cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Taste, teleology and macronutrient intake

Among the human sensory systems, taste is afforded the greatest relevance to nutrition as it is posited to have aided the identification and ingestion of nutrients in the environment and thereby improved the probability of survival. With respect to the macronutrients, sweet, umami and oleogustus (fat taste) reportedly facilitated meeting energy, essential amino acid and essential fatty acid requirements. However, such a teleological view fails to account for the fact that humans are largely blind to the primary sources of the macronutrients in the environment (starch, protein and triacylglycerol) and, in the case of protein and fat, the effective taste stimuli are generally unpleasant degradation products. Additional challenges to the prevailing teleology are also presented. Some have proposed that the sense of taste serves as a palatability screen that functions more basically by signaling safe and potentially toxic properties of potential foods. However, it is well documented that sensory qualities are unreliable predictors of food safety (sweet foods can be toxic and bitter foods nutritious). Instead, it is proposed that taste contributes to food choice by acquiring predictive information about wholesomeness through innate and learned mechanisms.
Time of day is an inaccurate surrogate marker for sleep-wake state in an epilepsy monitoring unit.

Abstract Objective To assess the correlation between time of day and sleep-wake state prior to seizure onset for seizures recorded in an inpatient epilepsy monitoring unit. Methods We prospectively enrolled a consecutive series of patients undergoing inpatient epilepsy monitoring. For each epileptic seizure recorded, continuous EEG data preceding seizure onset was reviewed and scored as W, N1-3, or REM in ten 30-second epochs. Time of day was divided into four 6-h phases (0600−1159, 1200−1759, 1800−2359, 0000−0559). The preictal sleep-wake state was then correlated to nocturnal (0000−0559) versus diurnal (0600−2359) times of day. Results A total of 102 seizures from 42 patients met enrollment criteria over a period of 19 months. Eighty-five seizures occurred during the diurnal phase, and 17 seizures occurred during the nocturnal phase. Thirty-six percent of all seizures (n = 37) were preceded by at least 1 epoch of sleep. The proportion of patients sleeping prior to a seizure within each 6-h phase varied significantly from the overall distribution only during nocturnal phase. Seventy-six percent of nocturnal seizures and 28 % of diurnal seizures were preceded by sleep. Therefore, the nocturnal time window from 0000−0559 had a sensitivity of 0.65 (95 % confidence interval 0.48−0.78), a specificity of 0.06 (0.02−0.15), a positive predictive value of 0.28 (0.20−0.39), and a negative predictive value of 0.24 (0.10−0.39) in association with sleep-onset seizures. Significance The time of day is an inaccurate surrogate for preictal sleep-wake state in the epilepsy monitoring unit despite a correlation between nocturnal period and sleep. Diurnal sleep is a common phenomenon in the inpatient unit.
A Monitoring System for Anomaly Detection in Fog Manufacturing

Fog manufacturing is an advanced manufacturing system that integrates Fog computing with interconnected manufacturing processes. It can provide responsive and robust computation services compared with Cloud manufacturing. However, the performance of Fog manufacturing is still not satisfactory due to various anomalies such as inappropriate architecture designs, cyber-attacks, etc. These problems can lead to anomalies in Fog manufacturing and can impede the wide adoption of Fog manufacturing. To quickly detect the anomalies in Fog manufacturing during operations, a monitoring system is desirable. Therefore, in this paper, we proposed a monitoring system based on statistical process control (SPC) methods to comprehensively monitor different types of anomalies in Fog manufacturing. The exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) and risk-adjusted (RA) charts are adopted to detect different anomalies based on corresponding monitoring statistics. A simulation study and a real case study based on a Fog manufacturing testbed are implemented to evaluate the performance of the proposed monitoring system. The result shows the proposed monitoring system can quickly and efficiently detect different types of anomalies in Fog manufacturing. This monitoring system can also potentially help to improve architecture designs and offloading strategies by further analyzing the root causes of a specific anomaly in future work.
Manufacturing energy and greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastics consumption

Summary Reducing the carbon intensity of plastics production by sourcing sustainable feedstocks while simultaneously enabling effective polymer recycling represents a potential transformation of 21st century manufacturing. To evaluate technologies that could enable such changes, it is imperative to compare the sustainability of bio-based and/or circular plastic flows to those of incumbent manufacturing paradigms. To that end, we estimate the supply chain energy requirements and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with US-based plastics consumption. Major commodity polymers, each of which has a global consumption of at least 1 MMT per year, account for an estimated annual 3.2 quadrillion Btutus (quads) of energy and 104 MMTCO2e of GHG emissions in the US alone. This study serves as a foundation for comparing the supply chain energy requirements and GHG emissions of today’s plastics manufacturing to tomorrow’s disruptive technologies, to inform the development of bio-based plastics and the circular economy for synthetic polymers.
Perioperative Opioid Exposure Patterns in Pediatric Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Ten-Year Administrative Database Study.

INTRODUCTION Variation in opioid exposure has been documented in many pediatric fields; however, little is currently known about the extent of these findings during the perioperative period. The purpose of this study was to examine perioperative opioid exposure on a national level among patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using an administrative database. Our aims were to assess the impact of hospitals and a variety of demographic factors on (1) the likelihood of perioperative opioid exposure and (2) the variability in relative opioid exposure. METHODS The Pediatric Health Information Systems Database (PHIS) was used to identify pediatric patients (≤ 18 years old) across 52 hospitals undergoing ACL reconstruction between January 2008 and December 2017. Administered opioids in morphine milligram equivalents were discretized into quintiles to represent relative opioid exposure (ROE). A hurdle generalized additive model was estimated to identify demographic factors predictive of (1) the receipt of any opioid medication and (2) the ROE among those receiving opioids. RESULTS Of the 19,821 patients meeting study inclusion criteria, 17,350 (88%) were administered opioid medications perioperatively. There was no temporal trend in perioperative opioid utilization or ROE over the study period. Patients in an inpatient (OR = 0.260 [0.221, 0.305]) or observation unit (OR = 0.349 [0.305, 0.401]) context were less likely to be administered opioids. Female patients (OR = 0.896 [0.813, 0.987]) were less likely to be administered opioids, while patients on commercial insurance had a higher ROE (OR = 1.09 [1.023, 1.161]). Patient age and hospital-level time trends predicted opioid administration and exposure (max p < 0.001). DISCUSSION Gender, age, surgical setting, hospital type, and insurance status, in part, predicted perioperative opioid exposure among pediatric patients undergoing ACL reconstruction surgery. Exposure has not declined in recent years and varies significantly between hospitals. Although this study primarily served to document demographic variability in perioperative opioid exposure in pediatric patients undergoing ACL reconstruction, the understanding of variability in perioperative opioid utilization and exposure rate could stand to be further explored.
Available At?: The Tenuous Nature of Online Authority Cited in Arkansas Judicial Opinions

Judicial citations to online authority, while promising increased access to cited content, actually threaten stare decisis. Links to cited content degrade over time and the cited material becomes unavailable to future researchers looking to understand the citing court's reasoning. This study of "link rot" in Arkansas state court opinions examines citations to online content by Arkansas courts, surveys the extent of the link rot problem in Arkansas, and proposes a solution to this problem.
A NEW RAPID TEST METHOD TO PREDICT LINO(SUB3) DOSAGE FOR CONTROLLING ASR EXPANSION

A test apparatus called "dilatometer" has been developed to predict the dosage of lithium nitrate (LiNO(sub 3)) required to control ASR expansion as a function of the alkali level and aggregate reactivity. The dilatometer is instrumented so as to monitor within a short period of time the volumetric expansion of the siliceous gel produced by a siliceous aggregate. The rationality of this test procedure was explored from comprehensive laboratory experiments related to the effects of temperature, normality of NaOH test solution, and LiNO(sub3) dosage. Determination of the level of expansion within 30 hours, using this method enables one to predict the dosage of LiNO(sub3), which is now being used as an ASR mitigating agent, needed for a particular aggregate to control expansion die to ASR. Based on the test results, it is anticipated that this test method will be useful for predicting the optimum dosage of LiNo(sub3) required for a particular aggregate type and source.
Drug injection-related fat necrosis of the breast with FDG PET-CT uptake

A 52-year-old woman was found to have a lung mass and bilateral breast lesions on computed tomography (CT). Subsequent positron emission tomography/CT demonstrated marked uptake in the lung mass and mild uptake within the breast lesions. A diagnostic mammogram and targeted ultrasound were performed to exclude primary breast malignancy or metastases from presumed pulmonary malignancy. A pertinent history of recent intravenous drug use with heroin injection into bilateral breasts, together with imaging features, facilitated diagnosis of fat necrosis. Fat necrosis is a common diagnosis in breast imaging and may be an incidental finding on positron emission tomography/CT in the oncologic setting. The presence of fat along with suggestive clinical history can lead to the diagnosis and appropriate assignment of either benign, breast imaging-reporting and data system (BI-RADS) 2, or probably benign, BI-RADS 3, category with short interval follow-up. Appropriate work-up of incidental fluorodeoxyglucose-avid breast masses with diagnostic mammogram ± ultrasound is warranted to avoid incorrect interpretation as neoplastic processes.
Are brighter eggs better? Egg color and parental investment by House Wrens

Recent work suggests that avian egg color could be a sexually selected signal to males that provides information about female condition, female genetic quality, or maternal investment in eggs. Theory predicts that egg color should influence male investment if it is an honest signal of the marginal fitness returns on paternal investment; a male should invest more in a colorful clutch if that investment increases offspring success more than an equivalent investment in a less colorful clutch. Some experimental support for this hypothesis has been found for species that lay blue eggs containing the pigment biliverdin, a potentially costly antioxidant. However, the brown eggshell pigment protoporphyrin, a pro-oxidant associated with poor female condition, has received less attention as a potential predictor of female quality or investment. We performed a cross-fostering experiment with House Wrens {Troglodytes aedon) in southwest Michigan in 2007 to test whether brown egg color was related to female condition or maternal investment, and whether male provisioning of nestlings was related to egg color. We swapped entire clutches between nests and measured egg characteristics and parental provisioning rates. We found that brighter eggs (i.e., those with less brown pigment) were heavier, and that nestlings that hatched from brighter eggs were fed at higher rates by their foster mothers, but not by their foster fathers. This pattern is consistent with the hypothesis that egg color is a potential signal of egg quality and female investment, but we found no evidence of a male response to this potential signal. This lack of a response could be the result of methodological limitations, a nonadaptive biological constraint, or adaptive indifference because chicks from brighter eggs do not actually yield increasing marginal returns on paternal investment. Clearly, additional study is needed to differentiate among these possibilities.
A new model of total solar irradiance based on sunspot areas

[1] We show that daily sunspot area can be used in a simple model to reconstruct daily variations in the total solar irradiance, S. The model assumes that all fluctuations in S are correlated with the emergence of sunspots on the solar disk. Cotemporal data for S and sunspot area are analysed to extract the finite impulse response function that describes the time evolution of S in response to a sunspot. The impulse response function clearly shows the evolution of a dark sunspot into a well-defined bright region which then spreads out and decays over a period of about 400 days. This function can be used to reconstruct S from the Greenwich daily sunspot area database, which extends from the late 1800's to the present. We find that the level of S at solar minimum has no long-term secular trend that is correlated with the level of sunspot activity.
Political cycles and policy convergence

espanolEste trabajo presenta un modelo de elecciones con votantes heterogeneos e informacion asimetrica sobre el tipo de funcionario en que la senalizacion de los anos electorales conducen a una convergencia de politica. Los politicos enfrentan motivaciones tanto ideologicas como politicas al elegir una politica. Funcionarios moderados implementan politicas que equiparan los costos de desviacion de su politica preferida y los beneficios de su incremento en la posibilidad de reeleccion. Utilizando refinamientos de equilibrio estandar, se obtienen las condiciones bajo las cuales el equilibrio unico es dividido en politicas. Bajo ciertas condiciones, los votantes con aversion al riesgo se benefician de una mejor dispersion de politicas durante anos electorales. EnglishThis paper presents a model of elections with heterogeneous voters and asymmetric information about the incumbent's type, in which signaling in electoral years leads to policy convergence. Politicians face both ideological and opportunistic motivations while choosing a policy. Moderate incumbents implement policies that balance the costs of deviating from their preferred policy and the gains from their increased chances of reelection. Using standard equilibrium refinements, conditions are obtained under which the unique equilibrium is separating in policies. Under certain conditions, risk averse voters benefit from the lower dispersion of policies during electoral years.
Outsourcing Learning: Is the Statecraft Simulation an Effective Pedagogical Alternative?

Although rising costs have been a general trend in higher education since the early 20th century, a fundamental restructuring of the higher education marketplace is currently underway. In recent decades students and their parents have been forced to finance college education through greater and greater debt. As a result, students and their families are increasingly demanding that institutions of higher learning provide evidence of value. Universities must now ask what methods of instruction most efficiently expand a student’s knowledge base—can instruction that has been traditionally supplied in a physical classroom be delivered more effectively at lower cost through digital means? If so, how can these savings be measured and can they be propagated across an entire curriculum? This paper examines the effects of using Statecraft, a commercially-available online simulation, in teaching international relations. The simulation was used in two semesters of an undergraduate international relations course as part of a flipped classroom pedagogy, in which Statecraft replaced lectures and other instructional activities that required a physical classroom. The study demonstrates that a significant portion of instruction can be outsourced to an online provider of standardized content with
Effects of Widespread Drought-Induced Aspen Mortality on Understory Plants

Forest die-off around the world is expected to increase in coming decades as temperature increases due to climate change. Forest die-off will likely affect understory plant communities, which have substantial influence on regional biological diversity, ecosystem function, and land-atmosphere interactions, but how die-off alters these plant communities is largely unknown. We examined changes in understory plant communities following a widespread, drought-induced die-off of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the western United States. We assessed shrub and herbaceous cover and volume in quadrats in 55 plots located across a wide range of levels of aspen mortality. We measured species richness and composition of herbaceous plant communities by recording species presence and absence in 12 sets of paired (1 healthy, 1 dying) aspen plots. Although understory composition in healthy and dying stands was heterogeneous across the landscape, shrub abundance, cover, and volume were higher and abundance of herbaceous species, cover, and volume were lower in dying aspen stands. Shrub cover and volume increased from 2009 to 2011 in dying stands, which suggests that shrub growth and expansion is ongoing. Species richness of herbs declined by 23% in dying stands. Composition of herbs differed significantly between dying and healthy stands. Richness of non-native species did not differ between stand types. The understory community in dying aspen stands was not similar to other shrub-dominated plant communities in the region and may constitute a novel community. Our results suggest that changes in understory plant communities as forests die off could be a significant indirect effect of climate change on biological diversity and forest communities.
Introductory Human Factors Engineering Courses: What is Currently Taught

Course syllabi were requested from 43 U.S. undergraduate engineering programs to assess the structure and content of introductory Human Factors Engineering courses. Such information is valuable for new faculty and those who want to redesign their courses. Educators in industry also must constantly evaluate their courses to ensure their material is current. Syllabi were received from 27 of the programs. Factors considered were textbooks, credits, ABET credit categories, grading, and TA usage. Course topics were analyzed by frequency of appearance across the courses. The most popular topics were vision and hearing-related, displays, anthropometry, and workspace evaluation and design. Less popular topics, included liability, technical writing, shiftwork, and occupational stress.
Oxidation of Nicotinic Acid by a Bacillus Species: Purification and Properties of Nicotinic Acid and 6-Hydroxynicotinic Acid Hydroxylases

The enzymes of a Bacillus species that hydroxylate nicotinic acid to 6-hydroxynicotinic acid and 6-hydroxynicotinic acid to 2,6-dihydroxynicotinic acid were purified and characterized. The purified enzymes contained approximately two molecules of flavine and eight molecules of iron per molecule of enzyme. The enzymes were large (molecular weight, 400,000 to 450,000) and appeared to consist of subunits.
Exposure to an organophosphate pesticide, individually or in combination with other Gulf War agents, impairs synaptic integrity and neuronal differentiation, and is accompanied by subtle microvascular injury in a mouse model of Gulf War agent exposure

Gulf War illness (GWI) is a currently untreatable multi-symptom disorder experienced by 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War (GW) veterans. The characteristic hallmarks of GWI include cognitive dysfunction, tremors, migraine, and psychological disturbances such as depression and anxiety. Meta-analyses of epidemiological studies have consistently linked these symptomatic profiles to the combined exposure of GW agents such as organophosphate-based and pyrethroid-based pesticides (e.g. chlorpyrifos (CPF) and permethrin (PER) respectively) and the prophylactic use of pyridostigmine bromide (PB) as a treatment against neurotoxins. Due to the multi-symptomatic presentation of this illness and the lack of available autopsy tissue from GWI patients, very little is currently known about the distinct early pathological profile implicated in GWI (including its influence on synaptic function and aspects of neurogenesis). In this study, we used preclinical models of GW agent exposure to investigate whether 6-month-old mice exposed to CPF alone, or a combined dose of CPF, PB and PER daily for 10 days, demonstrate any notable pathological changes in hippocampal, cortical (motor, piriform) or amygdalar morphometry. We report that at an acute post-exposure time point (after 3 days), both exposures resulted in the impairment of synaptic integrity (reducing synaptophysin levels) in the CA3 hippocampal region and altered neuronal differentiation in the dentate gyrus (DG), demonstrated by a significant reduction in doublecortin positive cells. Both exposures also significantly increased astrocytic GFAP immunoreactivity in the piriform cortex, motor cortex and the basolateral amygdala and this was accompanied by an increase in (basal) brain acetylcholine (ACh) levels. There was no evidence of microglial activation or structural deterioration of principal neurons in these regions following exposure to CPF alone or in combination with PB and PER. Evidence of subtle microvascular injury was demonstrated by the reduction of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM)-1 levels in CPF+PB+PER exposed group compared to control. These data support early (subtle) neurotoxic effects on the brain following exposure to GW agents.
Somnogenic activity of O-acetylated and dimeric muramyl peptides.

Slow-wave sleep-promoting factors in brain and urine were identified as muramyl peptides (MPs), the building blocks of bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan. In this study, structural variations of MPs that occur naturally in bacterial peptidoglycan were investigated for somnogenic activity. Monomeric and dimeric MPs were isolated and purified from Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Actinomadura sp. strain R39. The structures of these MPs were verified by fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy and tandem mass spectroscopy. After intracerebroventricular administration of MPs, electroencephalograms and brain temperatures of rabbits were recorded for 6 h and were analyzed to determine durations of slow-wave sleep, rapid-eye-movement sleep, and wakefulness. The 6-O acetylation of muramic acid enhanced the somnogenic effects of certain monomeric MPs relative to their non-O-acetylated (but otherwise identical) counterparts. Two monomeric MPs containing an unsubstituted amide (i.e., Iso-Gln) were inactive, thus confirming previous results showing that amidation of a variety of MPs can block somnogenic activity. Two peptide-cross-linked MP dimers tested had no effect on slow-wave sleep, although a third peptide-cross-linked MP containing a 1,6-anhydro muramyl end on one of its monomeric subunits, a structure that enhances somnogenic potency of un-cross-linked monomers, was somnogenic. Two dimers connected by glycosidic bonds and containing an Iso-Gln moiety were inactive. Two other glycosidically linked dimers that also contained an Iso-Gln moiety, but were of lower molecular weight, were somnogenic. In summary, 6-O acetylation of muramic acid in somnogenic MPs enhances activity, and as a class, peptide-linked dimeric MPs tend to be less active than their constituent monomers.
White Sock Crime: Organizational Deviance in Intercollegiate Athletics

Results of initial investigations of incidents precipitating the recent intercollegiate athletic scandals attributed responsibility for those incidents to specific workers, athletes, administrators...
Validating delay constructs: An application of confirmatory factor analysis

This paper proposes to use confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the relationship between six observed variables (arrival and departure counts, arrival and departure demand, taxi-out and airborne delays) and their underlying latent (unobserved) constructs (operations, demand, and delays) at six of the most delayed airports (Newark Liberty International (EWR), John F Kennedy International (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Miami International (MIA), Chicago O'Hare International (ORD), and San Francisco International (SFO)) during the calendar years of 2006–2008. The CFA revealed a good fit between the six observed variables and the three factors that may explain on-time performance except in the case of JFK. The use of CFA can help analysts validate constructs when theory supports a priori predictions and relationships between observed and unobserved variables.
Weak-signal phase calibration strategies for large DSN arrays

The NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) is studying arrays of large numbers of small, mass-produced radio antennas as a cost-effective way to increase downlink sensitivity and data rates for future missions. An important issue for the operation of large arrays is the accuracy with which signals from hundreds of small antennas can be combined. This is particularly true at Ka band (32 GHz) where atmospheric phase variations can be large and rapidly changing. A number of algorithms exist to correct the phases of signals from individual antennas in the case where a spacecraft signal provides a useful signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on time scales shorter than the atmospheric coherence time. However, for very weak spacecraft signals it will be necessary to rely on background natural radio sources to maintain array phasing. Very weak signals could result from a spacecraft emergency or by design, such as direct-to-Earth data transmissions from distant planetary atmospheric or surface probes using only low gain antennas. This paper considers the parameter space where external real-time phase calibration will be necessary, and what this requires in terms of array configuration and signal processing. The inherent limitations of this technique are also discussed
Bilateral FDI and Canadian Export Activity

This study examines how Canadian exports to a specific trading partner are influenced by outward and inward direct investment flows to/from that country. A gravity-type empirical model guides a dynamic panel analysis which utilizes Organization For Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) country-level data from 1989–2007. Besides refuting the contention that outward foreign direct investment (FDI) displaces exports, the findings also imply a strong role for intra-firm based export growth in response to inward FDI. The analysis is enriched by explicitly accounting for the dominant position of the United States within the context of Canada's overall trade and investment flows.
Multiple human tracking with wireless distributed pyro-electric sensors

This paper presents a wireless distributed pyroelectric sensor system, whose sensing visibilities are modulated by Fresnel lens arrays, for tracking multiple humans. The aim of this study is to design and develop a wireless infrared sensor system which can track multiple humans with better data-to-object association, lower power consumption/cost/detectability, and less privacy infringement than its infrared video-based counterpart. The concept of a geometric sensor is discussed and utilized in local/global visibility modulation for the node-centric sensor system, to implement the process of data-object-association, performed by a Bayesian joint probabilistic data association scheme with validation gates. An Expectation-Maximization-Bayesian tracking scheme, consisting of detection, localization, filtering, and prediction, is proposed and implemented among slave, master, and host modules of a prototype sensor system. Experimentally the prototype system was able to simultaneously track two individuals in both follow-up and crossover scenarios with average tracking errors less than 0.5 m. The proposed wireless distributed infrared sensor system can not only run as a stand alone inmate/patient monitoring system under all illumination conditions, but also serve as a complement for conventional video and audio human tracking systems.
The impact of signet-ring cell carcinoma histology on bladder cancer outcome

Background Signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) of the urinary bladder is a rare entity. No previous studies have directly compared the cancer-specific survival of patients with SRCC to patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the urinary bladder.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BEHAVIOURAL ALTERATIONS FOLLOWING 6-HYDROXYDOPAMINE ADMINISTRATION INTO BRAIN.

Adult and neonatal rats treated with 6-OHDA to reduce NE, DA or both catecholamines have been used to examine the role of brain catecholamines in several behaviours (Table 1). The data implicated DA-containing fibres in the maintenance of several diverse functions including consummatory behaviour, active avoidance responding and self-stimulation of brain. Motor activity and stereotypies induced by amphetamine also appear to be dependent upon brain DA. Table 1 shows that brain NE at this time has been associated only with temperature control. Present findings are consistent with proposals (Everett and Wiegand, 1962; Seiden and Carlsson, 1963) suggesting alternative roles for DA not clearly related to its usual association with extrapyramidal function.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Selection of Resistance Among Staphylococcus epidermidis Isolates Recovered from Patients with Infections of Indwelling Foreign Devices

Twenty-seven isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis from patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis or infected cerebrospinal fluid shunts were examined for susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Subpopulations resistant to 20 and 100 mug of methicillin per ml were present in 63% of the isolates (methicillin-resistant isolates). Subpopulations resistant to 20 mug of nafcillin and cephalothin per ml were found in every methicillin-resistant isolate but with frequencies (10(-5.0 +/- 0.5) and 10(-6.4 +/- 0.9), respectively) which were not always detectable by susceptibility testing. Resistance to >/=1.6 mug of penicillin per ml was found in 80% of isolates. Cephalothin, cefazolin, and cefamandole were more active than cefoxitin or cephradine, and gentamicin was more active than tobramycin or amikacin; rifampin was the single most active agent against all isolates. There was no difference in susceptibility between prosthetic valve endocarditis and cerebrospinal fluid shunt infection isolates. Among methicillin-resistant isolates, the phenotypic expression of resistance to methicillin or nafcillin but not to cephalothin could be enhanced by 48 h of incubation with each drug. Isolates containing no methicillin-resistant subpopulations were killed by incubation with methicillin, nafcillin, or cephalothin. High-level resistance to rifampin emerged in both methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive isolates after 8 to 24 h of incubation with this drug. The presence or absence of antibiotic-resistant subpopulations among S. epidermidis isolates and their selection during treatment should be considered when therapy is devised.
Refraction and diffraction of photoelectrons at the Ge(001) surface

High-resolution photoemission spectra for the Ge 3d core levels were measured as a function of the polar emission angle from the Ge(001) surface for k${\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}_{\mathrm{para}}$ along either the Ge[010] or the Ge[110] azimuth. The spectra were deconvolved to yield the separate contributions from the surface atomic layer and the bulk. Both sets of data show a general increasing trend for the surface contribution relative to the bulk contribution for increasing polar emission angle; superimposed on the increasing trend are small aperiodic oscillatory variations due to diffraction. The data were analyzed by ignoring diffraction. Refraction was found to be important; from a theoretical fit to the data, we obtained a value of 15 eV for the crystal inner potential relative to the vacuum level and a value of 7.2 A\r{} for the electron escape depth at an electron kinetic energy of 37 eV.
daf-16 integrates developmental and environmental inputs to mediate aging in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract Evolutionary models of aging propose that a trade-off exists between the resources an organism devotes to reproduction and growth and those devoted to cellular maintenance and repair, such that an optimal life history always entails an imperfect ability to resist stress. Yet, since environmental stressors, such as caloric restriction [1] or exposure to mild stress [2, 3], can increase stress resistance and life span, it is possible that a common genetic mechanism could regulate the allocation of resources in response to a changing environment (for overview, see [4–7]). Consistent with predictions of evolutionary trade-off models, we show that nematodes carrying an integrated DAF-16::GFP transgene grow and reproduce more slowly yet are more stress resistant and longer lived than controls carrying the integration marker alone. We also show that the nuclear localization of the DAF-16::GFP fusion protein responds to environmental inputs as well as genetic. Environmental stresses, such as starvation, heat, and oxidative stress, cause rapid nuclear localization of DAF-16. In conditions rich in food, we find that DAF-16::GFP is inhibited from entry into the nucleus by daf-2 and akt-1/akt-2 , both components of insulin-like signaling in nematodes. We suggest that changes in the subcellular localization of DAF-16 by environmental cues allows for rapid reallocation of resources in response to a changing environment at all stages of life.
Hepatitis C in a Los Ageles public hepatitis clinic: demographic and biochemical differences associated with race-ethnicity

Abstract Background & Aims: The goal of this study was to uncover possible racial-ethnic differences in hepatitis C presentation in an urban hepatitis clinic. Methods: We surveyed the clinic summary cards of patients with antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) seen from 1993 to 2000 for demographic and laboratory data. Results: A total of 1271 HCV patients were categorized into 4 major racial-ethnic groups consisting of 95 Asian, 232 African American, 323 Caucasian, and 621 Latino patients. The latter showed significantly higher serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase, and bilirubin levels ( P P P = 0.0002) compared with other groups. Asian patients were 10 years older than other racial-ethnic groups and were significantly more likely to be coinfected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) ( P = 0.004). Asian patients also had an equal distribution of infected men and women whereas all other groups showed a male predominance. Injection drug use was a negligible cause of hepatitis C in Asian patients, but a prevalent exposure in Caucasian patients of both sexes and in African American and Latino men was seen. Transfusion was more prevalent in Asian and Latino patients. Conclusions: Hepatitis C risk factors, sex distribution, and coinfection with hepatitis B vary by race-ethnicity. Latino patients showed statistically significant biochemical differences in ALT, aspartate transaminase, bilirubin, and albumin levels compared with all other racial-ethnic groups. Further studies are required to determine the possible causes for these biochemical differences.
Management of peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Purpose of reviewPeripheral T-cell lymphomas are an uncommon and heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas that are noted for their particularly poor prognosis. Their rarity has resulted in few data being available to allow formulation of optimal treatment approaches. There remains no widely ac
Presidential and Vice Presidential Debates in 2008: A Profile of Audience Composition

In this study, the authors examine the composition of the audiences for the presidential and vice presidential debates in 2008. Results from the 2008 National Annenberg Election Survey show that the size of the vice presidential debate-viewing audience in 2008 exceeded the sizes of the presidential debate-viewing audiences, which is atypical from prior campaign seasons. The same general demographic and political characteristics that have driven political debate viewing in the past were operative during the 2008 presidential and vice presidential debate season, with debate viewing by Blacks being a notable exception. Contrary to our predictions, females were not more likely than males to watch the vice presidential debate. Debate watching was significantly associated with the favorability ratings of the candidates on the Democratic ticket, but it was not associated with the ratings of the Republican nominees.
A review of integrated analysis of production–distribution systems

This paper reviews recent work on integrated analysis of production-distribution systems, and identifies important areas where further research is needed. By integrated analysis we understand analysis performed on models that integrate decisions of different production and distribution functions for a simultaneous optimization. We review work that explicitly considers the transportation system in the analysis, since we are interested in the following questions: (i) how have logistics aspects been included in the integrated analysis? and (ii) what competitive advantages, if any, have been obtained from the integration of the distribution function to other production functions within a company and among different companies? In our review we also mention whether the work has been done at the strategic level, i.e., if it concerns the design of the distribution system, or at the tactical level, i.e., if it concerns optimization problems for which the characteristics of the distribution system are provided.
Functional Interaction between Ku and the Werner Syndrome Protein in DNA End Processing

Werner syndrome (WS) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by premature aging. The gene responsible for the syndrome was recently cloned and shown to encode a protein with strong homology to DNA/RNA helicases. In addition, the Werner syndrome protein (WRN) possesses an exonuclease activity. Based on the homology to helicases it has been proposed that WRN functions in some aspects of DNA replication, recombination, or repair. However, there is currently no evidence of a role of WRN in any of these processes; therefore, its biological function remains unknown. Using a biochemical approach, we have identified two polypeptides that bind to the WRN protein. Peptide sequence analysis indicates that the two proteins are identical to Ku70 and Ku80, a heterodimer involved in double strand DNA break repair by non-homologous DNA end joining. Protein-protein interaction studies reveal that WRN binds directly to Ku80 and that this interaction is mediated by the amino terminus of WRN. In addition, we show that the binding of Ku alters the specificity of the WRN exonuclease. These results suggest a potential involvement of WRN in the repair of double strand DNA breaks.
Relation of oil yield to the structure of the thermal wave in the combustion processing of oil shale

The combustion retorting of oil shale is analyzed. By using coordinate systems moving at the same velocity as reaction zones, a model is obtained for the fully developed thermal wave which would exist after the wave has progressed a sufficient distance into the bed. Of particular interest is the interpretation of oil yield in terms of the structure of the wave and of operating variables.
Shallow-Water Flow past Isolated Topography. Part II: Transition to Vortex Shedding

Abstract The formation of Karman vortex streets is studied within the framework of single-layer shallow-water dynamics and in absence of surface friction and background rotation. In the first part of this study, steady numerical solutions for flow past circular topography were obtained by imposing a symmetry condition that essentially suppressed vortex shedding. In the second part, this symmetry condition is relaxed in order to study the transition into the vortex-shedding regime. This transition is due to an instability of the symmetric wake pattern. The most unstable global normal mode of this instability is derived by a numerical method. Most of the features of this mode can be understood in terms of the absolute instability theory. The mode is essentially barotropic and relies on a positive feedback between the perturbations located on the two shearlines on either side of the wake. The classical shear modes centered on a single shearline are, on the other hand, shown to be absolutely stable even thoug...
Effects of new clonidine derivatives on rabbit intraocular pressure

Effects of 25 topically applied clonidine derivatives on rabbit IOP recovery model using intravenous hypertonic saline were studied. Among them, 12 compounds were dissolved in aqueous medium, 11 compounds in polyethylene glycol (PEG 200) and 2 compounds in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Four compounds showed marked delay in IOP recovery and were more active than S-timolol and clonidine. Five compounds were about equiactive to S-timolol and more active than clonidine in suppression of IOP recovery and prolongation of the duration of drug action. There were three compounds that were less active than S-timolol yet they were still as active or were active than clonidine. Thirteen out of 25 compounds were inactive in suppressing IOP recovery curves. Most of these active compounds (9 out of 12) suppressed IOP recovery in the same magnitude for both treated and non-treated contralateral eyes, indicating that these effects were manifested though central actions. Three out of 12 compounds showed more effect with treated eyes than with nontreated contralateral eyes, indicating that the local effects were predomiant.
A screening study of antidepressant treatment rates and mood symptoms in pregnancy.

Summary Study design: As part of a large screening study of perinatal depression, pregnant women were screened for demographic, depression and treatment variables in obstetrics clinics. Women taking antidepressant medication prior to conception were included in the sample as the study aimed to document rates of antidepressant medication use, and relationship to depressive symptomatology. Results: Among women who reported using antidepressant medications within 2 years prior to screening (n ¼ 390, or 11% of all women), 22% reported current use of these medications. Women who reported using antidepressant medications (52%) and those who discontinued them (49%) evidenced elevated depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Conclusions: Both women who discontinue and some who continue antidepressants during pregnancy demonstrate depressive symptoms, suggesting sub-optimal management of both groups. Future studies should carefully assess the adequacy of treatments prescribed as well as the monitoring and adherence of recommended treatments. Full symptom remission should be the goal for antenatal and postnatal depression in order to minimize risk to mother and baby.
A rapid enzymatic DNA sequencing technique: determination of sequence alterations in early simian virus 40 temperature sensitive and deletion mutants

We have adapted a rapid sequencing technique from the enzymatic nick-translation method of Maat and Smith. The Forward-Backward procedure employs both synthetic and 3' to 5' exonucleolytic activities of E. coli DNA polymerase I to achieve greater reliability, especially in reading stretches of the same nucleotide. The technique has been employed to determine sequence alterations in four early SV40 temperature-sensitive (tsA) point mutants and five early SV40 viable deletion mutants. The nucleotide sequence of these mutants provides an insight into their biological properties.
Temperature effect on growth rates of Eriophorum vaginatum roots.

Root growth rates of the sedge Eriophorum vaginatum L. were studied under controlled environmental conditions. The air temperature was maintained constant at 15°C while the root temperatures varied in 5°C intervals between 2° and 37° C (12° C excluded). Root growth rates of 1.2 mm d-1 at 2°, 20.4 mm d-1 at 32° C and 10.1 mm d-1 at 37° C were recorded. A Q10 of 3.2 was calculated for the temperature range from 7° to 27° C. Root growth rates at temperatures above 17° C declined after one week of growth. The degree of decline was proportional to the applied root temperature. Depletion of available nonstructural carbohydrate was the probable cause for this decline.
Skimming electronic newspaper headlines: a study of typeface, point sizes, screen resolution, and monitor size

Abstract The effects of typeface, point size, screen resolution and monitor size on legibility were studied in a task-setting similar to skimming headlines in an electronic newspaper. Times New Roman, Book Antiqua, Century Gothic, and Arial were the four typefaces used in the study. The point sizes used to present the headlines were 14 point, 20 point, and 24 point sizes. Two resolutions, 640× 480 pixels and 1024 × 768 pixels, were used in the study on two different monitor sizes—14″ (0.28 mm dot-pitch) and 19″ (0.31 mm dot-pitch). All the headlines used in the study averaged 6 words in length with an average pixel width of 410 pixels when displayed at a logical dots-per-inch of 96 dpi under Microsoft Windows. The headlines were shown to 28 subjects using a brief-exposure method. The results indicate the existence of interactions between all factors considered in this study. The results of further investigation into the simple interaction effects of typeface × point size as well as the simple, simple main effects of typeface are presented for the 14″ monitor. The best overall legibility was achieved by the Times New Roman and Arial typefaces. These two typefaces represent a serif and a sans-serif typeface tuned specifically for the display of text on a computer screen.
Affect control theory: Respecification, estimation, and tests of the formal model

The mathematical model for a theory of social action drawn from symbolic interactionism is respecified with new theoretical refinements. Model parameters are estimated from empirical data and are tested by simulating behaviors in role relationships. The best simulations are provided by simplifications of the original model rather than by elaborations.
The English present tense

It is generally agreed that the English ‘present tense’ is not appropriately analyzed as indicating present time: present-time events often cannot be expressed in the present tense; conversely, the present tense is often used for nonpresent occurrences. I will argue, however, that these problems are only apparent, arising from a failure to appreciate the numerous conceptual factors that are crucially involved. When these are properly elucidated, using notions available in cognitive semantics and cognitive grammar, the characterization ‘coincidence with the time of speaking’ proves remarkably adequate in accounting for present-tense usage.