cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
KpnEF, a New Member of the Klebsiella pneumoniae Cell Envelope Stress Response Regulon, Is an SMR-Type Efflux Pump Involved in Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Resistance

Klebsiella pneumoniae has been frequently associated with nosocomial infections. Efflux systems are ubiquitous transporters that also function in drug resistance. Genome analysis of K. pneumoniae strain NTUH-K2044 revealed the presence of ∼15 putative drug efflux systems. We discuss here for the first time the characterization of a putative SMR-type efflux pump, an ebrAB homolog (denoted here as kpnEF) with respect to Klebsiella physiology and the multidrug-resistant phenotype. Analysis of hypermucoviscosity revealed direct involvement of kpnEF in capsule synthesis. The ΔkpnEF mutant displayed higher sensitivity to hyperosmotic (∼2.8-fold) and high bile (∼4.0-fold) concentrations. Mutation in kpnEF resulted in increased susceptibility to cefepime, ceftriaxone, colistin, erythromycin, rifampin, tetracycline, and streptomycin; mutated strains changed from being resistant to being susceptible, and the resistance was restored upon complementation. The ΔkpnEF mutant displayed enhanced sensitivity toward structurally related compounds such as sodium dodecyl sulfate, deoxycholate, and dyes, including clinically relevant disinfectants such as benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine, and triclosan. The prevalence of kpnEF in clinical strains broadens the diversity of antibiotic resistance in K. pneumoniae. Experimental evidence of CpxR binding to the efflux pump promoter and quantification of its expression in a cpxAR mutant background demonstrated kpnEF to be a member of the Cpx regulon. This study helps to elucidate the unprecedented biological functions of the SMR-type efflux pump in Klebsiella spp.
Bidirectional Promoters Regulate the Monoallelically Expressed Ly49 NK Receptors

Members of the Ly49 gene family of natural killer (NK) cell receptors in mice are expressed in seemingly stochastic combinations such that each NK cell expresses a handful of family members. A transcriptional switch appears to establish this interesting pattern of expression.
Gender difference in prognosis after transient cerebral ischemia or minor stroke.

The objective of this study was to determine if prognosis after transient cerebral ischemia or minor stroke is different for women and men. Eligible patients (n = 142), identified on a carotid ultrasound roster, had been hospitalized between 1984 and 1987 within 30 days of a first carotid transient ischemic attack or minor stroke. Participants were considered to have a study outcome if they had a stroke or died within 2 years. Gender differences were measured with crude and directly standardized relative risks for women compared with men. The crude 2-year risk of stroke or death was 35% for women and 20% for men. The crude relative risk for women compared with men was 1.74 (95% confidence interval = 1.01-3.00). The relative risk standardized for age was 1.39 (95% confidence interval = 0.84-2.29). The relative risk standardized for prognostic strata and comorbid illness was 1.38 (95% confidence interval = 0.75-2.53). This study does not confirm the hypothesis of a gender difference for risk of stroke or death after an initial transient ischemic attack or minor stroke. Although the crude relative risk for women was large and significant, the adjusted relative risk was smaller and nonsignificant. The effect of gender needs to be examined in a larger study that has adequate power to detect an important difference between men and women at an acceptable level of statistical significance.
Interrogating the catalytic mechanism of nanoparticle mediated Stille coupling reactions employing bio-inspired Pd nanocatalysts

To address issues concerning the global environmental and energy state, new catalytic technologies must be developed that translate ambient and efficient conditions to heavily used reactions. To achieve this, the structure/function relationship between model catalysts and individual reactions must be critically discerned to identify structural motifs responsible for the reactivity. This is especially true for nanoparticle-based systems where this level of information remains limited. Here we present evidence indicating that peptide-capped Pd nanoparticles drive Stille C–C coupling reactions viaPd atom leaching. Through a series of reaction studies, the materials are shown to be optimized for reactivity under ambient conditions where increases in temperature or catalyst concentration deactivate reactivity due to the leaching process. A quartz crystal microbalance analysis demonstrates that Pd leaching occurs during the initial oxidative addition step at the nanoparticle surface by aryl halides. Together, this suggests that peptide-based materials may be optimally suited for use as model systems to isolate structural motifs responsible for the generation of catalytically reactive materials under ambient synthetic conditions.
Social-evaluative threat and cognitive performance in socially anxious and nonanxious individuals

Abstract Socially anxious ( n =35) and nonanxious ( n =35) individuals completed seven neutral cognitive tasks representing a wide range of information processing stages. Participants were assigned to one of two conditions: a social-evaluative threat condition in which they performed an impromptu speech in front of a peer rater prior to each task, or a non-threat condition in which they read silently from a book prior to each task. Contrary to expectation, both groups reported equally higher subjective levels of discomfort in the social-evaluative threat condition than in the non-threat condition. Socially anxious participants performed more poorly than nonanxious participants on Digit Span in the social-evaluative threat condition. When analyses were limited to instances in which participants reported the greatest amounts of subjective discomfort, results indicated that social-evaluative threat facilitated performance of socially anxious participants but inhibited the performance of nonanxious participants on two memory tasks. Results are interpreted in light of possible independent contributions of subjective discomfort and task difficulty.
The Traffic in Glands

The story that beavers self-castrate when cornered by hunters appears in a range of Roman sources, both poetry and prose, from the end of the Republic onward. This myth is a product of the role that ‘beaver testicles’ played in Roman luxury trade and medicine. At the same time, it serves as a literary figure for the fraught relations between Rome and the provinces from which these, and other, luxury goods were imported.
Individual versus group cognitive-behavioral self-control training: 1-Year follow-up

The present study examined 1-year-follow-up data on the cognitive behavioral interventions reported by Kendall and Zupan (1981) . Pretreatment to 1-year follow-up improvements were found for subjects across treatment conditions, but only the children receiving group treatment were not significantly different from nonproblem children on ratings of self-control; only the children receiving individual treatment were not significantly different from nonproblem children on hyperactivity ratings. Structured interviews indicated that individually treated children showed significantly better recall of the ideas they had learned and produced significantly more illustrations of use of the ideas than either the group treatment or the nonspecific treatment conditions. These results provide some support for the effectiveness of the cognitive-behavioral interventions.
The structure of free radical metabolites detected by EPR spin trapping and mass spectroscopy from halocarbons in rat liver microsomes.

Abstract Electron impact (EI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) combined with EPR spin trapping was used to detect and identify the free radical metabolites of various halocarbons in rat liver microsomal dispersions. EPR spectra of the spin adducts of radical metabolites derived from fluorine-containing halocarbons display fluorine hyperfine splitting, which can be used as proof for the identification of this kind of halocarbon-derived free radical spin adduct. For halocarbons without fluorine atoms, MS/MS was found to be a very useful and simple method for the detection and identification of the structures of halocarbon-derived spin adducts from radical metabolites. The molecular ions from spin adducts of these halocarbon-derived free radical intermediates were observed for the first time by scanning the precursor ion spectrum of m / z 57. These assignments were further confirmed by the use of perdeuterated tert -butyl PBN which provides the precursor ion spectrum of m / z 66. Copyright © 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.
Survival after pulmonary metastasectomy in soft tissue sarcoma: Prognostic factors in 214 patients

This retrospective study examines prognostic factors for post-metastasectomy survival in soft tissue sarcoma patients. Between 1976 and 1992, 274 consecutive patients (median age 49 [7-96] years) with pulmonary metastatic soft tissue sarcoma of the extremity or trunk wall (31 at presentation) were managed at the Mayo Clinic. 214 underwent pulmonary metastasectomy and 163 of these also received adjuvant chemotherapy. There were 195 local excisions, 14 lobectomies, and 5 pneumonectomies. 90 patients had solitary metastases, 184 patients had 2 or more metastases. 31% of patients had MFH tumors and 88% of all tumors were high grade. Median follow-up for survivors was 8 (2-21) years. 5-year overall survival after metastasectomy was approximately 40% (cf. 20% for non-metastasectomy). Age > 50, MFH tumors, > or = 2 metastases, metastasis size > 2 cm, metastasis-free period 2 cm, number of metastases > or = 2, and metastasis-free interval < or = 18 months were independently unfavorable for survival. In a prognostic system, patients with 0 risk factors had a 60% 5-year survival, those with 1, 2, or 3 of these factors had 30%, 20% and 0% survival, respectively.
The Rings Node for the Planetary Data System

The Planetary Data System's Rings Node is devoted to the archiving and distributing of scientific data sets relevant to planetary ring systems. The two major classes of ring data are images and occultation profiles, although a variety of additional data types (e.g. spectra, particle absorption signatures, etc.) are also of interest. A large fraction of our data sets are from the Voyager missions to the outer planets, but Earth-based and Hubble Space Telescope data sets are also represented. Archiving work often includes re-formatting the data into standardized formats and reconstructing some of the data processing steps. The Rings Node also performs a variety of services to support research into these data sets. These services include developing on-line catalogs and information systems, filling orders for data, developing software tools, and coordinating special observing campaigns.
STUDIES ON THE DENATURATION OF ANTIBODY : II. THE EFFECT OF PROTEIN CONCENTRATION ON THE RATE OF DENATURATION OF DIPHTHERIA ANTITOXIN BY UREA.

The specific rate of inactivation of antitoxin in urea solutions, as measured by the Romer neutralization test with toxin, has been shown to be independent of the concentration of protein under the conditions studied. The amount of precipitate obtained in the quantitative precipitation test with toxin, however, increases greatly with increasing protein concentration during denaturation. The time during which the protein concentration is important in this respect has been shown to be the interval in which the urea is being dialyzed from the solutions. The meaning of the results is discussed.
Consequences of delayed air ingress following a depressurization accident in a high temperature reactor

Abstract Air ingress is a specific event in a high temperature reactor (HTR). The potential threat posed by air ingress lies in the chemical reaction of oxygen with hot graphite at a temperature above 500 °C leading to reaction heat and graphite corrosion. In order to assess the consequence of air ingress into the reactor, it is postulated that breaks are present above and below the reactor core and that unobstructed ingress of air through them is possible. It is obvious that the air ingress incident has to be preceded by a depressurization accident. For this hypothetical scenario the maximum possible air flow rate through the core resulting solely from the pressure losses in the core is estimated as a function of the break cross-sections exposed above and below the core. In this paper, the thermal behavior of an HTR with prismatic fuel (operating inlet/outlet temperatures 450/850 °C) during air ingress accident conditions has been investigated. In particular, maximum temperatures and burn-off of the fuel and bottom graphite reflector for various air flow rates for the postulated hypothetical scenario have been analyzed. It also indicates the limiting time at which the graphite layer of fuel will be completely burnt-off and the fuel compacts exposed. In addition, the consequences of delayed air ingress after a core heat up following depressurization have been investigated. This paper, thus, throws light on the safety aspects of the new generation HTRs with prismatic fuels (e.g. NGNP/ANTARES) conceived for power generation and process heat application.
Behavioral and cognitive effects of smoking: Relationship to nicotine addiction

Nicotine addiction is an extremely complex process that involves biological, psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors. Three factors that influence smoking and that are influenced by smoking are performance, stress, and body weight. We know that if nicotine-addicted smokers are deprived of nicotine, attentional and cognitive abilities can be impaired, and such deficits can be reversed if the person smokes or is given nicotine. In nonsmokers and nondeprived smokers, nicotine enhances finger tapping, focused and sustained attention, recognition memory, and reasoning. Stress results in increased smoking, but there is little empirical evidence that smoking reduces stress. Stress reduction from smoking is likely the relief of withdrawal-induced negative mood that is experienced between cigarettes. Smokers weigh on average 3-4 kg less than nonsmokers, and the weight-gain seen after quitting smoking also averages 3-4 kg. Changes in eating and energy expenditure are responsible for the body weight changes seen during smoking cessation and relapse. We need to know the full range of conditions under which nicotine affects behavior. The mechanisms by which stress functions to maintain nicotine addiction are not well understood. We do not know what interventions are effective in addressing the stress experienced during smoking cessation. Because no effective interventions have been developed to prevent weight-gain after quitting, research should focus on the concern or perception of weight-gain. We need to understand how and why body weight concerns vary across gender, age, and ethnicity because of the implications for designing effective smoking-cessation programs.
Some challenges in making accurate and reproducible measurements of minority carrier lifetime in high-quality Si wafers

Measurement of the minority carrier lifetime (τ) of high-quality wafers (having bulk minority carrier lifetime, τ b > few milliseconds) requires surface passivation with very low surface recombination velocity, typically 2 O 3 ), amorphous-silicon (a-Si), and silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ). Here, we will discuss main factors that influence the accuracy and repeatability of lifetime measurements.
Inflammatory reactions after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide: possible mechanisms and therapeutic options

The macrophages expanded in size, rupturing and releasing proinflammatory cytokines.Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey Edelman (Allergan Inc., CA, USA).Seen in an aqueous humor aspirate of a pa...
Semiautomated editing of computed tomography sections for visualization of vasculature

The goal of our work is to help radiologists remove obscuring structures from a large volume of computed tomography angiography (CTA) images by editing a small number of sections prior to three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction. We combine automated segmentation of the entire volume with manual editing of a small number of sections. The segmentation process uses a neural network to learn thresholds for multilevel thresholding and a constraint- satisfaction neural network to smooth the boundaries of labeled segments. Following segmentation, the user edits a small number of images by pointing and clicking, and then a connectivity procedure automatically selects corresponding segments from other sections by comparing adjacent voxels within and across sections for label identity. Our results suggest that automated segmentation followed by minimal manual editing is a promising approach to editing of CTA sequences. However, prerequisites to clinical utility are evaluation of segmentation accuracy and development of methods for resolution of label ambiguity.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Age Class Distribution and Size of American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) in the Shetucket/Thames River, Connecticut

ABSTRACT Age distribution of American eel (Anguilla rostrata) populations was compared at sites downstream from each of the first four dams inland from the mouth of the Shetucket/Thames River, CT., and at one site upstream of the fourth dam, during August, 1977. Ages were determined by interpretation of otoliths. The significant differences between age distribution of populations below (1 and 2) and above (3–5) the second dam revealed that dams did impede upstream movement of American eels in the Shetucket/Thames River. Additionally, length-weight relationships reported in other areas of the northeast, and in the entire Thames River Basin, were not significantly different from the pooled sample of American eel in the Shetucket/Thames River.
Influence of African dust on ocean-atmosphere variability in the tropical Atlantic

Tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures and surface winds vary together in a pattern termed the Atlantic Meridional Mode. Simulations with an ocean general circulation model that is driven by a record of dust radiative forcing suggest that dust emissions over West Africa substantially influence the state of the tropical Atlantic Ocean on interannual to decadal scales.
Conducting polymer-colloidal silica composites

Abstract We describe the preparation of conducting polymer-colloidal silica composites by the in situ deposition of a thin coating of chemically synthesized polyaniline or polypyrrole onto monodisperse silica particles (∼1 μm diameter). These composite materials have been characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, four-point probe conductivity measurements, Fourier transform infra-red microscopy and Rutherford back-scattering spectrometry.
The calculation of parameters of the Moffitt equation for rotatory dispersion data.

The least squares calculation of the best values of the parameters of the Moffitt equation and of the Drude equation is examined. It is proved that the least squares evaluation of all three parameters of the Moffitt equation becomes indeterminate as the bo term approaches zero. Estimates of low helical content based on the Moffitt relationship are therefore also indeterminate and of dubious value. Both the size of bo and the range of wavelengths chosen affect the standard deviations of the parameters. The magnitude of the effects is illustrated by selected examples. The computer program OPTROT is available for evaluating the extent to which data may be correlated by the equations.
Ampicillin treatment of listeriosis

Two infants and one adult with infections due to Listeria monocytogenes received ampicillin as the principal therapeutic agent and recovered without sequelae. Quantitative tube and plate dilution antibiotic susceptibility studies on 4 strains of Listeria were carried out. These studies revealed minimum inhibiting concentration values of 0.2 to 0.8 μg per milliliter for penicillin, 0.4 to 0.8 μg per milliliter for ampicillin, 1.6 to 3.1 μg per milliliter for cephalothin, 0.4 to 0.8 μg per milliliter for tetracycline, 6.3 μg per milliliter for chloramphenicol, and 12.5 to 25 μg per milliliter for kanamycin. Ampicillin is a useful therapeutic agent for listeriosis. However, careful antibiotic sensitivity studies are indicated for each patient.
Utilization of Formal Services During the 10 Years After Retirement

Abstract As the aging of the population accelerates in the coming decades, the use of formal services by elderly persons will become an important issue. This article presents the findings of a study on the pattern of utilization of out-of-home services and in-home services among a cohort of social security beneficiaries in the 10 years after their retirement. The study found that the determinants of the use of these two types of services are distinctly different. For example, the variable health impairments is related to the use of in-home services but not out-of-home services; on the other hand, education is related to the use of out-of-home services but not in-home services. The implications of these findings for social work practice are discussed.
Recurrent Points of Fuzzy Dynamical Systems

Abstract The main goal of the present paper is to reconsider classical results from the theory of dynamical systems, making them appropriate for treating systems about which we have imprecise, vague, uncertain or incomplete information. Here we study qualitative properties of dynamical systems related to recurrent points. According to the basic Poincare recurrence theorem, the set of recurrent points has full measure in any subset of the classical dynamical system space. In general, this property is invalid for fuzzy dynamical systems. In this paper, we consider fuzzy dynamical systems of two types. It is demonstrated that for fuzzy dynamical systems of the first type, the Poincare property of recurrent points remains true if the fuzzy measure in the system space satisfies some, rather weak, additional conditions. It is also proved that infinitely recurrent points have the same property. At the same time, for fuzzy dynamical systems of the second type, the Poincare property of recurrent points is invalid,...
Long-term analysis of hypothalamic self-stimulation in the rat: Is a circadian rhythm present?

The course that self-stimulation will take over a long period of time (38 to 82 days) was studied in rats with stimulating electrodes implanted in the lateral hypothalamus. The animals were housed in chambers that allowed continuous access to stimulation. They were maintained on a 12-h light-dark schedule with food and water available ad lib. Analysis showed a definite circadian component in barpressing for intracranial self-stimulation.
Duality in polynomial models with some applications to geometric control theory

Duality is studied in the context of polynomial models for linear systems. The output injection group, the dual of the feedback group, is studied and a polynomial characterization of ( C, A )-invariant subspaces as well as of the maximal reachability subspaces contained in ker C is given.
Vertical adiabatic transition between a silica planar waveguide and an electro-optic polymer fabricated with gray-scale lithography

We report on a vertical adiabatic transition between silica planar waveguides and electro-optic (EO) polymer. Gray-scale lithography was used to pattern a polymer transition with an exponential profile. Excess losses of the order of 1 dB were measured, and good mode matching to simulation was observed. This configuration, which married the advantages of both silica and EO-polymer planar-optic technologies, demonstrates a new technique for fabricating hybrid active devices with high modulation speed, low insertion loss, and complex geometries.
Thermal Emission from Haze and Clouds

The photons thermally emitted by the atmospheric molecules and aerosols as well as those emitted by the planetary surface are followed by a Monte Carlo technique through subsequent collisions with the aerosols and planetary surface. Anisotropic single scattering functions typical of hazes or of nimbostratus clouds are used. The angular variation of the radiation at both the top and bottom of the atmosphere are studied as a function of the single scattering albedo, size distribution of aerosols, optical thickness of the atmosphere, albedo and temperature of planetary surface, and the temperature distribution in the atmosphere.
What is the role of cytopathologists in stereotaxic needle biopsy diagnosis of nonpalpable mammographic abnormalities

The popularity of screening mammography has led to increased detection of mammographic lesions that require pathologic diagnosis. Stereotaxic needle biopsy techniques to sample such lesions can be used to either identify those lesions that require excision from those that can be followed, or to confirm a mammographic impression of malignancy prior to excision. Stereotaxic core biopsy (SCBX) and stereotaxic fine needle aspiration (SFNA) have rarely been directly compared. For this review we undertook a uniform re-analysis of the data that was presented in the published studies of SFNA and/or SCBX. The main endpoint was the negative predictive value (NPV) that measures the frequency that a benign diagnosis is truly benign. There was variability in NPV (likely due to sampling methods) and specific aspects of sampling techniques are discussed. The NPV was compared to indicators of selection of lesions to biopsy (frequency of invasive cancer in the study population), mammographic characteristics (masses or microcalcifications), and the reported nondiagnostic rates. The general conclusion is that SFNA and SCBX are equivalent in accuracy, with considerable variability that reflects the types of lesions that are selected for biopsy and the thoroughness of sampling. For SFNA studies, nondiagnostic rates were inversely related to NPV, and therefore have clinical implications. This was not shown for SCBX studies, and probably reflects an inability to correctly identify non-representative tissue biopsies. The main advantage for including cytologic methods with stereotaxic breast biopsy is immediate sample assessment, and this advantage can also be applied to core needle procedures. Diagn. Cytopathol. 24:260–270, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A human immunodeficiency virus peer education program for adolescent females.

Abstract Black adolescent females living in urban environments are at high risk for human immunodefiency virus (HIV) infection. Our objectives were to develop an HIV peer education program and to pilot-test its effect on knowledge and sexual behavior. Between September 1989 and March 1990, all females aged 12–19 years attending an inner-city, hospital-based adolescent clinic were invited to meet individually with trained peer educators (10 females aged 16–19 years) to discuss acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and its prevention. Each participant completed a modified version of the AIDS Knowledge and Attitudes Survey immediately before and 2–6 weeks after the counseling session. Of the 283 counseled patients, 241 (85%) completed the follow-up questionnaire and comprised the study sample. Mean age was 15.6 years, mean Hollingshead (parental occupational) score was 3.4, and 216 (90%) patients were black. Baseline knowledge about routes of transmission was high and did not improve on follow-up. Comparison of individual baseline and follow-up responses revealed improvements ( p p p p
Thiouracil Treatment in Hyperthyroidism1

IT HAS NOW BEEN well established that the endocrine function of the thyroid gland can be inhibited by the administration of thiouracil. In several species of experimental animals large doses induce a state of hypothyroidism equivalent to that following complete surgical ablation of the gland while in human beings hyperthyroidism is effectively controlled by the continued administration of relatively small amounts (1). Additional information on the clinical use of thiourea and thiouracil is being obtained and preliminary reports have appeared from several clinics. Himsworth (2) has reported six cases treated successfully with thiourea; Williams and G. Bissell (3) treated nine and Palmer (4) twelve cases with thiouracil and Rawson and his collaborators (5) have used thiouracil to prepare nineteen cases of thyrotoxicosis for surgery. Sloan and Shorr (6) have recorded twelve cases treated with thiouracil and have demonstrated that all of the common metabolic derangements of hyperthyroidism are corrected by th...
Cahn-Hilliard Reaction Model for Isotropic Li-ion Battery Particles

National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant No. 1122374)
The topology of symmetric, second-order tensor fields

We study the topology of symmetric, second-order tensor fields. The goal is to represent their complex structure by a simple set of carefully chosen points and lines analogous to vector field topology. We extract topological skeletons of the eigenvector fields, and we track their evolution over time. We study tensor topological transitions and correlate tensor and vector data. The basic constituents of tensor topology are the degenerate points, or points where eigenvalues are equal to each other. Degenerate points play a similar role as critical points in vector fields. We identify two kinds of elementary degenerate points, which we call wedges and trisectors. They can combine to form more familiar singularities-such as saddles, nodes, centers, or foci. However, these are generally unstable structures in tensor fields. Finally, we show a topological rule that puts a constraint on the topology of tensor fields defined across surfaces, extending to tensor fields the Poincare-Hopf theorem for vector fields. >
Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Prophylaxis in Granulocytopenic Patients with Acute Leukemia: Evaluation of Serum Antibiotic Levels in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study

Despite widespread use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) for prophylaxis in neutropenic patients, questions remain regarding its efficacy, toxicity, the risk of selection of resistant isolates, and the relation of its activity to selective decolonization vs. the attainment of direct inhibitory levels within blood and tissues. We evaluated the effect of TMP-SMZ (160/800 mg orally every 12 hours) in 42 adult granulocytopenic patients (< 100 absolute neutrophils/mm3, mean duration 13.3 days) undergoing chemotherapy for acute leukemia at 11 participating Veterans Administration Medical Centers in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. No significant differences in survival, frequency of bacteremia, overall infections, use of systemic antimicrobial therapy, or adverse effects, including myelosuppression, were observed between patients receiving TMP-SMZ vs. those receiving placebo. All patients acquired trimethoprim-resistant organisms. Concentrations of trimethoprim in serum were significantly lower before febrile episodes than when patients were afebrile. These results suggest that the purported activity of TMP-SMZ may be related to the serum concentration achieved. Moreover, the results highlight the need for additional study of the value of antibiotic prophylaxis in neutropenic patients.
International Socialization Processes vs. Israeli National Role Conceptions: Can Role Theory Integrate IR Theory and Foreign Policy Analysis?

Thies CG. (2011) International Socialization Processes vs. Israeli National Role Conceptions: Can Role Theory Integrate IR Theory and Foreign Policy Analysis? Foreign Policy Analysis, doi: 10.1111/j.1743-8594.2011.00170.x This paper develops a theoretical approach to state socialization grounded in role theory. Role theory, in particular the role location process, offers a way to connect grand International Relations theory and inquiry to the analysis of specific foreign policy actions through the socialization concept. The role location process is presented as a stylized socialization “game” that models the interaction of a state, its socializer(s), and the interested audience as it reacts to cues and demands. This model is then applied to several episodes of early Israeli history (1948–1956) covering the emergence of the sovereign state through its achievement of small state status in the aftermath of the Suez Crisis.
InfoBinder: A pointing device for a virtual desktop system

Abstract InfoBinder is a new wireless pointing device that provides an information-binding function in a virtual reality environment. Each device has a unique ID number and is mapped to an object such as a telephone directory in the computer system.
Insight from multiple disciplinary angles: A case study of an interdisciplinary research team

A commitment to pursue problems from multiple angles, methods, and theoretical positions means that research teams require strategies to navigate the tensions and conflict that inevitably emerge, particularly when the intent is to find ways to integrate different disciplinary perspectives.
Reconstruction of multi-layered lossy dielectrics from one-sided oblique TE and TM plane wave impulse responses

TE and TM reflection coefficients differ at non-normal angles and thus TE and TM oblique scattering responses differ. Using the uniqueness of these responses, a new algorithm is presented for reconstructing a lossy, stratified dielectric from one-sided oblique TE and TM impulsive plane wave reflection responses. The lossy layered dielectric is modeled as a discrete asymmetric lattice filter and the solution employs digital signal processing techniques. Novel features of the algorithm include: (i) reconstruction of lossy layered media from one-sided reflection responses at a single oblique probing angle; (ii) using the uniqueness of TE and TM oblique reflection coefficients and therefore responses to provide sufficient information for reconstruction; and (iii) a recursive use of layer stripping ideas, in which lossy layers of the stratified dielectric are reconstructed by iterating between the inverse and forward problems, which are solved using parametric equations and running a fast numerical algorithm backwards, respectively.
Distribution of the Coronary Blood Flow across the Canine Heart Wall during Systole

The transmural distribution of left coronary blood flow during systole was studied by measuring the myocardial uptake of a bolus of 86 Rb introduced into the coronary circulation when the perfusion was limited to the periods of systole. The measurement revealed a transmural gradient of systolic blood flow with a flow rate in the outer fourth of the left ventricle about twice that in the inner fourth. A gradient of flow encompassing all depths of myocardial tissue revealed that intramyocardial pressure during systole was not sufficient to completely collapse the vessels and, therefore, did not exceed intraventricular pressure. The results of this experiment indicate that intramyocardial pressure limits coronary blood flow through a vascular sluice mechanism.
CuPt-B Ordered Microstructures in GaInP and GaInAs Films

The authors examine CuPt-B atomic sublattice ordering in Ga{sub 0.51}In{sub 0.49}P (GaInP) and Ga{sub 0.47}In{sub 0.53}As (GaInAs) III-V alloy films grown by atmospheric- and low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on singular and vicinal (001) substrates. The influences of growth conditions and substrate miscut on double- and single-variant ordered microstructures are investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Relatively thick (>1-2 {micro}m) double-variant ordered GaInP and GaInAs films show complementary superdomain formation. Single-variant ordered films on B-miscut substrates contain single-phase domains, separated by antiphase boundaries (APBs). The appearance of APBs in TEM dark-field images is anticipated from electron diffraction theory.
REPRODUCTION OF FEATURES OF THE GLUCAGONOMA SYNDROME WITH CONTINUOUS INTRAVENOUS GLUCAGON INFUSION AS THERAPY FOR TUMOR-INDUCED HYPOGLYCEMIA

Objective: To describe the adverse effects of continuous intravenous infusion of glucagon as therapy for tumor-induced hypoglycemia and to correlate these treatment-related effects with symptoms of...
Seasonality in the Option Market

This study examines call and put option returns from 1983 to 1985 for the presence of a January seasonal effect, a monthly effect, and a day-of-the-week effect. Results in dicate the presence of seasonality in call returns, with returns significantly higher in early January and significantly lower on Mondays. Put returns generally exhibit less seasonality, although out-of-the-money put options are significantly lower in January and in-the-money put options are significantly lower in early January. These results are generally consistent with stock return patterns.
Outbreak of Hantavirus Infection in the Four Corners Region of the United States in the Wake of the 1997–1998 El Nino—Southern Oscillation

Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a rodent-borne zoonosis, has been endemic in the Americas for at least several decades. It is hypothesized that the 1991-1992 El Nino-southern oscillation (ENSO) caused increased precipitation that allowed an increase in rodent population densities, thereby increasing the possibility of transmission to humans. The result was a 1993-1994 outbreak of the disease in the Four Corners states of the southwestern United States. A second strong ENSO occurred in 1997-1998, after a period of considerable public education about the risks of hantavirus infection that began during the 1993-1994 outbreak. The caseload of HCPS increased 5-fold above baseline in the Four Corners states in 1998-1999. Regions that had received increased rainfall in 1998 were especially affected. A large majority of the 1998-1999 case patients reported indoor exposure to deer mice. Hantavirus outbreaks can occur in response to abiotic events, even in the face of extensive public education and awareness.
Surgical and immunohistochemical (IC) risk factors for metastatic disease in stage IB1 cervical cancer (CC)

e16578 Background: Stage IB1 CC is treated with radical abdominal hysterectomy (RH) and pelvic lymph node dissection (LND) because of presumed risk of parametrial and nodal involvement. We sought t...
The Unfulfilled Tax Legacy of Justice Robert H. Jackson

Among twentieth-century jurists, the career of Justice Robert H. Jackson stands out as one of the most dramatic. Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court in 1941, Jackson was intimately involved in FDR's court-packing plan and, as Attorney General, wrote the legal opinion that made possible the lend-lease deal with the United Kingdom. During his thirteen-year tenure on the Court, Jackson earned a reputation as a pragmatic liberal with a knack for sharp and clever prose. He authored numerous famous opinions, including classics in Barnette, Youngstown Sheet & Tube, and Korematsu. Today, Jackson is perhaps best known for the extraordinary leave of absence he took from 1945-1946 to serve as the Chief U.S. Prosecutor before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. What few people know, however, is that Jackson began his career in public service with a stint as one of the government's top tax lawyers. Jackson's first post after arriving in Washington in February 1934 was Chief Counsel of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, a position in which he served for two years. After leaving the Bureau, Jackson became Assistant Attorney General in the Tax Division at the Department of Justice, where he served until early 1937. During these years, Jackson was the chief litigator in several major tax cases, played a significant role in New Deal tax legislation, and was actively involved in the tax bar. This Article offers a detailed historical/biographical account of the pre-appointment tax career of Justice Robert H. Jackson and its impact on his role in a number of well-known Supreme Court tax cases. Building on original historical materials, the Article reconstructs the key elements of Jackson's outlook on tax adjudication and the Supreme Court's role in it. Jackson's practical experiences as a government tax litigator gave him a unique perspective on the tax litigation process. More than any other Justice, Jackson was intensely interested in the practical consequences of the Court's work on the day-to-day operation of the tax field. Unfortunately, the insights that Robert Jackson could have brought to the Supreme Court's tax work were never fully realized. His portfolio of tax opinions is surprisingly slim, given his experience as a government tax litigator, and Congress overturned his most famous tax opinion, Dobson v. Commissioner, not long after he authored it. In the years following his return from Nuremberg, Jackson wrote very few tax opinions, and those that he did author were mainly dissenting opinions. Nevertheless, Jackson's unique perspective on tax adjudication deserves attention today. His pragmatic approach to tax cases, formed in the crucible of the litigation process, offers important lessons for how we might improve the tax litigation system and the Supreme Court's role in it.
Ni-base superalloy powder-processed porous layer for gas cooling in extreme environments

Extreme high temperature conditions demand novel solutions for hot gas filters and coolant access architectures, i.e., porous layers on exposed components. These high temperatures, for example in current turbine engines, are at or exceeding current material limits for high temperature oxidation/corrosion, creep resistance, and, even, melting temperature. Thus novel blade designs allowing greater heat removal are required to maintain airfoil temperatures below melting and/or rapid creep deformation limits. Gas atomised Ni-base superalloy powders were partially sintered into porous layers to allow full-surface, transpirational cooling of the surface of airfoils. These powder-processed porous layers were fully characterised for surface, morphology, cross-sectional microstructure, and mechanical strength characteristics. A sintering model based on pure Ni surface diffusion correlated well with the experimental results and allowed reasonable control over the partial sintering process to obtain a specified leve...
Comparison of the beta spectra of B12 and N12

The conserved-vector-current (CVC) theory predicts a deviation from the allowed shape of the B12 and N12 beta spectra. The ratio of the shape factors of the two spectra is expected to have an energy dependence of (1.10±0.17)% per MeV. If the CVC hypothesis is not invoked, this ratio is estimated to be an order of magnitude smaller. The two spectra have been measured with a magnetic spectrometer and found to give for this ratio the value (1.30±0.31)% per MeV. The branching fraction of the N12 decay to the 7.6-MeV state of C12 has been determined to be (3.0±0.5)%.
Service Differentiation and Capacity Strategy for Joint Product-Service Offerings

Several firms offer associated services along with their products. A question facing such firms is whether vertical differentiation in their product line should be extended to associated services. The marketing view encourages service differentiation (lower cannibalization), whereas the operations view favors integration of services (economies of scale). We offer insight into this tradeoff along two dimensions: Complexity involved in serving multiple segments together, and cannibalization potential. We consider a firm whose customers vary in their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for product quality and their sensitivity to service levels and can self-select across two products. We find that even when there is no complexity involved in serving multiple segments, the differentiated service strategy may be preferred purely to prevent cannibalization. With high complexity the implications are subtle---cannibalization may increase or decrease the firm's preference for the differentiated service strategy depending on the demand mix of higher and lower WTP customers. Cannibalization also makes the role of total demand in the service strategy decision more pronounced. Specifically, changes in key parameters such as capacity cost and product differentiation may make the differentiated service strategy more or less attractive depending on the total demand size as well as the demand mix.
Look Before You Lead: Seeing Virtual Teams Through the Lens of Games

ABSTRACTThis study investigated virtual teams playing World of Warcraft to better understand how traditional leadership theories applied to virtual worlds and to identify the most valuable leadership traits. Raid members completed surveys that assessed their leadership capability under the competing values framework. In keeping with previous scholarship, the findings indicate that successful virtual teams value roles from task-based leadership and a factor analysis revealed that the behavioral complexity leadership theory operates differently in virtual environments.
Survey Design Elements as Influences on Estimates of Self-Reported Illicit Substance Use and Other Illegal Activities

National surveys of self-reported substance use and other problem behavior frequently produce different prevalence estimates for substance use and other problem behaviors. There is research indicat...
Student Perceptions of Self and Community within an Online Environment: The Use of VoiceThread to Foster Community

Abstract: This paper investigates student responses to two tools used to create learning environments that encourage the sharing of ideas and discussion in online asynchronous university courses.
Integration of bottom electrode in Y-cut lithium niobate thin films for high electromechanical coupling and high capacitance per unit area MEMS resonators

This paper reports the integration of a bottom electrode in thin films of Y-cut lithium niobate (LN) on silicon to demonstrate high performance lamb-wave (S0 mode) and thickness-shear-mode (TSM) resonators. The LN resonator is sandwiched between top and bottom electrodes and attained high coupling (kt2) > 6% when excited in S0 mode and > 30% when excited in TSM. The reported devices possess capacitance per unit area of 0.4 fF/um2, which is 30 times that of X-cut LN and 5 times that of AlN resonators. This demonstration enables MEMS designers to fully harness the high coupling of thin LN films, which can have a transformative impact on reconfigurable and ultra-low-power communication systems.
Verteporfin-induced formation of protein cross-linked oligomers and high molecular weight complexes is mediated by light and leads to cell toxicity

Verteporfin (VP) was first used in Photodynamic therapy, where a non-thermal laser light (689 nm) in the presence of oxygen activates the drug to produce highly reactive oxygen radicals, resulting in local cell and tissue damage. However, it has also been shown that Verteporfin can have non-photoactivated effects such as interference with the YAP-TEAD complex of the HIPPO pathway, resulting in growth inhibition of several neoplasias. More recently, it was proposed that, another non-light mediated effect of VP is the formation of cross-linked oligomers and high molecular weight protein complexes (HMWC) that are hypothesized to interfere with autophagy and cell growth. Here, in a series of experiments, using human uveal melanoma cells (MEL 270), human embryonic kidney cells (HEK) and breast cancer cells (MCF7) we showed that Verteporfin-induced HMWC require the presence of light. Furthermore, we showed that the mechanism of this cross-linking, which involves both singlet oxygen and radical generation, can occur very efficiently even after lysis of the cells, if the lysate is not protected from ambient light. This work offers a better understanding regarding VP’s mechanisms of action and suggests caution when one studies the non-light mediated actions of this drug.