cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Color Differences Caused by Dye Weighing Errors

This is the first in a series of short communications which we believe will be of immediate practical use to industrial colorists in applying color technology to their daily work. The series is edited by Ralph Stanziola, who replaces James G. Davidson as Special Editor for Industrial Applications at this time. Dr. Davidson now becomes a regular member of our Editorial Board. Readers who wish to contribute ideas for future Industrial Notes are encouraged to contact Mr. Stanziola at the address given next to the Table of Contents—F.W.B.
Radical addition of perfluorinated alkyl iodides to multi-layered graphene and single-walled carbon nanotubes

A simple one-pot reaction that serves to functionalize graphite nanosheets (graphene) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with perfluorinated alkyl groups is reported. Free radical addition of 1-iodo-1H,1H,2H, 2H-perfluorododecane to ortho-dichlorobenzene suspensions of the carbon nanomaterial is initiated by thermal decomposition of benzoyl peroxide. Similarly, UV photolysis of 1-iodo-perfluorodecane serves to functionalize the carbon materials. Perfluorododecyl-SWNTs, perfluorododecyl-graphene, and perfluorodecyl-graphene are characterized by infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The products show enhanced dispersability in CHCl3 as compared to unfunctionalized starting materials. The advantage of this one-pot functionalization procedure lies in the use of pristine graphite as starting material thereby avoiding the use of harsh oxidizing conditions.
Gross Motor Development, Movement Abnormalities, and Early Identification of Autism

Gross motor development (supine, prone, rolling, sitting, crawling, walking) and movement abnormalities were examined in the home videos of infants later diagnosed with autism (regression and no regression subgroups), developmental delays (DD), or typical development. Group differences in maturity were found for walking, prone, and supine, with the DD and Autism-No Regression groups both showing later developing motor maturity than typical children. The only statistically significant differences in movement abnormalities were in the DD group; the two autism groups did not differ from the typical group in rates of movement abnormalities or lack of protective responses. These findings do not replicate previous investigations suggesting that early motor abnormalities seen on home video can assist in early identification of autism.
Endocytosis, transfer tubules, and lysosomal activity in myeloid sinusoidal endothelium

The endocytosis and intracellular disposition of intravenously administered colloidal carbon and ferritin in the sinusoidal endothelial cells of the bone marrow have been studied. The carbon and ferritin tracer particles are initially removed from the circulation by newly formed large bristle-coated plasmalemmal vesicles. Subsequently these large coated vesicles (1) fuse with each other to form larger smooth-membraned storage vesicles (phagosomes) for the tracer particles, or (2) fuse with smooth-membraned “transfer tubules” that receive the tracer materials and in turn transfer the particles to dense bodies or multivesicular bodies. A number of the dense bodies in the sinusoidal endothelial cells show histochemically demonstrable acid phosphatase activity and may represent secondary lysosomes. Golgi cisternae and transfer tubules in the sinusoidal endothelium also contain reaction product for acid phosphatase and it is proposed that these transfer tubules arise from the Golgi cisternae and convey acid phosphatase to the dense bodies. In this circumstance, the transfer tubules would be the equivalent of primary lysosomes in the sinusoidal endothelial cells.
Nonlinear Maxwell Equations in Inhomogeneous Media

We study the basic properties of the Maxwell equations for nonlinear inhomogeneous media. Assuming the classical nonlinear optics representation for the nonlinear polarization as a power series, we show that the solution exists and is unique in an appropriate space if the excitation current is not too large. The solution to the nonlinear Maxwell equations is represented as a power series in terms of the solution of the corresponding linear Maxwell equations. This representation holds at least for the time period inversely proportional to the appropriate norm of the solution to the linear Maxwell equation. We derive recursive formulas for the terms of the power series for the solution including an explicit formula for the first significant term attributed to the nonlinearity.
Urban heat island effect across biomes in the continental USA

Impervious surface area (ISA) from National Land Cover Database 2001 and land surface temperature (LST) from MODIS averaged over three annual cycles (2003–2005) are used in a spatial analysis to assess the urban heat island (UHI) signature on LST amplitude and its relationship to development intensity, size, and ecological setting for 323 urban settlements over continental USA. Development intensity zones based on fractional ISA are defined for each urban area emanating outward from the urban core to the nearby non-urban rural areas and used to stratify sampling for LST. We find that the ecological context and settlement size significantly influence the amplitude of summer daytime UHI. In desert environments, the LST's response to ISA presents an uncharacteristic “U-shaped” horizontal gradient and points to a possible heat sink effect. For all cities combined, ISA is the primary driver for increase in temperature explaining 72% of the total variance in LST.
The influence of thalamic GABA transmission on the susceptibility of adult rats to flurothyl induced seizures

There is considerable evidence that thalamic nuclei are involved in the propagation and regulation of seizures. In the present study, we investigated the possible role in seizure mechanisms of GABAergic transmission in two thalamic nuclei, the posterior nucleus (PO) and the ventromedial nucleus (VM). Several GABAergic drugs were bilaterally microinfused into PO or VM of adult rats via chronically implanted cannulae, before testing the rats' susceptibility to seizures induced by flurothyl. In PO, infusions of the GABA elevating agent gamma-vinyl-GABA (20 micrograms) or of the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol (100 ng) suppressed both clonic and tonic seizures. Infusions into PO of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline (100 ng) facilitated both these seizure types. Administration of the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen (200 ng) also suppressed clonic seizure susceptibility. Drug infusions into VM, however, did not significantly modify the susceptibility to seizures. These findings lead us to conclude that GABAergic transmission in the vicinity of the PO, but perhaps not in VM, affects flurothyl seizure susceptibility. We hypothesize that GABA synapses in PO may be part of a seizure propagation or control circuit including striatum, substantia nigra, and superior colliculus.
A velocity-decomposition formulation for the incompressible Navier---Stokes equations

The principle of velocity decomposition is used to combine field discretization and boundary-element techniques to solve for steady, viscous, external flows around bodies. The decomposition modifies the Navier---Stokes boundary-value problem and produces a Laplace problem for a viscous potential, and a new Navier---Stokes sub-problem that can be solved on the portion of the domain where the total velocity has rotation. The key development in the decomposition is the formulation for the boundary condition on the viscous potential that couples the two components of velocity. An iterative numerical scheme is described to solve the decomposed problem. Results are shown for the steady laminar flow over a sectional airfoil, a circular cylinder with separation, and the turbulent flow around a slender body-of-revolution. The results show the viscous potential is obtainable even for massively separated flows, and the field discretization must only encompass the vortical region of the total velocity.
An endonuclease from calf thymus which introduces a limited number of single strand breaks into DNA.

Summary A nuclease that initially co-purifies with calf thymus DNA polymerase has been separated from the polymerase by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The nuclease introduces single-strand nicks into calf thymus DNA and degrades the DNA to a discrete size. Native DNA incubated with the nuclease averages 7S in alkaline sucrose gradients; denatured DNA incubated with the nuclease is largely 3S.
CARBONATE ALKALINITY IN THE PORE WATERS OF ANOXIC MARINE SEDIMENTS1

The principal factor affecting carbonate alkalinity in pore waters of organic-rich aluminosilicate muds from the central Connecticut coast and a Mainc fjord is bacterial sulfate reduction. Measured (titration) alkalinity is equal to that calculated from measured changes in SO,“-, Mg2+, Cal+, and NH,‘. As a result of alkalinity incrcasc, port waters of anoxic sediments can become highly supcrsaturatcd with CaCOa. Precipitation of C,aC03 may not occur, however, possibly because of the inhibiting effect of dissolved organic matter, No evidence is provided by thcsc sediments for authigenic aluminosilicate formation,
Multigeneration Reproduction Ratios and the Effects of Clustered Unvaccinated Individuals on Epidemic Outbreak

An SIR epidemiological community-structured model is constructed to investigate the effects of clustered distributions of unvaccinated individuals and the distribution of the primary case relative to vaccination levels. The communities here represent groups such as neighborhoods within a city or cities within a region. The model contains two levels of mixing, where individuals make more intra-group than inter-group contacts. Stochastic simulations and analytical results are utilized to explore the model. An extension of the effective reproduction ratio that incorporates more spatial information by predicting the average number of tertiary infections caused by a single infected individual is introduced to characterize the system. Using these methods, we show that both the vaccination coverage and the variation in vaccination levels among communities affect the likelihood and severity of epidemics. The location of the primary infectious case and the degree of mixing between communities are also important factors in determining the dynamics of outbreaks. In some cases, increasing the efficacy of a vaccine can in fact increase the effective reproduction ratio in early generations, due to the effects of population structure on the likely initial location of an infection.
A Mendelian locus on chromosome 16 determines susceptibility to doxorubicin nephropathy in the mouse

The development of kidney disease is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Searching for models of glomerulopathy that display strong gene–environment interaction, we examined the determinants of anthracycline-induced nephropathy, a classic, strain-dependent experimental model applied to rodents in the past four decades. We produced three crosses derived from mice with contrasting susceptibility to doxorubicin (DOX) nephropathy and, surprisingly, we found that this widely studied model segregates as a single-gene defect with recessive inheritance. By genome-wide analysis of linkage, we mapped the trait locus to chromosome 16A1-B1 (DOXNPH locus) in all three crosses [peak logarithm of odds (lod) score of 92.7, P = 1 × 10-65]; this interval represents a susceptibility locus for nephropathy. Gene expression analysis indicated that susceptibility alleles at the DOXNPH locus are associated with blunted expression of protein arginine methyltransferase 7 (Prmt7) on chromosome 8, a protein previously implicated in cellular sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents (lod = 12.4, P = 0.0001). Therefore, Prmt7 expression serves as a molecular marker for susceptibility to DOX nephropathy. Finally, increased variation in the severity of kidney disease among affected mice motivated a second genome-wide search, identifying a locus on chromosome 9 that influences the severity and progression of nephropathy (DOXmod, peak lod score 4.3, P = 0.0018). These data provide genetic and molecular characterization of a previously unrecognized Mendelian trait. Elucidation of DOX nephropathy may simultaneously provide insight into the pathogenesis of renal failure and mechanisms of cytotoxicity induced by chemotherapeutic agents.
Cyclin B synthesis is required for sea urchin oocyte maturation.

Sea urchins are members of a limited group of animals in which meiotic maturation of oocytes is completed prior to fertilization. This is different from oocytes of most animals such as mammals and amphibians in which fertilization reactivates an arrested meiotic cycle. Using a recently developed technique for in vitro maturation of sea urchin oocytes, we analyzed the role of cyclin B, the regulatory component of maturation-promoting factor, in the control of sea urchin oocyte meiotic induction and progression. Oocytes of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus accumulate significant amounts of cyclin B mRNA and protein during oogenesis. We analyzed cyclin B synthetic requirements in oocytes and early embryos by inhibiting cyclin B synthesis with DNA and morpholino antisense oligonucleotides. Cyclin B synthesis is not necessary for the entry of G2-arrested oocytes into meiosis; however, it is required for the proper progression through meiotic divisions. Surprisingly, mature sea urchin eggs contain significant cyclin B protein following meiosis that serves as a maternal store for early cleavage divisions. We also find that cyclin A can functionally substitute for cyclin B in early embryos but not in oocytes. These studies provide a foundation for understanding the mechanism of meiotic maturation independent of the zygotic cell cycle.
A curriculum to enhance decision-making skills of technical personnel working in teams

Rapidly changing engineering designs and business scenarios make it essential for engineers and technical personnel to be trained to be effective team players and project managers. This paper reports the experiences gained in developing and implementing a workshop to train engineers at a steel manufacturing plant. The objective of the workshop was to foster team-working skills among the participants and to improve the decision-making skills of these engineers so that they could be groomed to take over project management responsibilities. In order to achieve these objectives, a curriculum consisting of personality identification, lectures on engineering and management topics, hands-on exercises using multimedia case studies and feedback sessions was developed. In this paper, the details of developing, implementing and evaluating the curriculum in two three-day workshops are discussed. The qualitative and quantitative evaluation results indicate that the objectives were achieved very well and the curriculum...
Moderate-dose dobutamine maximizes left ventricular contractile response during dobutamine stress echocardiography in children

Abstract Background: Assessment of ventricular contractile reserve by dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) may be a powerful tool for detection of subclinical ventricular dysfunction, however, the hemodynamic dose-response relationship during DSE in children has not been established. Methods: To characterize changes in hemodynamics and ventricular contractility during DSE in children, 26 participants (age 8.3 ± 4.8 years; 17 male/9 female) with normal resting left-ventricular function underwent DSE. Participants with abnormal wall motion at rest or during DSE, or rejection were excluded. Left ventricular M-mode echocardiography and carotid pulse tracings were obtained at each stage for calculation of shortening fraction, velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (VCFc), and end-systolic wall stress (WS). Contractility was expressed as the difference between actual and predicted VCFc for measured WS. Dose-response curves for shortening fraction, VCFc, WS, and contractility (the difference between actual and predicted VCFc for measured WS) were obtained. Results: Stepwise changes in contractility, systolic blood pressure, WS, and left ventricular shortening fraction were observed at doses up to, but not beyond, 20 μg/kg/min. Increases in double product were observed at doses up to 30 μg/kg/min. Conclusions: DSE at a dobutamine dose of 20 μg/kg/min is optimal to fully assess contractile reserve in children. Lesser doses may provide insufficient stress, whereas higher doses may incur unnecessary increases in myocardial oxygen consumption and side effects. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2003;16:140-6.)
Complete Genome Sequence of a UL96 Mutant Cytomegalovirus Towne-BAC (Bacterial Artificial Chromosome) Isolate Passaged in Fibroblasts To Allow Accumulation of Compensatory Mutations.

ABSTRACT Here, we present the complete genome sequence of a cytomegalovirus Towne-BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) isolate that we first genetically engineered to mutate the UL96 gene and then serially passaged in human fibroblasts to allow for the accumulation of compensatory mutations. A total of 17 single-base substitutions were discovered in the passaged genome compared to the reference sequence (KF493877).
The early American style: A history of marketing and consumer values

Since the 1876 Centennial, furniture companies, decorators, and home builders have incorporated early American designs into their products. This article recounts the marketing history of this style and some clusters of consumer values—the search for authenticity, status presentation and ethnic identification, nostalgia and tradition making, domesticity and femininity, and aesthetic conservatism—with which early American objects and architecture have been associated. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Analysis of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim adsorption on sewage sludge and fish waste derived adsorbents

Abstract Sewage sludge, fish waste, and mixtures of the two were pyrolized at 650 and 950 °C in order to convert them into stable adsorbents. To test their performance in the removal of pharmaceuticals from water, sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and trimethoprim (TMP) were chosen as model adsorbates. Adsorption isotherms were measured in batch adsorption tests at room temperature. The adsorbents prepared at 950 °C were more effective than those obtained at 650 °C. Even though both pharmaceuticals were adsorbed in the highest amount on the material composed of pyrolized fish waste, for TMP removal the composite obtained from 90% sewage sludge and 10% fish waste was equally effective. To elucidate the adsorption mechanism, detailed surface analyses by TA-MS, XRD and potentiometric titration were carried out. Favorable surface chemistry seems to be the factor governing the performance of these adsorbents as media for the pharmaceuticals' removal from an aqueous phase. The main adsorption mechanism is based on chelation, acid-base interactions and polar interactions with the inorganic phase.
Rho GTPase Signaling Activates Microtubule Severing to Promote Microtubule Ordering in Arabidopsis

Summary Background: Ordered cortical microtubule (MT) arrays play a critical role in the spatial control of cell division and expansion and are essential for plant growth, morphogenesis, and development. Various developmental, hormonal, andmechanical signals and a large number of MT-associated proteins are known to impact cortical MT organization, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Our previous studies show that auxin signaling, which is mediated by the ROP6 Rho GTPase and its effector RIC1, promotes the ordering of cortical MTs in pavement cells, but it is unknown how RIC1 controls the organization of cortical MTs into well-ordered arrays. Results: Our genetic screens identified the conserved MTsevering protein katanin (KTN1) as a downstream component of the ROP6-RIC1 signaling pathway leading to well-ordered arrangement of cortical MTs. KTN1 and RIC1 proteins displayed overlapping localization. In vivo and in vitro studies showed that RIC1 physically interacts with and promotes the MT-severing activity of KTN1. Live-cell imaging reveals a role for RIC1 in promoting detachment of branched MTs that is known to rely on KTN1. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that a Rho GTPase signaling pathway regulates katanin-mediated MT severing in plant cells and uncovered an explicit regulatory mechanism underpinning the alignment and ordering of cortical MTs in plants. Our findings provide new insights into regulatory mechanisms underlying growth stimuli such as auxin promote the organization of cortical MTs into parallel arrays in plants.
A new approach to signal registration with the emphasis on variable time delay estimation

Signal registration is concerned with the problem of estimating a varying displacement between two random processes. We approach signal registration here as a recursive demodulation problem in which the recursion is between signal estimations and displacement estimation. Special attention is given to the problem of estimating a variable time delay. Thus, we present new algorithms for estimating D(t) from received processes: r 1 (t) = s(t) + n 1 (t) r 2 (t) = s(t - D(t)) + n 2 (t) where s(.) is signal and n 1 (.) and n 2 (.) are noise. Simulation results are presented and discussed.
A New Dataset of Delegate Positions on All Substantive Roll Calls at the U.S. Constitutional Convention

Abstract Delegate level analysis of the U.S. Constitutional Convention has been limited because the Convention did not record delegate votes. In this article, we introduce the Constitutional Convention Research Group Dataset, which contains 5,121 inferred delegate votes on 620 substantive roll calls at the Convention. The Constitutional Convention Research Group Dataset represents a significant improvement over previous datasets such as those compiled by McDonald (1958) and Dougherty and Heckelman (2009), and datasets based on votes recorded for state blocs (Jillson 1981, 1988).
Reply to ''Comments on 'Direct Numerical Simulation of the Turbulent Ekman Layer: Evaluation of Closure Models'''

In this note, we respond to J. C. Bergmann’s comments (Bergmann 2014) regarding our recent article assessing Ekman-layer turbulence closure models using direct numerical simulation (DNS) results. As Bergmann notes in his introduction, many of the comments that he provides are not specifically related to our paper. While many of these issues are of interest for understanding the dynamicsoftheatmosphericboundarylayer(ABL),wewill limit our responses primarily to those issues that directly relate to the objectives and the results of our paper. In the following reply, we first discuss of the applicabilityoftheneutral,turbulentEkmanlayerasamodelfor the ABL, and we then address some fundamental objections that Bergmann raises to the use of DNS. We also address Bergmann’s other concerns regarding turbulence models, momentum balance, and vertical exchange and eddy viscosity modeling assumptions.
Distributed Linear Precoder Optimization and Base Station Selection for an Uplink Heterogeneous Network

In a heterogeneous wireless cellular network, each user may be covered by multiple access points such as macro/pico/relay/femto base stations (BS). An effective approach to maximize the sum utility (e.g., system throughput) in such a network is to jointly optimize users' linear procoders as well as their BS associations. In this paper, we first show that this joint optimization problem is NP-hard and thus is difficult to solve to global optimality. To find a locally optimal solution, we formulate the problem as a noncooperative game in which the users and the BSs both act as players. We introduce a set of new utility functions for the players and show that every Nash equilibrium (NE) of the resulting game is a stationary solution of the original sum utility maximization problem. Moreover, we develop a best-response type algorithm that allows the players to distributedly reach a NE of the game. Simulation results show that the proposed distributed algorithm can effectively relieve local BS congestion and simultaneously achieve high throughput and load balancing in a heterogeneous network.
Successful strategic alliances with international partners: key issues for small- to medium-sized enterprises

As international markets grow, many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are finding lucrative opportunities to serve overseas consumers and source from overseas suppliers. The impact of information technology has made world-wide communication easier and more rapid. Some SMEs are literally 'born global', ready to do business on the internet. For many SMEs, this new commercial frontier offers both great promise and the challenge of determining: What are the key drivers of success in new and unknown international markets? This article focuses on this question from the perspective of strategic alliances in the global business environment. It develops a model to guide SMEs in managing overseas partners or allies that will 'fit' best with their company and their ambitions. The model provides SMEs with both strategic and tactical dimensions that are key international business arena. This article guides SMEs to 'get it right' when selecting allies in overseas markets.
ELECTRON PARAMAGNETIC RESONANCE AND ELECTRON NUCLEAR DOUBLE RESONANCE OF CHEMICALLY REACTING TRIPLET STATE SPECIES IN SINGLE ORGANIC CRYSTALS

ABSTRACT In this lecture I review a series of both published and unpublished investigations made together with my colleagues and students who are named in Table 1. We have studied the organic single crystal system consisting of 1, 1-diphenylethylene (DPE) which contained small amounts of diphenyldiazomethane (DPDAM). I describe the ways in which we use electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR), optical spectroscopy with polarized light, and x-ray crystallography, to study the photolysis of the DPDAM and the reaction of diphenylmethylene (DPM) with DPE at crystal sites, without serious disruption of the structure of the host crystal. All of the methods and techniques nicely supplement each other to give a detailed picture of this single crystal system. The magnetic resonance methods serve to give a most detailed account of the local structure at the reaction sites in the vicinity of the chemical impurity, DPM.
Igniting Diversity: Actionable Methods and Ideas for Advancing Diversity in LIS Education in the US.

The Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) appointed a five-member Taskforce in 2011 to pursue the development of an ALISE Statement on Diversity. Two years later, the ALISE membership voted unanimously to adopt the statement. In an effort to move the statement from mere words on paper, the Taskforce provided actionable models and ideas in an “ignite” session on diversity. In this collaborative piece, four members of the ignite diversity panel share their ideas, experiences, and methods for advancing diversity in the classroom and beyond. Professors Renate Chancellor, Clara Chu, Howard Rodriguez-Mori, and Loriene Roy provide ideas and real world examples that can be readily implemented in the classroom, in research, and at the institutional level. While the United States provides the context for these discussions, many of these methods and ideas are readily adaptable to countries across the globe
Probability, Time, and Gravity

One of the most puzzling aspects of quantum gravity is the absence of the time variable in the canonical formulation.
A new parameter to describe light scattering by an arbitrary sphere

Abstract We consider light scattering by uniform spheres of arbitrary size R and refractive index m . A new internal coupling parameter ρ ' = 2 k R | ( m 2 − 1 ) / ( m 2 + 2 ) | where k = 2 π / λ and λ is the wavelength is proposed that has a superior ability to determine the asymptotic regimes of small size, weakly refractive and large size, refractive than the parameter ρ = 2 k R ( m − 1 ) . It also has superior ability as a parameter to organize patterns in light scattering from spheres.
Real or Spiel? A Decision Tree Approach for Automated Detection of Deceptive Language-Action Cues

As the use of computer-mediated communications has increased, the potential risk of online deception has grown -- as has the importance of better understanding human behavior online to mitigate these risks. Previous research has demonstrated that linguistic features provide crucial cues to detect deception, and that reasonable accuracy in detection of deception can be achieved by applying certain classification methodologies to these cues. This paper expands on this line of inquiry, and presents findings from a study conducted in the Spring of 2015. Our findings suggest a viable process for and the feasibility of using a decision-tree classification approach to develop an automated process to detect deception in computer-mediated communications.
S11.4 Serological screening for syphilis: research needs

Background and problem The recent development and implementation of serological screening for syphilis using recombinant protein-based immunoassays has resulted in much confusion about the interpretation of positive results, particularly in low prevalence settings. Early experience suggests that a high proportion of positive tests are not confirmed by either non-treponemal or other treponemal tests. Many questions remain about the accuracy and relevance of these results. Research needs We will discuss research questions related to the performance, utility, and effectiveness of these tests. Performance of the existing tests Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value in high- and low-prevalence populations. What gold standard should be used for evaluation of these tests? Can performance of the existing tests be improved by simple modifications? Reactivity in persons with past treated syphilis—how can this be determined? Effectiveness of using the current tests for screening Does screening with the EIA tests result in the need for more additional, unnecessary testing? Does the delay in receiving prompt complete serological results result in delayed treatment and increased transmission of syphilis? How much unnecessary treatment results from the use of these tests for screening? What is the impact of EIA screening on public health time and dollars spent on contact tracing? What is the real cost of EIA screening, including the need for additional testing, possibility of additional transmission, and required public health follow-up? Biological basis for the unconfirmed reactivity in the existing tests Which Treponema pallidum antigens are recognised by patient sera that are reactive only in the EIA tests? Do such antisera have cross-reactivity with antigens of other treponemal species found in humans? Next generation recombinant protein-based antibody tests Are there T pallidum -specific antigens? How can we identify them? Are there antigens for which antibody disappears or declines significantly following treatment? Conclusions The increasingly widespread use of recombinant protein-based immunoassays has contributed to much confusion in serological testing for syphilis. Research efforts to understand the source of the problems with these first-generation tests are needed to provide clinicians with appropriate algorithms and tools to accurately and rapidly diagnose untreated syphilis in their patients.
Further studies of the germ-tube test for Candida albicans identification.

An evaluation of the optimal incubation time for the germ-tube test used in the rapid identification of Candida albicans revealed that a 2-hr. incubation will identify 78% of the strains, whereas a 3-hr. incubation will identify 94% of the strains tested. Extending the incubation to 4 hr. increases the strains identified by only 1%. A study of the comparative efficiency of human and sheep sera in producing germ tubes revealed that both were equally effective. However, the cost of commercially obtained sheep serum is about one third that of human serum; thus, it is more economical to use sheep serum.
Parental Involvement in a School-Based Child Physical Activity and Nutrition Program in Southeastern United States A Qualitative Analysis of Parenting Capacities

Background. Parent involvement varies widely in school-based programs designed to promote physical activity and healthy nutrition, yet the underlying factors that may limit parent’s participation a...
Detection of decreased quantities of actively spawning female Fundulus heteroclitus in tidally restricted marshes relative to restored and reference sites

Hydrologic restriction of salt marshes and subsequent invasion by Phragmites australis could influence the reproductive success of Fundulus heteroclitus, a common salt marsh resident that forages and spawns on the marsh surface at flood tide. Previous research in our laboratory using data from 2010 to 2011 examined the proportion of actively spawning F. heteroclitus residing in altered New England salt marshes as part of a larger experiment to examine the physiological condition of fish in restricted and restored marshes relative to paired unrestricted (reference) sites. We detected a significant decrease in the proportion of actively spawning fish in restricted relative to paired unrestricted marshes, but no difference between restored and paired unrestricted marsh fish. In this manuscript, we conduct a re-analysis of a portion of that data (July 2011) to explore potential mechanisms behind previous results. Using forward stepwise selection and generalized linear mixed models, we determined that the reduction in actively spawning restricted marsh fish was due to a single predictor (lipid mass); there were no effects of water temperature, body size, parasite prevalence, parasite density, and growth rate on the response. Previous results indicate healthy restricted marsh fish already have reduced energy reserves. Since investment in oocytes is energetically costly (this analysis), the effect could manifest at the population level as a reduction in actively spawning fish. In addition, oocyte quality is reduced in restricted marshes (as measured by % lipid; 13.9 ± 1.6 % SD) relative to paired unrestricted marshes (15.9 ± 2.3 % SD). Although these data are preliminary and represent a single lunar cycle, additional studies are warranted to explore relationships between P. australis invasion, restoration, and effects on the fecundity of this ubiquitous salt marsh fish.
Abnormal Mini-Cog Is Associated with Higher Risk of Complications and Delirium in Geriatric Patients with Fracture

Background: The Mini-Cog test is a validated and simple tool to screen for dementia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of cognitive impairment as measured by Mini-Cog testing as a predictor for in-hospital complications and mortality in geriatric patients with fracture. Methods: From 2011 to 2014, patients who were seventy years of age or older, had a fracture, and were admitted to co-managed orthopaedic trauma and geriatrics services embedded at two Level-I trauma centers were enrolled in our study. As part of the patients’ routine admission evaluation, the Mini-Cog examination was performed. An observational cohort study was completed documenting pre-injury functional status, in-hospital complications, length of stay, thirty-day readmission, and mortality. All patients in the study were followed for at least one year. Results: Seven hundred and thirty-nine patients (median age, eighty-three years) attempted Mini-Cog testing. Of those, 513 were able to complete the test, demonstrating a 35.1% prevalence of cognitive impairment. The cohort’s rate of in-hospital medical complications was 28.6%. Patients with an abnormal Mini-Cog test or those unable to complete the test had significantly higher odds of in-hospital complications (2.16 and 2.27, respectively) compared with patients with a normal Mini-Cog test (p < 0.001). Delirium was significantly increased in patients with an abnormal Mini-Cog test (odds ratio, 3.22; p = 0.001). The all-cause, one-year mortality rate after fracture in our population was 18.1%. Adjusted for age, sex, comorbidity, and fracture type, only the patients unable to complete the Mini-Cog test showed a higher risk of mortality at one year (hazard ratio, 2.26; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The Mini-Cog examination is a quick, easily administered screening test for cognitive impairment that is useful in identifying high-risk geriatric patients with fracture. With this tool, we found more than one-third of our elderly patients with fracture were cognitively impaired at the time of admission. These patients had higher rates of in-hospital complications and a trend toward early mortality. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Optimal postponement strategy with intermediate inventory

Postponement is a strategy that delays the time point of product differentiation in manufacturing process to overcome demand uncertainty and reduce the total cost of supply chain.Cr5Mo steel pipes are key components in petrochemical refinery plants,the demand of which is difficult to meet due to high varieties and low volumes.Influenced by the first author of this paper,Sinopec Group used postponement to keep intermediate inventory,ingots,to effectively meet the uncertain demand of the final product,pipes.Based on this case,previous models were extended by relaxing the assumption that intermediate products be used up in the differentiation stage,with a state dependent base stock policy proving to be optimal.Experiments using Matlab showed that retaining a certain level of intermediate product inventory can reduce the total cost of the supply chain,if with high holding cost and shortage cost of the final products and with low holding cost of the intermediate products.
Long-Term Outcomes of Single-Port Laparoscopic Placement of Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter:

Introduction:Laparoscopic insertion of peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter has become a preferred method compared to the traditional open technique for PD catheter insertion. We retrospectively report the outcome of 1-port laparoscopic placement PD catheters in our institution.Methods:A total of 263 patients with end-stage renal disease who underwent single-trocar laparoscopic PD catheter insertion during a recent 6-year period were reviewed. Laparoscopic technique involves introducing a PD catheter over a stiff guidewire into the abdominal cavity through a 10-mm laparoscopic port. Pertinent clinical variables, procedural complications, and follow-up outcome were analyzed.Results:There were 182 men and 81 women. The mean age was 56 years. Technical success was 95.8%. Catheter occlusion was the most common early complications ( 6 months) including catheter occlusion, cuff extrusion, catheter leakage, catheter migration, infection, and hernia...
The ethics as character and medical research

With this paper I intend to draw attention again to the historic connection between the original meaning of the Greek word ethos and the discipline of ethics, as inner self, human spirit or character. The ethics of research must include the inner dimension of ethics just as norms and guidelines for behavior are included. We learn from the history of the ethics of research that transgressions have occurred not due to lack of norms and guidelines, but because of ignoring the inner dimension of ethics. Today, medical researchers are subjected to self promotion temptations driven by narcissism and avarice, which can lead them to ignore this inner dimension. Today´s researchers will not yield to the pressures of following their own interests if they learn from the example of the origin of the Middle Ages' Hospitable Knights and from researchers such as Henry K. Beecher.
Specters of the Ballad

Virginia Jackson, “Specters of the Ballad” (pp. 176–196) This essay argues that Paul Laurence Dunbar’s ballad “The Haunted Oak” (1901) indexes Dunbar’s invention of the modern American lyric through the (lynching) form of modern racism. How does race ghost-write poetry’s redefinition around the lyric? How does it create a dramatically abstract “speaker” that gives voice to and for an imagined community? Dunbar inverts both romantic apostrophe and Victorian dramatic monologue and dialogue in his speaking bough. He does this by framing his poem as a pre-romantic border ballad, a tale of Scots rebellion and English law superimposed upon American racist violence. What Jacqueline Goldsby has dubbed “racism’s modern life form” thus becomes modern American poetry’s life form, a lyricized poetic history haunted from root to branch.
Factors Associated with HIV Testing Among Participants from Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs in the US: A Machine Learning Approach

HIV testing is the foundation for consolidated HIV treatment and prevention. In this study, we aim to discover the most relevant variables for predicting HIV testing uptake among substance users in substance use disorder treatment programs by applying random forest (RF), a robust multivariate statistical learning method. We also provide a descriptive introduction to this method for those who are unfamiliar with it. We used data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network HIV testing and counseling study (CTN-0032). A total of 1281 HIV-negative or status unknown participants from 12 US community-based substance use disorder treatment programs were included and were randomized into three HIV testing and counseling treatment groups. The a priori primary outcome was self-reported receipt of HIV test results. Classification accuracy of RF was compared to logistic regression, a standard statistical approach for binary outcomes. Variable importance measures for the RF model were used to select the most relevant variables. RF based models produced much higher classification accuracy than those based on logistic regression. Treatment group is the most important predictor among all covariates, with a variable importance index of 12.9%. RF variable importance revealed that several types of condomless sex behaviors, condom use self-efficacy and attitudes towards condom use, and level of depression are the most important predictors of receipt of HIV testing results. There is a non-linear negative relationship between count of condomless sex acts and the receipt of HIV testing. In conclusion, RF seems promising in discovering important factors related to HIV testing uptake among large numbers of predictors and should be encouraged in future HIV prevention and treatment research and intervention program evaluations.
Personalized Medicine Through Advanced Genomics

Personalized medicine has become a reality over the past decade, largely due to the proliferation of next-generation sequencing technologies and standardized bioinformatics pipelines. Approaches to cancer treatment have particularly benefited from this progress, and many patients now undergo extensive genetic analysis of tumor tissue as a part of their standard therapy. As the technical and financial barriers for individualized genomics continue to shrink, the challenges of data interpretation and availability of molecular therapies have emerged. Numerous cases of successful molecular treatments targeting somatic variations have been published, with the scientific and clinical communities continuing to learn from these early results.
Protein Requirements of the Critically Ill Pediatric Patient

This article includes a review of protein needs in children during health and illness, as well as a detailed discussion of protein metabolism, including nitrogen balance during critical illness, and assessment and prescription/delivery of protein to critically ill children. The determination of protein requirements in children has been difficult and challenging. The protein needs in healthy children should be based on the amount needed to ensure adequate growth during infancy and childhood. Compared with adults, children require a continuous supply of nutrients to maintain growth. The protein requirement is expressed in average requirements and dietary reference intake, which represents values that cover the needs of 97.5% of the population. Critically ill children have an increased protein turnover due to an increase in whole-body protein synthesis and breakdown with protein degradation leading to loss of lean body mass (LBM) and development of growth failure, malnutrition, and worse clinical outcomes. The results of protein balance studies in critically ill children indicate higher protein needs, with infants and younger children requiring higher intakes per body weight compared with older children. Monitoring the side effects of increased protein intake should be performed. Recent studies found a survival benefit in critically ill children who received a higher percentage of prescribed energy and protein goal by the enteral route. Future randomized studies should evaluate the effect of protein dosing in different age groups on patient outcomes, including LBM, muscle structure and function, duration of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, and mortality.
Proper motions of five OB stars with candidate dusty bow shocks in the Carina Nebula

We constrain the proper motions of five OB stars associated with candidate stellar wind bow shocks in the Carina Nebula using HST ACS imaging over 9--10 year baselines. These proper motions allow us to directly compare each star's motion to the orientation of its candidate bow shock. Although these stars are saturated in our imaging, we assess their motion by the shifts required to minimize residuals in their Airy rings. The results limit the direction of each star's motion to sectors less than 90 degrees wide. None of the five stars are moving away from the Carina Nebula's central clusters as runaway stars would be, confirming that a candidate bow shock is not necessarily indicative of a runaway star. Two of the five stars are moving tangentially relative to the orientation of their candidate bow shocks, both of which point at the OB cluster Trumpler 14. In these cases, the large-scale flow of the interstellar medium, powered by feedback from the cluster, appears to dominate over the motion of the star in producing the observed candidate bow shock. The remaining three stars all have some component of motion toward the central clusters, meaning that we cannot distinguish whether their candidate bow shocks are indicators of stellar motion, of the flow of ambient gas, or of density gradients in their surroundings. In addition, these stars' lack of outward motion hints that the distributed massive-star population in Carina's South Pillars region formed in place, rather than migrating out from the association's central clusters.
Demystifying the memory effect: A geometrical approach to understanding speckle correlations

The memory effect has seen a surge of research into its fundamental properties and applications since its discovery by Feng et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 61, 834 (1988)]. While the wave trajectories for which the memory effect holds are hidden implicitly in the diffusion probability function [Phys. Rev. B 40, 737 (1989)], the physical intuition of why these trajectories satisfy the memory effect has often been masked by the derivation of the memory correlation function itself. In this paper, we explicitly derive the specific trajectories through a random medium for which the memory effect holds. Our approach shows that the memory effect follows from a simple conservation argument, which imposes geometrical constraints on the random trajectories that contribute to the memory effect. We illustrate the time-domain effects of these geometrical constraints with numerical simulations of pulse transmission through a random medium. The results of our derivation and numerical simulations are consistent with established theory and experimentation.