cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circulating immune complexes in cystic fibrosis.

Summary: Recurrent respiratory infections associated with “mucoid” Pseudomonas aeruginosa characterize the advanced stages of cystic fibrosis. To determine if chronic antigenic stimulation is associated with circulating immune complexes (CIC), we assayed the sera of 20 hospitalized patients using the technique of precipitation with 4% polyethylene glycol. Elevated CIC levels, defined by > 310 μg IgG per ml, were found in 18 of 20 patients (range, 360 to 3200 μg/ml). Serum, supernatant, and resuspended precipitates were assayed for hemagglutinating antibodies against pseudomonas lipopolysaccharide (LPS or endotoxin) and exotoxin A antigens. Both serum anti-LPS (range, 1:64 to 1:2048) and antitoxin titers (range, 1:64 to 1:16, 384) were markedly elevated and higher than titers in supernatants and resuspended precipitates, indicating antibody excess. “Enrichment” ratios for antibodies present in CIC were calculated by proportion of titer to immunoglobulin in the precipitated complex relative to these values in serum. Mean enrichment ratios of 13.1 and 13.9 were obtained for LPS antibody before and after 2 mercaptoethanol reduction, but the mean enrichment ratio for antitoxin was only 2.07. Serially diluted supernatants and precipitates were boiled for 1 hr and tested for endotoxin-like activity by the limulus test. At >1:8 dilutions, precipitates were positive, and supernatants were negative. These findings indicate that CIC's are common in advanced cystic fibrosis, and analysis of the precipitated complexes demonstrates significant (> 13-fold) enrichment of antibodies against LPS but not exotoxin antigens, as well as endotoxin-like activity in boiled precipitates. Speculation: Immune complex-mediated pulmonary damage may contribute to the tissue destruction observed in patients with advanced cystic fibrosis. Studies correlating circulating immune complexes levels to extent of disease, pulmonary function, response to therapy, and prognosis might provide the impetus to reduce these complexes or abort their sequelae by pharmacologic means, in addition to providing an endpoint for the initiation and duration of antimicrobial therapy.
Ceftobiprole: Farewell or just a delay?

The rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections is over 60%, and the rate of community-associated MRSA infections is at a record high.[1][1] The rate of fluoroquinolone-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections is approaching 30%, and there are no antibiotics in the
Positive Newborn Screen in a Normal Infant of a Mother with Asymptomatic Very Long-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency

A neonate with elevated tetradecenoylcarnitine (C14:1) on the newborn screen was evaluated for possible very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (VLCADD) and found to be a carrier. However, his symptom-free mother was subsequently diagnosed with VLCADD. This documents maternal VLCADD causing a positive newborn screening result in an offspring.
Optimization in the now: Dynamic peephole optimization for hierarchical planning

For robots to effectively interact with the real world, they will need to perform complex tasks over long time horizons. This is a daunting challenge, but recent advances using hierarchical planning [1] have been able to provide leverage on this problem. Unfortunately, this approach makes no effort to account for the execution cost of an abstract plan and often arrives at poor quality plans. This paper outlines a method for dynamically improving a hierarchical plan during execution. We frame the underlying question as one of evaluating the resource needs of an abstract operator and propose a general way to approach estimating them. We ran experiments in challenging domains and observed up to 30% reduction in execution cost when compared with a standard hierarchical planner.
Effects of ion temperature anisotropy on the interhemispheric plasma transport during plasmaspheric refilling

Effects of temperature anisotropies on the early stage refilling of the outer plasmasphere are studied by solving an appropriate set of hydrodynamic equations. The anisotropies result from the supersonic outflows from the conjugate ionospheres and from the perpendicular ion heating in the equatorial region. The equatorial ion heating affected by wave-particle interaction is included phenomenologically. Even for the equatorial heating associated with moderate wave levels, the mirror force on the flows severely limits the interhemispheric plasma exchange. The temporal evolution of the flow developing in an empty flux tube is characterized by: (1) supersonic plasma outflows from the conjugate ionospheres, (2) reflections of the flows by the mirror force as they begin to penetrate into the opposite hemispheres, (3) formation of shocks in the reflection region and (4) propagations of the shacks to the ionospheres of the origins of the flows. In the quasi-steady state when flow completely subsides, the density distribution in the flux tube shows distinctive large-scale features, determined by the balance between electric, pressure and anisotropy forces. The latter force becomes significant in a broad equatorial region where Tt > > Tp and also at relatively high geomagnetic latitudes where Tt > Tp is found to be similar to the trapped ions observed from satellites.
Area-Dosage Relationships Downwind of a Point Source

Abstract A relationship is developed between the value of a dosage isopleth downwind of a point source and the area enclosed by that isopleth. Equations describing this relationship are presented for stable, slightly stable, and unstable atmospheres. The equations for estimating the enclosed area are improved by the inclusion of a wind speed in the dosage term. The choice of a representative wind speed is discussed. These empirical equations are compared to similar equations previously developed, and implications of the differences are presented.
First environmental data from the EUV engineering test stand

The first environmental data from the Engineering Test Stand (ETS) has been collected. Excellent control of high-mass hydrocarbons has been observed. This control is a result of extensive outgas testing of components and materials, vacuum compatible design of the ETS, careful cleaning of parts and pre-baking of cables and sub assemblies where possible, and clean assembly procedures. As a result of the hydrocarbon control, the residual ETS vacuum environment is rich in water vapor. Analysis of witness plate data indicates that the ETS environment does not pose a contamination risk to the optics in the absence of EUV irradiation. However, with EUV exposure, the water rich environment can lead to EUV- induced water oxidation of the Si-terminated Mo/Si optics. Added ethanol can prevent optic oxidation, allowing carbon growth via EUV cracking of low-level residual hydrocarbons to occur. The EUV environmental issues are understood, mitigation approaches have been validated, and EUV optic contamination appears to be manageable.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
OPTICALLY NONLINEAR BRAGG DIFFRACTING NANOSECOND OPTICAL SWITCHES

Monodisperse, highly charged colloidal particles in low ionic strength solutions self-assemble into bcc or fcc crystalline colloidal arrays (CCAs) due to interparticle repulsive interactions. We demonstrate that a CCA of dyed particles embedded in a poly acrylamide hydrogel acts as a nanosecond optical Bragg diffraction switching device. Under low light intensities the CCA is refractive index matched to the medium and does not diffract. However, high intensity excitation within the dye absorption band heats the spheres within nanoseconds to decrease their refractive index. The array ``pops up'' to diffract light within 2.5 ns. These intelligent CCA hydrogels may have applications in optical limiting, computing, and nanosecond fast optical switching devices, etc.
The NRL Cyclotron Beam Control and Handling System

The beam handling apparatus and its associated remote control arrangements are described for the NRL Cyclotron Beam Transport System. The need for reducing duplication of controls and power supplies for such a multi-beam-path facility resulted in the development of a rapid master selector system which can be programmed to accommodate the different beam path requirements. All ion optics and beam sensing components along any particular beam path can be activated from a single selector panel, and then individually controlled. The beam transport display, vacuum control display, and control console, are laid out in graphic form wherever feasible in an effort to present readout and control information concisely and continuously. Precision, versatility, modular construction, and ease of maintenance guided the mechanical and electrical design criteria. Design details and prototypes of beam stops, scanners, viewers, collimators, probes, and pumping stations, are discussed.
Epoxidation of arachidonic acid as an active-site probe of cytochrome P-450 2B isoforms

In the present study we determined the regioselectivity of arachidonic acid epoxidation by several members of the cytochrome P-450 2B subfamily, including rat P-450 2B1, 2B1-WM (an allelic variant of 2B1 expressed in Wistar-Munich rats), 2B2, and rabbit 2B4 and 2B5. The major products formed with all isoforms were the four regioisomeric epoxides, but each isoform produced a distinct distribution of the four epoxides. P-450 2B1 produced predominantly 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET), while P-450 2B1-WM produced the 11,12-EET as the major product. P-450 2B2, 2B4, and 2B5 catalyzed the formation of all four epoxides in nearly equal amounts. The single Gly-478-->Ala substitution in the variant P-450 2B1-WM was sufficient to cause a dramatic change in the ratio of epoxides when compared with P-450 2B1. The Gly-478-->Ala mutation also changed the regioselective epoxidation of gamma-linolenic acid at the three double bonds. Four site-directed mutants of P-450 2B1 were also evaluated. The mutations included two single mutants where Ile-114 was changed to either Val or Ala and two double mutants where the Ala-478 mutation was coupled with either Val or Ala at position 114. When Ile-114 was mutated to Val, the degree of epoxidation of arachidonic acid at all four double bonds was nearly equal. However, substitution of Ile-114 with Ala, resulted in a significant reduction in the degree of epoxidation at the 14,15- and 11,12-double bonds, and the 8,9- and 5,6-EETs were the major products. When Ala was introduced at position 478 in conjunction with Val at position 114 the regioselective epoxidation of the mutant enzyme more closely resembled P-450 2B1-WM in that 11,12-EET was the major metabolite. The double mutation with Ala at both positions 114 and 478 produced a unique distribution of epoxide products with 5,6-EET as the major metabolite. The results of these studies indicate that residues 114 and 478 in the P-450 2B subfamily are important for the orientation of fatty acids in the active site.
CATALYTIC CRACKING OF TARS FROM COAL DEVOLATILIZATION

ABSTRACT A set of runs were performed on the catalytic and thermal cracking of the tars present fn the gasifier off-gas stream; the cracking referred to here Js essentially hydrocracking, in view of the considerable amount of hydrogen being present in the gas stream. The catalyst evaluated for tar cracking was a commercial cobalt-molybdenum catalyst, suppported on γ-Al2O3(Katalco-477). It was observed that there was a decrease in the amount of tar obtained with the cracking unit on-line with the gasifier; the tars were cracked to gaseous products in the presence of catalyst. Furthermore, it appeared that higher ring structures were transformed to less heavier components; thus cracking could become beneficial in downstream processing of the gas stream coming out of a gasifier.
The final thermal preferendum of fishes: Shuttling behavior and acclimation overshoot

The concept of final preferendum is reexamined in light of data concerning acclimation in a cyclic thermal regime. Because of ‘Shuttling behavior’ to temperatures above and below the mean preferendum, and because of faster acclimation ‘upward’ than ‘downward’, which result in acclimation to a temperature exceeding the mean of the cycle, a fish may finally gravitate to a preferendum which does not equal acclimation temperature. It is suggested that a distinction be made between the ‘crossover-point’ preferendum, where preference and acclimation are equal, and the ‘ultimate’ preferendum to which a fish will ultimately gravitate.
Determinants of Trademark Dilution

A hierarchical Bayes associative network model for brand information is developed and tested to measure the extent of harm from trademark dilution. In the proposed model, category activation thresholds are modeled in terms of brand/category familiarity, activation flows are modeled in terms of relative category knowledge, and consumer confusion and its correlates are used to capture the asymmetric effects of dilution on retrieval probabilities for first and second users.
Diffeomorphisms of some smooth metastably connected manifolds

Let M m be a closed connected smooth manifold of dimension m , and set P m = M m – int D m where D m is a disc in M . In (4), Wall has the following exact sequence where ( M ), (resp. ( P )) is the Δ-set of diffeomorphisms of M (resp. P ) as in(l), and [ M/P ] is the set of diffeomorphism classes of smooth manifolds obtained by glueing a disc to the boundary of P . In this paper we obtain some results on π 0 ( ( M )) for particular M , and in the following sense: Using the techniques of (2), we can determine π 0 ( ( P )), so the main portion of the paper is concerned with a discussion of the kernel of α. There is a map ω: π 1 ( ( P )) → Γ m +1 , given by the obstruction to extending h ∈π 1 ( ( P )) to a concordance of the identity of M to itself, and it is clear that if this map is attached at the beginning of the sequence (*) we get exactness. We will obtain (for certain M ) an alternative description of the image of α in terms of those homotopy spheres which can appear as the boundaries of thickenings.
Topic maps and the ILS: an undelivered promise

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the current use of topic maps in the library field, how they might be integrated into the ILS structure and some of the inherent challenges in trying to transform MARC data.Design/methodology/approach – A review of available literature was conducted as well as e‐mail interviews with researchers and vendors in the field. An introduction to some of the basic concepts quickly leads into a recap of some of the possibilities that have been tried with this technology in the library field. Specific examples of the use of the XML standard XTM are given as well as some theoretical possibilities discussed. Finally some thought is given to where this technology will fit into the ILS.Findings – The paper finds that more work needs to be done by vendors and libraries in structuring data to allow for easier transformation.Research limitations/implications – This study was a limited overview. The lack of training materials and software make topics maps hav...
Modeling of Power/Ground Planes Using Triangular Elements

As the operating frequency of electronic devices increases and system miniaturization continues, designing power delivery networks (PDNs) that supply quality power throughout the system becomes very challenging. To guarantee successful performance of the PDN, an accurate and time-efficient simulation method that computes the PDN impedance is required. In this paper, we propose a computationally efficient PDN modeling method that analyzes multilayer power/ground planes. The proposed method solves the differential form of Maxwell's equation applied on the circuit representation of a plane pair. To use the analogy between the equations of the electromagnetic field and the equivalent circuit, a dual mesh is created on the metal surface. The use of a nonuniform triangular mesh enables effective discretization of multidimensional and irregular geometries. Moreover, the differential equation generates a sparse system matrix, which requires small computer resources. The proposed model is extended to multiple plane pairs, and the modeling of apertures located on any layer is also included. Simulation results show that the proposed method can solve complex structures with less computational effort than other modeling methods, while maintaining accuracy. In addition, the application of the absorbing boundary condition (ABC) to the proposed method is presented. Applying ABC to the plane boundaries prevents outgoing waves from reflecting back into the plane pair, hence removing plane resonances. The use of the first-order ABC results in a simple implementation and the results show good correlation with the results from a full-wave solver using higher order ABC.
In vitro production of a hybrid monoclonal antibody that preferentially binds to cells that express both HLA-A2 and HLA-B7

Abstract A hybrid mouse monoclonal IgGl having one low affinity combining site for HLA-A2 and one low affinity combining site for HLA-B7 was made by the chemical method of Nisonoff and Palmer (Science 143:376,1964). This involved selective reduction of interchain disulphides, a splitting of the IgGl into half molecules at low pH and ionic strength, and reassociation of the half molecules by neutralization. Serologically active hybrids were separated from parental IgGl by an absorbtion procedure and recovered in about 10% yield. The hybrid discriminated between cells that express either HLA-A2 of HLA-B7 from cells that express both A2 and B7. This is because it could bind bivalently to the cell with both A2 and B7 but could only bind with a single combining site to cells expressing A2 or B7. The consequence of these different modes of attachment was to give up to sevenfold greater binding to the cell expressing A2 and B7 in comparison to the cell expressing only A2 or B7.
Swelling of clays in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone/carbon disulfide mixed solvents

The interaction of various solvents with some clays that are commonly found in coal has been examined. The mixed solvent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone/carbon disulfide can extract cations from various clays and apparently form complexes with them that strongly absorb light in the visible region. The individual solvents cannot form such complexes when placed in contact with the same clays. The ability to form such complexes with cations may be a key factor in the enhanced extraction yields that are obtained from certain coals using this mixed solvent system.
Changing patterns of fetal lung maturity testing

In our laboratory, a decrease in fetal lung maturity (FLM) testing on amniotic fluid occurred over a 10-year period, and we desired to determine if this was a national phenomenon and, if present, ascertain possible etiologies. Society of Maternal–Fetal Medicine fellows, both in academic centers and private practice, were surveyed with regard to current usage of FLM testing. Of 680 surveys, 417 (61%) responses were returned and 60% noted a decrease in FLM testing (range of reduction—foam stability index 65%, fluorescence polarization 35%, phosphatidyl glycerol 71%, lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio 70%). The most common reason suggested for the decline is that the tests were not needed for patient management. Obstetric patterns of FLM testing have declined, principally in near-term pregnancies, and this could adversely affect neonatal outcome.
Active avoidance learning in hamsters

Hamsters were found to be very inefficient in acquiring a one-way locomotor avoidance response compared to albino rats, whereas an earlier report showed them to be much more proficient than rats in learning a lever-press avoidance response. Even fewer avoidances were made by hamsters when a visual rather than auditory CS was used. The deficiency in comparison to rats could not involve a general learning deficit since the hamsters showed much improvement in escape latencies. The results emphasize the importance of the required avoidance behavior in determining the relative learning proficiencies of different species.
Sensory bias as an explanation for the evolution of mate preferences

The sensory bias model of sexual selection posits that female mating preferences are by-products of natural selection on sensory systems. Although sensory bias was proposed 20 years ago, its critical assumptions remain untested. This paradox arises because sensory bias has been used to explain two different phenomena. First, it has been used as a hypothesis about signal design, that is, that males evolve traits that stimulate female sensory systems. Second, sensory bias has been used as a hypothesis for the evolution of female preference itself, that is, to explain why females exhibit particular preferences. We focus on this second facet. First, we clarify the unique features of sensory bias relative to the alternative models by considering each in the same quantitative genetic framework. The key assumptions of sensory bias are that natural selection is the predominant evolutionary mechanism that affects preference and that sexual selection on preferences is quantitatively negligible. We describe four studies that would test these assumptions and review what we can and cannot infer about sensory bias from existing studies. We suggest that the importance of sensory bias as an explanation for the evolution of female preferences remains to be determined.
Sleep deprivation accelerates the response to nortriptyline

1. The authors examined the effect of total sleep deprivation (SD) in combination with nortriptyline in 20 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Patients underwent a 36-hour SD procedure followed by nortriptyline started on the evening after SD, with ratings for two weeks. 2. Eleven (55%) patients were responders; they showed a rapid and sustained remission after SD, whereas non-responders demonstrated the delayed results expected with nortriptyline. 3. High initial depression scores and absence of depersonalization were associated with response to SD, while being female and middle insomnia were associated with response to the combined regimen. 4. The combination of SD with antidepressants proves to be an effective and safe treatment modality.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF ZERO-CROSSING WAVE HEIGHTS AND PERIODS IN A STATIONARY SEA STATE

Abstract Existing theoretical distributions of wave height and period do not reflect measured joint distributions from field data. A simulation methodology is introduced to retain the essential features of the theoretical background in Gaussian random noise but to avoid further compromising assumptions in the interpretation of height and period in the amplitude domain. A joint distribution can be associated directly with an empirical or measured variance spectrum. Spectral shape appears to dominate the detail of predicted joint distributions. There is generally a much sharper decay in probability levels at higher periods than is predicted by theoretical models. For Jonswap spectra, there is a dominant central ridge and a distinct bimodal structure in the joint distribution, features that are not evident in symmetric Gaussian spectral forms. The wave height distributions for Jonswap spectra differ little from the Rayleigh distribution, except at extreme wave heights where Rayleigh overpredicts. The period distributions are strongly sensitive to spectral shape. In the conditional distribution of periods, given the height, the asymptotic median period at extreme wave heights is significantly longer than the mean period for Jonswap spectra, but not for symmetric Gaussian forms.
Analytic Biosurveillance Methods for Resource-Limited Settings

The authors describe the challenges of disease surveillance in settings lacking infrastructure and access to medical care. They address the role of analytic methods and evaluate open-source temporal alerting algorithms chosen for the Suite for Automated Global Electronic bioSurveillance (SAGES), collection of modular, freely-available software tools to enable electronic surveillance in these settings. An algorithm test-bed is described and used to compare algorithm alerting performance for both daily and weekly data streams. Multiple detection performance measures are defined, and a practical means of combining them is applied to recommend preferred alerting methods for common scenarios.
A blend of methods of recursion theory and topology: A Π10 tree of shadow points

This paper is a sequel to our [7]. In that paper we constructed a Π10 tree of avoidable points. Here we construct a Π10 tree of shadow points. This tree is a tree of sharp filters, where a sharp filter is a nested sequence of basic open sets converging to a point. In the construction we assign to each basic open set on the tree an address in 2<ω. One interesting fact is that while our Π10 tree of sharp filters (a subtree of Δ<ω) is isomorphic to the tree of addresses (a subtree of 2<ω), the tree of addresses is recursively enumerable but not recursive. To achieve this end we use a finite injury priority argument.
The Oligo-Acyl Lysyl Antimicrobial Peptide C12K-2β12 Exhibits a Dual Mechanism of Action and Demonstrates Strong In Vivo Efficacy against Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori has developed antimicrobial resistance to virtually all current antibiotics. Thus, there is a pressing need to develop new anti-H. pylori therapies. We recently described a novel oligo-acyl-lysyl (OAK) antimicrobial peptidomimetic, C(12)K-2β(12), that shows potent in vitro bactericidal activity against H. pylori. Herein, we define the mechanism of action and evaluate the in vivo efficacy of C(12)K-2β(12) against H. pylori after experimental infection of Mongolian gerbils. We demonstrate using a 1-N-phenylnaphthylamine (fluorescent probe) uptake assay and electron microscopy that C(12)K-2β(12) rapidly permeabilizes the bacterial membrane and creates pores that cause bacterial cell lysis. Furthermore, using nucleic acid binding assays, Western blots, and confocal microscopy, we show that C(12)K-2β(12) can cross the bacterial membranes into the cytoplasm and tightly bind to bacterial DNA, RNA, and proteins, a property that may result in inhibition of enzymatic activities and macromolecule synthesis. To define the in vivo efficacy of C(12)K-2β(12), H. pylori-infected gerbils were orogastrically treated with increasing doses and concentrations of C(12)K-2β(12) 1 day or 1 week postinfection. The efficacy of C(12)K-2β(12) was strongest in animals that received the largest number of doses at the highest concentration, indicating dose-dependent activity of the peptide (P < 0.001 by analysis of variance [ANOVA]) regardless of the timing of the treatment with C(12)K-2β(12). Overall, our results demonstrate a dual mode of action of C(12)K-2β(12) against the H. pylori membrane and cytoplasmic components. Moreover, and consistent with the previously reported in vitro efficacy, C(12)K-2β(12) shows significant in vivo efficacy against H. pylori when used as monotherapy. Therefore, OAK peptides may be a valuable resource for therapeutic treatment of H. pylori infection.
NOVEL ANIMAL MODELS FOR STUDYING SCHIZOPHRENIA: BAC-DRIVEN MIRNA-MEDIATED IN VIVO SILENCING OF GENE EXPRESSION

In schizophrenia, GAD1 disturbances are robust, replicable and represent a core feature of the disease, making it a leading candidate for developing transgenic animal models that mimic the disease phenotype. However, GAD1 downregulation in the prefrontal cortex is not uniform across all the interneuronal subpopulations: parvalbumin- (PARV), somatostatin- (SST) and NPY-containing neurons appear to be preferentially affected in a complex pattern. Importantly, neuropeptide Y (NPY), a phenotypic marker of a subpopulation of GAD1-containing interneurons, has shown reduced expression in the PFC in subjects with schizophrenia, suggesting that dysfunction of the NPY+ cortical interneuronal subpopulation might be also a core feature of this devastating disorder. To mimic these postmortem findings, we generated a transgenic mouse in which we down-regulated GAD1 mRNA expression specifically in NPY+ neurons. This novel, cell type-specific in vivo system for regulation of gene expression utilizes a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) containing the NPY promoter-enhancer elements, the reporter molecule (eGFP), and a modified intron containing a synthetic miRNA targeted to GAD1. Furthermore, due to incorporation of an eGFP coding sequence, the targeted cells are identifiable in both live and fixed tissue. The advantages of this in vivo gene silencing system are numerous, and include cell-type specific downregulation of transcripts, visualization of the targeted cells by eGFP, low cost and rapid generation and monoallelic inheritance. Finally, due to the small size of the silencing miRNAs, this method may allow targeting of specific splice-variants, generating splice-variant specific knockdown animals. Combined analysis of the NPY-, PV-, CCK-, and SST-BAC driven, GAD1 miRNA silenced mice (which are currently in production in our laboratory) will greatly contribute to our understanding the mechanisms by which different interneuronal subpopulations mediate cortical inhibition, working memory and cognition. Finally, this knowledge will help us understand the relationship between the cell-type specific GABA-ergic disturbances and the phenotypic manifestations of schizophrenia.
NEXT GENERATION OF PREVENTIVE INTERVENTIONS

ABSTRACT Objective With increasing numbers of efficacious prevention programs, the field needs strategies to disseminate the interventions broadly. Method The authors examined the life course of prevention programs, identified barriers to dissemination, and outlined an alternative dissemination model. Results Private enterprise models of product development can be viable strategies for increasing the dissemination of the intervention to the general public. Market principles suggest that the next generation of interventions would be facilitated if interventions are initiated by teams committed to a specific problem and investigators receive training in management; if the acceptability of the program's design features to consumers, providers, and funding agencies is established prior to the development and evaluation of the program; if data from national marketing surveys are used to tailor intervention designs and delivery formats for different subgroups; if essential ingredients of the intervention are identified to facilitate adaptation of the program; if the program is implemented with a goal to maintain change over extended periods of time; if the implementation plan includes program evolution over time, rather than replication with fidelity; and if interventions are branded and certified by a credible agency. Conclusions Private enterprise models may be useful; however, investigators are likely to be resistant given a priori biases, potential ethical conflicts of interest, and the challenges presented by new technologies (e.g., the Internet and Human Genome Project). J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry , 2003, 42(5):518‐526.
Reducing dissolution of MnO2 nanofibers by doping with ferric ion

MnO2 nanofiber was found to possess high adsorption capacities for heavy metal ions such as, arsenic and lead, in water due to its high specific surface area (SSA) and high surface activity. However, a significant amount of manganese was found to leach from MnO2 nanofibers. Reducing MnO2 dissolution is very important for improving its applications in drinking water treatment. In this study, MnO2 nanofiber was doped with Fe3+ to reduce its dissolution in water. Dissolution tests were conducted on un-doped and Fe-doped MnO2 nanofibers. The results revealed that doping with Fe3+ significantly reduced MnO2 dissolution. SSA and defects of MnO2 materials were analyzed by BET and XRD methods. The effects of Fe3+ on MnO2 dissolution were discussed and the optimal dopant amount was identified.
18F-fluorothymidine kinetics of malignant brain tumors.

Purpose 18F-labeled deoxy-fluorothymidine (FLT), a marker of cellular proliferation, has been used in PET tumor imaging. Here, the FLT kinetics of malignant brain tumors were investigated.
A Prospective Population-Based Study of Differences in Elder Self-Neglect and Mortality Between Black and White Older Adults

Background. Self-neglect is the behavior of an elderly person that threatens his or her own health and safety, and it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Although report of self-neglect is more common among black older adults, the racial/ethnic differences in mortality remain unclear.
Stealing Cultural Studies: Dialogues With Norman K. Denzin

This article stages two (or more) dialogues with Norman K. Denzin. It is at once an interview encouraging Denzin to reflect on his work and its contribution and an effort to use the methods pioneer...
The Effects of Probation or Parole Agent Relationship Style and Women Offenders’ Criminogenic Needs on Offenders’ Responses to Supervision Interactions:

Although prior research revealed that in noncorrectional and correctional settings, staff relationship style affects client outcomes, there has been little study of this effect for women offenders. The present study investigated effects of two dimensions of relationship style (probation or parole agent–reported supportiveness and punitiveness) on female clients’ reports of responding to interactions with their agents with anxiety, reactance, and a sense of self-efficacy to avoid a criminal lifestyle. Results of a longitudinal study of 330 women on probation or parole revealed that agent supportiveness elicited lower anxiety and reactance and higher crime-avoidance self-efficacy. Agent punitiveness elicited greater anxiety and crime-avoidance self-efficacy. Moderation effect analysis showed that punitive style was most related to anxiety and reactance for women at lowest risk for reoffending. In contrast, supportiveness was most related to positive outcomes for the highest risk women. The research findings...
Warmer temperatures reduce the vectorial capacity of malaria mosquitoes

The development rate of parasites and pathogens within vectors typically increases with temperature. Accordingly, transmission intensity is generally assumed to be higher under warmer conditions. However, development is only one component of parasite/pathogen life history and there has been little research exploring the temperature sensitivity of other traits that contribute to transmission intensity. Here, using a rodent malaria, we show that vector competence (the maximum proportion of infectious mosquitoes, which implicitly includes parasite survival across the incubation period) tails off at higher temperatures, even though parasite development rate increases. We also show that the standard measure of the parasite incubation period (i.e. time until the first mosquitoes within a cohort become infectious following an infected blood-meal) is incomplete because parasite development follows a cumulative distribution, which itself varies with temperature. Including these effects in a simple model dramatically alters estimates of transmission intensity and reduces the optimum temperature for transmission. These results highlight the need to understand the interactive effects of environmental temperature on multiple host-disease life-history traits and challenge the assumptions of many current disease models that ignore this complexity.
Modified heat-meter method for determining soil heat flux

Abstract The theory of heat-flux meters describing the perturbation of a uniform, steady heat flux through a porous medium (soil) by a meter of different thermal conductivity was tested and confirmed under laboratory conditions. From the theory, an equation was derived for determining the heat flux density through the medium which is more accurate than direct calibration equations. The medium heat flux density is found by first calibrating a heat meter independently in two other media differing in thermal conductivity. Then, once the meter is inserted into the medium of interest, its signal and the temperature gradient in the direction of heat flow at 3–6 cm from the meter are measured. The method should serve to provide for more accurate assessment of energy budget of the earth's surface.
Beyond Modernism Digital Design, Americanization and the Future of Newspaper Form

After reviewing the emergence of online newspapers, we offer observations based on historical and design analyses of major US sites, supplemented top-down by innovators in the Americas and Europe and bottom-up by sites serving one locality in Massachusetts. Despite losing typical print elements, the late modern designs emphasize text, with minimal multimedia content, especially on local sites. Instead of giving outlet to news handicraft, corporate and promotional models abound. The web flattens hierarchies, exposes content sources, and deforms journalistic authority by disarticulating the audience. Historical parallels include 19th-century flows of design innovation from advertising into news and of informational tasks from reporting into photojournalism. Newspapers can coexist with the internet while surrendering some tasks, such as archiving factual background, becoming instead more analytical advocates.
Home Health and Informal Care Utilization and Costs Over Time in Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract Objectives: To (1) compare home health and informal (unpaid) services utilization among patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), (2) examine longitudinal changes in services use, and (3) estimate possible interdependence of home health and informal care utilization. Methods: The sample is drawn from the Predictors Study, a large, multicenter cohort of patients with probable AD, prospectively followed annually for up to 7 years in three university-based AD centers. Bivariate probit models estimated the effects of patient characteristics on home health and informal care utilization. Results: A large majority of the patients (80.6%) received informal care with a smaller proportion (18.6%) receiving home health services. Home health services utilization increased from 9.9% at baseline to 34.5% in year 4. Among users, number of days that services were provided in three-month recall increased from 21.9 to 56 days over time. Home health services utilization was significantly associated with function, dep...
Situation management in counter-insurgency operations: An overview of operational art and relevant technologies

Understanding the concept of employment (COE) for Information Fusion or other analysis/decision-aiding technology is key to the evaluation of its effectiveness; this paper studies and characterizes the COE for Counterinsurgency applications as drawn from open literature and some interchanges with U.S. Army staff. Managing and executing Counterinsurgency (COIN) situations is complicated business. Collectively, the broad elements of the decision-action space can be broken into “direct” and “indirect” classes of actions, where direct actions are those focused on insurgent force structure in the traditional military sense, and indirect actions those focused on undermining support to the insurgents while simultaneously attacking them militarily. Invoking military doctrine dating from the ideas of a French general in the 1800's, the US Army has developed a response framework involving various “Lines of Effort” and the notions of Effects-Based Operations to achieve behavioral changes in insurgents as Desired Effects as regards the indirect operations. By and large the situation management framework requires consideration of notions of Complex Adaptive Systems; the paper will make remarks about this SIMA-CAS context. Intelligence support to this Operational Doctrine requires capabilities in Hard and Soft Fusion technology, methods of Influence Networks, Petri Nets, Sequential Decision Making under Extreme Uncertainty, and Model Predictive Control, among other technologies. This paper will provide an overview of the concepts of the operational doctrine itself and the employment of these technologies in this modern-day military operational doctrine for the Counterinsurgency domain.
A method of collecting and processing nematode larvae for electron microscopy

SUMMARY A method is described using simple apparatus for separating and concentrating nematode larvae from host faecal material and a recommended procedure is given for processing the helminths for transmission electron microscopical examination.
Discounting of Monetary and Directly Consumable Rewards

We compared temporal and probability discounting of a nonconsumable reward (money) and three directly consumable rewards (candy, soda, and beer). When rewards were delayed, monetary rewards were discounted less steeply than directly consumable rewards, all three of which were discounted at equivalent rates. When rewards were probabilistic, however, there was no difference between the discounting of monetary and directly consumable rewards. It has been reported that substance abusers discount delayed drug rewards more steeply than delayed money, but this difference may reflect special characteristics of drugs or drug abusers, or it may reflect a general property of consumable rewards. The present findings suggest that abused substances (like beer) share the properties of other directly consumable rewards, whereas delayed monetary rewards are special because they are fungible, generalized (conditioned) reinforcers.
On the statistical analysis of allelic-loss data

This paper concerns the statistical analysis of certain binary data arising in molecular studies of cancer. In allelic-loss experiments, tumour cell genomes are analysed at informative molecular marker loci to identify deleted chromosomal regions. The resulting binary data are used to infer properties of putative suppressor genes, genes involved in normal cell cycling. Various factors can complicate this inference, including background loss of heterozygosity, spatial (that is, within chromosome) dependence of the binary responses, non-informativeness of markers, covariates such as protein levels or tumour histology, heterogeneity of cells within tumours, and measurement error. We focus on the first three factors, discussing methods for statistical inference that separate background loss from significant loss. We outline the extension to other inferences, such as comparison questions and the relationship to covariates. Using characteristic features of tumourigenesis, we present a framework for the stochastic modelling of allelic-loss data, and build models within this framework; in particular, we propose a simple model that has chromosome breaks at locations of a Poisson process, and preferential selection cells with inactivated suppressor genes. We illustrate these methods on allelic-loss data from induced rat mammary tumours and human bladder cancers.
Flow Physics and Stokes’ Theorem in Wind Turbine Aerodynamics

A viscous lift theorem is derived from a momentum balance and Stokes’ theorem around one section of a wind turbine blade. The theorem is a generalization of the classical Kutta-Zhukovsky lift theorem and is validated for 2D attached and separated flow. The application of the viscous lift theorem within a coupled Navier-Stokes/Vortex-Panel solver gives insight into the complex 3D aerodynamics pertinent to wind turbines.
Adaptive modeling of damage growth using a coupled FEM/BEM approach

Summary We propose a coupled boundary element method (BEM) and a finite element method (FEM) for modelling localized damage growth in structures. BEM offers the flexibility of modelling large domains efficiently, while the non-linear damage growth is accurately accounted by a local FEM mesh. An integral-type nonlocal continuum damage mechanics with adapting FEM mesh is used to model multiple damage zones and follow their propagation in the structure. Strong form coupling, BEM hosted, is achieved using Lagrange multipliers. Because the non-linearity is isolated in the FEM part of the system of equations, the system size is reduced using Schur complement approach, then the solution is obtained by a monolithic Newton method that is used to solve both domains simultaneously. The coupled BEM/FEM approach is verified by a set of convergence studies, where the reference solution is obtained by a fine FEM. In addition, the method is applied to multiple fractures growth benchmark problems and shows good agreement with the literature. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Communicating Change: Four Cases of Quality Programs:

Human and organizational factors are commonly identified as causes and contributors to failures and difficulties in implementing planned change. This study examines the implementation of quality programs in four organizations; the communication used to introduce the programs and to encourage employees to participate; and employees' perceptions of the programs, implementation activities, and change agents. The pur pose of this study was to provide empirical evidence of key communica tion problems common to planned change implementation. Four key themes emerged: (a) creating and communicating vision, (b) sensemak ing and feedback, (c) establishing legitimacy, and (d) communicating goal achievements. Conclusions and implications for future communica tion research are discussed in a final section.
COMPARISON OF TWO STRATEGIES FOR COLLECTING Q-SORT DATA

Factor analysis is frequently a useful research methodology, particularly when it is applied in validity studies or as a prelude to various analysis of variance procedures and their analogues. This study compared two strategies for implementing one factor analytic technique, Q-technique factor analysis. The results suggest that the data-collection strategy which is employed can dramatically affect results. It is argued that a mediated-ranking procedure should be preferred over a conventional-sorting procedure because the data should be more reliable.
“Looking out for each other”: a qualitative study on the role of social network interactions in asthma management among adult Latino patients presenting to an emergency department

AbstractObjective: The objective of this study was to identify the types of interactions between asthma patients and their social networks such as close family and friends that influence the management of asthma. Methods: Participants were Latino adults presenting for a repeat visit to the emergency department for asthma treatment. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 76 participants. They were asked to describe the experiences of their social networks that have asthma and how interactions with these individuals influenced their own asthma management. Responses were transcribed and analyzed using Grounded Theory as a qualitative analytic approach. Responses were assigned codes; similar codes were grouped into concepts and then categorized to form overarching themes. Results: Four themes emerged: (1) Perceptions of severity of asthma may be based on the experiences of social networks; (2) Economic factors may contribute to the sharing and borrowing of asthma medications between patients and their soc...