cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Broadband Reflectarray Antennas Using Double-Layer Subwavelength Patch Elements

This letter investigates a novel bandwidth improvement method, which combines the multilayer approach with the subwavelength element technique. A new definition of phase error has been introduced to quantitatively analyze the performance of the reflectarray elements. It is shown that double-layer subwavelength elements exhibit a superior phase performance across the band, namely an increased phase range and a reduced phase error over frequency. Numerical analysis is then performed to calculate the bandwidth of reflectarray antennas using these elements, where the practical fabrication tolerances at high frequencies are considered. Finally, a 1-dB gain bandwidth of 19.1% has been demonstrated for a double-layer -band reflectarray using elements with a periodicity of λ/4.
The Role of Governing Boards of Trustees in Promoting Total Quality Management

As total quality management becomes more ac cepted in health care organizations, it is apparent that organization-wide efforts will be needed to rein force and institutionalize these changes. This article stresses the importance of the direct involvement of the board of trustees in setting the climate for suc cessful interventions. The board must be open to using its influence on the system to facilitate changes. In addition, the board must be a part of the total quality management process. This article concludes with 10 guidelines for the implementation of TQM, each de signed to help ensure positive outcomes.
Studies on the Mitotic Apparatus of the Sea Urchin by Means of Antigen-Antibody Reactions in Agar

The primary purpose of the experiments reported in this paper was to gain information on the molecular origin of the mitotic apparatus. Antisera were prepared against unfertilized sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) egg antigens and mitotic apparatus antigens. These were permitted to react with various antigen solutions in Ouchterlony agar gel diffusion plates, and the resultant precipitation patterns analysed. The results revealed that the mitotic apparatus contains probably no more than two antigens (precursor-1 component and precursor-2 component) and that these are shared by the unfertilized egg. Absorption and fractionation techniques indicated that in the unfertilized egg the precursor-1 component is present both as a "soluble" protein and as an insoluble form tenaciously associated with intracellular structural elements. A survey of dividing and non-dividing tissues for the precursor-1 component revealed that it was restricted to tissues in which mitotic activity could be detected microscopically. No immunochemical relationship could be detected between the mitotic apparatus and proteins extracted, by various methods, from the lantern muscle.
Phase II Study of CD4+-Guided Pentostatin Lymphodepletion and Pharmacokinetically Targeted Busulfan as Conditioning for Hematopoietic Cell Allografting

Abstract One limitation of reduced-intensity preparative regimens is potential for graft failure. We have developed a regimen that targets CD4+ lymphodepletion to ensure early and durable engraftment. The primary endpoint was achievement of ≥50% CD3+ donor chimerism by day +28. Forty-two patients (median age, 53 years; range, 29 to 73 years) received pentostatin 4 mg/m2 i.v. on days −28, −21, and −14 when the CD4+ cell count was >100 cells/μL and on days −4 and −3 regardless of CD4+ level. Rituximab 375 mg/m2 was administered to patients with CD20+ malignancies on days −21, −14, −7, +1, and +8. Busulfan 200 mg/m2 i.v. was administered on days −4 and −2 at a dose to target a cumulative AUC dose of 16,000 (±10%) μmol·min/L. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis consisted of tacrolimus plus methotrexate in 86% of patients. Donors were matched-related (47%), matched unrelated (43%), or mismatched unrelated (10%). Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (45%) and follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma (14%) were the most common diagnoses. Disease status at initiation of the preparative regimen was complete remission in 22%, partial response in 55%, and stable/progression in 24%. The median percent CD4+ cell count decrease from baseline (day −28) was 52% to day −21, 66% to day −14, 62% to day −7, and 91% to day 0. At day +28, all 42 patients (100%) had ≥50% CD3+ donor chimerism. No patient experienced graft failure. Overall response rate was 82% (complete remisson, 67%). The day +100 cumulative incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD was 59% (grade III-IV acute GVHD, 19%), and the 2 year cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD was 69% (moderate/severe, 58%). Nonrelapse mortality was 2% at day +100 and 17% at 2 years. Two-year PFS was 55%, and OS was 68%. This regimen ensures durable engraftment, is effective against persistent disease, and results in relatively low mortality from causes other than relapse.
Quantized consensus via adaptive stochastic gossip algorithm

This paper is concerned with the distributed averaging problem over a given undirected graph. To enable every vertex to compute the average of the initial numbers sitting on the vertices of the graph, the policy is to pick an edge at random and update the values on its ending vertices based on some rules, but only in terms of the quantized data being exchanged between them. Our recent paper showed that the quantized consensus is reached under a simple updating protocol which deploys a fixed tuning factor. The current paper allows the tuning factor to be time-dependent in order to achieve two goals. First, this makes it possible to study the numerical stability of the protocol with a fixed tuning factor under a small perturbation of this parameter. Furthermore, exploiting a time-varying tuning factor facilitates the implementation of the consensus protocol and pushes the steady state of the system towards an equilibrium point, as opposed to making it oscillatory. The current paper is an important extension of our recent work, which generalizes a finite-dimensional problem to an infinite-dimensional one that is more challenging in nature.
Erich Fromm’s Socialist Program and Prophetic Messianism, in Two Parts

The paper has two parts, the first by Nick Braune and the second by Joan Braune. The first part explores Erich Fromm’s pamphlet, Let Man Prevail: A Socialist Manifesto and Program, written for the Socialist Party-Social Democratic Federation (SP-SDF) in 1960. Nick Braune refutes claims that Fromm was a lightweight “popularizer,” instead presenting Fromm as a science-minded, clear-headed socialist humanist, organizer, and philosopher.
Application of coalition battle management language (C-BML) and C-BML services to live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) simulation environments

Information sharing is a key requirement in Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) simulation environments. Operational plans, orders, and requests from live, virtual, or constructive command and control systems or simulations need to be received by and operated on by receiving LVC systems. Situational reports from the LVC systems need to be received and interpreted or displayed by receiving LVC systems. Many simulation systems have not been developed with capabilities for robust interactions with other simulations beyond federation capabilities obtained through such protocols as the High Level Architecture (HLA) or the Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS). The Coalition Battle Management Language (C-BML) is an emerging standard from the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) developed to address the need for such information sharing across real-world command and control systems and simulations in LVC environments. This paper provides an overview of the C-BML standard and describes its application to information interchange across LVC systems.
Communists in a Muslim Land: Cultural debates in Pakistan's early years

This paper will introduce intellectual debates from Pakistan’s early years to show how the country’s future culture was being discussed, deliberated and reshaped in these circles at the moment of its own inception as an independent state. By focussing on the communist perspective on Pakistan’s independence, it will seek to illuminate some of those historical moments in Pakistan’s history that have not received much attention either from historians or from the public. Within this context, the paper will present contesting voices that are critical of one another—particularly regarding the place of Islam in the new state—in order to rethink Pakistan’s early history as a period that could have led to a range of possible future historical trajectories.
Collaboration in the Boardroom: Behavioral and Performance Consequences of CEO-Board Social Ties

Empirical research has typically rested on the assumption that board independence from management enhances board effectiveness in administering firms. The present study shows how and when a lack of social independence can increase board involvement and firm performance by raising the frequency of advice and counsel interactions between CEOs and outside directors. Hypotheses were tested with original survey data from 243 CEOs and 564 outside directors on behavioral processes and dynamics in management-board relationships
Evolution under Fertility and Viability Selection

Evolution at a single multiallelic locus under arbitrary weak selection on both fertility and viability is investigated. Discrete, nonoverlapping generations are posited for autosomal and X-linked loci in dioecious populations, but monoecious populations are studied in both discrete and continuous time. Mating is random. The results hold after several generations have elapsed. With an error of order s [i.e., O(s)], where s represents the selection intensity, the population evolves in Hardy-Weinberg proportions. Provided the change per generation of the fertilities and viabilities due to their explicit time dependence (if any) is O(s 2), the rate of change of the deviation from Hardy-Weinberg proportions is O(s2). If the change per generation of the viabilities and genotypic fertilities is smaller than second order [i.e., o(s2)], then to O(s 2) the rate of change of the mean fitness is equal to the genic variance. The mean fitness is the product of the mean fertility and the mean viability; in dioecious populations, the latter is the unweighted geometric mean of the mean viabilities of the two sexes. Hence, as long as there is significant gene frequency change, the mean fitness increases. If it is the fertilities of matings that change slowly [at rate o(s 2)], the above conclusions apply to a modified mean fitness, defined as the product of the mean viability and the square root of the mean fertility.
Approaches to Modeling Stromal-Epithelial Interactions

ABSTRACTPurpose: Techniques that can be used to examine the molecular mechanisms of stromal-epithelial interactions are described.Materials and Methods: A historical perspective of available techniques is provided. Recent developments and examples are used to illustrate and provide descriptive literature references for these methods. Since the possibilities for manipulating experimental systems are enormous and rapidly expanding, the reader should be aware that this review is an overview of how data have been and could be obtained rather than a comprehensive listing of what has been achieved. This review focuses on studies performed in the organs of the urogenital tract to illustrate techniques that are available.Results: Recent technological innovations have impacted our ability to manipulate specific components and pathways of stromal-epithelial interactions. They include rapid developments in transgenic and gene knockout mouse technology, and the development of highly efficacious gene delivery and expr...
An Infant with Diffuse Lung Masses

Chronic granulomatous disease presenting as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in an infant is described in this report. Symptoms of chronic, intermittent respiratory distress had been previously attributed to gastroesophageal regurgitation and asthma. The isolation of an unusual pathogen even from a nonsterile site, particularly when symptoms persist, should not be considered as a contamination but prompt further investigation to exclude phagocytic or other immune deficiencies.
Definition, Typology, and Refinement of Sovereign Ratings

In its first 1918 Manual and Investment Letters, Moody’s defined its sovereign ­ratings as the relative creditworthiness of government. This measure has two ­components: the ability and the willingness (or the “good faith”) to repay the debt. In 1919, Moody’s claimed that its measure of creditworthiness was valid generally and it established a credit scale of main sovereigns. The United States led this classification with 100% (“probability” that the country will take care of its debt in every respect), ahead of Canada (95%), the United Kingdom (90%), Belgium (85%), France (75%), Italy (70%), Germany (65%), Austria (60%), and Russia (55%). The agency indicated that its ratings conveyed the probability of country respecting its financial obligations. The manuals published by Poor’s, Fitch and Standard Statistics, gave a similar definition of their ratings.
Anti-CD3ε induces splenic B220lo B-cell expansion following anti-CD20 treatment in a mouse model of allosensitization.

Antibodies targeting T cells and B cells are increasingly used for immunosuppression in clinical transplantation. However, the impact of T-cell depletion by antibodies on B-cell homeostasis is poorly understood. Using a mouse model of allosensitization with skin allograft, we investigated whether targeting T cells by anti-CD3e alters peripheral B-cell homeostasis and alloantibody responses following B-cell depletion by anti-CD20. We found that anti-CD3e induced a discrete B220(lo), but not a conventional B220(hi) subset, in the spleens of the allosensitized mice 14 days after anti-CD20 treatment. The splenic B220(lo) cells were refractory to anti-CD20 depletion. Flow cytometry revealed that the splenic B220(lo) cells were phenotypically similar to the B220(lo) AA4.1(+) CD23(-) sIgM(lo) sIgD(-) developing B cells (pre-B to immature B) normally presented in the bone marrow. Despite the presence of the splenic B220(lo) cells, mice treated with combined anti-CD3e/CD20 produced limited alloantibodies in response to the primary skin allografts. Alloantibody production increased significantly in the mice following re-immunization by donor-specific splenocytes. We conclude that anti-CD3e can induce an expansion of B220(lo) B cells in the spleens after B-cell depletion by anti-CD20. These B cells are not producing alloantibodies, but re-immunization of the mice with alloantigen leads to risk of alloantibody response.
Characterization and optimization of a novel electromagnetic transduction technique for rotational energy harvesting

A novel transduction technique that converts mechanical rotation energy to usable electrical energy using condensed magnetic flux is tested and characterized for a wind source. This rotation harvester is compared to the power output of a commercially available generator for a fixed wind source. Optimization of the rotation harvester is discussed in terms of various parameters, such as magnet spacing, number of excitation arms, rotation frequency, and harvester resonance.
Alkaloids of Vinca rosea Linn. (Catharanthus roseus G. Don.) V.: Preparation and Characterization of Alkaloids

As part of continuing study of alkaloid-bearing members of the family Apocynaceae , we have undertaken a detailed phytochemical investigation of the pantropical plant Vinca rosea Linn. (1). Twelve crystalline compounds have been obtained and characterized. Details of the procedure leading to the preparation of pure substances are described. Two of these alkaloids, leurosine and vincaleukoblastine, possess activity against P-1534 leukemia in mice.
HIV-1 infection of cells and AIDS progression

HIV-1, the etiological agent of AIDS, enters cells within minutes after binding to a receptor molecule, fusing its membrane with the cell membrane and uncoating its envelope to deliver the RNA-protein complex into the cell cytoplasm. The infection cycle then proceeds for hours to days through a series of steps, including reverse transcription of the viral RNA, integration of the resulting DNA into the cellular genome, transcription of the proviral DNA, expression of virus proteins, their assembly and virus budding, leading to production of progeny virions. Virus spread by subsequent cycles of infection occurs within weeks and months, while AIDS develops after years or even decades. This review discusses the causes of this diversity in kinetics, emphasizing the importance of quantitation, and how quantitation of infection kinetics may help in understanding the factors that affect the disease progression. Biomedical Reviews 1993; 2: 1-8.
Vibracoring from lake ice with a lightweight monopod and piston coring apparatus

A monopod and piston coring apparatus for coring water-saturated sediment is described. The lightweight apparatus can be used from either an ice platform or the ground surface and can be transported by aircraft. Using a piston, core recovery is increased to better than 90%, and depending upon the monopod height, 7 m-long cores can be obtained. Tips for coring in freezing temperatures are also given.
Using Computer-Binned Data for Density Estimation

With real time microcomputer monitoring systems or with large data bases, data may be recorded as bin counts to satisfy computer memory constraints and to reduce computational burdens. If the data represent a random sample, then a natural question to ask is whether such binned data may successfully be used for density estimation. Here we consider three density procedures: the histogram, parametric models determined by a few moments, and the nonparametric kernel density estimator of Parzen and Rosenblatt. For the histogram, we show that computer-binning causes no problem as long as the binning is sufficiently smaller than the data-based bin width 3.5σ n−1/3. Another result is that some binning of data appears to provide marginal improvement in the integrated mean squared error of the corresponding kernel estimate. Some examples are given to illustrate the theoretical and visual effects of using binned data.
Sustained smoking abstinence is associated with reductions in smoking-specific experiential avoidance among treatment-seeking smokers

Abstract Background and objectives Smoking-specific experiential avoidance is related to the maintenance of cigarette smoking. However, it is unclear whether sustained smoking abstinence is associated with subsequent reductions in smoking-specific experiential avoidance. Methods Daily smokers (n = 149) underwent a cessation attempt in the context of a 4-session smoking cessation treatment trial. Participants provided biochemical verification of smoking status at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 Month post-quit day. Smoking-specific experiential avoidance was assessed per the Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale (AIS) – the total score and two factor scores were examined at 1 Month post-quit day as a function of abstinence status. Two path models were conducted and included participant sex, treatment condition, and pre-cessation nicotine dependence, smoking-specific experiential avoidance, and presence of emotional disorders as covariates. Results After adjusting for covariates, sustained smoking abstinence was associated with a reduction in the AIS total score at Month 1 post-quit (β = −.45, p Limitations Biochemical verification of smoking status was confirmed only at three time points post-quit day, and continued abstinence throughout the one-month post-quitting period is not fully known. Conclusions Sustained smoking abstinence may contribute to reductions in smoking-specific experiential avoidance. Findings add to the research documenting the relevance of experiential avoidance in various processes of smoking (including smoking abstinence).
ISOLATED SYSTOLIC HYPERTENSION AND MORTALITY AFTER AGE 60 YEARS: A PROSPECTIVE POPULATION-BASED STUDY

A total of 165 out of 2636 adults aged 60 years or older (6.3 per cent) in Rancho Bernardo, California, had isolated systolic hypertension with a systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 160 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg when studied in 1972-1974. A 6.4-year follow-up of this cohort showed isolated systolic hypertension to be as important a risk factor for all-cause mortality as other types of hypertension in both men and women (adjusted relative risk = 1.5, p greater than 0.10). After adjustment for age and other covariates, male but not female subjects with isolated systolic hypertension experienced an excess risk of death from stroke (relative risk = 4.0, p less than 0.10), a relative risk exceeding that seen in men with treated hypertension. Isolated systolic hypertension was unassociated with an excess risk of fatal ischemic heart disease in subjects of either sex in this population. The excess risk of death and stroke is consistent with results published elsewhere, and supports the concept that isolated systolic hypertension is not a benign condition of the elderly. The efficacy and safety of therapeutic intervention in older adults with isolated systolic hypertension remain to be determined.
Divide and diffuse: Comparing digital divide and diffusion of innovations perspectives on mobile phone adoption

Integrating digital divide and diffusion of innovations approaches, this study analyzes individual-level and market-level influences on the 8-year cumulative adoption of the mobile phone in one developing country. Considering each year separately, as tests of the typical digital divide model, age, education, economic condition, Internet access, and household size were significant divides in all years; employment, marital status, and urbanness were so only in about half the years, and sex in none of the years. However, a diffusion of innovations approach revealed some differences in demographic influences on mobile phone adoption across three adoption categories. Changing mobile phone market conditions were associated with varying adoption levels, and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita correlated with percent adoption except during the global economic crisis.
Metformin Use and Risk of Colorectal Adenoma after Polypectomy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Existing literature suggests that metformin, the most commonly used biguanide, may lower colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. Because most CRCs originate in pre-cancerous adenomas, we examined whether metformin use lowered colorectal adenoma risk after polypectomy in patients with type-2 diabetes. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 40-89-year-old Kaiser Permanente Northern California patients who had type-2 diabetes, and ≥1 adenoma detected at baseline colonoscopy during 2000-2009 and a repeat colonoscopy 1-10 years from baseline adenoma diagnosis through 2012. Cox models evaluated the association between metformin use during follow-up and subsequent adenoma diagnoses, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, sex, body mass index, and repeat examination indication. Results: Study included 2,412 patients followed for a median of 4.5 years; cumulatively, 1,117 (46%) patients had ≥1 adenoma at repeat colonoscopy. Compared to patients not receiving diabetes medications (n=1,578), metformin-only use (n=457) was associated with lower adenoma recurrence risk (adjusted hazard ratio (HR)=0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65-0.89), and the association was stronger with increasing total metformin dose (quartile (Q) 1: HR=0.90, CI 0.72-1.12; Q2: HR=0.89, CI 0.70-1.12; Q3: HR=0.80 CI 0.63-1.01; Q4: HR=0.50 CI 0.42-0.60, P-value for trend<0.001). Findings were unchanged in sensitivity analyses including evaluating only outcomes during the 3-10-year period from baseline. Conclusion: Our study suggests a potential benefit of metformin use in lowering the risk of subsequent adenomas after polypectomy in patients with type-2 diabetes. Impact: Metformin may lower CRC risk by reducing the formation of pre-cancerous lesions, reinforcing the potential additional benefits of its use.
Cell cycle re-entry following chemically-induced cell cycle synchronization leads to elevated p53 and p21 protein levels

Mimosine (MIM) and aphidicolin (APH) are two agents frequently used in tissue culture-based experiments to achieve cell synchronization at late G1 and S phases. Following MIM or APH treatment of human cancer cell lines, a reversible growth arrest in late G1 and S phases of the cell cycle was correlated with moderate increases in p53 and p21 protein levels. Both p53-dependent and -independent increases in p21 were observed following treatment with either agent. However, a striking increase in p21 protein levels and a continuous elevation in both p53 and p21 protein levels were observed over 48 h after cells re-entered the cell cycle following the chemically-induced synchronization. In addition, the increase in p21 protein levels typically seen following treatment of cells with DNA damaging agents, was enhanced when cells were treated with genotoxic agents following MIM or APH synchronization. These findings suggest that caution should be exercised when interpreting results from experiments using cell synchronization agents, in particular, studies designed to investigate p53- and p21-regulatory pathways.
Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Analyses of Stimulated Parotid Salivary Constituents in Healthy, Different-Aged Subjects

BACKGROUND Salivary gland dysfunction has traditionally been associated with old age, and complaints of xerostomia are common in an elderly population. Measurement of certain salivary constituents can provide information about the functional ability of discrete areas of the salivary gland. To our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study to examine levels of salivary constituents in stimulated parotid saliva in a population of different-aged persons. METHODS The levels of five salivary constituents (total protein, lactoferrin, proline-rich proteins, sodium, and potassium) were measured in stimulated parotid saliva of 47 healthy, unmedicated men and women over a 10.5 year period. RESULTS There were no significant age-related decreases in the presence of total protein, lactoferrin, proline-rich proteins, sodium, and potassium in this exocrine secretion. CONCLUSIONS These data confirm and extend previous cross-sectional studies of salivary constituents, indicating that parotid gland function is maintained in healthy aging individuals.
Computed tomographic demonstration of the vacuum phenomenon in the subtalar and tibiotalar joints.

Gas has been identified within diarthrodial joints for more than eight decades. From a radiologic standpoint, the so-called “vacuum phenomenon” is the most common demonstration of gas. We retrospectively reviewed computed tomographic scans of 495 feet and ankles performed over a 24-month period. We found 12 patients (2.4%) with clearly demonstrable gas within the tibiotalar or subtalar joints. This gas was not associated with the presence of fixation hardware or infection. Each patient with gas in the subtalar joint had plain radiographic changes consistent with subtalar arthritis. We conclude that gas in the subtalar joint can be effectively demonstrated by high-resolution CT techniques in the subtalar and tibiotalar joints in patients with advanced degenerative disease.
Breeding Energetics and Thermal Ecology of the Acorn Woodpecker in Central Coastal California

We used the doubly labeled water (DLW) technique to measure the field metabolic rate (FMR) of adult (n = 4) and nestling (n = 30) Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus). Resting metabolic rate (RMR) of adults and nestlings was calculated from 02 consumption. We constructed the nestlings' energy budget from measurements of the growth rate, FMR, and RMR of different aged nestlings. We measured the body temperature (Tb) of two nestlings in the field using implanted radiotelemeters, assessed the nestlings' thermal environment in terms of the air temperature (Tj experienced inside and outside of nest cavities, and studied the ontogeny of nestling homeothermy in the laboratory. Adult FMR averaged 195 kJ/day, which is 30% lower than predicted from adult mass (82 g) and 2.7 times the measured basal metabolic rate. Nestling FMR (kJ/day) increased with mass (m in grams) according to the relation: FMR = -27.1 + 2.4m. Nestling FMR stabilized at about 160 kJ/day (82% of the adult level) by 3 weeks of age. Nestlings, which are adult sized when they fledge 30-32 days after hatching, grow relatively slowly. Their logistic growth rate constant (K = 0.226) is 30% lower than predicted from their mass and is equivalent to that of a tropical species of their size. Nestlings also develop endothermy much more slowly than expected and are unable to maintain adult Tb when exposed to 150C for 30 min until they are 3 weeks old. In the field, nestling Tb fluctuated until about 3 weeks of age, apparently due to intermittent brooding by the adults. Nestlings metabolized an average of 3,853 kJ/bird over the nestling period (age: 0-31 days). Of the total, RMR comprised 46.8%, whereas activity, thermoregulation, and the heat increment of feeding combined accounted for 40.2%. The energy accumulated in growth amounted to 501 kJ, or 13% of the total. Gross growth efficiency (ratio of energy accumulated in tissue to total metabolized energy) is the lowest reported for any bird. Two factors contribute to low growth efficiency: (1) a slow growth rate, which may result in part from tannins contained in the nestling's partially acorn diet, and (2) thermostatic costs associated with a low nest-cavity Ta. These unusual physiological features indicate that energetic constraints may play an important role in influencing the costs and benefits of group living in this cooperatively breeding species.
The nitroblue tetrazolium test in tuberculosis.

Of 43 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, 44% had positive NBT tests. The NBT test in seven cases reverted to negative with antituberculous therapy. Alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, and prior steroid administration did not affect the test. Four patients with untreated latent syphilis as well as active tuberculosis had negative tests. Tuberculosis must be added to the list of conditions associated with a positive NBT test.
Subsurface Geology of Hazardous Waste Injection Sands Near Geismar, Louisiana

A third-party review of subsurface geology in the vicinity of Geismar, Louisiana, was conducted as part of the regulatory process for granting exemptions from “Land Ban” statutes that forbid injection of concentrated hydrochloric acid. Radial faults associated with a piercement salt dome displace both injection sands and isolation layers in Darrow Field (T10S R2E) and probably extend upward to the Gonzales aquifer, which is designated as an underground source of drinking water (USDW). A regional normal fault that extends from Laurel Ridge Field (T10S R13–14E) through Darrow Field also disrupts the injection interval. A concern is that these faults provide vertical pathways for transmission of hazardous waste out of the injection zone. The Upper B Sand, which receives hazardous waste from the Geismar Industrial Complex, is stratigraphically equivalent to an important fresh water sand in southeastern Louisiana, the Covington aquifer. Over most of the study area, the base of USDW is in the Gonzales aquifer, which appears to be isolated from the injection zone by the Confining layer. A mass transfer model (EQ6) for irreversible reaction of HCl with injection sands indicates that advective flow beyond the injection field is required for neutralization to occur.
Seeking Justice for Wartime Sexual Violence in Kosovo Voices and Silence of Women

At different times, and for different reasons, Kosovo informal and organized women’s networks have dealt with wartime sexual violence in different ways: they have followed either a strategy of sile...
The Influence of Savigny on the Anglo- American Law in the 19th Century

Being one of the greatest German jurists, Savigny's theory has spread over not only the continental countries but also the Anglo- America countries through the English translation of his works. While tracing back to the birth of the English historical law school, America's codification controversy after the America Civil War, the legal education reform in both England and America in the late 19th century and the judicial practice in the United States before 1900, one can easily sense Savigny's influences, which are far deeper than those of other continental scholars. There are many reasons for the considerable influences of Savigy; for example, his individual reputation, his eminent status in German society, and the rise of the historical view of law. But the most important one is the tradition of the legal cultures' communication between the continental countries and the Anglo- America countries.
Farm Transfers Which Become Effective While the Parent Is Still Alive

Lawyers have a pat Latin phrase to describe transfers that take effect between living parties. They are called inter vivos transfers—“between the living.” In general inter vivos transfers of the family farm from parent to child can take one of several forms: 1. Purchase arrangements under which the son buys the farm for money, support or other services. 2. Lease arrangements under which the son becomes the present operator of the farm and relies on the law of inheritance, his parent’s will, or a contract to make a will to acquire a greater interest in the farm later. 3. Gifts by which the parent deeds to the son part or all of the farm, or a remainder interest to take effect when the parent dies.
Cigarette smoking and human pulmonary macrophages.

Bronchial lavage recovers about four times as many free cells, particularly pulmonary alveolar macrophages, from smokers as from nonsmokers. These cells display altered surface morphology, increased lysosomal enzymes, fewer complement receptors, decreased phagocytic activity against some bacteria, and unresponsiveness to migration inhibitory factor, possibly indicating a defect in cell-mediated immunity.
Septic systems as hot-spots of pollutants in the environment: Fate and mass balance of micropollutants in septic drainfields.

Septic systems, a common type of onsite wastewater treatment systems, can be an important source of micropollutants in the environment. We investigated the fate and mass balance of 17 micropollutants, including wastewater markers, hormones, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the drainfield of a septic system. Drainfields were replicated in lysimeters (1.5m length, 0.9m width, 0.9m height) and managed similar to the field practice. In each lysimeter, a drip line dispersed 9L of septic tank effluent (STE) per day (equivalent to 32.29L/m(2) per day). Fourteen micropollutants in the STE and 12 in the leachate from drainfields were detected over eight months. Concentrations of most micropollutants in the leachate were low ( 85% of the added micropollutants except for sucralose were attenuated in the drainfield. We discovered that sorption was the key mechanism for retention of carbamazepine and partially for sulfamethoxazole, whereas microbial degradation likely attenuated acetaminophen in the drainfield. This data suggests that sorption and microbial degradation limited transport of micropollutants from the drainfields. However, the leaching of small amounts of micropollutants indicate that septic systems are hot-spots of micropollutants in the environment and a better understanding of micropollutants in septic systems is needed to protect groundwater quality.
Self-Organizing Neural Network for Non-Parametric Regression Analysis

The idea of using Kohonen’s self-organizing maps is applied to the problem of non-parametric regression analysis, i.e. evaluation (approximation) of the unknown function of N-1 variables given a number of data points (possibly corrupted by random noise) in N-dimensional input space. Simple examples show that the original Kohonen’s algorithm performs poorly for regression problems of even low dimensionality, due to the fact that topologically correct ordering of units in N-dimensional space may violate the natural topological ordering of projections of those units onto (N-1)-dimensional subspace of independent variables. A modification of the original algorithm called the Constrained Topological Mapping algorithm is proposed for regression analysis applications. Given a number of data points in N-dimensional input space, the proposed algorithm performs correct topological mapping of units (as the original algorithm) and at the same time preserves topological ordering of projections of these units onto (N-1)-dimensional subspace of independent coordinates. Simulation examples illustrate good performance (i.e. accuracy, convergence) of the proposed algorithm for approximating 2- and 3- variable functions. Moreover, for multivariate problems the proposed neural approach allows to bypass “the curse of dimensionality”, i.e. the size of the training set required for evaluation of the unknown function with a specified accuracy grows approximately linearly with the dimensionality of the sample space (or the number of independent variables).
Chemical Engineering Principles in the Field of Cell Mechanics

The field of cell mechanics involves problems at the interface of mechanics, molecular transport, biochemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and cell biology. We argue that chemical engineering training is uniquely suited for fruitful research in the field by discussing three examples in the research area. Cell mechanics is already well-represented in many chemical engineering departments and promises to be a vibrant subarea in the profession.
State of the Art in Swath Bathymetry Survey Systems

In the last decade, advances in real-time computing and data storage capabilities have led to significant improvements in bathymetric survey systems and the single point echo-sounder has now been replaced by a variety of highresolution swath mapping sounding systems. This paper reviews the state of the art in the non-military swath bathymetry mapping systems. Such systems are typically multi narrow beam echo-sounders or interferometric side-looking sonars with swath width capabilities ranging from 0.75 to 7 times the water depth. The paper compares the design characteristics and the echo processing methods used in a number of these systems manufactured in Japan, Finland, Norway, the U.K., the U.S.A. and West Germany.
Validity of Claims Data for the Identification of Male Infertility.

We sought to determine whether infertile men can accurately be identified within a large insurance claims database to validate its use for reproductive health research. Prior literature suggests that men coded for infertility are at higher risk for chronic disease though it was previously unclear if these diagnostic codes correlated with true infertility. We found that the specificity of one International Classification of Disease (9th edition) code in predicting abnormal semen parameters was 92.4%, rising to 99.8% if a patient had three different codes for infertility. The positive predictive value was as high as 85%. The use of claims data for male infertility research has been rapidly progressing due to its high power and feasibility. The high specificity of ICD codes for men with abnormal semen parameters is reassuring and validates prior studies as well as future investigation into men’s health.
Chapter 20 Fractionation of Nonhistone Proteins by Histone-Affinity Chromatography

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the methods for fractionation of nonhistone proteins by histone-affinity chromatography. DNA, histones, and nonhistone proteins interact with each other in generating the structural and functional properties of chromatin. The interaction of nonhistones with histones, have the tendency to aggregate and form precipitates when mixed together. The chapter describes a new approach that overcomes this obstacle by fractionating nonhistone proteins on affinity columns composed of purified histones linked to Sepharose. The chapter illustrates the pattern that is obtained when the nonhistone proteins are top loaded on histone–Sepharose columns and eluted via increasing ionic strength. Most of the protein passes directly through the column, although a significant portion of the material binds to the histone column and is not eluted until the ionic strength is raised. Hence, the binding of nonhistone proteins to histone-Sepharose observed under these conditions is because of binding to the Sepharose rather than to the histones.
Fulminating noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. A newly recognized hazard during cardiac operations.

At New York University Medical Center over the past 18 months, a distinctive and potentially lethal syndrome of fulminating noncardiogenic pulmonary edema has been observed in three patients following cardiopulmonary bypass. The clinical appearance is virtually identical to that produced by acute left ventricular failure, and the condition could have been diagnosed incorrectly in the past as myocardial infarction with left ventricular failure and pulmonary edema. Thus it is uncertain whether this is a new syndrome or whether it has long been present. Fulminating noncardiogenic pulmonary edema can be diagnosed by finding a low left atrial or pulmonary artery wedge pressure combined with a high protein content in the pulmonary edema fluid when compared to simultaneous measurements of the plasma protein level. As no other etiologic agent could be identified in our three patients, the probable cause seems to be an unknown type of allergic reaction to blood or blood products, manifested by acute pulmonary edema—the pulmonary capillary membranes being the first to be exposed to fluids administered intravenously. The significant point is that a nearly fatal degree of pulmonary congestion can be managed safely and effectively with corticosteroids, antihistamines, positive-pressure ventilation, diuretics, and albumin. Presently, two important questions remain: (1) Should fluids be restricted and balloon pump counterpulsation and vasopressors utilized to maintain systemic pressure? (2) How long after administration of steroids is it safe to give intravenous albumin? Meanwhile, both the mechanism and frequency of this syndrome remain unknown.
The Profit: Using reality TV to teach management theories and strategies

Instructors are constantly challenged to compete for student attention. The authors of this article discuss how they are stimulating their students using reality TV shows to teach management theori...
Improving Performance of Treatment Wetlands: Evaluation of Supplemental Aeration, Varying Flow Direction, and Phosphorus Removing Filters

Pollutant removal was compared among subsurface flow constructed wetland (CW) mesocosms used for dairy farm wastewater treatment. Supplemental aeration, flow direction, and the use of phosphorus-reducing filters (PRFs) were varied among the CWs. The following were compared: (1) vertical flow CWs with and without supplemental aeration, (2) aerated CWs with horizontal and vertical flow directions, (3) single-cell and two-cell treatment systems, and (4) wetland-wetland systems (two CWs in series) and wetland-PRF systems (a CW followed by a PRF). The results from this investigation showed that, first, nearly all treatment strategies, either singly or in pairs, substantially reduced almost all the contaminants we tested. Second, supplemental aeration resulted in higher ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N) removal efficiencies in aerated vertical flow CWs, compared to unaerated CWs. However, it caused no further improvement in dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), total suspended solids (TSS), E. coli, or BOD5 removal. Third, there was no difference between aerated horizontal and aerated vertical flow CWs in removal of any of the tested contaminants. Fourth, adding a second stage of treatment significantly improved DRP, TSS, E. coli, and NH4-N removal, but not BOD5. Finally, treatment systems with PRFs showed superior performance in DRP and E. coli removal.
Maximum Product, Even Less Process: Increasing Efficiencies in Archival Processing Using ArchivesSpace

ABSTRACTAs the archival profession has adapted to new challenges and adopted modern practices like More Product, Less Process, the University of Minnesota has embraced these changes. Even so, imple...
Does PTH Replacement Therapy Improve Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Hypoparathyroidism

Studies have examined the impact of PTH on QoL but have not demonstrated improvements compared with controls. Vokes et al. and Palermo et al. have explored QoL in hypoparathyroidism in response to PTH.
Land cover influences on juvenile Rainbow Trout diet composition and condition in Lake Michigan tributaries

Watershed development may alter tributaries in ways that influence the growth and development of juvenile fish. For Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, the extent of land cover influence on the diet composition of stream‐residing juveniles is still an open but important question, particularly given their broad global distribution. Our study evaluated the effect of land cover on diet composition and condition metrics of juvenile Rainbow Trout in Lake Michigan tributaries. Juveniles were collected in the fall of 2014 and 2015 from 18 sampling locations across the Lake Michigan basin and included a wide variety of land cover types. Multivariate statistical procedures were used to quantitatively score sites along axes that maximized variation in land cover and diet composition. Subsequently, Spearman's rank correlations were used to test for significance of correlations between (a) land cover and diet composition, (b) land cover and fish condition, and (c) diet composition and fish condition. Our results indicated that land cover had an influence on the diet compositions of juvenile Rainbow Trout, but neither land cover nor diet composition had a significant influence on Rainbow Trout condition. These findings contrast with previously published work focusing on the growth responses of other fish species and provide insight into the plastic nature of Rainbow Trout. Further, we discuss potential ways in which fish may mitigate the effect of land cover changes as they are transmitted through stream food webs; however, the magnitude of the mitigation likely varies among fish species.
Identification of a major positive regulatory element located 5' to the human zeta-globin gene.

The function of the zeta-globin promoter was studied using a series of zeta-globin promoter deletion constructs to drive luciferase expression in transiently transfected human erythroleukemia cells. The promoters were used without enhancers, or with enhancers derived from the beta-globin locus control region and the alpha-globin HS-40 enhancer. When transfected into K562 cells, which express zeta-globin, comparable amounts of activity were obtained from the -557 and -417 zeta-luciferase constructs and the alpha-luciferase constructs when no enhancers or the alpha-globin locus enhancers were used. When the constructs were transfected into OCIM1 cells, which do not express zeta-globin, the zeta-globin promoters were at best 20% as active as the alpha-globin promoters. When sequences from -417 to -207 5′ to the zeta-globin mRNA cap site were deleted, up to 95% of the zeta-globin promoter activity was lost in K562 cells. Reinsertion of these sequences into zeta-luciferase constructs missing the -417 to -207 region showed that the sequences lack classical enhancer activity. Point mutation of a GATA-1 site at -230 reduced promoter activity by 37%. Point mutation of a CCACC site at -240 had no effect. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays indicated that the -230 GATA-1 site has a relatively low affinity for GATA-1. These experiments show the presence of a strong positive-acting element, located between -417 and -207 bp 5′ to the zeta-globin mRNA cap site, is necessary for high-level promoter activity in K562 cells. This element requires GATA-1 and additional unknown factors for maximal activity.