cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Religion and Adult Mortality: Group- and Individual-Level Perspectives

Modern epidemiological studies of religion and all-cause or cause-specific mortality are reviewed to better understand the patterns of association and potential mechanisms by which religion could affect health and survival. Two distinct groups of studies are found: those that compare rates for mortality of a homogeneous religious affiliation group with that of a standard regional, state, or national population (group-level data), and those that assess individual risk related to religious attendance in observational cohort studies (individual-level data). The associations of religion with reductions in all-cause mortality are stronger in the group-level data than in the individual-level data, primarily because individual-level data permit the inclusion of intervening or mediating variables such as smoking and diet. This chapter discusses the importance of the regulating, behavior-constraining effect of religious affiliation, with particular attention to gender differences in religion and health.
Microcoaxial phacoemulsification Part 2: clinical study.

Purpose To determine whether microcoaxial phacoemulsification can be reliably and safely performed in a clinical setting and whether a full-sized single-piece acrylic intraocular lens (IOL) can be implanted through a 2.2 mm incision. Setting Private practice, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Method One hundred consecutive patients had cataract surgery by microcoaxial phacoemulsification with the MicroSmooth Ultrasleeve (Alcon Surgical) through a 2.2 mm incision. Anterior chamber stability, incision competency, safety of IOL implantation, intraoperative complications, efficiency, and the learning curve were evaluated. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) on the first postoperative day, corneal appearance, intraocular pressure, and postoperative complications were also analyzed. Results Anterior chamber stability and incision competency were consistently excellent. The incision enlarged from 2.2 mm to 2.3 mm in 80% of the patients, to 2.4 mm in 12%, and to 2.5 mm in 8%. A high-power IOL and/or IOL insertion difficulty may account for 7 of the latter 8 cases. Efficiency and safety were equivalent to those in traditional phacoemulsification. The learning curve with the Ultrasleeve was minimal, although IOL implantation was initially more difficult. The UCVA on the first postoperative day was 20/40 or better in 91% of patients, a result consistent with mild corneal edema. There were no postoperative complications. Conclusions The clinical results in a prospective series of 100 patients confirmed the efficacy and safety of microcoaxial phacoemulsification. Fluidic advantages, competent incisions, and the new countertraction implantation technique provide another approach to achieving less-invasive, high-quality cataract surgery.
Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

A healthy 4-year old has just undergone open reduction internal fixation of a midshaft femur fracture under general endotracheal anesthesia with an epidural in place which appeared to be functioning well during surgery. You are called to the bedside because he is in excruciating pain, clenching his teeth, crying, and he and his parents are wild.
Stem cell fate in cancer growth, progression and therapy resistance

Although we have come a long way in our understanding of the signals that drive cancer growth, and how these signals can be targeted, effective control of this disease remains a key scientific and medical challenge. The therapy resistance and relapse that are commonly seen are driven in large part by the inherent heterogeneity within cancers that allows drugs to effectively eliminate some, but not all, malignant cells. Here, we focus on the fundamental drivers of this heterogeneity by examining emerging evidence that shows that these traits are often controlled by the disruption of normal cell fate and aberrant adoption of stem cell signals. We discuss how undifferentiated cells are preferentially primed for transformation and often serve as the cell of origin for cancers. We also consider evidence showing that activation of stem cell programmes in cancers can lead to progression, therapy resistance and metastatic growth and that targeting these attributes may enable better control over a difficult disease.
Improvements to an optical scintillator imaging-based tissue dosimetry system

Previous work has shown that capturing optical emission from plastic discs attached directly to the skin can be a viable means to accurately measure surface dose during total skin electron therapy. This method can provide accurate dosimetric information rapidly and remotely without the need for postprocessing. The objective of this study was to: (1) improve the robustness and usability of the scintillators and (2) enhance sensitivity of the optical imaging system to improve scintillator emission detection as related to tissue surface dose. Baseline measurements of scintillator optical output were obtained by attaching the plastic discs to a flat tissue phantom and simultaneously irradiating and imaging them. Impact on underlying surface dose was evaluated by placing the discs on-top of the active element of an ionization chamber. A protective coating and adhesive backing were added to allow easier logistical use, and they were also subjected to disinfection procedures, while verifying that these changes did not affect the linearity of response with dose. The camera was modified such that the peak of detector quantum efficiency better overlapped with the emission spectra of the scintillating discs. Patient imaging was carried out and surface dose measurements were captured by the updated camera and compared to those produced by optically stimulated luminescence detectors (OSLD). The updated camera was able to measure surface dose with
Muslim women and pious fashion in Burkina Faso as identity, pose, and defiance

This article discusses how young Muslim women negotiate their multiple identities within the context of a predominantly Muslim, secular nation. It focuses on female members of the Association des E...
Exopolysaccharide-mediated surface penetration as new virulence trait in Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococcus faecalis is a commensal bacterium that normally inhabits the gastrointestinal tract of humans. This non-motile microorganism can also cause lethal infections in other organs by penetrating and breaching the intestinal barrier. However, the precise molecular mechanisms enabling E. faecalis movement and translocation across epithelial barriers remain incompletely characterized. We recently reported that E. faecalis utilizes the RpiA-GlnA-EpaX metabolic axis to generate β-1,6-linked poly-N-acetylglucosamine (polyGlcNAc)-containing exopolymers that are necessary for its optimal migration into semisolid surfaces and efficient translocation through human epithelial cell monolayers. These findings provide new evidence indicating that non-motile bacterial pathogens can exploit carbohydrate metabolism to penetrate surfaces. Hence, targeting this process might represent a new strategy to more effectively control systemic infections by E. faecalis.
Strain differences in muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonism of fat intake and acquisition and expression of fat-conditioned flavor preferences in male BALB/c, C57BL/6 and SWR mice.

Abstract Murine strain differences occur for both intakes of and preferences for sugars and fats. Previous studies demonstrated that the muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist, scopolamine (SCOP) more potently reduced sucrose and saccharin intakes in inbred C57BL/6 and BALB/c than SWR mice, sucrose-conditioned flavor preferences (CFP) expression in BALB/c, but not C57BL/6 or SWR mice, and sucrose-CFP acquisition in BALB/c relative to SWR and C57BL/6 mice. Although fat intake and fat-CFP are observed in all three strains, strain-specific effects were previously observed following dopamine D1, opiate and NMDA receptor antagonism of sweet and fat intake and CFP. The present study investigated whether muscarinic receptor antagonism differentially affected fat (Intralipid) intake and preferences in these strains by examining whether SCOP altered fat (Intralipid) intake and fat-CFP expression and acquisition in BALB/c, C57BL/6 and SWR mice. SCOP (0.1–10 mg/kg) significantly reduced Intralipid (5%) intake in all three strains across 2 h. In fat-CFP expression experiments, food-restricted mice consumed one flavored (conditioned stimulus (CS)+, 5 sessions) Intralipid (5%) solution and a differently-flavored (CS−, 5 sessions) Intralipid (0.5%) solution. Two-bottle CS choice tests with the two flavors mixed in 0.5% Intralipid occurred following vehicle and two SCOP doses (1, 5 mg/kg). SCOP elicited small, but significant reductions in fat-CFP expression in BALB/c and C57BL/6, but not SWR mice. In fat-CFP acquisition experiments, separate groups of BALB/c, C57BL/6 and SWR mice were treated prior to the ten acquisition training sessions with vehicle or two SCOP (2.5, 5 mg/kg) doses followed by six two-bottle choice tests without injections. SCOP eliminated fat-CFP acquisition in all three strains. Thus, muscarinic receptor signaling mediates learning, and to a lesser degree maintenance of fat-CFP while maximally inhibiting fat intake in the three strains.
O.J.’s Defense: A Reductio Ad Absurdum of Coase and Posner

Even though the O.J. Simpson case has been settled, it is still much in the news. Pundits, commentators, journalists, and editorialists are still weighing in with a myriad of discussion and analysis. Should the economics profession alone remain silent on this highly charged issue when seemingly all others have entered the fray? Not a bit of it.
Rice Cultivar Response to Florpyrauxifen-Benzyl When Applied with Imazethapyr and a Cytochrome P450 Inhibitor

Understanding cultivar responses to a new herbicide is crucial to determining appropriate herbicide use and management practices. Florpyrauxifen-benzyl is a new rice herbicide developed to control troublesome weeds in rice production. Little research has been conducted to characterize rice cultivar responses to florpyrauxifen-benzyl, and thus, a field experiment was conducted at the Pine Tree Research Station (PTRS) in 2017 and 2018 and at the Rice Research and Extension Center (RREC) in 2018 to determine rice cultivar tolerance to florpyrauxifen-benzyl as influenced by herbicide rate, the addition of imazethapyr, and rice growth stage. Another experiment was conducted in 2018 at PTRS and RREC to assess crop response when florpyrauxifen-benzyl at different rates is applied with and without malathion, a known cytochrome P450 inhibitor. Three cultivars were evaluated in both experiments: a long-grain variety “CL111,” a medium-grain variety “CL272,” and a long-grain hybrid “CLXL745.” Injury in the first experiment was higher when florpyrauxifen-benzyl was applied at 60 g ae ha−1 than at the labeled rate of 30 g ha−1, with the most injury being 10% when averaged over growth stage at the time of application. Generally, applications made at the 3-leaf growth stage resulted in the most injury; however, this injury was at most 14%. Additionally, there was no reduction in grain yield for any cultivar, indicating florpyrauxifen-benzyl can be used safely in conjunction with imazethapyr in imidazolinone-resistant rice. In the second experiment, there was no more than 10% injury and no reduction in grain yield, with the addition of malathion not causing an increase in rice injury. Results from these experiments indicate florpyrauxifen-benzyl can be mixed with imazethapyr and the addition of malathion will not lead to increased risk for injury to rice.
EVIDENCE FOR LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY CHANGE AS PROVIDED BY FIELD TRIALS

In the past two decades, considerable emphasis has been placed on developing computer models that can be used to predict effects of management practices on long-term forest productivity [1, 2, 3, 4], Although the value of such models as exploratory research tools is widely recognized, acceptance of their predicted changes in forest growth is limited. All models incorporate current understanding of forest growth, and produce results that are only as reliable as this understanding. Because our understanding of factors affecting forest growth is incomplete, results from carefully controlled field trials, rather than models, provide the more convincing evidence of productivity change.
Management of Metadiaphyseal Proximal Radius Fractures.

Metadiaphyseal proximal radius fractures blur the distinction between the radial neck and radial shaft fractures. Operative management presents unique technical challenges both in terms of surgical approach and fixation method. We discuss relevant anatomy, safe surgical approach, and options and techniques for fracture fixation. We describe 6 patients who achieved satisfactory functional outcomes, even in cases of severe bone loss secondary to ballistic trauma. An extensile dorsal approach with exposure of the posterior interosseous nerve is recommended when normal soft tissue intervals have not already been extensively disrupted. Robust fixation can be achieved by contouring and repurposing a variety of plates such as a variety of mini fragment plates (2.4 mm T or Y-plates), flexible nails, or even distal radius plates.
Pandemic Death Traps

Faced with a pandemic, how does the government decide whether to shut down the economy or employ less economically-damaging mitigation measures, and what are the second-best distortions in this decision? We address this question from a positive (how does) rather than a normative (how should) standpoint to explain how differences in second-best distortions can lead to differences in policy responses to a pandemic across different countries, and why there may be a disposition for shutdowns despite these differences. Our analysis develops a two-period production-consumption model in which the economy can be hit with health shocks in the form of pandemics in both periods. The government can choose to do nothing, invest in mitigation to attenuate the effects of a shock, shut down the economy, or choose to invest in mitigation and shut down the economy. Shutting down the economy leads to fewer expected deaths but also creates loss of economic output, with consequences for the economy's ability to invest in mitigation when hit with future health shocks. We derive conditions under which mitigation without a shutdown is the optimal policy choice and conditions under which mitigation with a shutdown is the optimal policy. We then introduce public health experts who advise the government on its policy response. We show that these experts' career concerns can induce a shutdown even when their private information indicates that not shutting down is Pareto superior. The public health experts' career concerns can thus induce a policy "death trap" and lead to the wrong choice. We also discuss why shutdowns may be more damaging in emerging markets than in developed countries.
Hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations and Geometric Optics

This book introduces graduate students and researchers in mathematics and the sciences to the multifaceted subject of the equations of hyperbolic type, which are used, in particular, to describe propagation of waves at finite speed. Among the topics carefully presented in the book are nonlinear geometric optics, the asymptotic analysis of short wavelength solutions, and nonlinear interaction of such waves. Studied in detail are the damping of waves, resonance, dispersive decay, and solutions to the compressible Euler equations with dense oscillations created by resonant interactions. Many fundamental results are presented for the first time in a textbook format. In addition to dense oscillations, these include the treatment of precise speed of propagation and the existence and stability questions for the three wave interaction equations. One of the strengths of this book is its careful motivation of ideas and proofs, showing how they evolve from related, simpler cases. This makes the book quite useful to both researchers and graduate students interested in hyperbolic partial differential equations. Numerous exercises encourage active participation of the reader. The author is a professor of mathematics at the University of Michigan. A recognized expert in partial differential equations, he has made important contributions to the transformation of three areas of hyperbolic partial differential equations: nonlinear microlocal analysis, the control of waves, and nonlinear geometric optics.
Resuscitating the Mercury Beating Heart: An Improvement on the Classic Demo.

The mercury beating heart is a dramatic demonstration of redox chemistry that allows for the direct conversion of chemical energy to mechanical energy without involving a machine to accomplish the transfer. Unfortunately, instructors often avoid this demonstration due to difficulties initiating the oscillating redox reaction that drives the process. Here, we describe a new method for initiating the mercury beating heart demonstration that significantly reduces the setup time and makes it easier to sustain the “beating heart” oscillations.
Lay it Out: Detecting of Fake News Publishers through Website Structure Data

We propose a novel website structure based domain-level fake news detection model that has performance results surprisingly comparable to that of existing content-based methods. Through feature analysis, we highlight that fake news sites have more clustered subpages and more {\it ads} links, whereas traditional news sites are more substantive and more likely to contain {\it staff} links. We then illustrate that the structural model has a higher overall false positive rate compared to content-based methods, which have a higher false negative rate for domains that are more recent, more popular, and is conservative-leaning. Additionally, we also show that all model performance is dependent on the strictness in definitions of fake and traditional news sites. Specifically, model performance is higher when these definitions are more restrictive. Finally, we demonstrate that the performance of existing content-based models improve significantly by incorporating structural features, particularly when the definitions for fake and traditional news sites are lax.
The (Career) Options

This chapter dives into the different career options that are available to industry practitioners seeking to embark on a transition to higher education. While the traditional career path connected to higher education might have focused on teaching and other classroom instruction, that is only a small piece of a much broader picture. Additional categories that may be of interest to some practitioners include more research-oriented roles, or job roles and tasks that are more focused on the administering and managing of programs or even schools. On top of the specific career roles that are available to individuals, it is important to assess and understand what the constituent groups are in the higher education space. Students and colleagues are obvious constituent or stakeholder groups, but fellow colleagues, administrators, corporate partners, and even the sources of financing for the institution usually play a role in the decision-making process at every institution. Taking this array of information into account, individuals will have the information to help them make a decision as to what category (teaching, research, or administrative) seems to be a good fit, and what role in that category is the most appropriate.
Sensitive detection of integrated and free transcripts in chimeric antigen receptor T-cell manufactured cell products using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction

Abstract Background Aims Viral vectors are commonly used to introduce chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) constructs into cell therapy products for the treatment of human disease. They are efficient at gene delivery and integrate into the host genome for subsequent replication but also carry risks if replication-competent lentivirus (RCL) remains in the final product. An optimal CAR T-cell product should contain sufficient integrated viral material and no RCL. Current product testing methods include cell-based assays with slow turnaround times and rapid quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays that suffer from high result variability. The authors describe the development of a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) method for detection of the vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein envelope sequence, required for viral assembly, and the replication response element to measure integration of the CAR construct. Methods Assay validation included precision, linearity, sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility over a range of low to high concentrations. Results The limit of detection was 10 copies/μL, whereas negative samples showed 0.9985, slope ~0.9). Finally, serial measurements demonstrated very good long-term reproducibility (>95% of replicate results within the originally established ± two standard deviations). Conclusions DDPCR has excellent reproducibility, linearity, specificity and sensitivity for detecting RCL and assuring the safety of patient products in a rapid manner. The technique can also likely be adapted for the rapid detection of other targets during cell product manufacturing, including purity, potency and sterility assays.
Walking Cadence during Moderate-Intensity Physical Activity in Pregnant Women.

Evidence has established that a cadence of 100 steps/min is indicative of the moderate intensity threshold of 3 metabolic equivalents (METs), but this has only been described in non-pregnant individuals. As metabolic alterations are well established during pregnancy, the purpose of this study was to determine if the walking cadence equivalent to 3 METs in pregnant women is similar to non-pregnant populations. Pregnant females (n = 29; age = 30.3 ± 3.2 years, gestational age = 23.9 ± 6.6 weeks) in their second or third trimester (>12 weeks gestation) completed three stages of treadmill walking for 5 min at different standardized walking speeds: 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 miles per hour (mph). Oxygen consumption (VO2) and heart rate (HR) were measured each minute and METs were calculated for each stage. Real-time continuous monitoring of walking cadence was evaluated by an OptoGait gait analysis system. Following the three standardized speed stages, participants completed an additional stage walking at a speed that elicited 100 steps/min; VO2 and HR were also collected. A one-sample t-test was used to compare MET values at each stage to the heuristic 3 MET cutoff, and Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to evaluate the relationship between cadence and METs. Mean cadence increased linearly across the three stages (2.5 mph = 103.7 ± 4.5, 3.0 mph = 112.5 ± 5.3, and 3.5 mph = 120.4 ± 6.2 steps/min), as did METs (2.5 mph = 2.7 ± 1.7, 3.0 mph = 3.2 ± 0.8, and 3.5 mph = 4.3 ± 1.8 METs) regardless of trimester. The average treadmill speed at which women walked at 100 steps/min was 2.4 ± 0.4 mph which elicited an oxygen consumption of 9.5 mL•kg−1•min−1, or 2.7 ± 0.7 METs. There was no significant difference between METs at 3.0 mph and the conventional 3 MET cut point for moderate-intensity PA (p < 0.05). There was a moderate and significant relationship between METs and cadence (2nd trimester: r = 0.51; 3rd trimester: r = 0.42). Current data indicate for the first time that the traditionally used 3 MET cutoff for moderate-intensity activity is appropriate for pregnant women despite metabolic alterations associated with pregnancy. This may have important implications for exercise prescription in pregnant populations.
Automatic segmentation of contrast-enhanced time resolved image series

Medical imaging often involves the injection of contrast agents and the subsequent analysis of tissue enhancement patterns. Many important types of tissue have characteristic enhancement patterns; for example, in MR mammography, malignancies exhibit a characteristic "wash out" temporal pattern, while in MR angiography, arteries, veins and parenchyma each have their own distinctive temporal signature. In such time resolved image series, there are substantial changes in intensities; however, this change is due primarily to the contrast agent, rather than to motion. As a result, the task of automatically segmenting contrast-enhanced images poses interesting new challenges. In this paper, we propose a new image segmentation algorithm for time resolved image series with contrast enhancement, using a model-based time series analysis of individual pixels. We take an energy minimization approach to ensure spatial coherence. The energy is minimized in an expectation-maximization fashion that alternates between segmenting the image into a number of non-overlapping regions and finding the temporal profile parameters which describe the behavior of each region. Preliminary experiments on MR angiography and MR mammography studies show the algorithm's ability to find an accurate segmentation.
Retrospective diagnosis of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, 1978-1993: implications for emerging infectious diseases.

. Objective.-To investigate the occurrence of unrecognized cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome preceding the detection of the 1993 outbreak in the southwestern United States and the initial description of the syndrome. Design.-Retrospective clinicopathologic and immunohistologic study. Patients.-Eighty-two patients who died prior to April 1993 with histologically unexplained noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. Methods.-Clinicopathologic review and immunohistochemical evaluation of autopsy tissues for evidence of hantaviral infection. Results.-Twelve retrospective fatal cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome were identified through clinicopathologic review and immunohistochemical testing of tissues. Patients' ages ranged from 16 to 49 years. The earliest identified case occurred in 1978, 15 years prior to the outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the southwestern United States. Immunohistochemical testing showed widespread deposition of hantaviral antigens, primarily within endothelial cells, similar to the pattern observed with current hantavirus pulmonary syndrome cases. Conclusions.-Although hantavirus pulmonary syndrome was first recognized in 1993, the findings from this study document the earlier existence of this disease. These findings underscore the need for systematic archiving and analysis of clinical information and specimens from patients with diseases of unknown etiology to facilitate the study of new clinical entities and their associated etiologic agents.
Applications for transoral robotic surgery in the pediatric airway

Objectives/Hypothesis To report preliminary experience in the utilization of transoral robotic surgical (TORS) techniques in pediatric airway surgery. Study Design Retrospective case series. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed on all pediatric patients undergoing robotic airway surgery at a university-based children's hospital between August 2010 and December 2012. Results Three pediatric patients underwent robotic repair of various airway anomalies between August 2010 and December 2012. Case 1 is a 15-year-old boy with posterior glottic stenosis for which a robotic-assisted posterior cricoid split with cartilage graft placement was attempted but ultimately required conversion to an open technique. Case 2 is a 6-year-old male with Trisomy 21 who had robotic-assisted endoscopic repair of a type II laryngeal cleft, with subsequent resolution of his chronic aspiration and successful initiation of oral feeding. Case 3 is a 3-year-old female who underwent robotic-assisted left posterior cordectomy and subtotal arytenoidectomy for idiopathic bilateral vocal cord paralysis, resulting in improved Passy-Muir valve tolerance. Conclusion TORS is being increasingly utilized in the field of head and neck surgery as it is frequently less invasive and often demonstrates improved outcomes compared with traditional approaches. This study details our experience utilizing TORS in the management of pediatric airway anomalies and represents one of the earliest such series in the literature. Although TORS has the potential to improve the management of pediatric airway disorders, larger, prospective studies are needed to better elucidate its feasibility and efficacy. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 124:2630–2635, 2014
Immunosuppressive activity of murine newborn spleen cells. I. Selective inhibition of in vitro lymphocyte activation.

Abstract Cell-mediated immune responses to newborn lymphocyte alloantigens were investiated using mitogen activation, mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and cell-mediated lympholysis (CML). Spleen cells from 1- to 5-day-old (C57BL/6 × Balb/c) F 1 mice co-cultured with maternal strain (BALB/c) splenocytes did not affect DNA synthesis of maternal strain cells in the presence of concanavalin A or phytohemagglutinin. Newborn cells did inhibit the lipopolysaccharide response of maternal strain lymphocytes and these cells also depressed DNA synthesis when added to MLR cultures of BALB/c and C57BL/6 spleen cells. Newborn cells expressed poor stimulatory capacity in semiallogeneic MLR and also caused marked inhibition of DNA synthesis when added to semiallogeneic MLR containing BALB/c (responder) and CB6F 1 adult splenocytes (stimulator). The suppression of MLR by neonatal cells persisted for the first 2 weeks of life and was associated with a soluble factor released during culture. The suppressive activity was almost completely abrogated after depleting the T-cells from newborn splenocytes. However, these same cells did not interfere with the in vitro generation of cytotoxic lymphocytes in the CML assay. The selective immunosuppressive properties of newborn spleen cells may be important during pregancy by protecting the immunologically alien fetus from rejection by the mother.
Model Updating in Structural Dynamics through a Confluence Algorithm

The identification of the dynamic response of a structure in the presence of structural degradation has potential practical use on health monitoring systems and can contribute to improve the safety of rotorcraft flight and wind-turbine operations and to decrease their handling costs. A combined numerical and experimental procedure, called Property Identification Algorithm, updates the numerical model based on a limited set of experimental measurements in order to accurately predict the dynamic response of a system in the presence of structural degradations. The algorithm is designed based on modal decomposition and discrete experimental measurements, and is formulated in the case of periodic excitations. It is demonstrated that the updated dynamic response represents an accurate map of the experimental response in the domain. The paper describes the proposed algorithm and presents validation cases.
Die Innervation der Nebenniere

Legt man die Nebenniere frei und lost sie von zu- und abfuhrenden Blutgefasen und von dem sie umgebenden Fett- und Bindegewebe los, so tritt ein dichtes Nervengeflecht zutage. Die Hauptmasse dieser Nerven stammt aus dem Plexus coeliacus, an dessen Bildung bekanntlich die Nervi splanchnici und auch der Nervus vagus Anteil haben. Beide Nerven sind aber auch direkt im Plexus suprarenalis vertreten. Wahrend der Splanchnicus beiderseits vor dem Eintritt in das Ganglion semilunare einen Ast zur Nebenniere abgibt, ist die direkte Verbindung mit dem Vagus nicht immer deutlich nachzuweisen.
Rhesus Monkey Rhadinovirus: A Model for the Study of KSHV

Rhesus monkey rhadinovirus (RRV) is one of the closest phylogenetic relatives to the human pathogen Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)—a gamma-2 herpesvirus and the etiologic agent of three malignancies associated with immunosuppression. In contrast to KSHV, RRV displays robust lytic-phase growth in culture, replicating to high titer, and therefore holds promise as an effective model for studying primate gammaherpesvirus lytic gene transcription as well as virion structure, assembly, and proteomics. More recently, investigators have devised complementary latent systems of RRV infection, thereby also enabling the characterization of the more restricted latent transcriptional program. Another benefit of working with RRV as a primate gammaherpesvirus model is that its efficient lytic growth makes genetic manipulation easier than that in its human counterpart. Exploiting this quality, laboratories have already begun to generate mutant RRV, setting the stage for future work investigating the function of individual viral genes. Finally, rhesus macaques support experimental infection with RRV, providing a natural in vivo model of infection, while similar nonhuman systems have remained resistant to prolonged KSHV infection. Recently, dual infection with RRV and a strain of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) has led to a lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD) reminiscent of multicentric Castleman disease (MCD)—a clinical manifestation of KSHV infection in a subset of immunosuppressed patients. RRV, in short, shows a high degree of homology with KSHV yet is more amenable to experimental manipulation both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, these qualities ensure its current position as one of the most relevant viral models of KSHV biology and infection.
The electrical insulation of the DIII-D advanced divertor electrode

For the electrode for biasing experiments on the DIII-D tokamak, electrical insulation had to provide voltage standoff in the DIII-D divertor environment of neutral pressures in the range of 10/sup -8/ to 5*10/sup -2/ torr, variable magnetic fields, and in the presence of ionizing radiation. The electrical insulation system was designed and tested in air and vacuum for voltages up to 3 kV. The operating experience, problems encountered, and improvements to the system are described. Electrical breakdown of some components and transient voltages, up to 5 kV, have been observed. The original concept for insulating the water and electrical feeds for the electrode was found to be prone to failure. A novel scheme of rigid ceramic insulators surrounded by a ground plane was designed and is being implemented. Another problem was arcs from vessel potential surfaces to the electrode in several locations where vessel ground existed within 1 cm of the electrode. The arc traveled in a small crack between two insulators. Careful attention has been paid to closing this and other small gaps in the insulation. >
A note on the instance complexity of pseudorandom sets

The relationship between the notion of pseudorandomness and the notion of hard instances is investigated. It is proved that if A is random (or pseudorandom), then most instances to A are hard instances (or, respectively, have nontrivial instance complexity). These results are used to show that if one-way functions that are secure against polynomial-size circuits exist, then an NP-hard problem A must have a nonsparse core of which all instances have nontrivial instance complexity. >
A Study of Transfer Excitation in F8+ + He, Ne and Ar Collisions

High resolution x-ray spectroscopy has been used to measure F K x rays resulting from the decay of doubly excited two electron states formed during F8+ + He, Ne, or Ar collisions. The energy range spanned by the spectrometer includes the 2s2p(3P) ? 1s2s(3S), 2s2p(1P) ? 1s2s(lS), 2p2(1D) ? 1s2p(1P), 2p2(3P) ? 1s2p(3P) and the 2p2(1S) ? 1s2p(1P) transitions. These states may be formed by nonresonant transfer excitation, in which electron excitation is coupled with electron capture to an excited state, or by resonant transfer excitation, a process related to dielectronic recombination, in which the capture of a loosely bound target electron results in projectile electron excitation. Calculations have been performed to estimate the contribution of each process to the total measured cross section.
Increasing bacterial resistance to the antibiotics; a study of 46 cases of streptococcus endocarditis and 18 cases of staphylococcus endocarditis.

Observations on bacterial resistance to antibiotics in 64 patients with bacterial endocarditis are reported. Streptococcus endocarditis is contrasted with staphylococcus endocarditis as regards course, bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and mortality. The management of bacterial resistant patients is stressed and particular emphasis is placed upon the role of the newer antibiotics such as aureomycin.
A Survey of Railway Vehicle Dynamics Research

Presents a survey of the research concerned with the dynamics of single, conventional railway vehicles. Attention is concentrated on analytical research and only that experimental research that has been performed in conjunction with analytical efforts. The often conflicting objectives for railway vehicle suspension design and the research done to understand the design implications of these objectives are discussed.
Dynamic Visualization of Antenna Patterns and Phased-Array Beam Steering [Education Column]

Antenna education is often hindered by the fact that radiation patterns are hard to visualize (RF electromagnetic waves are invisible), and require complicated, expensive equipment to measure. To solve this problem, we have built a wall that illuminates when RF energy is directed at it. This allows immediate visualization of an antenna's radiation pattern, and of concepts such as wireless propagation, polarization, gain, and even phased-array beam steering. A low-power LED rectenna array is used to create the visualization wall. We have also developed a multicolor LED rectenna that changes color depending on incident power. Also included is a phased-array antenna with a crystal oscillator and power amplifi er on the same board. This board allows the user to control the phase of signals fed to each of four columns of a 16-element patch array using only a rotary selector switch. This allows instructors to demonstrate the principles of phased-array beam steering in real time, all with a self-contained system cost of less than $1500.
Calcium Inhibits Paracellular Sodium Conductance through Claudin-2 by Competitive Binding

Claudins form paracellular pores at the tight junction in epithelial cells. Profound depletion of extracellular calcium is well known to cause loosening of the tight junction with loss of transepithelial resistance. However, moderate variations in calcium concentrations within the physiological range can also regulate transepithelial permeability. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms, we studied the effects of calcium on the permeability of claudin-2, expressed in an inducible MDCK I cell line. We found that in the physiological range, calcium acts as a reversible inhibitor of the total conductance and Na+ permeability of claudin-2, without causing changes in tight junction structure. The effect of calcium is enhanced at low Na+ concentrations, consistent with a competitive effect. Furthermore, mutation of an intrapore negatively charged binding site, Asp-65, to asparagine partially abrogated the inhibitory effect of calcium. This suggests that calcium competes with Na+ for binding to Asp-65. Other polyvalent cations had similar effects, including La3+, which caused severe and irreversible inhibition of conductance. Brownian dynamics simulations demonstrated that such inhibition can be explained if Asp-65 has a relatively high charge density, thus favoring binding of Ca2+ over that of Na+, reducing Ca2+ permeation by inhibiting its dissociation from this site, and decreasing Na+ conductance through repulsive electrostatic interaction with Ca2+. These findings may explain why hypercalcemia inhibits Na+ reabsorption in the proximal tubule of the kidney.
Fibroblast growth factor-2 increases the renal recruitment and attachment of HIV-infected mononuclear cells to renal tubular epithelial cells

The role of circulating growth factors in the pathogenesis of childhood HIV-1-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) is not clearly understood. In previous studies, we found a significant accumulation of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) in the circulation and kidneys of children with HIVAN. The purpose of this study was to determine whether circulating FGF-2 may play a role in the pathogenesis of HIVAN by increasing the renal recruitment and attachment of HIV-infected mononuclear cells to renal epithelial cells. Using in vitro cell adhesion assays, we showed that FGF-2 increased the attachment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to fibronectin-coated tissue culture dishes by approximately threefold through a mechanism that involved the α5 integrin subunit. In addition, we found that FGF-2 induces a similar increase in the attachment of HIV-infected PBMCs and monocytes/macrophages to plastic tissue culture dishes and to monolayers of primary renal tubular epithelial cells harvested from the urine of HIV-infected children with renal disease. Finally, we injected 16 adult C57Bl6/J male mice with recombinant adenoviral vectors carrying either the LacZ gene or a secreted form of human FGF-2 (5×108 pfu/mouse) and demonstrated that high levels of circulating FGF-2 can increase the renal recruitment of circulating inflammatory cells and induce transient tubulointerstitial injury in vivo. These data suggest that FGF-2 may have an immunomodulatory role in the pathogenesis of HIVAN by recruiting HIV-infected cells in the kidney.
Achievement of Standards for Quality Care of Hypertension by Physicians and Nurses

The quality of care provided by physicians and nurses to a hypertension clinic population was studied using retrospective chart audit to compare control of blood pressure (physiologic outcome) and provider performance (process). Data was collected from 200 records, 36.4% of patients, in the program. Return visits were kept by 173 patients (86.5%) during the 6 month study period. Satisfactory point prevelance BP control (diastolic ≤ 90 mmHg) was achieved in 103 (59.5%). Adequate process was documented for 49 of 69 patients with unsatisfactory BP control. The records of 20 patients (11.5%) did not satisfy minumum quality of care criteria. Physicians and nurses saw similar patient groups and did not differ in process documentation or outcome results. The audit methodology was efficient, effective in evaluating management and useful in providing information about staff performance.
Small-cluster analogs of CO adsorption on Cu/Ru(0001): Total-energy and carbon-metal stretch frequency calculations

Total energies as a function of carbon-metal-layer separation and carbon-metal perpendicular stretch frequencies are calculated for small clusters configured to be analogs for the chemisorption system CO on Cu/Ru(0001). The clusters (with 7--10 metal atoms) include analogs of CO/Cu(111) and CO/Ru(0001) with on-top and threefold binding sites. The latter are more stable in both cases. Mixed-metal clusters are also studied (i) with CO bound to Cu in proximity to Ru and (ii) with CO bound to Ru in proximity to Cu. The former, case (i), show enhanced CO binding with respect to CO on pure Cu, and the latter, case (ii), show weakened CO binding with respect to CO on pure Ru. Possible precursor intermediate states are described for commensurate and incommensurate epitaxy. Bonding to Ru sublayers through a Cu adlayer is also described. The results are discussed in conjunction with previous experimental findings, and anticipate future experimental vibrational characterizations.
Contrast-enhanced MR enterography as a stand-alone tool to evaluate Crohn's disease in a paediatric population

Aim To assess the performance of contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) alone in the evaluation of Crohn's disease in comparison to all magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) imaging sequences together in an attempt to suggest limitation of the number of overall unenhanced sequences need for the follow-up evaluation. Materials and methods Twenty-five paediatric patients (mean age 14.1 ± 3.7 years, male = 12, female = 13) underwent MRE at 1.5 T for evaluation of Crohn's disease. Two radiologists reviewed only contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images in consensus on the first session. Whole images including unenhanced (steady-state free precession, single-shot fast spin-echo (HASTE), fat-suppressed T2-weighted) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted sequences were reviewed in consensus during the second session with a 1 month interval, which was used as a reference standard. The readers evaluated the presence or absence of disease in 10 bowel segments in each patient. For the abnormal bowel segments, the readers then evaluated for active versus inactive disease and for the presence or absence of abscess. Sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy were calculated for detecting active inflammation. Results There were 53/250 bowel segments with active inflammation using the reference standard imaging method. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosing active inflammation using contrast-enhanced images alone were 83.3%, 86.9%, and 84.9%. In five of the false-positive cases of detecting abscess from contrast-enhanced imaging alone, absence of abscesses was confirmed on the non-fat-suppressed HASTE images. Conclusion The number of MRE sequences in paediatric Crohn's patients can be decreased while maintaining diagnostic accuracy using contrast-enhanced T1 and non-fat-suppressed HASTE images.
Axial segregation in a cylindrical centrifuge.

We propose a theory for axial segregation of suspensions of non-neutrally buoyant particles in a rotating cylinder. The cylinder is oriented in the horizontal plane, so that any axial forces must arise from interparticle interactions. We show that the hydrodynamic interaction between pairs of particles produces a relative motion in the axial direction, independent of the gravitational force. If the particles are denser than the suspending fluid, differential centrifuging between particles at different radial positions leads to an attractive interaction, inducing a rapid growth of axial density perturbations. We suggest that this mechanism can explain the origin of band formation in rotating suspensions of non-neutrally buoyant particles.
Optical Properties Of Lamelliform Materials

Planar technology for today's electronic devices (ic's, p wave devices, IR detectors, etc.) are constructed of lamellae of metals, insulators and semi-conductors of varying thicknesses. Because thickness and material properties affect device parameters and influ-ence performance characteristics, their measurement and control is essential. Optical property measurements of these lamelliforms provide non-destructive techniques for acquiring information pertinent to device performance characteristics. A brief review of the charac-teristic matrix for the E-M wave equations is given, leading to the matrices involving the Fresnel relations. The relationships of reflectance, transmittance, and absorbtance (emit-tance) for both polarizations and all angles of incidence for a thick plane-parallel dielectric slab, having two differing series of layers on either side, will be given. A description of these relationships applied to a thin (d/λ > 2%) layer on an opaque substrate is presented. Included is a brief description of the two angle of incidence technique of AIRS (Angle of Incidence Reflection Spectroscopy) for studying such systems.
BIOFILM FORMATION BY SALMONELLA SPP. ON CANTALOUPE MELONS

The ability of two strains of Salmonella to form biofilms on whole cantaloupe melons was investigated. Ten microliters of bacterial suspensions was spot-inoculated onto cantaloupe melon rinds in pre-marked areas, and the cantaloupe melons were held at either 10 or 20C. Biofilm formation was monitored using scanning electron microscopy on excised portions of the cantaloupe melon rind at 2, 24, 48, 72 and 144 h postinoculation. Micrographs indicated that biofilm formation occurred rapidly following introduction of cells (2 h at 20C) onto the cantaloupe melon rind. A fibrillar material was visible after just 2 h at 20C, and cells were embedded in extracellular polymeric material after 24 h at either temperature. These results indicate that a human pathogen is capable of forming a biofilm on plant tissue and that biofilm formation may be responsible for the increased recalcitrance of bacteria to aqueous sanitizers.