cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biogenic methane production from coal: A review on recent research and development on microbially enhanced coalbed methane (MECBM)

Abstract The biological conversion of coal to methane can be an efficient and environmentally friendly means of utilizing the current coal reserves, including those that are difficult to utilize with conventional methods. Understanding the details of microbial coal degradation leading up to methanogenesis is essential in order to establish new energy production techniques and industrial processes that are cost- and energy-effective. Various approaches, such as bioaugmentation, biostimulation and physical, chemical and biological pretreatment for the purpose of enhancing methane yield are reviewed. Specifically for biostimulation which holds great promise for the success of biogasification, detailed reviews are provided on elucidating the composition of a microbial community, developing suitable nutrient solutions, and the in situ application of laboratory generated results. In addition, future research directions for maximizing methane production from coal are recommended.
News rover: exploring topical structures and serendipity in heterogeneous multimedia news

News stories are rarely understood in isolation. Every story is driven by key entities that give the story its context. Persons, places, times, and several surrounding topics can often succinctly represent a news event, but are only useful if they can be both identified and linked together. We introduce a novel architecture called News Rover for re-bundling broadcast video news, online articles, and Twitter content. The system utilizes these many multimodal sources to link and organize content by topics, events, persons and time. We present two intuitive interfaces for navigating content by topics and their related news events as well as serendipitously learning about a news topic. These two interfaces trade-off between user-controlled and serendipitous exploration of news while retaining the story context. The novelty of our work includes the linking of multi-source, multimodal news content to extracted entities and topical structures for contextual understanding, and visualized in intuitive active and passive interfaces.
The response of colonic muscle to drugs: an in vitro study of Hirschsprung's disease.

Abstract An in vitro pharmacologic study was conducted with muscle from 14 cases of Hirschsprung's disease and eight normal controls. The circular muscle from an aganglionic segment was less sensitive to ACh and physostigmine than from segments of proximal ganglionic bowel or normal controls. The degree of insensitivity to ACh had a significant correlation with the clinical severity of obstruction. It appeared that variably increased cholinesterase activity in the aganglionic colon might be responsible for the insensitivity to ACh. These findings suggest the hypothesis that, in addition to the absence of intramural ganglia, there is an imbalance between release of ACh and hydrolysis by ChE which produces the variable clinical symptoms.
Ventilation/Perfusion Scanning for Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Effect of Direct Communication on Patient Treatment Outcomes

Purpose of the ReportAlthough the synthesis of ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan result and clinical pretest probability is vital to the diagnostic accuracy of V/Q scanning, there is no updated pretest/posttest tabular decision tool since that presented in the Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary E
Self‐regulation of unwanted consumption

The issue of consumption control is viewed from the perspective of self-regulation in which successful attempts at controlling problem behaviors depend upon achieving motivational readiness. It is proposed that consumption control can be understood as a series of stage-related processes that follow from theoretical accounts of self-regulation contained in the transtheoretical model of change, and the model of action phases. In order to observe ongoing consumption-control processes, a diary study, in which participants described their actions, thoughts, and feelings in attempting a personal consumption-control project, was conducted. Diary entries were interpreted in light of theoretical stage-related processes. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Migrainous Phenomenon Precipitated By Lumbar Puncture Headache

This case report describes a patient without personal or family history of migraine or other recurrent headaches who developed a typical lumbar puncture headache leading to a characteristic migrainous visual field deficit. There was no history of analgesic or other medication use or other precipitant, and neither symptom recurred in years of follow-up. The sequence of symptoms suggests that mechanical distortion or irritation of cranial pain-sensitive structures can precede and precipitate the migrainous cortical dysfunction.
The Geographic Sources of Innovation: Technological Infrastructure and Product Innovation in the United States

Abstract The fate of regions and of nations increasingly depends upon ideas and innovations to facilitate growth. In recent years, geographers have made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the innovation process by exploring the diffusion of innovation, the location of R&D, and the geography of high-technology industry. This paper examines the geographic sources of innovation, focusing specifically on the relationship between product innovation and the underlying “technological infrastructure” of particular places. This infrastructure is comprised of agglomerations of firms in related manufacturing industries, geographic concentrations of industrial R&D, concentrations of university R&D, and business-service firms. Once in place, these geographic concentrations of infrastructure enhance the capacity for innovation, as regions come to specialize in particular technologies and industrial sectors. Geography organizes this infrastructure by bringing together the crucial resources and inputs for ...
Tumor delivery of macromolecular drugs based on the EPR effect

Enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect is the physiology-based principal mechanism of tumor accumulation of large molecules and small particles. This specific issue of Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews is summing up multiple data on the EPR effect-based drug design and clinical outcome. In this commentary, the role of the EPR effect in the intratumoral delivery of protein and peptide drugs, macromolecular drugs and drug-loaded long-circulating pharmaceutical nanocarriers is briefly discussed together with some additional opportunities for drug delivery arising from the initial EPR effect-mediated accumulation of drug-containing macromolecular systems in tumors.
The Rubin–Stark conjecture for a special class of function field extensions

Abstract We prove a strong form of the Brumer–Stark Conjecture and, as a consequence, a strong form of Rubin's integral refinement of the abelian Stark Conjecture, for a large class of abelian extensions of an arbitrary characteristic p global field k. This class includes all the abelian extensions K / k contained in the compositum k p ∞ ≔ k p · k ∞ of the maximal pro-p abelian extension k p / k and the maximal constant field extension k ∞ / k of k, which happens to sit inside the maximal abelian extension k ab of k with a quasi-finite index. This way, we extend the results obtained by the present author in (Comp. Math. 116 (1999) 321–367).
Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Silica Nanoparticles as a Nitric Oxide Delivery Scaffold.

The preparation and characterization of nitric oxide (NO)-releasing silica particles formed following the synthesis of N-diazeniumdiolate-modified aminoalkoxysilanes are reported. Briefly, an aminoalkoxysilane solution was prepared by dissolution of an appropriate amount of aminoalkoxysilane in a mixture of ethanol, methanol, and sodium methoxide (NaOMe) base. The silane solution was reacted with NO (5 atm) to form N-diazeniumdiolate NO donor moieties on the aminoalkoxysilanes. Tetraethoxy- or tetramethoxysilane (TEOS or TMOS) was then mixed with different ratios of N-diazeniumdiolate-modified aminoalkoxysilane (10–75 mol %, balance TEOS or TMOS). Finally, the silane mixture was added into ethanol in the presence of an ammonia catalyst to form NO donor silica nanoparticles via a sol–gel process. This synthetic approach allows for the preparation of NO delivery silica scaffolds with remarkably improved NO storage and release properties, surpassing all macromolecular NO donor systems reported to date with r...
Generalized finite element method for second-order elliptic operators with Dirichlet boundary conditions

We introduce a method for approximating essential boundary conditions-conditions of Dirichlet type-within the generalized finite element method (GFEM) framework. Our results apply to general elliptic boundary value problems of the form [email protected]?"i","j"="1^n(a^i^ju"x"""i)"x"""[email protected]?"i"="1^nb^iu"x"""i+cu=f in @W, u=0 on @[email protected], where @W is a smooth bounded domain. As test-trial spaces, we consider sequences of GFEM spaces, {S"@m}"@m">="1, which are nonconforming (that is S"@[email protected]?H"0^1(@W)). We assume that @[email protected]?"L"^"2"("@?"@W")=
A Membrane reactor for thionine-based solar cells

Abstract Short-lived reaction intermediates can be separated and prevented from reacting further by using a membrane reactor. This paper describes such a reactor for the thionine—ferrous iron solar cell. The theory and results show how the current produced by this solar cell can be increased
Superficial Temporal Artery To Middle Cerebral Artery Anastomoses in the Sylvian Fissure: Case Report:

An anastomosis between the superficial tem poral artery (STA) and the superior trunk of divi sion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) resulted in significant clinical improvement and normalization of the impaired cerebral blood flow. Possible indications for this type of anasto mosis and microanatomical data from the proxi mal MCA are discussed.
THE POLITICAL LIMITS OF THE RIGHTS FRAME: THE CASE OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN HAWAII

This article uses public debates over same-sex marriage in Hawaii to address gaps in the framing perspective on social movements. Drawing on both elite and nonelite discourses in the debates over same-sex marriage, the analysis demonstrates the dominance of the civil rights frame among supporters of same-sex marriage but e nds that alternative dis- courses emerged among nonelite actors in response to evolving political conditions. Nonelite actors increasingly framed the issue as a question of tolerance and acceptance rather than rights. Opponents of same-sex mar- riage explicitly rejected the rights frame and countered with discourses of democracy and morality. This case highlights the impact of activist frames on broader public debates, but also the possibility of signie cant alternative frames that can only be discovered through attention to nonelite discourses. The case also suggests that dominant master frames that inform the dis- courses of social movements may constrain the framing efforts of activists within specie c issue domains.
Miniature, High-Power 355-nm Laser System

A robust, miniature laser system produces >100 μJ in 355-nm pulses of 700-ps duration, at pulse rates up to 500 Hz. The system is pumped by two fiber-coupled 808­-nm diode-laser arrays and occupies a volume of <0.5 liters.
Appraisals of Spouse Affiliation and Control during Marital Conflict: Common and Specific Cognitive Correlates Among Facets of Negative Affectivity

The present study examined associations between individual differences in trait negative affect and appraisal biases during a marital conflict discussion in a sample of 300 middle-aged and older couples. We used the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) to quantify specific appraisal biases, defined as discrepancies between participant ratings of their spouses’ levels of hostility, friendliness, and control during a marital disagreement relative to independent behavioral coding of these behavioral dimensions. Further, we examined the specific component affective traits (i.e., anxiety, depression, and anger) individually, as well as their independent effects in simultaneous analyses. Composite negative affectivity was associated with appraisals of the spouse as displaying more control, less friendliness, and more hostility than was evident in independent ratings. For the specific negative affects, depressive tendencies—and perhaps the closely related trait of anxiety—were associated with viewing the spouse as both more hostile and less warm or friendly than did independent observers. In contrast, individuals prone to anger perceived more control in their spouse’s behavior than was rated by observers. The results support interpersonal and cognitive models of the role of appraisals in general negative affectivity and its specific components.
Enhanced regional left ventricular function after distant coronary bypass by means of improved collateral blood flow

Abstract To determine whether coronary artery bypass surgery can improve function in left ventricular regions not amenable to direct revascularization, 24 patients with multivessel coronary artery disease were studied by radionuclide angiography and coronary arteriography before and 6 months after coronary artery bypass surgery. All had proximal stenosis of the left circumflex artery or a major obtuse marginal branch. Left ventricular regional function was assessed by dividing the left ventricular region of interest into 20 sectors; the 8 sectors corresponding to the posterolateral free wall were used to assess function in the left circumflex artery distribution. Change in function in the left anterior descending territory was not analyzed because of the nonspecific septal hypokinesia that develops postoperatively. For the total group, coronary artery bypass surgery significantly increased both global left ventricular ejection fraction during exercise (43 ± 13% to 50 ± 14%, p These data suggest that many patients with a nonbypassable coronary artery may still benefit from coronary artery bypass surgery if the jeopardized myocardium is perfused by collateral vessels supplied by a stenosed artery amenable to bypass surgery.
Genetic analysis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: approaches to complex traits.

Advances in molecular genetics have resulted in the identification of numerous genetic variants that underlie susceptibility to many human diseases. In addition to providing tools for improving diagnostic accuracy, prognosis, and potential therapeutic options, the identification of genes associated with human diseases improves our understanding of the molecular etiology of genetic disorders. The premise behind all genetic studies is that variation in the phenotype of interest is determined, at least in part, by heritable differences in the human genome. Defining the genes responsible for the phenotype might allow the identification of pathways that could be targets of intervention, and of individuals who might potentially benefit from such intervention(s). Heritable differences that are useful in genetic studies include variations in DNA such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), microsatellites, and insertion/deletion polymorphisms. Several genetic variants in a chromosomal region may be inherited together as a haplotype due to linkage disequilibrium, which is the nonrandom association of alleles at two or more loci and is a
Smart Thinking for Crazy Times: The Art of Solving the Right Problems

Executive Overview This article presents a review of the book “Smart Thinking for Crazy Times: The Art of Solving the Right Problems,” by Ian Mitroff.
The Pulmonary Pressures in Pulmonary Venous Obstruction

The contour of the pulmonary artery wedge pressure tracing in a case of pulmonary venous obstruction was unique and may be diagnostic. Wedged pressures were obtained in both a pulmonary artery and a pulmonary vein on recatheterization of a 5-year-old boy with total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage to the superior vena cava on whom an anastomosis of the confluence of the pulmonary veins to the left atrium with loose ligation of the vertical vein had been done at 2 months of age. The pulmonary artery wedge pressure (oxygen saturation, 97%) was 31/18 (mean, 22) mm Hg and its contour was almost identical to that of the pulmonary artery pressure. A similar contour was obtained in the pulmonary vein, for both wedged and free pressures. The similarity of the pulmonary artery wedge pressure to that in the free pulmonary artery may lead to the conclusion that the catheter is not wedged when actually it is. Doubt can be resolved by withdrawing fully saturated blood. Extreme stenosis between the confluence of the pulmonary veins and the left atrium may cause the pulmonary artery wedge to reflect pulmonary arterial rather than left atrial pressure and pulse form.
Role of vasopressin in support of blood pressure in potassium deficient rats.

Role of vasopressin in support of blood pressure in potassium deficient rats. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) has been found to contribute to the maintenance of blood pressure (BP) in the rat. Since potassium deficiency results in alterations in systemic hemodynamics, the role of AVP in the control of BP was studied after 14 to 21 days of dietary potassium deficiency. When potassium deficient and control rats were allowed free access to water, plasma osmolality (301.4 ± 1 vs. 293.4 ± 3 mOsm/kg; P Role de la vasopressine dans le maintien de la pression arterielle chez des rats carences en potassium. Il a ete montre que l'arginine vasopressine (AVP) contribue au maintien de la pression arterielle (BP) chez le rat. Puisque la carence en potassium entraine des alterations de l'hemodynamique systemique, le role de l'AVP dans le controle de la BP a ete etudie apres 14 a 21 jours de carence potassique alimentaire. Quand des rats carences en potassium et controles buvaient librement de l'eau, l'osmolalite plasmatique (301.4 ± 1 contre 293.4 ± 3 mOsm/kg; P
Metabolism of branched-chain amino acids in leg muscles from tail-cast suspended intact and adrenalectomized rats.

The effects of muscle unloading, adrenalectomy, and cortisol treatment on the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids in the soleus and extensor digitorum longus of tail-cast suspended rats were investigated using C-14-labeled lucine, isoleucine, and valine in incubation studies. It was found that, compared to not suspended controls, the degradation of branched-chain amino acids in hind limb muscles was accelerated in tail-cast suspended rats. Adrenalectomy was found to abolish the aminotransferase flux and to diminish the dehydrogenase flux in the soleus. The data also suggest that cortisol treatment increases the rate of metabolism of branched-chain amino acids at the dehydrogenase step.
Stability of human leukocyte processes to freeze-thawing

Summary Human leukocytes were slowly frozen in media containing 25% serum and 10% dimethyl sulfoxide. After thawing and resuspending, differences in cellular permeability to several compounds were found, and concentrative transport of cycloleucine could no longer be demonstrated. Phagocytosis was, however, still demonstrable. It is concluded that the freezethawing altered the permeability of a major fraction of the cells processed, and that measurements of permeability are a more sensitive index of cell damage than phagocytosis.
Diagnosis and outcome of 100 consecutive patients with extreme granulocytic leukocytosis.

Abstract PURPOSE: To determine the clinical features, causes, and prognostic significance of extreme leukocytosis in adults. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical records of 100 consecutive patients who presented at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center between March 1993 and January 1994 with more than 25,000 leukocytes/μL blood and with more than 50% granulocytes were reviewed. Demographic, clinical, and outcome information was recorded, and a cause of extreme leukocytosis was sought in each case. RESULTS: Extreme leukocytosis was attributed to infection in 48 cases, advanced malignancy in 13 cases, hemorrhage in 9 cases, glucocorticoids in 8 cases, and other causes in 22 cases. Four patients had previously diagnosed conditions resulting in chronic leukocytosis. Higher leukocyte counts were associated with malignancy (χ 2 for trend=12.5, P CONCLUSION: Clinicians should be aware that extreme leukocytosis with a predominance of granulocytes is associated with infection in only 48% of cases. The presence of fever increases the likelihood that infection is the cause. Mortality is high, particularly in patients without infection.
Two modes of accelerated glacier sliding related to water

[1] We present the first glacier-wide detailed measurement of basal effective pressure and related observations including bed separation to elucidate the role of water in sliding. The hard bedded glacier instrumented in our study exhibited two phases of accelerated sliding motion apparently driven by separate mechanisms. The first acceleration phase (up to 5 fold increase in speed) was closely tied to an increase in bed separation. The faster second phase (up to 9 fold increase in speed) was related to an unusually high level of connectivity of subglacial waters. We infer the first mode was related to cavity opening and the second mode was related to reduced ice contact with the bed. Glacier sliding over a hard bed is typically represented by sliding laws that include the effective basal pressure, but neither sliding phase was accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in local or regional effective pressure.
LIPs on Venus

Venus, a planet similar to Earth in heat budget lacks plate tectonics, yet displays ample evidence of extensive volcanic and tectonomagmatic processes, including regions large enough to be considered LIPs. Thus Venus provides an excellent opportunity to examine large-scale magmatic processes outside a plate tectonic framework. I discuss four groups of Venus’ largest tectonomagmatic provinces: volcanic rises, large coronae (Artemis, Heng-O, Quetzalpetlatl, Atahensik), crustal plateaus, and ‘plains with wrinkle ridges’, unit pwr. Unit pwr, widely interpreted as representing catastrophic resurfacing, has been suggested to be the solar system's largest LIP. I argue herein that these features, each covering ∼1 million km 2 or more, and recording extensive volcanic activity, record different evolutionary processes, including both endogenic and exogenic processes. Volcanic rises represent surface manifestations of deep-mantle plumes on thick lithosphere. Large coronae may record different evolutionary paths. Artemis represents a plume signature on thin lithosphere. More mapping is required to determine if Heng-O formed by endogenic or exogenic processes. Preliminary mapping suggests Quetzalpetlatl represents a young mantle plume; Atahensik marks a diapiric structure, though buoyancy mode is unconstrained. Crustal plateaus record solidification of huge lava ponds formed by massive partial mantle melting caused by large bolide impact on thin lithosphere. The status of unit pwr as the largest LIP within the solar system is challenged based on geological considerations, and results of a growing body of geologic mapping. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Three-year latent class trajectories of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in a clinical sample not selected for ADHD.

Objective This study aims to examine trajectories of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in the Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms (LAMS) sample. Method The LAMS study assessed 684 children aged 6 to 12 years with the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) and rating scales semi-annually for 3 years. Although they were selected for elevated manic symptoms, 526 children had baseline ADHD diagnoses. With growth mixture modeling (GMM), we separately analyzed inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, covarying baseline age. Multiple standard methods determined optimal fit. The χ 2 and Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance compared resulting latent classes/trajectories on clinical characteristics and medication. Results Three latent class trajectories best described inattentive symptoms, and 4 classes best described hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. Inattentive trajectories maintained their relative position over time. Hyperactive/impulsive symptoms had 2 consistent trajectories (least and most severe). A third trajectory (4.5%) started mild, then escalated; and a fourth (14%) started severe but improved dramatically. The improving trajectory was associated with the highest rate of ADHD and lowest rate of bipolar diagnoses. Three-fourths of the mildest inattention class were also in the mildest hyperactive/impulsive class; 72% of the severest inattentive class were in the severest hyperactive/impulsive class, but the severest inattention class also included 62% of the improving hyperactive-impulsive class. Conclusion An ADHD rather than bipolar diagnosis prognosticates a better course of hyperactive/impulsive, but not inattentive, symptoms. High overlap of relative severity between inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity confirms the link between these symptom clusters. Hyperactive/impulsive symptoms wane more over time. Group means are insufficient to understand individual ADHD prognosis. A small subgroup deteriorates over time in hyperactivity/impulsivity and needs better treatments than currently provided.
First-principles pseudopotential calculations of alkali overlayer on GaAs(110)

An ab initio pseudopotential density-functional study of Na, K, and Cs overlayers on GaAs(110) surface is presented. Significant reduction of model size is achieved by using hydrogen capping. Total energy and Hellmann-Feynman force are calculated and used to guide the searches for stable structures. Results on clean surface relaxation are in good agreement with other studies. The structure of alkali overlayers of Na, K, and Cs is studied. Adsorption sites as well as substrate relaxation are obtained. Fermi levels are calculated and surface band characteristics are analyzed to achieve better understandings of the structural and electronic properties of this important system.
Cocoa consumption for 2 wk enhances insulin-mediated vasodilatation without improving blood pressure or insulin resistance in essential hypertension

Background Essential hypertension is characterized by reciprocal relations between endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance. Cocoa flavanols stimulate production of the vasodilator nitric oxide from vascular endothelium.
Morphine-induced opioid receptor down-regulation detected in intact adult rat brain cells.

Abstract Intact brain cells dissociated from the brains of adult rats were used to study the regulation of opioid receptors by in vivo chronic morphine treatment. When the specific binding of [ 3 H]naloxone in a physiological iso-osmotic buffer was compared in cells obtained from sham-operated rats and in those treated for 6 days with four (2 × 2) 75 mg morphine pellets, it was found that morphine treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the density of [ 3 H]naloxone binding sites. This receptor down-regulation was not accompanied by a change in the receptor affinity for the ligand. This effect of morphine was reversed upon the removal of morphine pellets for 18 h after tolerance induction. When similar experiments were performed using brain homogenates prepared and assayed in the same physiological buffer, there was an increase in the number of [ 3 H]naloxone binding sites in morphine-treated animals compared to controls. On the other hand, when the binding experiments were conducted in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer, no difference in ligand binding was apparent between control and morphine-treated groups. The present results demonstrate opioid receptor down-regulation by chronic morphine treatment measured in intact brain cells, and suggest that different conclusions may be reached when other tissue preparations are used to assess the receptor density.
Removal of CD45+ cells from human fetal pancreas alters immunogenicity in vitro

Abstract Human fetal pancreas (HFP) is a potential source of islets for the treatment of diabetes mellitus with the potential for growth and differentiation after transplantation. However, because of the small mass of a given HFP, multiple donors would be required for transplantation, thereby increasing the immunological challenge to the recipient. In this study, we investigate the contribution of hematopoietic cells to the immunogenicity of HFP. Single cell suspensions of HFP were depleted of CD45+ cells using antibody-conjugated magnetic beads. In vitro mixed lymphocyte islet cultures were established using with CD45-depleted or nondepleted HFP. Depletion of CD45+ cells resulted in the low levels of IFNγ production at early time points (day 4), which increased to near normal levels by day 7. The development of donor-specific CTL was not consistently inhibited by CD45 cell depletion. The data suggests that CD45+ cells within HFP are capable of stimulating immune responses by the direct pathway of antigen presentation, but that the indirect pathway is also involved in the development of CTL. The inhibition of early IFNγ release, however, may be beneficial for the survival of transplanted islets. Therefore, the combination of CD45 depletion strategies with standard immunosuppressive drug therapies could result in better long-term survival of transplanted islets.
Making Online Professional Development Work for Florida Project Learning Tree.

Large distances and small budgets had made it challenging for Florida Project Learning Tree (PLT) to conduct in-person workshops with volunteer 4-H leaders to disseminate the PreK–8 guide. An online version of a PLT workshop was developed to overcome these barriers. Formative evaluation data suggested that the program effectively introduced PLT to 4-H volunteers and has potential to expand PLT's program. However, low-completion rates indicate there is room for improvement. This article shares the evaluation process and lesions learned while developing and successfully modifying the program.
Social Distress; through Perceptions of the Berlin Wall Before and After the Fall: A Preliminary Report

In this paper, an analysis of the representations and symbolism manifested on the Berlin Wall and their meanings both before and after the fall of the Wall have been presented. It was hypothesised that due to rapid social changes as a conse quence of the unification of Germany there has been an increase in social dis tress. Both qualitative and quantitative data have been examined. A model of social distress has been presented and explicated. Particular institutions where social distress is at work and reasons for the increase in social distress are also discussed.
Potential intervention by vaccinia virus complement control protein of the signals contributing to the progression of central nervous system injury to Alzheimer's disease.

: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the few known risk factors for Alzheimers disease (AD) and for depression. The mechanisms by which trauma causes delayed cognitive deficits are largely unknown. In recent studies, it was demonstrated that the complement system (an important component of the immune system and a mediator of inflammation) is activated both in human AD and following experimental TBI in rats. Amyloid proteins are also present in AD and following TBI, and are known to activate complement in vitro. Based on these and other previous studies, it was hypothesized that regulation of the complement system will attenuate the long-term consequences of TBI. Vaccinia virus complement control protein (VCP) is a protein encoded by vaccinia virus. It blocks both the classic and alternative pathways of complement activation in vitro, and by doings so prevents the generation of proinflammatory chemotactic factors. Based on in vitro studies VCP can block the complement activation by the amyloid beta peptide. Using a fluid percussion rat model that causes traumatic brain injury (TBI), it was found that VCP significantly enhances functional recovery as determined by the Morris Water Maze test. Taken togther these studies indicate that potentially VCP could block molecular signals such as the formation of amyloid beta or the activation of complement to inhibit formation of AD following TBI.
The anodic oxidation of some cyclopropane carboxylic acids

Abstract Products, and other observations, are reported for anodic oxidation of several methyl substituted cyclopropane carboxylic acids. Implications regarding the mechanism(s) for production of cationic species are discussed.
Quantity of radioactive lecithin and radioactive cephalin with lipositol required to produce sphering of mammalian red cells.

THE quantity of distearyl lecithin which has to be added to washed human red cells to produce the disk–sphere transformation has already been described1; 108 disks require 5–10γ, but how much of the material is adsorbed on the red cell surface is unknown.
Performance Bounds for Sparsity Pattern Recovery With Quantized Noisy Random Projections

In this paper, we study the performance limits of recovering the support of a sparse signal based on quantized noisy random projections. Although the problem of support recovery of sparse signals with real valued noisy projections with different types of projection matrices has been addressed by several authors in the recent literature, very few attempts have been made for the same problem with quantized compressive measurements. In this paper, we derive performance limits of support recovery of sparse signals when the quantized noisy corrupted compressive measurements are sent to the decoder over additive white Gaussian noise channels. The sufficient conditions which ensure the perfect recovery of sparsity pattern of a sparse signal from coarsely quantized noisy random projections are derived when the maximum-likelihood decoder is used. More specifically, we find the relationships among the parameters, namely the signal dimension N , the sparsity index K , the number of noisy projections M, the number of quantization levels L, and measurement signal-to-noise ratio which ensure the asymptotic reliable recovery of the support of sparse signals when the entries of the measurement matrix are drawn from a Gaussian ensemble.
Surface plasmon resonance imaging of biomolecular interactions on a grating-based sensor array.

A surface plasmon resonance sensor array based upon a grating substrate was developed for the detection of biomolecular interactions. The substrate consisted of a gold grating prepared by wet chemical treatment of a commercial recordable compact disk. A custom-built floating pin microspotter was constructed to deliver solutions containing ω-functionalized linear alkanethiols to the grating surface and produce an array of sensor elements with different exposed functional end groups. This array platform can be used to study biomolecular interactions in a label-free, sensitive, and high-throughput format. To illustrate the performance of this device, a test protein (bovine serum albumin) was exposed to sensor elements containing an array of functionalized alkanethiols possessing either activated carboxylic acid-, amine-, or hydroxyl-terminated regions. Local changes in plasmon resonance were monitored in a fixed-angle imaging configuration. Plasmon images clearly distinguish the degree of protein attachment ...
Oxygen inhibition of activated sludge denitrification

Abstract The effect of dissolved oxygen (DO) on denitrification by activated sludge in a bench-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was investigated over a range of 0.09 to 5.6 mg/l DO. Mixed liquor DO as low as 0.09 mg/l was found to significantly inhibit denitrification, resulting in a rate decrease of 35%. On the other hand, some denitrification activity was observed with DO levels as high as 5.6 mg/l, although at only 4% of the anoxic rate. A one-parameter non-linear model was found to fit results of significant inhibition of denitrification at low DO and persistent denitrification at higher DO. A more complex two-parameter model predicted that denitrification would finally cease at a maximum liquid DO concentration when the activated sludge floc volume is completely aerobic. The rate of denitrification in the SBR activated sludge flocs was reduced by 85% when the mixed liquor DO was 2 mg/l (28% saturation), indicating that aerobic denitrification is more persistent in activated sludge than has been reported in dispersed cultures of bacteria in water and soil, probably due to limited oxygen diffusion into the flocs.
Bartonella henselae infection inducing hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a kidney transplant recipient

Bartonella henselae (Bh) is the cause of cat-scratch fever. When infection is symptomatic, it typically presents with singular lymphadenitis and fever. Less commonly, the infection can become disseminated and cause endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and micro-abscesses in multiple sites including liver, spleen, eyes, and brain, especially in immunocompromised patients. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (Hlh) is a rare and severe multisystem disorder that may be triggered by infections. In one prior case, Bh, like other infections, has induced Hlh, an immune-mediated disease that can be characterized by septic-like presentation with persistent fevers, hepatosplenomegaly, and pancytopenia. In an immunocompromised transplant recipient, the onset of Hlh can be difficult to discern from a severe presentation of Bh. We report a case of criteria-proven secondary Hlh occurring after Bh infection in an 11-yr-old girl who was 13 months post-renal transplant. The patient developed multi-organ failure, and her severe clinical presentation required a thorough evaluation for infectious and non-infectious possibilities including post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder and rejection. Early recognition of Hlh allowed for better directed therapies, leading to recovery of the patient and resolution of both Bh and Hlh.
Identifying episodes of back pain using medical expenditures panel survey data: patient experience, use of services, and chronicity.

Abstract Objective To explore the correspondence between “Episodes-of-Pain” and “episodes of care” for individuals with back pain. Methods This study was a secondary analysis of Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS) 2-year longitudinal data. Individual use and utilization of back pain services were examined across ambulatory settings and providers, and linked to MEPS medical condition data to identify individuals with back pain who do not use or who delay or discontinue utilization of health services for back pain. “Episodes-of-Care” and Episodes-of-Pain were approximated through round-by-round temporal mapping of MEPS back pain utilization events data and medical conditions data. Results Of 10 193 individuals with back pain, approximately one fifth did not actively seek care for their back pain. Utilization of services for back pain (Episodes-of-Care) does not always correspond with an individual's full experience of back pain (Episodes-of-Pain). Upwards of 20% of MEPS respondents who use services for some back pain episodes, reported additional episodes for which they do not use services. Conclusions These findings suggest that other longitudinal studies based only on data that reflect service use, for example, claims data, may incorrectly infer the nature of back pain and back pain episodes. Many individuals report ongoing back pain that continues beyond their Episodes-of-Care, and many individuals with persistent back pain may use prescription drugs, medical services, and other health services only intermittently.
Evaporation freezing by contact nucleation inside-out

[1] Ice formation in atmospheric clouds is crucial to our understanding of precipitation and cloud radiative properties. In recent work it was shown that heterogeneous ice nucleation rates can be strongly enhanced by a form of surface crystallization (Shaw et al., 2005). Here we present new laboratory data and consider the implications for contact nucleation and its relevance to ice nucleation in atmospheric clouds. Our observations contradict three leading hypotheses for contact nucleation and suggest, instead, that the notion of contact nucleation should be generalized to include surface crystallization from particles contacting a supercooled drop from the inside out, as well as from the outside in. Our findings lead to the hypothesis that the freezing temperature of an evaporating drop will suddenly become higher once the drop surface contacts an immersed ice nucleus. This mechanism for evaporation freezing is therefore a plausible explanation for the abundant observations of high ice concentrations associated with cloud dilution and droplet evaporation.
The DsbA Signal Sequence Directs Efficient, Cotranslational Export of Passenger Proteins to the Escherichia coli Periplasm via the Signal Recognition Particle Pathway

The Escherichia coli cytoplasmic protein thioredoxin 1 can be efficiently exported to the periplasmic space by the signal sequence of the DsbA protein (DsbAss) but not by the signal sequence of alkaline phosphatase (PhoA) or maltose binding protein (MBP). Using mutations of the signal recognition particle (SRP) pathway, we found that DsbAss directs thioredoxin 1 to the SRP export pathway. When DsbAss is fused to MBP, MBP also is directed to the SRP pathway. We show directly that the DsbAss-promoted export of MBP is largely cotranslational, in contrast to the mode of MBP export when the native signal sequence is utilized. However, both the export of thioredoxin 1 by DsbAss and the export of DsbA itself are quite sensitive to even the slight inhibition of SecA. These results suggest that SecA may be essential for both the slow posttranslational pathway and the SRP-dependent cotranslational pathway. Finally, probably because of its rapid folding in the cytoplasm, thioredoxin provides, along with gene fusion approaches, a sensitive assay system for signal sequences that utilize the SRP pathway.
Selenium and mercury determination in biological samples using gamma–gamma coincidence and Compton suppression

Biological materials containing trace amounts of mercury and selenium were examined using neutron activation analysis. They were analyzed using Compton suppression and γ–γ coincidence counting. The 279 keV photopeak of activated mercury (203Hg) was analyzed in order to observe the mercury content in these samples. Selenium, an element found in many biological samples, interferes with the analysis of 203Hg when activated (75Se). Because the selenium interference comes from a cascading emission, Compton suppression was utilized to reduce this interference. In order to fully characterize the selenium content in the samples, γ–γ coincidence was used which reduced the background and eliminated bremsstrahlung interference produced from neutron activated phosphorous through the 31P(n, γ)32P reaction which is a pure beta emitter. As a result, we determined the mercury and selenium concentrations in three standard reference materials, which contain varying ratios of mercury to selenium concentrations. This study also showed that these types of concentrations can be determined from small (<500 mg) sample masses. Further work needs to be done on wet samples that require dehydration, as mercury can be lost through this process.
Occupational allergic contact dermatitis among construction workers in India.

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis is one of the important occupational hazards in construction workers and it often leads to poor quality of life of the workers with substantial financial loss. However, this is often a neglected entity. There are no past studies on the construction workers in Indian subcontinent. Objective: This pilot study has been done to assess the allergological profile among the workers engaged in construction of roads and bridges. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted among the workers working on construction of a bridge, flyover, and roads in West Bengal, India. Sixteen workers were selected on clinical suspicion. Ten were selected randomly and patch tested with Indian standard battery of patch test allergens. Analysis of reactions and relevance of positive test was assessed as per standard guidelines. Results: All the workers were men. Average age of workers was 24.8 years (range, 19-34 years). Dermatitis affected exposed parts in 93.75% and covered areas in 62.5%. Total positive test was 24 and relevant 11. Most common allergens were chromate (relevant allergy/RA: in 60% of patch tested workers), epoxy resin (RA: 30%), cobalt (RA: 20%), nickel (RA: 20%), thiuram mixture (RA: 10%) and black rubber mix (RA: 10%). Two cases (20%) had irritant contact dermatitis. Conclusion: The result indicated that chromate is the most frequent allergen among construction workers in this part of India. High frequency of involvement of the covered areas as well as the exposed areas highlighted the fact that the allergens had access to most body parts of the workers.
Electrical and thermal transport measurements on semimetallic rare earth sesquisulfides

Measured values of $\ensuremath{\rho}$, ${R}_{H}$, $\ensuremath{\alpha}$, and $\ensuremath{\kappa}$ are reported on single-crystal samples of ${\mathrm{Nd}}_{2}$${\mathrm{S}}_{3}$, ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{2}$${\mathrm{S}}_{3}$, and ${\mathrm{Dy}}_{2}$${\mathrm{S}}_{3}$ containing excess rare earth in the defect lattice structure. Measurements cover the temperature range between roughly 7 and 1000 K, and an excess rare-earth composition range between 0.1 and 0.7 wt%. Data can be interpreted in terms of the Cutler-Mott model modified for magnetic effects by von Moln\'ar, Holtzberg, Penney, and their associates. Above 100 K, alloy scattering appears dominant. At lower temperatures the transport mechanism favors a hopping process for localized electrons in a magnetically ordered lattice.
Factors associated with the accuracy of physicians’ predictions of patient adherence

Abstract Objective Physicians are inaccurate in predicting non-adherence in patients, a problem that interferes with physicians': (1) appropriate prescribing decisions and (2) effective prevention/intervention of non-adherence. The purpose of the current study is to investigate potential reasons for the poor accuracy of physicians' adherence–predictions and conditions under which their predictions may be more accurate. Methods After the medical encounter, predictions of patient-adherence and other ratings from primary-care physicians ( n =24) regarding patient-factors that may have influenced their predictions were collected. Patients ( n =288) rated their agreement regarding the prescribed treatment after the encounter and reported adherence 1 month later. Results Several factors were related to physicians' adherence–predictions, including physicians' perceptions of patient-agreement regarding treatment. However, some factors were not related to adherence and agreement-perceptions were inaccurate overall, potentially contributing to the poor accuracy of adherence–predictions. The degree to which physicians discussed treatment-specifics with the patient moderated agreement-perception accuracy but not adherence–prediction accuracy. Conclusions Training providers to discuss certain treatment-specifics with patients may improve their ability to perceive patient-agreement regarding treatment and may directly improve patient-adherence. Practice implications Discussing treatment-specifics with patients may directly improve adherence, but providers should not rely on these discussions to give them accurate estimates of the patients' likely adherence.