cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Chlamydia -Specific TCR-Transgenic Mouse Demonstrates Th1 Polyfunctionality with Enhanced Effector Function.

Chlamydia is responsible for millions of new infections annually, and current efforts focus on understanding cellular immunity for targeted vaccine development. The Chlamydia-specific CD4 T cell response is characterized by the production of IFN-γ, and polyfunctional Th1 responses are associated with enhanced protection. A major limitation in studying these responses is the paucity of tools available for detection, quantification, and characterization of polyfunctional Ag-specific T cells. We addressed this problem by developing a TCR-transgenic (Tg) mouse with CD4 T cells that respond to a common Ag in Chlamydia muridarum and Chlamydia trachomatis Using an adoptive-transfer approach, we show that naive Tg CD4 T cells become activated, proliferate, migrate to the infected tissue, and acquire a polyfunctional Th1 phenotype in infected mice. Polyfunctional Tg Th1 effectors demonstrated enhanced IFN-γ production compared with polyclonal cells, protected immune-deficient mice against lethality, mediated bacterial clearance, and orchestrated an anamnestic response. Adoptive transfer of Chlamydia-specific CD4 TCR-Tg T cells with polyfunctional capacity offers a powerful approach for analysis of protective effector and memory responses against chlamydial infection and demonstrates that an effective monoclonal CD4 T cell response may successfully guide subunit vaccination strategies.
Nonasymptotic and nonlocal homogenization of electromagnetic metamaterials

The proposed homogenization methodology applies to periodic electromagnetic structures (photonic crystals and metamaterials), treated on two main spatial scales in the frequency domain. Fields on the fine scale are approximated via a set of Bloch modes, with a respective set of generalized plane waves on the coarse scale. From this general setup, one derives a hierarchy of models, from quasi-static to nonlocal, with various trade-offs between accuracy, applicability to various illumination conditions, and simplicity. Nonlocal models can improve the accuracy of homogenization by an order of magnitude.
Singing behaviour in a client with traumatic brain injury: a conversation analysis investigation

ABSTRACTBackground: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with pragmatic communication difficulties that lead to difficulty in social interaction. Research on conversation abilities in persons...
Postscript—Future Directions

To predict the future is a daunting task. At the time of publication of the previous edition of this book I certainly would not have predicted the developments in or the effects of outside forces such as managed care on the field. Perhaps instead of future directions, we should talk of necessary improvements. In general, I think the field will see a greater degree of psychometric sophistication among clinicians and researchers. The increased use of Item Response Theory and Generalizability Theory to evaluate the precision of measurement would be a positive development. Along those lines, the evaluation and conceptualization of validity as a diffractionable entity rather than a monolith will help us to better understand and use the assessment techniques at our disposal. The general conceptualization of a test as a method-construct unit will also aid our understanding.
SECONDARY BATTERIES – LITHIUM RECHARGEABLE SYSTEMS – LITHIUM-ION | Overcharge Protection Shuttles

Overcharge protection is of critical importance for ensuring the safety of lithium-ion batteries. It is also essential for preserving their capacity over many cycles. As individual cells and multicell stacks increase in size and voltage, safety concerns become paramount. Redox shuttle additives can provide limited protection against overcharging at moderate rates by carrying excess current through the cell. They can be used in combination with other internal and external controls. The primary variables that determine the efficacy of a redox shuttle couple are its onset potential, stability, and diffusion properties. These, in turn, are related to the molecular structure of the additives, which are generally substituted benzenes and heterocyclic aromatic compounds.
ChemoQuant: A novel approach to address the current chemotherapy supply problems in low resource countries.

e18593Background: Access to chemotherapy in low resource such as Sub-Saharan Africa is a growing problem. It is estimated that more than half a million people die of cancer in 2015 alone and the tr...
Effects of multi-modal cues on conditioned place preference in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice.

Previous work has shown that some mouse strains (e.g., DBA/2J [D2]) readily develop robust ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) while others (e.g., C57BL/6J [B6]) do not. Though commonly interpreted as a difference between strains in sensitivity to ethanol reward, other explanations for this finding are possible. To explore the hypothesis that variation in sensitivity to contextual cues underlies CPP differences, the present work investigated ethanol-induced CPP in D2 and B6 mice trained with a standard tactile (floor) cue procedure compared to mice trained with tactile plus visual-spatial cues. In an unbiased CPP procedure, mice were assigned to either a single element cue (one-compartment apparatus with tactile cue presented in the dark) or multi-modal cues (two-compartment apparatus with distinct tactile floors and lights on). To track CPP development, mice received preference tests during training in addition to a final test. Adding visual-spatial cues accelerated CPP acquisition in both D2 and B6 mice. However, this enhancement was observed after just one ethanol-conditioning trial in D2 mice, but was observed only after four ethanol-conditioning trials in B6 mice. Differences between groups trained with single or multi-modal cues disappeared as conditioning reached asymptote, with D2 mice showing a more rapid loss of the effect and a higher maximum CPP. Although multi-modal cues produce more rapid conditioning, their inability to reduce or eliminate strain differences in CPP supports the interpretation that these strains differ in their sensitivity to ethanol reward.
Against autonomy: why practical reason cannot be pure

The perennial appeal of Kantian ethics surely lies in its conception of autonomy. Kantianism tells us that the good life is fundamentally about acting in accordance with an internal rather than an external authority: a good will is simply a will in agreement with its own rational, self-constituting law. In this paper, I argue against Kantian autonomy, on the grounds that it excessively narrows our concept of the good, it confuses the difference between practical and theoretical modes of knowing the good, and it cannot respect the essential efficacy of the principles of practical reason.
Amino acid enantiomers in old and young dissolved organic matter: Implications for a microbial nitrogen pump

Abstract Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) represents the largest reservoir of fixed N in the surface ocean and a significant portion accumulates in the deep sea, where it can persist for millennial time scales. However, like the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool, the origin and composition of long-lived, refractory DON remains largely unknown. In recent years, the “microbial carbon pump” hypothesis has emerged from abundant evidence showing that microbial processes are primarily responsible for refractory DOC accumulation. However, a similar mechanism for DON has rarely been investigated. In the study of DON, spectroscopic evidence has indicated a primarily amide composition, implying a dominant contribution from peptides. Therefore, if an analogous “microbial nitrogen pump” controls refractory DON accumulation, the amino acid component should bear increasing signatures of microbial origin with increasing age. Here we investigate the microbial sequestration of N via the production of refractory DON, for the first time considering together DOM Δ14C with amino acid (AA) molar abundance (Mol%) and D/L ratio (as a tracer for prokaryotic input). Measurements were made on a unique set of high and low molecular weight (HMW, LMW) DOM isolates with 14C ages and chemical compositions generally consistent with semi-labile and refractory DOM respectively. The samples were collected in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre where deep waters contain some of the oldest DOC in the world ocean. We observe higher D/L ratios in older, LMW DOM isolates for almost all analyzed AAs. Using mass spectral data, we also quantify three D-AAs in all samples (D-valine, D-phenylalanine, and D-leucine), which have not previously been confirmed in ocean DOM. These newly identified D-AAs are concentrated in the LMW refractory DOM fraction and have oceanographically consistent depth profiles. Our results suggest that several novel D-AA subgroupings may be unique tracers for different prokaryotic source processes. D-alanine appears to have largely independent cycling from the other D-AAs with a connection to the production of HMW DON, which we hypothesize is linked to water column peptidoglycan. In contrast, D-leucine, D-valine, and D-phenylalanine appear to be most strongly related to the production of LMW DON. Trends in both the HMW and LMW fractions suggest a linkage to sinking particles and local microbial transformations, implying that LMW DON has a direct biological source rather than originating from successive microbial reprocessing of HMW DON. Taken together, our observations are consistent with the dominant production of refractory LMW DON by prokaryotic organisms and suggests that different AA sub-groupings that can be used to track different processes within the DON pool.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and macrophage nuclear receptors: What we do and don't know

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are ligand-activated transcription factors that are expressed in a wide variety of cells and play a major role in lipid signaling. NRs are key regulators of immune and metabolic functions in macrophages and are linked to macrophage responses to microbial pathogens. Pathogens are also known to induce the expression of specific NRs to promote their own survival. In this review, we focus on the NRs recently shown to influence macrophage responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We provide an overview of NR-controlled transcriptional activity and regulation of macrophage activation. We also discuss in detail the contribution of specific NRs to macrophage responses to M.tb, including influence on macrophage phenotype, cell signaling, and cellular metabolism. We pay particular attention to PPARγ since it is required for differentiation of alveolar macrophages, an important niche for M.tb, and its role during M.tb infection is becoming increasingly appreciated. Research into NRs and M.tb is still in its early stages, therefore continuing to advance our understanding of the complex interactions between M.tb and macrophage NRs may reveal the potential of NRs as pharmacological targets for the treatment of tuberculosis.
Surgical Smoke Exposure in Operating Room Personnel: A Review

Importance Smoke generated during surgical procedures has long been thought to be hazardous to hospital personnel; however, the degree of danger has yet to be determined. Observations The dangers of surgical smoke are associated with the composition of the plume. Small-particulate matter is found in the smoke that is easily inhaled. Particulates deposit in the lungs, circulatory system, and other organs, which may cause numerous health problems. The smoke also contains many gaseous compounds known to cause cancer. The type of tissue and the form of cautery have been shown to alter the composition of the surgical smoke. Well-cited articles have asserted that daily inhaled surgical smoke could be equivalent to smoking dozens of cigarettes. Unsafe levels of cancer-causing compounds have been found in the smoke. However, there is no firm evidence that operating room personnel show increased cancer rates compared with the general population. Data implicating other forms of passively inhaled smoke, such as fumes associated with cooking and wood burning, are likely comparable to the smoke issued during surgical procedures. Most operating rooms do not require smoke evacuation, and the elimination techniques are variable. Most systems rely on dispersion and, possibly, mechanical evacuation and filtration. Newer electric filters show promise but require more development. Conclusions and Relevance Surgical smoke is dangerous, but the severity of the risk has yet to be determined. Therefore, no safe level is known at this point. Efforts should be made to reduce and possibly eliminate smoke from the operating room. Research into cost-effective forms of smoke evacuation is necessary. Studies of respiratory and cancer sequelae of exposure to operating room smoke in personnel who have had long-term exposure to surgical smoke is also needed.
Novel methods of analyzing long-term trends in incidence and survival applied to gastroesophageal cancers.

e14512 Background: The incidence of esophageal squamous cell (ESC) carcinoma has been decreasing, while incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) keeps increasing. The specific time periods durin...
ANGIO-IMMUNOBLASTIC LYMPHADENOPATHY WITH DYSPROTEINÆMIA

Abstract A new disease with a lymphoma-like Summary clinical presentation and a specific histological picture has been recognised in fifteen patients. Clinically, the disease, which seems to occur chiefly in the elderly, is characterised by an acute onset of constitutional symptoms, generalised lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and immunological abnormalities. The course is stormy, but in one third of the reported cases it may have been controlled by immunosuppressants; severe infectious complications are common and often fatal. Histologically, diffuse obliteration of the nodal architecture due to pronounced proliferation of small vessels and immunoblasts is the distinctive feature; there is similar proliferation in the spleen, bone-marrow, liver, and skin. Biopsy specimens and necropsy material indicate that the disease is a non-neoplastic process. The histological evolution, the widespread organ involvement, and the clinical pattern are very similar to those of a graft-versus-host reaction.
Another Look at the Idiosyncratic Risk and Expected Return

In a sharp contrast to the findings of previous literature, Ang, Hodrick, Xing and Zhang (2006a) document a negative intertemporal relation between idiosyncratic risk and stock return. While Ang et al. raise an interesting "puzzle", it remains unclear what have caused the negative relation and what the real relation is between idiosyncratic risk and expected return. In particular, two questions deserve further examinations. First, it is noteworthy that the negative relation is particularly driven by the "abysmally" low return on the portfolio with the highest idiosyncratic risk. This implies that there is a short-term return reversal for the highest idiosyncratic risk portfolio, given the evidence of positive contemporaneous relation between idiosyncratic risk and stock return (Duffee, 1995). Further, to the extent that stock price may overreact to firm-specific information (Jegadeesh and Titman, 1995), stocks in the portfolio with high idiosyncratic risk, and hence greater firm-specific information, may experience higher "overreaction" and hence larger subsequent short-horizon price reversals. Second, as Ang et al results are based on past realized idiosyncratic risk, it remains unknown the role of ex ante idiosyncratic risk in asset pricing. In this paper, we examine whether return reversal may have played a role in the negative intertemporal relation between idiosyncratic risk and stock return. Furthermore, we provide evidence on the relationship between ex ante idiosyncratic risk and asset return. We find that the "puzzle" is driven by monthly stock return reversals. In particular, we find that both "winner" stocks and "losers" stocks concentrate in the portfolio with the highest idiosyncratic volatility. Given winners stocks' relative larger size in the portfolio formation period, it is the return reversal of previous one month winner stocks that leads to the low value-weighted return on the portfolio in the subsequent month. There is no significant difference in the equal-weighted returns on the five portfolios sorted by idiosyncratic volatility. The portfolio analysis further suggests that the "puzzling" negative relationship disappears after the past returns are controlled for. The time series regression results indicate that the seemingly abnormal positive return from taking a long (and a short) position in the lowest (and the highest) idiosyncratic risk portfolio can be fully explained by adding the return on the "winners minus losers" strategy to the conventional three or four factor model. Finally, we form various ex ante idiosyncratic risks and conduct cross-sectional test. Once again, we find no significant relation between ex ante idiosyncratic risk and the expected return once we control for the past return. Overall, our results suggest that ex ante idiosyncratic risk does not matter in asset pricing.
SPACECRAFT trajectory tracking and parameter estimation around a splitting contact binary asteroid

Abstract Increasing interest in asteroid mining and in-situ resource utilization will lead to an increase in asteroid surface operations. The geophysical properties of asteroids are often unknown and play a significant role in the resulting gravitational fields. Surface operations such as mining may significantly alter the asteroid's structure or, in the case of contact binary asteroids, cause the asteroid to split depending on the rotational condition. The coupled problem of estimating unknown parameters of a splitting contact-binary system and controlling a spacecraft's trajectory in the system's vicinity is investigated. An indirect adaptive control scheme is utilized to simultaneously meet both objectives. The results are compared with the traditional 2-body controller and the improvement enabled by the proposed scheme is demonstrated.
A Consumer Device for Detecting Gastrointestinal Disorders

This paper presents a new consumer product that allows a consumer to detect gastrointestinal disorders, such as colorectal cancer and others, using new technology and artificial intelligence. We review the concept, compare the product to existing market technologies, and show the significant opportunities for this consumer product to inform clinical decisions for clinicians.
Theoretical Calculation of Jet Fuel Thermochemistry

High-level ab initio calculations have been performed on the exo and endo isomers of gas-phase tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (THDCPD), a principal component of the jet fuel JP10, using the Gaussian Gx and Gx(MPx) composite methods, as well as the CBS-QB3 method, and using a variety of isodesmic and homodesmotic reaction schemes. The impetus for this work is to help resolve large discrepancies existing between literature measurements of the formation enthalpy Delta (sub f)H deg (298) for exo-THDCPD. We find that use of the isodesmic bond separation reaction C10H16 + 14CH4 yields 12C2H6 yields results for the exo isomer (JP10) in between the two experimentally accepted values, for the composite methods G3(MP2), G3(MP2)//B3LYP, and CBS-QB3. Application of this same isodesmic bond separation scheme to gas-phase adamantane yields a value for Delta (sub f)H deg (298) within 5 kJ/mol of experiment. Isodesmic bond separation calculations for the endo isomer give a heat of formation in excellent agreement with the experimental measurement. Combining our calculated values for the gas-phase heat of formation with recent measurements of the heat of vaporization yields recommended values for Delta (sub f)H deg (298)liq of -126.4 and -114.7 kJ/mol for the exo and endo isomers, respectively.
Clinical characteristics and prognostic analysis of 25 patients with mantle cell lymphoma

Objective To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics,treatment response and clinical follow-up for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).Methods Clinical data,treatment efficacy and outcomes of 25 cases of MCL enrolled from Beijing Friendship Hospital were retrospectively analyzed.Results Median age of onset was 65 years old.Male to female ratio was 3.4:1,15 cases (60 ％) had bone marrow invasion,Ann Arbor clinical stage Ⅲ were 6 cases (24 ％),stage Ⅳ were 17 cases (68 ％).10 cases (40 ％) of patients had symptoms B.5 cases (20 ％) patients had elevation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).17 cases (64 ％) had elevation of β2 microglobulin (β2-MG).11 eases (64.71％) had complete remission (CR) after rituximab combined chemotherapy in 17 patients,2 years overall survival (OS) rate was 69.6 ％,2 years progression-free suvival (PFS) rate was 45.1％,significantly higher than those in traditional chemotherapy group (P ＜ 0.005).Outcomes analyses showed that variants of plasma cells,bone marrow invasion,LDH elevation,Ki-67 level,sMIPI ＞ 5 scores and increased leukocyte number were negative prognostic factors.IPI score,splenomeagly,age,symptoms B and elevation of [β2-MG had no predicative value.Conclusion MCL has higher invasion and poor prognosis.Rituximab combined chemotherapy could significantly improve CR,PFS and OS rates. Key words: Lymphoma, mantle-cell; Rituximab; Prognosis
An Improved Regret Bound for Thompson Sampling in the Gaussian Linear Bandit Setting

Thompson sampling has been of significant recent interest due to its wide range of applicability to online learning problems and its good empirical and theoretical performance. In this paper, we analyze the performance of Thompson sampling in the canonical Gaussian linear bandit setting. We prove that the Bayesian regret of Thompson sampling in this setting is bounded by$O(\sqrt {T\log (T)} )$ improving on an earlier bound of $O(\sqrt T \log (T))$ n the literature for the case of the infinite, and compact action set. Our proof relies on a Cauchy–Schwarz type inequality which can be of interest in its own right.
Providing pharmacy services in a basketball arena: Reflections on building a pharmacy in a COVID-19 surge facility.

Purpose As Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has spread globally, hospital systems have seen an increasing strain on their ability to accommodate the growing caseload. This demand has led countries to adopt varying surge-facility or alternate care site (ACS) models to manage patient overflow. This report describes the experience of setting up pharmacy services at a city-run surge facility in Philadelphia. Summary The COVID-19 Surge Facility at the Liacouras Center (CSF-L) was initially developed to serve as a site for patients convalescing from acute inpatient stays in order to free up healthcare resources in surrounding hospitals. The CSF-L site required a distinct set of services to provide the desired level of care. This report details the preparations and challenges faced by the CSF-L pharmacy team in this endeavor, including identifying a pharmacy location that met regulatory requirements, obtaining proper licenses, coordinating drug procurement, filling staffing requirements, developing a formulary, defining the pharmacy and medication management workflow, and ensuring safety protocols were followed. This report explains the rational for developing certain processes and suggests alternative options and ideal plans for developing future pharmacy services in an ACS. Conclusion Identifying a pharmacy leadership team early in the ACS planning process can lead to more efficient plans for pharmacy services. This report details the important steps taken, decisions made, and challenges faced in setting up pharmaceutical services at a COVID-19 field hospital.
The Effects of Online Motor Skill Assessment Training on Assessment Competence of Physical Educators

Novice teachers struggle with assessing fundamental motor skills With growing time constraints, not to mention the current COVID-19 pandemic, professional development needs to be streamlined, asynchronous, and online to meet the needs of current teachers The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and efficacy of the Motor Skill Assessment Program (MSAP) in increasing the assessment competency of the underhand roll among physical educators and to examine which factors associated with posttest assessment scores Twenty-nine physical educators (female = 21, male = 8) completed the program Paired sample t tests were used to determine the efficacy of the program in improving assessment accuracy from pretest to posttest Associations between posttest scores assessed which factors predicted success within the program addressing feasibility Program completion resulted in significantly better posttest assessment scores among participants Guided practice attempts and average scores on guided practice tests correlated most strongly and positively with posttest scores The assessment training program increased the assessment competency of physical educators Guided practice and using practice tests best predicted participant learning Now that the MSAP results with teacher learning and is feasible, this efficacy trial should be scaled up to feature a control group and more skills [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Motor Learning & Development is the property of Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
Nanotechnology-Based Celastrol Formulations and Their Therapeutic Applications.

Celastrol (also called tripterine) is a quinone methide triterpene isolated from the root extract of Tripterygium wilfordii (thunder god vine in traditional Chinese medicine). Over the past two decades, celastrol has gained wide attention as a potent anti-inflammatory, anti-autoimmune, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, and neuroprotective agent. However, its clinical translation is very challenging due to its lower aqueous solubility, poor oral bioavailability, and high organ toxicity. To deal with these issues, various formulation strategies have been investigated to augment the overall celastrol efficacy in vivo by attempting to increase the bioavailability and/or reduce the toxicity. Among these, nanotechnology-based celastrol formulations are most widely explored by pharmaceutical scientists worldwide. Based on the survey of literature over the past 15 years, this mini-review is aimed at summarizing a multitude of celastrol nanoformulations that have been developed and tested for various therapeutic applications. In addition, the review highlights the unmet need in the clinical translation of celastrol nanoformulations and the path forward.
The Interplay between Divine, Victim, and Self-forgiveness: The Relationship between Three Types of Forgiveness and Psychological Outcomes:

It is conceivable that one’s level of self-forgiveness is likely to be influenced by the extent to which one feels forgiven by God. Also, self-forgiveness, especially when the self-offense involves...
Behaviour Genetics of Nest Cleaning in Honeybees. III. Effect of Age of Bees of a Resistant Line on Their Response to Disease-Killed Brood

SUMMARYAdult bees of known ages from a disease-resistant line were tested for their behavioural response towards larvae infected with American foul brood. Eighteen colonies, each composed of adult bees of the same age to within 4 days, were tested one or more times when the bees were 4–68 days old. Results of two summers' work provide a basis for the hypothesis that colonies composed of young resistant bees will remove all or nearly all larvae killed by foul brood regardless of nectar flow conditions, whereas colonies of the same resistant line made up of bees older than about 4 weeks remove the larvae only during a nectar flow.
Quantitative evaluation of left atrial volume and function by one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional echocardiography in a population of normal dogs

Objectives The primary goal of this study was to compare left atrial (LA) volume and functional indices in a population of normal dogs using transthoracic one-dimensional M-mode, two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography. Animals Forty clinically normal dogs of various breeds were stratified into four groups based on weight. Methods Left atrial volume (LAV) was estimated by converting single linear measurements derived from M-mode and 2D images into volumes via the cube and sphere formulas. 2D echocardiography was employed to estimate LAV using linear measures and rectangular and ellipsoid formulas, as well as area-length and the monoplane method of disks. LAV was estimated using the biplane area-length method on 4- and 2-chamber 2D images. LAV was directly measured using 3D volume data obtained over four consecutive cardiac cycles. LAV estimates were compared amongst methods, correlated to body size, and evaluated for reproducibility. Functional indices derived from these various echocardiographic methods were compared to identify any systematic differences based on imaging modality. LA functional indices included LA ejection fraction (LAEF), total LA emptying volume, passive LA emptying volume/fraction, active LA emptying volume/fraction, and LA expansion index. Results The M-mode derived estimates of LAV were significantly smaller than all 2D- and 3D-derived LAV (p<0.0001). The left-sided 3D LAV had the highest correlation with body weight (r2 = 0.8806) for all phases of the LA cycle with acceptable interobserver variability (CV 11%). Conclusions 3D echocardiography is a feasible, non-invasive method to measure LAV in a population of normal dogs.
Chapter 5 Stereochemistry of enzymatic substitution at phosphorus

Publisher Summary Knowledge of the stereochemical course of any chemical reaction is a prerequisite for understanding the mechanism by which it occurs. Because of recent advances in the synthesis of chirally substituted phosphates and the development of methods for analyzing their configurations, such information is now becoming available for enzymatic reactions which catalyze substitution at phosphorus. This chapter outlines the most significant stereochemical studies appearing in the literature through 1980 and compiles the results through that date. Stereochemical studies of phosphates are in some respects similar or analogous to studies of saturated carbon, insofar as both are tetrahedral centers and may be achiral, prochiral, or chiral depending upon the identities of the substituent groups. Important differences include a degree of variance in the mechanisms of substitution and their stereochemical consequences as well as many of the methods by which chiral centers are synthesized and analyzed for configuration.
TYPES AND POPULATIONS OF MICROORGANISMS IN THE AIR OF FLUID MILK PLANTS

Airborne viable particle counts in the milk processing areas of 10 dairy plants averaged 14 molds and 32 non-molds/10 liters. The bacteria isolated were primarily micrococci, Gram-negative rods (excluding coliform), bacilli, and coryne-bacteria. Twenty-five per cent of the isolates grew at 10 C in 5 days. These were principally bacilli and Gram-negative rods (excluding coliform). There was no apparent relationship between airborne microbial populations and keeping quality of the packaged milk.
Lossy Image Compression Using Wavelets

In this paper, we report the results of the application of transform coding image data compression techniques using Daubechies and Coifman wavelets. More specifically, D2, D4, D8, D16, and C6, C12 wavelets were used. The results from these wavelets were compared with those of discrete cosine transform. They clearly demonstrated the superiority of the wavelet-based techniques both in compression ratios and image quality, as well as in computational speed. Two quantization methods were used: non-uniform scalar quantization and pseudo-quantization. Both produced satisfactory results (86–88% compression ratio, and acceptable image quality).
Quantization of pre-quasi-symplectic groupoids and their Hamiltonian spaces

We study the prequantization of pre-quasi-symplectic groupoids and their Hamiltonian spaces using S 1-gerbes. We give a geometric description of the integrality condition. As an application, we study the prequantization of the quasi-Hamiltonian G-spaces of Alekseev-Malkin-Meinrenken.
Standardizing surgical treatment in malignant pleural mesothelioma

www.annalscts.com Of all thoracic malignances, the management of mesothelioma is perhaps the most controversial, and this is especially true with respect to surgical treatment. Mesothelioma is a relatively rare disease with only 2,500 new cases being diagnosed each year in the United States, making it difficult to perform large scale prospective, let alone randomized studies that can provide level I evidence. The disease is extremely heterogeneous, with histological subtype having a major impact on overall survival. Even within individual tumors, there may be regional variation in the percentages of epithelioid to non-epithelioid components, making pretreatment biopsies often inaccurate. Beyond tumor subtype, the natural history of the disease often differs from patient to patient. Some patients present with relatively low volume indolent disease, whereas others have bulky tumors that behave in a much more aggressive fashion.
Optical Alignment Tolerances and Techniques for Particle Image Velocimetry

Toensuregoodparticleimagevelocimetrycorrelations,itisnecessarytocharacterizetheimportantvariablesthat control image acquisition and image analysis. Among these, image spot size as it changes across the entire imaging surfacebearsinvestigation.Therefore, wedescribeanerroranalysisforsubpixel resolutionofcorrelation peaksus- ingWhittaker' smethod.Theseresultsseta toleranceonoptimumimagespotsizes.Typicallensesarethenanalyzed usingray-tracesoftware,toascertainwhatopticalparametersandcameramisalignmentsareallowablewithinthese optimum tolerances. We then describe an alignment procedure that allows us to set a camera to those tolerances. O acquire high-quality particle image velocimetry (PIV) data, it is necessary to use a cross-correlation technique, for exam- ple, two-color or image-shifted PIV, to align carefully the optical system and use an optimized data analysis package. In recent work performed at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), two PIV inves- tigations resultedin1 )an assessmentofthe effects ofparticleimage spot size on correlation accuracy, 2 ) determination of the minimum spot size for least error, and 3 ) the development of an experimental system that can reliably generate this minimum spot size. One of these projects involved the development of PIV analy- sis software that generates vector data from PIV images (Ref. 1; T. Drouillard and M. Linne, " Experiments in Fluids," manuscript in preparation ). In that work, several techniques for resolving cor- relation peaks were evaluated. These included the basic centroid method, Whittaker' s reconstruction, an analytical three-pointGaus- sian e t, and a numerical e ve-point Gaussian e t using the Marquardt method. An assessment of reconstruction errors was included. The least error was produced by the e ve-point Gaussian e t using Mar- quardt nonlinear e tting, whereas Whittaker' s reconstruction was a close second. Furthermore, it was found that the size of the cor- relation peak (directly related to particle image spot size ) has the greatest effect on the accuracy of the reconstruction algorithm. This sets a tolerance on the image spot size. That work is discussed in detail by Drouillard and Linne (manuscript in preparation ). Asecond projectinvolvedthe development of a method by which a PIV experimental apparatus may beconsistently and reproducibly aligned to meet this tolerance on spot size. 2 This topic is of primary importance to chemical e lm-based techniques, where turnaround time is very long. It also has implications for digital systems, espe- cially when it is necessary to align a camera across a large system, from within a wind tunnel, for example. A portion of this inves- tigation included modeling photographic lens performance under ideal and nonideal conditions using computer-based geometric ray tracing.These resultsprovide insightinto howvariousexperimental cone gurations can lead to spot size variation, which in turn affects the accuracy of PIV analysis. Based on such results, a system for alignment of the experiment was developed. That work is the pri- mary focus of this paper.
Cardiac cine MRI: Quantification of the relationship between fast gradient echo and steady-state free precession for determination of myocardial mass and volumes.

Purpose To determine the correlation function between the steady-state free precession (SSFP) and fast gradient echo (FGRE) cine MRI pulse sequences for measuring the myocardial mass and volumes. Materials and Methods Cardiac cine MRI examinations were acquired in 50 individuals (female: 35, male: 15, mean age 64.1 ± 9.1 years, range 48–83) using SSFP and FGRE cardiac pulse sequences. Results The mean (standard deviation [SD]) left ventricular end diastolic volume measured by SSFP was significantly larger (4.5%) than by FGRE (P < 0.001); this was also the case for end systolic volume (15.0%, P < 0.001). The relationship between SSFP and FGRE measures were linear and highly correlated (P < 0.001) for both left ventricular end diastolic and end systolic volumes (r2 = 0.90 vs. 0.91, respectively). We determined linear regression models to estimate the SSFP values based on the FGRE measures. Slope (intercept) for ejection fraction, stroke volume, and cardiac output were 0.99 (−2.79), 0.77 (17.5), and 0.76 (1.29), respectively. Conclusion Linear relationships exist for key LV function parameters when comparing SSFP and FGRE cine MRI. These results indicate that existing databases and normal values for FGRE LV function may be converted to corresponding LV function values for SSFP MRI. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;28:60–66. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A SUBSTELLAR COMMON PROPER-MOTION COMPANION TO THE PLEIAD H II 1348

We announce the identification of a proper-motion companion to the star H II 1348, a K5 V member of the Pleiades open cluster. The existence of a faint point source 1farcs1 away from H II 1348 was previously known from adaptive optics imaging by Bouvier et al. However, because of a high likelihood of background star contamination and in the absence of follow-up astrometry, Bouvier et al. tentatively concluded that the candidate companion was not physically associated with H II 1348. We establish the proper-motion association of the pair from adaptive optics imaging with the Palomar 5 m telescope. Adaptive optics spectroscopy with the integral field spectrograph OSIRIS on the Keck 10 m telescope reveals that the companion has a spectral type of M8 ± 1. According to substellar evolution models, the M8 spectral type resides within the substellar mass regime at the age of the Pleiades. The primary itself is a known double-lined spectroscopic binary, which makes the resolved companion, H II 1348B, the least massive and widest component of this hierarchical triple system and the first substellar companion to a stellar primary in the Pleiades.
Waste site hazard assessment: a taxonomy of current methods and criteria

Dozens of schemes have been developed for assessing the hazards and implicit risks posed by waste disposal sites in the United States. Effective hazard-assessment processes guide decision makers, policy makers, and the public toward more appropriate risk management solutions. Just as in quantitative risk assessment, however, the utility of a hazard assessment scheme depends upon the applicability and totality of the parameters, as well as upon the validity of the assumptions and logic underlying that process. Examination of the range of hazard assessment methods that have been employed reveals some common limitations and a universe of applicable parameters. Understanding the scope of United States efforts is vital to the effective transfer of hazard assessment technology to waste site stakeholders in other industrialized countries. A useful set of modeling criteria is provided as a foundation for future application of the hazard assessment concept at the thousands of waste sites worldwide where hazards are yet to be investigated.
Magnetic Compton scattering near a hot neutron star polar cap

Abstract We present results of a model for the energetics of electrons accelerated away from a neutron star polar cap by the large electric fields generated by the rotating highly magnetized neutron star. The energy loss mechanisms we consider in our calculations include magnetic Compton scattering of thermal x-ray photons, triplet pair production, and curvature radiation emission. The electron acceleration mechanism is assumed to operate only to a height above the polar cap approximately equal to the polar cap radius. We find several interesting results. First, magnetic Compton scattering is the dominant energy loss process when the electron Lorentz factors are below 10 7 for typical gamma-ray pulsar magnetic fields and surface temperatures. The amount of energy converted to photons by accelerated electrons ranges from ∼ 10–100% of γ 0 mc 2 for pulsar parameters similar to those observed where γ 0 is the maximum Lorentz factor an electron can attain with no radiative losses. We also find that if B>10 13 G and T>3×10 6 K, the Lorentz factors of the electrons can be limited to values of 10 2 – 10 3 assuming values for the size of the neutron star thermal polar cap comparable to the polar cap size determined by the open field lines. Such small Lorentz factors may be capable of explaining the gamma-ray emission from PSR 1509-58 which is observed only to about 1 MeV.
Premedical education. A modest proposal repeated.

Criticisms of American medical education and its graduates have become commonplace in recent years. 1 Consequently, medical school faculties have wrestled with a variety of suggested revisions of the medical school curriculum. One popular suggestion has favored the introduction of humanities courses into the medical school course of study. 2-9 The problem, however, is to find room in the already crowded schedule for such courses. In addition, it is possible that brief studies of ethics, of literature, or of sociology and psychology added to the medical curriculum will have little impact on students who have single-mindedly focused their attention for the previous four to six years on physical or biological science. It would seem more appropriate that the humanities and the social sciences in the medical curriculum function as a "booster shot" to heighten student awareness of issues already introduced during undergraduate education. The last 20 years have witnessed a
Bilateral combined occlusion of the central retinal artery and vein secondary to thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

A HEALTHY 28-year- old Pakistani woman developed f ever, malaise, and diffuse edema, rapidly pro- gressing to multiple organ failure with encephalopathy, anuric renal failure, hemolytic anemia, and thrombocyto- penia.Thepatientwasdiagnosedwith thrombotic thrombocytopenic pur- pura (TTP) and treated with hemodi- alysis,intravenouscorticosteroids,and plasmaexchangewithcryoprecipitate- poor plasma. After 2 weeks, her mental status improved, but she complained of bilateral vision loss. Visual acuity was light percep- The patient's ophthalmoscopic and angiographic features were compat- ible with combined occlusion of the central retinal artery and vein. The differential diagnosis of these find- ings includes collagen vascular dis- orders, dysproteinemia, Purtscher retinopathy, septic embolization, and leukemia. However, the findings of anemia, thrombocytopenia, fever, neurologic abnormalities, and re- nal failure are the 5 cardinal signs of TTP. The pathogenesis of this rare disorder involves intravascular plate- let aggregation with platelet throm- bus formation in the microcircula- tion of end organs. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura may be either idiopathic or triggered by col- lagen vascular disease, cancer, preg- nancy, human immunodeficiency vi- rus infection, or other events. The spectrum of ophthalmo- logic findings in TTP is attributable to microinfarction of either retinal or choroidal circulation, and includes intraretinal hemorrhages with cotton- wool spots, 1 disc hemorrhages and neovascularization with optic atro- phy, 2 serous retinal detachment, 3-5 and Purtscherlike retinopathy. 6
Investigation of diamond-impregnated drill bit wear while drilling under Earth and Mars conditions

[1] Experiments conducted on a dry and a water-saturated rock under Martian and Earth atmospheric pressures revealed two different wear behaviors in diamond-impregnated drill bits. When the rock was saturated, drilling under Martian pressure caused the water in contact with the rotating bit to vaporize. Since the volumetric expansion of the liquid water or ice as it turned into a vapor was 170,000, the continuous flow of water vapor cleared the cuttings out of the hole. Thus the bit matrix was always exposed to abrasive wear by the rock cuttings and was continually wearing down and exposing new diamonds to the rock. When the rock was dry, an accumulation of rock cuttings protected the matrix from abrasive wear. Since fresh diamonds were not exposed in a timely manner, the rate of penetration dropped. Both rock conditions, namely, dry or water saturated, may exist on Mars. This adds to the complexity of the drill bit design as, ideally, a bit should penetrate the rock irrespective of whether it is dry or water saturated. The “fail-safe” bit would have a very soft matrix to always produce some rock penetration at the expense of potential excessive bit wear and shallower than anticipated hole depth.
Social foundations of emotions in family consumption decision making

Although emotions are believed to be socially constructed and important features of family life they are little understood in the context of families making consumption decisions. Our research focuses on understanding individual and social aspects of emotions, including whether parents mirror each other's emotions during family consumption decisions. Our Social Relations Model analyses provide evidence consistent with hypotheses that anger and frustration in family consumption decision making are interdependent, and incorporate individual and relationship levels, bidirectionality, and reciprocity. Additionally we find that the mirroring of these emotions between the parents is pervasive, occurring across spending, model/make, and final decisions involved in buying a new car. Our theory and findings provide insights into how families share emotions during consumption decision making and provide a foundation for future investigations on discrete emotions, emotion mirroring and contagion, and family decision...
Introduction to manifold learning

A popular research area today in statistics and machine learning is that of manifold learning, which is related to the algorithmic techniques of dimensionality reduction. Manifold learning can be divided into linear and nonlinear methods. Linear methods, which have long been part of the statistician's toolbox for analyzing multivariate data, include principal component analysis PCA and multidimensional scaling MDS. Recently, there has been a flurry of research activity on nonlinear manifold learning, which includes Isomap, local linear embedding, Laplacian eigenmaps, Hessian eigenmaps, and diffusion maps. Some of these techniques are nonlinear generalizations of the linear methods. The algorithmic process of most of these techniques consists of three steps: a nearest-neighbor search, a definition of distances or affinities between points a key ingredient for the success of these methods, and an eigenproblem for embedding high-dimensional points into a lower dimensional space. This article gives us a brief survey of these new methods and indicates their strengths and weaknesses. WIREs Comput Stat 2012 doi: 10.1002/wics.1222