cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Population Density Modulates Drug Inhibition and Gives Rise to Potential Bistability of Treatment Outcomes for Bacterial Infections

The inoculum effect (IE) is an increase in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of an antibiotic as a function of the initial size of a microbial population. The IE has been observed in a wide range of bacteria, implying that antibiotic efficacy may depend on population density. Such density dependence could have dramatic effects on bacterial population dynamics and potential treatment strategies, but explicit measures of per capita growth as a function of density are generally not available. Instead, the IE measures MIC as a function of initial population size, and population density changes by many orders of magnitude on the timescale of the experiment. Therefore, the functional relationship between population density and antibiotic inhibition is generally not known, leaving many questions about the impact of the IE on different treatment strategies unanswered. To address these questions, here we directly measured real-time per capita growth of Enterococcus faecalis populations exposed to antibiotic at fixed population densities using multiplexed computer-automated culture devices. We show that density-dependent growth inhibition is pervasive for commonly used antibiotics, with some drugs showing increased inhibition and others decreased inhibition at high densities. For several drugs, the density dependence is mediated by changes in extracellular pH, a community-level phenomenon not previously linked with the IE. Using a simple mathematical model, we demonstrate how this density dependence can modulate population dynamics in constant drug environments. Then, we illustrate how time-dependent dosing strategies can mitigate the negative effects of density-dependence. Finally, we show that these density effects lead to bistable treatment outcomes for a wide range of antibiotic concentrations in a pharmacological model of antibiotic treatment. As a result, infections exceeding a critical density often survive otherwise effective treatments.
Dental Care Presents The Highest Level Of Financial Barriers, Compared To Other Types Of Health Care Services

The Affordable Care Act is improving access to and the affordability of a wide range of health care services. While dental care for children is part of the law's essential health benefits and state Medicaid programs must cover it, coverage of dental care for adults is not guaranteed. As a result, even with the recent health insurance expansion, many Americans face financial barriers to receiving dental care that lead to unmet oral health needs. Using data from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey, we analyzed financial barriers to a wide range of health care services. We found that irrespective of age, income level, and type of insurance, more people reported financial barriers to receiving dental care, compared to any other type of health care. We discuss policy options to address financial barriers to dental care, particularly for adults.
Chlamydia pneumoniae induces interleukin-12 responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in asthma and the role of toll like receptor 2 versus 4: a pilot study.

Chlamydia pneumoniae causes respiratory infection in adults and children, and has been associated with asthma exacerbations and induction of Immunoglobulin (Ig) E responses. We previously reported that C. pneumoniae enhances T helper (Th) 2 responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from asthmatic patients. It is likely that toll like receptor (TLR)-2 and TLR-4 mediate cytokine responses and host defense against C. pneumoniae. Thus, we sought to determine whether engagement of TLR-2 or TLR-4 may induce IL-12 production in our C. pneumoniae model. PBMC (1.5 × 106) from asthmatic patients (N = 10) and non-asthmatic controls (N = 5) were infected or mock-infected for 1 h ± C. pneumoniae TW183 at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) = 1 and MOI = 0.1, and cultured for 48 h ± anti- TLR-2 and TLR-4 antibodies (Abs) (1 mg/mL). Interleukin (IL)-12 (48 h p.i.) and total IgE levels (day 10) were measured in supernatants (ELISA). High IgE levels were detected in supernatants of C. pneumoniae- infected PBMC from asthmatics on day 10, compared with mock-infected PBMC (p < 0.03). In contrast, IgE was not detected (<0.3 ng/mL) in either C. pneumoniae infected or mock-infected PBMC from non-asthmatics. IL-12 production by C. pneumoniae-infected asthmatic and non-asthmatic PBMC were similar. When anti-TLR4, but not anti-TLR2, was included in culture, IL-12 production by C. pneumoniae- infected asthmatic PBMC decreased. C. pneumoniae infection induces IgE production and modulates IL-12 responses in patients with asthma, which may be caused, in part, by differences in TLR-2 and TLR-4 stimulation.
Restaging Mise en Valeur: “Postwar Imperialism” and The Plan de Constantine

Fewer than fourth months after De Gaulle stood in Algiers and enigmatically declared “I have understood you,” he was once again in Algeria, now in the city of Constantine, where he unveiled a development plan that seemed to reaffirm his commitment to French Algeria. On 3 October 1958, amidst the ravages of war, De Gaulle proposed the Plan de Constantine, proclaiming that “all of Algeria must have her share in what modern civilization can and must bring to men.” The Plan de Constantine (hereafter “the Plan”) was an ambitious development program that intended to lessen the economic, social and political disparity between l’ Hexagone (metropolitan France) and French Algeria.
Relationships among statistical channel parameters for an air-ground channel: Stationarity distance, ricean K-factor, and RMS delay spread

Based upon recent results from an air-ground channel measurement campaign, we investigate relationships between three common channel parameters: Ricean K-factor, stationarity distance (SD), and root-mean square delay spread (RMS-DS). Results show that SD and K are positively correlated, SD and dK/dt are negatively correlated, and SD and the temporal derivative of RMS-DS are also negatively correlated.
Abstract TP338: Differences Between the Modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index in Measuring Intracerebral Hemorrhage Recovery at 12 Months

Background: The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and the Barthel Index (BI) are both commonly employed measures of recovery used in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients. While these measures have been utilized routinely between 3 to 6 months post-hemorrhage, few outcome studies have compared improvements in these measures in long-term outcome.out to one year. The aim of this study was to examine differences in improvement across these measures through up to 12 months post-ICH. Methods: 139 patients diagnosed with primary ICH at Yale-New Haven Hospital were prospectively enrolled in this observational study between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2016. Patient recovery was evaluated using the mRS and BI at discharge, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. Repeated-measures parametric and non-parametric testing was conducted to examine improvement in measures over time. Results: Using the BI, there was a significant improvement across time points (p = 0.005), with follow-up testing showing improvement between discharge and 3 months (p 0.05). Between individual time points, there was a significant improvement in mRS scores between discharge and 3 months (p = 0.004) as well as 6 months (p = 0.010). Conclusions: These results suggest improved recovery of ICH patients in activities of daily living up to 1 year post-hemorrhage. While the mRS has a plateau effect in measuring recovery for this patient population between 3 and 6 months, the BI may be a more sensitive measure for assessing recovery up to 12 months.
Epilepsy Treatment Strategies

Factors in everyday life can alter the probability of seizure occurrence. These include missed medication, emotional stress, sleep deprivation, excessive alcohol use, and hormonal influences. The majority of these factors can be modified or regulated to decrease the likelihood of frequent seizures in addition to the use of antiepileptic drugs.
Electrophysiological Correlates of Positive Reinforcement: Post-Reinforcement Synchronization, Modulation of Sensory Input, and Steady Potentials

The empirical distinction between neuronal substrates for the positive and negative reinforcement, based on aversive (Delgado, Roberts and Miller, 1954) and rewarding properties (Olds and Milner, 1954; Heath, 1954) of electrical stimuli delivered to appropriate brain structures both in experimental animals and man brought an important element of order to our concepts of brain function. This distinction has engendered not only a broad spectrum of fruitful research but also a stimulating debate on the possible role of reward-aversion systems in the mechanisms of motivation (Olds, 1955; Miller, 1959; Livingston, 1967), in learning (cf. Magoun, 1960; 1964), and in normal and pathological brain function related to complex adaptational and psychodynamic processes (Heath, 1964; Rado, 1964; Stein, 1961; Marczynski and Hackett, 1969).
SUBTILISIN-LIKE ISOZYME IN PRONASE

ABSTRACT. The subtilisin-like enzyme of the K-l strain of Streptomyoes gviseus undergoes rapid irreversible denaturation in 6 M guanidine · HCl if EDTA is also present. In the absence of EDTA the protease is both active and stable in either 8 M urea or 6 M guanidine-HCl. The native enzyme is stable to 70°; if EDTA is added, inactivation begins above 40°. Calcium ion was found to be the specific metal which protects this protein. This enzyme shows maximal stability in the pH range of 6 to 9; it is acid labile, like the well-studied subtilisins, in contrast to the chymotrypsin-like endopeptidases in Pronase. Enhanced rates and extents of hydrolysis of casein by this protease are found if 8 M urea or 6 M guanidine · HCl is present. Native ovalbumin appears to be resistant to hydrolysis by this enzyme; In 8 M urea, ovalbumin is very slowly hydrolyzed whereas the rate is very rapid in 6 M guanidine-HCl. These findings reflect the selective unfolding of substrate proteins by denaturants. The Michaelis constant against Na-acetyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester is similar to those noted for the two companion chymotrypsin-like isozymes; however, the maximal velocity against this substrate is about ten-fold greater. As yet no good explanation can be offered as to why two different classes of serine enzymes have been generated and conserved by this microorganism.
Improving the coloration/dyeability of polyolefin fibres

Abstract An overview of polyolefin fibre characteristics pertinent to dyeing properties is given. Dye fibre interactions are briefly discussed and the role of fibre morphology on dye retention is briefly explained. The use of conventional dyeing techniques with commercial dyes including acid, direct, vat, sculpture, azoic, disperse, and solvent-soluble dyes on polyolefins is reviewed. Fibre modification including the use of polymeric and low molecular weight additives, copolymerization and grafting, polyblending, nanoparticle infusion, supercritical fluids, and chemical surface treatment to improve the dyeability of polyolefins is examined. Fibre modification may be the key in achieving commercially acceptable dyeings on polyolefins; however, recent advances in the dyeing of unmodified polyolefin fibres also show promise and merit further investigation.
Skin Conductance Reactivity as a Moderator of Associations Between Youth Perceptions of Neighborhood Stress and Depressive Symptoms

Young adolescents (N = 68) completed questionnaires concerning perceptions of neighborhood stress (i.e., high negative influences, low cohesion, and connectedness). Youth self-reported their own de...
Making Up Is Hard to Do: Race/Gender/Sexual Orientation in the Law School Classroom

This exchange of letters picks up where Professors Adrienne Davis and Robert Chang left off in an earlier exchange that examined who speaks, who is allowed to speak, and what is remembered. Here, Professors Davis and Chang explore the dynamics of race, gender, and sexual orientation in the law school classroom. They compare the experiences of African American women and Asian American men in trying to perform as law professors, considering how makeup and other gender tools simultaneously assist and hinder such performances. Their exchange examines the possibility of bias that complicates the use of student evaluations in assessing teaching effectiveness. It hypothesizes that the mechanism by which this bias manifests itself is a variant of stereotype threat, one that they call projected stereotype threat, where stereotypes of incompetence or accent are projected onto the bodies of teachers marked by difference. They examine how institutions respond or, as is more typically the case, fail to respond to these problems. They conclude with some suggestions for change, asserting that if institutions want to pay more than lip service to the goal of diversity, the success and employment conditions of women and minorities will improve only through the hiring of more women and minorities and by addressing directly the issue of bias to educate students about bias and its discriminatory effects on instructors whose bodies are marked by perceived differences and how such bias interferes with their learning.
Belief’s minimal rationality

Many of our beliefs behave irrationally: this is hardly news to anyone. Although beliefs’ irrational tendencies need to be taken into account, this paper argues that beliefs necessarily preserve at least a minimal level of rationality. This view offers a plausible picture of what makes belief unique and will help us to set beliefs apart from other cognitive attitudes (e.g. imagination, acceptance).
Secretory pathway function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Publisher Summary The eukaryotic secretory pathway maintains the cellular requirements for biochemical compartmentation, and represents a major aspect of intracellular protein traffic within the eukaryotic cell. It is defined by a set of biochemically and morphologically distinct membrane- enclosed organelles that house activities associated with catalysis of protein transport, and sorting of proteins from the cytoplasm to various intracellular organelles and the cell surface. This chapter focusses on biosynthetic protein transport through yeast secretory pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Elucidation of this pathway involves the isolation and characterization of yeast mutants elaborating temperature-sensitive (ts) defects at specific stages of the secretory pathway. These defects exhibited the dual properties of being both recessive and thermoreversible traits. The organelle membranes serve as impermeable barriers to diffusion of such resident proteins. Once a polypeptide is translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen, it overcomes the major topological obstacle, that is, the polypeptide no longer has to traverse a lipid bilayer en route to its ultimate destination. Golgi complex occupies a unique position in the cellular scheme for protein-traffic control. This organelle is the compartment for sorting of proteins from the constitutive secretory pathway to the lysosomal and regulated secretory pathways. Fusion of Golgi complex-derived vesicles with the plasma membrane has been identified in yeast. It is clear that yeast will continue to play a major role in setting the pace of research directed towards a detailed molecular understanding of protein secretion. The basic strategies that underlie secretory pathway function have been conserved among eukaryotes, thus, further exploitation of the powerful and complementary yeast and mammalian experimental systems guarantees even greater progress towards the understanding of protein secretion in eukaryotic cells.
Requiem by a Member of the Inaugural Generation of Interventional Cardiologists.

I was an internal medicine house officer when Andreas Gruentzig performed the first percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty on September 16, 1977. Back then, patients with intolerable angina were occasionally referred for coronary artery bypass graft surgery by reluctant clinical
Indwelling ureteric stents: Patterns of use and nomenclature.

Objectives: To evaluate ureteric stenting practice patterns amongst a range of academic and community urologists, and to examine the nomenclature used to identify an indwelling ureteric stent from ...
A 3D Structural Interactome to Explore the Impact of Evolutionary Divergence, Population Variation, and Small-molecule Drugs on SARS-CoV-2-Human Protein-Protein Interactions

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a global public health crisis. Vital to the development of informed treatments for this disease is a comprehensive understanding of the molecular interactions involved in disease pathology. One lens through which we can better understand this pathology is through the network of protein-protein interactions between its viral agent, SARS-CoV-2, and its human host. For instance, increased infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 compared to SARS-CoV can be explained by rapid evolution along the interface between the Spike protein and its human receptor (ACE2) leading to increased binding affinity. Sequence divergences that modulate other protein-protein interactions may further explain differences in transmission and virulence in this novel coronavirus. To facilitate these comparisons, we combined homology-based structural modeling with the ECLAIR pipeline for interface prediction at residue resolution, and molecular docking with PyRosetta. This enabled us to compile a novel 3D structural interactome meta-analysis for the published interactome network between SARS-CoV-2 and human. This resource includes docked structures for all interactions with protein structures, enrichment analysis of variation along interfaces, predicted {Delta}{Delta}G between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 variants for each interaction, predicted impact of natural human population variation on binding affinity, and a further prioritized set of drug repurposing candidates predicted to overlap with protein interfaces{dagger}. All predictions are available online{dagger} for easy access and are continually updated when new interactions are published. {dagger}Some sections of this pre-print have been redacted to comply with current bioRxiv policy restricting the dissemination of purely in silico results predicting potential therapies for SARS-CoV-2 that have not undergone thorough peer-review. The results section titled "Prioritization of Candidate Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2-Human Interactions Through Binding Site Comparison," Figure 4, Supplemental Table 9, and all links to our web resource have been removed. Blank headers left in place to preserve structure and item numbering. Our full manuscript will be published in an appropriate journal following peer-review.
Facility and management characteristics of large Upper Midwest dairy herds clustered by Dairy Herd Improvement records

Principal component analysis (PCA) is used on datasets with vast numbers of numeric variables and limited observations (e.g., dairy herd improvement [DHI] data) for unbiased selection of uncorrelated variables that describe the largest amount of variance. Cluster analysis (CA) divides objects of interest (e.g., dairy herds) into groups on the basis of similarity in multiple characteristics simultaneously. The aims of this project were to develop a novel method for discovering important DHI variables by use of PCA and then grouping herds by those variables via CA, and to survey herds to determine herd management characteristics of each group.
Tachyporinae Revisited: Phylogeny, Evolution, and Higher Classification Based on Morphology, with Recognition of a New Rove Beetle Subfamily (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae).

Tachyporinae are one of the most phylogenetically problematic subfamilies in the mega-diverse rove beetle family Staphylinidae. Despite its high diversity and abundance in forest micro-environments, with over 1600 species worldwide, several previous studies had refuted the monophyly of this subfamily and its largest tribe, Tachyporini. Based on the results of morphology-based phylogenetic analyses and direct examination of specimens encompassing two extinct and all forty extant genera, a new suprageneric classification of Tachyporinae is proposed here, with the removal of the tribe Mycetoporini into a newly recognized subfamily Mycetoporinae stat. nov. Four tribes with two subtribes are arranged within Tachyporinae sensu nov.: Tachyporini sensu nov. (Tachyporina stat. nov., sensu nov. and Euconosomatina stat. rev., sensu nov.), Vatesini sensu nov., Deropini, and Tachinusini stat. rev., sensu nov. (= Megarthropsini syn. nov.). Urolitus syn. nov. is placed as a junior synonym of Sepedophilus, and Palporus stat. nov. is raised to a distinct genus from a subgenus of Tachyporus sensu. nov., and †Mesotachyporus syn. nov. is treated as synonym of the latter. Mycetoporine Bobitobus stat. rev. is resurrected from synonymy with Lordithon sensu nov., and considered as a valid genus. My revised classification provides a novel framework for taxonomic inventories and ecological studies of these groups.
Perceptions of Women, Their Husbands and Health Care Providers about Anemia in Rural Pakistan

Background: In Pakistan, there is a dearth of literature on the perceptions of anemia among women of reproductive age. This study was undertaken to explore the perceptions of women, their husbands and health care providers about anemia, its possible causes, and how anemia impacts maternal and child health in Thatta, Pakistan. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in Thatta, Pakistan from September to December 2018. We conducted focus group discussions with women and their husbands as well as key-informant interviews with healthcare providers to understand their perceptions about anemia. Data were analyzed using NVivo 10 software. Results: We conducted 20 interviews using semi-structured interview guides. Six over-arching themes were identified: (I) Knowledge and awareness of anemia, (II) Causes and consequences of Anemia, (III) Dietary practices, (IV) Knowledge and practices regarding the use of iron–folic Acid supplements, (V) Factors influencing prevention and control of anemia and (VI) Women’s health behavior. Conclusion: The study revealed that most men and women were not aware of the term “anemia” but acknowledged that women of reproductive age may suffer from ‘blood deficiency’. Both men and women identified the intake of chewable tobacco (ghutka) as one of the major causes of anemia among women of reproductive age. In addition, short inter-pregnancy intervals, inappropriate dietary practices and poor health behavior of women were identified as important causes of anemia in women of Thatta, Pakistan.
Assessing cyanobacterial frequency and abundance at surface waters near drinking water intakes across the United States.

Abstract This study presents the first large-scale assessment of cyanobacterial frequency and abundance of surface water near drinking water intakes across the United States. Public water systems serve drinking water to nearly 90% of the United States population. Cyanobacteria and their toxins may degrade the quality of finished drinking water and can lead to negative health consequences. Satellite imagery can serve as a cost-effective and consistent monitoring technique for surface cyanobacterial blooms in source waters and can provide drinking water treatment operators information for managing their systems. This study uses satellite imagery from the European Space Agency's Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) spanning June 2016 through April 2020. At 300-m spatial resolution, OLCI imagery can be used to monitor cyanobacteria in 685 drinking water sources across 285 lakes in 44 states, referred to here as resolvable drinking water sources. First, a subset of satellite data was compared to a subset of responses (n = 84) submitted as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 4). These UCMR 4 qualitative responses included visual observations of algal bloom presence and absence near drinking water intakes from March 2018 through November 2019. Overall agreement between satellite imagery and UCMR 4 qualitative responses was 94% with a Kappa coefficient of 0.70. Next, temporal frequency of cyanobacterial blooms at all resolvable drinking water sources was assessed. In 2019, bloom frequency averaged 2% and peaked at 100%, where 100% indicated a bloom was always present at the source waters when satellite imagery was available. Monthly cyanobacterial abundances were used to assess short-term trends across all resolvable drinking water sources and effect size was computed to provide insight on the number of years of data that must be obtained to increase confidence in an observed change. Generally, 2016 through 2020 was an insufficient time period for confidently observing changes at these source waters; on average, a decade of satellite imagery would be required for observed environmental trends to outweigh variability in the data. However, five source waters did demonstrate a sustained short-term trend, with one increasing in cyanobacterial abundance from June 2016 to April 2020 and four decreasing.
Predicting critical closing pressure in children with obstructive sleep apnea using fluid-structure interaction.

Surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children requires knowledge of upper airway dynamics, including the closing pressure (Pcrit), a measure of airway collapsibility. We applied a...
The Role of Physical Activity in Optimizing Bariatric Surgery Outcomes

Habitual physical activity (PA) is associated with numerous health benefits, is a major component of behavioral treatments for obesity, and is a key strategy for improving long-term weight loss maintenance. These findings, along with preliminary research in the field of bariatric surgery, suggest that habitual PA plays a significant role in improving weight loss and other outcomes of bariatric surgery. Recent studies employing objective assessment of PA indicate that most patients do not perform habitual PA preoperatively nor make significant positive changes in PA behaviors postoperatively. In addition, a recent study suggests that while many postoperative patients intend to perform PA on most days of the week, they rarely fulfill these intentions. Given the significant barriers to adoption and maintenance of habitual PA, preoperative and postoperative counseling should be provided, ideally within a multidisciplinary patient care approach. The five As (assess, advise, agree, assist, and arrange) provide a useful organizational framework for effective PA counseling. In the current absence of specific PA guidelines for bariatric surgery patients, patients should be encouraged to gradually progress to performing at least 30 min of aerobic exercise at a moderate intensity on at least 5 days of the week, consistent with PA guidelines for Americans. Greater amounts of PA may be needed to enhance weight loss and prevent significant weight regain. However, PA prescriptions should be individualized to address differences in health status, disease risk factors, physical capacity, personal goals, and exercise preferences.
SYNTHESIS OF OPTIMAL CONTROLLERS USING HYBRID ANALOG-DIGITAL COMPUTERS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the synthesis of optimal controllers using hybrid analog-digital computers. A class of minimum time and minimum effort controllers can be synthesized by the application of an algorithm based on theorems deduced by Neustadt. The test for the boundary conditions should be based on the x-trajectories and not on the z-trajectories as it is the x-trajectories that represent the physical problem. The EAI HYDAC 2000 is a hybrid computer consisting of two parts: a general purpose analog computer and the DOS-350, a digital operations system containing logic, storage, and interface components. A HYDAC simulation program is an extension of the work performed on the ARAP hybrid facility with certain modified iterations. The EAI HYDAC 2000 computer represents one current form of hybrid computation: The association of a general purpose analog computer with a complement of digital logic, storage, and interface components. The efficiency of the modified iteration logic in producing convergence and the magnitudes of errors at the boundary is of primary interest in the simulation study.
A Hierarchical Model for Coordination of Concurrent Activities

We describe a hierarchical model for coordination of concurrent activities based on grouping actors into casts and coordinating casts by actors that are designated directors. The hierarchical model provides a simple, intuitive basis for actor communication and coordination. Casts serve as abstraction units for naming, migration, synchronization and load balancing. Messengers are actors used to send messages with special behaviour across casts. Moreover, an implementation of the hierarchical model does not require a reflective run-time architecture. We present the operational semantics for our model and illustrate the model by two sample applications: an atomic multicast protocol and a messenger carrying remote exception-handling code. These applications have been implemented in Java, leveraging the existence of cross-platform, safe virtual machine implementations.
The CBA/N mouse strain: an experimental model illustrating the influence of the X-chromosome on immunity.

Publisher Summary Studies of the mouse strain have identified the gene, or closely linked group of genes, responsible for the immune defect, and it has been named “xid.” This chapter summarizes the known functional immune defects associated with xid and discusses the cellular basis for these defects. The X-chromosomes of mice and men influence the immunological function of these species in a number of interesting ways. In studies of the influence of the murine X-chromosome on serum IgM levels, it was shown that the mean values of serum IgM were higher in female mice than in males of two different mouse strains. However, in contrast to humans with Turner's syndrome (XO), who had lower mean serum IgM values than did normal XX females, the mean serum concentrations of IgM in XO mice were similar to that found in normal female mice. An X-linked form of severe combined immunodeficiency disease is described in the chapter. Children with this disease have variable degrees of lymphopenia, with small foci of lymphocytes in their lymph nodes and spleens. It is unclear if these patients have a primary B- or T-lymphocyte or stem cell defect. Spleens from either CBA/N or defective F1 male mice are considerably smaller than those of normal mice and the number of nucleated cells/spleen reflects this difference. The absence of thymus-independent type 2 (TI-2) responses in immune-defective mice and the apparent B-cell abnormality in this strain is related to an isolated dysfunction in otherwise normal B cells of these mice. It has been detected in studies that the xid defect could impair thymic-dependent (TD) responses by the induction of hapten-specific suppression without altering the development of memory B cells.
Antibiotic Inhibition of the Septation Stage in Sporulation of Bacillus megaterium

The inhibition of sporulation septation (stage II) in Bacillus megaterium was shown with penicillin, d-cycloserine, bacitracin, vancomycin, novobiocin, chloromycetin, streptomycin, mitomycin C, and nalidixic acid.
Proving Bounds on Real-Valued Functions with Computations

Interval-based methods are commonly used for computing numerical bounds on expressions and proving inequalities on real numbers. Yet they are hardly used in proof assistants, as the large amount of numerical computations they require keeps them out of reach from deductive proof processes. However, evaluating programs inside proofs is an efficient way for reducing the size of proof terms while performing numerous computations. This work shows how programs combining automatic differentiation with floating-point and interval arithmetic can be used as efficient yet certified solvers. They have been implemented in a library for the Coq proof system. This library provides tactics for proving inequalities on real-valued expressions.
The importance of thyroglobulin structure for thyroid hormone biosynthesis

Thyroglobulin (Tg) is the most important protein in the thyroid because it provides the matrix for thyroid hormone biosynthesis. Here we review experimental work, principally from our laboratory, on the relationship between Tg structure and hormonogenesis. Early work showed that Tg's most important hormonogenic site was located in a fragment of approximately 26 kDa obtained on chemical reduction. With the establishment of the cDNA sequence of Tg, this and other major sites could be localized within Tg's polypeptide chain. The four major hormonogenic sites, designated A, B, C, and D, are located respectively at tyrosyls 5, 2553, 2746, and 1290. In most species, site A accounts for about 40% of Tg's hormone, and site B for about 25%. Site C is associated with increased T3, at least in some species. Site D is prominent in guinea pigs and rabbits, and TSH favors hormonogenesis at it in these species. Sequential iodination of low iodine human Tg shows three consensus sequences associated with early iodination and with T4 formation. Recent work has identified Tyr130 in beef Tg as donor of an outer iodothyronine ring, most likely to Tyr5, the most important hormonogenic site. In addition to its biochemical importance, Tg has clinical interest in familial goiter and autoimmune thyroid disease. Further elucidation of Tg structure and its relation to thyroid hormone synthesis will contribute to thyroid physiology and to its clinical application.
The RHIC general purpose multiplexed analog to digital converter system

A general purpose multiplexed analog to digital converter system is currently under development to support acquisition of analog signals for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The system consists of a custom intelligent VME based controller module (V113) and a 14-bit 64 channel multiplexed A/D converter module (V114). The design features two independent scan groups, where one scan group is capable of acquiring 64 channels at 60 Hz, concurrently with the second scan group acquiring data at an aggregate rate of up to 80 k samples/second. An interface to the RHIC serially encoded event line is used to synchronize acquisition. Data is stored in a circular static RAM buffer on the controller module, then transferred to a commercial VMEbus CPU board and higher level workstations for plotting, report generation, analysis and storage.
IMMEDIATE MEMORY FOR MISMATCHED SPEECH AND REPRESENTATIONAL GESTURE ACROSS DEVELOPMENT

Two experiments examined how 7- and 8-year-old children, 9- and 10-year-old children, and adults process mismatched, task-related speech and gesture differently as a function of development. Participants watched videotapes of children speaking and gesturing about the concept of conservation. Using a recognition paradigm, we assessed immediate memory for information conveyed in mismatched speech and gesture. In Experiment 1, we used recognition of verbal statements to probe participants' memory, whereas in Experiment 2, we used recognition of gestural statements to probe memory. When probed with verbal statements in Experiment 1, 9- and 10-year-old children failed to retrieve gestured information. When probed with gestural statements in Experiment 2, 9- and 10-year-old children failed to retrieve verbal information. In contrast, the younger children and adults showed retrieval of both verbal and gestural information across both recognition methods in Experiments 1 and 2. These results suggest a U-shaped function with the 9- and 10-year-old children showing a limitation in the ability to process contradictory messages simultaneously conveyed in two modalities. Implications for identifying a transitional period in the development of representational skills are discussed.
Corpus Creation for New Genres: A Crowdsourced Approach to PP Attachment

This paper explores the task of building an accurate prepositional phrase attachment corpus for new genres while avoiding a large investment in terms of time and money by crowd-sourcing judgments. We develop and present a system to extract prepositional phrases and their potential attachments from ungrammatical and informal sentences and pose the subsequent disambiguation tasks as multiple choice questions to workers from Amazon's Mechanical Turk service. Our analysis shows that this two-step approach is capable of producing reliable annotations on informal and potentially noisy blog text, and this semi-automated strategy holds promise for similar annotation projects in new genres.
Skepticism, Truth as Coherence, and Constructivist Epistemology: Grounds for Resolving the Discord between Science and Religion?.

Science and religion exhibit multiple relationships as ways of knowing. These connections have been characterized as cousinly, mutually respectful, non-overlapping, competitive, proximate-ultimate, dominant-subordinate, and opposing-conflicting. Some of these ties create stress, and tension between science and religion represents a significant chapter in humans’ cultural heritage before and since the Enlightenment. Truth, knowledge, and their relation are central to science and religion as ways of knowing, as social institutions, and to their interaction. In religion, truth is revealed through God’s word. In science, truth is sought after via empirical methods. Discord can be viewed as a competition for social legitimization between two social institutions whose goals are explaining the world and how it works. Under this view, the root of the discord is truth as correspondence. In this concept of truth, knowledge corresponds to the facts of reality, and conflict is inevitable for many because humans want to ask which one—science or religion—gets the facts correct. But, the root paradox, also known as the problem of the criterion, suggests that seeking to know nature as it is represents a fruitless endeavor. The discord can be set on new ground and resolved by taking a moderately skeptical line of thought, one which employs truth as coherence and a moderate form of constructivist epistemology. Quantum mechanics and evolution as scientific theories and scientific research on human consciousness and vision provide support for this line of argument. Within a constructivist perspective, scientists would relinquish only the pursuit of knowing reality as it is. Scientists would retain everything else. Believers who hold that religion explains reality would come to understand that God never revealed His truth of nature; rather, He revealed His truth in how we are to conduct our lives.
Changes in cat specific IgE and IgG antibodies with decreased cat exposure.

Abstract Background Current understanding of the effects of reducing exposure to cat allergens is limited. It has also become clear that there are different forms of immune response to cat allergens. Objective To investigate changes in skin tests and cat specific IgG and IgE antibodies when students from a home with a cat move to a college dormitory. Methods Ninety-seven college students participated in a prospective study that consisted of allergy skin prick testing and serum measurement of IgE and IgG antibodies to cat at the beginning and end of one academic year in college. A subgroup returned for follow-up at the end of 2 years. Results Among 97 students, 33% had IgG antibodies to Fel d 1 but no evidence of sensitization, 25% had positive skin test results and/or serum IgE antibodies, and 42% had negative skin test results and no detectable serum antibodies. Among the non–cat sensitized students with IgG antibodies, the titers decreased during 8 months ( P = .002). Titers of IgG4 to Fel d 1 also decreased ( P P = .20), whereas Fel d 1 specific IgG antibodies decreased ( P P = .007). Among the students with negative skin test results who returned for follow-up (n = 56), none developed positive skin test results or serum IgE antibodies. Conclusion Under conditions of marked decrease in exposure, no participants developed new-onset sensitization. Among the individuals sensitized at study entry, there were major decreases in the ratio of IgG to IgE.
Absolute deformation potentials and band alignment of wurtzite ZnO, MgO, and CdO

Using first-principles methods we calculate the absolute deformation potentials ${a}_{v}$ and ${a}_{c}$ of wurtzite ZnO, MgO, CdO, and the band offsets at $\mathrm{Mg}\mathrm{O}∕\mathrm{Zn}\mathrm{O}$ and $\mathrm{Zn}\mathrm{O}∕\mathrm{Cd}\mathrm{O}$ interfaces. We find that the absolute deformation potentials of these oxides are systematically smaller in magnitude than those of the corresponding nitrides (GaN, AlN, and InN). The $\mathrm{Mg}\mathrm{O}∕\mathrm{Zn}\mathrm{O}$ and $\mathrm{Zn}\mathrm{O}∕\mathrm{Cd}\mathrm{O}$ heterojunctions exhibit type-I band lineups, in which the narrower band gap on the right (ZnO and CdO) is contained within the wider gap on the left (MgO and ZnO). The conduction-band offsets $\ensuremath{\Delta}{E}_{c}$ at these junctions are much greater than the valence-band offsets $\ensuremath{\Delta}{E}_{v}$. We explain these results in terms of the energetic position of the anion $s$ and $p$ valence states relative to the cation $s$, $p$, and $d$ valence states.
Differential patterns of mitochondrial, chloroplastic and nuclear DNA synthesis in the synchronous cell cycle of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Nuclear DNA (ncDNA) synthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was measured by both 32P[or-thophosphoric acid] (32P) and [14C]adenine incorporation and found to be highly synchronous. Ca. 85% of incorporation was confined to the first 6 h of the dark period of a synchronized regime consisting of an alternating light-dark period of 12 h each. In contrast, no such synchronous incorporation pattern was found for chloroplast (cp) and mitochondrial (mt) DNAs in the same cell population. These two organellar DNAs also exhibited different 32P-incorporation patterns in the cell cycle. Considerable amounts of 32P were incorporated into cpDNA throughout the light-dark synchronous cycle under both mixo- and phototrophic growth conditions, although the second 6-h light period under phototrophy showed an increase not apparent under mixotrophy. This change in growth conditions did not affect 32P incorporation into mtDNA, which was found throughout the cell cycle, with a modest peak in the first 6-h of the dark period. The pattern of [3H]thymidine incorporation into cpDNA was also determined. Under synchronous phototrophic conditions, this pattern was quite different from that obtained with 32P. Most [3H]thymidine incorporation occurred during the light period of the synchronous cycle; this period had been shown previously by density transfer experiments to be the time of cpDNA duplication. Such preferential [3H]thymidine incorporation into cpDNA in the light period was not observed under mixotrophic synchronous growth conditions; in these, [3H]thymidine incorporation was detected throughout the cell cycle. This lack of coincidence between the patterns of 32P- and of [3H]thymidine incorporation into cpDNA during the synchronous cell cycle indicates that in addition to replication, the considerably reiterated organelle-DNA molecules may also regularly undergo an extensive repair process during each cell cycle.
Agricultural Development and Maize Diversity in Mexico

Mexico is within the center of origin of Zea mays and has among the highest levels of maize genetic diversity in the world. This diversity is traced to factors at the regional and farm levels. Loss of crop genetic diversity has been related to economic and agricultural development, although opposed views of this exist for the Mexican case. Agricultural development appears to be affecting virtually all types of farms in Mexico. A case study in Chiapas suggests that the adoption of some improved varieties has enhanced genetic diversity in maize, but one improved type competes with landraces in the most favorable land. The adoption of this improved type is associated with greater access to capital and with lower risk.
Description and evaluation of a pilot physician-directed emergency medical services diversion control program.

Objectives: To describe the characteristics and feasibility of a physician-directed ambulance destination-control program to reduce emergency department (ED) overcrowding, as measured by hospital ambulance diversion hours. Methods: This controlled trial took place in Rochester, New York and included a university hospital and a university-affiliated community hospital. During July 2003, emergency medical services (EMS) providers were asked to call an EMS destination-control physician for patients requesting transport to either hospital. The destination-control physician determined the optimal patient destination by using patient and system variables as well as EMS providers' and patients' input. Program process measures were evaluated to characterize the program. Administrative data were reviewed to compare system characteristics between the intervention program month and a control month. Results: During the intervention month, 2,708 patients were transported to the participating hospitals. EMS providers contacted the destination-control physician for 1,866 (69%) patients. The original destination was changed for 253 (14%) patients. Reasons for redirecting patients included system needs, patient needs, physician affiliation, recent ED or hospital care, patient wishes, and primary care physician wishes. During the intervention month, EMS diversion decreased 190 (41%) hours at the university hospital and 62 (61%) hours at the community hospital, as compared with the control month. Conclusions: A voluntary, physician-directed destination-control program that directs EMS units to the ED most able to provide appropriate and timely care is feasible. Patients were redirected to maximize continuity of care and optimally use available emergency health care resources. This type of program may be effective in reducing overcrowding.