cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Copy number and location of insertion sequences ISS1 and IS981 in lactococci and several other lactic acid bacteria.

Abstract Genomic DNA from 49 lactococcal strains was screened by Southern hybridization for the presence and relative copy number of lactococcal insertion sequence ISS 1 : ISS 1 was found in 47 of 49 strains giving 1 to 20 hybridizing bands per strain. Southern hybridizations of undigested plasmid DNA from 17 lactococcal strains probed with ISS 1 and IS 981 showed that ISS 1 was present on plasmids in all 17 strains, whereas IS 981 was present on plasmids in 14 of the 17 strains. Both insertion sequences were present primarily on larger plasmids (>25kb), and some plasmids contained copies of both insertion sequences. When probed with ISS 1 , Southern hybridizations of DNA isolated from Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis ML3 frozen stock culture and from isolated colonies showed that the stock culture consisted of a mixture of cells having different ISS 1 -hybridizing bands, indicating that stock cultures may contain cells with varying locations of ISS 1 sequences. The number of copies and their widespread distribution among lactococcal strains establish that insertion sequences will contribute significantly to genotypic and phenotypic events that may affect the industrial performance and stability of lactococcal strains.
The Development of the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index

Assessment of patient perception of disability and outcomes from treatment has become an integral part of medical care. General quality-of-life measurement tools have led to the development of disease-specific quality instruments. Conventional methods for evaluating nasal-sinus disease are inadequate to assess the impact of these disorders on everyday life. Therefore, using methods that are well established and validated for creating instruments, the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index was created to evaluate the self-perceived impact of disease-specific head and neck disorders. The development of the preliminary and final versions (30 items) of the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index is described. Content-related validity using Cronbach's α measurement and construct-related validity were accomplished. A comparison of the responses between patients with and without documented nasal or sinus disease was used to verify that the Rhinosinusitis Disability Index is a valid measuring instrument for patients with sinus disease, and test-retest validity reveals reliability over time. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1997;123:1175-1179
Physical control on methanotrophic potential in waters of the Santa Monica Basin, Southern California

Methane concentrations and turnover rates were measured throughout the water column at nine stations in the Santa Monica Basin (SMB), at one station in the San Pedro Basin (SPB), and at one station in the Santa Catalina Basin (SCtB) in July 2007 and September 2009. Methane concentrations were elevated throughout the water column, with subsurface (4–15 nmol L−1), midwater (7.5–100 nmol L−1), and bottom-water (5–242 nmol L−1) maxima. The SMB water column was divided into four depth-dependent regimes, based on temperature-salinity relationships and patterns in methane concentration and fractional turnover rate. We propose that distinct physical controls on methane dynamics distinguish these regimes. In the upper water column, methanotrophic activity appears to be controlled by borderland-scale, seasonal fluctuations in circulation. The midwaters represent a transition regime between northern-sourced shallow waters and southern-sourced deep waters, wherein methanotrophic activity decreases with depth to its minimum at 500 m, coinciding with the midwater methane maxima. Below 500 m, methanotrophic activity increases to the sill depth of 737 m, coincident with increasingly restricted circulation of water. Bottom waters are restricted from through-basin circulation. These waters were oxygen depleted, but methane input sustained an active psychrotolerant methanotrophic community and had some of the fastest aerobic methane oxidation rates yet reported in the marine environment.
Effects of the Establishment of a Forested Riparian Buffer and Grazing on Soil Characteristics

Poultry-litter applications to pastures can result in relatively high soil phosphorus (P) levels, which in turn can contaminate runoff and degrade surface water quality. New management protocols for temperate grasslands are needed to reduce the risk of P transport to surface water. The effects of three land-use treatments on soil characteristics related to P runoff were investigated using small watersheds with 8% slope near Booneville, Arkansas, U.S. The land use treatments were (1) haying of bermudagrass overseeded with winter annual forage (ryegrass or rye), (2) rotationally grazed, and (3) rotationally grazed with 12-m-wide tree buffer on the downhill portion of the plot. Plots and trees were established in 2003. Annual spring application of poultry litter (5.6 Mg ha−1) to the hayed or grazed portions of the plots was started in 2004. Grazing treatments were imposed shortly thereafter. By the summer of 2008 (4 years of treatments), soil concentrations of Bray 1–extractable P and soluble reactive P had ...
An introduction to the scientific computing language Pascal-SC

Abstract Microcomputers are now widely used for small-scale scientific, engineering, and statistical computing. Pascal-SC (Pascal for Scientific Computing) is a language developed specifically for this purpose. Its most important features are: (i) accurate floating-point arithmetic for real, complex, and interval numbers, vectors, and matrices, with controlled rounding if desired; (ii) the convenience of operator notation for numerical data types and the ability to accept user-defined operators for nonstandard data types to make programs easier to write, read, and document; and (iii) compatibility with ordinary Pascal, so that Pascal programming techniques and programs already written in Pascal can be used immediately. In PascalSC, solutions of linear systems of equations, inverses of matrices, and eigenvalues and eigenvectors are computed with guaranteed error bounds, and scalar products of vectors and sums of arbitrary length of floating-point numbers are computed to the closest floating-point number, or rounded upward or downward as desired. These basic features of Pascal-SC will be described, together with some applications.
Fusion spin-offs: An important part of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory fusion program

At the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) there is a broadly based, interactive fusion program, encompassing theory and atomic physics, computing, the technology of heating and fueling plasmas, superconducting magnets, robotics, materials developments, design studies, and experiments and diagnostics.
Everything Is Alive

Panpsychism is the philosophical doctrine that every physical entity is conscious. By a “physical entity” I will mean any physical object or naturally occurring process. Note that panpsychism is different from (although consistent with) the pantheistic doctrine that the universe as a whole has a conscious mind. Panpsychism allows that the universe may be conscious, but its primary statement is that each object and each process has a little consciousness of its own. Galaxies, rocks, planets, atoms, electrons, air currents, fires, rivers — each of them has a mind. Panpsychism is related but not equivalent to hylozoism, which says that every object is alive. That curious word comes from the Greek words hyle, matter + zoe, life. To clarify the distinction between the two doctrines, we can divide entities into four distinct categories, listed in the left-hand column of Table I. And the right-hand column of the table lists some possible candidates for each category. Despite these seeming distinctions, I am going to argue that everything really belongs to the “conscious and alive” category, for I am both a panpsychic and a hylozoist. Certainly I realize this is not a common point of view! To some extent, I am only adopting these ideas on to see how they feel, that is, I practice eine Philosophie des Als Ob — a philosophy of the “as if”. A critic might remark that our notions of being conscious and being alive help
COMBATING PULSED RADAR INTERFERENCE IN RADIO ASTRONOMY

Only a small fraction of the radio spectrum can be reserved exclusively for passive scientific measurements, so radio astronomers must expect to observe some natural radiation at frequencies allocated to an increasing number of active users of the spectrum. This paper presents a scheme for removing pulsed transmissions of air surveillance radar from astronomical data based on the temporal and amplitude characteristics of the radar signals. Two filter schemes for maximizing the separation of the radar signals from normally distributed noise are compared on the same real data. The goal is to remove as little of the useful data as possible. Removal of both strong- and weak-signal interference to the level of detectability in a 5 s integration and a scheme for compensating for the frequency dependence of the excision algorithm are demonstrated.
A post-European century in science

Abstract The coming century will bring globalization, a shift to new biotechnologies and information technologies, and a shift of the centers of gravity of the world away from its Eurocentric moorings to Asia. The shift in technologies will result in the three realms of information in culture, genes and computers coming together as a composite whole. Ecologies of information—the genetic, the cultural and the artefactual—will now jostle with each other. With automation, the 17th century Scientific Revolution's agenda will be left partly to machines. Further, the demise of modernism and the emergence of postmodernism are a reflection of the exhaustion of the Enlightenment project. A variety of cultural, epistemological and even ontological positions co-exist in today's sciences. As replacement macro agendas are sought in ontology, epistemology, logic and culture, Asia provides a readily available civilizational source.
Tolerogenicity of thymic epithelium.

To attempt to resolve the controversy on the role of thymic epithelial cells (TEC) in tolerance induction, athymic mice were grafted with allogeneic day-14 fetal thymuses treated with deoxyguanosine in vitro. The data indicate that the tolerogenicity of TEC varies considerably according to the antigen and the subpopulation of T cells studies. For cytotoxic CD8 + cells responding to H-2 class I antigens, TEC induce minimal tolerance. For proliferative responses of CD4 + cells, by contrast, TEC induce significant tolerance to H-2 class II antigens but no detectable tolerance to Mls a antigens
High-speed high-resolution optically assisted analog-to-digital conversion

The realization of a high-speed, high-resolution Analog-to-Digital Converted (ADC) is presented. The approach modifies an analog fiber optic link with a recirculating optical loop as a means to store a time-limited microwave signal so that it may be digitized by using a slower, conventional electronic ADC. Detailed analytical analysis of the dynamic range and noise figure shows that under appropriate conditions the microwave signal degradation is sufficiently small so as to allow the digitization of a multi-gigahertz signal with a resolution greater than 10 effective bits. Preliminary experimental results are presented to support the theory.
Synthesis and preliminary photophysical studies of intramolecular electron transfer in crown-linked donor- (Chromophore-) acceptor complexes

As a prelude to studies of 'externally facilitated' superexchange coupling in energy- and electron-transfer processes, a series of crown-linked donor-acceptor (D-A) complexes have been prepared. Photoexcitation at the rhenium-pyridyl center leads to intramolecular charge transfer across the crown spacer to the remote acceptor (nitrobenzene) with a rate constant of 6 [times] 10[sup 6] s[sup [minus]1]. Studies with a neutral analog show that simple cations can be encapsulated by the crown spacer.
Selectivity and Regulation in the Phospholipase A2‐Mediated Attack on Cholinergic Synaptic Vesicles by β‐Bungarotoxin

The total fatty acid composition of purified Torpedo californica electric organ synaptic vesicles was determined by GLC analysis of methyl esters. Limit amounts of fatty acids released by high concentrations of either beta-bungarotoxin (beta-BuTx) or Naja naja venom phospholipase A2 (PLA2) acting in deoxycholate are reported. The time and enzyme concentration dependence for beta-BuTx- and PLA2-induced release of fatty acids from intact synaptic vesicles indicate that PLA2 is 100- to 1,000-fold more active. The Ca2+ dependence for beta-BuTx-induced release of fatty acids also was determined. ATP inhibits beta-BuTx- but not PLA2-induced release of fatty acids from vesicles in a manner that can not be ascribed only to chelation of the required Ca2+. ATP, other nucleotides, and adenosine have complex effects on beta-BuTx-induced release of fatty acids from egg yolk phosphatidylcholine dispersed in deoxycholate. The results suggest that beta-BuTx-mediated hydrolysis of the cholinergic synaptic vesicle membrane is approximately 10- to 100-fold more effective at causing uncoupling of vesicles than is PLA2 and that the enzymatic activity of beta-BuTx is subject to regulation by nucleotide-like factors.
Sensitivity-enhanced echo-planar MRI at 1.5T using a 5 × 5 mesh dome resonator

In this work a 5 x 5 mesh dome resonator that has been optimized for functional brain imaging is presented. The resonator was reduced in length and diameter compared with previous versions to reduce sample losses, thus enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio of the acquired data. In addition, a 5 x 5 mesh design was employed, which offered improved axial homogeneity over an earlier 3 x 3 mesh version. The new resonator exhibited high sensitivity and good homogeneity over the brain volume, permitting analysis of functional activation over large areas of the cerebral cortex. In a direct comparison with a standard clinical head-imaging resonator, the high sensitivity of the 5 x 5 mesh dome resonator resulted in greater statistical confidence in functional activation.
Limits on four-top-quark production from the ATLAS same-sign top-quark search

We repurpose the recent ATLAS search for same-sign top quarks in data with $1.0\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ in the context of a search for production of four top quarks. Using the null results of that search, we place limits on the four-top-quark production cross section of about 1 pb. These limits are larger than the expected standard model rate for four-top-quark production, but are already strong enough to place interesting constraints on models which enhance that rate. We interpret these results in the context of models in which the right-handed top quark is composite and find limits on the compositeness scale of about 700 GeV.
Inherited retinal dystrophy: primary defect in pigment epithelium determined with experimental rat chimeras

Chimeric rats were produced by the aggregation of embryos of the pinkeyed, retinal dystrophic RCS strain with those of pigmented, normal rats. In the mosaic eyes, patches of neural retina with abnormal and degenerated photoreceptors were present only opposite patches of nonpigmented, mutant pigment epithelium. This indicates that the retinal dystrophy gene acts in the pigment epithelial cell rather than in the photoreceptor cell.
Modeling the effective connectivity of the visual network in healthy and photosensitive, epileptic baboons

The baboon provides a model of photosensitive, generalized epilepsy. This study compares cerebral blood flow responses during intermittent light stimulation (ILS) between photosensitive (PS) and healthy control (CTL) baboons using H 2 15 O-PET. We examined effective connectivity associated with visual stimulation in both groups using structural equation modeling (SEM). Eight PS and six CTL baboons, matched for age, gender and weight, were classified on the basis of scalp EEG findings performed during the neuroimaging studies. Five H 2 15 O-PET studies were acquired alternating between resting and activation (ILS at 25 Hz) scans. PET images were acquired in 3D mode and co-registered with MRI. SEM demonstrated differences in neural connectivity between PS and CTL groups during ILS that were not previously identified using traditional activation analyses. First-level pathways consisted of similar posterior-to-anterior projections in both groups. While second-level pathways were mainly lateralized to the left hemisphere in the CTL group, they consisted of bilateral anterior-to-posterior projections in the PS baboons. Third- and fourth-level pathways were only evident in PS baboons. This is the first functional neuroimaging study used to model the photoparoxysmal response (PPR) using a primate model of photosensitive, generalized epilepsy. Evidence of increased interhemispheric connectivity and bidirectional feedback loops in the PS baboons represents electrophysiological synchronization associated with the generation of epileptic discharges. PS baboons demonstrated decreased model stability compared to controls, which may be attributed to greater variability in the driving response or PPRs, or to the influence of regions not included in the model.
Atomically Detailed Models of the Effect of Thermal Roughening on the Enantiospecificity of Naturally Chiral Platinum Surfaces

Many high Miller index metal surfaces are naturally chiral and exhibit enantiospecific properties when chiral molecules are adsorbed on them. The structure of real metal surfaces typically deviates from those of perfect Miller index surfaces due to thermally induced surface roughening. Here, the effect of thermal surface roughening on the enantiospecific adsorption of (R/S)-trans-1,2-dimethylcyclopropane and (R/S)-trans-1,2-dimethylcyclohexane on a series of chiral Pt surfaces vicinal to (111) is studied using atomistic and lattice models. Adsorption is probed in the dilute coverage limit and at higher coverages. The effect of thermal roughening is to diminish the differences between different Miller index surfaces with respect to their enantiospecificity. This implies that a chiral adsorbate that is not enantiodiscriminated on one surface vicinal to (111) with wide terraces is not likely to be enantiodiscriminated on any wide terrace surface vicinal to (111). Thus, the range of surfaces that are availabl...
Molecular cross-talk between the TRAIL and TGF-β pathways in human lung fibroblasts

Tumor-necrosis-factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been closely associated with regulation of the immune response and pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. The expression of TRAIL was found in CD8 T cells that had undergone oligoclonal expansion in the lungs of patients with systemic sclerosis and were able to stimulate collagen production in lung fibroblasts. Soluble, multimerized TRAIL and normal human lung fibroblasts were used as a model of selective TRAIL influence on fibroblasts. TRAIL was found to increase both α2(I) collagen mRNA expression and total soluble collagen secretion, with peak response at 1 ng/ml TRAIL. DNA microarray analysis suggested that fibroblast response to TRAIL might be mediated by c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The increase in JNK1 expression and phosphorylation as well as phosphorylation of its specific substrate were confirmed by Western blotting. The treatment of fibroblasts with TRAIL also enhanced the expression of a number of genes involved in tissue remodeling, including those related to the transforming growth factor (TGF) beta pathway. The increase in TGF-β1 mRNA level was confirmed by Northern blotting and by measurements of active TGF-β1 in culture supernatants. In addition, antibody-mediated blocking of TGF-β was shown to abrogate TRAIL-induced collagen synthesis. These data suggest that TRAIL can enhance extracellular matrix production in fibroblasts by triggering expression of TGF-β, which acts in an autocrine manner. If this process continues uncontrolled, it may contribute to the development of fibrosis, particularly in the lungs of patients with systemic sclerosis.
Local brain hypothermia for neuroprotection in stroke treatment and aneurysm repair.

AbstractHypothermia is well known to provide neuroprotection following various brain insults in experimental animals. Two recently completed clinical trials of whole body hypothermia in outof–hospital cardiac arrest patients' demonstrated significantly improved survival rates and neurologic outcomes. These results provide new excitement and encouragement for clinical application of hypothermia in cerebrovascular disease. However, the intensive care challenges and adverse events (e.g. prolonged times to target temperatures, shivering and sedation, pneumonia) during the management of hypothermia, dampen enthusiasm for widespread application especially in elderly stroke patients. In this manuscript, we review recent hypothermia trials for stroke. We describe an alternate approach, i.e. local brain cooling, and discuss this new technique with reference to the extensive literature on the marked efficacy of hypothermia. We describe a new technology, the ChillerPadTM and ChillerStripTM Systems developed by Seaco...
TH-C-BRA-12: Tomographic Measurement of X-Ray Beam Spot Profiles Using a Rotating Edge

Purpose: X‐ray beam spot size and shape are critical performance determinants of an imaging or treatment system. However, quantitative assessment of such spot profiles can prove difficult, particularly at MV energies. We have developed a novel and convenient tomographic spot measurement technique that uses a rotating edge phantom. The method can be applied to x‐ray systems equipped with flat panel imagers.Methods: Data were acquired at 10MV and 6MV on a Varian TrueBeam system. A 0.5 mm thick tantalum sheet (attenuation ∼5%) was placed on the system's rotatable treatment head with an edge abutting the axis of rotation. A total of 144 projections, each 10MU, were acquired at 2.5 degree steps. For each projection, a line‐spread function (LSF) is generated by differentiating the measured edge spread function. For sufficiently high source magnifications, the LSF, taken at a given rotation angle, is a tomographic projection of the x‐ray beam spot at that angle. The LSF's were then assembled into a sinogram and the corresponding spot profile was reconstructed using a parallel‐beam CT algorithm. The reconstructed profiles were compared to those measured using a film‐based ‘spot camera’ made from a 15 cm thick tungsten cylinder pierced with an array of small holes. Monte Carlo simulations of the edge and the spot camera experiments were also performed. Results: The edge technique produced profiles similar to those from the spot camera yet with higher resolution (0.17mm vs. 0.25mm). These results were confirmed by Monte Carlo simulations. The measured FWHM of the 10 MV spot was 1.6 mm. The 6 MV spot was slightly asymmetric with an average FWHM of 1.5 mm. Conclusions: A thin rotating edge with low attenuation can be used to accurately and conveniently measure x‐ray beam spot profiles. NIH NIH 1R01CA138426 Employees of Varian Medical Systems
The effect of nonuniform anisotropy on wavefront stability in a finite element model of cardiac action potential propagation

Cardiac action potential propagation in a nonuniformly anisotropie excitable medium was studied using a finite element model based on the Fitzhugh-Nagumo equations. Wavefront curvature caused by the nonuniform axis of anisotropy lead to unidirectional block of the wave.
The predictive value of intraoperative KT-1000 arthrometer measurements in single incision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

We reviewed 28 patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with immediate, 1-, 2-, and 3-year postreconstruction KT-1000 manual maximum testing. Arthrometer measurements were correlated with functional knee criteria to evaluate the ability of the KT-1000 to predict postreconstruction functional results. Despite a range of immediate postreconstruction arthrometer injured-minus-normal (I - N) differences, there was no association with I - N difference at last follow-up. Patients followed-up for 1 year were not different from those who were followed-up for longer with respect to intraoperative or 1-year I - N difference or functional performance scores. Furthermore, excellent functional knee scores were the norm at all stages of follow-up despite a wide range of arthrometric laxity changes. The results suggest that functional knee criteria, although partially subjective, are more useful indicators of outcome than intrareconstruction and postreconstruction arthrometric measures.
Site-directed mutagenesis of a potential catalytic and formyl phosphate binding site and substrate inhibition of N10-formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase.

Abstract Structural studies of N 10 -formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase (FTHFS) have indicated the involvement of Arg 97 in the binding of the formyl phosphate intermediate. Two site-directed mutants were constructed to test this hypothesis: R97S (Ser substitution) and R97E (Glu substitution). The k cat of R97S was approximately 60% that of the wild-type enzyme and had K m for ATP and formate twofold higher than those of wild type. R97E was completely inactive and had a K m for ATP nearly six times that of wild type. Substrate inhibition by tetrahydrofolate was shown to occur in wild-type and R97S enzymes using both steady-state and transient-state kinetic approaches. These results lend greater insight into the mechanistic function of FTHFS by confirming the interaction of both ATP and formate with Arg 97 and introducing the aspect of substrate inhibition by tetrahydrofolate with regard to substrate binding and dissociation.
A comment on Baxter condition for commutativity of transfer matrices

LetT N andT′ N be the transfer matrices of two vertex models corresponding to two sets of Boltzmann weights. The Baxter condition on Boltzmann weights was known to be sufficient for commutativity ofT N andT′ N for allN. We show that generically it is also necessary.
Chronic effects of inorganic and organic mercury on Daphnia magna : Toxicity, accumulation, and loss

The chronic toxicity of mercury (Hg) toDaphnia magna was studied under flow-through and renewed static conditions. Concentrations of mercuric chloride (HgCl2), methyl mercuric chloride (MMC) and phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA) in flow-through tests significantly affecting survival were 1.92, between 0.26 and 0.98, and 2.25μg Hg/L, respectively. Concentrations of HgCl2, MMC, and PMA significantly impairing young production (P⩽0.05) were 0.72, 0.04, and 1.90μg Hg/L, respectively. Body accumulation of mercury was greatly influenced by the chemical form of mercury in the water. About nine times more mercury, added as MMC, was tolerated in daphnids at water concentrations permitting survival than was tolerated when added as HgCl2. At about the same mercury concentration in water (∼0.26μg Hg/L) daphnids accumulated ∼20 times more mercury when it was added as MMC than when it was added as HgCl2. Mercury was rapidly accumulated in daphnids; however, 35 and 57% of the mercury added as MMC and HgCl2, respectively, was lost when animals were placed in control water for four days following exposure. Different forms of mercury behaved quite differently in renewed-static and flow-through systems. The results also indicate the shortcomings of renewed-static tests with volatile and readily degradable compounds.
Synthesis of 3,4‐Dihydro‐2‐methyl‐3‐oxo‐N‐aryl‐2H‐[1]benzothieno[3,2‐e1,2‐thiazine‐4‐carboxamide 1,1‐Dioxides

A novel synthesis of the title compounds, representing a new heterocyclic ring system, is described. Chlorosulphonation of 3-methylbenzo[b]thiophene followed by reaction with methylamine gave sulfonamide, 4. Lithiation of 4, followed by quenching with carbon dioxide yielded acetic acid, 5. Cyclodehydration of 5 to benzothienothiazine 6 followed by reaction with aryl isocyanates afforded the desired benzothieno[3,2-e]-1,2-thiazine-4-carboxamides 1a-f.
Science to Practice: Can MR Oxygenation Imaging Be Used to Assess At-Risk Pregnancies?

By combining emerging technologies and in response to the need for noninvasive measurement of fetal and placental oxygenation, Wedegartner et al have shown that 3-T BOLD MR imaging can be used to depict changes in fetal sheep organ oxygenation induced by maternal hypoxia. Future studies in animals and humans are needed to determine which organs show changes and if these changes can be detected in time to allow intervention earlier than with more traditional modes (ie, ultrasonography) used to study at-riak pregnant patients. Further refinements and studies will undotibtedly lead to improvements in this technique and optimizations for clinical applications.
Serious respiratory illness associated with rhinovirus infection in a pediatric population

Abstract Background: Rhinoviruses have long been associated with mild upper respiratory illness in both adults and children. However, the role of rhinoviruses as lower respiratory tract pathogens has not been fully characterized. Previous data suggests that rhinoviruses may cause severe lower respiratory illness in young children or infants. Objectives: The present study describes the clinical presentations, severity of illness and outcomes for a large cohort of pediatric patients with documented rhinovirus infections. Subjects and methods: A retrospective chart review was done on 93 pediatric patients from whom 101 nasopharyngeal or endotracheal specimens were positive by viral culture for a rhinovirus. All patients were hospitalized or seen in the pediatric emergency department at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia between 1 January, 1990 and 31 May, 1996.Results: Of the 93 patients, 52 were male and 41 female. The age range was 0 days to 18 years with 25 (27%) less than 3 months, 42 (45%) between 3 and 12 months and 26 (28%) over the age of 12 months. Clinical presentations on evaluation in the emergency department or admission included 78 (84%) patients with acute respiratory illness, 13 (17%) with fever and suspected sepsis and 11 (12%) with other complaints. Reported physical findings on examination included one or more lower respiratory symptoms or signs of acute distress and fever greater than or equal to 38.1°C. A total of 64 (69%) children were noted to have significant past medical histories, including 28 (44%) with prematurity or complicated neonatal courses, 11 (17%) with prior reactive airways, 8 (12%) with congenital cardiac disease and 7 (11%) with neurologic disorders. Of the patients, 29 (31%) were considered to be otherwise healthy children with no underlying dysfunctions. The mean duration of hospitalization for 69 patients admitted with respiratory illness who did not develop subsequent unrelated complications was 3.7 days. No significant bacterial or fungal pathogens were identified in 91% of the cases. Conclusions: This study shows that rhinoviruses were associated with severe lower respiratory illness and hospitalization in a large pediatric population and that rhinovirus infection was a complicating factor in those patients with underlying or predisposing conditions.
Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Oxo-Bridged Dinuclear and Hydroxo-Bridged Trinuclear Chromium(III) Assemblies.

The structural and spectroscopic properties of a novel dinuclear chromium−oxo and a trinuclear chromium−hydroxo complex are reported. The dinuclear assembly, [Cr2(μ-O)2(μ-O2CMe)(bpy)2(H2O)2]ClO4·bpy·[bpyH]ClO4 (1), crystallizes in the monoclinic space group Cc with a = 16.8259(8) A, b = 21.9622(11) A, c = 14.6056(8) A, β = 122.1830(10)°, V = 4568.0(4) A3, and Z = 4. The structure was refined with 4378 observed reflections having F > 2.0σ(F), giving final R factors of 0.0721 and 0.1305 for R and Rw2, respectively. The [Cr2(μ-O)2(μ-O2CMe)]+ core is structurally akin to those of recently reported isoelectronic [Mn2(μ-O)2(μ-O2CMe)]3+ complexes. The trinuclear assembly, [Cr3(μ-OH)2(μ-O2CMe)4(O2CMe)2(bpy)2]ClO4 (2)·5CHCl3 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with a = 16.104(5) A, b = 17.623(5) A, c = 12.236(3) A, α = 93.33(1)°, β = 92.81(1)°, γ = 64.84(1)°, V = 3136.68 A3, and Z = 2. The structure was refined with 6732 observed reflections having F > 2.33σ(F), giving final R factors of 0.0602 and 0.061...
Existence of multiple positive solutions of singular nonlinear boundary value problems

For a given positive integer N, we provide conditions on the nonlinear function f which guarantee that the boundary value problem y^''+f(t,y)=0,0
Role of grooming in biological control of ticks.

Abstract: Although many species of wild bovids live in tick infested environments, tick loads are usually kept to very low levels, primarily by frequent self grooming. Evidence from numerous studies on antelope in Africa strongly support the concept that the delivery of bouts of grooming reflects programmed grooming rather than stimulus driven or reactive grooming. In other words, grooming occurs in response to an endogenous generator that produces grooming bouts at periodic intervals, resulting in removal of ticks before they attach and begin to feed. In the same tick exposure environment, animals that groom most have the fewest ticks. The rate of programmed grooming is modulated by a number of interspecific and intraspecific determinants. Interspecific determinants include adult body size and whether or not the evolutionary habitat is tick dense or tick sparse. Intraspecific determinants include developmental stage of growth, gender (e.g., territorial male vs. female), ectoparasite exposure, and stage of arousal. Some of the intraspecific determinants appear to be mediated by systemic physiological influences suggesting there may be ways to improve grooming activity in weak groomers, such as cattle.
Personality and Daily Experience: The Promise and the Challenge

This special issue of the Journal of Personality is devoted to personality and daily experience. Through historical analysis of the daily event literature, empirical inquiry, and methodological and statistical commentary, the contributors to this issue convey both the possibilities and the problems of studying everyday life. These articles demonstrate how people's dispositions, goals, and commitments can influence daily emotional well-being and health, their inner experience, their reactions to events, and perhaps even which events they encounter. The introduction of personality to the study of daily experience holds the promise of enriching our studies of both.
EXAFS characterization of methyl and phenyl cuprates in solution

Abstract EXAFS structural characterization of organocuprates formed from copper iodide and 2 and 3 equivalents of either MeLi or PhLi have been performed. Evidence is presented for the formation of an equilibrium between Ph 2 CuLi and Ph 3 CuLi in THF solution which is not present in the methyl analogs.
A case that biomedicine is unduly negative to radical hypotheses and to theorizing—Evidence based on cardiology's reaction to the spasm of resistance vessel concept and on the nature of scientific research

This communication will attempt to make a case that biomedicine is unduly negative to radical hypotheses and to theorizing. Evidence will be based on a proposed undue negativity by cardiology to a radical hypothesis I first described two and a half decades ago--the spasm of resistance vessel (S-RV) concept of ischemic heart disease (IHD). The theory is regarded as an alternate paradigm and deals with basic pathogenetic mechanisms of IHD, the most significant disorder of Western civilization. The concept, if valid, might help in reducing the impact of this disorder, and I believe that the evidence for the theory and the importance of IHD support a more open minded attitude toward the idea. Cardiology's negativity is attributed to the nature of research; the most important factor is considered to be the Kuhnian negativity of scientific communities to hypotheses which are destructive of conventional wisdom, and a second factor is the special nature of biomedical research. Biomedicine is regarded as special because a low level of specific information about complex biomedical processes has fostered an essentially total study-based approach. Such an approach is assumed to have resulted in biomedicine's use of induction as 'the' method of scientific inquiry, and prompted negativity towards the hypothetico-deductive method used to develop and test the theory. Also, the study-based nature of biomedicine appears to have fostered an intuitive reliance on only newly performed studies to test hypotheses, which led to ignoring evidence for the concept derived from known information about IHD. Biomedicine is also regarded as special because its infrequent use of paradigm-change has resulted in unfamiliarity with this method, and because the practical method of training in biomedical research has worsened the general unfamiliarity of scientists with theoretical aspects of science. Because of these factors, the S-RV concept has not yet been properly evaluated--a quarter of a century after it was first created.
The efficacy and safety of a continuous albuterol protocol for the treatment of acute adult asthma attacks

Abstract We performed a prospective study over a 6-month period to test the efficacy and safety of a continuous nebulized albuterol protocol for the treatment of acute adult asthma attacks. All patients 18 years or older presenting to the emergency department with acute asthma attacks were begun by the triage nurse on the protocol of three continuous albuterol (2.5 mg) nebulizer treatments. Pretreatment and posttreatment peak flow, respiratory rate, pulse, and blood pressure were documented and patients gave a pretreatment and posttreatment rating of the clinical severity of their attack using a (1 to 10) visual analog scale. In addition, all adverse effects were noted. Seventy-six patients were entered in the study. The average age was 44 years (range, 20 to 82 years). Pretreatment and posttreatment peak flow, respiratory rate, pulse, blood pressure, and clinical severity were compared using the paired t test. Patients showed statistically significant increases in peak flow (128 to 292; P 7.8 10 to 1.8 10 (P 141 82 to 132 77 (P
The Picture at Menorah Journal: Making "Jewish Art"

expressionist painters commonly given credit for founding the movement. 90.3pappas 7/10/03, 8:59 AM 230 A. Pappas: The Picture at Menorah Journal 231 Journal circle. The sculptures of Zadkine and Archipenko, Mourning and Moses Pleads with God, represent the extent to which magazine was willing to entertain abstract tendencies in the name of “Jewish” art. These figurative sculptures are abstracted in that the forms are blocky and lack the embellishment of detail. Yet the works remain strongly figurative and therefore narrative; their subject matter rescues them from possible non-Jewish readings. Archipenko’s sculpture represents Moses, complete with the tablets of the law, and Zadkine’s sculpture depicts a female figure leafing through a book held on her lap. The presence of the book in conjunction with the title, Mourning, suggests the comfort that religious texts may offer in times of grief. Zadkine’s work appeared as the frontispiece in the Summer 1943 issue, which also carried an “Homage to the Christian Poles and the Maccabean Jews of Warsaw” on the pages immediately preceding Zadkine’s sculpture.45 This positioning cast Mourning as explicitly referring to the dead heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, rather than as a generic allegorical figure. Artists whose work more closely approached abstraction, such as Adolph Gottlieb (later to garner fame as an abstract expressionist), at times received mention in print, but did not rate inclusion in the reproductions.46 The problem with abstraction lay in the need to have art within the magazine function as a carrier for Jewishness. Subject matter frequently took care of this, as we have seen. When the subject matter was secular, the imagery could be framed as Jewish by the way it was positioned relative to other works reproduced in the magazine. Abstract art could not be treated in the same way because, unlike secular images, say of Jewish neighborhoods, the viewers did not have a readily available way to insert themselves into the image. Simply put, abstract art could not support a visual narrative of Jewishness of any kind in America. Scholarly opinion at the time also subscribed to this view of “Jewish” art as essentially figurative. Rachel Wischnitzer-Bernstein voiced this directly in her 1944 essay, “Reflections on Jewish Art,” published in Jewish Review.47 Wischnitzer-Bernstein was a prominent scholar who focused on the cultural production of Jews; among other accomplishments, she was a pioneer in several projects aimed at producing a history of Jewish art. As an expert familiar with a wide range of Jewish cultural production, she spoke with authority. After praising the variety of art 45. Zadkine’s work appears in Menorah Journal 31 (1943). Archipenko’s work appeared on the cover of the Winter 1943 issue. 46. William Schack, “A Live Year of Art,” Menorah Journal 29 (1941): 185. 47. Rachel Wischnitzer-Bernstein, “Reflections on Jewish Art,” Jewish Review 2
Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Risk of Temporomandibular Disorder OPPERA Cohort

The authors tested the hypothesis that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) signs/symptoms are associated with the occurrence of temporomandibular disorder (TMD), using the OPPERA prospective cohort study of adults aged 18 to 44 years at enrollment (n = 2,604) and the OPPERA case-control study of chronic TMD (n = 1,716). In both the OPPERA cohort and case-control studies, TMD was examiner determined according to established research diagnostic criteria. People were considered to have high likelihood of OSA if they reported a history of sleep apnea or ≥ 2 hallmarks of OSA: loud snoring, daytime sleepiness, witnessed apnea, and hypertension. Cox proportional hazards regression estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence limits (CL) for first-onset TMD. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% CL for chronic TMD. In the cohort, 248 individuals developed first-onset TMD during the median 2.8-year follow-up. High likelihood of OSA was associated with greater incidence of first-onset TMD (adjusted HR = 1.73; 95% CL, 1.14, 2.62). In the case-control study, high likelihood of OSA was associated with higher odds of chronic TMD (adjusted OR = 3.63; 95% CL, 2.03, 6.52). Both studies supported a significant association of OSA symptoms and TMD, with prospective cohort evidence finding that OSA symptoms preceded first-onset TMD.
Knowledge-sparse and knowledge-rich learning in information retrieval

Abstract This paper reviews some aspects of the relationship between the large and growing fields of machine learning (ML) and information retrieval (IR). Learning programs are described along several dimensions. One dimension refers to the degree of dependence of an ML + IR program on users, thesauri, or documents. This paper emphasizes the role of the thesaurus in ML + IR work. ML + IR programs are also classified in a dimension that extends from knowledge-sparse learning at one end to knowledge-rich learning at the other. Knowledge-sparse learning depends largely on user yes-no feedback or on word frequencies across documents to guide adjustments in the IR system. Knowledge-rich learning depends on more complex sources of feedback, such as the structure within a document or thesaurus, to direct changes in the knowledge bases on which an intelligent IR system depends. New advances in computer hardware make the knowledge-sparse learning programs that depend on word occurrences in documents more practical. Advances in artificial intelligence bode well for knowledge-rich learning.
Cu(111) and Ag(111) surface-phonon spectrum: The importance of avoided crossings

Embedded-atom method (EAM) calculations of the phonon energies, polarizations, and first- and second-neighbor interatomic-force-constant tensors of the clean Cu(111) and Ag(111) surfaces are presented. Using embedded-atom parameters fit to bulk properties, we find that the EAM provides an accurate and detailed description of the lattice dynamics of these surfaces, in good agreement with the measured surface vibrational spectra. We find only modest 10\char21{}15 % changes in the surface force constants for both Cu and Ag from their bulk values. Our calculations also suggest an explanation for the anomalous softening of the longitudinal resonance mode along the \ensuremath{\Gamma}M symmetry line in terms of an avoided crossing of first- and second-layer sagittal-plane modes.
Two-degree-of-freedom vortex-induced vibrations using a force assisted apparatus

Abstract We report results from two-degree-of-freedom vortex-induced vibration tests on a flexibly mounted, rigid, smooth cylinder in cross-flow. The tests are performed for six in-line natural frequency to transverse natural frequency ratios. The Reynolds number based on diameter ranged from 11 000 to 60 000. To reduce structural damping in both directions, an apparatus utilizing two linear motors was used. Increasing the in-line to transverse frequency ratio caused a shift in the peak amplitude response to increasingly higher reduced velocities; and at a frequency ratio of 1.9, two distinct response peaks appear, in agreement with earlier experiments by Sarpkaya in 1995. Other comparisons are made with the low mass-damping, two-degree-of-freedom experiments by Jauvtis and Williamson in 2004. The frequency ratio affects the phase lag between transverse and in-line oscillations and hence the shape of the cylinder orbital.
Mo1618 Retrograde Double Balloon Enteroscopy Detects Significant Colonic Lesions When Performed for Obscure GI Bleeding

Retrograde Double Balloon Enteroscopy Detects Significant Colonic Lesions When Performed for Obscure GI Bleeding David Tenembaum*, Masud Habibullah, Jose E. Najul, Moshe Rubin New York Hospital Queens Medical Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, New York, NY Background: Evaluation of the distal small bowel with Double Balloon Enteroscopy (DBE) requires passage of the scope through the colon prior to intubation of the ileum. Nevertheless, careful inspection of the colon may not be performed in all cases since patients with obscure GI bleeding have already undergone a complete colonoscopy with reportedly negative results. There is limited data on the frequency of clinically significant colonic findings missed at colonoscopy and subsequently detected at retrograde DBE. Objectives: To evaluate the detection rate of missed colonic angioectasia, ulcers and polyps at retrograde DBE in patients with obscure GI bleeding. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study on 134 sequential patients undergoing retrograde DBE. All patients had a negative colonoscopy (excluding diverticulosis and hemorrhoids) and were referred for obscure bleeding. The median time between colonoscopy and DBE were 12.89 days. The detection rate of angioectasia, ulcers and polyps ( 5 mm) were calculated. Results: 134 patients, ages 24-94 with a mean age of 63.2 were evaluated. There were 56 women (41.18%) with a median age of 65.5 and 78 men (58.82%) with a median age of 59.4. DBE detected colonic lesions in 36 patients (28.36%) overall. Of those patients, 28 (20.90%) had polyps, 13 had angioectasia (9.70%) and 2 had ulcers (1.49%). Conclusions: Retrograde DBE following reportedly negative colonoscopy detects a significant number of clinically relevant colonic lesions in patients with obscure bleeding. This data suggests that a careful reexamination of the colon at the time of retrograde DBE may be warranted.
VALIDITY OF SELF-ASSESSMENT OF PUBERTAL MATURATION IN A MULTIETHNIC GROUP OF FEMALE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. 17

VALIDITY OF SELF-ASSESSMENT OF PUBERTAL MATURATION IN A MULTIETHNIC GROUP OF FEMALE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. 17
Simple nonlinear channel model for phase-change optical recording media

A two-dimensional channel model for phase change recording media was developed based on two simple models. An adiabatic model neglecting thermal diffusion was used during mark generation and a geometric optics model was assumed during the readout process. The channel model contains a nonlinear mapping between two linear systems and thus the whole channel is inherently nonlinear.