cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dimensions of Host Specificity in Foliar Fungal Endophytes

Foliar fungal endophytes (FFE) colonized the phyllosphere at least 400 million years ago and have since diversified across every terrestrial ecosystem that supports plant life. Understanding how these complex symbiotic associations are generated, distributed and maintained is a challenging task that requires an understanding of host specificity. We propose a conceptual framework that outlines four ‘dimensions’ of host specificity that account for the geographic, phylogenetic or sampling scale under consideration. These ‘dimensions’ quantify FFE abundance and evenness (structural specificity), interaction strength (network specificity), evolutionary relationships (phylogenetic specificity) and the spatial or temporal consistency of the interaction (beta-specificity). We present one case study that quantifies and compares structural, network and phylogenetic specificity across FFE communities partitioned by taxonomy (Ascomycota vs. Basidiomycota). We focus on the effects of rare FFE species, approximated as Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs), as a key methodological consideration for communities surveyed with next-generation sequencing (NGS) because the statistical nature of rarity confounds the quantification of host specificity. The exclusion of rare FFE OTUs consistently changed ecological inference by decreasing host specificity averages and increasing variances within FFE phyla. To evaluate the degree to which rare FFE OTUs affect statistical power, we compared our empirical community to that of randomized communities. Excluding rare FFE OTUs (>10% of total sequences in the case community removed) may lead to spurious host specificity metrics that are not statistically significant from that of randomized communities. Therefore, rare FFE OTU removal should be done with explicit rationale. We propose conceptualizing FFE host specificity with a multidimensional framework that will allow future studies to use quantitative, comparable and theory-driven metrics that can scale towards more meaningful estimates of global fungal biodiversity.
The Effects of a Paraphrasing Intervention on Word Problem-Solving Accuracy of English Learners at Risk of Mathematic Disabilities:

English learners (ELs) experience difficulty with mathematical problem solving because word problems require complex processes beyond basic math skills, such as the use of linguistic information, i...
A possible termination factor for transcription in Escherichia coli

Abstract DNA from both λ dlac and λ plac viruses direct mRNA-mediated synthesis of β-galactosidase (β-gal) in a coupled cell-free system. When λ dlac DNA is used the system is almost completely dependent upon the presence of adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) which is required for normal initiation of transcription at the lac promoter. By contrast when λ plac DNA is used about half the maximum amount of β-gal is synthesized in the absence of cAMP. It seems highly likely that this cAMP independent synthesis of β-gal is the result of read-through from a phage initiation site on the λ plac DNA. Since there is believed to be at least one transcription termination signal before the lac operon it must be asked why this signal is not being recognized as such in vitro. We hypothesize that the normal bacterial termination factor is missing or inactive in the bacterial extract used to make the cell-free system. This view is supported by the finding that protein extract can be isolated from whole E. coli cells under mild conditions which prevents the cAMP-independent β-gal synthesis without inhibiting cAMP-dependent β-gal synthesis. The behavior of the active factor (called the ϱy factor) in this extract is different from either the Roberts ϱ factor (called ϱR here) or the Schafer-Zillig κ factor. Furthermore it has been found that the ϱR factor cannot replace the ϱy factor.
Hematologic parameters and leukocyte histogram patterns in infectious mononucleosis

Blood samples from 60 patients with serologically positive infectious mononucleosis were analyzed on the Coulter S-Plus IV. Hemoglobins and platelet counts were essentially normal, and leukocyte counts were elevated in less than half the cases. Reactive lymphocytes were present on blood smears from all patients. The S-Plus IV automated three-part leukocyte differentials showed significantly lower numbers of lymphocytes and more mononuclears and granulocytes than manual microscopic differentials. On the leukocyte histograms, lymphocyte peaks were consistently wider than normal and asymmetrical. The instrument generated R2 flags on 43 of 60 (72%) of the samples. Using a combination of "R" flags, mononuclear backlighting, and "H" flags, the Coulter S-Plus IV identified 59 of 60 infectious mononucleosis samples as requiring further review.
The Spontaneously Diabetic BB Rat: Sites of the Defects Leading to Autoimmunity and Diabetes Mellitus. A Review

The spontaneously diabetic BB rat, discovered serendipitously in 1974 in a commercial breeding facility (Bireeding Laboratories, Ottawa, Ontario), is an animal model that displays clinical and pathologic features closely resembling Type 1 (insulin-dependent, juvenile-onset) diabetes meilitus in humans. In both diseases, an immune pathogenesis appears to contribute to the destruction of the pancreatic beta cells. Since first described by NAKHOODA and coworkers (NAKHOODA et al. 1977), the BB rat diabetic syndrome has been extensively characterized. The syndrome is manifest by an abrupt onset of severe hyperglycemia secondary to insulinopenia, with a lymphocytic and monocytic infiltration of the pancreatic islets (insulitis) before and during the acute phase of hyperglycemia (LIKE et al. 1982a; MARLISS et al. 1982; LIKE and ROSSINI 1984; YALE and MARLISS 1984). Genetically susceptible male and female rats develop hyperglycemia with equal frequency and severity, with the time of onset varying from approximately 60 to 120 days of age. Peak onset of diabetes occurs around the age of sexual maturation (80–100 days); the frequency of diabetes in untreated BB rats less than 60 days of age is 0.5% (LIKE and ROSSINI 1984). Characteristically, the animals are nonobese, and diabetic animals require daily insulin injections to prevent ketoacidosis and death. As in humans, the diabetic syndrome has been shown to be associated with genes in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) (COLLE et al. 1981; JACKSON et al. 1984). No known pathogens have been implicated; the syndrome occurs with equal frequency and severity in animals raised in a pathogen-free environment (ROSSINI et al. 1979).
Direct Anterior Screw Fixation of Odontoid Fractures

A 76-year-old woman with no known significant medical issues had a ground-level fall in which her head struck the ground. She immediately had upper neck pain, for which she went to an emergency room. She had no neurological deficits on examination. A computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a type II odontoid fracture without significant displacement (Fig. 7.1). Direct anterior odontoid screw fixation was recommended to the patient for treatment, but she refused to undergo surgical intervention. The patient was, therefore, treated initially with a hard cervical collar. She returned to clinic at 1 week’s time with continued severe neck pain, and a lateral radiograph demonstrated anterior displacement of the dens fragment (Fig. 7.2). The patient chose to proceed with surgery for odontoid screw fixation (Fig. 7.3). At 1-month follow-up examination, her neck pain had completely resolved, and at 6 months, she had no motion at the fracture site on flexion-extension views of the spine.
Linking Building Attributes and Tornado Vulnerability Using a Logistic Regression Model

AbstractThe residential building stock in the United States suffers a disproportionately large amount of tornado damage, which is linked to vulnerability of the building and its components. Whereas...
Sources and Management of Conflict: The Case of Saudi-U.S. Joint Ventures:

Joint ventures predominate in business formats used by multinational corporations in developing countries. It is believed that joint ventures in these countries suffer more conflicts and performanc...
Unusual Sequence of Events in a Case of Takotsubo Syndrome

A 73-year-old female with multiple comorbidities including coronary artery disease was admitted for an elective PCI of a lesion detected in the RCA. On the day of the planned PCI, shortly after right femoral artery cannulation, the patient developed a sudden complete heart block requiring the administration atropine and insertion of a temporary pacemaker. Concomitantly, the patient developed acute pulmonary edema, hypotension, and hypoxia requiring intubation for mechanical ventilation. Vasopressors were administered. A coronary angiogram showed patent left and right coronary arteries, unchanged when compared to the previous angiogram. An echocardiogram performed in the cardiac catheterization lab revealed global hypokinesis of the left and right ventricles, with severe LV systolic dysfunction (EF < 20%). Following an insertion of an intra-aortic balloon pump, the patient was transferred to the CICU. A repeat echocardiogram in the CICU two hours later revealed a classical echocardiographic presentation of Takotsubo syndrome, apical hypokinesis. By the next morning the patient's hemodynamic status significantly improved, the balloon pump was removed, and vasopressors were discontinued. Another echocardiogram was performed 24 hours after the event occurred and revealed a marked improvement in LV systolic function (EF 60%), with complete resolution of apical and septal wall motion abnormalities. Three days after the event, the patient was successfully discharged and asymptomatic at two-month follow-up. This case illustrates an atypical presentation of Takotsubo syndrome that was witnessed from onset to its complete resolution during the patient's hospital stay.
On-chip tunable photonic delay line

An on-chip tunable photonic delay line is a key building block for applications including sensing, imaging, and optical communication. However, achieving long and tunable delay lines within a small footprint remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate an on-chip tunable photonic delay line using ultralow loss high confinement Si3N4 waveguides with integrated microheaters. As an example of potential application, we embed a 0.4 m delay line within an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. We show that the delay line can extend the OCT imaging range by 0.6 mm while maintaining a high signal to noise ratio. Our tunable photonic delay line is achieved without any moving parts which could provide high stability, critical for interference based applications.
Alignment and misalignment of classroom experiences from Pre-K to kindergarten

Abstract Areas of misalignment between children's experiences in preschool and kindergarten are increasingly viewed as contributing to the fade-out of preschool effects. The current study examined alignment and misalignment of classroom experiences across the transition from public pre-k into kindergarten. As part of a longitudinal cohort study, we examined structural features, process features, and teacher beliefs and practices in 295 public kindergarten classrooms and 117 public pre-K classrooms that feed into them. Analyses revealed a number of differences indicative of potential misalignment, including fewer ethnically and linguistically diverse teachers, more time in teacher-structured activities, and less effective teacher–child interactions in kindergarten. Potential alignment was indicated in some areas, such as more time in kindergarten spent on academics; progression toward more advanced literacy and math content from pre-k to kindergarten; and teachers across both grades reported similarly child-centered ideas about children. Exploratory results by pre-K auspice comparing school-based and center-based pre-K raised further questions about what the meaningful components of alignment are. The field lacks a robust empirical base for defining “good” alignment, thus these descriptive results are discussed in terms of implications for future, predictive research.
Intracranial thrombosed anastomosing hemangioma: Case report

An anastomosing hemangioma is a relatively new diagnosis of a benign vascular lesion that is typically found in the genitourinary tract. On imaging, anastomosing hemangiomas have a broad differential diagnosis and can resemble malignant lesions such as angiosarcoma. Here we present a case of a 33-year-old male with seizures who on imaging was found to have a presumed recurrent intracranial meningioma. After surgical resection of his lesion, this case was pathologically diagnosed as having anastomosing hemangioma. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of a thrombosed anastomosing hemangioma located at intracranial and intradural region.
Adolescent food insecurity: A review of contextual and behavioral factors.

Objective The purpose of this review is to examine recent research on contextual and behavioral factors that will lead to better understanding of adolescent food insecurity and health outcomes. Design A literature search for peer-reviewed, English language, research articles published between 2009 and 2019, using CINAHL, Embase® , Pubmed, and the Cochrane Library. Sample The final sample represents thirty studies on food insecurity with a sample including adolescents, and that employ a measure of food insecurity. Results Variables of interest and results on topics such as weight-related factors, maternal parenting and behaviors, mental health, and adolescent-level behavioral factors are summarized. Conclusion Food insecurity is associated with poor adolescent health and mental health. All adolescents should be screened for food insecurity, involving pediatric and mental health care settings. Future research on adolescent food insecurity should explore parent and parenting factors, household composition and family dynamics, psychological factors, health behaviors, and stress; peer influences might also be an important area of research with adolescents. While previous research has relied on parents' reports, adolescents'experiences are unique, and they are willing and reliable research participants; they should be included in future food insecurity research.
On the Evolution on Chinese Environmental Law and Governance

In 1997, William Alford and Yuanyuan Shen published an article entitled Limits of Law in Addressing China’s Environmental Dilemma (“Limits of Law”) in Stanford Environmental Law Review. Alford and Shen wrote this article in the early to mid-1990s at a time of rapid, yet still relatively newfound, legal construction in China. They observed that “the Chinese state has increasingly turned to public, positive law to address important concerns,” as if the development were still somewhat of a surprise. The chaos and lawlessness of the Cultural Revolution, once praiseworthy to some, had given away to active and energetic efforts to experiment with all manner of governance reforms, including the reconstruction of a comprehensive legal system. But, as the title of the Alford/Shen article suggested, these efforts at rebuilding law faced strong political, economic, social and legal headwinds that limited the usefulness of law in achieving environmental goals. Over the last decade or so, China has dramatically increased the political priority of a particular vision of sustainable development (what official Party rhetoric has called “the construction of ecological civilization” 生态文明建设). But China’s particular approach to achieving “eco-civilization” remains inadequately understood. Eco-civilization reforms are state-led, technocratic, and focused on “top-down design” (顶层设计). At the same time, reforms have incorporated transparency, public participation, and market-based tools to varying (but in most respects still limited) degrees. These reforms have also emerged so quickly and in such volume that scholars and researchers have struggled to determine their actual performance in practice. This brief essay identifies the reform activities that have accompanied the eco-civilization push and identifies issues raised by the direction of Chinese environmental reform.
Considerations of coronavirus (COVID-19) impact and the management of the dead in Brazil

Abstract During a pandemic such as COVID-19, the forensic community plays a key role in the management of the crisis, both nationally and internationally. Much has been written and disseminated regarding protocols for death investigation, infection mitigation and risks, and management of dead. However, in many contexts, the ability of forensic practitioners to follow best-practice procedures is limited by the resources available to them. This article examines some of the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Brazil, with emphasis on management of the dead and challenges faced by medicolegal services.
A survey of iodine nutritional status in key populations of rural residents in Anyang City of Henan Province, 2015

Objective To investigate the iodine nutritional status of rural residents in Anyang City of Henan Province, and to provide theoretical basis for making policy adjustment on iodine supplement. Methods In 2015, Tangyin County and Anyang County were chosen from Anyang City, one township was selected from each county based on five orientations of east, west, south, north and centre, four villages were chosen from each township, 15 households were taken from each village, and kitchen salt samples were collected to detect salt iodine; tap water samples were collected to detect water iodine. In the selected county, one medical institution was selected, 100 women of childbearing age, pregnant women, lactating women and infants aged 0-2 years old were selected to detect urinary iodine; one primary school was selected in the selected township, and 20 children aged 8-10 years old were selected to detect urinary iodine. Salt iodine was determined using direct titration (GB/T 13025.7-1999); urinary iodine and water iodine were determined using arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometry (WS/T 107-2006). Results A total of 600 salt samples were collected, half from Anyang County and half from Tangyin County, the medians of salt iodine were 27.59, 29.15 mg/kg, respectively, the difference was statistically significant (Z=-4.92, P 0.05). A total of 985 key people were surveyed, children, women of childbearing age, pregnant women, lactating women and infants were 200, 205, 197, 187, 196, respectively, the medians of urinary iodine were 253.05, 249.80, 177.10, 266.40, 247.85 μg/L, respectively, the differences were statistically significant (χ2= 29.76, P < 0.05). Urinary iodine levels of childbearing age women (226.60, 313.85 μg/L), lactating women (230.85, 286.20 μg/L) and infants (222.35, 275.35 μg/L) were compared between Anyang County and Tangyin County, the differences were statistically significant (Z= 3.33, 2.21, 3.13, P < 0.05). Conclusion The iodine nutritional status of rural residents in Anyang City is basically good, but the urinary iodine levels of general population are high. Key words: Iodine; Urine; Salts; Water; Child; Pregnant women
1388-P: Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Pregnancies with Preexisting Type 1 Diabetes and Controls

Background: There are limited contemporaneous data about outcomes in pregnancies with pre-existing type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the U.S. Objective: To determine maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnancies with preexisting T1D and pregnancies in age, parity and BMI matched healthy subjects. Methods: We retrospectively studied 32 pregnancies in patients with preexisting T1D matched for age (mean 25.83 years), gravidity/parity {G1P1 (66), G2P1 (19), G3P1 (9) and G4P1 (6) % respectively} and BMI with controls (n=32) during a 5 year period from 01/01/2015 at Mayo Clinic, Rochester. Results: In 32 T1D pregnancies, 4 (12.5%) congenital defects (CD) were observed in neonates, 1-dysplastic ribs with thumb hypoplasia and 3-congentinal heart defects leading to death in one in comparison to no congenital defect or death in controls. CD pregnancies were complicated by severe pre-eclampsia in all 4 and poor glycemic control (HbA1c >8) in 3. There was a significant difference in Apgar score at 1 min between T1D pregnancies and controls (p= Conclusion: Pregnancies in T1D continue to be high risk pregnancies and need tight glycemic control with a more advanced system such as closed loop insulin delivery during pregnancy to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. Disclosure R. Kaur: None. S. Rizvi: None. M. Trinidad: None. B.H. Smith: None. S. Batthula: None. S.K. McCrady-Spitzer: None. C. Reid: None. D. Desjardins: None. G. O’Malley: Research Support; Self; Abbott, Dexcom, Inc. K.N. Castorino: Research Support; Self; Abbott, Dexcom, Inc., Medtronic, Mylan, Novo Nordisk Inc. J.E. Pinsker: Advisory Panel; Self; Medtronic. Consultant; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Tandem Diabetes Care. Research Support; Self; Dexcom, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Insulet Corporation, Medtronic, Tandem Diabetes Care. Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Tandem Diabetes Care. W.K. Kremers: Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca. E. Dassau: Consultant; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Research Support; Self; Dexcom, Inc., DreaMed Diabetes, Tandem Diabetes Care, Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Roche Diabetes Care. Other Relationship; Self; Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, Roche Diabetes Care. C.J. Levy: Consultant; Self; Dexcom, Inc. Employee; Spouse/Partner; Allergan plc. Research Support; Self; Abbott, Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation. Y.C. Kudva: Research Support; Self; Dexcom, Inc., Roche Diabetes Care. Other Relationship; Self; Abbott.
The vicious cycle of stressors, food advertising and overeating: how stigmatizing anti-obesity PSAs, which precede food commercials, influence subsequent implicit and explicit attitudes toward high- and low-calorie food

The present study examined how negative feelings induced by anti-obesity Public Service Announcements (PSAs) influence viewers’ emotional processing of subsequent food commercials. We also investig...
Human Lung Stem Cell-Based Alveolospheres Provide Insights into SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Interferon Responses and Pneumocyte Dysfunction.

Coronavirus infection causes diffuse alveolar damage leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome. The absence of ex vivo models of human alveolar epithelium is hindering an understanding of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathogenesis. Here, we report a feeder-free, scalable, chemically defined, and modular alveolosphere culture system for the propagation and differentiation of human alveolar type 2 cells/pneumocytes derived from primary lung tissue. Cultured pneumocytes express the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme receptor type-2 (ACE2) and can be infected with virus. Transcriptome and histological analysis of infected alveolospheres mirror features of COVID-19 lungs, including emergence of interferon (IFN)-mediated inflammatory responses, loss of surfactant proteins, and apoptosis. Treatment of alveolospheres with IFNs recapitulates features of virus infection, including cell death. In contrast, alveolospheres pretreated with low-dose IFNs show a reduction in viral replication, suggesting the prophylactic effectiveness of IFNs against SARS-CoV-2. Human stem cell-based alveolospheres, thus, provide novel insights into COVID-19 pathogenesis and can serve as a model for understanding human respiratory diseases.
Ventral root evoked entrainment of disinhibited bursts across early postnatal development in mice.

Abstract Early in the postnatal period, motoneuron axon stimulation can excite motor networks in the spinal cord. Here we tested if these excitatory effects changed across early postnatal development up to postnatal day (P) 24 by when mice are capable of weight-bearing locomotion and locomotor networks are considered functionally mature. This was accomplished in the isolated spinal cord preparation using ventral root evoked entrainment of disinhibited bursts. Ventral root evoked entrainment was defined and characterized over the first 2 weeks of postnatal development, and was found to decline over this period, but entrainment could still be detected in mice as old as P24. Disinhibited bursting could be elicited, and dorsal root evoked entrainment could be recorded as late as P39 and remained unchanged in effectiveness, suggesting that poor tissue viability may not be the cause of the decline in ventral root evoked entrainment. Pharmacological experiments performed on younger animals established that dopamine D2 receptor antagonists and mGluR1 agonists both enhanced ventral root evoked entrainment. In conclusion, the motoneuronal inputs to spinal motor networks via the excitatory pathway is modulated by dopamine and metabotropic glutamate receptors and may be under powerful inhibitory control, which may explain why there is a developmental decline in entrainment.
Development of a mobile application for acute pain management in U.S. military healthcare.

Abstract One of the most significant challenges faced by the U.S. military health system is effective pain management. In resource-denied environments such as En Route Care (ERC), patient care begins with effective acute pain management and is vital to ensure optimal long-term patient outcomes. An electronic, mobile pain management application (app) called the Bee Better app was developed to address the gaps in acute pain management for patients transported throughout the ERC system. The app enables patients to track self-reported acute pain data, provides education and evidenced-based non-pharmacologic interventions during transport. The Delphi method was used as a novel approach to solicit feedback from subject matter experts to systematically enhance the app development process. In its current state, the app tracks patients' reported pain data and information regarding medication intake and provides educational resources about medications and the flight environment. Optimally in the future, the app will deliver real-time therapeutic pain interventions, integrate with the electronic health record and communicate with providers in real-time during care, enabling better patient-centered pain management in the austere ERC environment. Initial usability scores were above industry standards indicating a potential benefit in using a rigorous process for healthcare app development. These mobile apps may enable increased self-management and autonomy in resource-limited environments and optimize outcomes of acute pain management.
How Telehealth Expansion Can Support Comprehensive Virtual Care

The Covid-19 pandemic brought telehealth into its own as a viable and sometimes preferable way to deliver care. We now have the opportunity to realize its full value in improving health and reducin...
Dairy Food Intake Is Not Associated with Measures of Bone Microarchitecture in Men and Women: The Framingham Osteoporosis Study

Previous studies reported that dairy foods are associated with higher areal bone mineral density (BMD) in older adults. However, data on bone strength and bone microarchitecture are lacking. We determined the association of dairy food intake (milk, yogurt, cheese, milk + yogurt, and milk + yogurt + cheese, servings/week) with high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) measures of bone (failure load, cortical BMD, cortical thickness, trabecular BMD, and trabecular number). This cross-sectional study included participants with diet from a food frequency questionnaire (in 2005-2008 and/or 1998-2001) and measurements of cortical and trabecular BMD and microarchitecture at the distal tibia and radius (from HR-pQCT in 2012-2015). Sex-specific multivariable linear regression estimated the association of dairy food intake (energy adjusted) with each bone measure adjusting for covariates. Mean age was 64 (SD 8) years and total milk + yogurt + cheese intake was 10.0 (SD 6.6) and 10.6 (6.4) servings/week in men and women, respectively. No significant associations were observed for any of the dairy foods and bone microarchitecture measures except for cheese intake, which was inversely associated with cortical BMD at the radius (p = 0.001) and tibia (p = 0.002) in women alone. In this cohort of primarily healthy older men and women, dairy intake was not associated with bone microarchitecture. The findings related to cheese intake and bone microarchitecture in women warrant further investigation.
Surface Proteins on Gram-Positive Bacteria

Surface proteins are critical for the survival of gram-positive bacteria both in the environment and to establish an infection. Depending on the organism, their surface proteins are evolutionarily tailored to interact with specific ligands on their target surface, be it inanimate or animate. Most surface molecules on these organisms are covalently anchored to the peptidoglycan through an LPxTG motif found at the C-terminus. These surface molecules are generally modular with multiple binding or enzymatic domains designed for a specific survival function. For example, some molecules will bind serum proteins like fibronectin or fibrinogen in one domain and have a separate function in another domain. In addition, enzymes such as those responsible for the production of ATP may be generally found on some bacterial surfaces, but when or how they are used in the life of these bacteria is currently unknown. While surface proteins are required for pathogenicity but not viability, targeting the expression of these molecules on the bacterial surface would prevent infection but not death of the organism. Given that the number of different surface proteins could be in the range of two to three dozen, each with two or three separate functional domains (with hundreds to thousands of each protein on a given organism), exemplifies the complexity that exists on the bacterial surface. Because of their number, we could not adequately describe the characteristics of all surface proteins in this chapter. However, since the streptococcal M protein was one of the first gram-positive surface protein to be completely sequenced, and perhaps one of the best studied, we will use M protein as a model for surface proteins in general, pointing out differences with other surface molecules when necessary.
Chumash Ethnobotany: Plant Knowledge Among the Chumash People of Southern California

Author(s): Immel, Diana L. | Abstract: Chumash Ethnobotany: Plant Knowledge Among the Chumash People of Southern California Jan Tunbrook Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Monographs No. 5/ Publications in Anthropology No. 1. Berkeley: Heyday Books, 2007,272 pp., 27 watercolors by Chris Chapman, 9 drawings by Jan Timbrook, 9 b/w photographs, 1 map, 3 tables, bibliography, index, $27.95 (paperback).
Neural modeling and identification of nonlinear systems

This paper provides a brief overview of a rigorous framework, developed by the author, for the modeling and identification of nonlinear dynamical systems by artificial neural networks. The system model is obtained as a best approximation of the operator(s) representing the system in a "neural space", under interpolating or smoothing constraints imposed by the input-output training data. This optimal modeling results in one of four types of neural networks proposed and discussed by the author elsewhere, namely the OI, OS, OMNI and OSMAN nets. The identification of a system so modeled can take place instantaneously by batch processing of the training data, or sequentially by adaptation, learning, and/or evolution. >
Clinical outcome of leukemia patients with intracranial hemorrhage. Clinical article.

Object Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a frequent complication found in leukemia patients with thrombocytopenia. At the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, when a leukemia patient is found to have ICH, a platelet transfusion is generally recommended until 50,000/μl is reached. The authors examine the feasibility and outcome of their intervention strategy in this study. Methods Records were reviewed from 76 consecutive leukemia patients with newly diagnosed ICH at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2009. Variables of interest included age, platelet count at presentation, leukemia subtype, history of trauma, Glasgow Coma Scale score at presentation, whether the 50,000/μl goal was reached after transfusion, and whether the patient was a transfusion responder (platelet count increase > 2000/μl/unit transfused). Outcome parameters were mortality rates at 72 hours and 30 days and imaging-documented hemorrhage progression. Results Thrombocytopenia ...
ADM: a new technique for the simulation of CMOS circuit transients

A relatively new method for solving general mathematical problems, Adomian's Decomposition Method (ADM), has been modified for the solution of the systems of coupled, nonlinear, ordinary differential equations encountered in the transient analysis of CMOS circuits. Incorporated into a circuit simulator called FAST2 the method solves the systems directly, without linearization or discretization. The method is described and applied to a simple CMOS inverter. Further test runs on circuits with up to 456 transistors show that CPU time increases linearly as circuit complexity increases. Simulation results also show that FAST2 is significantly faster than the popular circuit analysis program SPICE for the same maximum error.
Integrated system of learning resources for technical communication: A report on a student survey

Communication skills are widely recognized as critical to engineers' professional success. However, many engineering programs face logistical realities that hamper their ability to help students become effective technical communicators. This work-in-progress paper reports on a pilot study that examines how engineering students utilize the integrated system of learning resources that surround them. Preliminary findings from a student survey in an Environmental Engineering course are reported. The results suggest a need for further studies on the emotional-motivational dimension of engineering students with regard to their communication skills.
Complexity, Pedagogy, and the Economics of Muddling Through

This paper was first presented at the AEA meetings on complexity. It was later published in a book edited by Massima Alszano and Alan Kirman, Economics: Complex Windows, Springer Publishers.
Implementing Tolman's schematic sowbug: behavior-based robotics in the 1930's

This paper re-introduces and evaluates the schematic sowbug proposed by Tolman (1939). The schematic sowbug is based on Tolman's purposive behaviorism, and it is believed to be the first prototype in history that actually implemented a behavior-based architecture suitable for robotics. The schematic sowbug navigates the environment based on two types of vectors, orientation and progression, that are computed from the values of sensors perceiving stimuli. Our experiments on both simulation and real robot proved the legitimacy of Tolman's assumptions, and the potential of applying the schematic sowbug model and principles within modern robotics is recognized.
Landscaping the Cancer Terrain

Colorectal cancer can arise as a result of spontaneous genetic lesions or an inherited defect. In this issue, Howe et al . report that the gene defective in one of the inherited syndromes is SMAD4 , a member of a key signal transduction pathway. In their commentary, Kinzler and Vogelstein add this gene to a classification scheme for colorectal cancers that groups the offending genes as "gatekeepers," "caretakers," or "landscapers." Landscaping genes such as SMAD4 have an indirect effect on the tissue that will eventually become cancerous and create an abnormal microenvironment for the cells, probably by acting in the adjacent stromal cells.
Resonant-Tunneling Transistors

Resonant tunneling transistors can perform more logic per transistor than conventional transistors. By exploiting their unique characteristic, circuit functional density and speed can be increased without changing the lithographic design rule. In addition, resonant tunneling transistors, in which the control electrode directly modulates the carrier transport, scale to smaller dimensions than conventional transistors. In this paper, the measured negative differential resistance and transconductance characteristics of several resonant tunneling transistors are described.
Entrapment of the obturator nerve in association with a fracture of the pelvic ring. A case report.

Nerve injuries associated with disruptions of the pelvic ring usually occur posteriorly as the nerve roots exit from the sacrum or cross over the sacral alae7,21. I report here the case of a patient who had late anterior entrapment of the obturator nerve at the site of a healing fracture of the pubic ramus that was associated with a lateral compression injury of the pelvic ring. A thirty-year-old woman was involved in a motor-vehicle accident in which an ambulance struck the automobile on the driver's side; the patient was sitting in the front passenger seat and was wearing a seat belt at the time of impact. The force of the collision caused the pelvis to strike the console between the two front seats. The patient was admitted to a community hospital and was transferred to the trauma center at Inova Fairfax Hospital three days later. She reported pain in the left sacral and right pubic areas and numbness without pain or weakness in the left foot and leg. She also had neck pain and pain in the left forearm. Physical examination revealed tenderness over the left sacrum and the right pubis as well as decreased sensation on the plantar aspect of the left foot. Radiographs showed a disruption of the pelvic ring with an impacted fracture of the left sacral ala in the region of the foramina (zone II of Denis et al.); a minimally displaced fracture of the left pubis; and a displaced, overriding fracture of the right pubis and ischium with a non-displaced extension into the hip joint (Fig. 1). There was internal and anterior rotation of the left hemipelvis with pivoting at the site of the zone-II fracture4 of the sacral ala. The fracture was classified as a lateral compression type-1 injury …
Parents and Mathematical Games.

an increasingly technological world, parents are becoming more worried about the quality of children's learning of mathematics. Many parents become concerned about their own child's learning and visit the school to discuss the problem with the child's teacher. The result of this discussion is usually that the teacher confirms the parents' anxiety but offers few specific suggestions. If any help is offered, the parents are asked to make the child practice more of the type of work done in school. This practice is often pitched at such a level that the parents have to do some teaching. At this juncture either the parents become confused because they do not know the method used in school or the child becomes confused because she or he is taught at home a method different from the one taught in school.
The Analgesic Effects of Supraspinal μ and δ Opioid Receptor Agonists Are Potentiated during Persistent Inflammation

This study examined the antihyperalgesic and antinociceptive effects of opioid receptor agonists microinjected in the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) of rats 4 hr, 4 d, and 2 weeks after the induction of an inflammatory injury by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in one hindpaw. Nociceptive sensitivity of the ipsilateral, inflamed and the contralateral, uninflamed hindpaws was determined by the radiant-heat paw withdrawal test. The antihyperalgesic potency of the mu opioid receptor agonist [D-Ala(2),N-Me-Phe(4),Gly(5)-ol]enkephalin (DAMGO), determined for the inflamed hindpaw, was enhanced 4 d and 2 weeks after injury. The antinociceptive potency of DAMGO, determined for the contralateral, uninflamed hindpaw, was also progressively enhanced 4 hr, 4 d, and 2 weeks after injury. The magnitude of enhancement paralleled the chronicity of the injury. The greatest potentiation occurred 2 weeks after injury when the ED(50) value of DAMGO in CFA-treated rats was one-tenth that in saline-treated rats. The antihyperalgesic and antinociceptive effects of the delta opioid receptor agonist [D-Ala(2),Glu(4)]deltorphin were also increased 2 weeks after injury. These results indicate that peripheral inflammatory injury alters the pharmacology of excitatory and inhibitory inputs that modulate the activity of RVM neurons in such a manner as to enhance the effects of opioid agonists in this region. These changes have ramifications not only for the alleviation of hyperalgesia at the site of injury but also for opioid-induced antinociception at sites remote to the injury as revealed by increases in the potency of opioid agonists to suppress nociceptive responses of the contralateral, uninflamed hindpaw.
Heavy-traffic analysis of cloud provisioning

Virtual machine (VM) provisioning is one of the fundamental components in virtualization-based cloud offerings. Modeling and analytically understanding the provisioning process is critical for the deployment and management of large-scale cloud. Based on extensive experiments on an example cloud system, we propose a queueing model to capture the important features related to scalability for the provisioning process. Specifically, we characterize how the number of VMs that can be hosted in the system and the number of physical host servers should scale according to the arriving VM requests. Note that VM provisioning incurs large I/O activities on targeted hosts with each having limited I/O resource. The logical stages during provisioning, which execute possibly on one or more physical nodes, are modeled by a semi-open Jackson Network. The model provides insights on how the performance bottlenecks can hinder the cloud scalability. Using this model we address the system sizing issue by performing heavy-traffic analysis in the classic Halfin-Whitt regime, also known as Quality and Efficiency Driven (QED), which accommodates moderate to large size cloud environments.
PSEUDOSPIN MODEL FOR HARD-CORE BOSONS WITH ATTRACTIVE INTERACTION. ZERO TEMPERATURE

We consider the many-body ground state and elementary excitations of the Matsubara-Matsuda cell model, which can be interpreted as a first approximation to Siegert's exact but untractable operator algebra for hard-core boson fields. The model has unphysical aspects, but allows treatment of some many-body effects of the interaction. It represents the hard core by restricting cell occupation numbers to \ensuremath{\le}1, which changes the algebra from Bose to Pauli type; kinetic energy and attraction appear as interactions between nearest-neighbor cell pseudospins, equivalent to a Heisenberg ferromagnet with anisotropy in pseudospin space. Our treatment, valid for scattering length ${f}_{0}\ensuremath{\ge}0$, splits the Hamiltonian into an isotropic "unperturbed" part ${H}_{0}$, describing a system with hard core plus attraction of strength making ${f}_{0}=0$, and $A{H}_{1}$, consisting of the attraction's deviation from this strength, the parameter $A\ensuremath{\ge}0$ giving the magnitude of this (repulsive) deviation. The exact ground state of ${H}_{0}$, for any density, is the state symmetric in all pseudospins, with the appropriate eigenvalue of the total pseudospin component ${S}^{(3)}$ which measures $N$. These states exhibit what corresponds to "incomplete Bose-Einstein condensation," the "excluded volume" effect of the hard-core constraint producing relative depletion ${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{0}$ of the condensate, proportional to $\ensuremath{\rho}$. Exact single excitations of ${H}_{0}$ are density fluctuations ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{\mathrm{k}}$ with, however, free particle-like excitation spectrum, the ground-state energy being density-independent. Relaxing the restriction to eigenstates of $N$ permits definition, by rotation of the total pseudospin from the vacuum, of a quasiparticle vacuum and operators, for any mean density. These serve as starting points for treating the full Hamiltonian by the equations-of-motion method in the random-phase approximation. The excitation spectrum is now phonon-like for small $k$, with $s\ensuremath{\sim}{(\ensuremath{\rho}A)}^{\frac{1}{2}}$, ${f}_{0}$ being expressible exactly in terms of $A$, $\frac{{E}_{0}}{N}$ can be written in terms of ${f}_{0}$, $\ensuremath{\rho}$, and ${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{0}$, self-consistent in the RPA to order ${{f}_{0}}^{\frac{5}{2}}$. In the low-density limit, ${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$, there results the well-known expansion in ($\ensuremath{\rho}{{f}_{0}}^{3}$), but there are higher density corrections including a term $\ensuremath{\sim}\ensuremath{\rho}{f}_{0}{(\ensuremath{\rho}{{f}_{0}}^{3})}^{\frac{1}{3}}{{\ensuremath{\xi}}_{0}}^{\frac{2}{3}}$, due to the strong interaction included in the unperturbed many-body ground state.
Linking nitrogen management, seep chemistry, and stream water quality in two agricultural headwater watersheds.

Riparian seepage zones in headwater agricultural watersheds represent important sources of nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃–N) to surface waters, often connecting N-rich groundwater systems to streams. In this study, we examined how NO₃–N concentrations in seep and stream water were affected by NO₃–N processing along seep surface flow paths and by upslope applications of N from fertilizers and manures. The research was conducted in two headwater agricultural watersheds, FD36 (40 ha) and RS (45 ha), which are fed, in part, by a shallow fractured aquifer system possessing high (3–16 mg L⁻¹) NO₃–N concentrations. Data from in-seep monitoring showed that NO₃–N concentrations generally decreased downseep (top to bottom), indicating that most seeps retained or removed a fraction of delivered NO₃–N (16% in FD36 and 1% in RS). Annual mean N applications in upslope fields (as determined by yearly farmer surveys) were highly correlated with seep NO₃–N concentrations in both watersheds (slope: 0.06; R² = 0.79; p < 0.001). Strong positive relationships also existed between seep and stream NO₃–N concentrations in FD36 (slope: 1.01; R² = 0.79; p < 0.001) and in RS (slope: 0.64; R² = 0.80; p < 0.001), further indicating that N applications control NO₃–N concentrations at the watershed scale. Our findings clearly point to NO₃–N leaching from upslope agricultural fields as the primary driver of NO₃–N losses from seeps to streams in these watersheds and therefore suggest that appropriate management strategies (cover crops, limiting fall/winter nutrient applications, decision support tools) be targeted in these zones.
The effects of decision characteristics on children's selective search of predecisional information

In the present research, an information-board procedure was used to examine second and fifth grade children's selective search of predecisional information. Several conditions were used to facilitate children's selective search of information, including putting decisions within meaningful contexts (i.e., stories), increasing the perceptual salience of some of the dimensions on the information boards, and constraining the amount of time and the amount of information children could take when searching predecisional information. It was found that both second and fifth graders' predecisional search became more selective when the perceptual salience of some of the dimensions was increased. Children also became more selective in their searching over successive decisions. In contrast, the information constraint resulted in less selective searching, and less choosing of the best alternative for both second and fifth grader, whereas the time pressure decreased second but not fifth graders' selectivity in searching. Thus, without sufficient mastery of a search strategy, children may resort to using less sophisticated strategies, particularly under time and information pressures. These results are discussed in terms how the development of selective search and attentional strategies may impact both predecisional search behavior and the quality of children's decisions. Language: en