cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Multispot EIA with Western blot for confirmatory serodiagnosis of HIV

Abstract Background Recent improvements in the sensitivity of immunoassays (IA) used for HIV screening, coupled with increasing recognition of the importance of rapid point-of-care testing, have led to proposals to adjust the algorithm for serodiagnosis of HIV so that screening and confirmation can be performed using a dual or triple IA sequence that does not require Western blotting for confirmation. One IA that has been proposed as a second or confirmatory test is the Bio-Rad Multispot® Rapid HIV-1/HIV-2 Test. This test would have the added advantage of differentiating between HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies. Objective To compare the sensitivity and type-specificity of an algorithm combining a 3rd generation enzyme immunoassay (EIA) followed by a confirmatory Multispot with the conventional algorithm that combines a 3rd generation EIA (Bio-Rad GS HIV-1/HIV-2 Plus O EIA) followed by confirmatory Western blot (Bio-Rad GS HIV-1 WB). Methods 8760 serum specimens submitted for HIV testing to the New York City Public Health Laboratory between May 22, 2007, and April 30, 2010, tested repeatedly positive on 3rd generation HIV-1-2+O EIA screening and received parallel confirmatory testing by WB and Multispot (MS). Results 8678/8760 (99.1%) specimens tested WB-positive; 82 (0.9%) tested WB-negative or indeterminate (IND). 8690/8760 specimens (99.2%) tested MS-positive, of which 14 (17.1%) had been classified as negative or IND by WB. Among the HIV-1 WB-positive specimens, MS classified 26 (0.29%) as HIV-2. Among the HIV-1 WB negative and IND, MS detected 12 HIV-2. Conclusion MS detected an additional 14 HIV-1 infections among WB negative or IND specimens, differentiated 26 HIV-1 WB positives as HIV-2, and detected 12 additional HIV-2 infections among WB negative/IND. A dual 3rd generation EIA algorithm incorporating MS had equivalent HIV-1 sensitivity to the 3rd generation EIA-WB algorithm and had the added advantage of detecting 12 HIV-2 specimens that were not HIV-1 WB cross-reactors. In this series an algorithm using EIA followed by MS would have resulted in the expedited referral of 38 specimens for HIV-2 testing and 40 specimens for nucleic acid confirmation. Further testing using a combined gold standard of nucleic acid detection and WB is needed to calculate specificity and validate the substitution of MS for WB in the diagnostic algorithm used by a large public health laboratory.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND I-E

Psychology has engaged in many bandwagon effects in research: the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, the Mach Scales, and the Rotter I-E. As with the MMPI before them, the question has been raised as to the relationship between test responses and observed behavior or accounts of behavior. The present study attempted to relate the Rotter I-E (1966) to autobiographical data, to determine whether I-E attitudes can be judged by strangers reading autobiographical information and then filling out an I-E form as they feel the writer of the autobiography would respond. Ss were two groups of 10 male and 10 female volunteers and undergraduate students in a Southern university. Each had previously filled out an 1-E scale prior to the request for participants in a "research study." All Ss prepared brief autobiographies (maximum 4 pages), with the prior knowledge chat these would be read by some other persons but chat identifying names would be excluded. Social security numbers were used for purposes of identification. Three copies of each autobiography were made and placed in packets. Packets were assigned so that no S received his own autobiography. Each S was required to read each of the three autobiographies and then fill out the I-E form attached as he felt the writer of the autobiography would respond. Comparisons were then made between the I-E score for each writer of the autobiography and the three I-E scores by the raters. Comparisons were also made between the rater's own score and the three I-E scores assigned to others. Data were examined for differences based on sex, age, and other demographic data, none of which were found to be significant. Pearson rs between the I-E score of the writer and three ratings of his autobiography was at chance, .08. A higher relationship was found between the rater's score and those he assigned to others, .32 (.325 necessary for .05 level). The unusual finding suggested the desirability of a replication and the second group provided Pearson rs of . ll between I-E of the writer and the 3 ratings of his autobiography and a higher but non-significant relationship of .15 between the rater's score and the scores he assigned to others. The findings suggest the tendency of naive raters to project their own values on those assumed as similar in the absence of question specific data in the autobiographies. Further studies utilizing structured autobiographies, longer accounts, and various levels of psychologically trained raters are in progress.
A recurrence relation in uniform hashing

Assume that uniform hashing is used to post items into a table with m rows. For any n such that 0 ≤ n m, let En,m represent the expected number of probes needed to post the (n + 1)st item. Clearly, E0,m = 1 for any m ≥ 1. For n > 0, posting the (n + 1)st item will require only one probe if its key hashes to an open address, and the probability of this is m-n/m. Otherwise, with probability n/m, the (n + 1)st key will hash to an occupied address, so the number of probes required is one plus the number of probes required in the rest of tht table. But since that occupied address will not be accessed in subsequent probes, the expected number of probes int he rest of the table is the same as the expected number of probes to post and nth item in a table of size m -- 1. We thus obtain the following recurrence relation.
CP-Rays in Simplicial Cones

In classical mathematics, interest in the concept of regularity of a triangle, is mainly centered on the property that for every interior point of the triangle, its orthogonal projection on the line containing each side must lie in the relative interior of that side. We generalize the concept of regularity using this property, and extend this work to simplicial cones in R^n, and derive very efficient necessary and sufficient conditions for this property to hold in them. We show that these concepts have important ramifications in algorithmic studies of the linear complementarity problem. We relate our results to other well known properties of square matrices.
A new mixed finite element method for viscoelastic flows governed by differential constitutive equations

Abstract A new mixed finite element method is presented that has improved numerical stability and has similar numerical accuracy compared to the EVSS/FEM developed by Rajagopalan et al. (J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 36 (1990) 159–192). The new method, denoted EVSS-G/FEM, is based on separate bilinear interpolation of all relevant components of the velocity gradient tensor. Lagrangian bilinear approximations of this variable are formed by least-squares interpolation of the derivatives of a Lagrangian biquadratic approximation to the velocity field that is generated by solution of the momentum and continuity equations using a standard mixed formulation for velocity and pressure. Elastic components of the stress are computed by solving the constitutive equation using either the streamline upwinding (SU) or streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) methods with bilinear interpolation. The motivation for the interpolation of the velocity gradients and for the stress interpolation is to force the compatibility between these variables that is needed to satisfy differential viscoelastic constitutive equations in the limit where the velocity field vanishes, as it does near solid boundaries. The enhanced numerical stability of the EVSS-G/FEM over the EVSS/FEM formulation is demonstrated for the calculation of the linear stability of planar Couette flow of a UCM fluid, where closed form results exist for the linear stability of the steady-state flow; hence, any instability detected in the numerical solution is a result of either the finite element approximation or the time integration method. The second possibility is eliminated by using a fully implicit time integration method. Calculations with the EVSS-G/FEM are stable for De >100, whereas calculations with the EVSS/FEM become numerically unstable for De >5. The EVSS-G formulation is combined with finite element discretizations that incorporate local adaptive mesh refinement for increasing the accuracy of the calculations in regions where the stress and velocity gradients change rapidly. The accuracy of the EVSS-G/FEM is demonstrated by steady-state calculations for the flow between eccentric rotating cylinders, flow through a wavy-walled tube, and for flow through a square array of cylinders; each has been used before as a test problem for the accuracy of viscoelastic flow calculations. As in previous calculations, discretization of the constitutive equation by SUPG gives superior accuracy at high values of De compared to the application of SU.
Ecological Threat and the Founding of U.S. National Environmental Movement Organizations, 1962–1998

This study examines the role of “ecological threat” in shaping the U.S. environmental movement. Statistical analysis combines founding data on 772 national environmental movement organizations with ecological data on air pollution levels and amphibian and bird populations. We examine these data longitudinally, from 1962 through 1998. Net of other social, economic, and political factors suggested by social movement theory, we find evidence of segmented effects in the expected directions: Declines in wildlife populations are associated with the foundings of wildlife and wilderness protection organizations while increases in air pollution are associated with the foundings of organizations focused on ecosystem well-being and public health. These findings help refine long-held assumptions about the relationship between ecological degradation and environmental activism, and demonstrate the broader utility of the threat concept for strengthening theories of social movement mobilization.
Stoic strategies in Origen's on Prayer

In his treatiseOn Prayer Origen raises and answers four objections against prayer. In this essay I examine the Stoic strategies to which Origen appeals in his attempt to answer them. His defense of the claim that providence and prayer are compatible assumes a standard account of freedom and human agency common among the Stoics of his time. In addition to appealing to the standard compatibilist view of human agency found in the Stoics, Origen’s presentation and response to these questions turns out to be reminiscent of Stoic attempts to resolve those thorny issues surrounding fate presented in the so-called ‘Idle Argument’.
The Use of a Radioimmunosorbent Assay for Botrytis cinerea1

A radioimmunosorbent assay was developed for Botrytis cinerea which can be used to detect as little as 100 ng of Botrytis mycelium (dry weight). Of 22 fungi tested in the assay, all significant reaction was restricted to members of the Sclerotiniaceae. No reaction was obtained with representative isolates of Aspergillus, Alternaria or Peiticillium. Other Botrytis species gave the most reaction relative to B. cinerea. and related genera such as Monilinia and Sclerotinia yielded small reactions. The assay can be used to detect fi. cinerea infection of grape berries when as little as 0.1 % of homogenate from infected fruit is mixed with homogenate from sound fruit to simulate a minor infection. The assay of free run juice from various lots of grapes was highly correlated with visual assessments of infection in the field. Pursuant to various theories concerning bloom time infection, the assay was used to analyse the B. cinerea content of immature berry tips and floral debris; however, no evidence of such colonization was obtained.
Student Self-Regulated Learning in an Urban High School: Predictive Validity and Relations between Teacher Ratings and Student Self-Reports.

This study examined the predictive validity of a teacher rating scale called the Self-Regulation Strategy Inventory–Teacher Rating Scale (SRSI-TRS) and its level of convergence with several student self-report measures of self-regulated learning (SRL). Eighty-seven high school students enrolled in one of four sections of a mathematics course in an urban high school and one mathematics teacher participated in the study. Correlation analyses revealed moderate correlations between the SRSI-TRS and self-report questionnaires targeting students’ motivation beliefs (i.e., mathematics interest) and regulatory behaviors in mathematics. Students’ self-efficacy perceptions correlated with all SRL and achievement measures, but not the SRSI-TRS. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that the SRSI-TRS emerged as the primary SRL predictor of achievement although student reports of their maladaptive SRL behaviors was a significant predictor in the final model.
Small, water-soluble, ligand-stabilized gold nanoparticles synthesized by interfacial ligand exchange reactions

A general synthetic approach leading to well-defined, water-soluble gold nanoparticles is described that involves a simple, interfacial ligand exchange reaction between a 1.4 nm phosphine-passivated precursor and an anionic or cationic thiol-containing ligand. We demonstrate the utility of this route by synthesizing water-soluble gold nanoparticles that are stabilized by either an anionic ligand (2-mercaptoethanesulfonate), a cationic ligand (2-(dimethylamino)ethanethiol hydrochloride), or a mixture of both ionic and phosphine ligands. Although the course of the ligand exchange process depends on the nature of the incoming ligand, each of these nanoparticle products retain the small core size and narrow size distribution of the starting particle (1.4 ± 0.4 nm). The stabilities of these nanoparticles to elevated temperature, extremes of pH, and added salt are reported and found to depend on the nature of the exposed headgroups on the ligand shell. Salt-induced aggregation is not observed in any of the case...
Contemporary all-ceramic fixed partial dentures: a review

High-strength all-ceramic systems for fixed partial dentures (FPDs)have become available for replacing missing teeth. New core materials have been developed and have evolved in the last decade,with yttrium tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZP)-based materials being the most contemporary. With the emphasis on the use of computer-assisted design/computer assisted-manufacturing technology, various production techniques have been developed for enhancing the fabrication of consistent and predictable restorations in terms of strength, marginal fit, and esthetics. Although initial results are limited, results reported in scientific abstracts of ongoing clinical studies assessing the long-term success of three unit all-ceramic FPDs and anecdotal evidence published in peer reviewed articles on the use of Y-TZP-based restorative systems are encouraging. This article reviews the evolution and development of materials and technologies for all-ceramic FPDs.
Consequences of repeated ethanol exposure during early or late adolescence on conditioned taste aversions in rats

Alcohol use is prevalent during adolescence, yet little is known about possible long-lasting consequences. Recent evidence suggests that adolescents are less sensitive than adults to ethanol's aversive effects, an insensitivity that may be retained into adulthood after repeated adolescent ethanol exposure. This study assessed whether intermittent ethanol exposure during early or late adolescence (early-AIE or late-AIE, respectively) would affect ethanol conditioned taste aversions 2 days (CTA1) and >3 weeks (CTA2) post-exposure using supersaccharin and saline as conditioning stimuli (CS), respectively. Pair-housed male Sprague-Dawley rats received 4g/kg i.g. ethanol (25%) or water every 48 h from postnatal day (P) 25-45 (early AIE) or P45-65 (late AIE), or were left non-manipulated (NM). During conditioning, 30 min home cage access to the CS was followed by 0, 1, 1.5, 2 or 2.5g/kg ethanol i.p., with testing 2 days later. Attenuated CTA relative to controls was seen among early and late AIE animals at both CTA1 and CTA2, an effect particularly pronounced at CTA1 after late AIE. Thus, adolescent exposure to ethanol was found to induce an insensitivity to ethanol CTA seen soon after exposure and lasting into adulthood, and evident with ethanol exposures not only early but also later in adolescence.
Elastic shapes models for improving segmentation of object boundaries in synthetic aperture sonar images

We present a variational framework for naturally incorporating prior shape knowledge in guidance of active contours for boundary extraction in images. This framework is especially suitable for images collected outside the visible spectrum, where boundary estimation is difficult due to low contrast, low resolution, and presence of noise and clutter. Accordingly, we illustrate this approach using the segmentation of various objects in synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) images of underwater terrains. We use elastic shape analysis of planar curves in which the shapes are considered as elements of a quotient space of an infinite dimensional, non-linear Riemannian manifold. Using geodesic paths under the elastic Riemannian metric, one computes sample mean and covariances of training shapes in each classes and derives statistical models for capturing class-specific shape variability. These models are then used as shape priors in a variational setting to solve for Bayesian estimation of desired contours as follows. In traditional active contour models curves are driven towards minimum of an energy composed of image and smoothing terms. We introduce an additional shape term based on shape models of relevant shape classes. The minimization of this total energy, using iterated gradient-based updates of curves, leads to an improved segmentation of object boundaries. This is demonstrated using a number of shape classes in two large SAS image datasets.
Successful yield ramp using product test, scan and memory diagnosis

Fast yield ramp is very important for a foundry during advanced process development and volume production. Logic and SRAM circuits are the major design blocks in advanced Integrated Circuits. Identification of systematic failures in logic and SRAM blocks using product test and diagnostics is critical to increasing the speed of yield learning in sub-40nm ICs. This paper highlights the importance of using logic and SRAM diagnosis for product yield ramp using three yield breakthroughs.
CHANGES IN POLICE NOTIFICATION FOR RAPE, 1973–2000*

We use data from the National Crime Survey (NCS) and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) to explore changes in the likelihood of police notification in rape incidents. The findings indicate that during the 1970s and 1980s there was a significant increase in police notification by third parties and by victims raped by non-strangers. During the 1990s the increase in rates of police notification in rape incidents accelerated and broadened in scope. In addition, differences in police notification between stranger and non-stranger incidents diminished during the 1970s and 1980s and, by the early 1990s there was no significant difference.
Prenatal evaluation of facial clefts with two-dimensional and adjunctive three-dimensional ultrasonography: a prospective trial.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the prenatal diagnostic capabilities of two-dimensional ultrasonography versus adjunctive three-dimensional ultrasonography for fetal cleft lip and palate. Study Design: Fetuses that were suspected of a facial cleft were then examined sequentially with two-dimensional ultrasonography then with a targeted scan of the fetal face with three-dimensional ultrasonography. The images were coded as cleft, no cleft, or equivocal for lip and palate. Postnatal outcome follow-up was obtained. Results: Fifty-three of 57 fetuses had outcome results available. The diagnostic accuracy (true positive + true negative) of adjunct three-dimensional ultrasonography versus two-dimensional ultrasonography alone were improved for cleft lip (100% [53/53 fetuses] vs 91% [48/53 fetuses], P P Conclusion: There is significant improvement in diagnostic accuracy with two-dimensional ultrasonography with adjunctive three-dimensional ultrasonography compared with two-dimensional ultrasonography alone for the prenatal evaluation of facial clefts. ( Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:946–9.)
Clay Mineralogy and Relative Age of Tills in North-Central Wisconsin

ABSTRACT The pre-Woodfordian drift of north-central Wisconsin is composed of at least two units, the Merrill and Wausau tills, which are distinguished from each other and adjacent Woodfordian deposits on the basis of pebble lithology, ice-flow direction, and semi-quantitative clay mineralogy. The Merrill drift is stratigraphically above the Wausau drift, and the lower unit has a patchy distribution and is commonly absent in the area covered by the Merrill till. The degree of weathering of the clay fraction (decrease in illite, chlorite; increase in vermiculite, montmorillonite) of the Merrill till indicates that it underwent a period of subaerial weathering before deposition of the relatively unweathered Woodfordian age drift to the north. A radiocarbon date suggests the Merrill till is > 4 ,800 years old (IGS-256). The Wausau till shows an even greater degree of weathering than the Merrill till and represents an earlier, separate ice advance. Both tills show evidence of in situ weathering of the clay minerals.
Statistical theory of quantization

The effect of uniform quantization can often be modeled by an additive noise that is uniformly distributed, uncorrelated with the input signal, and has a white spectrum. This paper surveys the theory behind this model, and discusses the conditions of its validity. The application of the model to floating-point quantization is demonstrated.
Is there Even a Grammar of Music

Does the music that we know have a language-like semantics? I argue that mere agreement among auditors about their cognitive representations and descriptions of music doesn't give grounds for attributing meaning to music. I also argue that music does not have a language-like semantics not because it fails to be robustly referential, but because musical structures are not genuine grammars. The reason is that while music typically has very elaborate and regular structures - much like language - these structures do not apparently originate from nor are they in the service of the need to encode meanings - exactly unlike language. Nonetheless, the difference between languages and music is more a matter of degree than of kind. In other words, we can imagine transforming what we now call music into a language; if, by some strange necessity, music were pressed into service on a day-to day basis for the purposes of comprehension and communication, then it could without much trouble become a language. But we would ...
Viewpoints on the Future of Health Services ‐ The Australian Government Administrator

The first section of this paper presents an overview of the policies and programs initiated by the Hospitals and Health Services Commission since it was established, initially as an Interim Committee in 1973 and then as a Commission from 1974 onwards. The second part of the paper covers some of the issues to be forced in the feature as I see them from the perspective of a health administrator at the national level.
The ultrastructure of an alloparasitic red alga Choreocolax polysiphoniae1

An alloparasite, Choreocolax polysiphoniae, apparently represents one of the most evolved parasitic red algae. Chloroplasts are highly reduced and consist of double membrane limited organelles lack...
Paleo- and Mesoproterozoic granite plutonism of Colorado and Wyoming

Proterozoic plutonism in Colorado and Wyoming was initiated ∼1.8 Ga with scattered tholeiitic mafic complexes coeval with widespread synorogenic bimodal volcanism. Limited Nd and Sr isotopic data for the metavolcanic rocks show derivation from depleted mantle. Major Paleoproterozoic granitic plutonism followed at 1.67–1.77 Ga. Most of the earliest plutons are distinctly calc-alkaline; they range largely from quartz diorite to granodiorite to trondhjemite in composition, and have trace-element signatures similar to plutons within magmatic arcs related to subduction zones. Later Paleoproterozoic plutons at 1.71 Ga include increased volumes of felsic rock types and, independent of silica, are shifted to more peraluminous and iron-rich compositions. The earliest appearance of anorthosite occurs with the 1.76-Ga Horse Creek anorthosite complex of Wyoming, and the earliest occurrence of A-type granite includes the late-kinematic, 1.66-Ga Garell Peak batholith of southern Colorado. Elemental and isotopic compositions of the younger Early Paleoproterozoic granitic plutons are consistent with a systematically increasing crustal component as a function of age in waning orogenic stages of crust formation in the region. After a 200 m.y. hiatus, renewed granitic plutonism occurred at 1.36–1.44 Ga. Plutonism was associated with emplacement of over a dozen Mesoproterozoic A-type granite batholiths and many smaller intrusions as part of a global “anorogenic” mid-Proterozoic event that commonly includes associated intrusions of anorthosite and charnockite. Across the former Laurentia supercontinent, three geographic and petrologic subprovinces merge in Colorado and Wyoming. An ilmenite-series granitic province, which includes the Sherman Granite and associated Laramie anorthosite complex of Wyoming, extends northeastward through Wisconsin to Labrador and the classic rapakivi granite-anorthosite intrusions of the Baltic region. A magnetite-series granite subprovince ranges across the southern mid-continent to California and includes the San Isabel and Eolus batholiths of southern Colorado. The third subprovince is peraluminous, comprised of two-mica granite, and geographically extends from central Colorado to Arizona. Granites of this suite are the most common in Colorado and include the Silver Plume batholith. Granites defining the three Mesoproterozoic provinces have distinctly different elemental and oxygen isotopic compositions, which presumably reflect fundamental shifts in composition of the lower continental Laurentian crust. The mid-Proterozoic intrusions of Colorado and Wyoming coincided in time with emplacement of regional, north-trending mafic dike swarms, implying widespread extension during this period. After another magmatic hiatus, one of ∼300 m.y., intrusion of the A-type, 1.08-Ga Pikes Peak batholith formed the last Proterozoic magmatic episode of the Colorado-Wyoming Front Range.
Mutants of FtsZ Targeting the Protofilament Interface: Effects on Cell Division and GTPase Activity

The bacterial cell division protein FtsZ assembles into straight protofilaments, one subunit thick, in which subunits appear to be connected by identical bonds or interfaces. These bonds involve the top surface of one subunit making extensive contact with the bottom surface of the subunit above it. We have investigated this interface by site-directed mutagenesis. We found nine bottom and eight top mutants that were unable to function for cell division. We had expected that some of the mutants might poison cell division substoichiometrically, but this was not found for any mutant. Eight of the bottom mutants exhibited dominant negative effects (reduced colony size) and four completely blocked colony formation, but this required expression of the mutant protein at four to five times the wild-type FtsZ level. Remarkably, the top mutants were even weaker, most showing no effect at the highest expression level. This suggests a directional assembly or treadmilling, where subunit addition is primarily to the bottom end of the protofilament. Selected pairs of top and bottom mutants showed no GTPase activity up to 10 to 20 μM, in contrast to the high GTPase activity of wild-type FtsZ above 1 μM. Overall, these results suggest that in order for a subunit to bind a protofilament at the 1 μM Kd for elongation, it must have functional interfaces at both the top and bottom. This is inconsistent with the present model of the protofilament, as a simple stack of subunits one on top of the other, and may require a new structural model.
Screening for adolescent alcohol and drug use in pediatric health-care settings: predictors and implications for practice and policy

Objective This paper used data from a study of pediatric primary care provider (PCP) screening practices to examine barriers to and facilitators of adolescent alcohol and other drug (AOD) screening in pediatric primary care.
Aging and Weight-Ratio Perception

Past research has provided evidence that older adults have more difficulty than younger adults in discriminating small differences in lifted weight (i.e., the difference threshold for older adults is higher than that of younger adults). Given this result, one might expect that older adults would demonstrate similar impairments in weight ratio perception (a suprathreshold judgment) compared to younger adults. The current experiment compared the abilities of younger and older adults to perceive weight ratios. On any given trial, participants lifted two objects in succession and were asked to provide an estimate of the objects’ weight ratio (the weight of the heavier object relative to the lighter). The results showed that while the older participants’ weight ratio estimates were as reliable as those of the younger participants, they were significantly less accurate: the older participants frequently perceived the weight ratios to be much higher than they actually were.
Monopolies and Monopolistic Practices

T HE desires and ingenuity of man, and our changing environment, create ways of life that are only roughly and inaccurately described by such words as individualism and collectivism. Increasing freedom in marriage, including freedom of divorce,' may increase the vitality and strength of the successful marriage; and it is quite consistent with the population control required by biological and economic conditions, and the needs of the modern state.2 Besides his family, a man's other great concern is of course making a living; and here too freedom and control occur in forms and combinations which adapt themselves to changing conditions, and the needs of national and international communities. Freedom of association among farmers and workers, relatively weak members of our economic organization, has been commonly regarded as consistent with the traditions of freedom characteristic of the United States. On the other hand, the freedom of the common man has been protected against the consequences of unlimited freedom of association among owners. Freedom of association has been limited in manufacture and trade by the Anti-Trust Acts; and even in such an industry as railroad transportation, it seems that a limit on association, together with regulation by a Commission, is provided for by the Transportation Act. In such industries as bituminous coal, crude oil, and lumber, the practical need for enlarged freedom of association has long been urged. In industry generally, from the relatively disorganized cotton textile industry to the relatively highly organized steel industry, a need for enlarged freedom of association seems to many to have been disclosed by the depres-
ESTROGEN USE IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Fifteen per cent of postmenopausal women living in a retirement community used oral estrogens. Both use and new-use continued in the seventh, eighth and ninth decades of life, although use and age-specific use-prevalence declined after age 70. Mean duration of most recent continuous use was 105 months. Vaginal estrogenic preparations were used infrequently, briefly, and usually by women who also used oral estrogens in the same year. The most commonly used oral estrogenic preparation was conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin).
Formation of extracellular 3-D-hydroxy-palmitic acid by Saccharomycopsis malanga

Saccharomycopsis malanga comb. nov. is characterized; all strains were isolated from Oriental fermented food starters. One of the strains was previously described as Hansenula malanga. All the cult...
Beta-aminoisobutyric acid, a possible factor in pyrimidine metabolism.

Summary(1) A compound frequently noted in a chromatographic study of urinary amino acids has now been isolated from the urines of two cancer patients and identified as beta-aminoisobutyric acid (BAIB). (2) In a group of 140 apparently healthy subjects, 52 individuals showed detectable urinary levels of BAIB (>0.15 millimole per liter), and three of these showed concentrations over 1 millimole per liter. Individual control subjects studied at intervals for periods up to 21/2 years showed little fluctuation in BAIB excretion. (3) In individual patients with neoplastic disease, the urinary BAIB level occasionally varied markedly and appeared to bear some relationship to the neoplastic process. Such variations are illustrated by a report of a case of chronic myelogenous leukemia. (4) Theoretical considerations pointed to a 5-methylpyrimidine as a likely precursor of BAIB, and evidence favoring this view was obtained by rat experiments in which BAIB excretion was produced by a diet containing large amounts of ...
Dehydroepiandrosterone prevents dexamethasone-induced hypertension in rats

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an endogenous steroid having a wide variety of biological and biochemical effects. In the present study, we have examined the role of DHEA on various rodent models of experimental hypertension. Sprague-Dawley rats were given subcutaneous injections of 1.5 mg dexamethasone every alternate day, resulting in an increase in systolic blood pressure within 1 wk. Interestingly, administration of a pharmacological dose of 1.5, 3, or 7.5 mg DHEA along with dexamethasone prevented dexamethasone-induced hypertension in a dose-dependent manner. DHEA had no effect on the hypertension induced by deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt administration using uninephrectomized rats or on the genetic model of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Dexamethasone administration resulted in a significant weight loss in rats, which was not prevented by simultaneous administration of DHEA. These results indicate that dexamethasone-mediated weight loss may involve mechanisms separate from its hypertensive action. Dexamethasone treatment resulted in a significant decrease in food consumption that was not reversed by DHEA. It is concluded that DHEA at doses above physiological levels when given subcutaneously has no effect on DOCA-salt or a genetic model of hypertension but has a beneficial effect on dexamethasone-induced hypertension.
Thermal energy storage system integration forms for a sustainable future

Abstract There is an increasing awareness that there are limits to the availability of non-renewable resources, while there is an increasing energy demand throughout the world. This demand is expected to be satisfied through the efficient renewable energy in the near future. However, the world is facing the challenge of variable renewable energy outputs due to a stochastic feature of the energy sources. Thermal energy storage (TES) can be a good option for mitigating the effects of intermittent renewable resources on the networks. It can not only allow the increased renewable energy and night time low price electricity utilization, but also provide flexibility and ancillary services for managing future electricity supply/demand challenges. In this paper, various TES forms, including sensible, latent and sorption are explained and summarized for their performance enhancement. More importantly, from the perspective of sustainability, various integration forms for different applications are systematically introduced, such as TES integration with hot water supply, air conditioners and heat pumps, TES integration with building construction systems, and TES integration with power production cycles, cogeneration, food transport, solar cookers and vehicle systems for thermal comfort. Therefore, this study is beneficial to designing more sustainable thermal systems by the researchers and engineers.
What makes a sodium channel

Action potentials in mammalian nerve and muscle are carried by sodium currents through voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV). These proteins are part of the larger family of voltage-gated channels that includes the well-known calcium (CaV) and potassium (KV) channels, as well as a variety of other
Comparison of Brain Masking Techniques in Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Exclusion of non-brain matter in functional magnetic resonance imaging is required for performing functional localization in particular, as well as functional image analysis in general. This paper presents a comparison of the commonly used brain masking techniques in functional magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, a masking algorithm based on connected components analysis along with Gaussian smoothing is introduced. The contiguous binary brain mask obtained by the new algorithm is shown to be more effective than the ones obtained by the commonly deployed masking algorithms. The introduced algorithm can also be applied to different image modalities that need to be registered to the space of anatomy or to the native space of echo planar images.
A superstructure-based framework for bio-separation network synthesis

Abstract Modern biotechnologies enable the production of chemicals using engineered microorganisms. However, the cost of downstream recovery and purification steps is high, which means that the feasibility of bio-based chemicals production depends heavily on the synthesis of cost-effective separation networks. To this end, we develop a superstructure-based framework for bio-separation network synthesis. Based on general separation principles and insights obtained from industrial processes for specific products, we first identify four separation stages: cell treatment, product phase isolation, concentration and purification, and refinement. For each stage, we systematically implement a set of connectivity rules to develop stage-superstructures, all of which are then integrated to generate a general superstructure that accounts for all types of chemicals that can be produced using microorganisms. We further develop a superstructure reduction method to solve specific instances, based on product attributes, technology availability, case-specific considerations, and final product stream specifications. A general optimization model, including short-cut models for all technologies, is formulated. The proposed framework enables preliminary synthesis and analysis of bio-separation networks, and thus estimation of separation costs.
The evolution of surgical telementoring: current applications and future directions

Surgical telementoring is a concept within telemedicine that involves the use of information technology to provide real-time guidance and technical assistance for surgical procedures from an expert physician at a different geographical location. It is a means to overcome the logistic obstacles associated with traditional mentoring and can aid in the distribution of advanced surgical techniques. In addition to its perceived educational benefits, it has the potential to directly impact patient care by providing immediate access to specialized surgical expertise in areas lacking access to qualified surgeons. With advances in technology, surgical telementoring has made significant strides in the past two decades and a breadth of positive experiences have been published in the literature. Despite this growth, questions remain regarding ideal videoconferencing methodology, resolution and latency requirements, security and liability issues, and telementoring in combination with emerging technology. This review addresses the history and progression, current applications, and future directions of surgical telementoring as a means to distribute advanced surgical expertise around the world.
What factors are related to recurrent preterm birth among underweight women

Objective: Our objective was to identify factors associated with recurrent preterm birth among underweight women.Methods: Maternally linked hospital and birth certificate records of deliveries in C...
Applying the auxin-inducible degradation (AID) system for rapid protein depletion in mammalian cells

The ability to deplete a protein of interest is critical for dissecting cellular processes. Traditional methods of protein depletion are often slow-acting, which can be problematic when characterizing a cellular process that occurs within a short period of time. Furthermore, these methods are usually not reversible. Recent advances to achieve protein depletion function by inducibly trafficking proteins of interest to an endogenous E3 ubiquitin ligase complex to promote ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the proteasome. One of these systems, the auxin-inducible degron (AID) system, has been shown to permit rapid and inducible degradation of AID-tagged target proteins in mammalian cells. The AID system can control the abundance of a diverse set of cellular proteins, including those contained within protein complexes, and is active in all phases of the cell cycle. Here we discuss considerations for the successful implementation of the AID system and describe a protocol using CRISPR/Cas9 to achieve bi-allelic insertion of an AID degron in human cells. This method can also be adapted to insert other tags, such as fluorescent proteins, at defined genomic locations.
Hypertension: A new genetic clue to unravel the origins of pre-eclampsia.

Pre-eclampsia is a common disorder of pregnancy for which the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. A genome-wide association study has now identified a pre-eclampsia susceptibility locus located near the FLT1 gene. This study brings us a step closer to dissecting the underlying causes of pre-eclampsia.
Ethics, Politics and Sociology as Newtonian Sciences

Newton’s scientific and philosophical legacy can be brought out most clearly by studying the “Newtoniazation” of other scientific disciplines. Astronomy, chemistry and biology, starting from a completely different empirical basis, have been assimilated and have finally become, in principle, a subdivision of Newtonian physics. This remarkable power is based on the fact that Newtonianism is a logic system that is complete, exhaustive and exclusive. Once a system is identified as mechanical, the Newtonian control becomes effective all the way.
Assessment of active landslides using field electrical measurements.

Abstract Landslide characterization and hazard assessments require multidisciplinary approaches that connect geologic processes with geotechnical parameters. Preexisting landslide activity, geology and geomorphology, soil strength, and hydrologic conditions are complex factors that affect landslide behavior. Often, the connections among these factors are not made for hazard assessments, forecasting, or slope stability modeling. Therefore, geophysical and geotechnical techniques for landslide investigations are typically assessed independently. This study aims to bring together different techniques to develop a methodology that connects electrical measurements and shear strength. A framework has been developed for using electrical resistivity measurements that will support and facilitate the prediction of shear strength within a slope. In-situ volumetric water content, soil-water potential (suction), and electrical conductivity were measured from two shallow colluvial landslides in Kentucky. Repeated surface electrical resistivity survey measurements were used to characterize the failure zone and lithology, and to compare with the in-situ hydrologic measurements. The data show that subsurface moisture conditions over time can be reflected in the inversions of repeated ER surveys, thus allowing electrical measurements and geotechnical parameters to be correlated. This study demonstrates that electrical resistivity can be used as a tool for landslide monitoring and to assess shear strength. These parameters are pertinent to investigating the stability of landslides that are often triggered or reactivated by rainfall.
Rostral Anterior Cingulate Cortex Morphology Predicts Treatment Response to Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression.

Abstract Background Rostral and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (rACC and sgACC) activity and, to a lesser extent, volume have been shown to predict depressive symptom improvement across different antidepressant treatments. This study extends prior work by examining whether rACC and/or sgACC morphology predicts treatment response to Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) for major depressive disorder. This is the first study to examine neural predictors of response to iCBT. Methods Hierarchical linear modeling tested whether pretreatment rACC and sgACC volumes predicted depressive symptom improvement during a six-session (10-week) randomized clinical trial of iCBT ( n = 35) versus a monitored attention control condition ( n = 38). Analyses also tested whether pretreatment rACC and sgACC volumes differed between patients who achieved depression remission versus patients who did not remit. Results Larger pretreatment right rACC volume was a significant predictor of greater depressive symptom improvement in iCBT even when controlling for demographic (age, gender, race) and clinical (baseline depression, anhedonia, and anxiety) variables previously linked to treatment response. In addition, pretreatment right rACC volume was larger among patients receiving iCBT whose depression eventually remitted relative to patients who did not remit. Corresponding analyses in the monitored attention control group and for the sgACC were not significant. Conclusions rACC volume before iCBT demonstrated incremental predictive validity beyond clinical and demographic variables previously found to predict symptom improvement. Such findings may help inform our understanding of the mediating anatomy of iCBT and, if replicated, may suggest neural targets to augment treatment response (e.g., via modulation of rACC function).
A Bi-Criterion Optimization Planning Model for Process Networks with Multiple Scenarios and Environmental Impact

Abstract This work proposes an optimization model for planning operations, capacity expansion,and other process retrofitting for a chemical process network considering uncertainties in products prices and demands, and also considering environmental impact. The formulated MILP is a bi-criterion problem such that the first objective function is to maximize the net present value (NPV) and the second objective function is to minimize the total environmental impact forthe chemical process network. Multiple scenarios are incorporated to account for uncertainties in products prices and demands. The bi-criterion problem is solved using the epsilon constraint method. The model is tested with an industrial scale chemical network to illustrate the advantages of using an integrated approach for this planning problem.
Cardiac Applications of Positron Emission Tomography

This is the second in a series of four continuing education articles on positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. After reviewing this article the reader should be able to: (1) understand the clinical considerations for PET imaging of the heart; (2) understand the technical considerations for PET imaging of the heart; and (3) be familiar with the agents used in PET imaging of the heart.
Palladium-Catalyzed Cyclocarbonylation of Pyridinylated Vinylogous Amides and Ureas to Generate Ring-Fused Pyridopyrimidinones

As part of a program aimed at generating new heterocyclic frameworks for medicinal chemistry exploration, an efficient approach to the assembly of novel ring-fused pyridopyrimidinones was undertake...