cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Concealment of Heavy Bacterial Contamination in 25 Per Cent Human Serum Albumin: Its Mechanism and Clinical Significance.

Abstract 1.1. A report of 9 patients is presented, who had adverse reactions to intravenous serum albumin. There was one fatal case. 2.2. The albumin used showed no visible evidence of bacterial contamination but was found to contain microorganisms on culture. Three out of four vials had been entered repeatedly. 3.3. Bacteriologic studies are presented which illustrate that bacterial growth does not cause visible turbidity in 25 per cent human serum albumin, unless the growth is extremely heavy, exceeding 200 × 10 6 organisms per milliliter. 4.4. Experiments and theoretical calculations are presented which demonstrate that the lack of visible turbidity is due to the combined effect of particle size of the bacteria, effective refractive index of microorganisms and albumin, and the property of 25 per cent albumin to absorb white light. 5.5. Vials of 25 per cent human serum albumin should never be re-entered because of the lack of visible evidence of accidental bacterial contamination.
MDL denoising

'The so-called denoising problem, relative to normal models for noise, is formalized such that "noise" is defined as the incompressible part in the data while the compressible part defines the meaningful information-bearing signal. Such a decomposition is effected by minimization of the ideal code length, called for by the minimum description length (MDL) principle, and obtained by an application of the normalized maximum-likelihood technique to the primary parameters, their range, and their number. For any orthonormal regression matrix, such as defined by wavelet transforms, the minimization can be done with a threshold for the squared coefficients resulting from the expansion of the data sequence in the basis vectors defined by the matrix.
Challenges and Accomplishments of the Computational Science Undergraduate Research Experiences Program

The Computational Science for Undergraduate Research Experiences (CSURE) is an NSF funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program organized by the University of Tennessee's Joint Institute for Computational Sciences (JICS), www.jics.utk.edu/csure-reu. The main goal of the CSURE project is to direct a group of undergraduate students to explore the emergent computational science models and techniques using the supercomputers at the National Institute for Computational Sciences (NICS). In addition, a number of summer interns from Hong Kong also participate in the program. The CSURE program focuses on five different scientific domains: chemistry and material sciences, systems biology, engineering mechanics, atmospheric sciences, and parallel solvers on emergent platforms. The program also enjoys a close affiliation with researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Because of these diverse topics of research areas and backgrounds of this project, in this paper we discuss the challenges and resolutions in managing and coordinating the program, delivering cohesive tutorial materials, directing mentorship of individual projects, and lessons learned in the duration of the program.
Gisèle Freund (1908 – 2000)

»Photographie ist nicht Kunst« (Freund 1993: 70f.).1 Dieser provokante Ausspruch Gisele Freunds soll dabei helfen, das intellektuelle Schaffen dieser hochdekorierten Fotografin, Bildjournalistin und Grenzgangerin zwischen Soziologie und Fotografie zu verstehen. Anhand der von dieser Feststellung ausgehenden Irritation lassen sich Facetten einer Personlichkeit erschliesen, die sich ihrem spateren Erwerbsberuf uber das Studium der Soziologie angenahert und sich zeitlebens die Distanz der Beobachterin – nicht nur zur Welt durch das Kameraobjektiv, sondern auch zur Kamera beziehungsweise zum Foto als Kommunikationsmedium – erhalten hat.
The power of exact conditions in electronic structure theory

Abstract Once electron correlation is included in an effective one-particle operator, one has a correlated orbital theory (COT). One such theory is Kohn-Sham density functional theory (KS-DFT), but there are others. Such methods have the prospect to redefine traditional Molecular Orbital (MO) theory by building a quantitative component upon its conceptual framework. This paper asks the question what conditions should such a theory satisfy and can this be accomplished? One such condition for a COT is that the orbital eigenvalues should satisfy an ionization theorem that generalizes Koopmans’ approximation to the exact principal ionization potentials for every electron in a molecule. Guided by this principle, minimal parameterizations of KS-DFT are made that provide a good approximation to a quantitative MO theory .
The Revolutionary Challenge

As the Whigs fell from power, Palmerston’s standing in the public eye began to rise. His espousal of Belgium independence and his willingness to speak out against arbitrary rule in Spain and Portugal won him liberal allies. Of course, his support for constitutional causes had to be reconciled with British interests and the maintenance of the balance of power. Palmerston’s liberal credentials were based on his foreign policy initiatives, and he only favoured domestic reforms as long as they did not threaten his personal aristocratic order. His support for the cautions terms of the 1832 Reform Act, for example, guaranteed that the electoral system was still dominated by the social elite. Nevertheless, his guarded advocacy of political and economic reforms helped him to steal the Chartists’ thunder at the hustings. However, as the 1840s proceeded, the question arose as whether such liberal gestures would be enough to satisfy the demands made by the 1848 revolutionaries. Liberal and nationalist stirrings in Italy, Prussia, Hungary and Poland, and their challenge to the 1815 settlement, tested the limits of Palmerston’s outreach to liberalism. Given his disinclination to consider abstract questions, it is unlikely that he would rush to support liberal causes without considering their impact on Europe’s stability.
HDAC inhibitor conjugated polymeric prodrug micelles for doxorubicin delivery

Amphiphilic diblock copolymers bearing histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) (4-phenyl butyric acid and valproic acid) were synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of γ-4-phenylbutyrate-e-caprolactone (PBACL), γ-valproate-e-caprolactone (VPACL), and e-caprolactone (CL) from a poly(ethylene glycol) macroinitiator (PEG). These amphiphilic diblock copolymers self-assembled into stable pro-drug micelles and demonstrated excellent biocompatibility. High loading of doxorubicin (DOX) up to 5.1 wt% was achieved. Optimized micelles enabled sustained drug release in a concentration-dependent manner over time to expand the therapeutic window of cytotoxic small molecule drugs.
New Standards for Distributed Real-Time Computer Systems: An Insider's Perspective

ABSTRACT The speaker co-authored the new Real-Time CORBA 2.0 specification, and leads the emerging Distributed Real-Time Specification for Java. These standards seek to reduce the 40- 60% of system software costs typically spent creating custom distributed real-time infrastructures. They are based on a more general and less conventional view of "real-time" that is intended to facilitate satisfying the needs for application-specific predictability of end-to-end timeliness in complex dynamic automatic control systems at any levels of an enterprise – not just autonomic device-level control. They also focus on "distributed programming" in the component sense that any individual entity (e.g., program, task) can be spread across multiple computing nodes, rather than the conventional networking sense of entities being remotely accessible. This paper previews the specifications and – more importantly – introduces their rationale, which has implications on computer control beyond these specifications.
Optical interferometric study on deformation and fracture based on physical mesomechanics

This paper discusses an optical band pattern that we recently discovered in an optical interferometric tensile analysis. The most important feature of this band pattern is that it indicates whether the sample is close to failure and where the failure will occur. Previous investigations indicate that this band pattern represents stress concentration and is somehow related to fracture mechanism. The purpose of this paper is to analyze various characteristics of this band pattern in light of physical mesomechanics, and discuss its relationship to fracture mechanism. It will be shown that the formation of this band pattern is essentially related to material fracture and that the related observations are well explained by the mesomechanical picture of fracture mechanism.
Chronic lithium treatment elicits its antimanic effects via BDNF-TrkB dependent synaptic downscaling

Lithium is widely used as a treatment for Bipolar Disorder although the molecular mechanisms that underlie its therapeutic effects are under debate. In this study, we show brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is required for the antimanic-like effects of lithium but not the antidepressant-like effects in mice. We performed whole cell patch clamp recordings of hippocampal neurons to determine the impact of lithium on synaptic transmission that may underlie the behavioral effects. Lithium produced a significant decrease in α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR)-mediated miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) amplitudes due to postsynaptic homeostatic plasticity that was dependent on BDNF and its receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB). The decrease in AMPAR function was due to reduced surface expression of GluA1 subunits through dynamin-dependent endocytosis. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a requirement for BDNF in the antimanic action of lithium and identify enhanced dynamin-dependent endocytosis of AMPARs as a potential mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of lithium.
Tuning exciton-polaritons in monolayer WS 2 using electrical field gating

We demonstrate the tuning of the exciton-polaritons in monolayer WS 2 embedded in a microcavity via electrostatic gating at room temperature. Under high electron doping the formation of polaritons with the charged excitons is observed.
Dynamic Participant Selection for Large-Scale Mobile Crowd Sensing

With the rapid increasing of smart phones and the advances of embedded sensing technologies, mobile crowd sensing (MCS) becomes an emerging sensing paradigm for large-scale sensing applications. One of the key challenges of large-scale mobile crowd sensing is how to effectively select the minimum set of participants from the huge user pool to perform the tasks and achieve a certain level of coverage while satisfying some constraints. This becomes more complex when the sensing tasks are dynamic (coming in real time) and heterogeneous (with different temporal and spacial coverage requirements). In this paper, we consider such a dynamic participant selection problem with heterogeneous sensing tasks which aims to minimize the sensing cost while maintaining certain level of probabilistic coverage. Both offline and online algorithms are proposed to solve the challenging problem. Extensive simulations over a real-life mobile dataset confirm the efficiency of the proposed algorithms.
Growth response of Podocarpus and Ligustrum to VA mycorrhizae and fertilizer rate.

Abstract Container-grown Podocarpus macrophyllus (Thunb.) D. Don and Ligustrum japonicum Thunb. inoculated or noninoculated with the mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices Schenck & Smith were fertilized with Lesco 20N-2.6P-10K (20-6-12) at either 0, 4.3, 8.6, 17.3 or 34.6 g (0, 0.15, 0.30, 0.60 or 1.20 oz) per 6-l (#2) container. Plants were fertilized at potting and again 3.5 months later for each of 2 consecutive applications. Seven months after potting, P. macrophyllus shoot dry weights were greater for noninoculated than inoculated plants when fertilized with the manufacturer's recommended fertilizer rate of 17.3 g per container. L. japonicum shoot dry weights were not different due to inoculation at the 17.3 g fertilizer rate. Mean heights for P. macrophyllus were greater for the inoculated than noninoculated plants and plants fertilized with one-half the recommended fertlizer rate (8.6 g) were ranked superior to noninoculated P. macrophyllus receiving the manufacturer's recommended rate (17.3 g). O...
Muscle-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Influence Motor Neuron Regeneration Accuracy.

Abstract Extracellular vesicles are lipid bilayer-enclosed extracellular structures. Although the term extracellular vesicles is quite inclusive, it generally refers to exosomes (
Platelet Activation in End-Stage Renal Disease Is Mediated By Extracellular Nucleosomes That Originate from White Blood Cells

Abstract Introduction Extracellular nucleosomes in plasma (PNs) are complexes of DNA and histones that are released during cell death and inflammatory responses. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) represents a complex syndrome where inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and hemostatic aberrations contribute to the observed vascular manifestations. The purpose of this investigation is to profile PNs in patients with ESRD and to demonstrate their relevance to blood cells and platelet activation products. Methods Pre-dialysis plasma samples from patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (n = 90) at Loyola University outpatient dialysis unit were collected under an approved IRB protocol. Plasma samples from healthy individuals (n = 50) were purchased from a biobank as a control (George King Biomedical, Overland Park, Kansas). Complete blood count profiles, including white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cells (RBCs), and platelets were obtained from the patients’ medical records. The levels of PNs in ESRD patients and healthy volunteers were measured using the Cell Death Detection ELISA PLUS assay (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). MP-TF levels were measured using the Zymuphen MP-TF kit (Hyphen BioMed, Neuville-sur-Oise, France). PDGF levels were measured using the Human PDGF-BB Quantikine ELISA Kit (RD p Conclusion This study clearly demonstrates that extracellular nucleosomes are elevated in the plasma of patients with ESRD. The fact that the PN levels correlated with the number of circulating white blood cells suggest that the PNs originate from these cells. Since the ESRD patients exhibited platelet activation, as evident by the observed increase in PDGF, MP-TF and PF4, it is plausible that this activation is mediated by PNs originating from the WBCs. As observed by the positive correlation between WBCs, PDGF, and platelet count, this study underscores the potential role of nucleosomes originating from WBCs in the activation of platelets. These results are consistent with previously reported observations that extracellular histones can induce platelet activation in a TLR2 and TLR4 dependent manner (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21673343). Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene Expression and Cloning of the Mouse χ-Like ADH

Some of the differences between individuals in the metabolism of alcohol and in their susceptibility to alcoholism or its complications may be due to differences in the metabolism of ethanol. The amount of each different isozyme expressed will influence the overall alcohol dehydrogenase activity in a given tissue, and could play an important role in mediating or modulating the effects of ethanol. For these reasons, we have been studying the structure and expression of the mammalian alcohol dehydrogenases.
Index theory and noncommutative geometry: a survey

This chapter is an introductory survey of selected topics in index theory in the context of noncommutative geometry, focusing in particular on Alain Connes’ contributions. This survey has two parts. In the first part, we consider index theory in the setting of K-theory of C∗ algebras. The second part focuses on the local index formula of A. Connes and H. Moscovici in the context of noncommutative geometry.
Rare Presentation of Cardiotoxicity Related to 5-Fluorouracil

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a chemotherapeutic agent frequently used for the treatment of solid tumors. In a few cases, 5-FU can be associated with coronary vasospasm, cardiac ischemia, or life-threatening arrhythmias. Recognition of 5-FU cardiotoxicity is clinically important as after the rapid sensation of therapy, cardiotoxicity can be completely reversible, and on the other hand, readministration may lead to serious damage of the heart and even death. A 70-year-old male came to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain which started while receiving an infusion of 5-FU. The patient did not have a personal history or risk factors of coronary artery disease and his electrocardiogram (ECG) before starting chemotherapy was completely normal. In the ED, his ECG had ischemic changes, troponin was elevated, and echocardiogram showed anterior wall hypokinesis. However, emergent coronary angiogram did not reveal any acute coronary occlusion. 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity was suspected; the patient was admitted to a progressive care unit for close monitoring and infusion of calcium channel blockers was initiated. The patient's symptoms and ECG findings gradually resolved, and two days later on discharge, patient was chest pain free and ECG was normal. This case supports the vasospastic hypothesis of 5-FU cardiac toxicity, describes its clinical course, and emphasizes the importance of better awareness and early recognition of the rare side effect as it may allow physicians to reduce the risk of life-threatening complications.
Liberal vs Restrictive Hemoglobin Levels as Thresholds for Blood Transfusions

Blood transfusion is a common treatment of anemia due to chronic disease or acute blood loss. However, there continues to be uncertainty concerning the appropriate threshold for transfusion. A restrictive protocol could decrease blood administered, transmissible infections, transfusion reactions, volume overload, and utilization of a limited commodity. However, anemia may result in decreased oxygen delivery which could lead to metabolic dysfunction an increased cell death. Determining an appropriate transfusion threshold is thus an important objective. A previous Cochrane review found the use of restrictive thresholds decreased transfusions compared to liberal thresholds. No difference in secondary outcomes, including 30-day mortality, hospital length of stay, cardiac events, and myocardial infarction, was noted.
Quantifications of Oleocolloid Matrices Made of Whey Protein and Oleogels.

Consumer demand for high protein content and plant-based fat has necessitated novel approaches to healthy food products. In response to this need, oleogels (OG) (structured liquid oils) emerged as a possible means of not only replacing saturated and trans fats but also delivering food protein. Nevertheless, an in-depth view of the structure of networks made of OG and protein is deficient. Hence, the objective of this study is developing oleocolloid (OC) (whey protein and rice bran wax OG) and hydro-oleocolloid (HOC) (OC + water) matrices with varying protein content (2.5–7.5%) to characterize their structural properties. Thermal analysis of the matrices via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) documented the effects of hydrophobic interactions on the protein structure and its stability. Whey protein denaturation temperature increased from 74.9 °C to 102.8 °C in the presence of high oleic soybean oil. The effects of vegetable oil on WPI structure was also verified by FTIR spectroscopy. Data analysis revealed slight structural changes of the WPI secondary structure in the hydrophobic oil medium and the α-helix and β-sheet proportion in the emulsion medium was significantly altered. Similar analysis was performed in OC and HOC networks to quantify possible interactions between protein and rice bran wax. Results indicated that the protein was denatured during the thermal and mechanical conditions required for the oleogelation process, while it did not affect the systems’ solid fat content (SFC) and polymorphic patterns of the oleogels. However, DSC analysis showed different onset of melting for OC and HOC samples due to colloidal interactions between the protein and the lipid phase. The role of these chemistry was confirmed by microscopy analyses where OC and HOC matrices displayed notably different microstructural properties. The observed differences in the structural properties between OC and HOC matrices indicate the different colloidal interactions mediated by oleogelation process and the liquid medium type (oil vs. emulsion).
Central vein sign and other radiographic features distinguishing myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease from multiple sclerosis and aquaporin-4 antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica:

Background:Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD) can radiographically mimic multiple sclerosis (MS) and aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum dis...
A phase 3, randomized, double-blind study to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of 3 lots of 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in pneumococcal vaccine-naive adults 18 through 49 years of age

Abstract Introduction Introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), including the 13-valent PCV (PCV13), has considerably reduced pneumococcal disease burden. However, additional serotypes not in PCV13 continue to present a substantial disease burden. The 20-valent PCV (PCV20) was developed to expand protection against pneumococcal disease beyond PCV13. As part of the phase 3 clinical development program, the current study assessed consistency of immune responses across 3 lots of PCV20 and described the safety profile of PCV20. Methods This phase 3, randomized, multicenter, double-blind study of pneumococcal vaccine-naive adults 18–49 years of age randomized 1710 participants in a 2:2:2:1 ratio to receive 1 of 3 lots of PCV20 or PCV13. Immunogenicity was assessed through serotype-specific opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) titers before and approximately 1 month (28–42 days) after vaccination. Reported local reactions within 10 days, systemic events within 7 days, adverse events (AEs) within 30 days, and serious AEs (SAEs) and newly diagnosed chronic medical conditions (NDCMCs) within 6 months after vaccination were evaluated. Results Equivalence in immune responses (OPA geometric mean titers) for all 20 vaccine serotypes was demonstrated across the 3 PCV20 lots. Robust responses, assessed by OPA geometric mean fold rises, percentage of participants achieving ≥4-fold rises, and percentage of participants with OPA titers ≥lower limit of quantitation, were observed after PCV20. Reported rates of local reactions, systemic events, and AEs were similar between the pooled PCV20 lots and PCV13; most events were mild or moderate. Reported rates of SAEs and NDCMCs were low and similar between the PCV20 and PCV13 groups. Conclusions Three different lots of PCV20 demonstrated robust and consistent immunogenicity. The safety and tolerability of PCV20 was acceptable and similar to that of PCV13. (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03828617).
Pediatric upper extremity firearm injuries: an analysis of demographic factors and recurring mechanisms of injury

Little is known regarding risk factors specific to pediatric upper extremity firearm injuries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate pediatric patients treated for these injuries to identify at-risk populations and recurring mechanisms of injury. A 20-year retrospective review was conducted. Patients 17 years of age and younger, with upper extremity injuries related to a firearm, were included. Analysis involved Fisher’s exact and Chi-square tests. One hundred and eighty patients were included. The mean age was 12.04 ± 4.3 years. Most included patients were male (85%). Interestingly, females were more frequently victims of assault (P = 0.03), and males were more frequently injured due to accidental discharge (P < 0.001). The most affected race/ethnicity was White-not Hispanic or Latino (48%). The hand was the most frequent location injured (31%) and was more likely to be accidental than proximal injuries (P = 0.003). Air rifles were the most common firearm type used (56%). Pistols were implicated in 47 (26%) cases, rifles in 17 (9%), and shotguns in 10 (6%). Ninety-nine (55%) patients had procedures in the operating room. The most frequent procedure was foreign body removal (55%). Risk factors such as male sex, White-not Hispanic or Latino race/ethnicity, and adolescent age were attributed to increased risk for injury. Male sex was associated with increased risk of injury by accidental discharge and female sex with intentional assault. Air rifles were the most common firearm type overall, although female sex was associated with increased risk for injury by powder weapon.
Competing Explanations for Parallel Conduct: Lessons from the Australian Detergent Case (Colgate-Palmolive)

Parallel conduct by competing firms can be the result of completely independent and uncontroversial behaviour, such as when all suppliers are affected by and respond unilaterally to the same increase in costs. At the other extreme, parallel conduct can be the result of interdependent and deliberately coordinated behaviour, such as when all suppliers meet in the proverbial smoke-filled room and agree to fix prices. But as economists have been telling us for decades, there is a vast middle ground, where the parallel conduct stems from some degree of interdependence and some behaviour short of the hard-core cartel described above. Understanding the reasons for the parallel behaviour and deciding what to do about it is a central element of modern antitrust law and policy. Our goal in this paper is to make some incremental progress by exploring, in the Australian context, how a firm can escape the allegation that it has been a party to a contract, arrangement or understanding even when its conduct in the marketplace appears to be roughly parallel to that of its competitors. Our vehicle for this approach is the decision of the trial judge in the laundry detergent case (ACCC v Colgate-Palmolive), upheld by the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia, to dismiss the case brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission against Cussons, the one producer of detergent that actually went to trial, determining that the ACCC had not succeeded in proving that Cussons was a party to any collusive arrangement or understanding with its competitors (Colgate and Unilever) or with one of its major customers (Woolworths). It is our hope that an analysis of the evidence in the case and the claims that were made (and either accepted or rejected) based on that evidence will assist in framing the ongoing debate about where the boundary between lawful and unlawful conduct lies (or should lie) and will highlight the kinds of economic evidence that advance the debate.
Water Resources Planning Using Computer Graphics

The application of interactive computer graphics to water resources planning provides convenience and flexibility on a minicomputer budget. Utilizing an interactive computer graphics system, a software package has been developed which provides the user with a variety of water resources planning models. Simulation models are applied to problems involving water quality prediction, flood control and multi-reservoir operation. An optimization model performs a multiobjective analysis of costs and yields for water supply reservoirs. The computer graphics framework permits three dimensional data to be quickly and conveniently defined. Its flexibility in the types of available visual displays aids users in better understanding the possible impacts of water resources projects. As computer technology improves, interactive computer graphics hardware will provide the capability of analyzing and evaluating larger, more complex water resources problems.
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Testing in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Lung cancer is the most lethal cancer in the USA, with an estimated 220,000 new diagnoses in 2011 and a case mortality rate of ~85 % [1]. This combination of high incidence and mortality makes lung cancer the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in American men and women, responsible for more deaths than the next four cancers (breast, prostate, colon, and pancreas) combined [1]. Lung cancer is not restricted to the USA, and lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality around the world.
Nearing the Finish Line: Dealing with Impasse in Commercial Mediation

This article, selected for an anthology of best articles to appear in ABA magazines, analyzes the phenomenon of impasse in mediation. Parties in commercial mediation often fall into impasse, particularly when they bargain positionally. This is a challenging stage of the process, since at that point both principals and lawyers are often tired and frustrated and genuinely believe their opponent is demanding unfair compromises. The article describes techniques and stratagems that activist mediators use to overcome impasse and lead or push disputants to settlement. It is accompanied by an article by Hon. Wayne Brazil criticizing some of the techniques it advocates.
Sampling Agricultural Resources

Agricultural surveys gather data about agricultural production, land management practices, and economic outcomes for farms. Because they involve a complex mix of estimation goals and reporting units, probability samples for agricultural surveys are challenging to design. Two types of sampling frames are used: list frames of agricultural producers and area frames that represent units of land. List frames are cheaper to maintain and easier to select samples from, but may be incomplete. Area frames, which involve selecting land areas or points on the land, are expensive to use, but have full coverage of the population. Some surveys use both types of frames to control costs and estimate coverage bias of the list frame. Regardless of the frame, stratification and multistage sampling are commonly used to balance operational constraints and precision goals for agricultural surveys. Keywords: area sample; list frame; probability sample; multistage sample; coverage bias; land survey; establishment survey
Notes on the Life of a Tortured Optimist

This article is an autobiographical account of the author's background, educational experiences, and academic life and work as a professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin. Particular attention is given to the author's scholarly and research interests, and to how crises involving the organizational setting in which he worked are related to the sociological problems he has addressed since the early 1960s, especially those concerning bureaucracy and human rights.
Chronic Low-Dose MPTP in Nonhuman Primates: A Possible Model for Attention Deficit Disorder

Schneider and Kovelowski (1990) showed that chronic low-dose N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) administration to monkeys caused cognitive dysfunction without significant motor impairment on tasks thought to be related to the caudate-frontal axis. The cognitive difficulties were similar to those seen in monkeys with frontal lesions, normal young monkeys, and normal young children. The caudate-frontal dysfunction is consistent with the cognitive difficulties that are thought to exist in children with attention deficit disorder (ADD). The caudate-frontal dysfunction is also consistent with the distribution of decreased cerebral blood flow and, presumably, decreased metabolism that has recently been found in children with ADD. In monkeys given chronic low-dose MPTP, pilot neurochemical studies have suggested abnormalities in dopamine and norepinephrine metabolism, the two neurotransmitters most frequently linked with ADD. We suggest that chronic low-dose MPTP induced cognitive dysfunction in...
Howling like Wolves, Bleating like Lambs: Singers and the Discourse of Animality in the Late Middle Ages

In 1247 Simon of Saint-Quentin compared Mongol song to the howling of wolves. Like Simon, authors writing about music from the late thirteenth to mid-sixteenth century often associate the singing of certain socio-linguistic groups with the vocalizations of animals. This article argues that these statements betray what Cary Wolfe has termed the discourse of animality. This discourse seeks through a process of alienation to define morally or theologically the Latin West’s place in the world. Yet anthropomorphized animals in literature and song often instruct human readers/listeners in social and moral conduct. What might it mean when singers take on the voices of animals in Giovanni da Cascia’s Agnel son bianco and Donato da Cascia’s Lucida pecorella? By tracing metaphorical references to sheep, goats, and wolves in classical Roman and medieval literature, the article offers new social and political readings of these two madrigals.
Experimental evaluation of Opportunistic Spectrum Access in distributed cognitive radio networks

Opportunistic Spectrum Access (OSA) is foreseen as the future of wireless communications. However, today's cognitive radio technologies lag far behind the OSA goals and do not allow for the applicability of exiting theoretical distributed OSA techniques. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate the ability of realizing OSA despite the practical limitations of existing transceiver technologies. We use the general purpose Wireless open-Access Research Platform (WARP) to instrument the implementation of fundamental OSA functionalities. Then we implement a suite of OSA schemes using this implementation framework. Our experiments show that suboptimal but practical OSA approaches such as random spectrum sensing and non-greedy access achieve superior performance given cognitive radios with limited capabilities compared to OSA approaches that are optimized for fully-capable cognitive radio networks (e.g., with wide-band sensing capability and adopt winner-takes-all access relying on network-wide coordination mechanisms).
Developing context-dependent service-oriented applications

Developing service-oriented applications is concerned with the two main areas 1) service definition and provision, and 2) service composition. Current approaches for the definition and provision of services ignore the relationship between the service contract and the conditions in which the service can guarantee its contract. These conditions are necessary to associate the related contextual information, such as the context of the service provider and the context of service requester. Current composition approaches compose only service functionality and ignore nonfunctional requirements. Thus, service contracts, and context information that are part of services are left out of the composition, and verification. The FrSeC architecture aims to remedy this situation. The architecture supports the specification, publication, discovery, selection, and composition of services, where a service with its functional and nonfunctional aspects is bound to a context-driven contract. In this paper, we discuss developing service-oriented applications using FrSeC.
The effect of uterine volume, uterine pressure and maternal position on cervical stress: The biomechanics of common static loads

ON CERVICAL STRESS: THE BIOMECHANICS OF COMMON STATIC LOADS MICHAEL HOUSE, ANASTASSIA PASKALEVA, KRISTIN MYERS, SABRINA CRAIGO, SIMONA SOCRATE, Tufts University, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Boston, Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Cambridge, Massachusetts OBJECTIVE: In the absence of contractions, the cervix is subjected to a relatively static mechanical load. This static load arises primarily from hydrostatic forces and intrauterine pressure. Our objective was to use a three-dimensional (3D), solid body, computer-based model of the pelvic organs during pregnancy to demonstrate how intrauterine volume, intrauterine pressure and maternal position affect the stress distribution within the cervix. STUDY DESIGN: Mathematical equations that model the mechanical responses of the pelvic organs were combined with 3D anatomic geometry in a finite element framework. Representative anatomic geometry was derived from 3D pelvic magnetic resonance images during pregnancy. We assumed that the cervical stroma is the load bearing tissue within the cervix. Static loading conditions and uterine growth were simulated using finite element methodology. Three simulations were performed. The internal stress distribution within the cervical stroma was measured as a function of 1) intrauterine volume, 2) intrauterine pressure and 3) maternal position. RESULTS: As intrauterine volume increased, the cervical stroma was subjected to increasing cervical stress, which produced a characteristic stress distribution. The distribution was characterized by peak stress at the internal os, decreasing stress along the axis of the cervical canal and minimum stress at the external os. Changes in maternal position corresponding to bedrest or Trendelenberg caused a decrease in the magnitude of cervical stress because the mechanical load decreased. In contrast, a rise in intrauterine pressure increased the magnitude of cervical stress. Although the magnitude of the stress distribution changed in response to changes in maternal position and intrauterine pressure, the shape of the stress distribution pattern remained the same. CONCLUSION: The internal stress distribution within the cervical stroma is a complex function of intrauterine volume, intrauterine pressure and anatomic position with respect to gravity.
Diversity and plasticity of the anti-DNA topoisomerase I autoantibody response in scleroderma.

Objective. To examine domain recognition by anti-DNA topoisomerase I (anti-DNA topo I, or anti-topo I) antibodies over time in scleroderma patients. Methods. Serial serum samples from scleroderma patients with known reactivity to Scl-70, a 70-kd topo I breakdown product, were tested by immunoblot for IgM, IgG, IgA, κ, and A reactivity to Scl-70 and 8 overlapping recombinant peptide fragments (F1-F8) that span the human topo I molecule. Results. IgM, IgG, K, and A anti-topo I antibodies in both early-disease and late-disease serum samples preferentially recognized the Scl-70 molecule rather than the F1-F8 peptides, suggesting preferential recognition of conformational determinants on Scl-70 throughout the disease course. Amounts of both primary and secondary anti-topo I antibodies to Scl-70 varied over time, including increases in primary antibody responses late in the disease course. Striking variability in recognition of the F1-F8 peptides by IgM, IgG, IgA, K, and A anti-topo I antibodies was seen in serial samples. Most often, the change in F1-F8 recognition from one sample to the next was unpredictable, although occasionally patterns of antibody recognition were reciprocal in serial samples. Of note, in several patients, what could have been interpreted as domain spreading among F1-F8 in 2 successive samples was just a part of changing antibody reactivity to these peptides that again became more restricted in a third sample. Conclusion. Titers and immunodominant domains recognized by both primary and secondary anti-topo I antibodies are highly variable over time. This suggests continual antigen presentation and regulation of the anti-topo I antibody response in scleroderma, even late in the disease course.
Varve formation in the Gulf of California: Insights from time series sediment trap sampling and remote sensing

The varved sediments that accumulate in the central Gulf of California (Guaymas and Carmen Basins) provide a record that allows for the resolution of annual to decadal-scale climate variability in this region. Time-series sediment trapping, combined with remotely sensed observations of sea surface temperature (AVHRR) and color (CZCS), have been used to examine the mechanism of varve formation in the central Gulf. SST and surface pigment concentration records for both the mainland and Baja sides of the Gulf display similar seasonal trends. High temperatures and low pigment concentrations occur synchronously on both sides of the central Gulf from June through to October. In association with the 1991/92 El Nino, warm temperatures persist in the central Gulf until December. Low SSTs typically occur from December through May, with high pigment concentrations marking the period from November through April. The summer-early fall (June–October) is a time of high terrigenous and biogenic sediment fluxes. During this time of year, the total flux is dominated by eolian-transported lithogenic material and dark laminae are deposited during this period. During El Nino years, high terrigenous fluxes may extend into winter. Light laminae represent deposition from November through May, during which time biogenic material dominates the total sediment flux. High opal fluxes beginning in November are attributed to seasonal cooling of surface water and upward mixing of nutrients. True upwelling conditions do not develop in the Gulf until late winter-spring. During this time, the total flux is still dominated by opal but the magnitude of the flux is reduced. This may be an artifact of phytoplankton grazing and not lower production rates.
Laser-assisted micro/nanoscale material processing and in-situ diagnostics for solar applications

Lasers have proven to be efficient tools in a variety of micro/nanoscale material processing and diagnostics. In this talk, recent research activities will be presented, focused on the laser-assisted manufacturing and diagnostics technologies for solar applications. Examples include laser scribing and spectroscopic in-situ monitoring for thin film solar cells, surface structuring to achieve improved light trapping at superior conversion efficiency, laser-assisted local doping based on wide range of laser parameters, via hole fabrications for back contact formation, and direct synthesis of multi-bandgap nanomaterials. In addition, the advanced in-situ diagnostics of laser interaction with photovoltaic materials system will be discussed.
Enhanced flux creep and nonequilibrium optical response in YBaCuO epitaxial films

Abstract Two novel flux creep related phenomena in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ films are presented: a sharp onset of nonequilibrium optical response and a thermally activated electrical resistivity with logarithmic current dependence of the activation energy. This nonlinear current dependence is significantly different from the predictions of the standard flux creep model.
Comparison of Dopamine Uptake in the Basolateral Amygdaloid Nucleus, Caudate‐Putamen, and Nucleus Accumbens of the Rat

Regional differences in the kinetics and pharmacological inhibition of dopamine uptake were investigated with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in both the intact rat brain and a brain slice preparation. The regions compared were the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus, caudate-putamen, and nucleus accumbens. The frequency dependence of dopamine efflux evoked in vivo by electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle was evaluated by nonlinear curve fitting with a Michaelis-Menten-based kinetic model. The Km for dopamine uptake was found to be significantly higher in the basolateral amygdala (0.6 microM) than in the other two regions (0.2 microM), whereas the Vmax value for dopamine uptake in the basolateral amygdala was significantly lower (0.49 microM/s vs. 3.8 and 2.4 microM/s in the caudate and accumbens, respectively). Similar kinetics were also obtained in brain slices. Addition of a dopamine uptake inhibitor, cocaine or nomifensine (10 microM), to the perfusion buffer increased the apparent Km value > 25-fold in slices of both the caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens. In contrast, neither uptake inhibitor had an observable effect in the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus. Thus, dopamine uptake in the rat brain is regionally distinct with regard to rate, affinity, and sensitivity to competitive inhibition.
The CIA's TPBEDAMN Operation and the 1953 Coup in Iran

This article gives an overview of TPBEDAMN, a large covert operation the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) carried out in Iran for several years in the early 1950s. TPBEDAMN was a psychological warfare operation intended to undermine the influence of the Soviet Union and its Iranian ally, the Communist Tudeh Party, through covert propaganda and political action activities. When U.S. officials decided in early 1953 to overthrow Iran's prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddeq, they relied heavily on TPBEDAMN's large network of Iranian agents and subagents to plan and implement a coup d'etat. The overview of TPBEDAMN presented here helps to clarify both the nature of the organizational apparatus the CIA used against Mosaddeq and the broader context within which the coup occurred, especially the intense Cold War climate that prevailed and the prevalence of psychological warfare in this era.
The effect of vitamin a deficiency on photoreceptors in the lizard Sceloporus occidentalis

Abstract Adult Western Fence Lizards maintained for a year on a vitamin A-free diet showed marked degeneration of the cones in the lateral eyes and of the receptors in the parietal (third) eye. Electron microscopy reveals that the disks of the outer segments of both types of receptors break up into vesicles. Many parts of the photoreceptors show no observable change as a result of the vitamin A deficiency. Further study is needed to determine whether other structures in the third eye are affected, such as the paraboloid-like body and the whorls in large nerve fibers.
Beating heart direct left atrial access balloon cryoablation: safety and efficacy of pulmonary vein isolation in an ovine model.

ObjectiveClinical experience with endocardial cryoablation for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation has demonstrated safety and efficacy. Direct access to the left atrium via a thoracoscop...
Repeated intermittent methylenedioxymethamphetamine exposure protects against the behavioral and neurotoxic, but not hyperthermic, effects of an MDMA binge in adult rats.

We have recently shown that chronic intermittent exposure of adolescent rats to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or Ecstasy) completely blocks the reduction in serotonin transporter (SERT) binding and the hypoactivity seen following a subsequent MDMA binge treatment. The present study determined whether a similar neuroprotective effect also occurs in rats given the same intermittent MDMA exposure in adulthood. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were given either MDMA (10 mg/kg × 2) or saline, every fifth day, from postnatal day (PD) 60 to PD 85. The MDMA-induced latency until seminal plug production was reduced over the course of intermittent treatments. After a 1-week wash-out period, animals received either a low- or high-dose MDMA binge (2.5 or 5.0 mg/kg × 4). Core body temperature was measured during and after the binge to determine the effects of MDMA pretreatment on MDMA-induced hyperthermia. Spontaneous motor activity was determined the next day, and cortical and hippocampal samples were collected at 1 week postbinge to measure serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations as well as [3H]citalopram binding to SERT. Hyperthermia occurred more rapidly and seminal discharge was more common in the MDMA-pretreated group compared to the MDMA-naive group in animals given the low-dose binge. MDMA preexposure protected animals from the reductions in cortical 5-HT levels and SERT binding produced by the high-dose binge and blocked the postbinge hypoactivity. These findings indicate that chronic, intermittent MDMA exposure in adulthood induces neuroprotective effects similar to those seen with adolescent treatment. However, there was also evidence for drug-induced sensitization in adults that was not observed in adolescents. Thus, altered drug sensitivity in chronic Ecstasy users may depend not only on the frequency and pattern of use but also on the age of the user. Synapse 64:421–431, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.