cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Bioinformatic Approach to Utilize a Patient’s Antibody-Secreting Cells against Staphylococcus aureus to Detect Challenging Musculoskeletal Infections

Noninvasive diagnostics for Staphylococcus aureus musculoskeletal infections (MSKI) remain challenging. Abs from newly activated, pathogen-specific plasmablasts in human blood, which emerge during an ongoing infection, can be used for diagnosing and tracking treatment response in diabetic foot infections. Using multianalyte immunoassays on medium enriched for newly synthesized Abs (MENSA) from Ab-secreting cells, we assessed anti-S. aureus IgG responses in 101 MSKI patients (63 culture-confirmed S. aureus, 38 S. aureus-negative) and 52 healthy controls. MENSA IgG levels were assessed for their ability to identify the presence and type of S. aureus MSKI using machine learning and multivariate receiver operating characteristic curves. Eleven S. aureus-infected patients were presented with prosthetic joint infections, 15 with fracture-related infections, 5 with native joint septic arthritis, 15 with diabetic foot infections, and 17 with suspected orthopedic infections in the soft tissue. Anti-S. aureus MENSA IgG levels in patients with non-S. aureus infections and healthy controls were 4-fold (***p = 0.0002) and 8-fold (****p < 0.0001) lower, respectively, compared with those with culture-confirmed S. aureus infections. Comparison of MENSA IgG responses among S. aureus culture-positive patients revealed Ags predictive of active MSKI (IsdB, SCIN, Gmd) and Ags predictive of MSKI type (IsdB, IsdH, Amd, Hla). When combined, IsdB, IsdH, Gmd, Amd, SCIN, and Hla were highly discriminatory of S. aureus MSKI (area under the ROC curve = 0.89 [95% confidence interval 0.82-0.93, p < 0.01]). Collectively, these results demonstrate the feasibility of a bioinformatic approach to use a patient's active immune proteome against S. aureus to diagnose challenging MSKI.
Sclerosing Encapsulating Peritonitis in a Pediatric Patient Treated With Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy.

Background Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) is a rare chronic inflammatory condition characterized by small bowel encapsulation by a thick fibrocollagenous membrane. Patients with SEP often present with nonspecific symptoms, such as abdominal pain and distension, however some patients may present with symptoms suggestive of intestinal obstruction. Secondary SEP has been reported in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis and has been recently described in adults following cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Observations We report a clinical case of a 13-year-old female who presented with worsening abdominal pain and distension and persistent emesis who was found to have SEP 13 months following CRS and HIPEC for management of desmoplastic small round cell tumor and subsequently required operative intervention. Conclusion Although there have been published reports of adult patients experiencing cases of SEP following CRS/HIPEC, this is the first published case of secondary SEP occurring in a pediatric oncology patient.
Riluzole attenuates glutamatergic tone and cognitive decline in AβPP/PS1 mice.

We have previously demonstrated hippocampal hyperglutamatergic signaling occurs prior to plaque accumulation in AβPP/PS1 mice. Here, we evaluate 2-Amino-6-(trifluoromethoxy) benzothiazole (riluzole) as an early intervention strategy for AD, aimed at restoring glutamate neurotransmission prior to substantial Aβ plaque accumulation and cognitive decline. Male AβPP/PS1 mice, a model of progressive cerebral amyloidosis, were treated with riluzole from 2-6 months of age. Morris water maze (MWM), in vivo electrochemistry, and immunofluorescence were performed to assess cognition, glutamatergic neurotransmission, and pathology, respectively, at 12 months. Four months of prodromal riluzole treatment in AβPP/PS1 mice resulted in long-lasting procognitive effects and attenuated glutamatergic tone that was observed six months after discontinuing riluzole treatment. Riluzole-treated AβPP/PS1 mice had significant improvement in long-term memory compared to vehicle-treated AβPP/PS1 mice that was similar to normal aging C57BL/6J control mice. Further, basal glutamate concentration and evoked-glutamate release levels, which were elevated in vehicle-treated AβPP/PS1 mice, were restored to levels observed in age-matched C57BL/6J mice in AβPP/PS1 mice receiving prodromal riluzole treatment. Beta amyloid (Aβ) plaque accumulation was not altered with riluzole treatment. This study supports that interventions targeting the glutamatergic system during the early stages of AD progression have long-term effects on disease outcome, and importantly may prevent cognitive decline. Our observations provide preclinical support for targeting glutamate neurotransmission in patients at risk for developing AD.
An efficient framework for printability assessment in Laser Powder Bed Fusion metal additive manufacturing

Abstract Typically, the development of materials is intimately tied to the concurrent development of manufacturing technologies especially suitable to that material. In the case of metal additive manufacturing (AM), in contrast, the alloys typically used a feedstock were originally developed having other traditional manufacturing technologies in mind. Since metal AM processes involve fundamentally different physics, it is common to encounter many challenges when processing these materials such as high susceptibility to defects and microstructure inconsistencies. Recent research directions call for developing new materials and alloys specifically for AM. This poses a new and significant challenge: how can we determine the optimal processing recipes for an alloy not previously investigated. This is a typically time-consuming and expensive endeavor and, in this work, we propose an efficient framework to efficiently and effectively determine the processing parameter window of a given alloy considered as potential feedstock for AM. The framework integrates design of experiments, physics-based simulation, uncertainty analysis and fabrication and characterization in order to determine the bounding region in the manufacturing space resulting in near full density, defect-free parts. The proposed framework is developed aiming at maximizing its efficiency, accessibility and practicality. We validate the proposed framework and demonstrate its robustness using three model materials, two of which have not been previously reported.
Assessing the robustness of time-to-event models for estimating unmarked wildlife abundance using remote cameras.

Recently developed methods, including time-to-event and space-to-event models, estimate the abundance of unmarked populations from encounter rates with camera trap arrays, addressing a gap in non-invasive wildlife monitoring. However, estimating abundance from encounter rates relies on assumptions that can be difficult to meet in the field, including random movement, population closure, and an accurate estimate of movement speed. Understanding how these models respond to violation of these assumptions will assist in making them more applicable in real-world settings. We used simulated walk models to test the effects of violating the assumptions of the time-to-event model under four scenarios: (1) incorrectly estimating movement speed, (2) violating closure, (3) individuals moving within simplified territories (i.e., movement restricted to partially overlapping circles), (4) and individuals clustering in preferred habitat. The time-to-event model was robust to closure violations, territoriality, and clustering when cameras were placed randomly. However, the model failed to accurately estimate abundance when movement speed was incorrectly estimated or cameras were placed non-randomly with respect to habitat. We show that the time-to-event model can provide unbiased estimates of abundance when some assumptions that are commonly violated in wildlife studies are not met. Having a robust method for estimating the abundance of unmarked populations with remote cameras will allow practitioners to monitor a more diverse array of populations noninvasively. With the time-to-event model, placing cameras randomly with respect to animal movement and accurately estimating movement speed allows unbiased estimation of abundance. The model is robust to violating the other assumptions we tested.
Dataset of the properties of polyethylene (PE) blends of different densities mixed with post-consumer recycled polyethylene (PCRPE).

Abstract This paper compiles polymer characterization data collected from polyethylene (PE) blends composed of different densities (low-density, LDPE, linear low-density, LLDPE, medium-density, MDPE, and high-density, HDPE) and post-consumer recycled polyethylene (PCRPE), as presented by Cecon et al. (2021). The data were collected from injection molded samples submitted to several physical, thermal, and mechanical characterization techniques, including density, melt flow rate (MFR), thermogravimetric analysis, mechanical testing, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. As there is a significant urgency in recycled polymer utilization in new consumer products from consumers, companies, and governments, the dataset herein presented can be a valuable tool for manufacturers, brand owners, and polymer engineers to model and anticipate different polymer properties associated with the increased use of PCRPE.
A transcriptional constraint mechanism limits the homeostatic response to activity deprivation in mammalian neocortex

Healthy neuronal networks rely on homeostatic plasticity to maintain stable firing rates despite changing synaptic drive. These mechanisms, however, can themselves be destabilizing if activated inappropriately or excessively. For example, prolonged activity deprivation can lead to rebound hyperactivity and seizures. While many forms of homeostasis have been described, whether and how the magnitude of homeostatic plasticity is constrained remains unknown. Here we uncover negative regulation of cortical network homeostasis by PAR bZIP family of transcription factors. In their absence the network response to prolonged activity withdrawal is too strong and this is driven by exaggerated upregulation of recurrent excitatory synaptic transmission. These data indicate that transcriptional activation is not only required for many forms of homeostatic plasticity but is also involved in restraint of the response to activity deprivation.
A naturalistic study of orally administered vs. inhaled legal market cannabis: cannabinoids exposure, intoxication, and impairment.

Rationale Published studies examining the effects of cannabis have largely utilized forms of cannabis that are not representative of the legal market products currently available. Objectives The present study aimed to characterize naturalistic use of legal market flower and edible products by examining associations among blood cannabinoids and amount of THC consumed as well as physiological, cognitive, and subjective effects in users of edible and flower forms. Method Eighty-four participants who used cannabis at least 1 × /week (55 flower cannabis using participants; 29 edible cannabis using participants mean age = 31.95 years, 44% female) participated. At the experimental appointment in our mobile laboratory, participants completed a blood draw to assess plasma cannabinoids, measures of heart rate, subjective drug effects, and cognition both before and after ad libitum use of legal market flower or edible cannabis. Results Average self-reported THC consumed was 15.97 mg (SD = 22.40) in edible users and 51.25 mg (SD = 45.23) in flower users. In the edible group, but not the flower group, strong correlations emerged between self-reported ad libitum THC consumed and plasma THC. Plasma THC was significantly higher after use of inhaled cannabis, but similar levels of plasma THC metabolites and similar levels of subjective intoxication and verbal memory impairment were observed in both flower and edible users. Conclusions Findings support strong correlations among ad libitum THC consumed and THC plasma levels after edible cannabis use and suggest few differences in intoxication and impairment between edible and flower cannabis users after ad libitum use. This novel study provides important preliminary data on the pharmacology and effects of legal market edible cannabis.
CoIL: Coordinate-based Internal Learning for Tomographic Imaging

We propose Coordinate-based Internal Learning (CoIL) as a new deep-learning (DL) methodology for continuous representation of measurements. Unlike traditional DL methods that learn a mapping from the measurements to the desired image, CoIL trains a multilayer perceptron (MLP) to encode the complete measurement field by mapping the coordinates of the measurements to their responses. CoIL is a self-supervised method that requires no training examples besides the measurements of the test object itself. Once the MLP is trained, CoIL generates new measurements that can be used within most image reconstruction methods. We validate CoIL on sparse-view computed tomography using several widely-used reconstruction methods, including purely model-based methods and those based on DL. Our results demonstrate the ability of CoIL to consistently improve the performance of all the considered methods by providing high-fidelity measurement fields.
Rareness starts early for disturbance-dependent grassland plant species

Ecological communities always contain a few common species and an abundance of uncommon species. Given that most plant mortality occurs in seeds and seedlings, recruitment success often predicts plant community assemblage and patterning, but observational patterns do not reveal whether plant populations are seed or habitat limited. Grassland plant species make up a sizable portion of the overall native flora in northeastern North America (N.A.), but approximately 30 % of the area’s threatened and endangered flora are grassland species, possibly leftovers from the post-glacial landscape. Yet, close relatives of many rare grassland species thrive in the same range. We investigated whether seed or habitat limitation explained rarity and commonness in remnant grassland species. We used seed addition experiments coupled with microhabitat manipulations (burning and herbivore exclusion) in three different habitat types to evaluate recruitment (germination and seedling survival) limitation for three rare and three common grassland species. Rare grassland species successfully recruited where burning reduced initial competitor density, but seedling survival suggested they were severely limited by interspecific competition. Both the rare and common plant species survived equally well in forest habitats where herbaceous density was low whereas neither survived in the edge habitats. Only the common plants thrived in the high-competition meadow habitat, further suggesting that the rare grassland species are poor competitors. Commonness and rarity are temporal designations that can change as disturbance alters the landscape. Glacial retreat and low precipitation in northeastern N.A. created a landscape suitable for poor competitors that tolerated poor conditions. Our results suggest that rare remnant grassland plants, unlike their close relatives, display more biotic than abiotic limitation as they do not compete well with other plants. These results suggest that suitable habitat is not a spatial location but a temporally transient assemblage of species requirements.
Fictions of Loss in the Victorian Fin De Siecle: Conclusion: Modernist empires and the rise of English

In 1941, with Kipling five years dead, Eliot could remake him into a kind of Modernist fellow traveler, a writer whose “peculiar detachment and remoteness” from late-Victorian readers sat uneasily with the kinds of demands made on him by the public. In 1919 Eliot had imagined a quite different Kipling. Reviewing his latest volume of verse, Eliot had written disparagingly of Kipling as a mere “public speaker,” an “orator or preacher” to the masses, and therefore not a serious artist. The unsurprising corollary to this claim is that Kipling's popularity ensures that he will remain unheard by those whom Eliot calls “discerning critics.” “The arrival of a new book of his verses is not likely to stir the slightest ripple on the surface of our conversational intelligentsia.” He is, Eliot claims oxymoronically, “a neglected celebrity.” The very title of the review, “Kipling Redivivus,” implies that the older writer has been utterly forgotten, yet he is forgotten - by discerning readers - precisely because he is the most wellknown of contemporary writers. The piece closes with an exhortation. “It is wrong, of course, of Mr. Kipling to address a large audience; but it is a better thing than to address a small one. The only better thing is to address the one hypothetical Intelligent Man who does not exist and who is the audience of the Artist.” The ideology of High Modernism is audible enough here, but there is more to be said about the essay.
Personal, Moral, and Structural Commitment to Relationships

If I were inclined to frivolity, I might have entitled this chapter “Just Say No to Global Commitment.” The core idea of the commitment framework that I have developed over the last 30 years (Johnson, 1969, 1973, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1991, 1995a) is that there are three distinct experiences of “commitment” (personal, moral, and structural), and that the global concept of commitment therefore misrepresents the nature of commitment phenomena. When I began work on a comparison of the commitments of cohabiting and married couples in 1966, it seemed to me that the concept of commitment was being used by social scientists to refer to at least two distinct phenomena. On the one hand, Howard Becker (1960), for example, was writing about the ways that the social context in which a line of action (say, a relationship) is embedded may produce constraints that virtually force one to continue that line of action whether one wants to or not. On the other hand, when Dean and Spanier (1974) wrote about commitment, they clearly were writing about a personal dedication to the continuation of a relationship even if the social context seemed to be working against it. Dean and Spanier used the term to refer to strong feelings of wanting to continue a relationship; Becker used the term to refer to strong feelings that one had to continue a relationship. And to make matters worse, many authors often drift from one meaning of the term to the other, without seeming to notice this important distinction (e.g., Rosenblatt, 1977).
Shock-Based Indexing into Large Shape Databases

This paper examines issues arising in applying a previously developed edit-distance shock graph matching technique to indexing into large shape databases. This approach compares the shock graph topology and attributes to produce a similarity metric, and results in 100% recognition rate in querying a database of approximately 200 shapes. However, indexing into a significantly larger database is faced with both the lack of a suitable database, and more significantly with the expense related to computing the metric. We have thus (i) gathered shapes from a variety of sources to create a database of over 1000 shapes from forty categories as a stage towards developing an approach for indexing into a much larger database; (ii) developed a coarse-scale approximate similarly measure which relies on the shock graph topology and a very coarse sampling of link attributes. We show that this is a good first-order approximation of the similarly metric and is two orders of magnitude more efficient to compute. An interesting outcome of using this efficient but approximate similarity measure is that the approximation naturally demands a notion of categories to give high precision; (iii) developed an exemplar-based indexing scheme which discards a large number of non-matching shapes solely based on distance to exemplars, coarse scale representatives of each category. The use of a coarse-scale matching measure in conjunction with a coarse-scale sampling of the database leads to a significant reduction in the computational effort without discarding correct matches, thus paving the way for indexing into databases of tens of thousands of shapes.
ATWATER TO THE PRESENT : WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT OUR FOOD SUPPLY ?

In the one hundred years since W. O. Atwater produced the first food composition tables for the U.S. food supply, many changes have occurred in the food supply. These changes reflect improvements in agricultural and food processing practices which have resulted in an ever increasing variety of foods available for consumption. Maintaining a food composition database for such a food supply requires priority setting decisions and collaboration between government, private sector and academic entities. Designing appropriate food composition databases requires knowledge of how these data will be used. Information about data source, variability, brand specificity and analytical methodology are among the important factors to be considered.
Modern Germany: Light At the End of The Sonderweg?

At several critical moments during the past two centuries, Germany has faced a turning point. And when Germany turned, or, as in the words of the British historian A.J.P. Taylor, “failed to turn” o...
Sociological Questions of Crises and Disasters in Our Contemporary Society

This chapter analyzes the evolution and theoretical changes of the fundamental sociological concepts of disaster, such as crisis, disaster, vulnerability, and risk. Crisis is considered within the social and cultural frameworks of our contemporary societies as are their characteristics of urgency, disruption, and complexity. Crisis shows the change of individual and social habits when people and communities are stricken by natural stress agents or those related to human activities.
Data subset selection by Boolean calculation

In this journal in 1969 the authors described an unconventional method, based on concepts from systematic biology, for storing and retrieving data, whose salient features are: (1) data are stored in such a manner that the space required for their storage is close to the information-theoretic minimum; and (2) the selection of data subsets for retrieval is effected by performing Boolean arithmetic directly on the stored data. Here we describe new algorithms to increase the power of data subset selection in the context of this method and describe their potential for parallel processing.
Indirect rosette microassay: comparison of protein a with purified anti-Ig antibody

Abstract Staphylococcal protein A-coated erythrocytes (SpA-E) are as sensitive as purified anti-Ig antibody-coated erythrocytes in detecting the interaction of monoclonal antibodies with murine target cells in an indirect rosette microassay; both indicators are superior to erythrocytes coated with purified anti-Fab antibodies. SpA-E can detect all immunoglobulin classes of sensitizing antibodies provided that rabbit anti-mouse Ig antisera are layered between the target cells and SpA-E.
CREB-binding Protein Is a Nuclear Integrator of Nuclear Factor-κB and p53 Signaling

Transcriptional coactivators may function as nuclear integrators by coordinating diverse signaling events. Here we show that the p65 (RelA) component of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and p53 mutually repress each other's ability to activate transcription. Additionally, tumor necrosis factor-activated NF-kappaB is inhibited by UV light-induced p53. Both p65 and p53 depend upon the coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP) for maximal activity. Increased levels of the coactivator relieve p53-mediated repression of NF-kappaB activity and p65-mediated repression of p53-dependent gene expression. Nuclear competition for limiting amounts of CBP provides a novel mechanism for altering the balance between the expression of NF-kappaB-dependent proliferation or survival genes and p53-dependent genes involved in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
Review of theory in model abstraction

Abstraction is key to model construction for simulation. While traditionally considered to be a black art, the importance of methodological support for abstraction is becoming increasingly evident. Complex distributed simulation systems, supporting multiresolution model sharing, presuppose effective ways to develop and correlate the underlying abstractions. Although a conceptual and computational framework grounded in mathematical systems theory has been around for some time, discussions of abstraction issues still often proceed through individual anecdotal experiences with little cumulative impact. This paper reviews theory and concepts available for working with abstraction in model construction.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Lazy eye shooter: A novel game therapy for visual recovery in adult amblyopia

Training studies using action video games have shown enhanced post-training vision in both normally-sighted as well as amblyopic individuals. The purpose of this work has been the development of a game modification or “mod” using Unreal Tournament 2004 in order to combine conventional antisuppression therapy principles for amblyopia with the benefits rendered by action video games for visual recovery and binocularity in amblyopia. The game system involves a stereo display with a degraded image shown to the "good" eye and game event items shown only to the amblyopic eye. Reward and punishment in the game is partially based on attendance with the amblyopic eye. Current results from a trial with 4 subjects show that all subjects recovered visual acuity and reported a dramatic reduction in switching between eyes with training, and were able to use their eyes simultaneously. A large sample clinical study is currently underway to further assess game efficacy.
R69-4 Quasi-Analogue Discrete Simulating Mediums

This paper constitutes a description of a potentially interesting class of analog-digital computing systems. Unfortunately, much of the discussion is devoted to nomenclature and to general comments which are too vague to permit a meaningful evaluation of the approach.
Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 materials and solar cells using 2SSS processing

Because of the anticipated high demand for Indium ongoing growth of CIGS technology may be limited. Kesterite materials which replace Indium with a Zn/Sn couple are thought to be a solution to this issue. However, efficiencies are still below the 10% level, and these materials are proving to be complex. Even determination of the bandgap is not settled because of the occurrence of secondary phases. We use a film growth process, 2SSS, which we believe helps control the formation of secondary phases. Under the right growth conditions we find 1/1 Zn/Sn ratios and XRD signatures for Cu 2 ZnSnSe 4 with no evidence of secondary phases. The optical absorption profile of our films is also a good match to the CIS profile even for films annealed at 500° C, and we see no evidence of phase separation. The effect of intentional variation of the Zn/Sn ratio on material and device properties is also presented and suggests that a given composition might not produce a unique bandgap.
Fighting the ‘damnable triumph’ of feminism: battles between teachers’ unions in interwar Britain

Hilda Kean and Alison Oram’s article (1990) has stood the test of time as an original contribution to the history of feminist politics at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was published at...
Effect of high-frequency oral airway and chest wall oscillation and conventional chest physical therapy on expectoration in patients with stable cystic fibrosis.

Study objective To compare the effect of high-frequency oral airway oscillation, high-frequency chest wall oscillation, and conventional chest physical therapy (CPT) on weight of expectorated sputum, pulmonary function, and oxygen saturation in outpatients with stable cystic fibrosis (CF). Design Prospective randomized trial. Setting Pediatric pulmonary division of a tertiary care center. Patients Fourteen outpatients with stable CF recruited from the CF center. Interventions Two modes of oral airway oscillation (1: frequency 8 Hz; inspiratory to expiratory [LE] ratio 9:1; 2: frequency 14 Hz; I:E ratio 8:1), two modes of chest wall oscillation (1: frequency 3 Hz; I:E ratio 4:1; 2: frequency 16 Hz; I:E ratio 1:1, alternating with frequency 1.5 Hz, I:E ratio 6:1), and CPT (clapping, vibration, postural drainage, and encouraged coughing) were applied during the first 20 min of 4 consecutive hours. Measurements and results Sputum was collected on an hourly basis for a total of 6 consecutive hours. During the first and the last hour, patients collected sputum without having any treatment and underwent pulmonary function tests (PFTs). Oxygen saturation was measured at 30-min intervals during hours 1 to 6. For the first 20 min of the second to the fifth hour, patients received one of the treatments. To assess the effect of the intervention, the weight of expectorated sputum during hours 2 to 6 was averaged and expressed as percentage of the weight expectorated during the first hour (baseline). For the five treatment modalities, mean sputum dry and wet weights ranged between 122% and 185% of baseline. There was no statistically significant difference among the treatment modalities. As measured by sputum wet weight, all oscillatory devices tended to be less effective than CPT (p=0.15). As measured by dry weight, oral airway oscillation at 8 Hz with an I:E ratio of 9:1 and CPT tended to be more effective than the other treatment modalities (p=0.57). None of the treatment modalities had an effect on PFTs and oxygen saturation and all were well tolerated. Conclusion In outpatients with stable CF, high-frequency oscillation applied via the airway opening or via the chest wall and CPT have comparable augmenting effects on expectorated sputum weight without changing PFTs or oxygen saturation. In contrast to CPT, high-frequency oral airway and chest wall oscillations are self-administered, thereby containing health-care expenses.
A native nitrogen-fixing shrub facilitates weed invasion

Invasions by exotic weedy plants frequently occur in highly disturbed or otherwise anthropogenically altered habitats. Here we present evidence that, within California coastal prairie, invasion also can be facilitated by a native nitrogen-fixing shrub, bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus). Bush lupines fix nitrogen and grow rapidly, fertilizing the sandy soil with nitrogen-rich litter. The dense lupine canopy blocks light, restricting vegetative growth under bushes. Heavy insect herbivory kills lupines, opening exposed nitrogen-rich sites within the plant community. Eventual re-establishment of lupine occurs because of an abundant and long-lived seed bank. Lupine germination, rapid growth, shading and fertilization of sites, and then death after only a few years, results in a mosaic of nutrient-rich sites that are available to invading species. To determine the role of bush lupine death and nitrogen enrichment in community composition, we examined nutrient dynamics and plant community characteristics within a site only recently colonized by lupine, comparing patches where lupines had recently died or were experimentally killed with adjacent areas lacking lupine. In experimentally killed patches, instantaneous pool sizes of exchangeable ammonium and nitrate nitrogen were higher than in adjacent sites free of lupine. Seedlings of the introduced grass Bromus diandrus accumulated 48% greater root biomass and 93% more shoot biomass when grown in a greenhouse in soil collected under experimentally killed lupines compared to B. diandrus seedlings grown in soil collected at least 1 m away from lupines. At the end of the spring growing season, total above-ground live plant biomass was more than twice as great in dead lupine patches as in the adjacent lupine-free grassland, but dead lupine patches contained 47% fewer plant species and 57% fewer native species. Sites where lupines have repeatedly died and reestablished during recent decades support an interstitial grassland community high in productivity but low in diversity, composed of mostly weedy introduced annual plants. In contrast, at a site only recently colonized by bush lupines, the interstitial grassland consists of a less productive but more diverse set of native and introduced species. We suggest that repeated bouts of lupine germination, establishment, and death can convert a rich native plant community into a less diverse collection of introduced weeds.
School-based interventions for anxious children: 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups.

Abstract Objective To follow 61 participants (7–11 years old) from a study that compared three school-based interventions for anxious children: group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for children, group CBT for children plus parent training, and no-treatment control to determine whether posttreatment benefits are sustained longitudinally. Method Parent, child, and clinician report measures of child anxiety were completed at 3,6, and 12 months posttreatment. Semistructured diagnostic interviews were administered at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. For initial analyses, the group CBT and group CBT plus parent training conditions were collapsed into one group and compared to control. When significant results were found, each active treatment group was compared to control. Results Across several measures, the collapsed CBT group sustained significant improvement in anxiety severity and impairment across a 12-month period compared to control. There were no significant differences between the three groups on remission of baseline anxiety disorders or incidence of new anxiety disorders during the follow-up. Several parent-report measures at 3 and 6 months posttreatment suggested that group CBT for children plus parent training provided additional benefit over the group CBT for children when each was compared to the control group. Conclusions School-based CBT appears effective in decreasing anxiety symptoms up to 12 months posttreatment for anxious children. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 2008; 47(9): 1039–1047.
Uptake of norepinephrine by isolated neurons of rat pontine reticular formation.

Neurons isolated from the nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis and the lateral vestibular nucleus of the rat brain stem have been incubated in buffered sucrose containing norepinephrine. Norepinephrine accumulated intracellularly was then visualized by fluorescence microscopy after formaldehyde condensation.
Algorithm to diagnose etiology of hypoglycemia after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity: case series and review of the literature.

Abstract Background Gastric bypass is a proven treatment option for weight loss and the reduction of medical co-morbid conditions in the obese population. Severe refractory and/or recurrent hypoglycemia can occur, especially in postoperative patients who do not comply with the guidelines for oral glucose consumption. In a very small number of patients, the cause is not dietary indiscretions but, instead, factitious insulin administration or nesidioblastosis. The optimal evaluation and management for these diagnoses is not completely lucid yet important for bariatric surgeons and physicians alike to be familiar. Our objectives were to review the appropriate evaluation and treatment options for etiologies of hypoglycemia after gastric bypass and to create an algorithm that biochemically assesses the etiology of hypoglycemia. The setting was a university hospital in the United States. Methods We present the cases of 3 patients who developed symptomatic hypoglycemia from distinct etiologies after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. We also reviewed the current data regarding diagnosis and treatment. Results Each patient's evaluation and management is elaborated in detail. We propose a novel algorithm for the biochemical evaluation of hypoglycemia after gastric bypass according to our experience and the review of the literature. Conclusion Most cases of symptomatic hypoglycemia that develop in gastric bypass patients are associated with dietary indiscretions. However, a small subset of patients can develop refractory, recurrent, hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia from factitious insulin administration or nesidioblastosis.
Theoretical study of the AlO blue-green (B2∑+−X2∑+ band system

Two independent, extensive theoretical calculations are reported for the relative band strengths of the AlO (B2∑+−X2∑+) blue-green system and for the radiative lifetimes of the lowest few vibrational levels of the B2∑+ state. The theoretical lifetimes, which include a small (<0.5%) contribution from bound-bound transitions into the A2Π state, are in excellent agreement with laser fluorescence studies. The theoretical lifetimes increase monotonically and very slowly with increasing vibrational quantum number. The relative band strengths for the blue-green system derived from the two theoretical calculations are in excellent agreement, but differ systematically from the relative band strengths of Linton and Nicholls. Our results suggest that their self-absorption corrections are not large enough, resulting in relative intensities that are too large, especially for the weak bands with r centroids less than 1.5A.
Geothermal well testing

Abstract Just as in the case of hydrogeology and petroleum engineering, well testing is an invaluable tool in assessing the resource deliverability of geothermal reservoirs. While the techniques of production testing and interference testing already developed in hydrogeology and petroleum engineering provide a strong foundation for geothermal well testing, the latter is challenged by some special problems. These special problems stem primarily from the difficulties associated with the measurement of mass flow rate, pressure and temperature under the hostile environment prevalent within geothermal wells. This paper briefly looks into the state-of-the-art of geothermal well testing and provides a few illustrative field examples.
Tumors and Cysts of the Mediastinum

Practically all mediastinal tumors and cysts, as well as the lesions with which they may be confused, threaten the life of the patient. During their growth they may compress vital organs, rupture, become infected, or develop malignant change. The most important consideration in these lesions is to differentiate those which are amenable to surgical attack, particularly benign tumors and cysts and primary malignancies, from those for which surgical cure is impossible. A preliminary trial of roentgenray therapy is recommended for known or suspected lymphoblastomas. In these it may provide palliation as well as diagnostic information. Exploratory thoracotomy is now a relatively safe procedure which may be recommended with impunity for lesions which are potentially malignant or from which fatal complications are likely to ensue. In most mediastinal lesions the diagnosis may be suspected, but cannot be verified, prior to surgery. Thoracotomy should be performed without delay in all cases for which there is some prospect of surgical cure.
Serial phenotypic, cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies in Richter's syndrome: demonstration of lymphoma development from the chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells.

Summary. In this report we describe a unique longitudinal study on the clinical, phenotypic, cytogenetic and molecular genetic features of malignant cells from diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) to the development of lymphoma and lymphomatous meningitis. CLL cells at diagnosis were CD5+, CD19+, surface IgG+, kappa+, were karyotypically abnormal and showed clonal rearrangements in the immunoglobulin heavy (IgH) and kappa light chain genes. Phenotypically leukaemic cells and lymphoma cells at RS resembled CLL at diagnosis, but showed cytogenetic evolution. Geometrically leukaemic cells and lymphoma cells retained the initial clonal rearrangements in IGH and kappa genes, but showed additional supervening clonal rearrangements in both of these genes as the disease progressed to RS. Furthermore, the c-lambda DNA showed clonal rearrangements in the leukaemic cells and lymphoma cells at RS. This complete phenotypic and genotypic analysis of tumour cells during the course of the disease demonstrates the origin of lymphoma from CLL cells through progressive cytogenetic and molecular genetic changes in CLL cells.
Improving Electronic Resources Through Holistic Budgeting

To establish a more direct link between its collections and the educational goals of Saint Xavier University, the Byrne Memorial Library has adopted a “holistic” approach to collection development. This article examines how traditional budget practices influenced the library's selection of resources and describes how holistic collection development enabled a major transformation of its budget and collections.
Silencing the question of God: The ways of Jung and Suzuki.

The irreligion or, if you will, secularism of our time can be traced primarily to the collapse of the extraverted religious life in Western civilization. God as the central fact of the cosmos and, corresponding to this on the psychological plane, the image of God as the center of personality are no longer felt to be alive by most people. I do not intend to diagnose this condition. Suffice it to say that the death of the traditional image of God in the Western psyche opens the possibility of a richer understanding of what "God" and "religion" mean. If we read the omens aright, the most significant trend in the current re-evaluation of the phenomenon of religion is in the direction of a growing preoccupation with the events of man's inner life, with the depth, and, indeed, the magnitude of his psyche. More and more people are drawn into the center of themselves where "God" and "religion" are discovered beyond the worn-out cosmological symbolism of the past. I believe that instrumental in this arduous inward journey are two men: the renascent Swiss psychologist C. G. Jung and the Japanese scholar of Zen Buddhism D. T. Suzuki. As a psychologist who is not averse to considering the religious import of a mental disease, Jung was particularly interested in the drawings of m?ndalas by his patients. M?ndala (Hindu term for a circle) is a visual representation?a figure or a design?of the struggle to achieve synthesis of diversity and unity culminating in a pristine, nontemporal "Center." In the traditional m?ndala designs the center is ordinarily occupied by some sort of deity. In the modern m?ndalas, however, we find a symbol of a very different meaning?a star, a sun, a flower, but never a deity. Jung therefore regards these m?ndalas as confessions of a particular mental condition that implies no submission or reconciliation to a deity. "The place of the deity seems to be taken by the wholeness of man."1 M?ndalas that have been drawn by Jung's patients (without a deity in the center) would thus show that, being unable to project a divine image any longer, they are prepared to grope their own way toward unity and wholeness. If we now transport ourselves some twenty-five centuries back into the past we find that Gautama the Buddha constantly admonished his disciples to be lamps unto themselves, to strive needfully, to work out their own salvation. Whatever
On the economics of anti-counterfeiting

In this paper, we describe the economic payoff of forensic systems used to trace counterfeited content and Software.
Dissecting the polar dichotomy of the noncondensable gas enhancement on Mars using the NASA Ames Mars General Circulation Model

[1] The atmospheric processes underlying the observed spatial and temporal enhancement of noncondensing gases in Mars' atmosphere are investigated. The Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS) on board Mars Odyssey has obtained measurements indicating that the absolute and relative column abundance of noncondensing gases (primarily argon and nitrogen) maximizes at high latitudes in both hemispheres during winter as CO2 gas condenses and forms the seasonal polar ice cap. This condensing CO2 “leaves behind” noncondensing gases whose local absolute and relative column abundances can increase at a rate controlled by mixing with less-enhanced air from lower latitudes. Understanding the processes responsible for the magnitude and seasonal variations of these enhancement values is an aid in understanding atmospheric transport processes. The NASA Ames Mars General Circulation Model is employed to help understand the atmospheric thermodynamical mechanisms that give rise to the observed temporal and magnitude variations in the polar enhancement values. The model produces a threefold noncondensable gas enhancement in the south polar region and an approximate 1.4-fold increase in noncondensables in the north polar region. These model results are temporally consistent with observed values, but the observed enhancement magnitudes exceed those modeled by up to a factor of two. The difference in strength and the season of formation between transient eddies in the southern and northern hemispheres may play a large role in determining the different character of the two polar enhancements. Model simulations also illuminate the effect that topography, orbital eccentricity, and atmospheric dust opacity have on producing the north versus south polar enhancement dichotomy.
Structure and extinction of laminar diffusion flames above condensed fuels with water and nitrogen

Abstract The objective of this study was to develop an improved understanding of mechanisms of fire suppression by studying diffusion-flame extinction in the presence of suppressive agents. Fuels studied were methanol, haptane, and wood. Suppressants considered were water and nitrogen. The configuration studied was the counterflow diffusion flame produced by directing an oxidizing gas stream, containing the suppressant, downward onto the burning surface of a condensed fuel. Data include concentration profiles (obtained by sampling and gas chromatographic analysis), temperature profiles (measured with thermocouples), and extinction conditions (in terms of suppressant content and flow rate of oxidizer). Overall rate parameters for the gas-phase combustion of these fuels were obtained through evaluation of a critical Damko¨hler number for extinction. The influence of water on flame extinction was observed to be thermal. It is suggested that the extinction mechanisms for gas-phase diffusion flames above cellulosic fuels are similar to those observed for liquid fuels.
American blood donors seropositive for human T-lymphotropic virus types I/II exhibit normal lymphocyte subsets.

Recent reports have demonstrated that some lymphocyte subsets are abnormal in Japanese blood donors who are seropositive for human T- lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I). To determine if similar changes characterize American blood donors who are seropositive for HTLV-I/II, lymphocyte subsets were measured in 42 HTLV-seropositive and 42 HTLV- seronegative blood donors. The seronegative individuals were matched by age, race, and gender to the seropositive individuals. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were treated with a panel of 12 monoclonal antibody pairs and then analyzed by two-color flow cytometry. No significant differences were observed between the seropositive and seronegative groups with respect to the absolute number of circulating lymphocytes or the percentages of lymphocytes belonging to the subsets assessed. These subsets included B, T, CD4, and CD8 cells and subpopulations of CD4 and CD8 cells defined by the coexpression of markers that appear (CD25, HLA-DR, CD38) or disappear (Leu 8, CD45RA) after activation. These findings indicate that HTLV-seropositive persons in the American blood donor pool do not exhibit the lymphocyte subset alterations reported for HTLV-I-seropositive blood donors in Japan.