cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low Risk of Pneumonia From Pneumocystis jirovecii Infection in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Receiving Immune Suppression.

Background & Aims Use of immunosuppressants and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may increase the risk of pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii (PJP). We assessed the risk of PJP in a population-based cohort of patients with IBD treated with corticosteroids, immune-suppressive medications, and biologics. Methods We performed a population-based cohort study of residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, diagnosed with Crohn's disease (n = 427) or ulcerative colitis (n = 510) from 1970 through 2011. Records of patients were reviewed to identify all episodes of immunosuppressive therapies and concomitant PJP prophylaxis through February 2016. We reviewed charts to identify cases of PJP, cross-referenced with the Rochester Epidemiology Project database (using diagnostic codes for PJP) and the Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center databases. The primary outcome was risk of PJP associated with the use of corticosteroids, immune-suppressive medications, and biologics by patients with IBD. Results Our analysis included 937 patients and 6066 patient-years of follow-up evaluation (median, 14.8 y per patient). Medications used included corticosteroids (520 patients; 55.5%; 555.4 patient-years of exposure), immunosuppressants (304 patients; 32.4%; 1555.7 patient-years of exposure), and biologics (193 patients; 20.5%; 670 patient-years of exposure). Double therapy (corticosteroids and either immunosuppressants and biologics) was used by 236 patients (25.2%), with 173 patient-years of exposure. Triple therapy (corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and biologics) was used by 70 patients (7.5%) with 18.9 patient-years of exposure. There were 3 cases of PJP, conferring a risk of 0.2 (95% CI, 0.01–1.0) to corticosteroids, 0.1 (95% CI, 0.02–0.5) cases per 100 patient-years of exposure to immunosuppressants, 0.3 (95% CI, 0.04–1.1) cases per 100 patient-years of exposure to biologics, 0.6 (95% CI, 0.01–3.2) cases per 100 patient-years of exposure to double therapy, and 0 (95% CI, 0.0–19.5) cases per 100 patient-years of exposure to triple therapy. Primary prophylaxis for PJP was prescribed to 37 patients, for a total of 24.9 patient-years of exposure. Conclusions In a population-based cohort of patients with IBD treated with corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and biologics, there were only 3 cases of PJP, despite the uncommon use of PJP prophylaxis. Routine administration of PJP prophylaxis in these patients may not be warranted, although it should be considered for high-risk groups, such as patients receiving triple therapy.
The Research and Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Behavioral Health: Partnerships and Innovation in Systems of Care

Thirty years ago, the annual Children's Mental Health Research & Policy Conference began as an activity of the federally funded Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health (RTC) at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa. The RTC's goal was to develop new knowledge through research and the dissemination of empirically based information about child mental health service systems: the nascent concept of systems of care (SOC; Stroul & Friedman, 1986). The convening, later more widely known as the “Tampa Conference,” aimed for researchers, evaluators, and policymakers to jointly examine and creatively solve the issues facing the country's most challenged children and their families.
Surgical decision making in breast cancer: The patients' perspective.

e20576 Background: Following demonstration of equivalent survival for patients treated with breast conservation surgery (BCS) followed by radiation compared to mastectomy, rates of BCS increased. I...
Reality and Spooky Action at a Distance

Quantum mechanics has a peculiar feature that Einstein called “Spooky action at a distance”, and which he found problematic. The problem arises under certain realizable empirical conditions involving two different experiments performed at essentially the same time in two far-apart experimental regions. Under the specified empirical conditions, the computational rules of quantum mechanics assert that the psycho-physical event initiated by the “free choice” of experiment made in one experimental region instantly changes the quantum state that controls the quantum predictions about outcomes appearing in the faraway region.
LinkForecast: Cellular Link Bandwidth Prediction in LTE Networks

Accurate cellular link bandwidth prediction can benefit upper-layer protocols significantly. In this paper, we investigate how to predict cellular link bandwidth in LTE networks. We first conduct an extensive measurement study in two major commercial LTE networks in the US, and identify five types of lower-layer information that are correlated with cellular link bandwidth. We then develop a machine learning based prediction framework, LinkForecast , that identifies the most important features (from both upper and lower layers) and uses these features to predict link bandwidth in real time. Our evaluation shows that LinkForecast is lightweight and the prediction is highly accurate: At the time granularity of one second, the average prediction error is in the range of 3.9 to 17.0 percent for all the scenarios we explore. We further investigate the prediction performance when using lower-layer features obtained through standard APIs provided by the operating system, instead of specialized tools. Our results show that, while the features thus obtained have lower fidelity compared to those from specialized tools, they lead to similar prediction accuracy, indicating that our approach can be easily used over commercial off-the-shelf mobile devices.
Selection on start codons in prokaryotes and potential compensatory nucleotide substitutions

Reconstruction of the evolution of start codons in 36 groups of closely related bacterial and archaeal genomes reveals purifying selection affecting AUG codons. The AUG starts are replaced by GUG and especially UUG significantly less frequently than expected under the neutral expectation derived from the frequencies of the respective nucleotide triplet substitutions in non-coding regions and in 4-fold degenerate sites. Thus, AUG is the optimal start codon that is actively maintained by purifying selection. However, purifying selection on start codons is significantly weaker than the selection on the same codons in coding sequences, although the switches between the codons result in conservative amino acid substitutions. The only exception is the AUG to UUG switch that is strongly selected against among start codons. Selection on start codons is most pronounced in evolutionarily conserved, highly expressed genes. Mutation of the start codon to a sub-optimal form (GUG or UUG) tends to be compensated by mutations in the Shine-Dalgarno sequence towards a stronger translation initiation signal. Together, all these findings indicate that in prokaryotes, translation start signals are subject to weak but significant selection for maximization of initiation rate and, consequently, protein production.
Modeling of power supply induced jitter (PSIJ) transfer function at inverter chains

An analytical model of power supply noise induced jitter (PSIJ) at inverter chains is proposed. Based on the piecewise linear approximated I-V curve model, closed-form equations of PSIJ transfer function at a single inverter are derived. The PSIJ transfer function of an inverter chain output is then obtained by linearly stacking the single inverter-PSIJ transfer functions. Accuracy of the proposed analytical model is successfully validated by SPICE simulations. In addition, characteristics of the PSIJ transfer function at inverter chains are discussed.
Automatic and reliable segmentation of spinal canals in low-resolution, low-contrast CT images

Accurate segmentation of spinal canals in Computed Tomography (CT) images is an important task in many related studies. In this paper, we propose an automatic segmentation method and apply it to our highly challenging 110 datasets from the CT channel of PET-CT scans. We adapt the interactive random-walks (RW) segmentation algorithm to be fully automatic which is initialized with robust voxelwise classification using Haar features and probabilistic boosting tree. One-shot RW is able to estimate yet imperfect segmentation. We then refine the topology of the segmented spinal canal leading to improved seeds or boundary conditions of RW. Therefore, by iteratively optimizing the spinal canal topology and running RW segmentation, satisfactory segmentation results can be acquired within only a few iterations. Our experiments validate the capability of the proposed method with promising segmentation performance, even though the resolution and the contrast of our datasets are low.
Governors' Party Affiliation and Unions

Employing a regression discontinuity (RD) approach on gubernatorial elections in the United States over the last three decades, this paper investigates the causal effects of governors' party affiliation (Democrat versus Republican) on unionization of workers, and unionized workers' working hours and earnings. Surprisingly, we find no significant impact from the party affiliation of governors on union membership and union workers' labor-market outcomes.
Coherent Vibrational Wavepacket Dynamics in Platinum(II) Dimers and Their Implications

Vibrational coherence in the metal–metal-to-ligand-charge transfer (MMLCT) excited state of cyclometalated platinum dimers with a pseudo C2 symmetry was investigated where two nearly degenerate transitions from the highest occupied molecular orbital (metal–metal σ* orbital) to higher energy ligand π* orbitals could be simultaneously induced. We observed oscillatory features in femtosecond degenerate transient absorption (TA) signals from complexes [(ppy)Pt(μ-tBu2pz)]2 (1) and anti-[(ppy)Pt(μ-pyt)]2 (2), which are attributed to coherent nuclear motions that modulate the HOMO (antibonding σ*) energy level, and hence, the energy for the MMLCT transition. The characteristics of such coherent nuclear motions, such as the oscillatory frequency and the dephasing time, differ between 1 and 2 and are explained by mainly two structural factors that could influence the vibrational coherence: the Pt–Pt distance (2.97 A for 1 vs 2.85 A for 2) and molecular shape (1 in an “A” frame vs 2 in an “H” frame). Because the el...
Bardet-Biedl Syndrome

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a human genetic disorder characterized by defects in multiple organ systems. Major symptoms of BBS include retinitis pigmentosa, obesity, polydactyly, mental retardation, genital abnormalities, and renal abnormalities. Although generally inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion, reports of intrafamilial and interfamilial variability of penetrance and expressivity in patients with BBS have suggested models of oligogenic inheritance. To date, 17 causal genes have been identified, with an increasing number of modifying loci reported. Investigations into the function and subcellular localization of the protein products of BBS genes in physiologically relevant cell and animal models suggest that the primary organellar defect in BBS is the dysfunction of the cilium, a structure that projects from the surface of most vertebrate cells. Given the diverse role of the cilium in development and homeostasis, most clinical manifestations in BBS patients can be attributed to perturbed ciliary function.
Storing Weather Data and Dissemination Via the Web

As part of a much larger project, significant progress has been made toward making localized weather data available to the research community and even to the general public through the Internet. A weather station, installed on the roof of McNair Hall on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University, captures weather data and a C++ program accesses the data and stores it in a MySQL database. As of now, the data is accessed using PHP and made available in various forms. The data is being published on the Web in fixed intervals throughout each day. With KML, weather statistics are also available on Google Earth. There, users have access to the weather data through an icon at the location of the sensor, which, when clicked, displays a link to our weather page. Users also have the option of viewing calculated statistics or current weather data for the past 24 h, 7 days, weeks, or even months. Though significant, this work is only a small first step toward using grid computing and multiagent systems for real-time sensor control and data management in large sensor networks.
Heterozygous mutations cause genetic instability in a yeast model of cancer evolution

Genetic instability, a heritable increase in the rate of genetic mutation, accelerates evolutionary adaptation1 and is widespread in cancer2,3. In mammals, instability can arise from damage to both copies of genes involved in DNA metabolism and cell cycle regulation4 or from inactivation of one copy of a gene whose product is present in limiting amounts (haploinsufficiency5); however, it has proved difficult to determine the relative importance of these two mechanisms. In Escherichia coli6, the application of repeated, strong selection enriches for genetic instability. Here we have used this approach to evolve genetic instability in diploid cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and have isolated clones with increased rates of point mutation, mitotic recombination, and chromosome loss. We identified candidate, heterozygous, instability-causing mutations; engineering these mutations, as heterozygotes, into the ancestral diploid strain caused genetic instability. Mutations that inactivated one copy of haploinsufficient genes were more common than those that dominantly altered the function of the mutated gene copy. The mutated genes were enriched for genes functioning in transport, protein quality control, and DNA metabolism, and have revealed new targets for genetic instability7–11, including essential genes. Although only a minority (10 out of 57 genes with orthologues or close homologues) of the targets we identified have homologous human genes that have been implicated in cancer2, the remainder are candidates to contribute to human genetic instability. To test this hypothesis, we inactivated six examples in a near-haploid human cell line; five of these mutations increased instability. We conclude that single genetic events cause genetic instability in diploid yeast cells, and propose that similar, heterozygous mutations in mammalian homologues initiate genetic instability in cancer. Repeated selection for adaptive mutations in a diploid yeast model results in increased genetic instability and sheds light on mechanisms of genetic instability that might contribute to tumorigenesis.
The Anesthesiologist and the Surgeon: Two Professionals Sharing the Command of the Patient in the Operating Room

The operating room is a challenging and stressful environment and is one of the most complex medical environments. Multiple specialties intersect with each other as well as with nursing staff and technicians. Overlaid are immeasurable hospital processes and patient interactions, all culminating in safe surgeries for patients placing their trust in their physicians and the hospital. Leadership is required to align staff and processes, all with the abovementioned goal of providing each patient with a safe and successful surgical outcome. This chapter examines the multiple processes involved and covers many of the ethical considerations involved in, for example, patient encounters, leadership, conflict resolution, and team building. The chapter is also aimed at investigating the ethics of international health programs and how personal and programmatic ethical challenges can be problematic to both hosts and visitors in low-resource settings and how to set up processes which are aimed at preventing or solving such challenges.
Effective Use of an Expert in Sexually Violent Predator Commitment Hearings

This chapter will look critically at the use of experts in sexually violent predator commitment proceedings. It will begin by providing some important background information before suggesting the qualifications a sexually violent predator expert ideally should have. The chapter will then delve more deeply into the nuts and bolts of the proceedings themselves. It will discuss the expert’s role in proving or disproving that the accused has a mental disorder that makes him likely to engage in future predatory acts of sexual violence.
[Peutz-Jeghers hereditary hamartosis (cutaneous and mucosal melanin spots with intestinal polyposis].

Es wird uber einen 3 Jahre langen Krankheitsverlauf eines 12 jahrigen Madchens berichtet, das an schwerer hypochromer Anamie und gelegentlichen Darmkoliken litt. Als Ursache beider Leiden stellten sich schlieslich rezidivierende Invaginationen heraus, die durch Dunndarmpolypen ausgelost wurden. Einer dieser Polypen war carzinomatos entartet. Das Madchen hatte gleichzeitig starke Hautpigmentierungen im Gesicht, vor allem an den Lippen und um den Mund herum. Ahnliche Pigmentationen besonders der Lippen, hatten ebenfalls der Vater, die Gros-und Urgros-mutter des Kindes. Es handelt sich um ein als Peutz-Jeghers-Syndrom beschriebenes Leiden, von dem bisher etwa 45 Falle mitgeteilt worden sind. Die wesentlichen Krankheitszeichen sind: Haut- und Schleimhautpigment-Anomalien und Polypen des Verdauungstraktes, welche in 20% der Falle maligne entarten konnen und sehr oft zu Invagination und Anamie fuhren. In den betroffenen Familien kann dominante Vererblichkeit bestehen. Die Kenntnis dieses Syndroms kann in gegebenen Fallen wesentlich die Diagnose erleichtern und beschleunigen und damit zu einer erfolgreichen Therapie fuhren. Es werden zahlreiche verwandtschaftliche Beziehungen zu anderen bekannten Syndromen nachgewiesen. Das Peutz-Jaghers-Syndrom wird nach seiner biologischen Zugehorigkeit in die grose Gruppe der Neurofibromatose Recklinghausen eingereiht, wie sie in den letzten Jahren von amerikanischen Forschern verstanden wird, und aufgefast als eine hereditare Hamartosis.
MUC1 mucin undergoes alternative splicing in normal (activated T cells) and tumor (MCF7) cells resulting in different isoforms

5349 MUC1 (CD227) is a multi-functional transmembrane glycoprotein with variable numbers of tandem repeats (VNTRs) that plays an important role in regulation of immune response, signal transduction, cell adhesion, and even oncogenesis. The aberrant expression in many tumors makes it an ideal target for cancer therapy. Most of the work in that respect has been directed towards the full-length molecule. However, by alternative splicing, MUC1 gene can generate different isoforms, three of which, MUC1/X, MUC1/Y and MUC1/Z, have been described and are characterized by the lack of the tandem repeat region prominent in the full-length molecule. In order to elucidate the full extent of MUC1 alternative splicing as well as possible biological roles in normal and cancer cell function and antigenicity, we used a RT-PCR-based method to isolate MUC1 isoforms from MCF7 breast cancer cell line (M-isoforms) and from activated T cells (T-isoforms). In total, 27 M-isoforms and 16 T-isoforms were isolated and characterized. The splicing patterns include one-, double-, triple- or tetra-exon skipping, alternative 5’splice sites, alternative 3’splice sites, partial intron retention and a combination of these patterns. MUC1/Y and MUC1/Z isoforms were found in both cell types. However, the rest of the isoforms differed between MCF7 cell and T cells. Among the 27 M-isoforms, 25 have not been reported previously, and only 4 of them showed premature termination codon (PTC) suggesting lack of the protein products. In contrast, half of the T cell isoforms have PTCs and in the rest, the frequencies of skipping of exons 3, 4, 5 are less than found in M-isoforms. Of the 7 exons comprising the MUC1 gene, only exons 1 and 7 do not undergo alternatively splicing. The results indicate that alternative splicing of MUC1 happens in both normal and tumor cells but the resulting isoforms are different. MCF7 cells and activated T cells share only the isoforms MUC1/Y and MUC1/Z, while the others appear cell type-specific with different splicing patterns. We suspect that this difference is in part due to abnormal splicing in tumor cells. This may generate tumor-specific MUC1 isoforms that will serve as tumor specific targets for therapy.
From Start to Finish: What Factors Inhibit Student Veterans Completion?:

Student veterans experience unique challenges when returning to higher education. While the Post-9/11 GI bill creates an easier pathway for veterans, student veterans often face multiple impediment...
“The Wrong Bat Met the Wrong Pig”: Pandemic Ethics in Contagion (2011)

It’s hard to find great films about pandemics that are not “zombie” films, such as 28 Days (2000), its sequel, 28 Days Later (2002); or World War Z (2013). Contagion is a fast-paced thriller with an ensemble cast, brilliantly directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Prospective Observational Study of Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw in Multiple Myeloma: Microbiota Profiling and Cytokine Expression.

Purpose Define incidence and risk factors of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and explore oral microbial signatures and host immune response as reflected by cytokine changes in saliva and serum in multiple myeloma (MM) patients on bisphosphate (BP) therapy. Patients and methods A single center observational prospective study of MM patients (n = 110) on >2 years of BP, none had ONJ at enrollment. Patients were followed every 3 months for 18 months with clinical/dental examination and serial measurements of inflammatory cytokines, bone turnover markers, and angiogenic growth factors. Oral microbiota was characterized by sequencing of 16S rRNA gene from saliva. Results Over the study period 14 patients (13%) developed BRONJ, at a median of 5.7 years (95% CI: 1.9-12.0) from MM diagnosis. Chronic periodontal disease was the main clinically observed risk factor. Oral microbial profiling revealed lower bacterial richness/diversity in BRONJ. Streptococcus intermedius, S. mutans, and S. perioris were abundant in controls; S. sonstellatus and S anginosus were prevalent in BRONJ. In the saliva, at baseline patients who developed BRONJ had higher levels of MIP-1β; TNF-α and IL-6 compared to those without BRONJ, cytokine profile consistent with M-1 macrophage activation. In the serum, patients with BRONJ have significantly lower levels of TGF beta and VEGF over the study period. Conclusion Periodontal disease associated with low microbial diversity and predominance of invasive species with a proinflammatory cytokine profile leading to tissue damage and alteration of immunity seems to be the main culprit in pathogenesis of BRONJ.
Imaging Nanostructure Phase Transition Through Ultrafast Far-Field Optical Ultra-Microscopy

Imaging photo-induced ultrafast dynamics of nanostructure phase transition is of great interest to the fields of laser-matter interactions, nanoscience, and nanotechnology. However, conventional ultrafast far-field optical imaging methods cannot image nanostructures with diameter D as their scattering scales as [[EQUATION]] leading to a vanishing signal-to-noise ratio. Here, we employ ultrafast ultramicroscopy to capture the temporal and spatial evolution of nanostructure phase transition as they undergo the melting, spallation, and re-solidification processes. Our experimental observations show agreements with molecular dynamic simulations on ultrashort laser pulse irradiated metallic nanoparticles and suggest the occurrence of melting of nanostructures followed by photomechanical spallation within a few picoseconds. At longer time scales, we image the re-solidification dynamics of the melted nanostructures occurring within nanoseconds. The re-solidification time for nanostructured surface occurs an order-of-magnitude faster than an initially flat surface. Our study demonstrates a simple but powerful far-field optical approach for studying ultrafast dynamics of nanostructures.
Functions of multiple instances for sub-pixel target characterization in hyperspectral imagery

In this paper, the Multi-target Extended Function of Multiple Instances (Multi-target eFUMI) method is developed and described. The method is capable of learning multiple target spectral signatures from weakly- and inaccurately-labeled hyperspectral imagery. Multi-target eFUMI is a generalization of the Function of Multiple Instances approach (FUMI). The FUMI approach differs significantly from standard Multiple Instance Learning (MIL) approach in that it assumes each data is a function of target and non-target “concepts.” In this paper, data points which are convex combinations of multiple target and several non-target “concepts” are considered. Moreover, it allows both “proportion-level” and “bag-level” uncertainties in training data. Training data needs only binary labels indicating whether some spatial area contains or does not contain some proportion of target; the specific target proportions for the training data are not needed. Multi-target eFUMI learns the target and non-target concepts, the number of non-target concepts, and the proportions of all the concepts for each data point. After learning the target concepts using the binary “bag-level” labeled training data, target detection can be performed on test data. Results for sub-pixel target detection on simulated and real airborne hyperspectral data are shown.
A global A-state potential surface for H2O: Influence of excited states on the O(1D)+H2 reaction

In this article a global potential energy surface for the 1A′′ state of H2O based on application of the reproducing kernel Hilbert space interpolation method to high quality ab initio results is presented. The resulting 1A′′ surface is used in conjunction with a previously determined 1A′ surface to study the O(1D)+H2(HD,D2) reaction dynamics, with emphasis on the influence of the 1A′′ excited state on measurable properties such as the reactive cross sections, rate coefficients, and product state distributions. There is a reactive threshold of about 2 kcal/mol on the 1A′′ surface, and even at 5 kcal/mol, the 1A′′ reactive cross section is only a small fraction (∼20%) of the barrierless 1A′. However, the 1A′′ surface populates very specific product vibrational states (v=3–4) and gives strongly backward peaked differential cross sections, so certain types of measurements are quite sensitive to the presence of this excited state. In particular, better agreement is found with experimental vibrational and angul...
Regenerative Biology and Medicine

The replacement of damaged tissues and organs with tissue and organ transplants or bionic implants has serious drawbacks. There is now emerging a new approach to tissue and organ replacement, regenerative biology and medicine. Regenerative biology seeks to understand the cellular and molecular differences between regenerating and non-regenerating tissues. Regenerative medicine seeks to apply this understanding to restore tissue structure and function in damaged, non-regenerating tissues. Regeneration is accomplished by three mechanisms, each of which uses or produces a different kind of regeneration-competent cell. Compensatory hyperplasia is regeneration by the proliferation of cells which maintain all or most of their differentiated functions (e.g., liver). The urodele amphibians regenerate a variety of tissues by the dedifferentiation of mature cells to produce progenitor cells capable of division. Many tissues contain reserve stem or progenitor cells that are activated by injury to restore the tissue while simultaneously renewing themselves. All regeneration-competent cells have two features in common. First, they are not terminally differentiated and can re-enter the cell cycle in response to signals in the injury environment. Second, their activation is invariably accompanied by the dissolution of the extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding the cells, suggesting that the ECM is an important regulator of their state of differentiation. Regenerative medicine uses three approaches. First is the transplantation of cells into the damaged area. Second is the construction of bioartificial tissues by seeding cells into a biodegradable scaffold where they produce a normal matrix. Third is the use of a biomaterial scaffold or drug delivery system to stimulate regeneration in vivo from regeneration-competent cells. There is substantial evidence that non-regenerating mammalian tissues harbor regeneration-competent cells that are forced into a pathway of scar tissue formation. Regeneration can be induced if the factors leading to scar formation are inhibited and the appropriate signaling environment is supplied. An overview of regenerative mechanisms, approaches of regenerative medicine, research directions, and research issues will be given.
Comparison of Cytocidal and Noncytocidal Strains of Shope Rabbit Fibroma Virus

Seven strains of Shope fibroma virus were compared for their effect on rabbit cells in vitro. All but one of the naturally occurring strains examined in this study produced a similar response in the infected cultures. This consisted of continued cell multiplication together with changes in cell morphology and growth pattern. In contrast, a recently isolated strain of fibroma virus, the M1 strain, was found to produce a gradual cell destruction under the same cultural conditions. A comparison of the cytocidal M1 strain with a representative noncytocidal strain in vitro showed no differences in the rate of multiplication, plaque type, antigenic composition, or heat lability. Only minor differences were found in the tumors produced in rabbits by these strains.
Dispersion and nonlinear propagation in air-core photonic band-gap fibers

We characterize the dispersion and nonlinearity of a recently developed extremely-low-loss, air-core photonic band-gap fiber. We show it can support femtosecond solitons with peak powers greater than 2 MW.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a broad and critical overview of the relationship between psychiatric symptoms, and syndromes and disturbances of the hypothalamicpituitary-thyroid axis in both endocrine and psychiatric patients. Particular attention is paid not only to the theoretical importance of the accumulated literature, but also to the potential clinical utility of the findings presented. The thyroid gland has been linked to psychiatric symptomatology in rich and extensive clinical and experimental literature that dates back to the eighteenth century. Rich clinical descriptions of prominent psychiatric symptoms and syndromes in both hyper and hypothyroidism have appeared frequently in the literature. These observations from endocrine patients have led to the conclusion that perturbations of the thyroid axis may be implicated in the etiology of psychiatric symptomatology and perhaps even psychiatric disorders.
Pathophysiology and therapy of end-Organ failure in critical illness

The pattern of death of critically ill patients aggressively treated with lifesustaining therapies following the initial resuscitative effort is remarkably similar across patient groups (1). Most of the critically ill patients who eventually go on to die during that hospitalization in whom initial resuscitative efforts are successful do so because of progressive multi-system deterioration often punctuated by infectious episodes and a non-specific septic state. The clinical expression of this initial process a sepsis or sepsis syndrome has been termed the systemic inflammatory response syndrome or SIRS by a recent consensus conference (2). The deterioration of these patients over time with progressive failure of multiple often unrelated organ systems is referred to a multiple organ dysfunction syndrome or MODS to underscore the continuum of tissue injury which may develop rather than by defining a threshold level to indicate the presence of organ failure. Patients usually first express SIRS and then MODS, progressing along a clinical pathway from initial partial recovery following resuscitation, though relapses and septic episodes to death. Diverse disease states such as infection, trauma and burns, pancreatitis and organ rejection share this common process (1). It is our hypothesis that MODS represents the phenomenological process of progressive and cumulative organ system dysfunction that may occur after a variety of diseases characterized by continual intravascular inflammation (3). According to this hypothesis, specific organ dysfunction is less important to outcome than the cumulative tissue burden of SIRS.
Determination of the pH of hemolyzed packed red cells from arterial blood.

A technic is described for the determination of the in vivo p H of red blood cell hemolysates. The mean arterial red cell p H of 20 normal subjects was 7.19 with a range of 7.15 to 7.22. The fiducial probability at the 0.95 level is 7.13 to 7.25. The mean difference in p H between plasma and cells was 0.21, with a range of 0.15 to 0.23. It is suggested that changes in p H of erythrocytes may reflect changes in other less accessible cells of the body and that the determination may be a useful research and clinical procedure in the study of metabolic and respiratory derangements.
Enzymes of glutamine metabolism in inflammation associated with skeletal muscle hypertrophy.

Glutamine synthesis and utilization were studied in the plantaris muscle after removal of its functional synergists, the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. Rat plantaris muscle was compared with unoperated controls at 7, 14, and 30 days after synergist ablation and induction of hypertrophy. Glutamine synthetase activity increased from 6.17 +/- 1.77 to 33.92 +/- 2.23 nmol.h-1.mg protein-1, and glutaminase activities increased from 98.63 +/- 23.05 to 478.70 +/- 64.17 nmol.h-1.mg protein-1 7 days after surgery and remained elevated at 14 and 30 days. Sham-operated controls examined 7 days after surgery did not exhibit significantly increased glutamine synthetase activity. Histological examination revealed a large proliferation of connective tissue cells, as well as cells involved in tissue repair and inflammation; this influx was maximal 1 wk after surgery. The activity of the oxidative enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway increased from 3.08 +/- 4.31 to 20.86 +/- 1.13 nmol.min-1.mg protein-1 1 wk after surgery. The time course of changes in pentose phosphate pathway enzymes was similar to that of the increases in glutamine synthetase, glutaminase, and cellular infiltration. Increases in muscle wet weight followed a different time course than changes in glutamine synthetase, glutaminase, and pentose phosphate pathway activities. It is concluded that the initial increases in plantaris muscle weight are probably due to edema, connective tissue proliferation, and cells involved in tissue repair and inflammation. The increase in glutamine synthetase activity appears to occur in skeletal muscle, whereas the changes in glutaminase and pentose phosphate pathway activities appear to represent infiltrating inflammatory cells. Furthermore, the increase in glutamine synthetase activity may serve to support the infiltrating cells, which appear to lack substantial capacity for glutamine production. These results represent a functional relationship between skeletal muscle glutamine synthesis and utilization by cells mediating inflammation and connective tissue repair and synthesis.
Phase space localization operators: asymptotics of singular values

The Weyl correspondence is a convenient and practical way to define a broad class of time-frequency localization operators. Given a region /spl Omega/ in the time-frequency (or phase) plane R/sup 2/, and a distribution P(/spl xi/, x) in the Cohen's (1989) class, the Weyl correspondence defines an operator L/sub /spl Omega///sup P/ on L/sup 2/(R) which essentially localizes the signal in the region /spl Omega/ according to the distribution P. Different choices of P allow different interpretations of phase-space localization. Empirically, such localization operators have the following singular value structure: the singular values range between 0 and 1, and when arranged in decreasing order, a finite number of them are close to 1, while the rest fall toward 0 asymptotically. We present a result on the asymptotic structure of the singular values of such phase-space localization operators. >
Successful and Less Successful Interventions: Stabilizing Iraq and Afghanistan

The US troop surge and awakening movements are the two factors most often associated with the decrease of violence in Iraq after 2006. However, these policies, including a distinction between the Anbar Awakening and later Sons of Iraq (SOI) program, did not occur simultaneously. To date, it also has not been made clear whether the surge, Anbar Awakening, and/or SOI deserve credit as the intervention responsible for improving security conditions in Iraq. Hence, we compare the relative effects of these three interventions using Poisson autoregression models for interrupted time series to assess which policy reduced civilian and Coalition troop casualties in Iraq between 2004 and 2011. We find clear evidence that the non-Anbar SOI rather than the troop surge reduced casualty rates in Iraq, though this effect distinction has not been made salient in policy circles, where the conventional wisdom of a combined effect for the surge and awakening councils persists. Given this, the same kind of “surge and local militia allies” strategy held significant appeal for NATO strategists in Afghanistan. Yet for reasons we consider in the second portion of this article, a number of more challenging factors bedeviled counterinsurgency there.
Personality, personal expression, and the situation

Abstract The person–situation debate often characterized personality as equivalent to a few modestly stable behaviors: for example, the stability of sociability, or honesty, or helping across situations. Does a small group of social behaviors, however, really translate into an adequate vision of personality? Personality is really much more than its expressed behaviors.
Treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis : Antibiotic therapy

Acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (AECB) is a condition associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Bacterial infections are the most frequent cause of exacerbations. The most common bacterial etiologies include Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Streptococcus pneumonia. The diagnosis of AECB is often based on the clinical presentation, but microbiological assessment, including Gram stain and sputum culture should be done. Antibiotic therapy should be used in patients with the following characteristics: underlying lung disease, frequent exacerbations, and comorbid conditions. Penicillins, erythromycin, beta-lactamase inhibitors, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole have been the preferred antibiotics. However, because of the increasing prevalence of resistance among respiratory pathogens, mainly the production of beta-lactamase by H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis, and the emergence of multidrug-resistant S. pneumonia, new generation macrolides and fluoroquinolones should be the first line of treatment in selected patients. These drugs have increased efficacy and safety.
Recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus expressing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) glycoproteins: RSV fusion protein can mediate infection and cell fusion

The genes encoding the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) attachment (G) and fusion (F) envelope glycoproteins were expressed separately as additional genes in recombinant vesicular stomatitis viruses (VSV). Cells infected with the VSV-RSV F recombinant formed large syncytia illustrating the fusion activity of F in absence of other RSV proteins. Both F and G glycoproteins were expressed at the cell surface and incorporated into virions. Incorporation of these proteins did not require cytoplasmic tail sequences of VSV G. Using a compound, ammonium chloride, that raises the endosomal pH, we showed that presence of the RSV F glycoprotein in the envelope of recombinant VSV allowed for infectivity through a low-pH-independent pathway. Recombinant VSV expressing RSV glycoproteins could be useful as an RSV vaccine.
A One and a Half Centered Expansion for Ion Atom Collisions

A new method for numerically calculating ion atom collisions is presented. It uses time dependent amplitudes for target excitation and ionization but time independent amplitudes for charge transfer. It is efficient in its use of computer time and removes the known difficulty with a single centered expansion for the proton hydrogen system below 60 keV.
Hadronic Charm Decays from B Factories

The B factories, KEKB and PEPII, provide enormous samples of charmed mesons and baryons as well as B{bar B} events. The BELLE and BaBar collaborations have discovered many new particles containing charm quarks in the last few years and have measured their properties with increasing precision. The current status and most recent studies of these charm particle properties is briefly reviewed.
Membrane pore characterization—comparison between single and multicomponent solute probe techniques

Abstract Two methods of membrane characterization are compared. Both methods are based on the permeation of dilute solutions containing probe solutes through a membrane. The first method characterizes the membrane by the successive permeation of dilute solutions containing a single solute of varying molecular weight. The second method uses one solution containing a mixture of these solutes to obtain a molecular weight cut-off for the membrane. p]The use of mixtures tends to under-estimate the molecular weight cut-off and pore size of the membrane. Membrane pore sizes obtained from mixtures are relative and depend on the composition of the feed mixture used in the characterization tests. Larger components in the mixture were found to have the greatest influence on membrane performance. p]Differences between characterization methods were quantified by calculating membrane pore sizes based on a radially averaged restricted transport model. For a 10,000 molecular weight cut-off membrane, pore sizes of 35.2 A for single solutes and 28.0 A for a five component mixture were obtained. Based on the Stokes-Einstein radius of polyethylene glycols (PEG), the molecular weight equivalent for absolute retention (100% separation) was 17,700 daltons for single solutes and 11,200 daltons for a five component mixture. This difference in pore sizes could not be attributed to experimental error, nor to differences in the analysis method. p]These results indicate that solute-solute interferences occur in the permeation of mixed solutes through membrane pores. The discrepancies are explained by different lag times for solutes translating through the membrane. Larger solutes hinder the movement of smaller ones resulting in higher separations. If mixtures are to be used in characterizing membranes, molecular weight cut-off measurements and restricted transport models should be altered to account for solute-solute interferences. The single solute method combined with automation techniques is a preferred choice for characterizing membranes.
Effects of young consumers’ self-concept on hedonic/utilitarian attitudes towards what is ‘cool’

This study examines the causal relationships among young consumers’ actual self-image, ideal self-image, and hedonic/utilitarian attitudes towards cool products. We conducted single-group structural equation modelling to test the hypotheses developed. The study shows that young consumers with high levels of actual self-image are not interested in utilitarian values when purchasing cool products whereas consumers with high levels of ideal self-image seek a cool lifestyle in which their aspirations for novelty are reflected, and thus they put emphasis on hedonic values. The findings offer guidance to apparel marketers on which cool product, either hedonic or utilitarian, is congruent with their targeted young consumers’ self-image.
Touching behaviors of infants of depressed mothers during normal and perturbed interactions

The present study investigated the touching behaviors of 4-month-old infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers during the still-face (SF; maternal emotional unavailability) and separation (SP; maternal physical unavailability) procedures. Forty-one dyads participated in the present study; dyads were from low SES backgrounds and they exhibited poor relationship qualities (e.g. poor maternal sensitivity, low infant responsiveness); thus, they were considered at-risk. Results indicated that infants exhibited more patting and pulling when mothers were unavailable during the SF and SP procedures. Moreover, depression affected infants' tactile behaviors: infants of depressed mothers used more reactive types of touch (i.e. active touching behaviors, such as grab, pat, pull) than infants of non-depressed mothers during emotional and physical unavailability, suggesting greater activity levels in infants of depressed mothers. Negative relationship indicators, such as maternal intrusiveness and hostility, predicted soothing/regulatory (i.e. nurturing) and reactive/regulatory types of touch, even after controlling for maternal depression. Taken together, these results underscore the importance of touch for infant communication and regulation during early social interactions.
Evaluation of the Vitek system to accurately test the susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates against cefepime.

Abstract A total of 300 recent blood stream and pneumonia isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from 32 different medical centers in the United States were used to assess the accuracy of the Vitek System (GNS-107 card) for cefepime, a new "fourth-generation" cephalosporin. The Vitek System test result was compared to the consensus of the three other methods (reference broth microdilution, disk diffusion, Etest (AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden)), and 271 of 300 consensus category of susceptibility sets were unanimous. The Vitek System produced a 25.3% error rate (5.3% false resistance, 20.0% minor errors). A consistent trend toward higher MIC results with the Vitek System was observed that produced a 15.3 to 21.3% lower susceptible rate compared with the other susceptibility test methods. The consensus cefepime resistance rate was only 4.3% compared to 14.0% for the Vitek GNS-107 card. The error was reproducible on triplicate repeat testing. These results indicate an unacceptable rate of false resistance being produced by the Vitek System when testing cefepime against P. aeruginosa strains. Alternative methods are suggested for this broad-spectrum antipseudomonal cephalosporin.
American Exceptionalism and the Rhetoric of Humanitarian Militarism: The Case of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Relief Effort

This article examines the discourse of U.S. relief efforts after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and argues that exceptionalist rhetorics rely on citizen virtue to motivate state action. Examining speeches and interviews by U.S. presidents and newspaper articles and editorials from domestic news sources, themes of compassion, humanitarianism, and global leadership converge to form an exceptionalist rhetoric of compassionate generosity that legitimates U.S. global hegemony. This critique highlights how, in moments of international crisis, virtues are mobilized to buttress America's moral position and advances a rhetoric of humanitarian militarism.