cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intracranial venous pressures under conscious sedation and general anesthesia

Introduction Venous outflow obstruction has been implicated in the pathophysiology of a subset of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), and venous sinus stenting (VSS) has emerged as an effective treatment. However, the effect of anesthesia on venous sinus pressure measurements is unpredictable. A more thorough understanding of the effect of the level of anesthesia on intracranial venous pressures might help to better define patients who might benefit most from stent placement. Objective To compare, in a retrospective cohort study, intracranial venous pressures measured under conscious (CS) sedation versus general anesthesia (GA) and to assess the relationship between anesthetic-dependent venous pressures and outcomes after VSS. Methods We performed a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database to identify patients undergoing angiographic evaluation and VSS for intracranial venous stenosis. Mean venous pressures (MVPs) and trans-stenosis pressure gradients obtained under CS were compared with those measured under GA. Results The maximal MVP was significantly lower under GA (19.8 mm Hg) than CS (21.9 mm Hg; p=0.029). The MVPs in the superior sagittal sinus, torcula, and transverse sinus were lower under GA, but were significantly higher in the sigmoid sinus and jugular bulb under GA (p Conclusions Intracranial venous pressures are markedly affected by GA. In order to obtain an accurate measurement of MVPs and trans-stenosis gradients, patients undergoing investigation for IIH should undergo cerebral angiography and venous manometry under CS, which provides more reliable data for outcomes after VSS.
New Chemistry in Functional Aliphatic Polyesters

Aliphatic polyesters are important biodegradable polymers with wide applications. Polyesters prepared by ring-opening polymerization often have a limited range of properties, because of the minimal functional diversity of available lactone monomers. In this review, synthetic strategies in preparing functional lactone monomers are highlighted, as well as recent controlled polymerization strategies to synthesize functional aliphatic polyesters, which include proton-transfer polymerization, ring opening polymerization of O-carboxyanhydrides, radical ring-opening polymerization of cyclic ketene acetals, and copolymerization of epoxide/anhydride.
Silicate Deposit Degradation of Engineered Coatings in Gas Turbines: Progress Toward Models and Materials Solutions

Modern gas turbines rely on ceramic coatings to protect structural components along the hot gas path. These coatings are susceptible to accelerated degradation caused by silicate deposits formed when ingested environmental debris (dust, sand, ash) adheres to the coatings. This article reviews the current understanding of the deposit-induced failure mechanisms for zirconia-based thermal barrier coatings and silicate environmental barrier coatings. Details of the debris melting and crystallization behavior, the nature of the chemical reactions occurring between the deposits and coatings, and the implications for the thermocyclic durability of the coatings are described. Given the challenges posed in understanding how prospective coating materials and architectures will respond to a broad range of deposit compositions, it is proposed to develop an integrated framework linking thermochemical and thermomechanical models to predict coating durability. Initial progress toward developing this framework, and the r...
High-Q resonator with integrated capacitance for resonant power conversion

Resonant power conversion at MHz frequencies is useful for miniaturization of power electronics, but requires resonators or inductors with high efficiency. Because litz wire is not effective above several MHz, an alternative winding structure for inductors is required for operation at these frequencies. In this paper, we present resonators with a multi-layer foil winding which can be constructed using industry-standard polyimide laminates. The proximity effect losses are reduced due to current sharing between multiple conductor layers much thinner than a skin depth. The integrated capacitance of the resonator eliminates the need for a physical connection between the inductor and the capacitor required in a typical LC resonant tank. Low-loss NiZn ferrite cores were used to straighten field lines to reduce lateral current crowding. Prototypes of both parallel and series resonators achieved quality factors over 800 in the 7–9 MHz range, confirming the theoretical analysis of multi-layer foil windings.
Dissociating Attention and Eye Movements in a Quantitative Analysis of Attention Allocation

In a recent paper, we introduced a method and equation for inferring the allocation of attention on a continuous scale. The size of the stimuli, the estimated size of the fovea, and the pattern of results implied that the subjects’ responses reflected shifts in covert attention rather than shifts in eye movements. This report describes an experiment which tests this implication. We measured eye movements. The monitor briefly displayed (e.g., 130 msec) two small stimuli (≈ 1.0o x 1.2o), situated one atop another. When the stimuli were close together, as in the previous study, fixations that supported correct responses at one stimulus also supported correct responses at the other stimulus, as measured over the entire session. Yet, on any particular trial, correct responses were limited to just one stimulus. This pattern suggests that the constraints on responding within a trial were due to limits on cognitive processing, whereas the ability to respond correctly to either stimulus on different trials must have entailed shifts in attention (that were not accompanied by eye movements). In contrast, when the stimuli were far apart, fixations that had a high probability of supporting correct responses at one stimulus had a low probability of supporting correct responses at the other stimulus. Thus, conditions could be arranged so that correct responses depended on eye movements, whereas in the “standard” procedure, correct responses were independent of eye movements. The results dissociate covert and overt attention and support the claim that our procedure measures covert attention.
Controlled Isotropic and Anisotropic Shell Growth in β-NaLnF4 Nanocrystals Induced by Precursor Injection Rate

Precise morphology and composition control is vital for designing multifunctional lanthanide-doped core/shell nanocrystals. Herein, we report controlled isotropic and anisotropic shell growth techniques in hexagonal sodium rare-earth tetrafluoride (β-NaLnF4) nanocrystals by exploiting the kinetics of the shell growth. A drastic change of the shell morphology was observed by changing the injection rate of the shell precursors while keeping all other reaction conditions constant. We obtained isotropic shell growth for fast sequential injection and a preferred growth of the shell layers along the crystal’s c-axis [001] for slow dropwise injection. Using this slow shell growth technique, we have grown rod-like shells around different almost spherical core nanocrystals. Bright and efficient upconversion was measured for both isotropic and rod-like shells around β-NaYF4 nanocrystals doped with Yb3+/Er3+ and Yb3+/Tm3+. Photoluminescence upconversion quantum yield and lifetime measurements reveal the high quality...
A dual-element VNA electronic calibration in CMOS

This paper presents a dual-element direct on-wafer VNA calibration algorithm using calibration standards fabricated in 65-nm CMOS technology. To solve for the seven unknowns in the two-port error models, the proposed algorithm utilizes a thru and a n structure where the later consists of three NMOS transistors whose impedances can be modulated independently through the corresponding gate bias. The algorithm is validated against on-wafer TRL with experimental results from 1 to 67 GHz. By minimizing the number of probe landings and calibration standards using CMOS technology, the presented approach shows potential for more accurate measurements at nanoscale transistor structures.
von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) Protein

The von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) protein is a tumor suppressor. Mutations in the VHL protein can give rise to tumors of multiple organ systems, including the central nervous system, the endocrine system, and the kidney. The VHL protein functions as a subunit of a multiprotein ubiquitin ligase that negatively regulates expression of a large collection of hypoxia-inducible genes controlled by hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs). The VHL ubiquitin ligase prevents inappropriate expression of these hypoxia-inducible genes when cells are grown in a plentiful supply of oxygen by targeting HIFs for rapid ubiquitylation and degradation by the proteasome.
Holography of Infrasound as Observed from Natural and Artificial Sources

Atmospheric geoacoustics has developed in the last four years to such an extent that many long-range signals have been identified and related to different sources. Also, several propagation characteristics have been determined. However, in view of the numerous sources, the background noise, and the propagation paths, with the complexity of two temperature channels and three wind currents, it is still far from being a field of applied science under present techniques. In order to be able to utilize the observations presently obtained by the geoacoustics stations, it is necessary to analyze the data by methods such as have been developed for holography. The phasing of a dynamic generator signal with respect to a monitored signal can give an interference pattern which is recognizable. It is of interest to apply these techniques in order to support and advance the present status of the infrasonic art.
Study of Government it Procurement Processes and Free Software

The advent and increasing use of free enterprise software presents new challenges and complexities in obtaining optimal governmental IT acquisitions. In this study, we consider the implications of pricing thresholds on government procurement processes in light of free software availability. We measure the prevalence of pricing thresholds in government procurement guidelines, understand how such pricing thresholds are calculated, and determine if IT managers avail themselves of the pricing threshold exemptions to acquire free software.
Risk-Sensitive Dynamic Market Share Attraction Games: An Extended Abstract

We present partial results showing that risk-sensitive oligopolists would spend less on advertising than would their risk-neutral counterparts. The model is an infinite-horizon stochastic game in which, at the beginning of each time period, the level of each firm’s “goodwill” is a random function of its own current and past advertising expenditures, as well as the current and past advertising expenditures of each of its competitors. The profit generated by each firm depends on its own level of goodwill and current advertising and on the goodwill levels and current advertising of each of its competitors. We assume that single-period firm profits have a market share attraction form. The objective of each firm is to maximize the expected utility of the sum of discounted profits generated over an infinite horizon. The utility function we employ allows us to model explicitly the risk sensitivity of the streams of random rewards accruing to each firm. We analyze the impact that risk sensitivity and other parameters have on equilibrium advertising strategies by exploiting the special structure of the stochastic game model.
Cyclical Treatment of Colorectal Tumor Spheroids Induces Resistance to MEK Inhibitors

Adaptive drug resistance is a major obstacle to successful treatment of colorectal cancers. Physiologic tumor models of drug resistance are crucial to understand mechanisms of treatment failure and improve therapy by developing new therapeutics and treatment strategies. Using our aqueous two-phase system microtechnology, we developed colorectal tumor spheroids and periodically treated them with sub-lethal concentrations of three Mitogen Activated Kinase inhibitors (MEKi) used in clinical trials. We used long-term, periodic treatment and recovery of spheroids to mimic cycles of clinical chemotherapy and implemented a growth rate metric to quantitatively assess efficacy of the MEKi during treatment. Our results showed that efficacy of the MEKi significantly reduced with increased treatment cycles. Using a comprehensive molecular analysis, we established that resistance of colorectal tumor spheroids to the MEKi developed through activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. We also showed that other potential feedback mechanisms, such as STAT3 activation or amplified B-RAF, did not account for resistance to the MEKi. We combined each of the three MEKi with a PI3K/mTOR inhibitor and showed that the combination treatments synergistically blocked resistance to the MEKi. Importantly, and unlike the individual inhibitors, we demonstrated that synergistic concentrations of combinations of MEK and PI3K/mTOR inhibitors effectively inhibited growth of colorectal tumor spheroids in long-term treatments. This proof-of-concept study to model treatment-induced drug resistance of cancer cells using 3D cultures offers a unique approach to identify underlying molecular mechanisms and develop effective treatments.
Etiology of teacher knowledge and instructional skills for literacy at the upper elementary grades

The purpose of this research was to study the etiology of teacher knowledge about and factors that influence implementation of evidence-based reading and writing interventions at the upper elementary grade levels. Five data sources are used in this study: first, we used teacher surveys about their pre-service preparation on reading comprehension and literacy practices gathered during a recent cluster randomized control trial on a reading comprehension intervention conducted with 280 fourth and fifth-grade teachers and their classroom students. We also conducted focus group interviews with 43% of the teachers and observed 90% of the teachers once during the implementation years. For writing, we used data collected from 32 teachers during a 3-year design project for a teacher-led computer-supported writing intervention. We also collected data from groups of school administrators using structured interviews during both studies. Finally, we conducted an artifact review of school curricula and posted professional development (PD) plans. Our results show that in both reading comprehension and writing, all teachers reported not receiving sound evidence-based pre-service preparation and they were not currently employing any evidence-based approaches. Most teachers reported using the basal reading series with very little variation from the lesson scope and sequence. Teachers and administrators frequently reported that skills were being taught in isolation (e.g., skill of the week is summarizing) and that writing was neglected. The interviews showed very interesting patterns of curricula decision-making by school administrators and these findings were further confirmed through the artifact reviews. Based on these results, we recommend that any review of teacher practices focus also on administrator decision-making and school level factors that are driving what happens in the classrooms. The review showed that the teachers themselves do not feel empowered to learn and deliver evidence-based literacy practices and feel constrained by the system.
Maternal Vibrational Signals Reduce the Risk of Attracting Eavesdropping Predators

Unintended receivers can be an important source of selection on social signals. Vibrational social signals are produced by diverse taxa, but most work on eavesdropping on social communication has focused on airborne signals. Few studies have examined whether predators and parasitoids exploit vibrational social signals, and whether vibrational communication systems have features to reduce apparency to unintended receivers. For a subsocial insect species (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Platycotis vittata), we first used a field playback experiment to show that offspring vibrational signals evoke maternal defense, and that maternal signals can inhibit offspring signaling. We next evaluated two potential benefits of inhibiting offspring signaling. We tested whether such inhibition increases the accuracy of offspring signals, as it does in a closely related species. We also tested whether by inhibiting offspring signals, mothers reduce the risk of attracting eavesdropping predators. Using playback experiments, we found that a vibrationally-sensitive predator attends to offspring but not maternal signals. In contrast, we found no evidence that inhibition increases the accuracy of offspring signals. Because predator eavesdropping is a likely cost of social communication for vibrationally signaling animals, we suggest that mechanisms to reduce apparency of such social signals may be common.
Theorizing Network Bias and Teaching Mêtic Invention in Online Search

Abstract Accusations about political bias in search engines, especially in Google search, are commonplace. Those accusations tend to miss the bigger picture, failing to define and provide a nuanced critique of bias in search engines. This essay theorizes “network bias” as fluid and multi-layered, drawing attention to the dynamics of technological power in search spaces. I define a few types of network bias that can help students understand how search engines shape knowledge and political awareness. With various forms of bias circulating constantly in digital networks, scholars of rhetoric and composition can help students account for network bias by cultivating what this essay characterizes as a nimble rhetoric based on metic invention.
Magnetostrictive Emat Efficiency as a Materials Characterization Tool

Electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) are ideal for on-line inspection of hot metal sheets, because they provide a noncontacting means for generating and detecting ultrasound in metals. EMATs are especially attractive for probing steels and magnetic alloys, because their transduction efficiency is larger than in nonferromagnetic materials. The source of the enhanced efficiency is magnetostriction, the change of length of a ferromagnetic material that accompanies magnetization.
Surgical repair of coronary artery ostial stenosis in patients with Williams and elastin arteriopathy syndromes

Abstract Objective Patients with Williams and elastin arteriopathy syndromes often have similar cardiac phenotypes characterized by supravalvar aortic stenosis (SVAS), peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis (PPAS), and coronary artery ostial stenosis (CAOS). SVAS and/or PPAS result in a marked increase in myocardial oxygen demand, whereas CAOS may limit myocardial oxygen supply. This combination predisposes to myocardial ischemic events and sudden cardiac arrest. The purpose of this study was to review our experience with the surgical repair of CAOS in patients with Williams and elastin arteriopathy syndromes. Methods This was a retrospective review of 16 patients with Williams (n = 11) or elastin arteriopathy (n = 5) who underwent surgical repair of CAOS as a concomitant procedure with SVAS and/or PPAS repair. Eleven patients had moderate or severe SVAS, and 10 had PPAS. The median age at surgery was 9 months (range, 3-108 months). Results Seven patients had repair of the left main and right coronary ostia, 6 the left main, and 3 the right coronary ostium. Median duration of aortic crossclamp was 56 minutes and cardiopulmonary bypass time was 454 minutes. The median SVAS gradient decreased from 70 to 12 mm Hg and pulmonary artery pressure decreased from 120 to 30 mm Hg. There was 1 operative mortality (6%). The remaining 15 patients were discharged from the hospital and are alive at a median of 17 months' follow-up. Conclusions The data demonstrate that patients with Williams and elastin arteriopathy syndromes presenting with SVAS and/or PPAS plus CAOS can undergo successful repair of all hemodynamic issues simultaneously.
Disparities in diagnosis of cerebral amyloid angiopathy based on hospital characteristics.

Abstract Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) categorized as a cerebral small vessel disease can cause lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and ischemic stroke (IS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in the diagnosis of CAA based on hospital characteristics and to assess the discharge outcomes of patients with CAA admitted for IS, ICH and SAH. Adult patients admitted with secondary diagnosis of CAA were identified in National Inpatient Sample in 2016 and 2017. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate outcomes. A total of 16,040 patients had a secondary diagnosis of CAA. Among CAA patients, 1810 (11.3%) patients were admitted for IS, 4765 (29.7%) for ICH and 490 (3.1%) for SAH. Diagnosis of CAA was five-fold higher among patients admitted to urban teaching hospitals (aOR = 5.4;95% CI = 4.1–7.2) compared to rural hospitals and two-fold higher in large bed size hospitals (aOR = 2.3;95% CI = 2.0–2.7) compared to small bed size hospitals. Compared to non-CAA group, patients with history of CAA had lower odds of in-hospital mortality among patients admitted for ICH (10% vs 23%, aOR = 0.35; 95%CI = 0.27–0.44) and SAH (6% vs 19%, aOR = 0.24; 95%CI = 0.10–0.55); and higher odds of discharge to home among patients admitted for ICH (17% vs 18%, aOR = 1.27; 95%CI = 1.05–1.53). CAA diagnosis is less common in rural and small bed size hospitals compared to urban and large bedside hospitals, respectively. Patients with CAA admitted for ICH have better discharge outcomes compared to non-CAA patients admitted for ICH.
Neuroendoscopic treatment of symptomatic cyst of the septum pellucidum in children: A case series.

Abstract Background Symptomatic cysts of the septum pellucidum (CSP) are extremely rare in children and surgical indications are not well defined. A very careful clinical and neuroradiologic evaluation is necessary to consider a patient for surgical indication. Methods We present a surgical series of 7 pediatric patients. Clinical and radiological features of the patients, including clinical presentation, previous treatment, pre, and post-operative MRI, immediate postoperative, neuropsychiatric assessment, and outcomes were reviewed. Results There were 5 males and 2 females (mean age 8 yrs). Five patients presented a history of severe intermittent headaches, two of them were admitted with acute symptoms of raised intracranial pressure. One patient presented Epilepsy and ADHD and one patient had severe psychosis. Overall, psychiatric disorders were diagnosed in six patients, three patients had Intellectual Disability (ID). In all cases, the cyst presented a ballooning feature, with a mean volume of 18,36 cm3 (range 10,62–28,5) and significant lateral bulging of both layers. All were operated on endoscopically without complications. After surgery, a very significant decrease in cyst volume was observed (mean volume 5,68 cm3; range 3,18–10,1) with complete disappearance of the ballooning aspect. Headaches resolved in all patients. In two patients operated in emergency papilloedema and vision improved in the first week after surgery. No recurrence of the cysts was noted during follow-up in all patients. Conclusions CSP may be associated with behavioral or psychiatric problems also in children. Neuroendoscopic surgery is a safe and effective therapeutic modality to treat CSP presenting with symptoms and signs of intracranial hypertension with good clinical results.
Behavioral complexities at high elevation: assessing prehistoric landscape use in the alpine regions of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Alpine landscapes capture our imaginations. Envisioning these forbidding regions occupied by humans in prehistory has drawn academic and public audiences alike. The history of these alpine regions is being rewritten the world over, due in part to recent archaeological discoveries made in the alpine regions of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). These discoveries, some in the wilderness areas of Montana, have revealed a complex tapestry of prehistoric lifeways. Archaeological and paleobiological research in Montana’s GYE alpine regions by Dr. Craig Lee (INSTAAR/ PCRG), Dr. Rachel Reckin (USFS) and Scott Dersam (PCRG) have spearheaded these continued multi-disciplinary studies in the region. Their efforts have focused on the climatological, ecological, as well as cultural impacts of ice patch use and alpine habitation on patterns of prehistoric occupation in the region. The UW-NPS Research Station Small Grant funded archaeological research and reconnaissance of the alpine regions of Montana’s Beartooth wilderness during the summer 2019. The 2019-field season’s discoveries added significant knowledge to regional research in high elevation studies, documenting the highest known stone circles, ceramics, and Paleoindian hunting activities in Montana. Featured photo from figure 4 in report.
Evaluation of an automated immunodiagnostic assay, VIDAS Rotavirus, for detection of rotavirus in fecal specimens.

Four hundred sixty-four fecal specimens were tested for rotavirus by three immunoassays, VIDAS Rotavirus (bioMerieux Vitek, Hazelwood, Mo.), Rotaclone (Cambridge Biotech Corporation, Worcester, Mass.), and Pathfinder Rotavirus (Sansfi Diagnostics Pasteur, Chaska, Minn.). Twenty-seven discordant specimens were evaluated by electron microscopy. The sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values were 98, 99.3, 98.7, and 99%, respectively, for VIDAS Rotavirus; 100, 99, 98.1, and 100%, respectively, for Rotaclone; and 100, 92.4, 87.3, and 100%, respectively for Pathfinder Rotavirus.
Modeling of lithium ion cells: A simple equivalent-circuit model approach

Abstract We present an equivalent-circuit-based battery model, capable of simulating charge and discharge behavior of lithium-ion batteries (LiB). The model, although simple in concept, can simulate complex discharge behavior with high fidelity, as validated by experimental results.
Increase in background stratospheric aerosol observed with lidar at Mauna Loa Observatory and Boulder, Colorado

[1] The stratospheric aerosol layer has been monitored with lidars at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii and Boulder in Colorado since 1975 and 2000, respectively. Following the Pinatubo volcanic eruption in June 1991, the global stratosphere has not been perturbed by a major volcanic eruption providing an unprecedented opportunity to study the background aerosol. Since about 2000, an increase of 4–7% per year in the aerosol backscatter in the altitude range 20–30 km has been detected at both Mauna Loa and Boulder. This increase is superimposed on a seasonal cycle with a winter maximum that is modulated by the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in tropical winds. Of the three major causes for a stratospheric aerosol increase: volcanic emissions to the stratosphere, increased tropical upwelling, and an increase in anthropogenic sulfur gas emissions in the troposphere, it appears that a large increase in coal burning since 2002, mainly in China, is the likely source of sulfur dioxide that ultimately ends up as the sulfate aerosol responsible for the increased backscatter from the stratospheric aerosol layer. The results are consistent with 0.6–0.8% of tropospheric sulfur entering the stratosphere.
Least-squares estimation of linear systems in the presence of noise

This paper addresses the problem of fitting digital input/output models to data generated by linear systems in the presence of white process and sensor noise. The systems of interest have state-space realizations in Hilbert spaces. Both finite-dimensional and infinite-dimensional input/output models are considered. The main results characterize the asymptotic values to which least-squares parameter estimates converge with increasing amounts of data. >
Fourier Analysis in Convex Geometry

Introduction Basic concepts Volume and the Fourier transform Intersection bodies The Busemann-Petty problem Intersection bodies and $L_p$-spaces Extremal sections of $\ell_q$-balls Projections and the Fourier transform Bibliography Index.
Study of melting and freezing processes of water for application to ice thermal energy storage system

PAPER III. MELTING OF UNFIXED ICE IN A HORIZONTAL RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE 67 ABSTRACT 68 N O M E N C L A T U R E . . . ; 6 9 INTRODUCTION 72 EXPERIMENT .75 ANALYSIS 78 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 86
α ≃ π / 2 from supersymmetric spontaneous flavor breaking

We propose a flavor model where both CP and flavor symmetries are broken at the supersymmetric level. The model is an effective SU(5) theory based on a U(2) horizontal symmetry. The minimum of the supersymmetric scalar potential can be exactly solved to yield a realistic pattern of charged fermion masses. The Higgs sector contains a symmetric, an antisymmetric and two vector fields, plus their U(2) conjugates. These Higgs fields are the only fields strictly required to break the flavor and CP symmetries and generate masses for all charged fermions including the up-quark. The model predicts the existence of an absolute minimum in the space of CP-phases. The value {alpha}{approx_equal}{pi}/2 is predicted in a particular limit of the parameter space of the model.
Intestinal multiplication of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in athymic nude gnotobiotic mice.

In this study gnotobiotic mice were inoculated with a human isolate of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (strain Linda; ATCC 43015) in an attempt to investigate the pathogenesis of intestinal paratuberculosis. Mycobacterium paratuberculosis-monoassociated nu/+ mice developed a persistent low-level intestinal infection but did not support progressive bacillary multiplication. In contrast, monoassociated nu/nu mice eventually harbored approximately 10(7) M. paratuberculosis per g of intestinal tissue. Acid-fast bacilli and granulomas were observed in the intestinal mucosa and livers of nu/nu but not nu/+ mice. Similar results were obtained after intragastric inoculation of M. paratuberculosis into nu/+ and nu/nu flora-defined mice. These observations suggest that the presence of an intact cellular immune system is important for limiting intestinal multiplication of M. paratuberculosis. The results of this study may be relevant to our understanding of the pathogenesis of Johne's disease in ruminants and of human inflammatory bowel diseases that have a mycobacterial etiology (e.g., some cases of Crohn's disease and Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare enteritis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
Modulation of Calcium Current in Arteriolar Smooth Muscle by αvβ3 and α5β1 Integrin Ligands

Vasoactive effects of soluble matrix proteins and integrin-binding peptides on arterioles are mediated by αvβ3 and α5β1 integrins. To examine the underlying mechanisms, we measured L-type Ca2+ channel current in arteriolar smooth muscle cells in response to integrin ligands. Whole-cell, inward Ba2+ currents were inhibited after application of soluble cyclic RGD peptide, vitronectin (VN), fibronectin (FN), either of two anti–β3 integrin antibodies, or monovalent β3 antibody. With VN or β3 antibody coated onto microbeads and presented as an insoluble ligand, current was also inhibited. In contrast, beads coated with FN or α5 antibody produced significant enhancement of current after bead attachment. Soluble α5 antibody had no effect on current but blocked the increase in current evoked by FN-coated beads and enhanced current when applied in combination with an appropriate IgG. The data suggest that αvβ3 and α5β1 integrins are differentially linked through intracellular signaling pathways to the L-type Ca2+ channel and thereby alter control of Ca2+ influx in vascular smooth muscle. This would account for the vasoactive effects of integrin ligands on arterioles and provide a potential mechanism for wound recognition during tissue injury.
Piezoelectricity under Hydrostatic Pressure

Phillips's theory of ionicity is used to estimate the piezoelectric coefficient under hydrostatic pressure of several semiconductors with a zinc-blende structure. It is found that this new effect is comparable in magnitude to the usual piezoelectric effect.
Use of Artificial Roost Structures by Bats at the Indianapolis International Airport

From 1992–1996, 3204 artificial roosts of 9 types were placed in woodlots near Indianapolis International Airport in an effort to provide habitat for the federally-endangered Indiana myotis (Myotis sodalis) and to determine the feasibility of using these structures to manage bats in a rapidly developing suburban area. We surveyed these structures at least annually during 1992–1999 and found only northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) regularly using the structures. Four other species were occasionally found using structures including big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus, n = 14 individuals), little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus, n = 2), Indiana myotis (Myotis sodalis, n = 2), and one silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans). Single, triple, and Missouri-style batboxes were almost always used, rather than the six other types of experimental roosts that had been in place. However, after 10 years in place, it appears that Indiana bats are acclimated to boxes, as 6 of them were being used rather regularly by Indiana myotis. Bat boxes can provide roosting habitat for some species under conditions where few suitable roosts exist, but assuring an abundance of natural habitats is usually more desirable for conservation of tree-roosting bats.
Reactive Air Brazing: A Novel Method of Sealing SOFCs and Other Solid-State Electrochemical Devices

High-temperature electrochemical devices operate via an ion gradient that develops across a solid electrolyte. Consequently, hermeticity across this membrane is paramount. Not only must the electrolyte contain no interconnected porosity, but it must be connected to device chassis with a gas-tight seal. Here we report a new method of brazing developed specifically for solid-state electrochemical applications. We demonstrate that the seal is hermetic and resistant to thermal aging, can be thermally cycled under rapid heating rates with no measurable loss in seal strength, and has shown promise in sealing full-size planar solid oxide fuel cell ~pSOFC! components.
Evaluating the Impact of the 65 mph Maximum Speed Limit on Iowa Rural Interstates

Abstract In response to a change in federal policy, the state of Iowa raised the maximum speed limit on its rural interstate highway system to 65 miles per hour (mph). Higher speeds are generally thought to produce economic benefits, largely due to reductions in travel time. However, higher speeds are also associated with increased accident risk. Our study examines whether a significant change in fatal and major-injury accident rates can be detected following the implementation of the higher speed limit. Our analysis attributes a 20% increase in the number of state-wide fatal accidents to the speed limit change. The impact is largest on rural interstates where the number of fatal accidents increased by 57%, implying two additional fatal accidents each quarter. Our analysis fails to find an impact on the number of major-injury accidents.
Cloned seventeen-nucleotide-long synthetic lactose operator is biologically active.

Abstract A 17-nucleotide-long synthetic DNA molecule constituting the minimal recognition sequence of the lactose operator has been cloned in E. coli using the vehicle pBR313 and a synthetic HindIII adaptor. The clones containing the lac-pBR313 hybrid DNA constitutively produced β-galactosidase. The level of β-galactosidase was high and comparable to that obtained in cells carrying a 21-nucleotide-long synthetic lac operator on pMB9 plasmid or cells carrying a natural lac operator on pOP203-1 plasmid.
A modified time reversal method for Lamb wave based diagnostics of composite structures

Abstract This experimental study presents Lamb wave based diagnostics of damage in a composite plate using time reversal of signals for baseline-free damage detection. A modified time reversal method (MTRM) is developed which requires only one transducer to actuate signals and the other transducer acts as a sensor for any signal path. An 8-layer symmetric cross-ply carbon-epoxy composite plate is fabricated and four PZT actuators/sensors are surface bonded at the corners of the plate. A 20 kHz, 9.5 cycle tone burst signal is used to generate fundamental asymmetric Lamb waves with high signal-to-noise ratio and low dispersion. Theoretical analysis and experimental measurements show that conventional time reversal method (TRM) and the MTRM yield identical signals at the end of time reversal. The composite plate is impacted incrementally with a steel ball to cause three levels of damage and MTRM is applied for prediction of damage severity. Results show that magnitudes of the two damage indices used are directly correlated to the severity of damage along any signal path. The development of MTRM paves the way for implementing time reversal of signals using a single actuator and multiple sensors, including non-contact sensor such as a laser vibrometer.
The in vitro generation of antigen-binding cells.

To analyze early events following the contact of antigen with specific receptor-bearing cells, antigen-binding cells (ABC) specific for sheep erythrocytes (SRC) were generated in a primary Mishell-Dutton culture system. The maximal frequency of ABC (a five-fold increase over Day 0 involving both T and B cells) occurred on Day 4 in culture conditions which yielded optimal numbers of plaque-forming cells (PFC) specific for SRC 1 day later. Assessment of the total Ig-secreting cells as well as ABC and PFC for ox and burro erythrocytes showed that the ABC as well as the PFC response to SRC was antigen specific. By autoradiography of [3H]thymidine-pulsed cultures and by inhibiting cell division with hydroxyurea, the continuous contribution of cell division to the generation of ABC was demonstrated. As with PFC, the decline in ABC numbers began at the point where their generation by cell division slowed. After removal of hydroxyurea, ABC frequency and thymidine incorporation recovered substantially, but PFC did not. However, division of ABC was not the only process involved in ABC generation. Indeed, 20% of the Day 4 ABC arose from cells dividing in the first 24 hr of culture which were not detectable as ABC at that time, i.e., some ABC were derived from dividing non-ABC. Thus both cell division and maturation contributed to the increase in specific ABC seen after primary in vitro immunization. Both processes can be added to the list of early antigen-stimulated events in specific ABC which can be analyzed in the primary culture system in future studies of cell interactions.
An Analysis of a Stochastic Urban Propagation Model Using Ray Tracing Generated Results

A stochastic urban electromagnetic propagation model for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) paths was critically examined by comparing model behavior to ray tracing simulations in four city environments. We focus on the quality of model/data fit and the ability to a priori set model parameters based on city geometry and building materials. The stochastic model was found to fit simulated data well in typical cities. However, relating model parameters to city geometry metrics met with limited success. This is most likely due to the difficulty in characterizing city geometry, and the underlying physics of the model. The complex process of electromagnetic propagation is modeled as a simple one-dimensional random work, leading to diffusion-like behavior. The model does possess utility in its ability to provide easily computed estimates of urban propagation path losses and is an improvement over other empirical models.
Bloodstream infections increased after delayed sternal closure: cause or coincidence.

Background Infants who undergo major cardiac operations are at risk for developing bloodstream infections which contribute to the morbidity, mortality, and cost of treatment. Determining what factors are associated with this increased risk of infection may aid in prevention. We sought to evaluate the practice of delayed sternal closure after neonatal cardiac surgery to determine its role as a risk factor for postoperative bloodstream infection. Methods We reviewed 110 consecutive patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after stage 1 Norwood procedure at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. The rates of bloodstream infections were determined and risks analyzed with regard to postoperative status of sternal closure; primary versus delayed. Results Delayed sternal closure was utilized in 67 of 110 patients (61%), while 43 patients had primary sternal closure in the operating room. Overall rate of bloodstream infection was 22% (24 of 110), with 83% (20 of 24) of infections occurring in the delayed closure group. Among infants with delayed closure, 30% developed bloodstream infection, as compared with 9% of patients with primary closure (p = 0.017). Patients with delayed closure had a fourfold increased risk (odds ratio 3.9, p = 0.03) of developing bloodstream infection in-hospital. Predominant organisms were coagulase negative Staphylococcus species; there was one case of mediastinitis. Conclusions Delayed sternal closure is associated with an increased likelihood of bloodstream infection and should be recognized as a risk factor after neonatal cardiac operations.
Anatomic correlates of acoustic rhinometry as measured by rigid nasal endoscopy

Abstract Acoustic rhinometry (AR) evaluates the cross-sectional areas and volume of the nasal cavity through acoustic reflections. Successive valleys displayed on an AR graph are believed to correspond to anatomic landmarks. To assess the anatomic accuracy of AR, we performed AR and endoscopic measurements with a rigid endoscope in 85 normal human subjects after topical decongestion. Endoscopic measurements were recorded for distances between the midcolumella and the nasal valve, the anterior end of the inferior turbinate, the anterior end of the middle turbinate, the midportion of the middle turbinate, and the posterior nasopharynx. The first AR valley most closely corresponded with endoscopic measurements of the nasal valve. The second valley had a mean value that corresponded with the anterior end of the inferior turbinate. The third valley matched best with the values of the anterior end of the middle turbinate. Nasopharyngeal measurements by each modality yielded a good agreement. AR appears to correspond to nasal anatomic landmarks but not in an exact point-to-point manner. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1999;121:572-6.)
Designing an Online Civic Engagement Platform: Balancing More vs. Better Participation in Complex Public Policymaking

A new form of online citizen participation in government decisionmaking has arisen in the United States (U.S.) under the Obama Administration. "Civic Participation 2.0" attempts to use Web 2.0 information and communication technologies to enable wider civic participation in government policymaking, based on three pillars of open government: transparency, participation, and collaboration. Thus far, the Administration has modeled Civic Participation 2.0 almost exclusively on a universalist/populist Web 2.0 philosophy of participation. In this model, content is created by users, who are enabled to shape the discussion and assess the value of contributions with little information or guidance from government decisionmakers. The authors suggest that this model often produces "participation" unsatisfactory to both government and citizens. The authors propose instead a model of Civic Participation 2.0 rooted in the theory and practice of democratic deliberation. In this model, the goal of civic participation is to reveal the conclusions people reach when they are informed about the issues and have the opportunity and motivation seriously to discuss them. Accordingly, the task of civic participation design is to provide the factual and policy information and the kinds of participation mechanisms that support and encourage this sort of participatory output. Based on the authors' experience with Regulation Room, an experimental online platform for broadening effective civic participation in rulemaking (the process federal agencies use to make new regulations), the authors offer specific suggestions for how designers can strike the balance between ease of engagement and quality of engagement-and so bring new voices into public policymaking processes through participatory outputs that government decisionmakers will value.
Lcoation of Filamentous Phage Minor Coat Proteins in Phage and in Infected Cells

We show that all minor coat proteins of phage f1 are integral inner membrane proteins prior to assembly. Hence all phage structural and morphogenetic proteins are localized in the membrane of the infected cell, consistent with models of phage assembly in which morphogenesis is coincident with phage extrusion. Our data suggest that the minor coat proteins, pVI and pIII, are already associated with the major coat protein, pVIII, in the membrane. On the other hand pVI and pIII are not recovered as a complex from the membrane, even though experiments with dissociated phage show they are associated in phage. The minor coat proteins, pVII and pVIII, are also associated in phage. With the use of sera directed against the minor proteins, we show that the minor coat protein, pIX, is accessible in intact phage, but pVI and pVII are not. Consistent with earlier results, the attachment protein, pIII, clearly is exposed on the phage exterior. Infected cells contain about ten times more pVII and pIX than is incorporated into phage.
A graphical method to solve a maximin allocation problem

Abstract This note extends a simple graphical method of a solving resource allocation problem, the objective function being the sum of returns developed by Vidal to the case where the objective function is of a maximin type.
A raster-mode algorithm for interactive modification of line drawing data

Abstract Geographic data files are characteristically very large, given the high degree of precision needed for most cartographic production and analysis applications. As the ease of capturing large volumes of high-precision spatial data and the subsequent reliance on automated methods for handling such data increase, there is an increasing need for efficiency in terms of both storage space and speed. More and more graphic data are now being captured in raster instead of vector format. This means that raster methods for processing raster-formatted data need to be investigated as a means of increasing efficiency by avoiding the raster-vector-raster conversion process. Raster algorithms to perform a wide range of tasks already exist. One exception, however, is raster-mode update. This paper presents an algorithm for the modification of cartographic or any similar type of raster-formatted line drawing data which operates on rasters exclusively.
Qualitative models of the life cycles of Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus, and Rhincalanus gigas

The life cycle of Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus, and Rhincalanus gigas was analyzed in samples collected by five expeditions from 1963 to 1984 in the Scotia and Weddell Seas. The result of this analysis, and of published data suggest that C. acutus and C. propinquus have a one year life cycle. Males of C. acutus are present in the population for a short period of time during late winter and fertilization occurs in deep waters. C. propinquus mates in the surface and males are present in the population throughout the summer. Part of its population may remain in the surface waters in winter. R. gigas has a more flexible, one or two year life cycle. Late summer spawning may occur in this species.