cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Fecal Immunochemical Testing Rates for Colon Cancer Screening in the Outpatient Setting.

OBJECTIVES The amount of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening using the noninvasive fecal immunochemical test (FIT) at a federally qualified health center, Five Rivers Health Clinic (Dayton, Ohio), has been low historically. Our quality improvement (QI) project aimed to improve CRC screening adherence in eligible patients who opted for FIT. METHODS Three hundred ninety-two patients with FIT orders for CRC were screened during an 11-month period. The preintervention group (pre-I) was enrolled from December 1, 2018 to May 31, 2019, and the postintervention group (post-I) from June 1, 2019 to October 31, 2019. Three interventions were used: resident physicians trained during clinic meetings regarding FIT education for patients, posters displayed in patient rooms outlining the benefits of CRC screening, and standardized US mail reminder letters sent to FIT patients. Patient demographics and clinical variables were collected along with return rate. RESULTS The return rate for post-I was twice that of pre-I (74.4%, 95% confidence interval 64.6-82.3 vs 31.1, 95% confidence interval 26.2-36.6; P < 0.001). The pre-I/post-I groups did not differ on demographic and clinical characteristics, and, except for race, none of these variables was associated with returning the FIT screening card. CONCLUSIONS The compliance rate for FIT completion and return more than doubled among our clinic patients after using a three-component QI intervention. Except for a difference in race, the lack of association between demographic and clinical characteristics with either pre-I/post-I group or return/no return of the FIT card leads us to conclude that our QI program for increasing FIT compliance is effective. Other settings where CRC screening is a prominent component of preventive care may benefit from adopting a similar QI intervention.
Quickest Detection of Anomalies of Varying Location and Size in Sensor Networks

The problem of sequentially detecting the emergence of a moving anomaly in a sensor network is studied. In the setting considered, the data-generating distribution at each sensor can alternate between a nonanomalous distribution and an anomalous distribution. Initially, the observations of each sensor are generated according to its associated nonanomalous distribution. At some unknown but deterministic time instant, a moving anomaly emerges in the network. It is assumed that the number as well as the identity of the sensors affected by the anomaly may vary with time. While a sensor is affected, it generates observations according to its corresponding anomalous distribution. The goal of this work is to design detection procedures to detect the emergence of such a moving anomaly as quickly as possible, subject to constraints on the frequency of false alarms. The problem is studied in a quickest change detection framework where it is assumed that the spatial evolution of the anomaly over time is unknown but deterministic. We modify the worst-path detection delay metric introduced in prior work on moving anomaly detection to consider the case of a moving anomaly of varying size. We then establish that a weighted dynamic cumulative sum type test is first-order asymptotically optimal under a delay-false alarm formulation for the proposed worst-path delay as the mean time to false alarm goes to infinity. We conclude by presenting numerical simulations to validate our theoretical analysis.
Designing a Language for Spatial Computing

We present the design rationale underlying a language for spatial computing and sketch a prototypical implementation in Python. The goal of this work is to provide a high-level language for spatial computing that is executable on existing commercial and open source spatial computing platforms, particularly Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The key idea of the approach is to target an abstraction level higher than that of GIS commands and data formats, yet meaningful within and across application domains. The paper describes the underlying theory of spatial information and shows its evolving formal specification. An embedding in Python exemplifies access to commonly available implementations of spatial computations.
Cloning, expression, purification, and characterization of a glycoside hydrolase family 44 cellulase from Clostridium acetobutylicum in Escherichia coli

iv INTRODUCTION 1 LITERATURE REVIEW 4 History of acetone–butanol fermentations 4 Carbohydrate chemistry and glycoside hydrolases 4 Cellulolytic organisms and cellulosomes 5 The Clostridium acetobutylicum cellulosome 9 Glycoside hydrolase family 44 10 GH44 putative proteins and their source organisms 14 GH44 produced proteins and their source organisms 15 CLONING EXPERIMENTS 21 Domains of CAC0915 and preliminary design 21 Codon–bias adjustment of CAC0915 22 PCRJet synthesis of CAC–1 26 Motivation for the isolation of PfamB 26 Comparison of expected amino acid sequences 28 PCR amplification of PfamB fragments 28 Ligation and transformation into pGEM–T Easy in E. coli Novablue 32 Digestions, ligation and transformation into pET–22b in E. coli BL21 (DE3) 37 PROTEIN PRODUCTION AND PURIFICATION 41 Initial production and screening of C–His recombinant protein 41 Selection of cell lysis buffer based on protein solubility 43 Temperature stability qualitatively tested by Congo Red staining 44 Ni–NTA chromatography validation 45 Bulk production fermentation and processing 47 Purification by chromatography through affinity to a Ni–NTA column 50
Model atmospheres for type I supernovae

In recent years supernova explosions have become a promising new tool for obtaining accurate distance determinations on a cosmologically significant scale. Type I supernovae probably offer the best means Of determining not only the Hubble constant, but also the cosmological deceleration parameter via observations of very distant events (up to z = 0.3) using the Space Telescope (Wagoner, 1977,1979). Type I's are particularly attractive because of their higher peak luminosity. Also, the remarkable similarity in their light curves and spectral development leads one to suspect that Type I supernovae may be critical events (such as a white dwarf accreting matter and exceeding the Chandrasekhar limit) and hence independent of any cosmological evolutionary influences. There are essentially two approaches to using supernovae as distance indicators.
Semi-blind equalization of nonlinear communication channels using transmitter precoding

By taking advantage of the additional information provided by a transmitter precoder, semi-blind approaches are proposed for identification and equalization of the so-called LTI-ZMNL-LTI nonlinear channels, which consist of two linear time invariant (LTI) filters separated by a polynomial type zero memory nonlinearity (ZMNL). Identification of the linear subsystems relies on the output second order cyclostationary/stationary statistics, induced in the transmit data by non-redundant periodically time-varying and/or redundant block precoders. It is shown that identification of linear subsystems is robust to channel order overestimation errors, location of channel zeros, and color of additive noise. Assuming that the ZMNL is a one-to-one map, transmitter precoding allows also exact zero-forcing (ZF) linear equalization of LTI-ZMNL-LTI channels, without restrictions on the zeros of the linear subsystems and channel order overestimation errors.
Identifying cancer biomarkers by mass spectrometry-based glycomics

Correlations between aberrant glycosylation and cancer have been established for decades. The major advances in mass spectrometry (MS) and separation science have rapidly advanced detailed characterization of the changes associated with cancer development and progression. Over the past 10 years, many reports have described MS-based glycomic methods directed toward comparing the glycomic profiles of different human specimens collected from disease-free individuals and patients with cancers. Glycomic profiling of glycoproteins isolated from human specimens originating from disease-free individuals and patients with cancers have also been performed. Profiling of native, labeled, and permethylated glycans has been acquired using MALDI-MS and LC-MS. This review focuses on describing, discussing, and evaluating the different glycomic methods employed to characterize and quantify glycomic changes associated with cancers of different organs, including breast, colon, esophagus, liver, ovarian, pancreas, and prostate.
Micro-nanotechnologies for heart failure: improving quality of life

Heart Failure is the Nation's largest public health cost (AHA website). It equally affects men and women of all races. Heart transplantation is an effective treatment but a very limited resource that falls far short of the clinical need. There is a unique opportunity for micro/nanotechnologies to contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure that could substantially enhance the quality of life for many heart failure patients. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) demonstrated the largest patient benefit of any heart failure therapy in the randomized evaluation of mechanical assistance for the treatment of congestive heart failure. These patients also reported and improvement in quality of life. However, the patients implanted with an assist device also experienced adverse events over twice the rate of the patients on optimal medical therapy. Presently, the average cost of this procedure is somewhat greater than for heart transplantation. Major therapeutic advances usually lead to improvements in all the procedures and practices associated with the advance itself. This is an important opportunity for micro/nanotechnologies (MNTs) to improve device design and reduce the adverse events rates associated with mechanical circulatory support.
Terrestrial accretion of prebiotic volatiles and organic molecules during the heavy bombardment

The possible prebiotic importance of impacts of carbonaceous chondrites and comets has a speculative history extending back at least to the beginning of this century (Chambeflin and Chambeflin, 1908). Such speculations have received support from modern nonhomogeneous terrestrial accretion models 0Nasson, 1971; Turekian and Clark, 1975; Anders and Owen, 1977), as well as dynamical models for outer planet formation (Fernandez and Ip, 1983; Shoemaker and Wolfe, 1984), in which Earth receives the bulk of its surface volatiles as a late-accreting impactor veneer. However, independently of solar nebula chemistry or planetary formation models, we may ask what the observed lunar cratering record tells us about terrestrial accretion of key prebiotic volatiles (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, and water) and organics during the period of heavy bombardment 4.5 to 3.5 billion years ago. This approach has the advantage of minimizing the conclusions' model-dependence, by basing the calculations as much as possible on the available extant data.
Increase in Anti-Inflammatory Cytokine Levels in Chronic Heart Failure: A Measure of Treatment Success or Failure?

To the Editor: Gullestad and colleagues report on the effects of intravenous immunoglobulin given to patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).1 They demonstrated that intravenous immunoglobulin treatment is associated with an increase in soluble tumor necrosis factor-α receptors (sTNFRs) 1 and 2, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), and interleukin-10 (IL-10). There were no significant changes in inflammatory cytokine levels (tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-1β) after active treatment. The authors conclude that intravenous immunoglobulin therapy leads to a net anti-inflammatory effect in CHF, and they propose that this should be regarded in a favorable light. A degree of caution should be exercised, however, when interpreting the significance of elevated levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines and their receptors in the context of CHF. It is well known, for example, that circulating sTNFR1 and 2 concentrations are raised in this condition, positively correlate with disease severity, and …
The New Car Assessment Program - Historical Review and Effect

This report is a condensed version of the December 1993 New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) report to Congress and provides: an historical review and future goals for NCAP; the results of an 18- month study to assess consumer and media needs in understanding and promoting the use of NCAP data. This included consumer focus groups and media studies. These studies indicated that consumers and the media desire comparative safety information on vehicles, a simplified NCAP format to better understand and utilize the crash test results, and would like to see NCAP expanded to include other crash modes; and studies of real-world crashes versus NCAP crash tests. These studies conclude that NCAP test conditions approximate real-world crash conditions covering a major segment of the frontal crash safety problem and that there is a significant correlation between NCAP results and real-world fatality risks for restrained drivers. (A) For the covering abstract see IRRD 874898.
The multinational corporation's degree of control over foreign subsidiaries : an empirical test of a transaction cost explanation

Should a business function be vertically integrated? Increasingly, economists have acknowledged that this is the wrong question. The right question is to what degree a function should be integrated, whereby integration is a continuum anchored by the options of market and hierarchy (Williamson, 1985). Movement along the continuum from market contracting to unified governance is accompanied by an increased degree to which resources are placed at hazard. The firm is compensated for this by an increased level of control that it presumably will use "correctly" in order to generate superior profit outcomes. The central questions of transaction cost analysis are twofold: When will the firm need more control (that is, when do lower-control outcomes become less desirable), and when will the benefits of increased control more than offset the costs of resource commitment and risk? Oliver Williamson (1985) offers a theory to answer these questions. In this paper we examine empirically the theory's predictions in the context of the multinational corporation (MNC), which attempts to control the operations of foreign "subsidiaries" (business units) that it owns in whole or in part. We
The Applicability of the Spearman-Brown Prophecy Formula When Applied to Physical Performance Tests

Abstract Data from four physical performance tests were collected from approximately 260 subjects and were used to determine (a) whether the split-half method is a valid procedure for estimating the reliability of multiple trial physical performance tests, and (b) whether the Spearman-Brown prophecy formula will be an accurate predictor of the reliability of a physical performance test when its length is increased. A significant day-to-day variation in test scores was found at the .05 level. The assumptions underlying the use of the Spearman-Brown prophecy formula were significantly violated at the .05 level. Seventy-nine percent of the reliability coefficients computed by the split-half method were higher than the test-retest reliability coefficients. Seventy-two percent of the reliability coefficients predicted by the Spearman-Brown prophecy formula were higher than the obtained test-retest reliability coefficients.
The effects of ritonavir and lopinavir/ritonavir on the pharmacokinetics of a novel CCR5 antagonist, aplaviroc, in healthy subjects.

Aims This study assessed the effects of the CYP3A inhibitors lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) on the steady-state pharmacokinetics (PK) of aplaviroc (APL), a CYP3A4 substrate, in healthy subjects. Methods In Part 1, APL PK was determined in eight subjects who received a single oral 50-mg APL test dose with/without a single dose of 100 mg ritonavir (RTV). Part 2 was conducted as an open-label, single-sequence, three-period repeat dose study in a cohort of 24 subjects. Subjects received APL 400 mg every 12 h (b.i.d.) for 7 days (Period 1), LPV/r 400/100 mg b.i.d. for 14 days (Period 2) and APL 400 mg + LPV/r 400/100 mg b.i.d. for 7 days (Period 3). All doses were administered with a moderate fat meal. PK sampling occurred on day 7 of Periods 1 and 3 and day 14 of Period 2. Results In Part 1, a single RTV dose increased the APL AUC0–∞ by 2.1-fold [90% confidence interval (CI) 1.9, 2.4]. Repeat dose coadministration of APL with LPV/r increased APL exposures to a greater extent with the geometric least squares mean ratios (90% CI) being 7.7 (6.4, 9.3), 6.2 (4.8, 8.1) and 7.1 (5.6, 9.0) for the APL AUC, Cmax, and Cmin, respectively. No change in LPV AUC or Cmax and a small increase in RTV AUC and Cmax (28% and 32%) were observed. The combination of APL and LPV/r was well tolerated and adverse events were mild in severity with self-limiting gastrointestinal complaints most commonly reported. Conclusions Coadministration of APL and LPV/r was well tolerated and resulted in significantly increased APL plasma concentrations.
Media Literacy in Action? What Are We Teaching in Introductory College Media Studies Courses?.

An introductory media studies course is a staple of post-secondary education. What are instructors teaching in this course, and to what extent are the principles of media literacy education being i...
Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Encodes a Viral Deubiquitinase

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is etiologically linked to Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphomas, and multicentric Castleman's disease. Like other herpesviruses, KSHV can exist in either a lytic or a latent phase during its life cycle. We report that the lytic protein encoded by KSHV open reading frame 64 (Orf64) is a viral deubiquitinase (DUB) enzyme capable of deubiquitinating cellular proteins in vitro and in vivo. Orf64 DUB activity is effective against lysine 48 (K48)- and lysine 63 (K63)-linked ubiquitin chains. Thus, KSHV Orf64 is a viral DUB that does not show specificity toward K48 or K63 ubiquitin linkages. Orf64 DUB activity lies within the first 205 residues of the protein, and deubiquitination is dependent on a cysteine at position 29, since mutation of this residue ablated this activity. Cell fractionation studies revealed that the N terminus and the full-length protein localized to both the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments. The function of Orf64 was tested by short interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown studies on latently infected cells that were induced into lytic replication. We found that depletion of Orf64 by siRNA resulted in decreased viral lytic transcription and lytic protein expression. These experiments indicate that Orf64 plays a role in KSHV lytic replication.
Tribal Guerrillas: The Santals of West Bengal and the Naxalite Movement

In this ground-breaking study, based on valuable field data, Edward Duyker examines the historical roots of the Santal participation in the Naxalite movement; discusses the implications of the Naxalite use of traditional weapons and forms of tribal warfare; describes the use of oral tradition to incite revolutionary fervor; and analyzes the role of clan and kinship in determining Santal participation in the movement.
Racial differences in global self-esteem.

Summary On the basis of the knowledge of the low convergent validity which exists between self-esteem measures, the present study employed a multitest design to investigate the current state of racial differences in global self-esteem. The relationship between self-esteem and racial evaluation was also addressed. Fewer than 18% of 180 Ss (black and white seventh-grade boys and girls) were consistently classified in global self-esteem across three self-esteem indices. Nevertheless, the data were consistent in refuting the popular notion that blacks are more negative in self-esteem than whites. The association revealed between self-esteem and racial evaluation was not sufficient to justify the common practice of predicting one variable from the other.
Impact of a Pre-Semester College Orientation Program: Hidden Benefits?.

The present research was a two-year longitudinal study on the effects of a six-day, optional, pre-semester, freshman orientation program on academic credits earned, GPA and college retention. Regression analyses were used to remove the variance associated with other possible predictors of academic success (gender, age, race, developmental need, ACT, high school GPA, and transfer status) before testing these academic effects. Attendance at the orientation program accounted for less than 1% of the variability in one-year and two-year credits earned and grade point average. Attendance did not significantly predict one-or two-year retention. We discuss methodological issues, whether orientation programs might benefit institutions in non-obvious ways, and suggest avenues for future research.
The design of hand gestures for human-computer interaction: Lessons from sign language interpreters

The design and selection of 3D modeled hand gestures for human-computer interaction should follow principles of natural language combined with the need to optimize gesture contrast and recognition. The selection should also consider the discomfort and fatigue associated with distinct hand postures and motions, especially for common commands. Sign language interpreters have extensive and unique experience forming hand gestures and many suffer from hand pain while gesturing. Professional sign language interpreters (N=24) rated discomfort for hand gestures associated with 47 characters and words and 33 hand postures. Clear associations of discomfort with hand postures were identified. In a nominal logistic regression model, high discomfort was associated with gestures requiring a flexed wrist, discordant adjacent fingers, or extended fingers. These and other findings should be considered in the design of hand gestures to optimize the relationship between human cognitive and physical processes and computer gesture recognition systems for human-computer input.
Anti-tumor activity and trafficking of self, tumor-specific T cells against tumors located in the brain

It is commonly believed that T cells have difficulty reaching tumors located in the brain due to the presumed “immune privilege” of the central nervous system (CNS). Therefore, we studied the biodistribution and anti-tumor activity of adoptively transferred T cells specific for an endogenous tumor-associated antigen (TAA), gp100, expressed by tumors implanted in the brain. Mice with pre-established intracranial (i.c.) tumors underwent total body irradiation (TBI) to induce transient lymphopenia, followed by the adoptive transfer of gp10025–33-specific CD8+ T cells (Pmel-1). Pmel-1 cells were transduced to express the bioluminescent imaging (BLI) gene luciferase. Following adoptive transfer, recipient mice were vaccinated with hgp10025–33 peptide-pulsed dendritic cells (hgp10025–33/DC) and systemic interleukin 2 (IL-2). This treatment regimen resulted in significant reduction in tumor size and extended survival. Imaging of T cell trafficking demonstrated early accumulation of transduced T cells in lymph nodes draining the hgp10025–33/DC vaccination sites, the spleen and the cervical lymph nodes draining the CNS tumor. Subsequently, transduced T cells accumulated in the bone marrow and brain tumor. BLI could also detect significant differences in the expansion of gp100-specific CD8+ T cells in the treatment group compared with mice that did not receive either DC vaccination or IL-2. These differences in BLI correlated with the differences seen both in survival and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). These studies demonstrate that peripheral tolerance to endogenous TAA can be overcome to treat tumors in the brain and suggest a novel trafficking paradigm for the homing of tumor-specific T cells that target CNS tumors.
The relationship between age and post-dexamethasone cortisol: A test of three hypotheses

Previous studies report that DST nonsuppressors are older than normal suppressors. Data are presented on 188 primary unipolar major depressive inpatients and 35 healthy controls. In males, age appeared to correlate positively with post-dexamethasone cortisols in depressed patients and normal controls, although mean levels were higher in depressives. Female controls showed no consistent relationship between age and post-dexamethasone cortisol. A positive relationship did exist for depressed women. However, the association disappeared when age-of-onset was entered into the model, suggesting that in females early onset may identify a subtype of depression with normal DST suppression.
Nonautologous sling materials.

This article provides a comprehensive and updated review of the current nonautologous sling materials available for treatment of stress urinary incontinence. The various materials are described, relevant clinical studies are dis-cussed, and newer materials are outlined. Complications arising from use of different materials also are described.
Charge confinement effect in cuprate superconductors: an explanation for the normal-state resistivity and pseudogap

The fact that the stripe phase and pseudogap in the cuprate superconductors occur in the same doping regime is emphasized. A model based on charge confinement in self-organized nanometer-scale stripe fragments is proposed to understand various generic features of the normal-state energy gap including the magnitude of the gap, its anti-correlation with the superconducting gap, and the d-wave symmetry in its κ-dependence. This model also provides a basis for understanding other anomalous normal-state properties such as the linear temperature dependence of electrical resistivity.
Phenanthroline-stabilized palladium nanoparticles in polyethylene glycol—an active and recyclable catalyst system for the selective hydrogenation of olefins using molecular hydrogen

1,10-Phenanthroline-stabilized palladium nanoparticles dispersed in a polyethylene glycol (PEG) matrix is synthesized which is found to be a stable and active catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of olefins using molecular hydrogen under mild reaction conditions. A variety of olefins are hydrogenated to their corresponding alkanes with good to excellent yield at room temperature. The catalyst is easily separable and recyclable.
Effect of Inorganic Nitrate on Exercise Capacity in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Background— Inorganic nitrate (NO 3 − ), abundant in certain vegetables, is converted to nitrite by bacteria in the oral cavity. Nitrite can be converted to nitric oxide in the setting of hypoxia. We tested the hypothesis that NO 3 − supplementation improves exercise capacity in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction via specific adaptations to exercise. Methods and Results— Seventeen subjects participated in this randomized, double-blind, crossover study comparing a single dose of NO 3 -rich beetroot juice (NO 3 − , 12.9 mmol) with an identical nitrate-depleted placebo. Subjects performed supine-cycle maximal-effort cardiopulmonary exercise tests, with measurements of cardiac output and skeletal muscle oxygenation. We also assessed skeletal muscle oxidative function. Study end points included exercise efficiency (total work/total oxygen consumed), peak o 2 , total work performed, vasodilatory reserve, forearm mitochondrial oxidative function, and augmentation index (a marker of arterial wave reflections, measured via radial arterial tonometry). Supplementation increased plasma nitric oxide metabolites (median, 326 versus 10 μmol/L; P =0.0003), peak o 2 (12.6±3.7 versus 11.6±3.1 mL O 2 ·min −1 ·kg −1 ; P =0.005), and total work performed (55.6±35.3 versus 49.2±28.9 kJ; P =0.04). However, efficiency was unchanged. NO 3 − led to greater reductions in systemic vascular resistance (−42.4±16.6% versus −31.8±20.3%; P =0.03) and increases in cardiac output (121.2±59.9% versus 88.7±53.3%; P =0.006) with exercise. NO 3 − reduced aortic augmentation index (132.2±16.7% versus 141.4±21.9%; P =0.03) and tended to improve mitochondrial oxidative function. Conclusions— NO 3 − increased exercise capacity in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction by targeting peripheral abnormalities. Efficiency did not change as a result of parallel increases in total work and o 2. NO 3 − increased exercise vasodilatory and cardiac output reserves. NO 3 − also reduced arterial wave reflections, which are linked to left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and remodeling. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01919177.
Cerebral glycogenosis, alpha particle type: morphologic and biochemical observations in an infant.

A 3-month-old infant with congenital hypotonia suffering from an unusual form of glycogenosis is reported. The most striking neuropathology: findings were vacuolation of neuropile and glycogen accumulation, especially in the cerebral cortex and cerebellar molecular layer. Ultrastructurally, glycogen accumulation was present mainly in neuntes and astrocytic processes, and mostly appeared as rosettes (alpha glycogen particles). Biochemical analysis of glycogen in various regions of the central nervous system showed an increase of up to 100-fold. The cerebral cortex, deep nuclei, and cerebellar cortex had the highest glycogen elevations, while the cerebral white matter glycogen level was normal. Among other tissues, the heart showed a several-fold increase in glycogen content. Muscle, liver, and kidney glycogen levels were not elevated. Findings in this case and in three other reported patients with cerebral glycogenosis of alpha particle type are discussed.
The transience of cerebrocerebellar projections is due to selective elimination of axon collaterals and not neuronal death.

Abstract Fluorescent dyes were used to determine firstly if the transience of cerebrocerebellar projections in neonatal kittens is due to the selective elimination of axon collaterals or to neuronal death; and secondly, if the cerebrocerebellar projection neurons lived, did any maintain a projection to the brainstem or spinal cord. Injections of Fast Blue were made into the cerebellar cortex and deep nuclei in 7–9 postnatal days old kittens, the age in which cortical axons grow into the cerebellum. Later, at 31–71 postnatal days of age, when the transient cerebrocerebellar projections have disappeared, injections of Nuclear Yellow were made into the brainstem or the spinal cord. In the frontoparietal cortex, numerous neurons were labeled with Fast Blue suggesting that the disappearance of cerebrocerebellar projections is due primarily to the selective elimination of axon collaterals and not neuronal death. Moreover, many of the cortical neurons labeled with Fast Blue also were labeled with Nuclear Yellow which shows that many of the cortical neurons with transient collateral projections to the cerebellum in the neonate maintain a projection to brainstem or spinal targets in older animals.
Does a Wife's Education Influence Spousal Agreement on Approval of Family Planning?: Random-effects Modeling Using Data from Two West African Countries

Spousal approval of family planning is critical for contraceptive use. Both contraceptive use rates and women's education are low in many West-African countries and this study examines the role of wives' education in spousal agreement on approval of family planning in two sub-Saharan West African countries. We used couples' data from Demographic Health Surveys in Senegal and in Niger, conducted in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Multiple logistic regression results using multilevel modeling show that the odds of spousal agreement on approval of family planning were slightly over three times [OR: 3.16; 95% CI: 1.32 to 7.57] in Senegal and were about three times [OR: 3.07; 95% CI: 1.64 to 5.76] in Niger higher for women with more than primary education. Findings suggest that improvement in women's education could lead to spousal agreement on approval of family planning, which may lead to use of family planning in sub-Saharan African countries.
Concept learning with one relevant dimension in the squirrel monkey

Sixteen squirrel monkeys learned four discriminations in a procedure patterned on human concept learning (CL). Each discrimination involved one relevant and three irrelevant dimensions. A backward learning curve of pre-criterion trials was stationary, in agreement with some models of human CL. But unexpectedly, a forward learning curve within the criterion run appeared to be incremental
Ontogeny of dopamine, serotonin and spirodecanone receptors in rat forebrain — An autoradiographic study

Sections from freshly frozen neonatal rat brain, ages 0–21 days, were incubated with [3H]spiperone (SP). Initial studies characterized the binding sites for SP in terms of association and dissociation rates, saturability and pharmacology. The binding sites were found to be predominantly dopamine D2 receptors in sections centered in the striatum and these receptors were similar to receptors in adult brain. Autoradiographic studies using in vitro techniques examined the anatomic distribution of [3H]SP binding sites. Using domperidone, ketanserin and (+)butaclamol it was possible to differentiate dopamine D2, serotonin S2 and spirodecanone receptors. Dopamine receptors were found at birth in striatum and nucleus accumbens and increased in density with age. In the first two weeks postnatally there was an apparent dorsolateral to ventromedial gradient in the striatum. Serotonin S2 receptors were found in the cortex, lateral olfactory tubercles and nucleus accumbens and claustrum. These receptors increased in density with age but to a much lesser extent than dopamine receptors. Spirodecanone receptors were first apparent in the piriform cortex by day 5. They became very dense with age in particular regions, i.e., layer II of cortex, piriform cortex, medial olfactory tubercles, lateral septum and in patches in the nucleus accumbens. These studies delineate with a high resolution at an anatomical level the major receptor sites for neuroleptic drugs in the developing rat forebrain. They describe the developmental pattern of these receptors and provide a basis for further studies on their control and function during development.
Can solid-state effects enhance the cold-fusion rate?

RECENTLY two groups1,2 have reported finding experimental evidence for an unexpectedly high rate of nuclear fusion at room temperature during the process of electrolytic deposition of deuterium on palladium1,2 and titanium2. To achieve the rate of neutron production (∼10−23s−1 per deuteron pair) cited in ref. 2 (and a fortiori, that inferred in ref. 1) requires the solid-state environment to produce either an unusual enhancement of the fusion reaction rate or a large suppression of the Coulomb barrier between deuterons. The latter would presumably arise from some kind of sophisticated many-body screening effect in Pd or Ti, perhaps associated with quasiparticles of large effective mass2. Here we point out that within the framework of the lowest-order Born-Oppenheimer approximation, a very severe constraint is imposed on all such screening mechanisms in solids in equilibrium by the observable binding affinity of 4He atoms for the metal in question. Unless the latter is quite anomalous, the Coulomb barrier penetration in a solid in equilibrium cannot be enhanced anywhere near the magnitude required to explain the fusion rates inferred from the experiments.
Impact of HIV-Related Stigma on Health Behaviors and Psychological Adjustment Among HIV-Positive Men and Women

HIV-related stigmatization remains a potent stressor for HIV-positive people. This study examined the relationships among stigma-related experiences and depression, medication adherence, serostatus disclosure, and sexual risk among 221 HIV-positive men and women. In bivariate analyses that controlled for background characteristics, stigma was associated with depressive symptoms, receiving recent psychiatric care, and greater HIV-related symptoms. Stigma was also associated with poorer adherence and more frequent serostatus disclosure to people other than sexual partners, but showed no association to sexual risk behavior. In a multivariate analysis that controlled for all correlates, depression, poor adherence, and serostatus disclosure remained as independent correlates of stigma-related experiences. Findings confirm that stigma is associated with psychological adjustment and adherence difficulties and is experienced more commonly among people who disclose their HIV status to a broad range of social contacts. Stigma should be addressed in stress management, health promotion, and medication adherence interventions for HIV-positive people.
Feed quality and animal performance

A sound theoretical definition for forage or feed quality is animal performance. This definition may be useful as a relative comparison among forages when given to growing or lactating animals. Voluntary intake and nutrient digestibility have been used to form indices of forage quality, and most feeding standards and models are based on the assumption that animal performance is related closely to intake of available nutrients. Due to variation in measurements of intake, digestibility, and animal performance, however, relationships used to develop prediction equations for animal performance from intake and digestibility are often less accurate than desired. Some of the causes for inaccurate predictions include nutrient imbalances, environmental constraints on the animals used for measurements, and individual animal differences. Variation in voluntary intake is greater than that for digestibility, and appears to be more important in assessment of forage quality. Yet intake is more difficult to determine in animal trials and to predict from forage characteristics. To be useful in livestock feeding, forage quality information must be available before feeding. Due to expense, labor, time, and amount of the feed required, animal trials are not suitable for screening large numbers of feeds or forages such as those from genetic improvement trials. Therefore, prediction of forage quality from feed attributes taken from small samples is necessary. Chemical composition, in vitro bioassays, and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy have been used successfully to predict intake and digestibility of defined sample sets such as those from genetic improvement trials, but have been more difficult to implement on unknown or open populations such as producer samples. The challenge to progress in this area is obtaining accurate intake, digestibility and performance data on an adequate number of samples under standardized conditions so that a suitable database is available for development of either robust equations, or equations with sufficient specificity to discriminate among different forage and genetic types.
Vaccination with a live retrovirus: the nature of the protective immune response.

Abstract We tested 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (zidovudine) combined with interferon alpha as chemoprophylaxis after exposing mice to Rauscher murine leukemia virus. Therapy started 4 hr after inoculation and administered for 20 days prevented viremia and disease in all 234 mice tested. When the animals were rechallenged with live virus after cessation of therapy, 96% were resistant. The nature of this protective immune response was analyzed: Passive serotherapy of naive mice challenged subsequently with Rauscher murine leukemia virus was only protective at a high dose of immune serum. Immune, but not naive, T cells alone were fully protective against virus challenge. We conclude that vaccination with a live retrovirus that cannot replicate because of pharmacological blockade induces a T-cell response capable of protecting against a lethal retrovirus-induced disease.
Digital optical tags for national security (Invited Paper)

The DARPA Dynamic Optical Tags (DOTs) program has as its goal the development of a low cost, small, robust, persistent, low probability of intercept, 2-way tagging, tracking, and locating device that also supports error free data rates in excess of 100 kbps and can be interrogated at ranges up to and beyond 1Km. The program has selected several promising candidates for this device and is in the process of evaluating individually their performance against predetermined milestones to ascertain whether the technology is feasible and the program should continue for further development. In all cases the candidate devices operate as retro-reflecting optical modulators. Upon interrogation by a laser at the correct wavelength and with the correct code, the tags will proceed to modulate the return retro-reflection. While data for the candidate devices are not yet in hand, nevertheless this paper will provide an overview of the nature of the devices under investigation and speculate on how these devices could be employed for both national security applications.
Chemical mixtures released from hazardous waste sites: implications for health risk assessment

Uncontrolled hazardous waste sites (HWS) and exposure to hazardous substances continue to pose complex public health problems. This paper presents an overview of chemicals, including chemical mixtures, that have been released into environmental media in the vicinity of HWS. We describe how this type of information is being used to assess the public health implications of exposures to chemical mixtures and to develop an integrated program of applied research to more accurately characterize the potential health effects of chemical mixtures. A narrative, weight-of-evidence approach, incorporating mechanistic insights on chemical interactions is described. The utility of this information in the context of risk analysis and public health practice is discussed.
Experimental study of the development of longitudinal vortex pairs embedded in a turbulent boundary layer

The mean streamwise development of pairs of longitudinal vortices embedded in an otherwise two-dimensional turbulent boundary layer was studied. Planes of closely spaced measurements of the three components of mean velocity were obtained at several streamwise locations, and the vorticity and circulation were calculated. Skin-friction measurements were also made. It was found that the rate of vorticity spreading in a vortex was greatly increased by close proximity of other vortices. The rate of streamwise circulation decrease was significantly greater for corotating vortices than for counter rotating vortices. Boundary-layer thinning and increased skin friction occured in regions where the secondary flow induced by the pairs was directed toward the wall; the boundary layer was thickened and skin friction reduced where the secondary flow was directed away from the wall.
Organometallic Networks Based on 2,2‘-Bipyridine-Containing Poly(p-phenylene ethynylene)s

Conjugated polymers that comprise 2,2‘-bipyridine moieties as part of the macromolecular backbone represent versatile precursors for the formation of conjugated metallo-supramolecular networks, which are readily accessible via ligand-exchange reactions. Poly{2,2‘-bipyridine-5,5‘-diylethynylene[2,5-bis(2-ethylhexyl)oxy-1,4-phenylene]ethynylene} (BipyPPE1) and a statistical copolymer comprising 5,5‘-diethynyl-2,2‘-bipyridine and 1,4-diethynyl-2,5-bis(alkyloxy)benzene moieties (BipyPPE2) were synthesized via the Pd0-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of 1,4-diethynyl-2,5-bis(octyloxy)benzene, 1,4-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]-2,5-diiodobenzene, and 5,5‘-diethynyl-2,2‘-bipyridine. Complexation studies involving these polymers and a variety of transition metals suggest that ligand exchange leads to three-dimensional networks, which feature BipyPPE−metal−BipyPPE cross-links and display interesting optoelectronic properties. It is found that complexes with group 12 d10 ions (Zn2+ and Cd2+) are emissive, while other tran...
Impact of the North African drought and El Niño on mineral dust in the Barbados trade winds

A large area of North Africa has been affected by a drought which began in the late 1960s and which has resulted in widespread crop failures, starvation and death. At the same time, there has been a great increase in the concentration of mineral aerosol in the trade winds over the western North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean, especially in the early 1970s and again in the early 1980s, when the drought was most severe. Concentrations in 1983 and 1984 were unprecedented and exceeded pre-drought means by a factor of four. Here we show that spring–summer dust concentrations at Barbados (13° 10′N, 50°30′ W) are correlated to rainfall deficits in the sub-Sahara. Winter dust concentrations, which are normally at a seasonal low, also increased during the drought; concentrations in 1982–1983 were ten times greater than predrought values, and appeared to be related to large-scale circulation changes associated with El Ni˜o rather than to the drought itself.
Electrons and dielectrons in STAR

The electron spectrum from relativistic heavy-ion collisions can be connected to the yield of charm in heavy-ion collisions after subtracting the photonic background components of the measured yield. We present results from the electron analysis in STAR, and its relationship to the yield of c quarks. The status of dielectron studies is briefly discussed.
RELIGIOSITY, SPIRITUALITY, AND HELP-SEEKING AMONG FILIPINO AMERICANS: RELIGIOUS CLERGY OR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS?

Data from structured interviews with 2,285 respondents for the Filipino American Community Epidemiological Survey (FACES) were used to examine help-seeking for emotional distress among Filipino Americans. The influence of religious affiliation, religiosity, and spirituality upon help-seeking from religious clergy and mental health professionals was assessed after controlling for need (e.g., negative life events, SCL-90R scores, and somatic symptoms), demographic (e.g., age, gender, marital status, education, county of residence, generational status, and insurance coverage), and cultural variables (e.g., loss of face and language abilities). Rates of help-seeking from religious clergy versus mental health professionals were comparable (2.5% vs. 2.9%). High religiosity was associated with more help-seeking from religious clergy but not less help-seeking from mental health professionals, whereas high spirituality was associated with less mental health help-seeking. Implications for understanding how religious variables affect help-seeking were explored. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 32: 675–689, 2004.
N-Cloud: Improving performance and security in cloud storage

In this paper we propose N-Cloud scheme which improves performance, availability, and confidentiality in cloud storage. N-Cloud provides availability by dividing/splitting a file into many chunks, and replicating in a non-overlapping manner these chunks into many cloud storages, based on security and reliability consideration. In this scheme, the chunks of a file can be encrypted concurrently while the encrypted chunks can be uploaded to geographical separated cloud storages in parallel. Same benefit can be achieved for the downloading and decrypting process. It greatly speeds up the processing and transfer. N-Cloud provides confidentiality by dividing/splitting a file into many chunks, encrypting all chunks, and distributing these chunks to many clouds. N-Cloud ensures that no one cloud has the whole file; the scheme will not be compromised unless an attacker breaks into all cloud storage. A preliminary results show significant performance improvement over existing schemes.
Mixed mode fracture initiation and trajectory prediction under random stresses

A method is developed for estimating (i) confidence intervals on the initial direction of crack extension and (ii) the probability of crack initiation in plane stress and plane strain problems. The method accounts for the uncertainty in applied stresses, fracture toughness, and crack geometry. It is based on classical theories of linear fracture mechanics for homogeneous isotropic materials, a computer code for deterministic fracture mechanics analysis (FRANC) and first and second order structural reliability algorithms (FORM/SORM). Several examples are presented to demonstrate the use and generality of the proposed method for probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis.