cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
T-cell clonal analysis of HLA-DR2 haplotypes.

Abstract Individuals carrying the serologically-defined DR2 haplotypes can be further subdivided by utilizing T cell response to define several HLA-Dw/LD clusters: Dw2, Dw12, LD-5a, and a related group composed of FJO, AZH, and MN2. We have used cytotoxic T cell clones generated against these DR2 haplotypes to define the DR and DQ associated Dw/LD polymorphisms. Clones were categorized as DR, DQ, DP, or class 1-directed based on monoclonal antibody (MoAb∗) inhibition studies. We analyzed the distribution of the determinants detected by these clones based on analysis with panels of cells. Some DR-directed clones only lysed cells positive for the Dw subtype of the sensitizing cell. A few DR-directed clones lysed most DR2 positive cells. Other DR-directed clones detected determinants shared by cells of different subtypes: determinants shared by Dw2 and Dw12 positive cells and determinants shared by MN2, FJO, AZH, and LD-5a positive cells. The majority of the DQ-directed clones only lysed cells positive for the sensitizing HLA-Dw subtype. A group of clones primed against an LD-5a HTC, whose cytolytic activity was not blocked by any monoclonal antibodies tested, lysed some, but not all, DR2 positive cells as well as Dw1 and Dw10 positive cells. The results suggest the detection of determinants on these molecules which may be shared by cells of specific Dw subgroups and determinants shared by most cells of the sensitizing serological specificity. The basis of this observed polymorphism and influence on the allogeneic response are discussed.
Best practices for avoiding dominant experimental bias in analysis of multielectrode array signals

Multielectrode arrays (MEA) are broadly used for in vitro cell culture observation. Complete realization of this platform’s potential to the study of disease and development depends on the capability to make 1) reliable and repeatable observations, 2) neuronal network behavior characterizations, and 3) meaningful comparisons between cultures. Using an extensive, previously published, set of recordings [3] we demonstrate that naive processing of this data leaves us vulnerable to bias from measurement error. We utilize 878 recordings from embryonic rat cortex cell cultures collected from 60-electrode, grid-type (200 μm) MEA’s. We modeled each recording as a 60-node directed weighted graph with weights describing electrode connectivity and nodal clustering coefficients [1] as features. Principal components analysis (PCA) reduced the dimensionality of this feature space [2]. We observe a dense core of recordings showing weak spike activity, and 3 classes defined by batch (labeled in Figure ​Figure1A).1A). Surprised at this structure, we sought a non-biological explanation. We identified 13 defective or biased electrodes as sources of systematic measurement error. Removing the affected electrodes produced a more complex interplay of inter- and intra-batch variability (Figure ​(Figure1B1B). Figure 1 (A) Principal components analysis biplots using all 60 electrodes. Each marker is a recording. Colors indicate batches: Batch 1 (purple), Batch 2 (red), Batch 3(orange), Batch 4 (light green), Batch 5 (grey), Batch 6 (blue), Batch 7 (pink), and Batch ... Bias from defective electrodes can be avoided wholly by proper documentation of experimental conditions. This highlights the need for best practices when recording MEA signals. Our analysis highlights possibilities for post-experimental review to identify unknown issues and retroactively handle them. Thereupon, we make a case for transparency in data reporting and propose best practices for experimental and analysis phases.
Stealing Al Qaeda's Playbook

Abstract The key to defeating the jihadi movement is identifying its strengths and weaknesses so that the former may be countered or co-opted and the latter exploited. This article argues that the people who know these strengths and weaknesses best are the jihadis themselves; one just needs to know where (and how) to look for their insights. To this end, this article demonstrates a method for mining the works of jihadi ideologues for tactical and strategic information that will help the United States craft effective measures for defeating the jihadi movement and its followers.
Leadership and organizational development: lessons from the USS Constitution and the age of fighting sail.

The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat in the world (1‐3). Saved repeatedly at the 11th hour from the scrap heap of time, this magnificent warrior of the high seas continues to deserve attention today as a laboratory for learning about leadership, organizational structure, risk taking, and courage. The history of the USS Constitution is inspiring, and many of the lessons it offers remain widely applicable. Sailing ships of war venturing over the horizon in centuries past, with no means of long-distance resupply or communication and limited navigational capability, had little leeway for any deviation from their primary missions. Successful captains and crews shared a strong understanding of their circumstances and achieved levels of operational performance that contemporary organizations might well envy even now. Please join me on a brief journey in time.
The Decomposition of Return on Investment for Forensic Laboratories

Abstract For forensic laboratories, a detailed understanding of return on investment (ROI) is necessary for routine assessment, consideration of new legislative alternatives, and cost-benefit analysis for decision making. Converting performance data to ratio measures provides useful comparisons between an individual laboratory and the standards for excellence for the industry; these measures also permit an evaluation across time. Unfortunately, these same ROI measures are subject to abuse when overemphasis on a single measure leads to unintended consequences. In this paper, the ROI measure is broken down into various parts that can be tracked on a regular basis to reveal how a laboratory achieves its results. The tradeoffs between return and risk, efficiency, analytical process, and market conditions are outlined. The end product is a series of easily monitored metrics that a laboratory director may examine on a regular basis for continuous improvement.
Pure word deafness: a possible explanation of transient deteriorations after extracranial-intracranial bypass grafting.

Pure word deafness is a rare behavioral disorder in which the comprehension of spoken language is grossly disturbed, but the abilities to speak, read, write, and process nonverbal auditory stimuli remain intact. This disorder is caused by superior temporal gyrus lesions in the dominant hemisphere that isolate Wernicke's area from incoming auditory information. This involved area is supplied by cortical middle and posterior temporal end-artery branches of the middle cerebral artery. Among approximately 100 extracranial-intracranial bypass procedures performed at our institution in the past 5 years, three patients developed the syndrome of pure word deafness. A cortical or posterior temporal branch of the middle cerebral artery was utilized as the recipient artery in each instance. In all cases, the deficit was transient, delayed (i.e. the patient did not awaken from anesthesia with the deficit), and unrelated to the preoperative deficit. The syndrome of pure word deafness may be more common after bypass than is currently recognized. Localized arterial spasm, dysautoregulation secondary to operative manipulation, or focal brain swelling may be operative mechanisms in the development of this and other delayed, reversible deficits related to bypass surgery.
Intercultural Communication Training in IT Outsourcing Companies in India: A Case Study

This study examines the nature, manifestations and causes of communication problems in international outsourcing engagements. Specifically, it explores a case of business process outsourcing (BPO), which is the transfer of a number of business processes, such as payroll, supply chain management, and customer relations to an external supplier. In this case, a company based in the US outsourced its business processes to a company in India. (1) If widespread proficiency in English is the reason for India's predominant position in outsourcing, then why do we hear about communication problems? (2) What are the causes of such problems? (3) In what forms and situations do they manifest? (4) How could technical communication offer solutions to ameliorate or minimize some of these communication problems? Similar cases studied include previous studies of call centers in the Philippines and outsourcing relationships in software companies have identified challenges in those relationships to problems of intercultural communications, such as language use and differences in culture. Three areas of inquiry informed this study. Intercultural communication theories provide frameworks and touch points for assessing the role of culture in communication. Previous studies of outsourcing and offshoring provided definitions of the broad range of arrangements that comprise outsourcing. Although these studies all concluded that communication is a crucial factor in the success of outsourced projects, they offered few details of communication problems, their causes, manifestations, and possible solutions. Accounts of India represent India as a rapidly-growing, dynamic economy with certain typical communication problems. The study was designed as a mixed-methods, single-case study with a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were gathered through surveys that helped develop a picture of patterns in areas such as communication problems, preferred methods of communication, and patterns of escalation while qualitative data from 45 personal interviews and one group interview provided insights into the nature and resolution of communication dissonances. The case studied ABC Corporation, a captive Indian company that performed BPO for a major American corporation. Communication problems that arise in the outsourcing relationship include differences in corporate culture and differences in linguistic and rhetorical choices. Issues causing these problems include differences in education and training. Ongoing training in cross-cultural communication is needed at all stages of the outsourcing cycle, with an emphasis on communication skills in the early stages of the process, especially the hiring stage. Technical communication can offer solutions to these problems because our field can help structure suitable training applying theories such as Cross' Theory of centripetal and centrifugal forces, which provide frameworks for assessing and addressing communication problems.
Investigation of the size-scaling behavior of spatially nonuniform barrier height contacts to semiconductor surfaces using ordered nanometer-scale nickel arrays on silicon electrodes

Nanosphere lithography has been used to prepare a series of ordered, periodic arrays of low barrier height nanometer-scale n-Si/Ni contacts interspersed among high barrier height n-Si/liquid contacts. To form the arrays, ordered bilayers of close-packed polystyrene spheres were deposited onto (100)-oriented n-type single crystal Si surfaces. The spheres formed a physical mask through which Ni was evaporated to produce regularly spaced and regularly sized Si/Ni contacts. By varying the diameter of the latex spheres from 174 to 1530 nm, geometrically self-similar Si/Ni structures were produced having triangular Si/Ni regions with edge dimensions of 100−800 nm. The resulting Si surfaces were used as electrodes in contact with a methanolic solution of LiClO_4 and 1,1‘-dimethylferrocene^(+/0). The current−voltage and photoresponse properties of these mixed barrier height contacts were strongly dependent on the size of the Ni regions, even though the fraction of the Si surface covered by Ni remained constant. Electrodes formed from large-dimension Si/Ni and Si/electrolyte contacts behaved as expected for two area-weighted Schottky diodes operating independently and in parallel, whereas electrodes having nanoscale Si/Ni regions surrounded by Si/liquid contacts behaved in accord with effective barrier height theories that predict a “pinch-off” effect for mixed barrier height systems of sufficiently small physical dimensions.
Cone Penetration Test-Based Ultrasonic Probe for P-Wave Reflection Imaging of Embedded Objects

An ultrasonic P-wave reflection imaging probe is developed and utilized to noninvasively image the geometry of a deep foundation supporting a bridge pier. The source ultrasonic transducer emits compressive waves into saturated soil that subsequently transmits to and reflects back from an embedded object, and the receiver transducer measures the reflections that are used to construct an image. The components of the system, including the custom transducer probe and data acquisition hardware, were integrated with the nees@UCLA cone penetration testing truck. Some fundamentals of propagation of ultrasonic waves in soil are presented first, including transducer directivity, effects of unsaturation, the size of the internal scale of the soil, and transducer coupling. The system components are then presented, followed by field testing. The probe successfully imaged a pile foundation in very soft saturated clay but not in stiffer and/or unsaturated soils. The probe could be very useful for nondestructive quality assurance of structural elements constructed in situ in soft saturated soils.
cw conical emission: First comparison and agreement between theory and experiment.

Experimentally observed near-field and far-field spatial profiles, frequency spectra, and cone angles are in good agreement with numerical computations of a theory that includes Doppler-broadened Raman-gain amplification of Doppler-broadened resonance fluorescence, four-wave mixing, propagational coupling, self-trapping of the pump beam, and diffraction and pump-induced refraction of the new frequencies. The use of a cw laser beam detuned from resonance by only a few gigahertz makes the computational problem tractable, leading to a simple physical model of this spatiotemporal instability.
The morning inversion near the ground and its daytime transition at two rural sites in the Carolinas

Abstract Six years of tower data from two dissimilar sites in the eastern piedmont of the Carolinas are analyzed to yield a selective climatology of the lower portion of the morning inversion. Its transition to daytime conditions is then described and statistically modeled. Both sites are in clearings surrounded by forest, but one site is in a valley by a lake, while the other, 175 km to the north, is on a low hilltop. Measurements of wind speed and direction, the standard deviation of wind direction, dew point, and temperature at 11 m, temperature difference (ΔT) between 11 and 60 m, plus solar radiation, were analyzed for an 8-h period starting from three hours before local sunrise each day for both locations. Results show that predawn inversions characterize over 70% of the data and strong inversions of over 5°C per 100 m in the tower layer characterize 30% of the mornings at the hilltop site. At the valley site, strong inversions are less common, probably because of the proximity of the lake. There is...
High frequency sound attenuation in short flow ducts

Traditionally, sound propagation in flow ducts has been analyzed using modal theory. However, for high‐frequency (duct height divided by free‐space wavelength much greater than unity) sources near (the order of the duct height or less) the duct termination, mode theory may be unnecessarily burdensome and seems to obscure the basic simplicity of the propagation phenomenon. In this paper, geometric acoustics is employed to develop absorbent liner design procedures for the case of high frequency sources in short ducts. Point and line sources in a two‐dimensional parallel plate duct are utilized to develop basic concepts, which are then extended to the point and distributed sources in a cylindrical duct. In each case, an optimal impedance distribution (or segmentation) is found for subsonic plug flow. The applicability of this approach to the design of inlet and exhaust noise suppressors for aircraft turbomachinery is discussed.
Oxidation of phenol to benzoquinone in a CSTER with modulated alternating voltage

Etude de l'electrooxydation du phenol en benzoquinone dans un reacteur electrochimique dont les compartiments anodique et cathodique sont separes, et qui est soumis a une agitation continue. L'application d'une tension alternative modulee, fait croitre le courant d'oxydation du phenol. De plus on observe une augmentation de la vitesse et du rendement de la reaction. Avec une electrolyse classique sous tension continue, il y a un taux de conversion de phenol quasi nul
Skin grafts used in combination with free flaps for intraoral oncological reconstruction

Surgeons have relied less on skin grafts for intraoral reconstruction by extending free flap tissue onto adjacent areas that could be potentially skin grafted. Split-thickness skin grafts provide thin, reliable epithelial coverage to tissue beds that can be grafted without requiring additional flap tissue. The combined use of split-thickness skin grafts with free tissue transfer may be advantageous in select situations. Four patients underwent intraoral tumor resection with immediate reconstruction using free tissue transfer and split-thickness skin grafts. Skin grafting the tongue component of combined hemiglossectomy and floor-of-mouth (FOM) defects rather than spanning the tongue-FOM junction with flap tissue may prevent excessive bulk, improve tongue mobility, and reduce the size requirement of the flap. A split-thickness skin graft can be applied to the intraoral surface of free flaps used to reconstruct through-and-through orocutaneous defects, reducing the complexity of flap design and inset. Maxillectomy defects reconstructed with muscle flaps can be epithelialized immediately with the application of a split-thickness skin graft to provide a stable obturator cavity. In select cases, the combination of split-thickness skin grafts and free tissue transfer may have advantages over the use of flap tissue alone to cover the adjacent areas of a complex defect capable of being grafted.
Comparison of Shuttle Imaging Radar-B ocean wave image spectra with linear model predictions based on aircraft measurements

During October 1984, coincident Shuttle Imaging Radar-B synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery and wave measurements from airborne instrumentation were acquired. The two-dimensional wave spectrum was measured by both a radar ocean-wave spectrometer and a surface-contour radar aboard the aircraft. In this paper, two-dimensional SAR image intensity variance spectra are compared with these independent measures of ocean wave spectra to verify previously proposed models of the relationship between such SAR image spectra and ocean wave spectra. The results illustrate both the functional relationship between SAR image spectra and ocean wave spectra and the limitations imposed on the imaging of short-wavelength, azimuth-traveling waves.
Swollen micellar models for solubilization

Abstract Two models are examined from a thermodynamic point of view when a single surfactant is the solubilizing agent. The solubilized system is assumed to contain either swollen micelles with a core of solubilized molecules or swollen-hydrated micelles having water both in the central core and in the large polar head groups. An equation is established for the free energy of the system which includes, in addition to the terms due to interfacial tension and to the chemical potentials of the components in the dispersed and continuous phases, the free energy due to the entropy of dispersion of the globules in the continuous phase. The minimum of the free energy with respect to the radius provides an equation for the radius. The domain of existence of thermodynamically stable solubilized systems is identified by deriving equations for its boundaries. One of them, the solubilization curve, is obtained from the equilibrium condition between the solubilized system and solubilized molecules, whereas the other boundary, the cloud (haze) point curve, is obtained from the equilibrium between the solubilized system and surfactant. The main conclusions are: (a) The entropy of dispersion of the globules in the continuous phase plays a major role in determining the solubilization curve, (b) the solubilization of water in oil by nonionic surfactants with polyoxyethylene head groups can be interpreted by the swollen-hydrated micelle model, and (c) for oil solubilized in water, a different model is needed. In this case, the molecules of oil can probably be found between the hydrocarbon chains of the amphiphiles.
An optimization model for labour limited scheduling under a round robin policy

Abstract A labour limited scheduling problem for a single server serving N machines under a round robin policy is studied here. The order in which the server visits the different machines is determined so as to maximize job flow rate. We investigate a class of policies termed as {Si; 0} policy. The existence of such a class of policy is shown.. The problem of minimization of average in-process inventory per unit of time or the minimization of mean flow times of jobs through the machines is formulated as a convex programming problem. Various theorems are proved which give us the optimal solution in a closed form. A sample problem is solved using the results developed.
TECHNOLOGY AND TESTING: STATE OF THE ART AND TRENDS FOR THE FUTURE

Until recently, computers and computer related technology have been used in testing primarily to provide large scale programs with cost effective scoring and reporting. However, the "microcomputer revolution" is beginning to have a significant impact on how technology is being employed in testing. The present paper reviews a number of existing applications where microcomputers have been successfully employed in the context of testing. Then, future trends in both technology and instruction are examined for possible impact upon testing. One of the hallmarks of the testing movement has been its long-standing involvement with technology. In the early educational literature, the multiple-choice item was referred to as the objective type item because its scoring involved no judgmental processes. It was natural that efforts were made to automate the scoring of these items. The results of this effort are the wide range of test processing systems based upon optical scanners and computers. For nearly two decades this test processing equipment was the primary technology employed within the context of testing. However, the development of the microcomputer has greatly expanded the actual and potential role of technology in the field of testing. This paper examines both the state of the art and trends for the future in the application of technology to testing.
China White epidemic: an eastern United States emergency department experience.

Study objective: The purpose of this study was to isolate significant clinical or demographic findings concerning overdose patients treated during a China White (3-methyl fentanyl) epidemic and compare them with data for all unintentional narcotic overdose patients during a 24-month period. Design: We reviewed charts from 85,246 patient visits to our emergency department during the 24-month period of January 1987 through December 1988 to study this narcotic epidemic. Data from the Allegheny County Coroner's Office pertaining to unintentional drug overdose deaths that occurred during this same period also were reviewed. Setting: The first outbreak of narcotic overdoses in the eastern United States involving China White occurred in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in 1988. Type of participants: Patients were included if they met the criteria of a suspected unintentional narcotic overdose, but excluded if they were not given naloxone. Interventions: Emergency physicians became suspicious of China White use after an unusual increase in narcotic overdoses presenting to the ED coupled with "routine drug of abuse" screens negative for opiates despite dramatic patient responses to naloxone. In most of the cases in which specific testing was done, there were positive indicators of fentanyl derivatives. Investigations found China White present in street drugs and paraphernalia. Measurements and main results: A cluster was defined as a time period with a statistically significant increase in overdoses over the expected number for an interval of equal length. Although there were no significant clinical differences in case presentation during the 24-month period, there was a statistically significant 13-fold increase in overdoses during the September through November 1988 cluster (mean, 13 vs 0.95 per month, P * A dramatic increase in unintentional drug overdose deaths occurred in the county during this cluster. A total of 18 fentanyl-positive unintentional drug overdose deaths, predominantly male (89%) and black (56%), with an age range of 19 to 44 years (mean, 34.9 years), were reported by the county coroner (13 during the cluster). Narcotic overdoses and unintentional drug overdose deaths declined sharply with confiscation of a clandestine China White laboratory.*These numbers were incorrectly reported as mean 12 versus 1.05 per month in a previously published abstract. Conclusions: China White was responsible for a dramatic rise in unintentional drug overdose deaths in Allegheny County in 1988. There were no significant clinical differences between China White overdose survivors and other unintentional narcotic overdose victims. Overdoses responsive to naloxone with inconsistent routine toxicologic screens may be due to a fentanyl analogue.
Deciding why and when to use CT in children: a radiologist’s perspective

Defining what is appropriate or inappropriate with respect to CT scanning is challenging. There are a variety of influences on scan utilization in children, some more widely recognized and acknowledged than others. It is important to understand the contribution of these elements as we move toward improved utilization. This must be through partnerships and shared efforts and accountability. These efforts include improved resources such as consensus appropriateness criteria and guidelines including decision rules and support. But there also need to be trench-based strategies on the part of practicing radiologists to model cooperative behavior rather than blame-centered behavior.
Moyamoya disease: functional and neurocognitive outcomes in the pediatric and adult populations

Object Moyamoya disease is an occlusive cerebrovascular disorder commonly resulting in neurocognitive impairment. The cognitive outcome parameters commonly affected are intelligence, memory, executive function, and quality of life. In this paper, the authors review the existing literature on cognitive and clinical outcomes in adult and pediatric moyamoya populations separately. Methods A systematic review of the cognitive and clinical outcome literature was performed using the PubMed/MEDLINE database. Outcomes data were contrasted between adult and pediatric populations. Results Intelligence is the main cognitive outcome parameter affected in pediatric patients with moyamoya disease, whereas adults most commonly suffer from executive function impairment. Memory has not been studied sufficiently in pediatric patients, and its dysfunction in the adult population remains controversial. Quality of life has not been studied appropriately in either population. Surgical revascularization is the only beneficial t...
Effects of additional workload on hand and tongue performance

Tongue Drive System (TDS) is an unobtrusive, wireless, and wearable device that allows for real time tracking of the tongue motion in the oral space for communication, control, and navigation applications. Utilizing the TDS, we were able to assess the use of tongue motion as a voluntary motor modality and its effect on the human performance in a realistic environment. Preliminary human trials were conducted on 13 able-bodied subjects to assess the speed and accuracy of rapid repetitive goal-directed movements during independent or concurrent use of hand (index finger) and the tongue. The accuracy of hand and tongue movements was decreased with the concurrent hand and tongue task compared with the independent movement task. The speed of hand movement was also decreased with the concurrent hand and tongue movements, but not with the concurrent hand and cognitive task (arithmetic and memory). In contrast, the speed of tongue movement was maintained with the concurrent hand and tongue movements. Instead, the tongue speed was decreased with the concurrent tongue and cognitive task. It was suggested that control via tongue movement with TDS would have the advantage of maintaining comparable speeds between independent and concurrent use over the hand movement control during the tasks that require rapid repetitive goal-directed movements.
Improvement of NIR Diffuse Optical Tomography in Patients with a Small Amount of Breast Tissue by Using a Two-Layer Finite-Element Model

In this paper, we have studied the improvement obtained by two-layer finite element based optical tomography in a group of patients who have a small amount of breast tissue.
Equivalent hydraulic conductivity of three-dimensional heterogeneous porous media: An upscaling study based on an experimental stratigraphy

Summary A critical issue facing large scale numerical simulation models is the estimation of representative hydraulic conductivity to account for the unresolved sub-grid-scale heterogeneity. In this study, two experiment-based hydraulic conductivity models offer a test case to evaluate this parameter. Each model contains a different heterogeneity pattern with connectivity characteristics that cannot be captured by univariate and bivariate statistics. A three-dimensional numerical upscaling method was developed to compute an equivalent conductivity full tensor for each model. The equivalent conductivities were compared to direct averages of local conductivities and to an effective conductivity predicted by several analytical methods. For each model, ln K variances up to 16 were evaluated. The impact of variance on both upscaled conductivity and three fluid flow connectivity factors was assessed. Results suggest: (1) the upscaling method gave reliable results comparable to an established method which only gives the diagonal components, (2) for both aquifer models, when ln K variances are low (less than 1.0), all analytical methods evaluated are nearly equally accurate; however, when variance becomes higher, the analytical methods of Desbarats, 1992 , Noetinger and Haas, 1996 were found to provide robust estimates of equivalent conductivities, despite possible violation of the multiGaussian assumption, (3) fluid flow characteristics in each model were significantly impacted by increasing variance, which can result in flow channeling in the lateral direction and increasing global anisotropy ratios of the equivalent conductivity, and (4) geometric connectivity, as analyzed by a percolation cluster analysis, indicates the importance of such features in focusing flow, in addition to the effects of high variance.
Zero sets of polynomials: one versus two variables

Mihai Caragiu was born in Ploiesti, Romania. He got his M.Sc. in 1988 from the University of Bucharest, and his Ph.D. in 1996 from Penn State University. He is interested in finite fields and their applications, linear recurrent sequences and their invariants, model theoretic algebra, and mathematics education. After his Ph.D. he held various positions with Washington State University, Stanford University’s Educational Program for Gifted Youth and Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, where he is currently an Assistant Professor of Mathematics.
Inhibition of P-Glycoprotein–Mediated Drug Transport A Unifying Mechanism to Explain the Interaction Between Digoxin and Quinidine

Background—Although quinidine is known to elevate plasma digoxin concentrations, the mechanism underlying this interaction is not fully understood. Digoxin is not extensively metabolized, but it is...
Odyssey: Negotiating the Subjectivity of Mulata Identity in Brazil

An anthropologist once suggested to a Brazilian colleague and friend that perhaps it was time that someone who was directly linked to indigenous peoples in Brazil have a place in the academy to teach about indigenous cultures. The person to whom that observation was directed responded, "If an Indian does anthropology, it is no longer anthropology." One of us, Angela Gilliam, was that anthropologist, and I have often thought about that exchange in attempting to situate myself intellectually in my writing. Perhaps the colleague meant to say, "If an Indian does anthropology, he or she is no longer an Indian." That formulation postulates explicitly that being "Indian" is partly a social construction, culturally determined. I confess to having immediately applied the comment to my own situation: If a black woman does anthropology, is it still anthropology? Is she still black? In the current debate in the social sciences about the relationship, if any, between intellectual production and personal experience, some of the most provocative writing is emerging in critical moments in which the writer's subject position strengthens analytical authority. There are many reasons for this shift in direction (Behar, 1994: B2):
Group contribution methods for coal-derived liquids: hydrogen solubilities using a UNIFAC approach

Abstract The solubility of hydrogen in a Wilsonville ITSL coal derived liquid was estimated using the UNIFAC group contribution method. Functional group concentrations estimated from analytical data were combined with literature values of group contribution parameters to provide reasonable estimates of hydrogen solubility. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the most significant structural features in determining hydrogen solubility were aromatic ring size, the length of alkyl substituents and the concentration of aromatic hydroxyl groups.
White Paper Prepared for The Secretary of Defense Task Force on DoD Nuclear Weapons Management: Tradeoffs and Paradoxes: Terrorism, Deterrence and Nuclear Weapons

This article was written at the request of the Secretary of Defense Task Force on DoD Nuclear Weapons Management. While this analysis suggests that certain types of terrorists can be deterred from certain types of attacks, it is less optimistic about the use of nuclear weapons in a terrorist deterrent strategy. A broad approach to deterrence may be effective against certain types of terrorist groups and attacks, making it crucially important to disaggregate the terrorist threat when setting policy. The article goes on to address two types of terrorist groups with a “global reach” that pose a serious threat to the United States: non-state actors driven by doctrines permitting catastrophic attacks and state-sponsored groups capable of carrying out catastrophic attacks. The analysis reveals a number of previously unappreciated tradeoffs and paradoxes associated with the deterrence of terrorists.
A CF-lectin factor in amniotic fluid from pregnancies at risk for cystic fibrosis

A method was developed for the assay of the CF-lectin factor in amniotic fluid using samples from fetuses identified by other means as having or not having cystic fibrosis (CF). The method involves protein removal from the amniotic fluid by filtration through Centricon-10 Amicon filters, admixture of filtrate with normal serum as a source of IgM, and incubation in 5% Dextran-Sulfate with mouse red blood cells to detect specific hemagglutination. Blind samples submitted from four different laboratories were used to evaluate the ability of the assay to differentiate CF fetuses from fetuses without CF. Storage of samples from one laboratory had been quite prolonged and was associated with poor correlations. Freezing and thawing of samples were shown to deactivate the CF-lectin factor. In three of the four studies, CF lectin was detected in 77% of pregnancies identified as CF at birth, prenatally through microvillar enzyme assay or through DNA analysis of terminated pregnancies. Eighty-three percent of samples identified as normal were confirmed as such by a lack of CF-lectin activity. These data suggest that CF fetuses produce, and are exposed to, the CF-lectin factor at least as early as the second trimester of gestation.
Determining the size distribution of core–shell spheres and other complex particles by laser diffraction

The goal of this work is to determine the size distribution of hollow glass spheres by laser diffraction, an experiment which involves measuring angle-dependent scattering of light from particles dispersed in a liquid. The proprietary software supplied with commercial instruments is not strictly applicable to our two-layer, glass-shell, hollow-core spheres because it requires that the particles have spatially homogeneous properties. We therefore developed Fortran code to compute the scattering from core-shell spherical particles. The results show that the scattering from representative hollow glass particles diverges from homogeneous sphere scattering when the radius decreases from 10 to 3 microm. Additionally, scattering measurements on two core-shell hollow glass powders were analyzed using the exact core-shell optical model and homogeneous sphere approximations. In both cases, the size distribution determined using the exact core-shell model differs from that determined using the homogeneous-sphere approximation when the distribution covers radii smaller than about 10 microm, as expected. The size distribution based on the exact core-shell optical model was determined using a new algorithm. Although the basic equations used in the algorithm have been published previously, they are developed here in a different form, which can be implemented using Fortran and MatLab routines available commercially and in the public domain. This algorithm could be used to determine the size distribution of other kinds of particles, such as cylindrical rods, as long as their angle-dependent scattering could be computed.
Shelter availability influences social behavior and habitat choice in crayfish, Orconectes virilis

Conspecific distribution across differing microhabitats may arise due to individual differences in resource requirements, vulnerability to predation, environmental tolerances, and as a direct result of social interaction. The aim of this study was to examine crayfish distributions across habitats with varying resource availability and to examine whether such distributions are correlated with dominance relationships among individuals. Agonistic interactions, habitat use, and shelter use were observed in mixed-sex populations of eight crayfish, Orconectes virilis. Populations were placed in a semi-natural, 4 × 4 m arena for 20 h that was split into shelter-poor (low), shelter-rich (high) and shelter-free (free) areas. The presence of shelter was associated with a significant increase in crayfish habitat use. Overall agonism also increased in habitats where shelter was present. Status specific differences in shelter and habitat use were observed and were dependent upon environmental context (e.g., day versus night). Lower ranking crayfish were found to occupy and defend shelter less frequently than dominant crayfish and low ranking crayfish were also found more often in shelter-poor habitat. These status-specific differences in behavior were only observed during the day when shelter-related behaviors were increased overall. Distinct shelter use strategies were also apparent between top-ranked (alpha) and bottom-ranked (omega) crayfish. Taken together, these results suggest that shelter use and habitat use are, in part, mediated by social status. Additionally, these results indicate that habitat selection may arise as a consequence of status-specific differences in resource use.
Renal artery aneurysm with peripheral embolization of kidney

This case demonstrates that a renal artery aneurysm may give rise to microemboli which pass peripherally to occlude branches of the renal arterial tree. These microemboli will result in segmental infarction of the renal parenchyma.
Background and target randomization and root mean square (RMS) background matching using a new deltaT metric definition

EO/IR/Laser detection of a target amidst clutter/background is a difficult problem often treated with simplistic models. Unlike noise, clutter is more complex, neither spectrally white nor statistically Gaussian. Therefore, it is insufficient to lump clutter with noise and use standard detection curves. Battelle has produced image randomization software called BATRAN (Background and Target Randomization) which computes various types of statistical distributions to randomize background and target pixels separately. The types of statistics implemented include exponential, Gaussian, log-normal, and Rice distributions for both the background and target. In an effort to identify a more robust and accurate (Delta) T metric definition for background and target matching, Battelle also developed a new (Delta) T metric definition and its equation using RMS pixel-based higher order statistics for the background and target signature pixel data in a scene image. This new (Delta) T metric provides a better estimate of true signature difference between the background/clutter and target, enabling more accurate matching of the background/clutter and target for use in sensor detection performance assessment.
Role of reactive oxygen species in proapoptotic ability of oncogenic H-Ras to increase human bladder cancer cell susceptibility to histone deacetylase inhibitor for caspase induction

Reveal mechanisms for the novel proapoptotic ability of oncogenic H-Ras to increase cell susceptibility to a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI) FR901228 for inducing caspase activation and selective apoptosis. Human urinary bladder cancer J82 and oncogenic H-Ras-expressing J82 cells were used to reveal differential induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), caspase activation, and apoptosis by HDACI FR901228. ROS levels and caspase-8, -9, and -3/7 activities were measured by flow cytometry and luminescence assays, respectively. Specific inhibitors were used to suppress caspases and ROS. Western blot analysis determined modulators of caspase pathways. ROS, caspase activity, and cell death was differentially increased by FR901228 in oncogenic H-Ras-expressing J82 versus parental cells. Blocking ROS resulted in reduced FR901228-induced cell death and caspase activation. Suppression of caspase-8 resulted in reduced FR901228-activated caspase-9 and -3/7. Suppression of caspase-9 resulted in reduced FR901228-activated caspase-3/7. Although FR901228 induced an ROS-dependent increase of FasL, FasL failed to induce caspase activation and cell death. Increased ROS played an important role in the activation of the extrinsic and intrinsic caspase pathways to cooperatively induce executioner caspase-3/7 through a novel FasL-independent pathway in FR901228-induced selective apoptosis of oncogenic H-Ras-expressing J82 versus parental cells.
The Politics of Regulation: Adolescent Mothers and the Social Context of Resiliency

Abstract: The experiences of adolescent mothers have too often been reduced to patterns of correlation linking teenage parenthood with low educational attainment, persistent poverty and continued welfare dependency. These analyses have reinforced representations of an “undeserving poor” and the tendency to “blame the victim” for her structural condition and her dependence on the state. Researchers in adolescent development have attempted to move beyond pathologizing frameworks by considering the “resiliency” of young mothers; yet their contributions have been limited by the tendency to reduce experience to the level of psychological coping mechanisms. In this article, I build upon more recent work as I explore the multifaceted ways in which resiliency can be interpreted. Drawing from the experiences of adolescent mothers within the care of the child welfare system, I illustrate empirically that resiliency is not an intrinsic, psychological characteristic but rather, shifts in relation to particular social contexts and policies.
Hierarchical neural architecture for visual pattern recognition and reconstruction

A hierarchical self-organizing neural network which can recognize and reconstruct the traces of the previously learned binary patterns is presented. The recognition and reconstruction properties of the network are invariant with respect to distortion, noise, translation, scaling and partial rotation of the original training patterns. If two or more patterns are presented simultaneously, the network pays attention to each pattern selectively. The network can incorporate new training patterns for recognition without loosing its previously learned information. We demonstrate the usefulness of the network in image recognition, reconstruction and segmentation with simulation results.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Salt Effects on the Conformational Stability of Small Peptides

Experimental and computational work has shown that the presence of ions in solution affects the conformations of proteins. The driving force behind the effect of ions on shifts in the conformational equilibria of proteins is not known. We believe that ions modulate a peptide’s hydration, thereby causing it to undergo a conformational shift. We have tested this hypothesis by performing molecular dynamics simulations on a peptide with the primary structure AEAAAEA in different salts at different concentrations to examine ion effects on the electrostatic repulsion between side chains, ion-side chain binding, as well as peptide hydration. These are three factors that may drive the shifts in peptides’ conformational equilibria as influenced by ions. Salts included in this study were NaCl and KCl at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 M. Simulation trajectories were analyzed with radial distribution functions, preferential interaction formalism, and various energy distributions. Free energy calculations for the entire conformational space of this peptide in each saline environment were calculated using metadynamics simulations.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Sorption of Lysozyme by HEMA Copolymer Hydrogels

Sorption of lysozyme by 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) copolymer hydrogels was studied as a function of pH and gel composition. Three types of HEMA gels were synthesized : neutral (HEMA), acidic (HEMA + acrylic acid), and basic (HEMA + dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate). Each gel was synthesized at four initial volume fractions to obtain different equilibrium swelling ratios and microstructures. Sorption as a function of time was measured for each gel at pH 7, 7.5, and 8. The rate of uptake by the acidic gels was more rapid than that by the neutral gels : To sorb 90% of the protein required only 1 h for the acidic gels but 15 days for neutral gels. Lysozyme did not adsorb or partition into the basic gels. The fractional approach to equilibrium was most rapid for the more swollen gels, and the effect of pH was small. The results reported here may be useful for rational design of new biomaterials where it is desirable to know the relative magnitude of the effects of composition, synthesis, and pH on protein sorption.