cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antiserum to a synthetic peptide recognizes the HTLV-III envelope glycoprotein

In a study performed to determine which regions of the human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type III (HTLV-III) may represent vaccine candidates to prevent the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), a synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acid sequence 735 to 752 of the precursor envelope glycoprotein of HTLV-III was used to immunize rabbits. The resulting rabbit antiserum to the synthetic peptide specifically recognized the precursor envelope glycoprotein (gp160) of HTLV-III. Human sera positive for antibody to HTLV-III reacted with this peptide. These findings indicate that synthetic peptides can be used to induce an immune response directed against a native envelope glycoprotein epitope of HTLV-III. The data are discussed in terms of using synthetic peptides to identify antigenic determinants involved in the induction of protective immunity and possibly as vaccine candidates against the etiologic agent of AIDS.
Hydrolysis kinetics of photo-excited 6-methoxyquinoline in aqueous ethanol

Abstract The kinetics of hydrolysis in the lowest excited single state of 6-methoxyquinoline in aqueous solutions can be evaluated from the pH-dependence of its fluorescence spectrum. In ethanol/water solutions, the rate constant for hydrolysis decreases exponentially with increasing mole fraction of ethanol and hydrolysis is completely inhibited at a mole fraction of ethanol greater than about 0.2. The slope of a plot of the logarithm of the hydrolysis rate constant against the mole fraction of ethanol was found to correlate well with the ratio of the diffusion volume of excited 6-methoxyquinoline to the molecular volume of ethanol. This also appears to explain why the linear plot of the logarithm of the hydrolysis rate constant against the logarithm of the water activity has a slope of 31, suggesting that 30 molecules of water, beside the one that is split in hydrolysis, participate in the reaction.
Airborne diseases: Tuberculosis in the Union Army

Abstract This paper examines the medical histories of a sample of 25,000 Union Army soldiers and veterans to study the determinants of diagnosis, discharge, and mortality from tuberculosis. We find that water and airborne diseases during the war contributed significantly to the presence of tuberculosis. Height and a higher body mass index (BMI) are also associated with protection against TB but these effects are not always robust. As an upper bound, we estimate that the contribution of modern gains in height and in BMI to the mortality decline of tuberculosis ranges from one-fourth to one-half with the rest explained by the decline in the prevalence of water and airborne diseases, especially diarrhea, dysentery, and typhoid played. The paper finds weaker support for alternative hypotheses that rely on occupational influences and exogenous changes in the virulence of tuberculosis.
Thyroxine biosynthesis and thyroidal uptake of I131 in rats at the onset of hypoxia exposure.

SummaryExposure of rats to a reduced pressure (380 mm Hg) simulating an altitude of 18,000 feet resulted in a markedly elevated I131 uptake in the thyroid, a relative increase in the amount of intrathyroidal I131 MIT and a lowered I131 DIT. The hypoxia induced alteration of thyroid hormone synthesis was found to be a transient response since the I131 MIT/DIT ratio returned to control levels after 60 hours of exposure. A possible mechanism which could account for these thyroidal changes is discussed.
Photochemistry of Iodobenzene Adsorbed on Sapphire(0001)

Iodobenzene (C6H5I) dosed on sapphire(0001) at 110 K adsorbs molecularly and desorbs with a peak near 187 K, depending slightly on coverage. Irradiation with 193 nm photons induces dissociation attributable to photon absorption by C6H5I and C−I bond cleavage. A measurable fraction of the products are ejected during irradiation. Normalized to the initial intensities, the I XPS signal decays 2.5 times faster than the C signal. The cross sections for the loss of C6H5I, I, and C are (2.8 ± 0.3) × 10-18, (6.6 ± 0.7) × 10-19, and (2.7 ± 0.3) × 10-19 cm2, respectively. Benzene (C6H6) and biphenyl (C12H10) appear in TPD at temperatures consistent with desorption-limited processes.
Forager activation and food availability in harvester ants

We investigated how foragers are activated in colonies of the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus. Each day, a harvester ant forager makes many trips out of the nest to gather seeds and bring them back to the nest. The rate at which foragers return to the nest is linked to food availability: when food is easy to find, foragers return more quickly. We examined how the return of successful and unsuccessful foragers influences the rate at which inactive foragers are stimulated to leave the nest on subsequent trips. In field experiments, successful or unsuccessful returning foragers were removed before they reached the nest. Foraging activity in response to removals was compared to that in computer simulations modelling the effect of returning foragers on departure rate. Field experiments showed that forager departure rates were not affected by the return of unsuccessful foragers, but depended strongly on the return of successful foragers. The results corresponded to the model in which inactive foragers were instantaneously stimulated to leave the nest by the return of each successful forager, and not to three other models that required inactive foragers to remember elapsed time or events. The results of field experiments were thus consistent with a simple behavioural rule that is sufficient to adjust foraging intensity to current food availability.
Allylindium and allylboronic acid pinacolate: Mild reagents for the allylation of resin-bound aldehydes. Application to the solid-phase synthesis of hydroxypropylamines

Abstract Homoallylic alcohols are prepared in high yield and purity by the reaction of the title reagents with resin-bound aldehydes. The mild reaction conditions accommodate the base-sensitive 4-carboxamido-3-nitrobenzyl photolabile linker on standard resins. A practical application of the allylation reaction is demonstrated through the solid-phase synthesis of hydroxypropylamines.
Accuracy of assessment: the discriminative and predictive power of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory

Objective The discriminative and predictive power of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) was assessed using revised clinical cut-off scores. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive power were calculated to evaluate the effectiveness of the revised score in screening children for treatment of disruptive behavior problems. Sample Participants were drawn from archival samples of 196 children aged 3–6 whose mothers had completed an ECBI. The disruptive behavior group (n = 98) consisted of children referred for psychological treatment who met diagnostic criteria for Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder. The non-diagnosed group (n = 98) consisted of children visiting pediatric clinics whose mothers did not check the box on their demographic information questionnaire endorsing the presence of behavior problems. Design Children in the non-diagnosed group were selected to match the disruptive behavior group on socio-economic status, age, and sex. The mothers' scores on the ECBI Intensity Scale were used to calculate the sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive power, and kappa of the ECBI. Results The ECBI Intensity Scale correctly classified 91% of the children, with 96% of the diagnosed children correctly classified and 87% of the non-diagnosed children correctly classified. Implications for practice This study further validates the ECBI for use as a screening measure for children in pediatric settings who require further evaluation or treatment for disruptive behavior problems.
Bacterial Thymidine Kinase as a Non-Invasive Imaging Reporter for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Live Animals

BACKGROUND Bacteria can be selectively imaged in experimentally-infected animals using exogenously administered 1-(2'deoxy-2'-fluoro-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)-5-[(125)I]-iodouracil ([(125)I]-FIAU), a nucleoside analog substrate for bacterial thymidine kinase (TK). Our goal was to use this reporter and develop non-invasive methods to detect and localize Mycobacterium tuberculosis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We engineered a M. tuberculosis strain with chromosomally integrated bacterial TK under the control of hsp60 -- a strong constitutive mycobacterial promoter. [(125)I]FIAU uptake, antimicrobial susceptibilities and in vivo growth characteristics were evaluated for this strain. Using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), M. tuberculosis P(hsp60) TK strain was evaluated in experimentally-infected BALB/c and C3HeB/FeJ mice using the thigh inoculation or low-dose aerosol infection models. M. tuberculosis P(hsp60) TK strain actively accumulated [(125)I]FIAU in vitro. Growth characteristics of the TK strain and susceptibility to common anti-tuberculous drugs were similar to the wild-type parent strain. M. tuberculosis P(hsp60) TK strain was stable in vivo and SPECT imaging could detect and localize this strain in both animal models tested. CONCLUSION We have developed a novel tool for non-invasive assessment of M. tuberculosis in live experimentally-infected animals. This tool will allow real-time pathogenesis studies in animal models of TB and has the potential to simplify preclinical studies and accelerate TB research.
Experimental modulation of intercellular cohesiveness: Reversal of tissue assembly patterns

After cell sorting or the fusion of tissue fragments, chick embryonic liver cell populations typically tend to surround heart cell populations. We show here that by varying the ratio of heart to liver cells in mixed reaggregates—or the relative sizes of heart and liver reaggregates in reaggregate-fusions—the inside vs outside positions adopted by these two cell populations can be reversed. By contrast, undissociated liver fragments tend to envelop heart fragments, irrespective of their relative sizes. Our experiments here reveal two sources of position-reversal behavior. (1) Tryptic dissociation-reaggregation causes heart tissue to become more externalizing; and (2) in vitro culture conditions cause heart tissue to become more internalizing. Previous evidence indicates that less cohesive cell populations tend to envelop more cohesive ones. It appears that, regardless of the heart: liver ratio, reaggregated heart cells are initially less cohesive than reaggregated liver cells, but during subsequent culturing become the more cohesive population. This tissue-specific change in relative cohesiveness results in position-reversal behavior, the detection of which is, for strictly mechanical reasons, facilitated by variations in phase ratio. A critical test reported here confirms this interpretation. Position reversal behavior illustrates how a change in intercellular cohesiveness in the course of normal differentiation could initiate a morphogenetic tissue movement.
Induction of 8-azaguanine- and ouabain-resistant mutants by cyclophosphamide and 1-(pyridyl-3)-3,3-dimethyltriazene in Chinese hamster cells cultured in diffusion chambers in mice.

Abstract A host-mediated assay is described for induction of 8-azaguanine-resistant (azgr) and ouabain-resistant (ouarr) mutants in Chinese hamster V79 cells cultured in diffusion chambers (DC) in C3H mice. Injection of the hosts with the indirect mutagen/carcinogen cyclophosphamide (CPP) or 1-(pyridyl-3)-3,3-dimethyltriazene (PyDT) caused a dose-dependent increase in mutation frequency at the loci of azgr and ouar in the V79 target cells. Plating efficiency of V79 cells in DC in mice was decreased depending upon the dose of CPP or PyDT given to the hosts. In addition, the relationship between expression time and mutation frequency was examined and discussed. The data support the use of this system as an effective screening procedure for suspected environmental mutagens or carcinogens, especially those that need to be metabolically activated in vivo.
Pb and nd isotope and trace element constraints on the origin of basic rocks in an early proterozoic igneous complex, minnesota

Abstract A suite of early Proterozoic basic to granitic rocks exposed near St. Cloud, Minnesota are cut by northeast-trending basaltic dikes. Pb isotope data for all of these rocks overlap and plot about an 1800 Ma PbPb correlation line. The basic rocks, which are light REE enriched, have ϵNd values between +0.4 and −4.8. Petrogenetic considerations suggest that the basic rocks were derived from a light REE enriched source which had an Fe/Mg ratio greater than that for pyrolite. The enrichment in Fe/Mg is probably a result of the addition of basic melts to the source. The light REE enrichment may have a mantle origin by the addition of mantle-derived, light REE enriched basic melts or fluids; or a sedimentary origin by the addition of light REE enriched fluids or melts derived from subducted sediments with an early Proterozoic provenance. In either case, the Nd isotopes suggest that the light REE enriched component existed since c. 2300 Ma. The igneous complex may have formed at a convergent margin. An anorthositic gabbro near Mora, has an ϵNd of +5 indicating that it was derived from a mantle source with a history of light REE depletion. This gabbro may have been part of an early Proterozoic ocean crust.
Very Long-Chain Methyl-Branched Alcohols and Their Acetate Esters in the Internal Lipids of Lepidopteran Pupae: Cochylis hospes, Diatraea grandiosella, Homoeosoma electellum, Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa zea

Abstract Very long-chain methyl-branched alcohols (VLMA; C35 > C46) and their acetate esters were characterized in the internal lipids of developing mid-stage pupae of the banded sunflower moth Cochylis hospes , the southwestern corn borer Diatraea grandiosella , the sunflower moth Homoeosoma electellum , the tobacco budworm Heliothis virescens and the corn earworm Helicoverpa zea . Minor amounts of long-chain methyl-branched alcohols (LMA; C25–C34) were also found largely in H. virescens and H. zea . Five homologous series of primary alcohols were identified in all species: n -alcohols, internally branched monomethyl alcohols, 2 series of dimethyl branched alcohols, and a series of trimethyl branched alcohols. The 4 methyl-branched series were characterized, e.g., by one of their major components: 24-methyltetracontanol, 24,28-dimethyltetracontanol, 24,36-dimethyltetracontanol, and 24,28,36-trimethyltetracontanol. A fifth methyl-branched series was identified only in H. electellum , the internally branched trimethyl alcohols characterized by 22,26,30-trimethyltetracontanol. The incorporation of [ 3 H]acetate and [1- 14 C]propionate into the internal lipids of mid-stage pupae (developing pharate adults) of H. electellum and H. virescens , showed that polar lipids, and VLMA and their acetate esters, were the major lipid classes synthesized from acetate. The major lipid classes synthesized from propionate, the precursor of the methyl branches, were the methyl-branched lipids, e.g., VLMA and their acetate esters and hydrocarbons. Aldehydes also were a component in H. virescens but did not incorporate radioactivity. The wax ester fraction of H. virescens incorporated radioactivity which was limited to the fatty acid moieties.
Complete knockdown of CCR5 by lentiviral vector-expressed siRNAs and protection of transgenic macrophages against HIV-1 infection

The CCR5 co-receptor is necessary for cellular entry by R5 tropic viral strains involved in primary HIV infection, but is dispensable for normal human physiology. Owing to its crucial role in HIV-1 infection, the CCR5 co-receptor has been the subject of many therapeutic approaches, including gene therapy. siRNA targeting was shown to be effective in downregulating CCR5 expression and conferring significant protection against HIV-1 in susceptible cells. However, complete knockdown of CCR5 expression has not been achieved and thus remains an elusive goal. In these studies, we identified new CCR5 siRNAs capable of achieving complete knockdown of the co-receptor expression. Our transfection studies have shown that longer 28-mer short hairpin siRNAs are very effective in gene downregulation as assessed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and transcript quantitation by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. These siRNAs conferred strong antiviral protection during viral challenge. To obtain stable expression, highly potent siRNA expression cassettes were introduced into lentiviral vectors. Similar high levels of CCR5 downregulation were observed in stably transduced cells with concomitant viral protection in cultured cell lines. To translate these results to a stem cell gene therapy setting, CD34 hematopoietic progenitor cells were transduced with lentiviral vectors to derive transgenic macrophages. The transgenic cells also exhibited high levels of CCR5 downregulation and viral resistance. With regard to Pol-III promoter-mediated siRNA expression, higher efficacies were obtained with U6-driven CCR5 siRNAs. However, in contrast to previous reports, no apparent cytotoxicities were observed in transgenic cells containing U6-driven siRNA constructs. Thus the above anti-CCR5 siRNAs are among the most effective demonstrated to date and are very promising candidates for clinical applications.
Hypertension and insulin resistant models have divergent propensities to learned helpless behavior in rodents

The induction of learned helpless (LH) behavior in rats is a widely used model of unipolar depression. Recent studies have linked depression with hypertension and insulin resistance as observed in obesity, but the propensity of these disorders to manifest depression has not been reported. In this study, the LH behavioral paradigm was exploited in a model of hypertension (Dahl rat) and of insulin resistance (Zucker rat) to determine the propensity of these models to develop depression and to examine the profile of markers for the propensity of the cardiovascular system (plasma renin activity) and of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (corticosterone) in the display of propensity to depression. Results show that Zucker rats displayed the lowest propensity to the development of LH behavior (12%), followed by the control Sprague-Dawley rats (27%), and then Dahl rats (66%). In contrast, congenital learned helpless (cLH) rats, a genetically bred strain for animal depression, had the highest propensity (>90%). A gender effect was observed in the Zucker and cLH rats, with females showing an increased propensity to develop LH behavior. Plasma renin activity in the Dahl and Sprague-Dawley rats after the LH stress paradigm was not significantly different from baseline. In contrast, Zucker rats, with the lowest propensity to LH behavior, demonstrated a threefold increase in plasma renin activity after stress. Congenital LH rats, with the highest propensity to LH behavior, exhibited a significantly lower increase (43%) in plasma renin activity after stress. Hyporesponsive hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning correlated with propensity of LH behavior. Stress-induced corticosterone levels increased under twofold in cLH rats, whereas they increased more than sevenfold in Zucker rats. Taken together, these studies suggest that whereas genetically prone hypertensive rats have a very high propensity to depression, insulin-resistant rats have a profound resistance to depression. Moreover, a hyporesponsive HPA axis may be a marker for disorders that are comorbid with depression, whereas a hyperresponsive renin-angiotensin system may be indicative of resilience.
Tighter bounds in triangular systems

Abstract We study a nonparametric triangular system with (potentially discrete) endogenous regressors and nonseparable errors. Like in other work in this area, the parameter of interest is the structural function evaluated at particular values. We impose a global exclusion and exogeneity condition, in contrast to Chesher (2005) , but develop a rank condition which is weaker than Chesher’s. The alternative rank condition can be satisfied for binary endogenous regressors, and it often leads to an identified interval tighter than Chesher (2005) ’s minimum length interval. We illustrate the potential of the new rank condition using the Angrist and Krueger (1991) data.
Chiropractic management of pediatric plantar fasciitis: a case report.

Objective The purpose of this report is to present the case of a 10-year-old football player with bilateral plantar fasciitis who improved with a multimodal conservative approach using chiropractic treatment.
Characterization of a family of nucleolar SUMO-specific proteases with preference for SUMO-2 or SUMO-3

SUMOylation is a reversible process regulated by a family of sentrin/SUMO-specific proteases (SENPs). Of the six SENP family members, except for SENP1 and SENP2, the substrate specificities of the rest of SENPs are not well defined. Here, we have described SENP5, which has restricted substrate specificity. SENP5 showed SUMO-3 C-terminal hydrolase activity but could not process pro-SUMO-1 in vitro. Furthermore, SENP5 showed more limited isopeptidase activity in vitro. In vivo, SENP5 showed isopeptidase activity against SUMO-2 and SUMO-3 conjugates but not against SUMO-1 conjugates. Native SENP5 localized mainly to the nucleolus but was also found in the nucleus. The N terminus of SENP5 contains a stretch of amino acids responsible for the nucleolar localization of SENP5. N-terminal-truncated SENP5 co-localized with PML, a known SUMO substrate. Using PML SUMOylation mutants as model substrates, we showed that SENP5 can remove poly-SUMO-2 or poly-SUMO-3 from the Lys160 or Lys490 positions of PML. However, SENP5 could not remove SUMO-1 from the Lys160 or Lys490 positions of PML. Nonetheless, SENP5 could remove SUMO-1, -2, and -3 from the Lys65 position of PML. Thus, SENP5 also possesses limited SUMO-1 isopeptidase activity. We were also able to show that SENP3 has substrate specificity similar to that of SENP5. Thus, SENP3 and SENP5 constitute a subfamily of SENPs that regulate the formation of SUMO-2 or SUMO-3 conjugates and, to a less extent, SUMO-1 modification.
Hyperpolarized 3 He gas production and MR imaging of the lung

Optical polarization of 3 He generates large nuclear spin magnetizations, allowing MR imaging ofthe gas spaces ofhuman and animal lungs despite the low number den- sity ofspins in the gas. The atomic physics ofoptical pumping and spin exchange is explained; the hardware for polarizing, transporting, and imaging is detailed. Pulse sequences for optimum use of the nonrenewable magnetization require a different imaging strategy than traditional proton MRI. Examples are discussed for static lung images, diffusion images for characteriza- tion ofthe local alveolar structure, and high temporal resolution images. © 2001 John Wiley &
Confirmation Politics and The Legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court: Institutional Loyalty, Positivity Bias, and the Alito Nomination

Gibson, Caldeira, and Spence (2003a, 2003b, 2005) expound the theory of positivity bias in their analysis of the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court in the aftermath of Bush v. Gore. This theory asserts that preexisting institutional loyalty shapes perceptions of and judgments about court decisions and events. In this article, we use the theory of positivity bias to investigate the preferences of Americans regarding the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito as an associate justice of the Supreme Court. More specifically, from the theory of positivity bias, we derive the hypothesis that preferences on the Alito confirmation are shaped by anterior commitments to the Supreme Court. Based on an analysis of a national panel survey, we find that those who have a high level of loyalty toward the Supreme Court rely much more heavily on what we term judiciousness—in contrast to ideology, policy, and partisanship—in forming their opinions on whether to confirm Alito. Thus, institutional loyalty provides a decisive frame through which Americans view the activity of their Supreme Court.
Integrated microfluidic enzyme reactor mass spectrometry platform for detection of anthrax lethal factor

In this work, we have developed a coupled microfluidic enzyme reactor mass spectrometry platform for the detection of protein toxins such as anthrax lethal factor. The lethal toxin produced during Bacillus anthracis infection is a complex protective antigen, which localizes the toxin to the cell receptor and lethal factor (LF). We have demonstrated, in this work, the applicability of a microfluidic reactor for the capture and concentration of enzyme reaction solid-phase. The reaction solid-phase consists of anti-LF monoclonal antibodies immobilized on magnetic protein G beads for the capture of LF. The captured LF, on exposure to optimized peptide substrate, hydrolyzes into two smaller peptide products. These cleavage products were then analyzed by mass spectrometer coupled to the microfluidic reactor. This resulted in efficient sample preparation, high sensitivity, larger reaction sites, less reagents consumption and shorter analysis time. We have showed here reproducible detection of anthrax lethal factor in concentration range of 40 to 0.5 ng/mL with a detection limit of 1 ng/mL. The enzymatic reaction and the analysis were performed in less than 15 minutes, indicating a rapid diagnostic tool for early anthrax prognosis.
National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference: lactose intolerance and health.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus and stateof-the-science statements are prepared by independent panels of health professionals and public representatives on the basis of 1) the results of a systematic literature review prepared under contract with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2) presentations by investigators working in areas relevant to the conference questions during a 2-day public session; 3) questions and statements from conference attendees during open discussion periods that are part of the public session; and 4) closed deliberations by the panel during the remainder of the second day and morning of the third. This statement is an independent report of the panel and is not a policy statement of the National Institutes of Health or the U.S. government. The following statement is an abridged version of the panel’s report, which is available in full at http: //consensus.nih.gov/2010/lactosestatement.htm. Lactose intolerance is the syndrome of diarrhea, abdominal pain, flatulence, or bloating occurring after lactose ingestion. These symptoms, which are produced by malabsorption of lactose, a sugar found in milk and other dairy products, often cause afflicted individuals to avoid dairy products in their diets. Lactose malabsorption is caused by a decreased ability to digest lactose that is due to a deficiency in the levels of the enzyme lactase. Lactase breaks lactose down into 2 simpler sugars, glucose and galactose, which are readily absorbed into the bloodstream. This enzyme is produced by expression of the lactase‐phlorizin hydrolase gene in the cells lining the small intestine. All infants produce lactase and successfully digest lactose provided by human milk or by infant formulas. However, sometime after weaning, a genetically programmed decrease in lactase (lactase nonpersistence) occurs in most children worldwide. The symptoms of lactose intolerance result from bacterial fermentation of undigested lactose in the colon. Lactose malabsorption can be diagnosed by having individuals ingest a standard dose of lactose after fasting and measuring breath hydrogen; elevated breath hydrogen levels are caused by bacterial fermentation of undigested lactose in the colon. Other diagnostic tools include measuring lactase activity in an intestinal biopsy sample or genetic testing for the common polymorphism that is linked to lactase nonpersistence. The demonstration of lactose malabsorption does not necessarily indicate that an individual will have symptoms. Many variables determine whether a person who malabsorbs lactose develops symptoms, including the dose of lactose ingested, the residual intestinal lactase activity, the ingestion of food along with lactose, the ability of the colonic flora to ferment lactose, and individual sensitivity to the products of lactose fermentation.
Mesoscale Surface Pressure and Temperature Features Associated with Bow Echoes

Abstract This study examines observed mesoscale surface pressure, temperature, and wind features of bow echoes. Bow-echo events in the area of the Oklahoma Mesonet are selected for study to take advantage of high-resolution surface data. Thirty-six cases are identified using 2-km-resolution radar reflectivity data over a 4-yr period (2002–05); their surface features are interrogated using the mesonet data. Distinct surface features usually associated with squall lines, the mesohigh and cold pool, are found to also accompany bow echoes. A common surface pattern preceding bowing is identified. Prior to new bowing development, the mesohigh surges ahead of the convective line while the cold pool remains centered behind it. Surface winds shift to a ground-relative outflow pattern upon arrival of the mesohigh surge. Approximately 30 min later, a new bowing segment forms with its apex slightly to the left (with respect to the direction of system motion) of the mesohigh surge. The cold pool follows the convective...
ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDIES ON STREPTOCOCCI I. M ANTIGEN

The presence of M antigens on group A streptococci is associated with hairlike fimbriae that cover the surface of the streptococcal cell wall and are demonstrable by electron microscopy. These fimbriae also may be associated with R antigen. Like M protein, the surface fimbriae are destroyed by trypsin treatment and reappear when "trypsinized" streptococci are reincubated in fresh, trypsin-free broth. Ferritin-conjugated, type-specific antibodies localize on homologous M+ cells in a pattern suggestive of several M antigenic sites along the length of individual surface fimbria. The M-associated fimbriae remain on the residual cell wall after removal of the bulk of group-specific polysaccharide through nitrous acid extraction. This suggests attachment of the fimbriae to the mucopeptide and minor polysaccharide components remaining in the nitrous acid-extracted wall. The pattern of localization of ferritin-conjugated antibodies on homologous streptococci before and after trypsin exposure and upon reincubation of the trypsinized cells in fresh medium suggests the following hypothesis: M antigen is secreted by the cell, is partially excreted through the otherwise intact cell wall, and is bound by the wall so that M protein occupies a peripheral, exposed position on the surfaces of the streptococcal cell wall.
Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems in Accounting Databases: Survey and Extensions

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to survey and extend the use of Artificial Intelligence and expert systems in accounting database.. The paper elicits a number of concerns often voiced about accounting databases. The use of Artificial Intelligence and expert system is investigated as a basis to mitigate those problems. The literature is surveyed and extended. Demons and objects are found to be useful devises to facilitate the organization, storage and application of intelligence for accounting database systems. Models for their use are presented.
The Role of Skeletal Microstructure During Selective Silicification of Brachiopods

ABSTRACT Thin sections of partially silicified brachiopods from the Mississippian Lodgepole Limestone show authigenic silica in contact with original calcite microstructure. No void-filling quartz morphologies are present. Of the three types of biogenic microstructures represented in the taxonomically diverse material, fibrous structure was the most susceptible to replacement, whereas laminar structure was the most resistant to silicification. This difference probably reflects the greater microporosity and reactive surface area of the fibrous structure. Skeletal microstructure was more important than valve thickness in determining extent of silicification, although there is a positive correlation between thickness and replacement in any one taxon. The lack of a uniform silicification pattern a ong these monomineralic taxa of different microstructure indicates that skeletal factors exerted the most significant controls on brachiopod replacement. Microstructure-controlled replacement typifies fibrous layers whereas laminar layers show microstructure-independent replacement. Prismatic structure, characteristic of an inner layer in spiriferide valves, shows the former mode of replacement in some instances and the latter mode in others. In both cases, silicificafion is most complete adjacent to the overlying fibrous layer. Microstructure-controlled replacement commonly involves anhedral or subhedral megaquartz in contrast to the fibrous quartz morphology reported by several authors for silicified brachiopods from other regions. Microstructure-independent replacement involves either spherulitic chalcedony or euhedral megaquartz. Both modes of replacement, that replicating microstructure and that crosscutting it, have been observed in different parts of a single valve.
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP? THE SPILLOVER EFFECTS OF GANG MEMBERSHIP ON INDIVIDUAL GUNSHOT VICTIMIZATION IN A CO‐OFFENDING NETWORK

The effects of gang membership on individual social, behavior, cognitive, and health outcomes are well documented. Yet, research consistently has shown that gang membership and the boundaries of gangs are often fluid and amorphous. The current study examines how social proximity to a gang member in one's co-offending network influences the probability of being a gunshot victim. We re-create and analyze the social network of all individuals who were arrested, summonsed for a quality-of-life violation, and subjected to noncustodial police contacts in Newark, New Jersey, during a 1-year time period (N = 10,531). A descriptive network analysis finds an extreme concentration of fatal and nonfatal gunshot injuries within a small social network: Nearly one third of all shootings in Newark occur in a network that contains less than 4 percent of the city's total population. Furthermore, a series of logistic regression models finds that being directly or indirectly linked to a gang member in one's co-offending network has a significant effect on one's probability of being a gunshot victim. Implications of these findings for the study of gangs, gun violence, and a public health approach to violence are discussed.
Clarifying Subspecies of Peregrine Falcons Along the Lost Coast of Alaska

Abstract The concept of subspecies is an important tool to help categorize and conserve biodiversity; thus, delineating the range of subspecies can have important management and conservation implications. The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a widespread species that occurs throughout North America, where three subspecies are recognized: F. p. anatum, F. p. pealei, and F. p. tundrius. In Alaska, all three subspecies breed and their general distributions during the breeding season are well documented. However, the limits of their distributions were unclear or unconfirmed, especially those of F. p. anatum and F. p. pealei along the Lost Coast in the northeastern Gulf of Alaska. We describe plumage, morphology, and/or movements of Peregrine Falcons known to have nested (n = 6) or hatched (n = 3) within the Lost Coast and used this information to determine their subspecific group. For all nine birds, we found these characteristics to be consistent with F. p. anatum. Our results underscore the import...
An economic analysis of pancreaticoduodenectomy: should costs drive consumer decisions?

Abstract Background Consumer groups campaign for cost transparency believing that patients will select hospitals accordingly. We sought to determine whether the cost of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) should be considered in choosing a hospital. Methods Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, we analyzed charges for patients who underwent PD from 2000 to 2010. Outcomes were stratified by hospital volume. Results A total of 15,599 PDs were performed in 1,186 hospitals. The median cost was $87,444 (interquartile range $16,015 to $144,869). High volume hospitals (HVH) had shorter hospital stay (11 vs 15 days, P P P Conclusion Although PDs performed at HVH are associated with better outcomes and lower hospital charges, costs should not be the primary determinant when selecting a hospital.
Is it All Right to Read Trollope

This essay takes up the cudgels for Anthony Trollope, and chides our British cousins for insufficient adoration of one of their greatest novelists. The essay fails to use the required words discourse and ontological, and even ignores Trollope's manifold offenses against political correctness. Some of Trollope's works and techniques are briefly remembered with pleasure.
Negligible Motion Artifacts in Scalp Electroencephalography (EEG) During Treadmill Walking.

Recent Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI) techniques based on active electrode scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) allow the acquisition and real-time analysis of brain dynamics during active unrestrained motor behavior involving whole body movements such as treadmill walking, over-ground walking and other locomotive and non-locomotive tasks. Unfortunately, MoBI protocols are prone to physiological and non-physiological artifacts, including motion artifacts that may contaminate the EEG recordings. A few attempts have been made to quantify these artifacts during locomotion tasks but with inconclusive results due in part to methodological pitfalls. In this paper, we investigate the potential contributions of motion artifacts in scalp EEG during treadmill walking at three different speeds (1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 km/h) using a wireless 64 channel active EEG system and a wireless inertial sensor attached to the subject’s head. The experimental setup was designed according to good measurement practices using state-of-the-art commercially-available instruments, and the measurements were analyzed using Fourier analysis and wavelet coherence approaches. Contrary to prior claims, the subjects’ motion did not significantly affect their EEG during treadmill walking although precaution should be taken when gait speeds approach 4.5 km/h. Overall, these findings suggest how MoBI methods may be safely deployed in neural, cognitive, and rehabilitation engineering applications.
Postnatal Maturation and Growth of the Neonatal Oesophagus: Implications for Neonatal and Infants’ Feeding Problems

The two most important complex functions of the foregut are to facilitate feeding and to protect the airway. These foregut functions continue to advance through development, from fetus to adult. At least in the fetal life, protection of the airway may not be necessary; however, premature neonates born too soon will need to activate airway protection mechanisms. Both these complex functions are carried out by neuromuscular interactions involving afferent and efferent outflows linking the cranial nerves (trigeminal, facial, hypoglossal, glossopharyngeal and vagus) with the neurons of the myenteric plexus in the foregut musculature. The cranial nerves contribute to the afferent and efferent networks involving sensory-motor pathways and networks inter-communicate with the brain stem nuclei. In this chapter, we review recent advances concerning the postnatal maturation of neonatal human oesophageal motility. The main objectives of this chapter are to understand the (1) developmental physiology of oesophageal motility, (2) patterns of oesophageal peristalsis, and (3) functions of upper oesophageal sphincter and lower oesophageal sphincter during oesophageal bolus transit. All these functions contribute to safe swallowing and airway protection.
“So Vivid a Crossroads”: The FCC and Broadcast Allocation, 1934–1939

This article examines the FCC's evaluation of broadcast allocation from 1934 to 1939, focusing on the participation of non-commercial and commercial interest groups in the debate. Its two major themes are: 1) how the commission, while pledging to consider “social and economic” concerns, in actuality gave them only cursory attention and 2) how the commercial interests in the industry began to fracture into individual groups, each arguing for policies advantageous to them. It argues that the commercial industry had vanquished the threat from non-commercial interests in the early 1930s and was now free to splinter into individual factions.
Glutathione Reaction Products with a Chemical Allergen, Methylene-diphenyl Diisocyanate, Stimulate Alternative Macrophage Activation and Eosinophilic Airway Inflammation

Isocyanates have been a leading chemical cause of occupational asthma since their utility for generating polyurethane was first recognized over 60 years ago, yet the mechanisms of isocyanate asthma pathogenesis remain unclear. The present study provides in vivo evidence that a GSH mediated pathway underlies asthma-like eosinophilic inflammatory responses to respiratory tract isocyanate exposure. In naive mice, a mixture of GSH reaction products with the chemical allergen, methylene-diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), induced innate immune responses, characterized by significantly increased airway levels of Chitinase YM-1 and IL-12/IL-23β (but not α) subunit. However, in mice immunologically sensitized to MDI via prior skin exposure, identical GSH–MDI doses induced substantially greater inflammatory responses, including significantly increased airway eosinophil numbers and mucus production, along with IL-12/IL-23β, chitinases, and other indicators of alternative macrophage activation. The “self”-protein albumin i...
Recent developments in the kinetic theory of fracture of polymers

The statistical and mechanical models underlying the kinetic theories of fracture of glasses, thermoplasts and rubbers are analyzed and specified for polymers in their glassy state. Special attention is given to results from recent electron resonance experiments, and to the elastic, anelastic and permanent deformation of a polymer before and during the experiment leading to failure. A model is constructed which is in accordance with the observed material behavior, and which consists of an elastic molecular network embedded in a viscoelastic continuum. On the basis of the specified conditions times-to-break are calculated as a function of applied load and degree of orientation of the polymer network. The calculated times-to-break are compared with experimental data.
A Comparative Study of the Therapeutic Education System for Incarcerated Substance-Abusing Offenders:

Although many efficacious and cost-effective treatments have been established, very few substance-abusing offenders receive such treatment while incarcerated. This study compares the effectiveness of a computerized intervention, the Therapeutic Education System (TES), with Standard Care on measures of crime (including re-incarceration), drug use, and HIV risk behavior post prison release. Results show that TES and standard treatment were equally effective in reducing criminality, relapse to drug use, and HIV risk behavior. In prisons, where a majority of substance-using offenders do not receive treatment, identifying an equally effective high-volume alternative such as TES can greatly expand access to quality psychosocial interventions.
Simultaneous capture and sequential detection of two malarial biomarkers on magnetic microparticles.

Abstract We have developed a rapid magnetic microparticle-based detection strategy for malarial biomarkers Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase ( p LDH) and Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein II ( Pf HRPII). In this assay, magnetic particles functionalized with antibodies specific for p LDH and Pf HRPII as well as detection antibodies with distinct enzymes for each biomarker are added to parasitized lysed blood samples. Sandwich complexes for p LDH and Pf HRPII form on the surface of the magnetic beads, which are washed and sequentially re-suspended in detection enzyme substrate for each antigen. The developed simultaneous capture and sequential detection (SCSD) assay detects both biomarkers in samples as low as 2.0 parasites/µl, an order of magnitude below commercially available ELISA kits, has a total incubation time of 35 min, and was found to be reproducible between users over time. This assay provides a simple and efficient alternative to traditional 96-well plate ELISAs, which take 5–8 h to complete and are limited to one analyte. Further, the modularity of the magnetic bead-based SCSD ELISA format could serve as a platform for application to other diseases for which multi-biomarker detection is advantageous.
Optimizing variable radius plot size and LiDAR resolution to model standing volume in conifer forests

AbstractThe conventional approach to LiDAR-based forest inventory modeling depends on field sample data from fixed-radius plots (FRP). Because FRP sampling is cost intensive, combining variable-radius plot (VRP) sampling and LiDAR data has the potential to improve inventory efficiency. The overarching goal of this study was to evaluate the integration of LiDAR and VRP data. FRP and VRP plots using different basal-area factors (BAF) were colocated in 6 conifer stands near Alberta, Michigan, in the United States. A suite of LiDAR metrics was developed for 24 different resolutions at each plot location, and a number of nonparametric prediction models were evaluated to identify an optimal LiDAR resolution and an optimal scale of VRP to spatially extend the data. An FRP-based model had root mean square error (RMSE) of 31.8 m3 ha−1, whereas the top VRP-based models were somewhat less precise, with RMSE of 38.0 m3 ha−1 and 45.8 m3 ha−1 using BAF 2.06 m2 ha−1 and BAF 2.29 m2 ha−1, respectively. The optimal LiDAR ...
Evolution of and Research in Enterprise Information systems

Enterprise information systems (EIS) have developed over the last few decades into a dominant management information systems tool. This paper reviews that development in light of research, discussing identification of new issues. Past cases and surveys have provided a picture of what has occurred within this dynamic industry. Future potential for expansion of market participants is expected to lead to a quite different environment than has existed in the past. The role of globalization in the form of supply chain linkages as well as international development of country-specific systems are expected to be issues growing in importance. Three issues among many others in the field are discussed. First, risk management will become even more important than it has been. Second, the role of upgrade in the evolution of EIS use creates new opportuntities/decision dilemmas. Third, the development of open source system development has already had an impact, and is expected to become even more important.