cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A general nonlocal microplane concrete material model for dynamic finite element analysis

Abstract A method for properly including the effect of crack formation for both fine and coarse finite element meshes for a microplane concrete material model is described. For fine meshes, a weighted integral strain averaging approach is used to ensure that the softening is nonlocal and that the energy that is dissipated at failure is correctly modeled. For coarse meshes, an enriched strain field is employed in which localized and nonlocalized strain tensors are defined at each point within an element. The difference between the two strain tensors depends upon the characteristic crack width and the strain softening modulus of the material. This approach is particularly straightforward for the microplane model because a one-dimensional relationship is assumed for each microplane and the responses are integrated naturally to obtain the effect of crack width on the strain and stress tensors. The method is implemented within an explicit, dynamic, finite element program. Several simple finite element models are analyzed. A single element is loaded uniaxially in tension and compression for a variety of crack width values and the results show that the softening portion of the stress-strain curve varies in an appropriate manner. A uniaxial rod model is analyzed for an impulse load and the response is shown to be consistent for both fine and coarse meshes.
Finding bugs in dynamic web applications

Web script crashes and malformed dynamically-generated Web pages are common errors, and they seriously impact usability of Web applications. Current tools for Web-page validation cannot handle the dynamically-generated pages that are ubiquitous on today's Internet. In this work, we apply a dynamic test generation technique, based on combined concrete and symbolic execution, to the domain of dynamic Web applications. The technique generates tests automatically, uses the tests to detect failures, and minimizes the conditions on the inputs exposing each failure, so that the resulting bug reports are small and useful in finding and fixing the underlying faults. Our tool Apollo implements the technique for PHP. Apollo generates test inputs for the Web application, monitors the application for crashes, and validates that the output conforms to the HTML specification. This paper presents Apollo's algorithms and implementation, and an experimental evaluation that revealed 214 faults in 4 PHP Web applications.
The elliptic matrix completion problem

Abstract Completions of partial elliptic matrices are studied. Given an undirected graph G , it is shown that every partial elliptic matrix with graph G can be completed to an elliptic matrix if and only if the maximal cliques of G are pairwise disjoint. Further, given a partial elliptic matrix A with undirected graph G, it is proved that if G is chordal and each specified principal submatrix defined by a pair of intersecting maximal cliques is nonsingular, then A can be completed to an elliptic matrix. Conversely, if G is nonchordal or if the regularity condition is relaxed, it is shown that there exist partial elliptic matrices which are not completable to an elliptic matrix. In the process we obtain several results concerning chordal graphs that may be of independent interest.
Computational complexity of syntactic agreement and lexical ambiguity

Abstract What do language users know about particular utterances, and how do they compute this knowledge? Consider the English sentence Kate was seen by Mary. English speakers are able to determine, among other things, that Mary is the underlying subject of the sentence (that is, she is the person who did the seeing); that the thing that she saw was Kate ; that the utterance is in the passive voice; and that the "seeing" event referred to by the utterance occurred in the past. In this article, we demonstrate that the process of computing such syntactic knowledge is NP-hard according to modern transformational grammars.
A Curious Case of Pericardiohydroptysis

Rupture of the heart or pericardium is a rare clinical finding almost always associated with trauma to the chest. Non-traumatic pericardial rupture into the lung parenchyma and pleural space has not been reported in literature. Hence the progression or natural course is not known and the optimal management not defined. We report a case of a 65-year-old male patient with past medical history of hypertension and alcohol abuse who presented with complaints of fever, and sharp retrosternal chest pain and was found to have rupture of the pericardium into the right pleural space and lung parench yma. The diagnosis was established with a computed tomography scan of the chest and a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Routine investigation and a surgical biopsy of the pericardium could not establish a cause for the pericardial rupture. He was treated as idiopathic pericarditis with improvement over time, and a repeat echocardiogram showed resolution of the pericardial effusion. More than a year after the initial presentation, the patient is stable with no complications. From the sequence of events, we presume that the productive cough which immediately preceded this diagnosis represented the coughing up of pericardial fluid (pericardiohydroptysis). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/jmc1138w
Fertility of Bull Spermatozoa in Yolk-Citrate Partially Replaced by Glucose

Summary Four livability trials and three breeding trials were conducted to compare two diluters: (a) YGC—one part egg yolk, four parts of a 5% solution of glucose, and one part of a 2.9% solution of sodium citrate dihydrate, and (b) YC—one part egg yolk and one part of a 2.9% solution of sodium citrate dihydrate. The means of the progressive motilities for 50 ejaculates stored in these diluters for seven days at 5° C. were not significantly different (P>0.05). After one day of storage, the difference between the average nonreturn rates for the two diluters was not significant (P>0.05). There was a total of 6,405 first services. After two days of storage, with a total of 1,914 services, the 60- to 90-day nonreturn rate with YGC was 61.7, and with YC, 55.7. The difference is highly significant (P
The relative importance of major aqueous sulfate formation reactions in the atmosphere

Abstract An evaluation of sulfate formation reactions in the atmosphere has been undertaken based on available laboratory kinetic studies and measurements of key atmospheric parameters. In order to take into account the effects of variable cloud droplet chemistry, an explicit microphysical cloud model has been employed. The evaluation suggests that several H 2 SO 4 production reactions are of potential importance under atmospheric conditions. The single most important oxidant is found to be H 2 O 2 but no one reaction dominates under all plausible conditions.
Involuntary Layoffs in a Model with Asymmetric Information Concerning Worker Ability

This paper examines the contract between a risk-neutral firm and its risk-averse employees, assuming that worker ability is privately learned by the firm after a period of employment. Employers in an external spot labour market attempt to infer worker quality from the observable actions taken by the firm (such as the number of workers it lays off). The threat of spot market raids distorts the optimal contract. Layoffs may be involuntary and can exceed efficient levels. A seniority layoff rule may be included in the contract to avoid the adverse selection problems that arise if layoffs are conducted on the basis of ability.
Coherent effects in energy transport in model dendritic structures investigated by ultrafast fluorescence anisotropy spectroscopy.

Measurements of ultrafast fluorescence anisotropy decay in model branched dendritic molecules of different symmetry are reported. These molecules contain the fundamental branching center units of larger dendrimer macromolecules with either three (C3)- or four (Td, tetrahedral)-fold symmetry. The anisotropy for a tetrahedral system is found to decay on a subpicosecond time scale (880 fs). This decay can be qualitatively explained by Forster-type incoherent energy migration between chromophores. Alternatively, for a nitrogen-centered trimer system, the fluorescence anisotropy decay time (35 fs) is found to be much shorter than that of the tetramers, and the decay cannot be attributed to an incoherent hopping mechanism. In this case, a coherent interchromophore energy transport mechanism should be considered. The mechanism of the ultrafast energy migration process in the branched systems is interpreted by use of a phenomenological quantum mechanical model, which examines the two extreme cases of incoherent a...
Severe Cyanosis in a Newborn After Transvenous Pacing Wire Placement

Inadvertent disruption of tricuspid valve apposition by a pacing catheter in a neonate is described. Severe cyanosis due to atrial level shunting resulted, similar to the pathophysiologic state seen in Ebstein's anomaly.
Loss of regulator of G protein signaling 5 promotes airway hyperresponsiveness in the absence of allergic inflammation.

Background Although eosinophilic inflammation typifies allergic asthma, it is not a prerequisite for airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), suggesting that underlying abnormalities in structural cells, such as airway smooth muscle (ASM), contribute to the asthmatic diathesis. Dysregulation of procontractile G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling in ASM could mediate enhanced contractility. Objective We explored the role of a regulator of procontractile GPCR signaling, regulator of G protein signaling 5 (RGS5), in unprovoked and allergen-induced AHR. Methods We evaluated GPCR-evoked Ca 2+ signaling, precision-cut lung slice (PCLS) contraction, and lung inflammation in naive and Aspergillus fumigatus –challenged wild-type and Rgs5 −/− mice. We analyzed lung resistance and dynamic compliance in live anesthetized mice using invasive plethysmography. Results Loss of RGS5 promoted constitutive AHR because of enhanced GPCR-induced Ca 2+ mobilization in ASM. PCLSs from naive Rgs5 −/− mice contracted maximally at baseline independently of allergen challenge. RGS5 deficiency had little effect on the parameters of allergic inflammation, including cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, mucin production, ASM mass, and subepithelial collagen deposition. Unexpectedly, induced IL-13 and IL-33 levels were much lower in challenged lungs from Rgs5 −/− mice relative to those seen in wild-type mice. Conclusion Loss of RGS5 confers spontaneous AHR in mice in the absence of allergic inflammation. Because it is selectively expressed in ASM within the lung and does not promote inflammation, RGS5 might be a therapeutic target for asthma.
The field dependence of electron-paramagnon scattering in nearly ferromagnetic Pd-Ni alloys

Abstract The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of dilute paramagnetic Pd-Ni alloys has been measured in applied magnetic fields of up to 93 kG. From this data the field dependence of A, the s electron-paramagnon scattering coefficient, has been determined. A is found to decrease with increasing magnetic fields, this tendency being stronger with increasing Ni concentrations.
The Design and Synthesis of a Novel, Orally Active, Selective ETA Antagonist

The potency and pharmacokinetic properties of an indole-based series of endothelin antagonists have been optimised using in vitro, in silico and in vivo methods. Compound 8 is oxidised in vivo to the active metabolite 7 and has been highlighted as an orally active agent suitable for further profiling. A synthesis of the active enantiomer of the lead compound (8a) and its metabolite (7a) has been developed and the pharmacokinetic and pharmacological profiles of 8a are presented.
Electron scattering from the excited states of neutral sodium

Cross sections are calculated for elastic and superelastic (including spin-flip) collisions with the first excited state of sodium, for transitions between the first three excited states, and for transitions between the fine-structure states of the 3p and 3d doublets, from reactance matrices calculated in a four state (3s-3p-3d-4s) close coupling approximation.
Macrolides for acute lung injury.

In this issue of CHEST (see page 1153), Walkey and Wiener1 examine the association between receipt of a macrolide antibiotic and mortality in patients with acute lung injury (ALI). The authors used existing, publicly available data from the Acute Respiratory Distress Network (ARDSNet) Lisofylline and Respiratory Management of Acute Lung Injury (LARMA) trial in which 235 patients were randomized in a two-by-two fashion to receive low tidal volume vs standard tidal volume ventilation and either lisofylline or placebo.2 The exposure of interest in this study was receipt of a macrolide antibiotic within 24 h of enrollment (47 of 235 patients studied received a macrolide). After adjustment for confounding variables, patients who received a macrolide antibiotic had a significant reduction in mortality and shorter time to discontinuation of mechanical ventilation. By contrast, patients who received a fluoroquinolone or cephalosporin, compared with patients who did not, had no survival advantage, suggesting that this benefit was due to macrolides.
Analysis and Demonstration of Two Spherical Mode Expansion Resolution Algorithms

The measured radiation field of an antenna may be expanded in a series of vector spherical modes in a specified spherical coordinate system. Such an expansion may be resolved, by means of an iterative algorithm, into two constituent vector spherical mode expansions in two other specified spherical coordinate systems. The sum of these constituent expansions is equal to the original total radiation field. The purpose of such a resolution is to separate the radiation fields due to two identified parts of the original antenna which together constitute the entire radiating structure. Once the resolution has been accomplished, one may study the radiation from the currents on the two parts of the antenna individually including mutual interaction to all orders. This is to be distinguished from measurement of the radiation fields of the two parts individually because that measurement does not include the mutual interaction. A demonstration measurement of a two antenna system is described and iterative postmeasurement processing is employed to identify the radiation from currents on the two constituent antennas of the overall radiating structure. The results are compared with those of an earlier approximate noniterative algorithm developed for the same purpose and the differences are discussed.
Optimized Electron Transfer in Charge-Transfer Ion Pairs. Pronounced Inner-Sphere Behavior of Olefin Donors

Time-resolved (fs) spectroscopy allows the direct observation of charge-transfer ion pairs resulting from the photoexcitation of the electron donor−acceptor (EDA) complexes of tetracyanoethylene with various olefin donors, i.e., [olefin, TCNE], in dichloromethane solutions. Measurement of the spectral decays yields first-order rate constants for electron transfer (kET) in the collapse of the charge-transfer ion pairs [olefin•+, TCNE•-] by very rapid return to the ground-state EDA complex at 25 oC. [These ultrafast ET rates necessitated the design/construction of a new tunable, high-power pump−probe spectrometer based on a Ti:sapphire laser with 250-fs resolution.] The value of kET = 5 × 1011 s-1 is strikingly nonvariant for the different TCNE complexes despite large differences in the driving force for electron transfer (ΔG0), as evaluated from the varying ionization potentials of the olefins. Such a unique nonvariant trend for the free energy relationship (log kET versus ΔG0) is analyzed in terms of a do...
A Practical Approach to Difficult Urinary Catheterizations

Routine placement of transurethral catheters can be challenging in some situations, such as urethral strictures, severe phimosis and false passages. Intravaginal retraction of the urethral meatus can complicate Foley placement in postmenopausal females. In men, blind urethral procedures with mechanical or metal sounds without visual guidance or guidewire assistance are now discouraged due to the increased risk of urethral trauma and false passages. Newer techniques of urethral catheterization including guidewires, directed hydrophilic mechanical dilators, urethral balloon dilation, and direct vision endoscopic catheter systems are discussed, along with the new standardized protocol for difficult transurethral catheter insertions. Suprapubic catheter placement techniques, including percutaneous trocars and the use of the curved Lowsley tractor for initial suprapubic catheter insertion, are reviewed. Prevention and management of common catheter-related problems such as encrustation, leakage, Foley malposition, balloon cuffing and frequent blockages are discussed.
Prior restenosis predicts restenosis after coronary angioplasty of a new significant narrowing.

Abstract To determine the influence of a history of restenosis on subsequent restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of a new significant narrowing, the records of 100 patients who underwent successful PTCA at another site (“new narrowing PTCA”) ≥2 months after successful initial PTCA were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were grouped according to whether initial PTCA resulted in restenosis, which was determined by angiographic follow-up ≥3 months after initial PTCA. Patients in group 1 did not have restenosis after initial PTCA (n = 50), whereas patients in group 2 did (n = 40). All patients were followed for recurrent symptoms, with serial exercise tests, for ≥6 months after new narrowing PTCA. Clinically suspected and angiographically confirmed restenosis occurred in 11 of 50 (22%) patients and 12 of 63 (19%) narrowings in group 1, and in 20 of 40 (50%) patients and 22 of 48 (46%) narrowings in group 2 (p
Antenatal Detection of Trisomy 22 Sonographic Findings

Trisomy 22 (47, XX, +22), a rare chromosomal defect, was detected antenatally by chromosome analysis of the amniotic fluid after an obstetric ultrasound examination revealed multiple anomalies. The ultrasound findings included intrauterine growth retardation, holoprosencephaly, cleft lip, cardiac anomalies, decreased amniotic fluid level, and an abnormally thickened nuchal fold. Postnatal examination and autopsy confirmed the ultrasound findings.
DEADLY FORCE AS A POLICY PROBLEM IN LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT: DO ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

This article examines the impact of six administrative practices on the use of deadly force by police officers in American cities with a population greater than 50,000. Generally, departmental policies demonstrate little association with the frequency of shooting incidents per police officer, or in the number of incidents resulting in fatalities or injuries. It does appear that police departments which issue more traditional sidearms tend to experience fewer incidents than departments which issue heavier firearms. This same lack of association between administrative practices and the use of deadly force is discovered when controlling for city population size arid state legal codes. Notwithstanding that some of the relationships are in the expected direction, their lack of statistical significance suggests that the use of deadly force has its antecedents in sources other than the administrative policies of local police departments.
Chitosan Films: A Potential Local Drug Delivery System for Antibiotics

Local antibiotic delivery is an emerging area of study designed to provide alternative methods of treatment to clinicians for compromised wound sites where avascular zones can prevent the delivery of antibiotics to the infected tissue. Antibiotic-loaded bone cement is the gold standard for drug-eluting local delivery devices but is not ideal because it requires a removal surgery. Chitosan is a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer that has been used in several different drug delivery applications. We evaluated chitosan as a potential localized drug delivery device. We specifically determined if chitosan could elute antibiotics in an active form that would be efficacious in inhibiting S. aureus growth. Elution of amikacin was 24.67 ± 2.35 μg/mL (85.68%) after 1 hour with a final cumulative release of 27.31 ± 2.86 μg/mL (96.23%) after 72 hours. Elution of daptomycin was 10.17 ± 3.83 μg/mL after 1 hour (31.61% release) and 28.72 ± 6.80 μg/mL after 72 hours (88.55%). The data from the elution study suggested effective release of amikacin and daptomycin. The activity studies indicated the eluants inhibited the growth of S. aureus. Incorporating antibiotics in chitosan could provide alternative methods of treating musculoskeletal infections.
Variable-delay, sine/cosine noncoherent detector

The letter describes an all-digital, noncoherent demodulator suitable for the detection of CPFSK and PSK signalling schemes. A single A/D convertor demodulates the input signal and generates baseband in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signals. The I and Q signals are then processed with sine and cosine detectors to produce AFC information and the regenerated transmit data.
Work-Family Conflict, Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors (FSSB), and Sleep Outcomes

Although critical to health and well-being, relatively little research has been conducted in the organizational literature on linkages between the work-family interface and sleep. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, we use a sample of 623 information technology workers to examine the relationships between work-family conflict, family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB), and sleep quality and quantity. Validated wrist actigraphy methods were used to collect objective sleep quality and quantity data over a 1 week period of time, and survey methods were used to collect information on self-reported work-family conflict, FSSB, and sleep quality and quantity. Results demonstrated that the combination of predictors (i.e., work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, FSSB) was significantly related to both objective and self-report measures of sleep quantity and quality. Future research should further examine the work-family interface to sleep link and make use of interventions targeting the work-family interface as a means for improving sleep health.
Fabrication of catalytic ceramic membranes for water filtration

The paper describes the use of the layer-by-layer technique to coat ceramic membranes with iron and manganese oxide nanoparticles. The coatings are thin (<50 nm) and relatively uniform. These coatings enhance the performance of the hybrid ozonation-filtration process. With the coated membranes it is possible to significantly reduce fouling, improve the removal of DBP precursors and more effectively kill Escherichia coli bacteria.
System-on-a-chip test-data compression and decompression architectures based on Golomb codes

We present a new test-data compression method and decompression architecture based on variable-to-variable-length Golomb codes. The proposed method is especially suitable for encoding precomputed test sets for embedded cores in a system-on-a-chip (SoC). The major advantages of Golomb coding of test data include very high compression, analytically predictable compression results, and a low-cost and scalable on-chip decoder. In addition, the novel interleaving decompression architecture allows multiple cores in an SoC to be tested concurrently using a single automatic test equipment input-output channel. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach by applying it to the International Symposium on Circuits and Systems' benchmark circuits and to two industrial production circuits. We also use analytical and experimental means to highlight the superiority of Golomb codes over run-length codes.
The "Coulomb-explosion" technique for determining geometrical structures of molecular ions

Abstract Traditional experimental techniques (e.g. studies on photon absorption or emission) for determining the stereochemical structures of neutral molecules are extremely difficult to apply to molecular ions because of problems in obtaining a sufficient spatial density of the ions to be studied. Recent high-resolution measurements on the energy and angle distributions of the fragments produced when fast (MeV) molecular-ion beams from an electrostatic accelerator dissociate (“Coulomb explode”) in thin foils and in gases, offer promising possibilities for deducing the stereochemical structures of the molecular ions constituting the incident beams. Bond lengths have been determined in this way for several diatomic projectiles (H2+, HeH+, CH+, NH+, OH+, N2+,O2+, etc.) with an accuracy of ∼0.01 A. H3+ has been demonstrated (for the first time) to be equilateral triangular and the interproton distance measured. Measurements on single fragments from CO2+, N2O+, C3H3+, and CHn+ have revealed the gross structures of the projectiles. An apparatus has recently been constructed at Argonne to permit precise measurements on fragments in coincidence. The apparatus has been tested on a known structure (OH2+). The OH bond length was found to be 1.0 ± 0.04 A and the HOH bond angle was measured as 110 ± 2°. These values are in excellent agreement with those found in optical experiments (0.999 A and 110.5°). This “Coulomb explosion” technique can be expected to be refined in accuracy and to be extended to a wide range of molecular ions whose structures are inaccessible by other means.
Barriers to Engaging and Retaining African-American Post-Partum Women in Drug Treatment

Little is known about barriers to engaging and retaining African-American women in drug treatment. This descriptive study addressed three questions regarding barriers to substance abuse treatment for African-American women: What barriers made it difficult for women to participate in treatment? Did identified barriers differ by program modality? To what degree were barriers related to treatment retention? Findings revealed that barriers considered to be internal in nature, i.e., “drug severity,” “did not feel like going,” and “felt I could manage on my own,” were most frequently reported. Only a few program-related barriers were found to be related to length of time in treatment and both internal and programmatic barriers had an effect on treatment completion. Implications for policy decisions, future research, and clinical competence in addressing barriers to treatment for African-American women are discussed.
Family Communication Patterns and the Social Uses of Television

Audience members "use" television in a variety of ways. The social environment in the family home is a major contributor to differential uses of the medium by individuals. Previous research on family communication patterns, for instance, has demonstrated that families which stress harmo nious social relations at home (socio orientation) differ in many attitudes, activities, and media habits from families which stress the independent expression of ideas (concept orientation). This survey research explores the ways in which socio-oriented and concept-oriented audience members differ in their uses of television as a resource for the accomplishment of interpersonal objectives at home. Differences were found for behaviors which range from structuring daily activities and talk patterns to more complex interpersonal goals such as communication facilitation, affilia tionlavoidance, social learning, and demonstration of competence/domi nance.
Changes in O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase expression during immortalization of cloned human fibroblasts

Suppressed expression of the DNA repair enzyme O 6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), characterized as the Mer - phenotype, occurs only in malignant or transformed cell lines. To investigate the relationship between the transformation process and loss of MGMT expression, we derived 20 cloned lines of IMR90 normal fibroblasts transfected with the plasmid pSV3neo expressing the SV40 large-T antigen. Of the five lines that were grown until crisis phase, four emerged as continuously proliferating immortal lines. Of these, only one retained MGMT, the other three having become Mer - . In every case the loss of MGMT coincided with the final phase of immortalization following crisis. Because these were cloned cell lines it is clear that the phenotypic change to Mer - is not merely due to selection of a Mer - cell from the initial population, but must involve a cellular change in MGMT regulation. It is not clear if increased mutation rate associated with loss of MGMT results in increased frequency of an immortalization event or if an immortalization event, such as telomere disruption, results in MGMT suppression. In addition, we have shown that, consistent with previous observations, both hypermethylation in promoter sequences and hypomethylation of downstream sequences in the body of the gene were closely associated with loss of MGMT expression. These studies also illustrate the utility of these new cloned cell lines for characterizing molecular events associated with transformation and immortalization.
On the nature of the autocatalyst of growth

I. Whatever may be the chemical nature of the autocatalyst of growth, it is pointed out that the time-relations of growth must be identical whether the autocatalyst is increasing during growth, or decreasing. The former type of growth is termed »autokinetic«, and the latter »autostatic«. It is suggested that autokinetic and autostatic periods may alternate and that the multiple cycles of growth observed in animals are due to these alternations in the type of growth. II. Whatever may be the chemical nature of the autocatalyst of growth, when the concentration of the autocatalyst in a tissue is more than half its maximum, whether the autocatalyst is decreasing (»autostatic« growth-cycle) or increasing (»autokinetic« growth-cycle), an increase in the concentration of the autocatalyst within the tissue must decrease the rate of growth. When, on the contrary, the concentration of the autocatalyst in the tissue is less than half its maximum for that tissue, whether the growth-cycle is autostatic or autokinetic in character an increase in the concentration of the autocatalyst within the tissue must increase tha rate of growth. III. It is suggested that lecithin (or, more generally, the phospholipine group) is the autocatalyst of growth. In accordance with the above mentioned requirements it is shown that although lecithin markedly accelerates the growth of amphibian larvae in the later stages of development, yet lecithin retards, and even partially reverses the development of fertilised sea-urchin eggs. IV. The second (final) extra-uterine growth-cyle in man is autokinetic. V. It is suggested in the light of the experiments ofRobertson andBurnett, that the growth of carcinomata represents an autostatic growth-cycle, superimposed upon the final autokinetic cycle of the adult.
Persistent Neutrophilic Meningitis in an Immunocompetent Patient after Basilar Skull Fracture: Case Report

Background: Persistent neutrophilic meningitis is an unusual form of chronic meningitis that is defined as clinical meningitis with a neutrophilic pleocytosis that persists for greater than 7 days despite empiric antimicrobial therapy. Although numerous disease processes can cause this syndrome, the majority of cases are due to opportunistic pathogens infecting immunocompromised hosts. Case Presentation: A 47 year-old female presented after basilar skull fracture with persistent neutrophilic meningitis unresponsive to empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics. After more than weeks of intensive therapy, 4 hospitalizations and 3 relapses, Nocardia cyriacigeorgica was identified from cerebral spinal fluid. Induction therapy was begun with Ceftriaxone and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) for 6 weeks followed by therapy with TMP-SMX and doxycycline for one year. The patient made a complete recovery without sequelae. Conclusions: Due to the difficulty in obtaining a microbiologic diagnosis, appropriate treatment in cases of persistent neutrophilic meningitis is often delayed leading to morbidity, This case highlights a number of the unique features of Nocardia meningitis and the importance of considering Nocardia infection as a cause of persistent neutrophilic meningitis even in immunocompetent patients.
The Role of Mental Imagery in the Creation of False Childhood Memories

We investigated whether guided imagery instructions would increase the likelihood of false memory creation and of remembering previously unremembered true events. In three interviews, participants repeatedly were asked to remember several true events (based on parent reports) and one false event (created by the experimenters). In a guided imagery condition, if participants could not recall an event (either a true of a false event) they were asked to form a mental image of the event and describe the image to the interviewer. In a control condition, if participants could not recall an event they were asked to quietly think about the event for 1 min. Participants in the imagery condition were more likely to create a false event and recover memories of previously unavailable true events (although it was unclear whether the recovered memories were truly recalled or created in response to the interview demands). We argue that the creation of false childhood memories involves both memory reconstruction and errors in source monitoring. q 1996 Academic Press, Inc.
RNA polymerase III mutants in TFIIFα-like C37 that cause terminator readthrough with no decrease in transcription output

How eukaryotic RNA polymerases switch from elongation to termination is unknown. Pol III subunits Rpc53 and Rpc37 (C53/37) form a heterodimer homologous to TFIIFβ/α. C53/37 promotes efficient termination and together with C11 also mediates pol III recycling in vitro. We previously developed Schizosaccharomyces pombe strains that report on two pol III termination activities: RNA oligo(U) 3′-end cleavage, and terminator readthrough. We randomly mutagenized C53 and C37 and isolated many C37 mutants with terminator readthrough but no comparable C53 mutants. The majority of C37 mutants have strong phenotypes with up to 40% readthrough and map to a C-terminal tract previously localized near Rpc2p in the pol III active center while a minority represent a distinct class with weaker phenotype, less readthrough and 3′-oligo(U) lengthening. Nascent pre-tRNAs released from a terminator by C37 mutants have shorter 3′-oligo(U) tracts than in cleavage-deficient C11 double mutants indicating RNA 3′-end cleavage during termination. We asked whether termination deficiency affects transcription output in the mutants in vivo both by monitoring intron-containing nascent transcript levels and 14C-uridine incorporation. Surprisingly, multiple termination mutants have no decrease in transcript output relative to controls. These data are discussed in context of current models of pol III transcription.
The Architecture of Coherent Information System: A General Problem Solving System

This paper discusses the architecture of a metasystem, which can be used to generate intelligent information systems for different domains of discourse. It points out the kinds of knowledge accepted by the system, and the way the knowledge is used to do nontrivial problem solving. The organization of the system makes it possible for it to function in the context of a large and expanding data base. The metasystem provides a basis for the definition of the concept of machine understanding in terms of the models that the machine can build in a domain, and the way it can use the models.
Energy-efficient Contention-Resilient Medium Access for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks have distinct requirements on the medium access control (MAC) protocol, including energy-efficiency, low latency, contention-resilience, etc. The trade-off between energy-efficiency and latency is usually addressed by adding synchronization overhead and/or radio hardware, and most proposed MAC do not efficiently handle the "spatially-correlated contention" common in typical sensor applications, i.e., close-by nodes reporting a common event simultaneously. We propose a cross-layered MAC protocol, which employs a dynamic forwarder selection technique, to improve both energy-efficiency and delay without requiring additional synchronization or radio hardware support. Furthermore, our MAC can efficiently handle spatially-correlated contention and scales well with the network density. Results show that our MAC provides significant energy-savings, low delay and high network throughput.
Using Individualized Reinforcers and Hierarchical Exposure to Increase Food Flexibility in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Inflexibility is a major characteristic of autism. In the present study we addressed inflexible mealtime behaviors and collected longitudinal data across 48 foods for 3 children, ages 6.4–7.8 years, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, for up to 22 weeks. Participants exhibited severe challenges with adherence to an extremely restricted repertoire of foods. We employed clinical replication and multiple baseline designs across participants to assess the effects of individualized reinforcement and hierarchical exposure to increase flexibility. Results showed that following intervention, all participants expanded their food repertoire and spontaneously requested new foods during follow up/generalization. Implications for clinical practice and directions for further research are discussed.
Human Papillomavirus Type 31b Infection of Human Keratinocytes Does Not Require Heparan Sulfate

ABSTRACT Oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are difficult to study experimentally as they replicate at low levels in vivo. This has precluded the purification of high-risk HPV virions from in vivo lesions. Virus-like particles (VLPs) and pseudovirions from low- and high-risk HPV types can emulate various aspects of HPV virion attachment and infections. These studies suggest that HPV infection is mediated by α6-integrin and/or heparan-sulfonated receptors. However, whether VLPs and pseudovirions accurately reflect the infection process of HPV virions has not been verified. We generated infectious HPV31b virions from organotypic (raft) tissues and performed experimental infections in a variety of cells. Successful infection following viral attachment, internalization, and nuclear transport was assayed by detecting newly synthesized, spliced HPV transcripts using reverse transcription (RT)-PCR or RT-quantitative PCR. Most human epithelial cells were infected with HPV31b at a multiplicity of infection as low as 1 to 10 viral genome equivalents per cell. HPV31b infection was detected in other cell lines, including COS-7 monkey kidney cells, but higher viral multiplicities of infection were required. Heparin preparations of various molecular weights or heparinase I treatment of cells prevented HPV31b infection of COS-7 cells and C-33A human cervical cancer cells in reproducible and dose-dependent manners. However, these reagents were unable to block infection of human keratinocytes, including HaCaT and N/TERT-1 cells and low-passage human foreskin keratinocytes. These data suggest that HPV31b infection of human keratinocytes, the natural host cell for HPV infections in vivo, does not require a heparan-sulfonated receptor, whereas heparan sulfate is important for infection of some other cells.
The epidemiology of drug-induced disorders: the kidney

The epidemiology of drug-induced renal disorders is a complex topic. Drug-associated nephrotoxicity accounts for 18 - 27% of all acute kidney injury cases in US hospitals. Medications can affect all aspects of the kidney, and drugs that are associated with renal dysfunction are used commonly in clinical practice. The article reviews six major mechanisms of drug-induced renal dysfunction as well as lists the major medications involved. NSAIDs, aminoglycosides, amphotericin B and calcineurin inhibitors are just some examples of drugs that contribute to renal dysfunction. The medical community must be aware of patient risk factors for nephrotoxicity, as well as the drug's inherent nephrotoxic potential, when prescribing and administering medications.
Clonal Clustering Using 10-Gene Multilocus Sequence Typing Reveals an Association Between Genotype and Listeria monocytogenes Maximum Growth Rate in Defined Medium.

Abstract We used a 10-gene (10G) multilocus sequence typing scheme to investigate the diversity and phylogenetic distribution of 124 Listeria monocytogenes strains across major lineages, major serotypes, and seven epidemic clones that have been previously associated with outbreaks. The 124 isolates proved to be diverse, with a total of 81 sequence types (10G-STs) belonging to 13 clonal complexes (CCs), where all STs of the same CC differ from one another in up to 3 of the 10 alleles (named as 10G-triple-locus-variant-clonal-complexes [10G-TLV-CCs]). Phenotypic characterization for 105 of the 124 strains showed that L. monocytogenes had variable maximum growth rate (μmax) in a defined medium at 16°C, and classification by lineage or serotype was not able to reflect the genetic basis for the difference of this phenotype. Among the six major 10G-TLV-CCs, 10G-TLV-CC4 that included lineage I strains had significantly lower μmax (Tukey honestly significant difference adjusted [adj.] p < 0.05) compared to 10G-TL...
A Micro to Macro Approach to Polymer Matrix Composites Damage Modeling: Final LDRD Report

Capabilities are developed, verified and validated to generate constitutive responses using material and geometric measurements with representative volume elements (RVE). The geometrically accurate RVEs are used for determining elastic properties and damage initiation and propagation analysis. Finite element modeling of the meso-structure over the distribution of characterizing measurements is automated and various boundary conditions are applied. Plain and harness weave composites are investigated. Continuum yarn damage, softening behavior and an elastic-plastic matrix are combined with known materials and geometries in order to estimate the macroscopic response as characterized by a set of orthotropic material parameters. Damage mechanics and coupling effects are investigated and macroscopic material models are demonstrated and discussed. Prediction of the elastic, damage, and failure behavior of woven composites will aid in macroscopic constitutive characterization for modeling and optimizing advanced composite systems.
An Atom Gyroscope Using a 2D Tilted Magneto-Optical Trap

We present atom interferometry measurements using a 2D tilted MOT atom source. The atoms’ transit times through multiple continuous Raman beams form the atom optic light pulses. Prospects for a dual sensor will be discussed.
Synthesis of REE and Y phosphates by Pb-free flux methods and their utilization as standards for electron microprobe analysis and in design of monazite chemical U-Th-Pb dating protocol

(REE,Y) phosphates were synthesized in a 1 atm furnace by flux-growth methods involving Pb-free fluxes. Microcrystalline (REE,Y) phosphate was precipitated from a solution of (REE,Y) chlorides or nitrates plus ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, and mixed with a M2CO3 (M = Li or Na)-MoO3 flux (75:25:2 molar ratio M2CO3:MoO3:REEPO4). Crystal growth was achieved over the temperature range 1350–870 °C, with extended (15 h) high- T soaking, and cooling rates of 3 °C/h. Crystals grown by this method are clear, generally inclusion-free, up to several mm in length, and are easily extracted from the water-soluble flux. Crystal size and habit are influenced by the alkali component of the flux. Successful LREE phosphate synthesis is favored by both Li-and Na-bearing fluxes, whereas better results for Y and MREE-HREE phosphates were achieved with Na-bearing fluxes. Li-bearing fluxes produced LREE phosphates with an overall platy habit, in contrast to more prismatic-to-equant LREE-MREE phosphates produced with Na-bearing fluxes. Structural refinements of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data show that LREEPO4 (La-Gd) crystallize with the monoclinic monazite structure, and HREEPO4 (Tb-Lu) plus YPO4 crystallize with the tetragonal xenotime structure. Element distribution maps of synthetic REEPO4 reveal homogeneous distribution of REE and P at grain-size scale and below, and both wavelength-dispersive (WD) spectral scans and quantitative electron microprobe analyses show no other elements (e.g., flux inclusions) present at significant levels. The synthetic phosphates grown with this method are suitable for use as electron microprobe standards and as compositionally simplified monazite analogs for use in the design of U-Th-Pb chemical dating protocols. WD scans of synthetic unary and ternary (La-Ce-Nd) phosphates reveal that Ar X-ray detectors produce non-filterable LREE escape peaks with pulse-height analyzers optimized for Pb analysis. Such LREE escape peaks complicate collection of both U and Pb peak and background counts. Due to the larger energy difference between LREE peaks and Xe (relative to Ar), LREE escape peaks produced in Xe detectors are filterable with pulse height analyzers, resulting in LREE-free spectra over the wavelength range sampled for Pb peak and background collection.
Deep imaging in scattering media with selective plane illumination microscopy

In most biological tissues, light scattering due to small differences in refractive index limits the depth of optical imaging systems. Two-photon microscopy (2PM), which significantly reduces the scattering of the excitation light, has emerged as the most common method to image deep within scattering biological tissue. This technique, however, requires high-power pulsed lasers that are both expensive and difficult to integrate into compact portable systems. Using a combination of theoretical and experimental techniques, we show that if the excitation path length can be minimized, selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM) can image nearly as deep as 2PM without the need for a high-powered pulsed laser. Compared to other single-photon imaging techniques like epifluorescence and confocal microscopy, SPIM can image more than twice as deep in scattering media ( ? 10 times the mean scattering length). These results suggest that SPIM has the potential to provide deep imaging in scattering media in situations in which 2PM systems would be too large or costly.
p-Type Transparent Conducting Oxide/n-Type Semiconductor Heterojunctions for Efficient and Stable Solar Water Oxidation

Achieving stable operation of photoanodes used as components of solar water splitting devices is critical to realizing the promise of this renewable energy technology. It is shown that p-type transparent conducting oxides (p-TCOs) can function both as a selective hole contact and corrosion protection layer for photoanodes used in light-driven water oxidation. Using NiCo2O4 as the p-TCO and n-type Si as a prototypical light absorber, a rectifying heterojunction capable of light driven water oxidation was created. By placing the charge separating junction in the Si using a np+ structure and by incorporating a highly active heterogeneous Ni–Fe oxygen evolution catalyst, efficient light-driven water oxidation can be achieved. In this structure, oxygen evolution under AM1.5G illumination occurs at 0.95 V vs RHE, and the current density at the reversible potential for water oxidation (1.23 V vs RHE) is >25 mA cm–2. Stable operation was confirmed by observing a constant current density over 72 h and by sensitive...
Critical Test of Nanopore-Based Sequencing-by-Synthesis: Capture of Nucleic Acid Tags

The ability to distinguish between different polymers with a single nanometer-scale pore provided the basis for sequencing DNA via a sequencing-by-synthesis (SBS) approach. We previously suggested that a polymerase enzyme attached to the pore would both incorporate a nucleotide into a growing DNA chain that is complementary to the target sequence and allow the SBS tag attached to the nucleotide to be captured and then read by the pore before or after the tag is cleaved. We discuss here the capture kinetics of different SBS tags and the prospects for their use in this novel sequencing strategy.