In this study, the effectiveness of ligand production as a means to scavenge Fe from Fe-silicates is addressed through targeted laboratory experiments using olivine as a model mineral. Preliminary results show that microbial Fe-binding ligands (i.e. siderophores) can accelerate olivine dissolution rates stoichiometrically by almost an order of magnitude in experiments buffered at circumneutral pH. In addition to higher reaction rates, organic Fe-binding ligands fostered the accumulation of dissolved Fe in solution, which was below detection in the abiotic experiments due to the precipitation of secondary Fe minerals in the presence of O 2 . Accelerated olivine dissolution rates in the presence of microbial Fe-binding ligands is somewhat unexpected because these ligands are known to be highly selective towards Fe 3+ whereas olivine dominantly contains Fe 2+ . Spectrophotometric analysis of the ligand complexes produced during reaction with olivine reveals the dominance for Fe 3+ -ligand complexes in solution.
Portfolio: a prototype workstation for development and evaluation of tools for analysis and management of digital portal images

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to design and implement a prototype physician workstation, called PortFolio, as a platform for developing and evaluating, by means of controlled observer studies, user interfaces and interactive tools for analyzing and managing digital portal images. The first observer study was designed to measure physician acceptance of workstation technology, as an alternative to a view box, for inspection and analysis of portal images for detection of treatment setup errors. Methods and Materials: The observer study was conducted in a controlled experimental setting to evaluate physician acceptance of the prototype workstation technology exemplified by PortFolio. PortFolio incorporates a windows user interface, a compact kit of carefully selected image analysis tools, and an object-oriented data base infrastructure. The kit evaluated in the observer study included tools for contrast enhancement, registration, and multimodal image visualization. Acceptance was measured in the context of performing portal image analysis in a structured protocol designed to simulate clinical practice. The acceptability and usage patterns were measured from semistructured questionnaires and logs of user interactions. Results: Radiation oncologists, the subjects for this study, perceived the tools in PortFolio to be acceptable clinical aids. Concerns were expressed regarding user efficiency, particularly with respect to the image registration tools. Conclusions: The results of our observer study indicate that workstation technology is acceptable to radiation oncologists as an alternative to a view box for clinical detection of setup errors from digital portal images. Improvements in implementation, including more tools and a greater degree of automation in the image analysis tasks, are needed to make PortFolio more clinically practical.
Hurricane Isaac storm surge deposition in a coastal wetland along Lake Pontchartrain, southern Louisiana

ABSTRACT Liu, K.., McCloskey, T.A., Bianchette, T.A., Keller, G., Lam, N.S.N., Cable, J.E., Arriola, J. 2014. Hurricane Isaac Storm Surge Deposition in a Coastal Wetland along Lake Pontchartrain, Southern Louisiana. In: Green, A.N. and Cooper, J.A.G. (eds.), Proceedings 13th International Coastal Symposium (Durban, South Africa), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 266–271, ISSN 0749-0208. Hurricanes play an important role in shaping the coast of Louisiana. Although the sedimentary signatures of hurricane deposits have been documented in several different coastal environments along the northern Gulf coast, no studies have as yet documented the signatures in wetlands adjacent to large, inland brackish water bodies. In this paper we present results of a case study documenting the distribution and characteristics of storm surge deposits related to Hurricane Isaac (2012) in a wetland on the western shore of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana. Hurricane Isaac, a category1 storm, made landfall nea...
Wide-band truncated tetrahedron dielectric resonator antenna excited by a coaxial probe

A truncated tetrahedron dielectric resonator antenna is examined numerically and experimentally. The tetrahedron base is an equilateral triangular over a ground plane and excited by a coaxial probe to provide a broad side radiation pattern. Three different configurations are analyzed: the truncated tetrahedron when the wide base is attached to the ground plane, the narrow base attached to the ground plane, and the equitriangular cylinder. Results are verified experimentally and numerically. The tetrahedron with narrow base attached to the ground plane achieves wide-band performance for the impedance match and the radiation patterns of about 40%.
Lifetime Proteomic Profiling of an A30P α-Synuclein Drosophila Model of Parkinson's Disease

A survey of the proteome changes in an A30P α-synuclein Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease (PD) in comparison to age-matched controls is presented for seven different ages across the adult lifespan. The data were acquired by a shotgun proteomic approach that involves multidimensional liquid chromatographies coupled to mass spectrometry and database searching techniques. Semiquantitative analysis to assess relative changes in protein expression between the Drosophila PD model and age-matched controls provides evidence that 28, 19, 12, 5, 7, 23, and 17 proteins are significantly differentially expressed at days 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60, respectively. From the experimental approach employed, it appears that most dysregulated proteins are associated with narrow distributions of ages, such that disease-associated differences change substantially across the lifespan. Previous measurements [J. Proteome Res. 2007, 6, 348] at days 1, 10, and 30 showed dysregulation of actin cytoskeletal proteins at day 1...
America's Rural Hospitals: A Selective Review of 1980s Research

We review 1980s research on American rural hospitals within the context of a decade of increasing restrictiveness in the reimbursement and operating environments. Areas addressed include rural hospital definitions, organizational and financial performance, and strategic management activities. The latter category consists of hospital closure, diversification and vertical integration, swing-bed conversion, sole community provider designation, horizontal integration and mul- tihospital system afiliation, marketing, and patient retention. The review suggests several research needs, including: developing more meaningful definitions of rural hospitals, engaging in methodologically sound work on the effects of innovative programs and strategic management activities-including conversion of the facility itself-n rural hospital performance, and completing studies of the effects of rural hospital closure or conversion on the health of the communities served. Any contemporary discussion of rural hospitals and their problems should include a reminder that these institutions have a long history of trials and tribulations. Stevens (1989) and Ermann (1990) have documented the resilience of rural hospitals in facing a multitude of problems in the past.
Why many concepts are metaphorical.

Au cours des 20 dernieres annees, la linguistique cognitive et la psycholinguistique se sont largement penchees sur l'influence possible de la metaphore sur la representation mentale. L'A. propose une etude critique de la representation metaphorique de G. Murphy (1988) ou la metaphore est decrite comme jouant qu'un role tres limite sur l'acquisition et la representation des concepts. Murphy suggere qu'une theorie de la similitude structurale rend compte de maniere plus satisfaisante des donnees linguistiques et psychologiques, reduisant par consequent considerablement la necessite des concepts metaphoriques. L'A. montre comment Murphy passe sous silence certains aspects des concepts metaphoriques et comment il ignore le role que peut jouer l'introduction de la dimension humaine dans les theories de la metaphore
A novel LDMOS structure with a step gate oxide

High performance power device is essential for power integrated circuits and discrete power devices. A novel LDMOS structure with step gate oxide is proposed for breakdown voltage or on state resistance (Ron) improvement. The step gate oxide is introduced on the LDMOS's drift region. The thicker step gate oxide can improve device breakdown voltage without significantly affecting other device electric parameters. As a result, drain can be pulled back and self-aligned to the gate. This can significantly reduce device drift region and improves device on state resistance. This approach is different from conventional approach (with or without field oxide on the drain side) which drain is not self-aligned to the gate.
The Crisis of the First Year

The empirical content of the crisis of the first year of life is extremely simple and easy. It was studied earlier than all the other ages, but its crisis character was not emphasized. We are speaking of walking, of the period when one cannot say whether the child is or is not walking, about the establishment of walking, when, using a highly dialectical formula, we might say about walking what we say about the unity of being and nonbeing, that is, when it is and is not. Everyone knows that it is a rare child who starts to walk instantly, although there are such children. A more careful study of a child who began to walk instantly shows that in such a case, we are usually dealing with a latent period of development and establishment and a relatively late manifestation of walking. But frequently even after walking begins, we observe its loss. This indicates that a complete maturing of walking has not yet happened.
Polysomal ribonucleic acid of vesicular stomatitis virus-infected HeLa cells.

Abstract The vesicular stomatitis virus-specific messenger RNA fraction of infected HeLa cell polysomes has been identified by (1) its removal from the polysome region of sucrose gradients by EDTA treatment, and (2) its sensitivity to ribonuclease. This mRNA fraction anneals to virion RNA and is a collection of several species of small RNA molecules of the approximate size distribution appropriate to code for the virus-specific polypeptides found in infected cells. The base composition of the mRNA region of sucrose gradients is lower in U and higher and A than would be predicted for RNA complementary to total virion RNA. This finding, along with labeling kinetics and ribonuclease resistance of structures found in the polysome region of sucrose gradients, gives rise to two possible working models for the mechanism of vesicular stomatitis virus mRNA synthesis.
Leader proteinase of the beet yellows closterovirus: mutation analysis of the function in genome amplification.

The beet yellows closterovirus leader proteinase (L-Pro) possesses a C-terminal proteinase domain and a nonproteolytic N-terminal domain. It was found that although L-Pro is not essential for basal-level replication, deletion of its N-terminal domain resulted in a 1,000-fold reduction in RNA accumulation. Mutagenic analysis of the N-terminal domain revealed its structural flexibility except for the 54-codon-long, 5′-terminal element in the corresponding open reading frame that is critical for efficient RNA amplification at both RNA and protein levels.
Online requests for sexual pictures from youth: risk factors and incident characteristics.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and characteristics of youth who receive requests to make and send sexual pictures of themselves over the Internet. Methods: Data were collected as part of the Second Youth Internet Safety Survey, a nationally representative telephone survey of 1,500 youth Internet users, ages 10 -17 years, in the United States. Results: Among Internet-using youth 4% reported an online request to send a sexual picture of themselves during the previous year. Only one youth of 65 sample case subjects actually complied. Being female, being of Black ethnicity, having a close online relationship, engaging in sexual behavior online, and experiencing physical or sexual abuse offline were risk factors for receiving a request for a sexual picture. Incidents that involved requests for sexual pictures were more likely to occur when youth were in the presence of friends, communicating with an adult, someone they met online, who had sent a sexual picture to the youth, and who attempted or made some form of offline contact with the youth. Conclusions: The findings from this study provide support for including requests for sexual pictures in the spectrum of online experiences about which pediatric and adolescent health profes- sionals need to be knowledgeable. These findings also provide information about populations that need targeted prevention education about online dangers, namely vulnerable (e.g., abused boys and girls) and female Black youth. © 2007 Society for Adolescent Medicine. All rights reserved.
A Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic study of mantle domains and crustal structure from Miocene volcanic rocks in the Mojave Desert, California

Tertiary volcanic rocks were erupted across the Mojave Desert and southeastern California in the early to middle Miocene after a long period of magmatic quiescence. Eruption of these rocks generally coincided with regional extension. New Sr, Nd, and whole-rock Pb isotopic data for Miocene rocks, from a transect from the western Mojave Desert to the Colorado River trough, provide clues to crustal and mantle structure during this important time period. Volcanism was calc-alkalic but transitional to alkalic in the eastern part of the area. Trace element contents, trace element ratios, and radiogenic isotopic compositions vary across the study area, and isotopic composition is correlated with both bulk chemical composition and longitude. Correlation of isotopic composition with bulk composition results from widespread contamination of mantle-derived basalts with crust. Variation of isotopic composition versus longitude for rocks of all bulk compositions reflects longitudinal variations in both mantle and crustal structure. Geochemical signatures of mafic rocks east of about long 116°W indicate an ancient (Precambrian) enriched lithosphere source. Some thinned and/or reworked Precambrian crust extends west of 116°W. Mafic rocks west of 116°W were derived from mantle with oceanic geochemical and isotopic signatures. There is no clear, coincident, major crustal structure or tectonic boundary in surface geology at 116°W; however, modern-day seismicity is restricted to areas west of this longitude, and there is a change in the dominant orientation of mountain ranges at this longitude. The data here also indicate that the long-standing problem of drawing the Sr i = 0.706 line through the Mojave Desert can be resolved if the line represents the west edge of the North American mantle rather than Precambrian crust. By this definition, the Sr i = 0.706 line would be the isotopic boundary at 116°W. The cause of early Miocene volcanism in the Mojave Desert remains enigmatic. An oceanic mantle source for early Miocene basalts in the western Mojave Desert suggests a possible connection to asthenospheric mantle volcanism in the California Coast Ranges. Simple models of decompression melting of enriched mantle following convective thinning and extension of the lithosphere cannot be applied across the Mojave Desert.
Calcium deposition in osteoarthritic meniscus and meniscal cell culture.

Calcium crystals exist in the knee joint fluid of up to 65% of osteoarthritis (OA) patients and the presence of these calcium crystals correlates with the radiographic evidence of hyaline cartilaginous degeneration. This study sought to examine calcium deposition in OA meniscus and to investigate OA meniscal cell-mediated calcium deposition. The hypothesis was that OA meniscal cells may play a role in pathological meniscal calcification. Studies were approved by our human subjects Institutional Review Board. Menisci were collected during joint replacement surgeries for OA patients and during limb amputation surgeries for osteosarcoma patients. Calcium deposits in menisci were examined by alizarin red staining. Expression of genes involved in biomineralization in OA meniscal cells was examined by microarray and real-time RT-PCR. Cell-mediated calcium deposition in monolayer culture of meniscal cells was examined using an ATP-induced 45calcium deposition assay. Calcium depositions were detected in OA menisci but not in normal menisci. The expression of several genes involved in biomineralization including ENPP1 and ANKH was upregulated in OA meniscal cells. Consistently, ATP-induced calcium deposition in the monolayer culture of OA meniscal cells was much higher than that in the monolayer culture of control meniscal cells. Calcium deposition is common in OA menisci. OA meniscal cells calcify more readily than normal meniscal cells. Pathological meniscal calcification, which may alter the biomechanical properties of the knee meniscus, is potentially an important contributory factor to OA.
The Dictatorship Game: Simulating a Transition to Democracy

A central topic in the comparative-politics subdiscipline is the study of democratic transitions. Despite a growing role-playing literature, there are currently no simulations that illustrate the dynamics of democratic transitions. This article proposes a role-playing simulation that demonstrates to students why it is difficult for countries to transition to democracy and why protests are a necessary but not sufficient condition to topple a dictatorship. As surveys and teaching evaluations subsequently showed, this exercise succeeded in clarifying the more difficult theoretical concepts as well as in making a potentially dry subject more accessible.
A Race for Survival: Can Bromus tectorum Seeds Escape Pyrenophora semeniperda-caused Mortality by Germinating Quickly?

†Background and Aims Pathogen– seed interactions may involve a race for seed resources, so that seeds that germinate more quickly, mobilizing reserves, will be more likely to escape seed death than slow-germinating seeds. This race-for-survival hypothesis was tested for the North American seed pathogen Pyrenophora semeniperda on seeds of the annual grass Bromus tectorum, an invasive plant in North America. In this species, the seed germination rate varies as a function of dormancy status; dormant seeds germinate slowly if at all, whereas non-dormant seeds germinate quickly. †Methods Three experimental approaches were utilized: (a) artificial inoculations of mature seeds that varied in primary dormancy status and wounding treatment; (b) naturally inoculated undispersed seeds that varied in primary dormancy status; and (c) naturally inoculated seeds from the carry-over seed bank that varied in degree of secondary dormancy, habitat of origin and seed age. †Key Results In all three approaches, seeds that germinated slowly were usually killed by the pathogen, whereas seeds that germinated quickly frequently escaped. Pyrenophora semeniperda reduced B. tectorum seed banks. Populations in drier habitats sustained 50 times more seed mortality than a population in a mesic habitat. Older carry-over seeds experienced 30 % more mortality than younger seeds. †Conclusions Given the dramatic levels of seed death and the ability of this pathogen to reduce seed carry-over, it is intriguing to consider whether P. semeniperda could be used to control B. tectorum through direct reduction of its seed bank.
An undergraduate course in process dynamics

A typical single course on dynamics and control is limited in the coverage that can be given to either topic. At Rensselaer we have had separate, one-semester courses on dynamic systems (process dynamics) and process control for a number of years. In this paper we present an overview of the course on process dynamics and discuss how learning modules are used to reinforce a number of concepts. A discussion of the topics covered and the educational delivery methods used is provided. We also discuss the Rensselaer initiative to integrate mathematics throughout the science and engineering curriculum.
Communication disorders in a hospital elderly population

There is a paucity of information regarding the prevalence and causes of communication disorders in the elderly. Patients admitted to the acute ward of a department of medicine for the elderly were screened to ascertain the number of people presenting with communication disorders and to identify the underlying cause of the disorder. Patients were screened for deficits in speech, language, vision, hearing and cognition. The results indicate that 73% of the elderly population screened had speech and/or language problems, 11 % had visual deficits, 36% had hearing problems and 56% had a cognitive deficit on admission to hospital. These results have implications for patient care and staff training.
Taking the Self-Leadership High Road: Smooth Surface or Potholes Ahead?

Some might question the relevance or value of what we know about self-leadership given recent business and societal contexts that seem to discourage personal responsibility and even reward destructive behavior. This article is intended to help expand our thinking via a journey along a “self-leadership high road.” After reviewing what we already know about self-leadership, this paper goes on to investigate ways that research and practice might move to a higher level. The concept of higher-level self-leadership (supported by the metaphor of a self-leadership high road) is addressed in terms of the degree to which self-influence processes are characterized by authenticity, responsibility, and increasing capacity. Authenticity encompasses the significance of addressing higher-level standards (e.g., considering the why and what of self-influence beyond the how). Responsibility is viewed in a way that is consistent with commonly understood elements of corporate social responsibility. Capacity centers on the exp...
Babes in Bondage? Debt Shifting by German Immigrants in Early America

Data from ship manifests and servant auctions can clarify the extent to which German immigrant families in early America resorted to intra-family debt shifting by selling their children into bondage. This evidence is at odds with the standard descriptions presented in literary sources, which exaggerate and stigmatize the practice. Market competition provided German immigrant parents with a financial opportunity that colonial welfare law constrained them to take. This debt shifting, however, affected only children within a particular, and narrow, age range, and German immigrant parents were not callously treating their children as salable assets by taking advantage of it.
Fixing global carbon emissions: choosing the best target year☆

Abstract Confronted with issues fraught with the enormous complexity, policy makers have shown a proclivity towards considering and enacting simple and apparently equitable structures that can be easily explained to and understood by their constituents. In the global change arena, this tendency seems to lead to consideration of global emissions targets defined by levels achieved in some specific year along a previously unregulated trajectory. The question raised then is one of determining which year's emissions would, if set as a global limit, maximize the discounted net benefit of the policy? In addition, how sensitive is that year to changes in the damages associated with a doubling of atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and/or the pace of near-term, unregulated emissions of those gases? Results produced here support two qualitative results that speak to the answers to these questions. Support for limiting emission below levels that would be achieved along almost any reasonable unregulated trajectory prior to the year 2020 requires, first of all, accepting the notion that doubling damages will be at least 5% of world GDP. Secondly, discovering that the globe is moving along an emissions trajectory that is higher than otherwise expected need not imply that the target year for fixing emissions should be moved forward; indeed, higher emissions sometimes mean that the discounted net benefit of fixing emissions climbs as the target year is pushed further into the future.
VARIABILITY OF DIURESIS RENOGRAPHY INTERPRETATION DUE TO METHOD OF POST-DIURETIC RENAL PELVIC CLEARANCE HALF-TIME DETERMINATION

Purpose: We assessed variability in the interpretation of diuresis renography that may result from using different methods of clearance half-time determination.Materials and Methods: We reviewed 152 diuresis renography studies performed at diagnosis or during followup of 53 children enrolled in a prospective study assessing the natural history of unilateral neonatal hydronephrosis. Studies were classified as nonobstructive, indeterminate or obstructive using 4 methods of half-time determination. Intermethod correlation and agreement were evaluated. We compared the proportion of nonobstructive, indeterminate and obstructive classifications by each method, and the interpretation of individual studies based on each method.Results: Among methods we noted a high degree of correlation and fair to excellent agreement (Spearman ρ = 0.86 to 0.92 and κ = 0.57 to 0.86, respectively). However, in 27.8% of intermethod comparisons the proportion of studies classified as nonobstructive, indeterminate and obstructive dif...
COMPLEMENT-MEDIATED KILLING OF BORRELIA BURGDORFERI BY NONIMMUNE SERA FROM SIKA DEER

Various species of cervid deer are the preferred hosts for adult, black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus) in the United States. Although frequently exposed to the agent of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi), these animals, for the most part, are incompetent as transmission reservoirs. We examined the borreliacidal activity of normal and B. burgdorferi-immune sera from sika deer (Cervus nippon) maintained in a laboratory setting and compared it to that of similar sera from reservoir-competent mice and rabbits. All normal deer sera (NDS) tested killed >90% of B. burgdorferi cells. In contrast, normal mouse and rabbit sera killed ≤22% of the Borrelia. Anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies could not be detected in any normal sera by indirect fluorescent antibody assay (IFA). Sera collected from deer 6 wk after exposure to B. burgdorferi by tick feeding exhibited IFA titers of 1:256, whereas sera from mice and rabbits similarly exposed had titers of >1:1,024. Heat treatment (56 C, 30 min) of NDS ...
Cytolytic Activity in Vitro of Lymph Node Cells After Exposure in Vivo to Tumor Cells Suspended in Blocking Sera

The in vivo effect of blocking sera (bs) on both tumor growth and subsequent in vitro cytolytic activity of regional lympth node cells was determined following injection of hepatoma cells suspended in normal sera (ns) or bs into the hind footpads of guinea pigs. Tumor growth was unaffected by bs but the primary response to tumor by LNC draining tumor/bs sites was significantly lower in i/6 experiments as compared to cells from lymph nodes draining tumor/ns sites.
A Monte Carlo Variance Reduction Approach for Non-Boltzmann Tallies

Quantities that depend on the collective effects of groups of particles cannot be obtained from the standard Boltzmann transport equation. Monte Carlo estimates of these quantities are called non-Boltzmann tallies and have become increasingly important recently. Standard Monte Carlo variance reduction techniques were designed for tallies based on individual particles rather than groups of particles. Experience with non-Boltzmann tallies and analog Monte Carlo has demonstrated the severe limitations of analog Monte Carlo for many non-Boltzmann tallies. In fact, many calculations absolutely require variance reduction methods to achieve practical computation times. A description is given of how variance reduction techniques can be applied when non-Boltzmann estimates are desired.
Lone Star Steakhouse

This case is about a restaurant franchisee's flight department that is reexamining its pilot training requirements. It is one of a series of four cases to be used in a value-based selling workshop.
Analysis of binary taste-taste interactions of MSG, lactic acid, and NaCl by temporal dominance of sensations

Abstract Temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) is a relatively novel sensory evaluation technique that measures the temporal evolution of sensory perception. The sensory properties of food or drink products have been described by TDS; however, basic sensory data on TDS are still lacking. We analyzed TDS data for solutions of three basic tastes (umami, salty, and sour) and their binary combinations. The duration of TDS for the main taste of each type of solution (monosodium glutamate [MSG] for umami, sodium chloride [NaCl] for saltiness, and lactic acid for sourness) increased in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the duration of the umami taste of MSG was longer than that of MSG/inosine 5′-monophosphate solution with an umami taste of equivalent intensity. The duration of NaCl saltiness was increased by coexistence with MSG and decreased by coexistence with lactic acid. On the other hand, the duration of the umami taste of MSG was suppressed by coexistence with NaCl but not lactic acid, while the duration of the sour taste of lactic acid was suppressed by MSG but not NaCl. These findings provide novel insight into the temporal sequence of basic taste perception during food consumption.
Stochastic Feedback Controller Design Considering the Dual Effect

A new approach for the problem of nonlinear stochastic control is presented. A typical procedure for stochastic control takes a two step approach by separating estimation and control - estimate the system state using noise corrupted measurements, and control the system based on the estimated state. However, for nonlinear stochastic control systems and adaptive control systems with uncertain parameters, control and estimation are often not separable, since control inputs can afiect not only the system state, but also the quality of state estimation. Dynamic programming and search-based methods are general solution techniques for solving this type control problem, however, those solution techniques are often infeasible for real-time applications due to the huge computational requirements even for small problems. In this paper, a new suboptimal control algorithm is presented, which can be implemented as an online feedback controller for a stochastic control problem of moderate dimension. For an application example, automated docking of a nonholonomic vehicle using a bearing-only sensor is considered. The results from a series of numerical simulations are shown.
Beyond Energy-Efficiency: Evaluating Green Datacenter Applications for Energy-Agility

Computing researchers have long focused on improving energy-efficiency under the implicit assumption that all energy is created equal. Yet, this assumption is actually incorrect: energy's cost and carbon footprint vary substantially over time. As a result, consuming energy inefficiently when it is cheap and clean may sometimes be preferable to consuming it efficiently when it is expensive and dirty. Green datacenters adapt their energy usage to optimize for such variations, as reflected in changing electricity prices or renewable energy output. Thus, we introduce energy-agility as a new metric to evaluate green datacenter applications. To illustrate fundamental tradeoffs in energy-agile design, we develop GreenSort, a distributed sorting system optimized for energy-agility. GreenSort is representative of the long-running, massively-parallel, data-intensive tasks that are common in datacenters and amenable to delays from power variations. Our results demonstrate the importance of energy-agile design when considering the benefits of using variable power. For example, we show that GreenSort requires 31% more time and energy to complete when power varies based on real-time electricity prices versus when it is constant. Thus, in this case, real-time prices should be at least 31% lower than fixed prices to warrant using them.
The Judicious Use of Recombinant Factor VIIa

Recombinant activated factor VIIa (rFVIIa) is a prohemostatic agent initially approved for use in hemophilia patients with inhibitors and recently for Glanzmann thrombasthenia. Despite its approval indications, rFVIIa has also been used for a diverse range of off-label indications to treat bleeding related to traumatic injury, major hemorrhage following surgery, intracranial hemorrhage, and for uncontrolled bleeding as a prothrombotic hemostatic agent. Despite its off-label use, the benefit of rFVIIa in most nonhemophilia settings remains uncertain as the majority of clinical trials have not consistently demonstrated beneficial effects as determined by reduced bleeding, decreased blood product utilization, or have not demonstrated a mortality benefit. As with any prohemostatic agent, the risk of thromboembolic events is increased when rFVIIa is used off-label. Pooled data from randomized nonhemophilia studies report an increased risk in the elderly for arterial thromboses, although most individual trials have been underpowered to determine adverse thrombotic events. The causes of thrombotic adverse events associated with off-label use of rFVIIa may be due to an increased risk of adverse events due to critical illness or due to higher doses of rFVIIa used in off-label trials. Without clearly supportive data, physicians should consider risk versus benefit and exercise restraint using rFVIIa in off-label settings. Further, evidence-based guidelines should be developed by professional organizations, and additional randomized controlled clinical trials are needed to further assess the efficacy and safety of off-label rFVIIa use.
‘Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me’: African American students’ reclamation of smartness as resistance

AbstractIn African American culture competing value systems shape the definition and value of smartness. This article will explore African American ‘sayins’ as a tool to transmit the counter-hegemonic cultural value of smartness. ‘Sayins’, a facet of the African American oral tradition, are drawn from the deep structures of African American culture. Like proverbs and parables ‘sayins’ are linguistic tools which function to transmit cultural knowledge and govern modes of behavior. African American ‘sayins’ are imbued with an awareness of the contradicted lived experience and consequent values of resistance. The exploration of these funds of knowledge makes transparent the value and definition of smartness aligned with the principles of transformative resistance. Unpacking and reframing smartness within the cultural and epistemological context of the African American experience works in opposition to debilitating normative ways of knowing which inform teaching and learning.
Barriers to Creating Knowledge

This chapter focuses on institutionalized processes for creating knowledge, especially methods that academics and professionals espouse publicly when they create objective knowledge. Knowledge creation also blocks discovery, because when people decide that an explanation or observation is true, they create barriers to the acceptance of alternative truths. Whether people see knowledge as being objective depends upon consensus, so the chapter next considers the development of consensus. What kinds of knowledge elicit general agreement? Because knowledge creation suffers from many human dysfunctions, the chapter’s final section considers the usefulness of knowledge creation. How essential is it to create knowledge? Are barriers to knowledge creation actually harmful or might they be beneficial?
High pressure structural study of samarium doped CeO2 oxygen vacancy conductor — Insight into the dopant concentration relationship to the strain effect in thin film ionic conductors

Abstract The bulk modulus of nanocrystalline, fluorite-structured samarium doped ceria, Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9, has been investigated using synchrotron-based high-pressure X-ray diffraction technique. Experiments were carried out under both quasi-hydrostatic condition with silicon oil pressure transmitting medium (PTM) and nonhydrostatic conditions without PTM. The high pressure structural results indicate that the highly defected ionic conductor is stable up to 20 GPa and has a lower bulk modulus than what has been reported for undoped-CeO2. The isothermal bulk modulus of Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9 is ~ 150–190 GPa compared to ~ 210–220 GPa for CeO2. The collected data experimentally verifies the effect of Sm3 + dopant and oxygen vacancy defect formation on bulk modulus in doped CeO2. The effect of modulus on misfit dislocation formation and dopant ion segregation is discussed in relation to a fundamental understanding of the strain effect in this important family of fast ionic conductors, with potential application as oxygen vacancy conducting solid state electrolytes.
Victor Shapiro and the Theory of Uniqueness for Multiple Trigonometric Series

In 1870, Georg Cantor proved that if a trigonometric series converges to 0 everywhere, then all its coefficients must be 0. In the twentieth century this result was extended to higher dimensional trigonometric series when the mode of convergence is taken to be spherical convergence and also when it is taken to be unrestricted rectangular convergence. We will describe the path to each result. An important part of the first path was Victor Shapiro’s seminal 1957 paper, Uniqueness of multiple trigonometric series. This paper also was an unexpected part of the second path.
The Impact of Standard Semiconductor Fabrication Processes on Polycrystalline Nb Thin-Film Surfaces

Polycrystalline superconducting Nb thin films are extensively used for submillimeter and millimeter transmission line applications and, less commonly, used in microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) applications. The microwave and mm-wave loss in these films is impacted, in part, by the presence of surface nitrides and oxides. In this study, glancing incidence X-ray diffraction was used to identify the presence of niobium nitride and niobium monoxide surface layers on Nb thin films that had been exposed to chemicals used in standard photolithographic processing. A method of mitigating the presence of ordered niobium monoxide surface layers is presented. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility of using glancing incidence X-ray diffraction as a nondestructive diagnostic tool for evaluating the quality of Nb thin films used in MKIDs and transmission lines. For a given fabrication process, we have both the X-ray diffraction data of the surface chemistry and a measure of the mm-wave and microwave loss, the latter being made in superconducting resonators.
Mouse Liver Sinusoidal Endothelium Eliminates HIV-Like Particles from Blood at a Rate of 100 Million per Minute by a Second-Order Kinetic Process.

ABSTRACT: We crafted HIV-like particles of diameter about 140 nm that expressed two major HIV-1 proteins, namely, env and gag gene products, and used this reagent to simulate the rate of decay of HIV from the blood stream of BALB/c male mice. We found that most (~90%) of the particles were eliminated (cleared) from the blood by the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC), the remainder from Kupffer cells; suggesting that LSEC are the major liver scavengers for HIV clearance from blood. Decay was rapid with kinetics suggesting second order with respect to particles, which infers dimerization of a putative receptor on LSEC. The number of HIV-like particles required for saturating the clearance mechanism was approximated. The capacity for elimination of blood-borne HIV-like particles by the sinusoid was 112 million particles per minute. Assuming the sinusoid endothelial cells were about the size of glass-adherent macrophages, then elimination capacity was more than 540 particles per hour per endothelial cell.
Determination of 4-ethylcatechol in a Merlot wine using sensory evaluation and the electronic tongue

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of 4‐ethylcatechol (4‐EC) on the sensory profile of Brettanomyces‐contaminated Merlot wine and evaluate electronic tongue discrimination. Using sensory evaluation panels, the consumer detection threshold (DT) and the consumer rejection threshold (CRT) of 4‐EC were determined in Merlot containing 493, 714, 1035 and 1500 μg L⁻¹ 4‐EC. The DT of 4‐EC in Merlot was 823 μg L⁻¹, while the CRT was 1323 μg L⁻¹. The electronic tongue discriminated index (DI = 82%) among the samples, with hierarchical clustering showing a clear distinction between the control sample and the spiked samples. The lowest concentration distinguished by the electronic tongue was 493 μg L⁻¹, a lower value than the sensory threshold determined. These findings suggest that for the detection of 4‐EC in Merlot, the e‐tongue may be more sensitive than some consumers and the e‐tongue may be a suitable methodology for detection of subthreshold concentrations of chemical compounds in wine.
Self-fertilization and inbreeding depression in three ascidian species that differ in genetic dispersal potential

Although self-fertilization can mitigate the costs of sexual reproduction, many hermaphroditic marine invertebrates avoid selfing, presumably because of inbreeding depression. Eventually, successive generations of inbreeding are expected to reduce genetic load, but selfing cannot evolve for future benefits. Initial inbreeding costs of selfing could be offset by the immediate benefits of local adaptation and mating assurance, both of which are more likely in species with limited gene flow. We compared the likelihood of selfing and the magnitude of inbreeding depression among three ascidian species (Molgula provisionalis, Ciona intestinalis, and Botryllus schlosseri) that were known a priori to differ in larval dispersal potential. Selfing potential exhibited a negative association, and inbreeding depression a positive association with dispersal potential. M. provisionalis, with highly philopatric larvae, had no apparent barrier to self-fertilization and exhibited little evidence of inbreeding depression (ratio of survival of self to outcross progeny 10 weeks after metamorphosis was 0.999). By contrast, C. intestinalis, with highly dispersive larvae, exhibited low levels of self-fertilization in flowing water and high levels of inbreeding depression (survival ratio 14 weeks after metamorphosis of 0.274). B. schlosseri larvae have intermediate dispersal capabilities, yet exhibited low likelihood of self-fertilization and high magnitude of inbreeding depression (survival ratio 10 weeks after metamorphosis of 0.310); however, extremely long-lived sperm contribute to gene flow in B. schlosseri. These results suggest that in marine hermaphrodites, gene flow, self-fertilization, and inbreeding depression should be evaluated as an integrated suite of traits, not independent characters.