cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anti-infectious and Anti-tumor Activities of β-glucans.

Background/aim The aim of this study was to directly compare the anti-infectious and anti-cancer effects of five commercially available glucans. Materials and methods We used five different glucans isolated from algae, yeast, bacteria, oat, and mushroom. We compared their effects on the stimulation of phagocytosis of blood cells, on the secretion of IL-2, and on the inhibition of melanoma and breast and lung cancers. In addition, we evaluated the effects of glucan supplementation on two experimental models of infection. Results Most of the tested glucans stimulated phagocytosis and IL-2 secretion, reduced cancer growth, and ameliorated some effects of experimental infections. Conclusion Glucans can produce significant pleiotropic effects, but the activity varies among individual samples.
Child Neurology: Late-Onset Vitamin B6-Dependent Epilepsy Identified by Rapid Genome Sequencing.

Hundreds of distinct epilepsy-causing genes have been identified.1 The vitamin B6-dependent epilepsies are a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders due to incomplete formation, transport, or inactivation of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP).2 The ALDH7A1 , PNPO , ALPL , ALDH4A1 , and more recently PLPBP genes have been implicated.3 Characteristic presentation of vitamin B6-dependent epilepsies includes neonatal onset of encephalopathy and seizures refractory to first-line antiseizure medications (ASMs) followed by cessation or dramatic improvement of seizures after administration of pyridoxine or PLP. Because initiation of proper treatment is essential for seizure control, timely diagnosis is critical to optimizing clinical outcome. We describe the case of a 3-year-old boy who presented with progressively worsening refractory seizures starting at 14 months of age and was subsequently diagnosed with pyridoxal phosphate homeostasis protein (PLPHP) deficiency via rapid genome sequencing during a critical care hospitalization for status epilepticus. He was started on pyridoxine with immediate cessation of seizure activity and has remained seizure-free. We review the diagnosis, management, and outcome of PLPHP deficiency, as well as implications for use of rapid genetic testing in the acute care setting.
Association between Sleep Duration, Physical Activity, and Mental Health Disorders: A Secondary Analysis of the National Survey of Children's Health 2017-2018.

Background The purpose of this article was to examine the association of sleep duration and physical activity and their interactions on mental health disorders in American children aged 6-17 years. Methods Data were analyzed from the combined 2017-2018 National Survey of Children's health. Ultimately, a total of 36370 children aged 6-17 years were selected as the samples. Weighted logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results Insufficient sleep duration was associated with an increased risk for current anxiety, depression, and behavior/conduct problems (odds ratio = 1.449, 1.991, 1.375; 95% confidence interval: 1.313-1.702, 1.648-2.406, 1.162-1.627). Insufficient physical activity was associated with an increased risk for current anxiety (odds ratio = 1.448; 95% confidence interval: 1.230-1.706) and depression (odds ratio = 1.743; 95% confidence interval: 1.304-2.329). In addition, additive interactions between sleep duration and physical activity were observed on current anxiety and depression. Conclusions Insufficient sleep duration and insufficient physical activity in children were associated with mental health disorders. There is a synergistic interaction effect between insufficient sleep duration and insufficient physical activity on current anxiety and current depression.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics, Maximum Work, and Sample Problems

The material presented in this lecture is adapted from Chapter 4 of T&M. First, we will present a more general statement of the Second Law of Thermodynamics than the one presented in Lecture 9. To this end, we will introduce the concept of entropy created in a process (zero for a reversible process and greater than zero for an irreversible one). Second, we will show that, as discussed in Lecture 9, although the entropy changes along reversible and irreversible paths are equal (because entropy is a function of state), more heat is produced along the irreversible path and more work is produced along the reversible path. Third, we will solve Sample Problem 10.1 to illustrate the calculation of maximum work for a particular reversible process. Fourth, we will solve Sample Problem 10.2 to prove that heat always flows from a hot body to a cold body, including showing that as long as heat transfer takes place (an irreversible process), entropy is created. Fifth, we will derive a criterion of equilibrium based on the entropy, which states that the entropy attains its maximum value at thermodynamic equilibrium. Finally, we will solve Sample Problem 10.3 to calculate the entropy change of a closed, simple system undergoing a reversible process, including when the process is isobaric.
The State of Morning Report in the Current Healthcare Landscape: a National Survey of Internal Medicine Program Directors

Case-based Morning Report (MR) has long been the predominant educational conference in Internal Medicine (IM) residency programs. The last comprehensive survey of IM MR was in 1986. Much has changed in the healthcare landscape since 1986 that may impact MR. We sought to determine the current state of MR across all US IM programs. In 2018, US IM program directors (PDs) were surveyed about the dynamics of MR at their institutions, perceived pressures, and realized changes. The response rate was 70.2% (275/392). MR remains highly prevalent (97.5% of programs), although held less frequently (mean 3.9 days/week, SD 1.2), for less time (mean 49.4 min, SD 12.3), and often later in the day compared to 1986. MR attendees have changed, with more diversity of learners but less presence of educational leaders. PD presence at MR is associated with increased resident attendance (high attendance: 78% vs 61%, p=0.0062) and punctuality (strongly agree/agree: 59% vs 43%, p=0.0161). The most cited goal for MR is utilizing cases to practice clinical reasoning. Nearly 40% of PDs feel pressure to move or cancel MR; of those, 61.2% have done so, most commonly changing the timing (48.5%), reducing the length (18.4%), and reducing the number of sessions per week (11.7%). Compared to community-based and to community-based, university-affiliated programs, university-based programs have 2.9 times greater odds (95% CI: 1.3, 6.9; p = 0.0081) and 2.5 times greater odds (95% CI 1.5, 4.4; p =0.0007), respectively, of holding MR after 9 AM, and 1.8 times greater odds (95% CI: 0.8, 4.2; p = 0.1367) and 2.0 times greater odds (95% CI: 1.2, 3.5; p = 0.0117), respectively, of reporting pressure to cancel or move MR compared to their counterparts. While MR ubiquity reflects its continued perceived value, PDs have modified MR to accommodate changes in the healthcare environment. This includes reduced frequency, shorter length, and moving conferences later in the day. Additional studies are needed to understand how these changes impact learning.
Encapsulating Battery Components with Melting Gels

For forming hermetic seals, melting gels are being studied as an alternative to epoxy. A typical melting gel is prepared by mixing together methyltnethoxysilane (MTES) and dimethyldiethoxysilane (DMDES), precursors with one or two methyl groups substituted for ethoxy. The methyl groups do not hydrolyze, which limits the network-forming capability of the precursors and contributes to the unusual softening behavior of the gels. The hermeticity of melting gels has been evaluated, both in contact with ionizing solvents used in electrolj^s and in contact with metallic lithium. Melting gels limit gas transport and protect battery components. INTRODUCTION Batteries, namely lithium-ion batteries, by design are electrochemically active systems'* . This poses a challenge to the materials that are used to seal battery components, because the components, especially the anode and electrolyte, are reactive. The encapsulating materials have to protect the components from environmental degradation without interfering with the fimclioning of the battery, The best seals would be inoi^anic glasses that seal at greater than 350'C. When high temperature sealing is not practical, organic polymers often are used, but their hermeticity is never as good as that of inorganic sealing glasses^. WTiat melting gels offer are nanocomposites of organic and inorganic components that can be formulated (a) to be more hermetic than polymers and (b) to soften and seal at temperatures below 200'C. To understand the role of sealing materials, hermeticity and permeation need to be defined. Measures of hermeticity are conftjsing and hard to compare direcdy, because the units, such as grams per meter squared per hour, often are related to test set-up. Hermeticity varies with temperature, ambient pressure and relative humidity. By any measure of hermeticity, it is clear that water vapor transport and oxygen transport have to be extremely low. Permeation is defined as the mass transfer of a gas through a solid The permeation rate is dependent on the solubility of gas into the solid and the difftisivity of gas through a solid. Another way to penetrate through a barrier is permeation via microscopic defects in the coatings. These defects may arise fi'ora impurities on the substrate surface or stress during fibn deposition, and these defects have to be avoided. Sealing materials can be made thicker to limit transport, but this is constrained by other design or geometry considerations. In addition to hermeticity, sealing materials have to be compatible in terms of thermal expansion and adhesion**. Looking further ahead, it is also necessary to design for batteries that operate with ions other than lithium, for example sodium*.
Experimental and computational analysis of a large protein network that controls fat storage reveals the design principles of a signaling network.

An approach combining genetic, proteomic, computational, and physiological analysis was used to define a protein network that regulates fat storage in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). A computational analysis of this network shows that it is not scale-free, and is best approximated by the Watts-Strogatz model, which generates “small-world” networks with high clustering and short path lengths. The network is also modular, containing energy level sensing proteins that connect to four output processes: autophagy, fatty acid synthesis, mRNA processing, and MAP kinase signaling. The importance of each protein to network function is dependent on its Katz centrality score, which is related both to the protein’s position within a module and to the module’s relationship to the network as a whole. The network is also divisible into subnetworks that span modular boundaries and regulate different aspects of fat metabolism. We used a combination of genetics and pharmacology to simultaneously block output from multiple network nodes. The phenotypic results of this blockage define patterns of communication among distant network nodes, and these patterns are consistent with the Watts-Strogatz model.
Carp muscle calcium-binding protein. I. Characterization of the tryptic peptides and the complete amino acid sequence of component B.

Abstract The amino acid sequence of carp muscle calcium-binding protein B has been completely determined by a combination of chemical and x-ray data. The protein was subjected to tryptic digestion and the peptides were separated on ion exchange columns. All of the 108 residues of the protein could be accounted for in 15 tryptic peptides. The sequence of each peptide was elucidated by a combination of Edman degradations with dansylation, carboxypeptidase, and aminopeptidase hydrolyses, and high voltage electrophoresis at pH 6.5. One 19-residue tryptic peptide was resistant to Edman degradation and was found by mass spectral analysis to have N-acetylalanine at the NH2 terminus. The sequence of this peptide was determined after digestion with thermolysin. The alignment of both the thermolytic and tryptic peptides to give the over-all sequence was made primarily from the 2.0 A resolution electron density map.
Simulation of Controlled Financial Statements

Many accounting and finance studies investigate the time-series properties of historical accounting records from corporate financial statements. Some of them have recognized the potential benefits of using disaggregated monthly accounting records. Disaggregated data are beneficial because one can use more data points within a relatively short period of time, thus reducing the chance of structural change. The added data points and reduction of the number of variables needed to accommodate potential structural changes can enhance the statistical power of any subsequent analysis. The use of disaggregated data may also improve the predictive ability of time-series analytic approaches. In order to systematically assess various financial indicators and investigate the effects of different organizational characteristics, a large number of monthly statements with certain predetermined characteristics are desirable. However, such statements are not readily available. At best, monthly statements can be obtained from a few volunteer companies. Under this circumstance, simulation of controlled financial statements seems to be a reasonable solution. This research explores a methodology for simulating complete monthly financial statements based on actual company quarterly financial statements. The methodology incorporates the interrelationships among accounting numbers and the effects of exogenous variables. To test the empirical validity and whether the monthly results derived from the quarterly data can accurately track the real monthly figures, we compare the results simulated by the proposed method and those generated by a naive random walk model. We test both complete financial statements for three companies and sales statistics from the retail industry. The results of both tests demonstrate the superiority of the method proposed by this study over a naive random walk model. The proposed simulation method provides an opportunity for researchers to examine the time-series properties of financial statement elements by using the monthly data of a large number of companies. In addition, the simulation approach allows researchers to perform cross sectional comparisons on companies with different characteristics (e.g., sales behavior patterns and degrees of stability) in their financial and economic activities. Moreover, it enables the researchers to manipulate some of these characteristics to test various hypotheses.
The Adoption of New Technologies: Understanding Hollywood’s (Slow) Conversion to Color, 1940-70

Hollywood converted to sound in three years. In comparison, Hollywood's conversion to color required more than three decades, and included a three-year period in which the share of color movies declined from 58 to 31 percent. We investigate this puzzling adoption profile using detailed data on 7,022 movies between 1940 and 1959. These data indicate differences in studio size and complementarity between genre and color impeded the rapid diffusion of color. These data also indicate that disadoption followed weak returns to a wave of color releases that were encouraged by the introduction of a low-cost color process.
Justification of Poetry Comics: A Multimodal Theory of an Improbable Genre

With an ever-increasing variety of comics being produced, it was inevitable that someone try to create poetry comics. However, most attempts at merging comics with poetry have ended in texts that fail to engage the hybrid nature of comics in a satisfactory manner. One of the main problems in creating true poetry comics is the veneration that language has in poetry. The strict language constructions of poetry, if explicitly maintained, will at best result in an illustrated poem. This paper argues that there is a way to create true poetry comics by realizing the segmentivity of poetry and merging that with the comic’s modes of panel and frames. Analyzing two examples of problematic poetry comics, the paper shows how too much reliance on the language and structure of poetry can undermine the poetry comic. A third example illustrates the principles needed in order to create an effective poetry comic.
Seasonal abundance and movement of the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) on rocky substrate in the Duluth–Superior Harbor of Lake Superior

University of Minnesota Master of Science thesis. January 2011. Major: Integrated Biosciences. Advisor: Allen F. Mensinger. 1 computer file (PDF); vi, 50 pages.
Quench cracking in steel as a case of hydrogen embrittlement

The quench cracking that occurs in steels with carbon contents greater than about 0.3 wt% when the steel is austenitized and quenched into water is shown here to require contact of water with the surface of the steel. It can be avoided by first plating the steel with nickel. The appearance of the fracture surface of a quench crack is identical with that of a similar steel that has suffered hydrogen-induced cracking. It is concluded that quench cracking emanates from hydrogen released by the breakdown of water molecules that contact the steel surface.
A System for Multiparameter Pulse Height Analysis with Repeated Use of a Single, Fast ADC

In many nuclear physics experiments an event consists of correlated output pulses from several radiation detectors. We call each separate output pulse a parameter. The experiments with which we are dealing are multiparameter experiments. We have constructed a system in which a single ADC is interfaced to a general purpose computer. Multiparameter experiments are handled by storing the several pulses in analog stretchers and using the ADC repeatedly to digitize the several pulses in sequence. This approach is made practical by the availability of a very fast ADC. The system includes features that give it unusual flexibility for handling complicated time relationships among the pulses. The use of one rather than several ADC's makes the system simpler, more compact, and less expensive than multiple ADC systems. Provisions are included for evaluating counting loss due to dead time of the system for random or non-random event distributions. The data transfer logic incorporates the facility for including digital information from devices in addition to the ADC in each event datum.
An Exploratory Study of the Functional Forms of Export Market Identification Variables

Abstract Exploratory research demonstrates that the import market potential, import market competitiveness, and “barriers-to-imports” variables can be successfully integrated into a shift-share framework for identifying export markets. The authors present managerial implications for global competitive strategy in exporting.
Current strategies for myocardial gene delivery

Existing methods of cardiac gene delivery can be classified by the site of injection, interventional approach and type of cardiac circulation at the time of transfer. General criteria to assess the efficacy of a given delivery method include: global versus regional myocardial transduction, technical complexity and the pathophysiological effects associated with its use, delivery-related collateral expression and the delivery-associated inflammatory and immune response. Direct gene delivery (intramyocardial, endocardial, epicardial) may be useful for therapeutic angiogenesis and for focal arrhythmia therapy but with gene expression which is primarily limited to regions in close proximity to the injection site. An often unappreciated limitation of these techniques is that they are frequently associated with substantial systemic vector delivery. Percutaneous infusion of vector into the coronary arteries is minimally invasive and allows for transgene delivery to the whole myocardium. Unfortunately, efficiency of intracoronary delivery is highly variable and the short residence time of vector within the coronary circulation and significant collateral organ expression limit its clinical potential. Surgical techniques, including the incorporation of cardiopulmonary bypass with isolated cardiac recirculation, represent novel delivery strategies that may potentially overcome these limitations; yet, these techniques are complex with inherent morbidity that must be thoroughly evaluated before safe translation into clinical practice. Characteristics of the optimal technique for gene delivery include low morbidity, increased myocardial transcapillary gradient, extended vector residence time in the coronary circulation and exclusion of residual vector from the systemic circulation after delivery to minimize extracardiac expression and to mitigate a cellular immune response. This article is part of a Special Section entitled “Special Section: Cardiovascular Gene Therapy”.
The possible effect of abstracting guidelines on retrieval performance of free-text searching

Abstract A survey of abstracting guidelines used by producers of bibliographic databases examined abstracting instructions which aim to enhance free-text retrieval. Editors consider content of abstracts and their language as a primary factor in retrieval enhancement. Requirements about the type of abstracts, i.e. informative or indicative, and about their length are not affected by the capability of free-text retrieval. While instructions about content and language of abstracts indicate that better control and coordination results in better retrieval performance, it is not clear as yet in what way type and length of abstracts are affecting retrieval.
Tay-sachs disease: An improved, fully-automated method for heterozygote identification by tear β-hexosaminidase assay

Abstract An automated and reliable method is described for the identification of heterozygous carriers of Tay-Sachs disease by determining the s-hexosaminidase A activity in tears.
Small Group Statistics: A Monte Carlo Comparison of Parametric and Randomization Tests

Under some conditions, behavioral research includes statistical tests to assess the probability of experimental outcomes. Occasionally, sample sizes are insufficient to fulfill the assumptions of traditional parametric procedures. The following study assessed the statistical advantages, correspondence, and accuracy of univariate analyses when small-n samples are calculated in both randomized and traditional/parametric formats. Specifically, we compared probability values for both parametric and randomized two-sample independent t-tests across a series of Monte Carlo, pseudorandom two-group data sets of equal size. In doing so, we identified some patterns of probability change associated with decreasing group size.
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE EFFECTS OF SOFT X-RAY IRRADIATION ON POLYMERS

Abstract The physical and chemical effects of the soft X-ray irradiation of polymers have been systematically evaluated for photon energies just above the C 1s binding energy. This exposure causes radiation damage in the form of the loss of mass and changes to the chemical structure of the polymers. These effects are evident in the Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectra of the exposed polymers, posing a fundamental limit to the sensitivity of NEXAFS spectroscopy for chemical microanalysis. Quantitative understanding of the chemistry and kinetics of radiation damage in polymers is necessary for the successful and validated application of NEXAFS microscopy. This paper outlines a method for quantifying this radiation damage as a function of X-ray dose, and applies these methods to characterize the loss of mass and loss of carbonyl group functionality from a diverse series of polymers. A series of simple correlations are proposed to rationalize the observed radiation damage propensities on the basis of the polymer chemical structure. In addition, NEXAFS spectra of irradiated and virgin polymers are used to provide a first-order identification of the radiation chemistry.
Effectiveness of Short Term Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training in College Students with Cluster B Personality Disorders

This pilot project investigates the efficacy of an 11-week dialectical behavior therapy skills training class in increasing adaptive skill use and emotion regulation in college students with cluster B personality disorders or traits. Subjects are students (N = 19, mean age = 21.31, 1 male, 18 female) at a southeastern university counseling center. Students meeting criteria but not interested in attending the group were recruited to serve as control subjects who received treatment as usual. As compared to treatment as usual, dialectical behavior therapy participants had significant improvement in increasing skills use and decreasing maladaptive coping skills; there was a trend for improvement in difficulty regulating emotions.
1 To 100: Creating an Air Quality Index in Pittsburgh

Air pollution indices and other environmental quality indicators have often been subjects of debate. This article presents a case study of the creation and criticism of an air pollution index in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Long known for its industrial production and the resulting pollution, Pittsburgh was home to engineers, scientists, institutions and corporations that developed new air pollution monitoring technologies in the years after World War II. These newly automated instruments were used as a part of a computerized monitoring network built in the late 1960s by the Allegheny County Health Department. County engineers created a daily air pollution index to summarize the information from the network, leading to public debates over the intent, meaning, and representation of air quality data. This case study serves to illustrate the inherent complexity of creating accessible, understandable, and uniformly acceptable indices of environmental quality. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the social and political context in which data is collected, organized, and interpreted.
My owner, right or wrong: the effect of familiarity on the domestic dog’s behavior in a food-choice task

Dogs are strongly influenced by human behavior, and they readily form bonds with specific humans. Yet these lines of inquiry are not often combined. The goal of this study was to investigate whether such bonds would play a role in how dogs behave in response to human signals. Using various types of signals, we compared dogs’ use of information from a familiar human (their owner) versus an unfamiliar human when choosing between two food containers. In some conditions, the owner indicated a container that gave food and a stranger indicated a container that did not; in other conditions, this was reversed. Dogs more often chose the container indicated by or nearest to their owner, even when this container never yielded a food reward. In two conditions, dogs chose at chance: a control condition in which both pointers were strangers and a condition in which the owner and stranger sat reading books and provided no social signal. This is the first study to directly compare owners to strangers in a single food-choice situation. Our results suggest that dogs make decisions by attending preferentially to social signals from humans with whom they have become familiar.
Reliable estimation of incoherent motion parametric maps from diffusion-weighted MRI using fusion bootstrap moves

Abstract Diffusion-weighted MRI has the potential to provide important new insights into physiological and microstructural properties of the body. The Intra-Voxel Incoherent Motion (IVIM) model relates the observed DW-MRI signal decay to parameters that reflect blood flow in the capillaries (D∗), capillaries volume fraction (f), and diffusivity (D). However, the commonly used, independent voxel-wise fitting of the IVIM model leads to imprecise parameter estimates, which has hampered their practical usage. In this work, we improve the precision of estimates by introducing a spatially-constrained Incoherent Motion (IM) model of DW-MRI signal decay. We also introduce an efficient iterative “fusion bootstrap moves” (FBM) solver that enables precise parameter estimates with this new IM model. This solver updates parameter estimates by applying a binary graph-cut solver to fuse the current estimate of parameter values with a new proposal of the parameter values into a new estimate of parameter values that better fits the observed DW-MRI data. The proposals of parameter values are sampled from the independent voxel-wise distributions of the parameter values with a model-based bootstrap resampling of the residuals. We assessed both the improvement in the precision of the incoherent motion parameter estimates and the characterization of heterogeneous tumor environments by analyzing simulated and in vivo abdominal DW-MRI data of 30 patients, and in vivo DW-MRI data of three patients with musculoskeletal lesions. We found our IM-FBM reduces the relative root mean square error of the D∗ parameter estimates by 80%, and of the f and D parameter estimates by 50% compared to the IVIM model with the simulated data. Similarly, we observed that our IM-FBM method significantly reduces the coefficient of variation of parameter estimates of the D∗ parameter by 43%, the f parameter by 37%, and the D parameter by 17% compared to the IVIM model (paired Student’s t-test, p The IM model and FBM solver combined, provide more precise estimate of the physiological model parameter values that describing the DW-MRI signal decay and a better mechanism for characterizing heterogeneous lesions than does the independent voxel-wise IVIM model.
Epibenthic gastropods of the Middle Florida Keys: the role of habitat and environmental stress on assemblage composition

A survey of epibenthic prosobranch gastropods was undertaken in both seagrass and hard substratum (coral or old reef rock) habitats on opposite sides of the Florida Keys (Florida Bay and Hawk Channel) to compare faunal differences attributable to differences in the above two habitats and environments. Additionally, two data sets (26 continuous months) of daytime dissolved oxygen, surface salinity and water temperature from Florida Bay (Long Key) and Hawk Channel (Key Largo) environments were compared to determine differences that might constitute environmental stresses likely to affect the fauna. The above data were collected to determine if several hypotheses concerning effects of stress on organisms, assemblage, community and faunal composition were consistent with data on assemblage structure. These hypotheses were that: (1) stress should reduce the average size of organisms; (2) shorten food chains; (3) reduce predation intensity; (4) reduce species richness and diversity; and (5) increase the relative abundance of predator-susceptible ancestral species (i.e. Archaegastropoda). Water quality data suggest that the two most likely forms of stress in deeper (>1 m) areas of Florida Bay adjacent to the Keys are cold water temperatures associated with winter cold fronts and low predawn oxygen associated with warm summer temperatures, high salinity, and periodic algal and seagrass drift buildups. Seagrass sites had high population densities and low diversity due to the dominance of Astraea americana Gmelin (American star shell) in Florida Bay and Modulus modulus L. in Hawk Channel seagrass habitats. Florida Bay sites had high species richness on a small spatial scale, but Hawk Channel sites had more species and greater encounter rates of new species on a larger scale. Predawn oxygen measurements taken during July in four habitats were positively correlated with prosobranch species richness and diversity. Faunal data, analysed on a population density basis, fit the above hypotheses of body size, trophic level, and evolutionary age of the species. Attempts to measure predation on an experimental prosobranch (A. americana) were unsuccessful but a tethering experiment with a sea urchin (Echinometra lucunter L.) indicated higher predation in the less stressful Hawk Channel than Florida Bay hard substratum sites. Stress appears to reduce the abundance of higher trophic levels (both prosobranch and finfish predators) resulting in the dominance of ancestral forms not adapted to predation but tolerant of environmental stress. Eutrophication or increased oxygen demands in Florida Bay could result in further species richness and diversity declines.
Ocular Tonometry and Sporadic Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease (sCJD): A Confirmatory Case-Control Study.

AIMS To evaluate the hypothesis that sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) may be transmitted through ocular tonometry. BACKGROUND The infectious agent of sCJD may be present in the cornea prior to clinical symptoms. Cornea infectiousness has been documented by cornea transplants in guinea pigs and humans. sCJD is resistant to complete inactivity by conventional sterilization techniques. Thus contact tonometry equipment is not disinfected sufficiently to kill sCJD. We previously hypothesized that contact tonometry is a sCJD risk factor. STUDY DESIGN Population-based case-control study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USA; 4 years. METHODOLOGY An 11-state case-control study of pathologically confirmed definite sCJD cases, individually matched controls, and a sample of control surrogates was conducted. Ocular tonometry histories were obtained from case-surrogates, controls, and a sample of control-surrogates. RESULTS The odds ratio (OR) for ever vs never having had an ocular tonometry test was statistically significant for matched and unmatched analyses for 15 through 3 years prior to disease onset, using both control self-responses and control surrogates: ORs were ∞ and 19.4 with 1-sided P-values <0.0001 and 0.003 and ORs=∞ and 11.1 with 1-sided P-values <0.003 and 0.02, respectively. ORs increased as the number of tonometry tests increased during this age period: trend test, 2-sided P-value < 0.0001. For ≥5 vs <5 tonometry tests, the OR was 5.8 (unmatched) and 3.7 (matched), 2-sided P-value<0.00005. Respondents generally could not specify the type of tonometry. There was no indication of increased tonometry testing among cases within 2 years of disease onset. CONCLUSIONS The a priori hypothesis was supported. Contact tonometry, preferred by ophthalmologists, may be capable of transmitting sCJD. Consideration should be given to using disposable instrument covers after each use. The use the disposable covers or non-contact tonometry is preferable in the absence of effective disinfectant processes at this time.
Business oriented information security requirements development

Information security works best when built into the product development process rather than added to an existing insecure product design. Secure design has become an area of primary interest for software developers, system integrators, service providers, and general businesses as they strive to reduce exposure to security vulnerabilities and their associated costs. Proper information security requirements that are well aligned with the business needs are essential for secure design that enhances product viability and return on investment. This paper proposes an information security requirements development process that aims to produce technically accurate information security requirements that take into account business needs.
Isotopic investigation of pre-Hispanic macaw breeding in Northwest Mexico

Abstract The pre-Hispanic settlement of Paquime (ca. 1200–1450 AD) lay outside of urban Mesoamerica in arid northern Chihuahua, Mexico, yet the excavated remains of 322 scarlet macaws, tropical parrots whose northernmost habitat is 500 km to the south, suggest that Paquime had relationships with distant communities. Here, carbon and oxygen stable isotope analysis of 30 macaw bones determines whether the Paquimenos actively bred these parrots or traded with Mesoamerican groups to obtain the birds. The δ13C values indicate that the macaws ate a diet of C4 plants, foods that were unavailable to wild macaws. In addition, δ18O data suggest that the majority of the macaws spent their entire lives at Paquime. We conclude that the ancient Paquimenos were in fact breeding scarlet macaws, although one bone with δ18O values outside the local range suggests that the breeders also maintained exchange ties with the source areas of the birds. By confirming that Paquimenos implemented a system of local macaw reproduction outside the Mesoamerican region itself, this analysis provides new evidence about the economic and ideological interdependence of pre-Hispanic societies in the Americas. It is also suggestive of the pre-industrial capabilities of humans to extend the natural ranges of animal species.
Thermogravimetric Analysis of Composite Restorative Resins

Thermogravimetric analyses of six commercial brands of composite restorative resins were performed at temperatures from 25 to 700 C in air with a heating rate of 9.5 Cl minute. The reported ashed weight was assumed to be the filler weight. The thermogravimetric technique as applied to these composite resins was effective in deriving basic information about polymer systems.
Transforming Lease-Purchase Housing Programs for Low Income Families: Towards Empowerment and Engagement

ABSTRACT:To what extent should lease-purchase programs for low income families emphasize the importance of home ownership? This paper suggests that the traditional emphasis on homeownership as a criterion for stability and thriving families and communities may be misplaced when dealing with housing for disadvantaged populations. While there is little research on the lease-purchase approach to ownership, the literature on homeownership and the authors’ study suggest that low income families may benefit more from stable, long-term housing, whether owned or leased, that is situated within an active and supportive community network. Organizations that coordinate housing programs need to develop effective administrative and property management practices so they can act as buffers between low income families and the market and become skilled at facilitating client involvement in program administration and the development of supportive community networks.
Contribution of Behavior Therapy to Dietary Treatment in Cystic Fibrosis: A Randomized Controlled Study with 2-Year Follow-up

Behavioral intervention (BI) was compared to nutrition education (NE) to better understand the contribution of behavior therapy to nutrition management in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Participants were 7 children between 6 and 12 years of age with weight for age percentiles ranging from the 3rd to the 27th. Families in each condition were seen for 7 sessions and provided the same nutrition information and calorie goals. The BI received training on child behavior management. Caloric intake across meals was evaluated via multiple baseline design. Results indicated that the BI had a greater increase in daily caloric intake (1,036 cal/day) and weight gain (1.42 kg) than the NE (408 cal/day, 0.78 kg). Improved caloric intake was maintained 2 years following treatment.
Decentralized vibration control with networked embedded systems

The early promise of centralized active control technologies to improve the performance of large scale, complex systems has not been realized largely due to the inability of centralized control systems to “scale up”; that is, the inability to continue to perform well when the number of sensors and actuators becomes large. Now, recent advances in Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), microprocessor developments and the breakthroughs in embedded systems technologies, decentralized control systems may see these promises through. A networked embedded system consists of many nodes that possess limited computational capability, sensors, actuators and the ability to communicate with each other over a network. The aim of this decentralized control system is to control the vibration of a structure by using such an embedded system backbone. The key attributes of such control architectures are that they be scalable and that they be effective within the constraints of embedded systems. Toward this end, the decentralized vibration control of a simply supported beam has been implemented experimentally. The experiments demonstrate that the reduction of the system vibration is realized with the decentralized control strategy while meeting the embedded system constraints, such as a minimum of internode sensor data communication, robustness to delays in sensor data and scalability.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Rate of mutation to phage resistance in 2H2O medium

Proton tunneling and mutation rate of Escherichia coli B To T1 and T2 phage resistance in water
Estimation of momentum and heat fluxes in the constant flux layer from temperature measurements

Global estimates of momentum and heat fluxes are required for the application of any general atmospheric and oceanic circulation model. A new technique for the estimation of these fluxes in a constant flux boundary layer is developed. The new approach is a modification of the dissipation technique but the only required measurements are the mean and fluctuating temperatures at two levels within the constant flux layer. All other flux estimation techniques require measurement of both temperature and velocity. Data are presented to compare flux estimation results with the conventional eddy-correlation technique. Also discussed are the limitations of the procedure and restrictions on its applicability.
Model Selection Procedures for Network Autocorrelated Disturbances Models

Strategies for model selection within the regression framework typically involve choices among several sometimes competing criteria. In this article, the interrelated criteria of goodness-of-fit and parameter invariance are explored with respect to a class of maximum likelihood network autocorrelation models. A GLS measure of generalized goodness-of-fit, R2G, is proposed for these models based on the equivalence of ML and GLS in the exponential family. This R2G statistic can be used to test for stability of parameters across various samples or subsamples. A second test of parameter invariance across subsamples is proposed: Schwarz's (1978) information Criterion. An example illustrates how these identification and testing procedures may be jointly used to help select the most adequate model for a given data set.
Regulation of Notch1 and Dll4 by Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Arterial Endothelial Cells: Implications for Modulating Arteriogenesis and Angiogenesis

Notch and its ligands play critical roles in cell fate determination. Expression of Notch and ligand in vascular endothelium and defects in vascular phenotypes of targeted mutants in the Notch pathway have suggested a critical role for Notch signaling in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. However, the angiogenic signaling that controls Notch and ligand gene expression is unknown. We show here that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) but not basic fibroblast growth factor can induce gene expression of Notch1 and its ligand, Delta-like 4 (Dll4), in human arterial endothelial cells. The VEGF-induced specific signaling is mediated through VEGF receptors 1 and 2 and is transmitted via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway but is independent of mitogen-activated protein kinase and Src tyrosine kinase. Constitutive activation of Notch signaling stabilizes network formation of endothelial cells on Matrigel and enhances formation of vessel-like structures in a three-dimensional angiogenesis model, whereas blocking Notch signaling can partially inhibit network formation. This study provides the first evidence for regulation of Notch/Delta gene expression by an angiogenic growth factor and insight into the critical role of Notch signaling in arteriogenesis and angiogenesis.
Comorbidity of bulimia nervosa and alcohol use disorders: Results from the National Women's Study

Objective The nature of the relationship between bulimia nervosa (BN) and alcohol abuse/alcohol dependence (AA/AD) and the extent to which women with BN+AA differ from women with BN−AA were examined in a national sample of women (N = 3,006). Method The sample of was generated by multistage geographic sampling and interviews were conducted by telephone. Results AA was higher in women with BN compared to women without BN or binge eating disorder, only when the influence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was controlled. Prevalence rates of AA and AD were similar in women with BN, MDD, and PTSD. Analyses indicated that the relationship between BN and AA/AD may be indirect and influenced by associations with MDD and PTSD. Women with BN+AA did not differ from those with BN−AA on most variables concerning victimization, family of origin, and disordered eating. Discussion Evaluation of MDD and PTSD in women presenting for treatment of BN and/or alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is recommended. © 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 27: 180–190, 2000.
Evaluation of a New Fine Particulate Cellulose as a Direct Compression Tablet Aid

AbstractA new grade of α-cellulose, composed of a mixture of amorphous and crystalline cellulose was evaluated in this preliminary study for its potential as an inert direct compression tablet vehicle. Though not a micro-crystalline cellulose, this product, identified as EGC, possesses the tabletting characteristics of micro-crystalline cellulose. It is prepared by a physicochemical procedure that does not require severe heat or acid treatment but yields a product which is white, fine granular, free-flowing and highly compressible.
Sol-gel synthesis of α-Bi2VO5.5 using a soluble bismuth precursor

Abstract The synthesis of α-Bi 2 VO 5.5 via a sol-gel method utilizing vanadium (V) 2-methoxyethoxide and a soluble bismuth acetate precursor is reported. Solutions may be cast as thin films for use in partial oxidation membrane reactors. The identity of the bismuth precursor and the synthetic conditions for film formation are discussed.
Fragmentation of butyl acetate isomers in the drift region of an ion mobility spectrometer

Abstract Peak distortion and baseline perturbations in ion mobility spectra of butyl acetate isomers were caused by fragmentation of product ions during transport through the drift region of an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). Extensive fragmentation of MH + and M 2 H + at atmospheric pressure in air occurred with thermal energy changes ( 3 kT 2 ) of only 0.013 eV and the extent of fragmentation was influenced by the butyl isomer structure. At 150°C, major fragment ions were mass identified by IMS/mass spectrometry for t - and iso-butyl acetates as m/z 57 and for sec-butyl acetate as m/z 61. No fragmentation and only declustering from dimer to monomer ions were observed with n -butyl acetate. Fragmentation in the IMS drift region is proposed to occur by an intermolecular rearrangement mechanism through the monomer ion.