cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Online Transcranial Random Noise stimulation improves perception at high levels of visual white noise

Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), a relatively recent addition to the field of non-invasive, electrical brain stimulation, has been shown to improve perceptual and cognitive functions across a wide variety of tasks. However, the underlying mechanisms of visual improvements caused by tRNS remain unclear. To study this question, we employed a well-established, equivalent-noise approach, which measures perceptual performance at various levels of external noise and is formalized by the Perceptual Template Model (PTM). This approach has been used extensively to infer the underlying mechanisms behind changes in visual processing, including those from perceptual training, adaptation and attention. Here, we used tRNS during an orientation discrimination task in the presence of increasing quantities of external visual white noise and fit the PTM to gain insights into the effects of tRNS on visual processing. Our results show that tRNS improves visual processing when stimulation is applied during task performance, but only at high levels of external visual white noise: a signature of improved external noise filtering. There were no significant effects of tRNS on task performance after the stimulation period. Of interest, the reported effects of tRNS on visual processing mimic those previously reported for endogenous spatial attention, offering a potential area of investigation for future work.
Abstract S04-02: Treatment with tocilizumab does not inhibit induction of anti-COVID-19 antibodies in patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection

Tocilizumab (TCZ), an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor-blocking monoclonal antibody, is used to treat various rheumatologic conditions and cytokine release syndrome in CAR-T cell therapy and has been repurposed to treat COVID-19-related hyperinflammation. There are limited data available reporting how TCZ affects the immune response in the context of COVID-19. To investigate this question, we recruited patients treated with TCZ as part of a COVID-19 biobanking protocol (A-28063295) to study immune parameters that might be affected. We enrolled 19 patients who were treated with a range of 40-200mg TCZ as part of a low-dose TCZ trial (COVIDOSE, reported separately as abstract A-94803796), and 11 patients who received 400mg TCZ on a standard-of-care expanded-access basis. As IL-6 acts as a stimulant of B-cell proliferation, plasma cell maturation, and antibody responses, we evaluated whether blocking the IL-6 receptor with TCZ therapy impairs antibody generation to SARS-CoV-2. To evaluate antibody levels in these patients, we performed ELISAs against the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and its receptor-binding domain (RBD). The spike glycoprotein, a structural protein of SARS-CoV-2, is a crucial component in the recognition, attachment, and entry of the virus into host cells. Specifically, the RBD is responsible for binding the ACE2 receptor on human cells, and likely serves as a major target for neutralizing antibodies. To establish if the formation and persistence of antibodies was affected by TCZ treatment, we analyzed serum and plasma samples longitudinally from 29 patients treated with TCZ and 26 control patients. To account for potential variability between plates, the measured optical density (OD) values were normalized to the OD for COVID-19-negative control serum at 1:50 dilution, and the same negative control was tested on each plate. Titers were calculated as the linear interpolation of the inverse dilution at which the normalized OD value crossed a threshold of 1, representing the maximum OD measured for the negative control. Anti-spike and anti-RBD antibodies increased significantly over time in both TCZ-treated patients and controls (p Citation Format: Alexandra Cabanov, Blake A. Flood, Jeffrey Bloodworth, Emily F. Higgs, Jessica Fessler, Michael Y.K. Leung, Kyle R. Cron, Jonathan Trujillo, Athalia R. Pyzer, Sherin Rouhani, Garth Strohbehn, Brian Heiss, Mark Ratain, Pankti Reid, Kiang-Teck J. Yeo, Randy F. Sweis, Yuanyuan Zha, Thomas F. Gajewski. Treatment with tocilizumab does not inhibit induction of anti-COVID-19 antibodies in patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer; 2020 Jul 20-22. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(18_Suppl):Abstract nr S04-02.
Redox-active dinuclear oxorhenium(V) pyrazolate complexes

Abstract Four new structurally similar dinuclear oxorhenium(V) complexes, [{Re(O)X(PPh3)}2(μ-O)(μ-4-X′-pz)2], where pz = pyrazolate anion, X = X′ = Cl (1) and Br (4), X = Cl, X′ = Br (2), and X = Br, X′ = Cl (3), have been synthesized and characterized. Little variation in spectroscopic features – 1H NMR, IR, UV–Vis – exists among the four complexes. All complexes possess a bent Re-O-Re core as well as distorted octahedral coordination geometry around the rhenium centers. A reversible one-electron electrochemical process is observed at approximately 0.84 V vs. Fc+/Fc in all four complexes; however, changing the terminal halide from chloride to bromide slightly destabilizes the oxidized Re(VI) center.
Enterococcus faecalis Readily Adapts Membrane Phospholipid Composition to Environmental and Genetic Perturbation

The bacterial lipid membrane, consisting both of fatty acid (acyl) tails and polar head groups, responds to changing conditions through alteration of either the acyl tails and/or head groups. This plasticity is critical for cell survival as it allows maintenance of both the protective nature of the membrane as well as functioning membrane protein complexes. Bacteria that live in fatty-acid rich environments, such as those found in the human host, can exploit host fatty acids to synthesize their own membranes, in turn, altering their physiology. Enterococcus faecalis is such an organism: it is a commensal of the mammalian intestine where it is exposed to fatty-acid rich bile, as well as a major cause of hospital infections during which it is exposed to fatty acid containing-serum. Within, we employed an untargeted approach to detect the most common phospholipid species of E. faecalis OG1RF via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). We examined not only how the composition responds upon exposure to host fatty acids but also how deletion of genes predicted to synthesize major polar head groups impact lipid composition. Regardless of genetic background and differing basal lipid composition, all strains were able to alter their lipid composition upon exposure to individual host fatty acids. Specific gene deletion strains, however, had altered survival to membrane damaging agents. Combined, the enterococcal lipidome is highly resilient in response to both genetic and environmental perturbation, likely contributing to stress survival.
g-CXR-Net: A Graphic Application for the Rapid Recognition of SARS-CoV-2 from Chest X-Rays

g-CXR-Net is a graphic application for the rapid recognition of SARS-CoV-2 from Antero/Posterior chest X-rays. It employs the Artificial Intelligence engine of CXR-Net (arXiv:2103.00087) to generate masks of the lungs overlapping the heart and large vasa, probabilities for Covid vs. non-Covid assignment, and high resolution heat maps that identify the SARS associated lung regions.
Why do our Theories Matter

All too often in our practice of distance education we overlook the history of the field and our theories as we embrace new technologies or, as in the past year, when we are forced to adapt to a regional or global crisis that necessitates a temporary move to a remote learning scenario. When we set our theories aside, this approach can lead us to recreate the wheel in our pedagogical approaches, and ignores the unique pedagogy of distance education and the unique characteristics of learners studying at a distance. This article looks at why our distance education theories continue to be critically important for us to constantly return to and reflect on. Our theories help us to keep focused on the learner, learner characteristics, and the individualised nature of learning, while we undertake design and development work in partnership with faculty and other members of the design team. Our distance education theories remind us to ask the hard questions about what we are trying to accomplish and to what end for the learner, and through which design strategies.
Abstract 160: Association Between Targeted Temperature Management and Other Postarrest Care

Background: Targeted temperature management (TTM) is one component of post-arrest care that some successfully resuscitated comatose patients receive. It has been suggested that TTM is one of a group of components of a bundle of care that tend to occur together and may influence outcome. Objectives: To test the hypothesis that patients who receive TTM receive more specialist consultations, more testing, more interventions, and stay in the hospital longer post-arrest. Methods: We identified 1817 successfully resuscitated comatose patients from 27 hospitals between 2005-2014, 56% of whom received TTM. We then used a propensity score to create matched pairs of patients (one who received TTM, one who did not) based on age, gender, duration of arrest, initial rhythm, year of arrest, and location of arrest. We created 508 pairs (1016 total) and used conditional fixed-effects logistic regression to determine the association between TTM and the outcome of interest between the matched pairs. Results: Of the 1016 matched patients, the mean age was 65±15 years, 54% were male, 26% had an initial rhythm of asystole, 54% pulseless electrical activity, and 20% VF/VT; 29% survived to hospital discharge, and of those, 74% had a Cerebral Performance Category score of 1-2 at discharge. The patients who were treated with TTM received significantly more of the following post-arrest: neurology consultations, EEGs, head CT scans, cardiology consultations, cardiac catheterization, ECGs, and echocardiography. They were also more likely to be treated at an academic medical center and had longer hospital stays than their matched counterpart who did not receive TTM. Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy was not significantly associated with TTM treatment (Table 1). Conclusions: Patients who received TTM also received more post-arrest testing and treatments, lending support to the idea that TTM is associated with a post-arrest bundle of care.
A Simulation of Microbial Competition in the Human Colonic Ecosystem

Many investigations of the interactions of microbial competitors in the gastrointestinal tract used continuous-flow anaerobic cultures. The simulation reported here was a deterministic 11-compartment model coded by using the C programming language and based on parameters from published in vitro studies and assumptions were data were unavailable. The resource compartments were glucose, lactose and sucrose, starch, sorbose, and serine. Six microbial competitors included indigenous nonpathogenic colonizers of the human gastrointestinal tract (Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Bacteroids ovatus, Fusobacterium varium, and Enterococcus faecalis) and the potential human enteropathogen Salmonella typhimurium. Flows of carbon from the resources to the microbes were modified by resource and space controls. Partitioning of resources to the competitors that could utilize them was calculated at each iteration on the basis of availability of all resources by feeding preference functions. Resources did not accumulate during iterations of the model. The results of the computer simulation of microbial competition model and for various modifications of the model. The results were based on few measured parameters but may be useful in the design of user-friendly software to aid researchers in defining and manipulating the microbial ecology of colonic ecosystems as relates to food-borne disease.
The Sonoran Desert’s Domestic Bracero Programme: Institutional Actors and the Creation of Labour Migration Streams

This paper traces the journeys of male migrants to Empalme, Sonora, Mexico to uncover the development of the often overlooked domestic bracero programme that operated in conjunction with its well-known international equivalent. Drawing on interviews and observations with ex-braceros who met at a park near the Mexico-US border, I examine their experiences and participation in Mexico’s domestic bracero program, an unintended and unexplored consequence of its international counterpart. The study shows how regulation and control were constantly reinvented at every step of the selection process by state actors and their affiliates in Mexico. The paper reveals how the oversupply of labour and modernization of agriculture in Sonora resulted in the development of a migration industry where local municipal leaders, coyotes, the state, and Mexican agribusiness capitalized from men’s displacement. The migration industry during the bracero selection process controlled who gained access to the United States labour market by capturing migrant labour en route to the United States in the process fueling a thriving cotton industry in the otherwise stagnant Sonoran Desert economy. The study concludes by taking the lessons from the historic domestic bracero programme to show one instance in which internal and international labour markets were closely interwoven. In the end, I call for more research that examines the relationship between markets on both sides of the border that uncovers how networks are not only structured by personal ties but also by state and market relations.
A maternally established SoxB1/SoxF axis is a conserved feature of chordate germ layer patterning.

SUMMARY Despite deep evolutionary roots in the metazoa, the gene regulatory network driving germ layer specification is surprisingly labile both between and within phyla. In Xenopus laevis, SoxB1- and SoxF-type transcription factors are intimately involved in germ-layer specification, in part through their regulation of Nodal signaling. However, it is unclear if X. laevis is representative of the ancestral vertebrate condition, as the precise roles of SoxF and SoxB1 in germ-layer specification vary among vertebrates, and there is no evidence that SoxF mediates germ-layer specification in any invertebrate. To better understand the evolution of germ-layer specification in the vertebrate lineage, we analyzed the expression of soxB1 and soxF genes in embryos and larvae of the basal vertebrate lamprey, and the basal chordate amphioxus. We find that both species maternally deposit soxB1 mRNA in the animal pole, soxF mRNA in the vegetal hemisphere, and zygotically express soxB1 and soxF throughout nascent ectoderm and mesendoderm, respectively. We also find that soxF is excluded from the vegetalmost blastomeres in lamprey and that, in contrast to vertebrates, amphioxus does not express soxF in the oral epithelium. In the context of recent work, our results suggest that a maternally established animal/vegetal Sox axis is a deeply conserved feature of chordate development that predates the role of Nodal in vertebrate germ-layer specification. Furthermore, exclusion of this axis from the vegetal pole in lamprey is consistent with the presence of an extraembryonic yolk mass, as has been previously proposed. Finally, conserved expression of SoxF in the forming mouth across the vertebrates, but not in amphioxus, lends support to the idea that the larval amphioxus mouth is nonhomologous to the vertebrate mouth.
Knowledge-based environments for teaching and learning

The Spring Symposium on Knowledge-based Environments for Teaching and Learning focused on the use of technology to facilitate learning, training, teaching, counseling, coaxing and coaching. Sixty participants from academia and industry assessed progress made to date and speculated on new tools for building second generation systems.
The convergence of computer programming and graphic design

Traditionally, computer science curricula have focused on the algorithmic development of software, while design issues such as typography, text layout, and image manipulation have been the domain of graphic design or fine arts programs. With the emergence of the Web as a publishing and programming medium, as well as the availability of high-level development tools, the distinctions between algorithm and presentation are blurring. Today, a programmer needs to understand and apply principles of graphic design in order to develop applications that are usable and attractive to the user. Likewise, a graphic designer developing electronic media must understand and apply programming principles to control the dynamic behavior of the media. This paper addresses the convergence of programming and graphic design, from both the perspectives of a computer scientist and a graphic designer. Simple and practical design principles are presented that can be integrated into a variety of computer science courses.
Variation in state seismic mitigation policies: a comparative analysis of seismic risk and policy development

Risks associated with earthquakes vary widely from state to state. California and the western United States are widely recognized as having the potential for significant damages and loss of life from earthquakes, however all states have some degree of seismic risk. Considering that public safety and the general welfare of citizens are paramount responsibilities of state government, some states have adopted policies designed to reduce risks from hazards such as earthquakes. California, Missouri and a few other states have embraced policy development as a key method to mitigate against earthquake hazards. Alaska, Washington and a number of other states with significant seismic risk have a much lower level of policy coverage. Through the compilation and consideration of hazard mitigation policies for 47 states, this study examines the role of earthquake related policy development and implementation relative to individual states’ seismic risk. The results of this analysis indicate that a number of states have below optimal policy coverage which suggests that factors other than seismic risk likely influence policy development.
Filamentous bacterial viruses. V. Asymmetric replication of fd duplex deoxyribonucleic acid.

Short pulses (30 sec at 32 C) of 3 H-thymidine were found primarily in the viral strands of replicating fd deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), even at a time when most DNA being synthesized was duplex DNA. Much of the labeled viral strand DNA was longer than unit length, but some was shorter than unit length. Most of the corresponding complementary-strand DNA was recovered in closed supercoiled duplex molecules, even for short pulses; the remainder of the complementary-strand DNA was found in replicative intermediates in pieces shorter than unit length. Some of the viral strands in open replicating DNA lacked a corresponding complementary strand.
THE EVOLUTIONARY DIVERSIFICATION OF SEED SIZE: USING THE PAST TO UNDERSTAND THE PRESENT

The Devonian origin of seed plants and subsequent morphological diversification of seeds during the late Paleozoic represents an adaptive radiation into unoccupied ecological niche space. A plant's seed size is correlated with its life-history strategy, growth form, and seed dispersal syndrome. The fossil record indicates that the oldest seed plants had relatively small seeds, but the Mississippian seed size envelope increased significantly with the diversification of larger seeded lineages. Fossil seeds equivalent to the largest extant gymnosperm seeds appeared by the Pennsylvanian, concurrent with morphological diversification of growth forms and dispersal syndromes as well as the clade's radiation into new environments. Wang's Analysis of Skewness indicates that the evolutionary trend of increasing seed size resulted from primarily passive processes in Pennsylvanian seed plants. The distributions of modern angiosperms indicate a more diverse system of active and some passive processes, unbounded by Paleozoic limits; multiple angiosperm lineages independently evolved though the upper and lower bounds. Quantitative measures of preservation suggest that, although our knowledge of Paleozoic seeds is far from complete, the evolutionary trend in seed size is unlikely to be an artifact of taphonomy.
Space lidar simulations derived from the GroundWinds New Hampshire and Hawaii instruments

The GroundWinds photon recycling fringe imaging direct detection Doppler LIDAR systems have been used to validate models of systems using this technology. These instruments have been characterized extensively over the past 2 years in an effort to experimentally determine the performance enhancements that the GroundWinds technology provides. This effort focused on the validation of all aspects of the instrument performance, including component and system transmissions, photon recycling gains, camera and system noise sources, and background contribution. The results of these investigations have been used to formulate a point design for a space-based system. Presented here are the performance predictions and point design parameters for a spaceborne Doppler wind lidar that utilizes the GroundWinds fringe imaging technology.
Thermoelectric generation of flux in a bimetallic superconducting ring

Abstract A model is described for the thermoelectric generation of magnetic flux in a bimetallic superconducting ring whose junctions are fixed at different temperatures. The magnitude of the flux is expected to be well within the resolution of modern magnetometry techniques.
Selected pediatric skin tumors: An update for dermatologists

Abstract There are a vast number of benign and malignant skin tumors that present in the pediatric population. This monograph addresses a select few of specific dermatologic interest. The first, Langerhans' cell histiocytosis, is a condition with clinical findings often confused with less serious common pediatric skin conditions, yet it can have significant morbidity.The genodermatoses are syndromes that can present with both benign and malignant skin tumors. Advances in molecular genetics have helped elucidate many of the gene defects. Nevus sebaceous is specifically addressed, as there has been much controversy regarding its treatment. Several benign tumors seen in the pediatric population can appear clinically suspicious for a malignancy: pseudorheumatoid nodules, pilomatrixoma, infantile myofibromatosis, and congenital smooth muscle hamartoma. Careful history and physical examination can enable dermatologists to reassure parents and patients of the benign nature of these lesions, obviating any need for further invasive testing. Comparatively, malignant lesions that may simulate benign lesions, metastatic cutaneous neuroblastoma, primary subcutaneous rhabdomyosarcoma, and other rare tumors, are addressed. Finally, clinical presentations of pediatric basal cell carcinoma and melanoma, although rare in this population, are discussed. (Curr Probl Dermatol 2002;14:41-69.) Curr Probl Dermatol 2002;14:41-69.
Diabetes and Cause-specific Mortality in a Prospective Cohort of One Million U.S. Adults

OBJECTIVE Diabetes is a major predictor of death from heart disease and stroke; its impact on nonvascular mortality, including specific cancers, is less understood. We examined the association of diabetes with cause-specific mortality, including deaths from specific cancers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A prospective cohort of 1,053,831 U.S. adults, without cancer at baseline, enrolled in the Cancer Prevention Study-II in 1982 and was followed for mortality until December 2008. At baseline, participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that included information on diabetes, smoking, physical activity, height, and weight. Multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RRs) (95% CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS During 26 years of follow-up, 243,051 men and 222,109 women died. In multivariable models that controlled for age, BMI, and other variables, diabetes was associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality (women RR 1.90 [95% CI 1.87–1.93]; men 1.73 [1.70–1.75]). Among women, diabetes was associated with higher risk of death from cancers of the liver (1.40 [1.05–1.86]), pancreas (1.31 [1.14–1.51]), endometrium (1.33 [1.08–1.65]), colon (1.18 [1.04–1.33]), and breast (1.16 [1.03–1.29]). Among men, diabetes was associated with risk of death from cancers of the breast (4.20 [2.20–8.04]), liver (2.26 [1.89–2.70]), oral cavity and pharynx (1.44 [1.07–1.94]), pancreas (1.40 [1.23–1.59]), bladder (1.22 [1.01–1.47]), colon (1.15 [1.03–1.29]), and (inversely) prostate (0.88 [0.79–0.97]). Diabetes was also associated with higher risks of death involving the circulatory system, respiratory system, digestive system, genitourinary system, and external causes/accidental deaths. CONCLUSIONS Diabetes is associated with higher risk of death for many diseases, including several specific forms of cancer.
He-cession? She-cession? The Gendered Impact of the Great Recession in the United States:

Many commentators have remarked on the seemingly disproportionate job losses suffered by men in the initial days of the Great Recession; some conservative commentators have gone so far as to label ...
Doctoral programs in health professions education.

The interest to pursue doctoral degrees in the health professions is increasing exponentially. Some reasons for this increase include innovations in curriculum and instructional strategies, compete...
Keratitis bei Masern

We are reporting a case of a 23-year-old patient suffering from measles despite vaccination during childhood. He presented with bilateral punctate keratitis without conjunctival reaction 10 days after the onset of rash. We assume a late immunological reaction, possibly related to earlier vaccination.
QUIPSS II with window-sliding saturation sequence (Q2WISE)

A series of periodic saturation pulses used to minimize the error caused by varying transit delays in assessing perfusion using quantitative imaging of perfusion using a single subtraction II with thin-slice TI(1) periodic saturation (Q2TIPS) increases the specific absorption rate. Quantitative imaging of perfusion using a single subtraction II with window-sliding saturation sequence (Q2WISE) has been developed, in which numerous thin saturation pulses are replaced by two thin pulses and one thick saturation pulse arranged in a window-sliding manner within the labeling region to maintain a sharp slice profile while reducing specific absorption rate. Q2WISE essentially is a hybrid between Q2TIPS and quantitative imaging of perfusion using a single subtraction II for use in specific absorption rate intensive applications. Q2WISE was implemented on a 3 T MRI scanner to measure perfusion rates in the brain and kidneys of eight healthy volunteers and results were compared with those from Q2TIPS. Mean perfusion values of both methods for the brain (75 ± 17 [Q2WISE] and 74 ± 13 mL/100 g/min [Q2TIPS]) and kidney (308 ± 48 [Q2WISE] and 299 ± 43 mL/100 g/min [Q2TIPS]) were in very good agreement.
Anisotropic hyperpolarizabilities in alkali halide crystals

The anisotropy of the electronic-hyperpolarizability tensor has been computed for the alkali halides by use of a local-density-approximation scheme based on the spherical-solid approximation, with the cubic potential treated as a perturbation. The calculated diagonal hyperpolarizabilities are in reasonable agreement with experiments; however, the calculated anisotropies are much smaller than the measured values. Using absolute Raman intensities, we estimate the lattice contribution to be small. The possibility of an additional electronic contribution, arising from an anisotropic local field, is suggested.
Co-infection subverts mucosal immunity in the upper respiratory tract

Polymicrobial interactions on mucosal surfaces can influence inflammation, immunity, and disease outcome. Here, we review how host responses to colonization in the upper respiratory tract with the bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae can be altered by co-infection. Recent advances provide a mechanistic understanding of how mucosal immunity can be subverted at distinct immunological time-points during pneumococcal colonization by other pathogens such as Haemophilus influenzae, influenza type A and Staphylococcus aureus. These examples use animal models of co-infection to highlight how otherwise effective host responses can be rendered ineffective by co-infection, and vice versa. The complex microbial ecology of mucosal sites must be considered to fully understand how immune responses in a natural setting influence the outcome of host-pathogen interactions.
Low temperature solubilities of fatty acids in selected organic solvents

A number of highly purified fatty acids have been prepared and their solubilities determined in six common organic solvents within the temperature range from 10° to −70°. The acids studied were palmitic, stearic, oleic, elaidic, petroselinic, petroselaidic, linoleic, stearolic, arachidic, eicosenoic, behenic, erucic, and brassidic. The solvents used were methanol, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether, acetone, toluene, and n-heptane, representing six different solvent types. A limited study was also made with a series of hydrocarbon solvents in order to note any effects of solvent structure on fatty acid solubility. Data are discussed with respect to their application in separating various fatty acid mixtures by low temperature crystallization.
Effect of heat shock or cold shock treatment on the resistance of lactococcus lactis to freezing and lyophilization

This study investigated the effect of heat shock or cold shock treatment on the resistance of commercial Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis and L. lactis ssp. cremoris cheese starter bacteria to freezing and freeze-drying. The ability to withstand freezing at −60°C for 24 h was variable among lactococci, but could be significantly (P < 0.05) improved in most strains by a 25-min heat shock at 42°C (L. lactis ssp. lactis) or 39°C (L. lactis ssp. cremoris) or by a 2-h cold shock at 10°C. In addition, stress treatments that improved lactococcal cryotolerance significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the resistance of most strains to lyophilization. Greater resistance to freezing or lyophilization was not detected when stress treatments were performed in broth that contained erythromycin, which indicated that stress-induced proteins were required for cell protection. Membrane fatty acid analysis of stress-treated cells suggested that enhanced resistance to freezing and lyophilization may be related to changes in cell membrane lipid composition. Heat-shocked cells had a higher 19:0 cyclopropane fatty acid content than control cells, and cold-shocked cells contained a lower ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids. Other factors must also be involved in cell protection, however, because similar changes in membrane lipid composition were detected in strains whose resistance to freezing and lyophilization was not improved by heat or cold shock treatment.
Unruptured aneurysm of the sinus of valsalva producing right ventricular outflow obstruction.

Abstract A case of sinus of Valsalva aneurysm producing right ventricular outflow obstruction is presented. The aneurysm had not ruptured, and no associated ventricular septal defect was present; symptoms were due to right ventricular overload rather than to an intracardiac shunt. Diagnostic clues included chest pain, dyspnea, a pulmonic ejection murmur and suggestions of right ventricular hypertrophy in the electrocardiogram, vectorcardiogram and apex cardiogram. The lesion was demonstrated by venous (radioisotope) and intracardiac angiography and by cardiac catheterization, and was corrected at surgery.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Dogs: Alterations in Magnetic Relaxation Times

Abstract Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging was used to study 24-hour-old acute myocardial infarctions in 8 dogs. Images and measurements of excised hearts were obtained in a 6.5 ml bore-resistive NMR imager (0.35 Tesla). Spin echo NMR imaging in each instance demonstrated the area of infarction as a region of increased signal intensity compared with that in normal myocardium. The T1 and T2 values of the area of infarction were greater than those of normal myocardium in all dogs. For each dog the T1 value was greater for the infarct region; however, the group mean value for T1 (ms) of the infarct region (728 ± 94) was not significantly greater than that for the normal region (650 ± 87). The T2 value (ms) was discriminate for all dogs, and the mean value for the infarct region (48 ± 2) was significantly different (p NMR imaging detects acute myocardial infarction as a positive image without contrast media. Increased signal intensity of the infarct is related to increased hydrogen density and increased T2 relaxation time.
Mode of action of methotrexate upon insulin-antibody formation in guinea pigs.

Abstract Methotrexate (MTXT) effectively inhibits insulin-antibody production in guinea pigs when administered from days 5 to 10 (phase I) or from days 20 to 25 (phase III) after initial antigen injection; or for 5 days after secondary antigen injection (phase II). In the present studies, folinic acid factor (FLA) was shown to reverse this inhibition completely, but itself had no demonstrable effect upon antibody formation. The nature of this reversal during phases I and III was shown to be dependent upon the dose of the metabolite administered. 5-Fluoro-2-deoxyuridine (5-FDUR) was as effective as MTXT when administered during phases I and II, but was completely ineffective in phase III. The immunosuppressive action of 5-FDUR was reversible with administered thymidine. In the presence of MTXT (phases I and II), individual nucleosides were either ineffective or only partially effective in reversing the effects of the antifolate. Thymidine with guanosine, adenosine or 2′-deoxyadenosine completely reversed this inhibition. In phase III, adenosine or guanosine separately, but not thymidine, were able to counteract the effect of MTXT. The relative roles in antibody formation of purine and thymidylate synthetic pathways are discussed in terms of the possible mode of action of MTXT upon induction of antibody formation.
Comparative Accuracy of Recent Abbreviated Methods of Gestational Age Determination

Fifty healthy newborn infants were studied in an attempt to test the accuracy of several recently reported shortened methods of gestational age determina tion. The Finnstrom method with seven external characteristics was more accurate than those that contained only five or less criteria. In the statistical analysis it also yielded results that were very similar to those obtained using the original Dubowitz technique which has 21 criteria.
Effect of nutrition changes on foods selected by students in a middle school-based diabetes prevention intervention program: the HEALTHY experience.

BACKGOUNDThe HEALTHY primary prevention trial developed an integrated multi-component intervention program to moderate risk factors for type 2 diabetes in middle schools. The nutrition component aimed to improve the quality of foods and beverages served to students. Changes in the School Breakfast Program (SBP), National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and a la carte venues are compared to the experience of control schools.METHODSThe intervention was implemented in 21 middle schools from winter 2007 through spring 2009 (following a cohort of students from sixth through eighth grades); 21 schools acted as observed controls. The nutrition component targeted school food service environmental change. Data identifying foods and nutrients served (selected by students for consumption) were collected over a 20-day period at baseline and end of study. Analysis compared end of study values for intervention versus control schools.RESULTSIntervention schools more successfully limited dessert and snack food portion size in NSLP and a la carte and lowered fat content of foods served. Servings of high fiber grain-based foods and/or legumes were improved in SBP but not NSLP. Intervention and control schools eliminated >1% fat milk and sugar added beverages in SBP, but intervention schools were more successful in NSLP and a la carte.CONCLUSIONThe HEALTHY program demonstrated significant changes in the nutritional quality of foods and beverages served in the SBP, NSLP, and a la carte venues, as part of an effort to decrease childhood obesity and support beneficial effects in some secondary HEALTHY study outcomes.
Varicella-zoster-specific immune responses in acute herpes zoster during a placebo-controlled trial of oral acyclovir therapy.

Abstract During a placebo-controlled trial of oral acyclovir therapy for acute zoster in immunocompetent patients, we examined the blastogenic response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and antibody titers in both placebo and acyclovir recipients to determine whether the drug affected the cell-mediated or humoral immune responses. Proliferative responses to mitogens and two dilutions of varicella-zoster virus antigen were not inhibited when fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells were simultaneously tested in autologous sera collected before and on day 7 of a 10-day course of 2 g/day of oral acyclovir (plasma drug levels averaged 4.6 μM). Using cryopreserved cells from study days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 30, thawed and tested simultaneously, there was no significant difference at the p ⩽ 0.05 level between the net proliferative responses at each time point for the two groups. On day 14, however, the proliferative response of the acyclovir group was ∼50% lower than that of the placebo group. Geometric mean antibody titer rises to varicella-zoster virus were also lower among drug recipients but not significantly so. Although this dose of acyclovir did not have a statistically significant effect on lymphocyte proliferative responses to varicella-zoster virus antigen or antibody titers, the lower values in drug recipients may be a reflection of the ability of acyclovir to terminate viral replication, thus reducing the patient's antigenic burden.
Endoscopic assessment of vocal fold movements during cough.

Objectives:Little is known about the function of the true vocal folds (TVFs) during cough. The objective of this study was to determine the reliability of measuring TVF movements during cough and to obtain preliminary normative data for these measures.Methods:Sequential glottal angles associated with TVF adduction and abduction across the phases of cough were analyzed from laryngeal videoendoscopy records of 38 young healthy individuals.Results:The intraobserver and interobserver reliability of 3 experienced measurers was high (intraclass correlation of at least 0.97) for measuring sequential and maximum glottal angles. The TVF abduction velocity during expulsion was significantly higher than the precompression adduction velocity (p = 0.002), but there were no significant differences in maximum angle. No statistically significant differences were seen in maximum TVF angle and velocity when they were compared between the sexes and between the levels of cough strength. True vocal fold closure following expu...
PsychLib: A library of machine language routines for controlling psychology experiments on the Apple Macintosh computer.

The hardware and system software of the Apple Macintosh computer are described, and their implications for conducting psychological research is discussed. A library of machine language routines for presenting auditory and visual stimuli and recording response latencies is described. Recently, a new generation of personal computers has been introduced having features that make them particu­ larly well suited for use in psychological research. These features include high-performance microprocessors, large amounts of memory, bit-mapped displays, and high­ quality sound generation. The Apple Macintosh, the Atari ST, and the Commodore Amiga are examples of such computers. This paper focuses on using the Apple Macin­ tosh computer in psychological research. An overview of the hardware and system software of this computer is given, followed by a description of a library of machine language subroutines that we developed to facilitate us­ ing these features in the control of psychological ex­ periments.
Epiphytic microbial communities on foliage of fungicide treated and non-treated flowering dogwoods

Abstract Microbial populations on leaves of Cornus florida (flowering dogwood) in two state parks, a commercial nursery (CN) and at Tennessee State University (TSU) were assessed monthly from May through September. Trees at the TSU location were treated with propiconazole or thiophanate-methyl, at the CN with thiophanate-methyl in rotation with propiconazole at 12–14 days intervals. The highest numbers of colony forming units (CFU) were detected in Rock Island State Park (RISP) and in the CN while the lowest numbers were in Fall Creek Falls State Park (FCFSP) and TSU. Incidence of powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe pulchra was severe in non-treated flowering dogwood at CN and TSU, not in the state parks. Fungicides treatments were highly effective in controlling powdery mildew, but did not significantly affect the microbial populations as indicated by total CFU counts. Because E. pulchra is a biotroph and does not grow on artificial media, it was not included in the tabulation. Experimental data suggest that fungicide treatments did not kill all epiphytes; if they did, there was a rapid re-colonization and replacement with new organisms. Bacteria and yeasts CFU counts were higher than for filamentous fungi. No difference in microbial diversity was detected between fungicide-treated and non-treated trees. In addition to Cladosporium spp. isolated from fungicide treated plots at CN and TSU, several epiphytes known to suppress foliar diseases were isolated from the two state parks where fungicides were not applied.
Epidemiology of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Mortality

Increased mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is widely recognized but not fully explained. Despite substantial improvements in management and growing knowledge of the determinants of increased mortality, evidence for reduction in mortality in RA has lagged behind. Indeed, most studies report no apparent reduction in mortality in RA. However, emerging evidence from some recent RA inception cohorts suggests no increased mortality, including cardiovascular mortality, but this awaits further confirmation. Although it is possible that recent advances in RA treatment may manifest in improvement of survival in the near future, other factors, including undertreated or unrecognized low-grade inflammation, comorbidities, and immunogenetic factors, may contribute to the excess mortality in RA and impede its improvement. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the rates and determinants of mortality in RA, identify and discuss potential explanations for excess mortality, and outline promising research avenues for targeting mortality in RA.
In vivo optical characterization of pediatric epileptogenic lesions

Epileptogenic lesions and their margins are often difficult to define intraoperatively. We hypothesize that optical spectroscopy can detect unique pathophysiological features of epileptogenic lesions in children and hence differentiate them from normal brain. This hypothesis was tested by comparing the in vivo optical and fluorescence characteristics of epileptogenic brain lesions (non-neoplastic) with those of normal brain. Patients were recruited from those receiving epilepsy surgeries at Miami Children's Hospital. Using a portable spectroscopic system, optical characterization of brain was performed intraoperatively. Fluorescence spectra were measured at 337 nm excitation, and diffuse reflectance spectra were measured between 400 and 850 nm. To date, seven epilepsy patients have been enrolled in the study. A couple interesting trends have been observed in the recorded optical spectra. First, sites within the resection zone, as defined by the intracranial electroencephalogram data, often show higher diffuse reflectance signals than normal sites do. This is especially prominent around 500 nm and between 650 and 850 nm. Secondly, several investigated sites with abnormal electroencephalogram and/or pathology show a unique blue shift in their fluorescence spectra, which is not seen in other cases.
Effect of various cations upon absorption of carrier-free cesium

The effects of the monovalent cations K, Na, NH/sub 4/, Rb, Li, and Cs and of the divalent cations Ca, Mg, and Ba upon the absorption of carrier-free Cs/ sup 137/ by excised barley roots have been investigated. In the concentration range of 0 to 0.l0 meq per liter Na, Li, Ca, Ba, and Mg had essentially no depressant effect upon Cs/sup 137/ uptake whereas K, Rb, NH/sub 4/, and Cs were markedly effective. At higher concentrations all ions investigated inhibited the absorption of Cs/sup 137/. The uptake of carrier-free Cs/sup 137/ was found to be strongly temperature dependent and is therefore largely the result of metabolic absorption rather than of difiusion and adsorption phenomena. In spite of this the behavior of the ions studied in inhibiting uptake of Cs/sup 137/ parallels their behavior in respect to competition for exchange sites upon soil colloids. A possible reason for this is discussed. (auth)
The urban port: A hidden resource for the city and the coastal zone

This paper is concerned with the changing pattern of activity on the urban waterfront. It examines developments in marine transportation technology and in the economic structure of the central city that have influenced the function of the urban port. Drawing upon data related to the West Side of Manhattan, the impact of the changes in cargo and passenger ship operations on the urban port is described and analyzed. A twofold strategy for public agencies to identify and understand the opportunities presented by technological change and to formulate policies for the redevelopment of the urban coastal zone is discussed.
Forest bird communities across a gradient of urban development

This study examined native bird communities in forest patches across a gradient of urbanization. We used field data and multivariate statistical techniques to examine the effects of landscape context, roads, traffic noise, and vegetation characteristics on bird community composition in the North Carolina Piedmont (U.S.A.). Landscape-level variables, particularly those related to urbanization, were most important in structuring forest bird communities. Specifically, we found that road density and amount of urban land cover were the best predictors of species composition. We found that urban and rural bird communities were quite distinct from each other. Rural communities had more long-distance migrants and forest interior species but species richness did not differ between the communities. Our results suggest some specific guidelines to target bird species of interest both inside and outside of urban areas. For example, if increasing numbers of migratory species is of primary concern, then conservation areas should be located outside of urban boundaries or in areas with low road density. However, if maximizing species richness is the focus, location of the conservation area may not be as important if the conservation area is surrounded by at least 50 m of forest habitat in all directions.
A Second-Generation Model of Timber Harvesting:

Increased demand for wood and wood products coupled with changes in timber harvesting systems in the Southeastern United States from a labor-intensive to a more costly, almost totally mechanized opera tion requires optimal use of harvesting equipment. Simulation can provide an inexpensive tool for evaluating harvesting procedures or use of new equipment.Existing harvesting simulation models were evaluated and found to be insufficiently documented and diffi cult for one lacking computer experience to use. No consensus of what constitutes the essential elements of a model exists.This paper presents the design criteria for a new second-generation model that will be modular, user- oriented, and uniform in the level of detail it provides.