cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perceived Adequacy of Diet: Comparison of a Special Population With the Third Report on Nutrition Monitoring in the United States

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess nutrition attitudes and perceptions in a representative military population and compare them with the most recent published results of a national nutrition surveillance study. Military individuals are excluded from all nationwide surveys including the Diet and Health Knowledge Survey (DHKS). We designed a survey incorporating questions used in previous nationwide surveys to allow for comparisons between the military population and respondents to the 1989-91 DHKS (n=1920) reported in NHANES III. The survey was completed by a sample population (n=3066) representing the structure of the Army by race, gender, and rank at 30 Army bases worldwide. When responses were compared by gender, a higher percentage of women than men thought their diet should be lower in fat (55% vs 51%), saturated fat (49% vs 45%), and salt or sodium (30% vs 25%), but percentages were lower for cholesterol (30% vs 37%). These were similar to responses by gender in DHKS for fat (55% vs 52%) and saturated fat (45% vs 42%), but differed for cholesterol (42% vs 39%) and salt or sodium (32% vs 33%). More military women than men also reported the need for a higher intake of calcium (51% vs 30%), iron (53% vs 20%), vitamin C (35% vs 28%), and fiber (43% vs 34%). These responses were similar to DKHS for vitamin C for women but higher for men (34% vs 35%); fiber differed for both genders (39% vs 38%). Although there were similar gender differences in DKHS respondents when compared to military respondents for calcium (41% vs 25%) and iron (37% vs 24%), a substantially higher percentage of military women than DKHS women reported inadequacy. These data suggest that military men and women have some similarities to the general population in their perceptions about adequacy of their diets, but differ for several key nutrients. The reference data collected from this survey will assist the Army Surgeon General's nutrition planning, policy decisions, education programs, and direction for future research efforts.
Nutritional Support in the Critically Ill Obese Ventilated Patient

Critically ill obese ventilated patients are at higher risk for complications due to metabolic alterations such as glucose intolerance, altered fuel utilization, and greater potential for loss of lean body mass. Indirect calorimetry should be used to assess energy needs. The goal of nutrition support for this population is to provide high-protein hypocaloric enteral feeding.
Antibacterial activity of ceftolozane/tazobactam alone and in combination with other antimicrobial agents against MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Objectives Broad-spectrum antimicrobial resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PSA) isolates is a growing concern as our therapeutic options have become significantly limited. Although ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T) has been shown to be highly active against MDR PSA pathogens, combination regimens are often employed in real-world settings. To assist the clinical decision-making process regarding the selection of combination antibiotics and dosages for this pathogen, we performed time-kill studies assessing clinical free peak and trough C/T concentrations alone and in combination with eight anti-pseudomonal agents against four clinical MDR PSA isolates. Methods Time-kill analyses were performed over 24 h in duplicate using C/T concentrations reflective of the free peak concentrations of a 3 g dose every 8 h (q8h; 120/25.2 mg/L) and the peak and trough of a 1.5 g q8h dose (60/12.6 and 7.5/1.6 mg/L) in humans. The activity of C/T 120, 60 and 7.5 mg/L alone and C/T 7.5 mg/L in combination with free peak and trough concentrations of clinical doses for cefepime, ciprofloxacin, colistin, aztreonam, meropenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, fosfomycin and amikacin was tested for all isolates. Results C/T 3 and 1.5 g q8h peak concentrations demonstrated killing against the MDR PSA. Colistin and fosfomycin were synergistic with C/T as dual therapy and triple therapy regimens. Conclusions As a result of escalating resistance, PSA is an increasingly challenging pathogen in the clinical setting. Our findings aid in the identification of novel treatment options using achievable drug exposures for the treatment of MDR PSA.
Using LASSO in gene co-expression network for genome-wide identification of gene interactions responding to salt stress in rice

In many applications, such as gene co-expression network analyses, data arises with a huge number of covariates while the size of sample is comparatively small. To improve the accuracy of prediction, variable selection is often used to get a sparse solution by forcing coefficients of variables contributing less to the observed response variable to zero. Various algorithms were developed for variable selection, but LASSO is well known for its statistical accuracy, computational feasibility and broad applicability to adaptation. In this project, we applied LASSO to the gene co-expression network of rice with salt stress to discover key gene interactions for salt-tolerance related phenotypes. The dataset we have is a high-dimensional one, having 50K genes from 100 samples, with the issue of multicollinearity for fitting linear regression - the expression level of genes in the same pathway tends to be highly correlated. The property of LASSO with sparse parameters is naturally suitable to identify gene interactions of interest in this dataset. After biologically functional modules in the co-expression network was identified, the major changed expression patterns were further selected by LASSO regression to establish a linear relationship between gene expression profiles and physiological responses, such as sodium/potassium condenses, with salt stress. Five modules of intensively co-expressed genes, from 45 to 291 genes, were identified by our method with significant P-values, which indicate these modules are significantly associated with physiological responses to stress. Genes in these modules have functions related to ion transport, osmotic adjustment, and oxidative tolerance. For example, LOC_Os7g47350 and LOC_Os07g37320 are co-expressed gene in the same module 15. Both are ion transporter genes and have higher gene expression levels for rice with low sodium levels with salt stress.
Social Integration, Social Networks, and Health

It is recognized widely that social relationships and affiliation have powerful effects on physical and mental health. When investigators write about the impact of social relationships on health, many terms are used loosely and interchangeably, including social networks, social ties and social integration. The aim of this article is to discuss (a) theoretical orientations from diverse disciplines which are fundamental to advancing research in this area, (b) findings related to mortality, (c) a set of definitions, and (d) an overarching model which integrates multilevel phenomena.
Rates and Mechanisms of Strength Development in Low-Temperature Ash Deposits

At temperatures below approximately 1900°F, ash particles formed in coal-fired energy systems are relatively hard and not prone to sticking to system surfaces. However, if the ash collects on a surface not exposed to a shearing gas flow such as the downstream side of a heat exchanger or the surface of a hot-gas filter, the deposit can develop enough strength over periods of minutes to days so that it becomes difficult to remove, in some cases growing to sizes that impede the flow of gas. This paper presents data from ongoing measurements of the significance of ash and gas composition, deposit temperature, and time on the rates of strength development in simulated low-temperature ash deposits. Preliminary results of surface composition and particle-size distribution analyses of the ash, including submicron material, are also presented to explain the possible mechanisms of strength development.
Moral Education through the Development of the Moral Atmosphere of the School.

There are at the present time two major approaches to moral education which have arisen out of the theory and research of KohIberg and his colleagues. The firs t to appear, the moral discuss ion approach , began as a result of the efforts of Moshe Blatt , a doctoral student of Kohlberg's who attempted to stimulate development through the discuss ion of hypothetical dilemmas in his Sunday School class . The second , the just community approach, originated in a women's correctional institution and was later applied to high school settings. The moral discussion approach clearly grew out of Kohlberg 's psychological investigations into moral development. The very dilemmas which Kohlberg used to assess an individual's moral stage were appropriated for classroom use in order lo stimulate stage development. The just community approach while drawing in part from Kohlberg's psychological research represents other important theoretical considerations , considerations which have important implications for future research in moral development and education.
Outcomes and Complications After Spinal Fusion in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Study Design:Retrospective database study.Objective:To investigate the impact obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has on perioperative complications, inpatient mortality, and costs in patients undergoing...
Characterization of embryonic stem cell-differentiated fibroblasts as mesenchymal stem cells with robust expansion capacity and attenuated innate immunity.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from adult tissues (Ad-MSCs) have shown great promise for use in regenerative medicine. However, their poor in vitro expansion capacity and tissue scarcity have been major limitations. In this study, we demonstrate that mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) can differentiate into cells with MSC properties. Using previously established methods that characterize Ad-MSCs, we analyzed mESC-differentiated fibroblasts (mESC-FBs), including plastic adherence, clonogenic growth, MSC marker expression, tri-lineage differentiation potential, and the capacity to express immunomodulators. Although previously characterized as mESC-differentiated fibroblasts (mESC-FBs), these cells exhibit major properties of Ad-MSCs. However, mESC-FBs also display unique features inherited from ESCs, including robust expansion capacity, senescence resistance, and attenuated innate immunity. In particular, mESC-FBs are insensitive to bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) and do not express LPS-induced inflammatory molecules, in contrast to bone marrow (BM)-MSCs. We further demonstrate that mESC-FBs are resistant to the cytotoxicity associated with inflammatory cytokines, bacterial endotoxins (LPS and heat-killed bacteria), and macrophage-mediated inflammation. While it remains to be determined how the unique properties of mESC-FBs will affect their immunoregulatory activity under an in vivo condition, our findings demonstrate that ESCs could be used as an alternative source to generate a new class of ESC-MSCs with unique features potentially useful in regenerative medicine.
BlackMarks: Black-box Multi-bit Watermarking for Deep Neural Networks

Deep Neural Networks have created a paradigm shift in our ability to comprehend raw data in various important fields ranging from computer vision and natural language processing to intelligence warfare and healthcare. While DNNs are increasingly deployed either in a white-box setting where the model internal is publicly known, or a black-box setting where only the model outputs are known, a practical concern is protecting the models against Intellectual Property (IP) infringement. We propose BlackMarks, the first end-to-end multi-bit watermarking framework that is applicable in the black-box scenario. BlackMarks takes the pre-trained unmarked model and the owner's binary signature as inputs and outputs the corresponding marked model with a set of watermark keys. To do so, BlackMarks first designs a model-dependent encoding scheme that maps all possible classes in the task to bit '0' and bit '1' by clustering the output activations into two groups. Given the owner's watermark signature (a binary string), a set of key image and label pairs are designed using targeted adversarial attacks. The watermark (WM) is then embedded in the prediction behavior of the target DNN by fine-tuning the model with generated WM key set. To extract the WM, the remote model is queried by the WM key images and the owner's signature is decoded from the corresponding predictions according to the designed encoding scheme. We perform a comprehensive evaluation of BlackMarks's performance on MNIST, CIFAR10, ImageNet datasets and corroborate its effectiveness and robustness. BlackMarks preserves the functionality of the original DNN and incurs negligible WM embedding runtime overhead as low as 2.054%.
Examining the Management of Rare Insects Through the Lens of Biotic Interactions: A Comparative Case Study of Nicrophorus americanus (Coleoptera: Silphidae) and Gryllotalpa major (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae)

Recovery plans for rare and endangered insects most commonly focus on identifying critical abiotic habitat requirements for focal species, and then using these criteria in developing species management portfolios. Biotic interaction data are rarely available, and when produced are seldom integrated into management plans due to their complexity of interpretation. Here we examine advances in our understanding of biotic factors that regulate behavior and life history in two rare insect species of conservation focus: the carrion-breeding American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus (Olivier) and the lek mating Gryllotalpa major (Saussure). Current recovery and conservation plans for both species are heavily weighted by abiotic habitat considerations, despite the likely regulation of populations by critical biotic interactions such as interspecies competition, symbioses, predation, and behavioral variation. Examples presented here support a more cohesive approach to constructing conservation management plans to prioritize the integration of ecological interaction data, and to incentivize related research leading to more effective species recovery outcomes.
Apples to Oranges: Causal Effects of Answer Changing in Multiple-Choice Exams

Whether examinees' answer changing behavior while taking multiple-choice exams is beneficial or harmful is a long-standing puzzle in the educational and psychological measurement literature. Formalizing the problem using the potential outcomes framework, this article shows that the traditional method of comparing the proportions of "wrong to right" and "right to wrong" answer changing patterns--a method that has recently been criticized by van der Linden, Jeon, and Ferrara (2011)--indeed correctly identify the sign of the average answer changing effect, but only for those examinees who actually changed their initial responses. This subgroup effect is referred to as the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) and generally differs from the average treatment effect on the untreated (ATU), that is, those who did not change their initial responses. Analyzing two real data sets, including van der Linden et al.'s (2011) controversial data, this article finds that the ATT of answer changing is positive while the ATU of answer changing is negative, therefore, the debate on answer changing effects can be easily resolved. The article also shows that answer changing and answer reviewing are two distinct treatments and knowing answer changing effects is not informative for predicting answer reviewing effects.
Does self-rated health status influence receipt of an annual flu vaccination?

Abstract Despite 79,400 deaths due to the influenza (flu) virus during the 2017–18 season, In the 2017 US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, 39.1% of respondents had received a flu vaccination within the last 12 months. There was a statistically significant difference (p There was a significant positive association between SRH and AFV for individuals who self-reported an SRH of either “Fair” (AOR 1.19; 95% CI 1.12–1.27) or “Poor” (AOR 1.24; 95% CI 1.14–1.35), compared to those reporting a status of “Excellent”. For those reporting an SRH status of “Fair”, there was a significant positive association for both men (AOR 1.20; 95% CI 1.10–1.32) and women (AOR 1.17; 95% CI 1.08–1.28). An association was also found for men (AOR 1.203; 95% CI 1.09–1.39) and women (AOR 1.23; 95% CI 1.09–1.399) who reported their SRH as “Poor”. Only women showed a significant association (AOR 1.12; 95% CI 1.04–1.20) among those whose SRH was “Good”. No association was found for individuals who reported SRH as “Very Good”. These findings are of interest to health policy makers as they show there is still work required to convince individuals with a high SRH that they too need to receive an AFV.
Efficient Polymer-Mediated Delivery of Gene-Editing Ribonucleoprotein Payloads through Combinatorial Design, Parallelized Experimentation, and Machine Learning.

Chemically defined vectors such as cationic polymers are versatile alternatives to engineered viruses for the delivery of genome-editing payloads. However, their clinical translation hinges on rapi...
Results for the electrostatic potential of a uniformly charged square plate

Abstract We provide theoretical insights on a mathematical approach used to calculate the Coulomb electrostatic potential of a uniformly charged square plate at any given point on its plane that we developed in the past. It is shown here that this method can be generalized in an elegant way to calculate this quantity at any arbitrary point in space. We explain the formalism and illustrate the implementation of the technique by providing all the key results that lead to an exact analytic expression for the value of the electrostatic potential on a point in the line perpendicular to the square plate that passes through its center.
The ACRL Framework successes and challenges since 2016: A survey

Abstract The Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education has replaced the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education since 2016. The survey revealed how college and university librarians throughout the U.S. apply the Framework in their Information Literacy instruction, what barriers they encounter in applying the Framework, the lessons they have learned, and if they assess students' learning outcomes with the Framework. The findings indicate that other than course assignments, the Framework is librarians' most used document for their instruction. Despite the time constraints of the one-shot IL sessions, most surveyed librarians have adopted some Framework concepts in their instruction and have also managed to conduct assessment of student learning outcomes. Challenges still exist and librarians can benefit from more training to better communicate the Framework concepts to their constituents and to integrate the Framework in their instruction. This study depicts the status quo on the implementation of the ACRL Framework in the U.S. libraries from 2016 to 2020.
Emerin oligomerization and nucleoskeletal coupling at the nuclear envelope regulate nuclear mechanics against stress

X-linked Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) results from mutations of the nuclear envelope protein emerin, which participates in nuclear mechanotransductions and maintenance of nuclear shape. To better understand the molecular determinants of EDMD, we probed the membrane diffusion and the nanoscale spatial organization of emerin and some of its clinically relevant mutations, using single molecule tracking and super-resolution microscopy. We show that emerin is distributed as monomers and oligomeric clusters at the inner nuclear membrane and that both its diffusion and its oligomeric state are modified by EDMD-associated mutations. Emerin interactions with lamin A/C, nuclear actin and BAF modulate its mobility and its membrane organization. Measurements in nuclei under stress further indicate that the mechanotransducing function of emerin are coupled to its oligomeric state and that defective formation of emerin oligomers result in aberrant nuclear deformation against forces. These findings place emerin at the center of the molecular processes that regulate nuclear shape remodeling in response to mechanical stress.
2010-2012 Tax Update

Astute legal assistance attorneys and estate planners waited for the sunset of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) to see what would become of the federal transfer tax system and the expiring “Bush Tax Cuts.” Despite years of waiting, due to the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act (i.e., Tax Relief Act) of 2010, they will need to wait for another two years. Fortunately, there will be some degree of tax certainty during that time. With this in mind, legal assistance attorneys and estate planners should stay abreast of the fluid tax landscape by monitoring the constantly changing laws.
Effects of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Targeting on Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment of Prostate Cancer.

Abstract Background It has been suggested that targeting prostate lesions identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will improve the sensitivity of prostate biopsy for high-grade disease. The clinical significance of high-grade tumors found on MRI but missed on systematic biopsy is open to question. Objective To determine the risk of mortality for high-grade cancers identified by MRI targeting in men who had benign systematic biopsy findings. Design, setting, and participants We used data from 999 men with negative systematic biopsy and concurrent MRI-targeted biopsy in the National Cancer Institute MRI study. The comparison group consisted of 3056 men followed for 11 yr after negative sextant biopsy in the European Randomized Trial of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC). Outcome measurements and statistical analysis We calculated the number of patients needed to be diagnosed (NND) and treated (NNT) following targeted biopsy in order to prevent one prostate cancer death at 11 yr. We used a simple modeling approach that involved several assumptions, such as the proportion of the deaths in ERSPC preventable by earlier detection with MRI-guided biopsy. We then varied these assumptions to assess the effects on the results. Results and limitations NND and NNT were 89 and 57 for the scenario involving assumptions favorable to MRI, and 169 and 127 for a more neutral set of assumptions, respectively. Results were only more encouraging for MRI targeting under unlikely scenarios, such as 100% sensitivity for MRI and a cure rate of 100% for treatment. Conclusions Although MRI may be of benefit overall, considering the decrease in overdiagnosis among men with negative MRI findings, targeting biopsy needles to MRI-detected lesions results in a large number of men diagnosed and treated per death prevented. Consideration should be given to changing guidelines on grading of MRI cores and those regarding treatment of MRI-detected high-grade prostate cancer. Patient summary We carried out a modeling study to assess how magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan results used to target prostate cancer lesions during biopsy can affect outcomes. The model results show that if MRI-visible tumors are targeted during prostate biopsy, a large number of men need to be diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer in order to avoid just one prostate cancer death.
Putative condition-dependent viability selection in wild type stocks of Drosophila pseudoobscura

Abstract Meiotic recombination rates vary in response to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Recently, heat stress has been shown to reveal plasticity in recombination rates in Drosophila pseudoobscura. Here, a combination of molecular genotyping and X-linked recessive phenotypic markers were used to investigate differences in recombination rates due to either heat stress or advanced maternal age. However, haplotype frequencies deviated from equal proportions for crosses using phenotypic markers, indicating viability selection. Interestingly, skews in haplotype frequency were condition-dependent, consistent with the fixation of alleles in the wild type stocks used that are unfit at high temperature. Evidence of viability selection due to heat stress in the wild type haplotypes was most apparent on days 7-9 when more mutant non-crossover haplotypes were recovered in comparison to wild type (p=2.2e-4). Despite the condition-dependent mutational load in both wild type and mutant stocks, an analysis of recombination rate plasticity revealed days 7-9 (p=0.0085) and day 9 (p=0.037) to be significantly higher due to heat stress and days 1-3 as significantly higher due to maternal age (p=0.025). Still, to confirm these findings, SNP genotyping markers were used to further investigate recombination rate. This analysis supported days 9-10 as significantly different due to heat stress in two pairs of consecutive SNP markers (p=0.018; p=0.015), suggesting this time period as when recombination rate is most sensitive to heat stress. This peak timing for recombination plasticity is consistent with D. melanogaster based on comparison of similarly timed key meiotic events, enabling future mechanistic work of temperature stress on recombination rate.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Iliotibial band syndrome is a common cause of knee pain in the active adolescent. The location is commonly at the lateral knee, and this condition is the result of training errors and lack of endurance and strength of the hip abductors. Diagnosis is commonly arrived at clinically through examination. Treatment focuses on correcting the weakness in hip abduction and addressing training and response to treatment, if favorable. In more painful cases, corticosteroid injection may be considered to give temporary relief. Surgery is rarely used but is helpful.
Structure, Energetics and Variability of the Non-Linear Internal Wave Climate over the New Jersey Shelf

Abstract : Non-Linear Internal Wave (NLIW) packets are ubiquitous features of the coastal ocean, producing significant changes to its acoustics, optics and biogeochemistry, and influencing its dynamics. While they arrive like clockwork in some regions like the South China Sea, they occur with a high degree of variability on most continental shelves. And even in regions where they form at regular intervals, their amplitudes can vary dramatically from packet to packet, and there are strong seasonal changes. Through this grant, we have described the 3D structure, energy and timing of the ~100 NLIW packets that propagated through the SW06 mooring array; and quantified the external factors (seasonal/mesoscale/tidal) that control NLIW energetics and variability in the coastal environment; and Together, these will improve our ability to detect, predict and quantify the effects of NLIWs in an arbitrary coastal environment.
Simulating Teams with Many Conjectures

This paper is concerned with the algorithmic learning where the learner is allowed to make finite but bounded number of mind changes. Briefly, in our learning paradigm, a learner is given examples from a recursive function, which the learner attempts to learn by producing programs to compute that function. We say that a team is successful if at least one member of the team learns the target function. The problem, given two teams with bounded number of learners and mind changes whether one team can provably learn more than the other team has been open for the last fifteen years. This paper makes significant progress toward a complete solution of this problem. In the case of error-free learning, this paper solves the open problem. Finally, in the case of EX learning our result shows that there is no team with a≥0 mind changes whose learning power is exactly equal to a single learner with bounded b(≠ a) number of mind changes. In the case of PEX learning we have a positive answer.
Mapping Lineage Using BAC‐Cre Reporter Lines

As the brain develops, progenitor cells acquire the features of specific neuronal or glial subtypes through dynamic expression of the fate-determining signaling molecules and their targeting transcription factors. An effective and versatile approach for tracing lineage of progenitors into adult cell types is to target the promoter of an interested gene with Cre (a phage DNA recombinase) to achieve simultaneous activation during neurogenesis. The bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) is an efficient Cre carrier. Not only the targeted gene remains diploidy in BAC-Cre transgenic mice, but also the large portions of the gene's regulatory elements to be incorporated in the BAC allow Cre to sufficiently and reliably reproduce the endogenous gene expression pattern. When the BAC-Cre mouse is crossed to a Cre reporter mouse, even Cre is transiently expressed. Cre-loxP mediated recombination can permanently activate a reporter gene, such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) in all lineage cells of the gene. Experimental designs and procedures for RecA-based BAC DNA modification and preparation for pronuclear injection are highlighted. Suggestions for the use of BAC-Cre transgenic mice in fate-mapping analyses are also provided. Curr. Protoc. Neurosci. 50:1.19.1-1.19.29. © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC); Cre recombinase; homologous recombination; lineage; development
The Americans with Disabilities Act

ABSTRACT This study explored smaller businesses' understanding of and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, particularly as it relates to the accommodation of people with physical versus mental disabilities. An ADA compliance score was developed for personnel practices regarding employees with physical and mental disabilities and a comparison of scores was made between employers who could recall any of the requirements of the ADA's Title I and those who could not. The results indicted that employers with recall were significantly more likely to accommodate people with physical disabilities than those with mental disabilities. The research examined employers' use of the EAP in assisting with the accommodation of qualified employees. The findings have implications for EAP vendors, many of whom provide the bulk of external services to smaller businesses.
Prospective analysis of serum carotenoids, vitamin A, and tocopherols in adults with short bowel syndrome undergoing intestinal rehabilitation.

Abstract Objective Carotenoids, vitamin A, and tocopherols serve important roles in many key body functions. However, availability of these compounds may be decreased in patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS) due to decreased oral intake of fruits and vegetables and/or decreased intestinal absorption. Little information is available on serum concentrations of carotenoids, vitamin A, and tocopherols during chronic parenteral nutrition (PN) or during PN weaning. The aim of this study was to prospectively examine serum concentrations of a wide variety of carotenoids, vitamin A, and tocopherols in patients with SBS undergoing an intensive 12-wk intestinal rehabilitation program. Methods Twenty-one PN-dependent adult patients with SBS were enrolled in a 12-wk intestinal rehabilitation program, which included individualized dietary modification, multivitamin supplementation, and randomization to receive subcutaneous placebo ( n = 9) or human growth hormone (0.1 mg · kg −1 · d −1 ; n = 12). PN weaning was initiated after week 4 and advanced as tolerated. Serum concentrations of carotenoids, vitamin A, and tocopherols were determined at baseline and at weeks 4 and 12. Results A significant percentage of subjects exhibited low serum concentrations for carotenoids and α-tocopherol at study entry, and a few subjects had low concentrations of retinol (5%). Carotenoid and vitamin A valves did not improve over time, while α-tocopherol levels rose. Serum α-tocopherol concentration was negatively associated with PN lipid dose ( r = −0.34, P Conclusion Patients with SBS are depleted in diet-derived carotenoids despite oral and intravenous multivitamin supplementation and dietary adjustment during intestinal rehabilitation and PN weaning. Reduction of PN lipid infusion may improve serum α-tocopherol concentrations.
Potential effects of fish predation on Wetland invertebrates: A comparison of wetlands with and without fathead minnows

We evaluated potential effects of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) on wetland invertebrates by comparing activity trap catches from semipermanent wetlands with and without fathead minnows during 1991 and 1992. Indices of aquatic invertebrate abundance, biomass, and taxon richness were all lower in wetlands containing fathead minnows. Reductions in abundance and biomass of insects and crustaceans in wetlands with fathead minnows were pronounced during both years. Our results indicate that at high densities, fathead minnows may severely depress abundance, biomass, and taxon richness of aquatic invertebrates in semipermanent prairie wetlands, thereby reducing the suitability of these habitats as seasonal foraging areas for waterfowl.
Characterization of a New G6PD Variant: G6PD Titusville

We describe a new glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase mutant, G-6-PD Titusville. The propositus is a 7-month-old black male infant with a transient hemolytic episode. The mutant enzyme is characterized by abnormal electrophoretic mobility, thermolability, Km for NADP, abnormal deamino NADP use and a decreased sensitivity to inhibition by NADPH. G-6-PD activity of hemolysate, as measured under optimal in vitro conditions, was not initially decreased, whereas fibroblasts, granulocytes, and platelets showed a markedly decreased level of enzyme activity. These properties identify G6PD Titusville as a unique variant of this X-linked, housekeeping enzyme. We conclude that although the propositus with G6PD Titusville had a transient hemolytic episode, we cannot be certain whether this association was a causative one.
J ALPHA OCTAMER KLTFGKGT: COMMON T CELL RECEPTOR ELEMENT OF DIABETOGENIC ISLET INFILTRATING ANTI-INSULIN T CELL CLONES. • 578

The majority of T cell clones derived from islets of NOD mice react with insulin, and 97% of these clones react with an immunodominant peptide termed B2 (amino acids 9 to 23 of the insulin B chain). These clones are CD4 positive and restricted by I-Ag7 and are able to transfer diabetes into young NOD mice and destroy transplanted human islets. Administration of insulin, insulin B chain, insulin B2 peptide, or genetic introduction of insulin into NOD mice all prevent diabetes. With the potential importance of insulin reactivity we have begun the sequencing of the T cell receptors of anti-insulin T cell clones. To date, sequencing is complete on four clones derived from three different mice. Four different Vβ (2,6,12,14) and four Jβ elements with different NDN junctions have been found. Three different Vα chains were utilized (3, 10, and two 13). In contrast to the above heterogeneity, the first two sequenced clones utilized the same Jα (45) with a KLTFGKGT octamer. The next two clones contained Jα 9 and Jα 34, which are the only other two Jαs (out of a reported 49) sharing the KLTFGKGT octamer. As reported in the literature, this Jα octamer was utilized by 0/4 non-insulin reactive diabetogenic CD4 NOD clones and 1/5 islet reactive CD4 clones with unknown specificity. Thus far, we have also sequenced two islet-derived GAD reactive clones and both utilize Jα chains (6, 40) lacking the octamer. This data suggests that the Jα octamer KLTFGKGT may relate to B2 peptide specificity and islet targeting. Both the Jα octamer and the insulin B2 peptide are preserved in the human genome, suggesting that a similar process may occur in type I diabetes.
Heat transfer mechanism due to particle convection in circulating fluidized bed

The nature of heat transfer in circulating fluidized beds (CFBs) by particle convection was revealed from the experimental results of the particle flux in the lateral direction. As particles contact and rebound from the heat transfer surface because of their lateral motion, they establish a large local temperature gradient. Heat from particles is then transferred primarily through the gas to the heat transfer surface. The data of the lateral particle flux provide a basis to establish a model of heat transfer in CFBs. On montre la nature du transfert de chaleur dans des lits fluidises circulants par la convection des particules d'apres des resultats experimentaux sur le flux de particules dans la direction laterale. Du fait qu'elles entrent en contact et rebondissent de la surface du transfert de chaleur a cause de leur deplacement lateral, les particules creent un fort gradient de temperature local. La chaleur des particules est alors transferee principalement du gaz a la surface de transfert de chaleur. Les donnees sur le flux lateral des particules constituent une base pour etablir un modele de transfert de chaleur dans les lits circulants.
Measuring aerobic respiration in stream ecosystems using the resazurin‐resorufin system

[1] The use of smart tracers to study hydrologic systems is becoming more widespread. Smart tracers are compounds that irreversibly react in the presence of a process or condition under investigation. Resazurin (Raz) is a smart tracer that undergoes an irreversible reduction to resorufin (Rru) in the presence of cellular metabolic activity. We quantified the relationship between the transformation of Raz and aerobic bacterial respiration in pure culture experiments using two obligate aerobes and two facultative anaerobes, and in colonized surface and shallow (<10 cm) hyporheic sediments using reach-scale experiments. We found that the transformation of Raz to Rru was nearly perfectly (minr2 = 0.986), positively correlated with aerobic microbial respiration in all experiments. These results suggest that Raz can be used as a surrogate to measure respiration in situ and in vivoat different spatial scales, thus providing an alternative to investigate mechanistic controls of solute transport and stream metabolism on nutrient processing. Lastly, a comparison of respiration and mass-transfer rates in streams suggests that field-scale respiration is controlled by the slower of respiration and mass transfer, highlighting the need to understand both biogeochemistry and physics in stream ecosystems.
An atomistic study of fracture

The atomistic relaxation method developed by the author to study the core structures of edge and screw dislocations in crystalline solids was used to investigate the configurations of atoms and crack-tip atom cohesion and stress fields in BCC (body-centered cubic) and FCC (face-centered cubic) iron. Single crystallites containing initially an atomically sharp and through crack (a vacancy sheet) of various orientations were subjected to tensile strain applied normal to the crack. It is shown that the crack tip stress fields depend importantly on the orientation of the crack with respect to the parent lattice, a result unexpected of existing linear elasticity and continuum theories.
Inhibition of endotoxin-induced hypothermia and serum TNF-α levels in CD-1 mice by various pharmacological agents

Intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to elicit a sublethal, shock-like condition in mice. LPS, 2.5 mg/kg i.p., induced hypothermia, elevated serum TNF-α levels and lethality over a 48 h period in male CD-1 mice. The 5-lipoxygenase (LO) inhibitors, WY-50,295 tromethamine and zileuton (100 mg/kg p.o), significantly inhibited hypothermia at 4, 24 and 48 h after LPS. Interestingly, whereas cyclooxygenase (CO) inhibitors (ibuprofen, etodolac, naproxen and tenidap) at 40–80 mg/kg p.o. stimulated hypothermia at 4 h, they significantly reduced the later stages of hypothermia at 24–48 h. Rolipram (PDE-IV inhibitor) and dexamethasone significantly reduced hypothermia at 4–24 h and 1–24 h, respectively. All the anti-inflammatory agents significantly reduced elevated TNF-α levels at ∼70 min post-LPS, except for ibuprofen. In conclusion, these anti-inflammatory standards indicate that LPS-induced shock involves multiple lipid mediators (PG's, LT's and possibly PAF) and secondary cytokine generation. This sublethal model of LPS-induced shock represents a sensitive model for estimating the efficacy of potential drug candidates for the treatment of endotoxic shock.
Common source epidemics II: toxoplasmosis in Atlanta.

A discrete time stochastic model formulated for the study of common source epidemics ( Shonkwiler and Thompson, 1982 ) is implemented to study an outbreak of toxoplasmosis in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1977. A computer simulation program is described and conclusions are drawn on the basis of the simulations. Also, the detailed empirical data are organized to illuminate the roles of visitation and location patterns, and the variation in the empirical epidemic curve with different reporting schemes.
Plant-induced expression of Rhizobium genes involved in host specificity and early stages of nodulation

Abstract Genes involved in the early stages of nodulation of legumes and the specification of host range have been identified on indigenous Rhizobium plasmids. Certain flavonoids in the root exudate of legumes, together with the regulatory gene nodD , activate these genes while other flavonoids antagonize this effect. This article describes recent studies on the fine-scale structure and regulation of these nodulation genes.
Effects of sucrose concentrations upon schedule-induced polydipsia using free and response-contingent dry-food reinforcement schedules

Food-deprived female albino rats were tested under free (FFI) and lick-contingent (FR) reinforcement schedules in which water was freely available both in the test chamber and the home cage. Five groups of four Ss each received different formulas of Noyes 45-mg dry food pellets during the experimental sessions. Group 1 received standard formula pellets containing 7.5% glucose. Group 2 received “no-glucose” formula pellets. Groups 3, 4, and 5 received “no-glucose” pellets with 4.0%, 16.0%, and 32.0% sucrose added, respectively, by weight. An inverse relationship between sucrose concentration of the pellets and water intake levels was obtained for the FFI 60-sec schedule, and Ss receiving sucrose pellets drank less water throughout all experimental phases than either the no-sugar group or the 7.5% glucose group of Ss. The differential effects of glucose and sucrose upon water intakes and the differences between FR and FFI drinking performances were discussed.
Why is the information society important to us?: the world summit on the information society in Tunis

A fundamental change that is unfolding before us is that action is taking place within the context of a society that is global and increasingly relies on information accessed through technologies. This phenomenon is referred to as the global information society. Giddens (2003) provides insight into the global information society that we live in and suggests that globalization is a political, social, and cultural as well as an economic phenomenon that is revolutionizing the way in which we live. The very existence of the “digital divide”—or lack of access to information and communication technology (ICT) for certain segments of the population—exacerbates inequalities (Servon, 2002). At the same time ICT can bring education to people, healthcare to disadvantaged communities, and promote civic engagement and better management of natural resources. Norris (2001) suggests that the digital divide is a multidimensional phenomenon that encompasses three distinct aspects. The global divide refers to the divergence of Internet access between industrialized and developing societies. The social divide refers to the gap between the information rich and information poor in each nation. Within the online community, the democratic divide signifies the difference between those who do and those who do not use digital resources to engage, mobilize, and participate in public life (Norris, 2001). Queau (2002) offers compelling insight into the global digital divide. He states that Internet access disparities are considerable. Although telecom privatization and deregulation have made traditional operations more efficient, they are not a guarantee for local access to the Internet. The nature of the telecom industry enables it to impose revenue terms because of their advanced technology, high-speed Internet backbones, and net-concentration. This advantage has meant that a few dominating telecommunications operators can force service providers and customers to shoulder their access costs, making it even more difficult to provide the most basic services in developing countries (Queau, 2002). This limited access increases the social digital divide making it difficult to provide educational and health services to the rural poor. This excludes entire groups and countries from the benefits of information and knowledge, bringing about a situation in which those who have the greatest need have the least access to the tools that can potentially help them out of their deprivation. In addition, Queau (2002) argues that a new culture is emerging of “information literacy” through online interactions composed of visual representations and mental images
Peptide-neurotransmitter interactions influencing ethanol tolerance

Abstract Chronic exposure of mice to ethanol leads to the development of functional tolerance to the hypothermic and sedative effects of this drug. Treatment of the animals with the mammalian antidiuretic hormone, arginine vasopressin, results in a prolonged duration of such tolerance, in comparison to animals exposed to ethanol but not to the hormone. Another neurohypophyseal hormone, oxytocin, at an equimolar dose, is ineffective in maintaining tolerance. The centrally mediated effects of arginine vasopressin on memory processes may be related to the hormone-induced prolongation of ethanol tolerance.