cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New light sensor molecules of single-cell ciliates

The unicellular ciliate, Stentor coeruleus, exhibits sensitive light-avoiding behavior. The photosensor stentorin showed a (M - H)- at 591.1304, which is in accord with the formula C34H23O10. Acetylated stentorin, when FAB-desorbed as (M + H)+, shows a series of ions indicating the presence of eight hydroxyl groups. Additional confirmation is a collisionally activated decomposition (CAD) spectrum of the (M + H)+ of the octaacetate. The NMR spectrum of stentorin shows characteristic signals of isopropyl groups. Similar studies indicate that photosensor blepharismin from Blepharisma japonicum is structurally different from stentorin. Time-resolved fluorescence decays indicated that a primary event occurs within a few picoseconds. The stimulus light signal absorbed/perceived by Stentor and possibly by Blepharisma, is apparently amplified by a transient calcium influx into the cell. Preliminary studies suggest that signal transduction in both organisms utilizes G-protein(s) as an initial transducer and a cGMP-phosphodiesterase as the effector system, analogous to the visual system of higher animals.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
ADULT-LIKE ANTIBODY (Ab) RESPONSES TO HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE b (HIB) CAPSULAR POLYSACCHARIDE (PRP) VACCINE IN HUMAN INFANTS PRIMED WITH PROTEIN-OLIGOSACCHARIDE CONJUGATE VACCINES

Ab to PRP are protective against Hib systemic infections, but infants of age <18 mo generally do not have an adequate Ab response to the current PRP vaccine. However, sequential injections of oligosaccharides coupled to diphtheria toxoid carriers (D-ol) can induce anti-PRP Ab in early infancy. The high titers are relatively transient, but a preliminary study showed that 6 infants given D-ol at age 2, 4, and 6 mo made a high-for-age and long-lived Ab response to an injection of PRP at age 9-11 mo. These studies have been extended to show: (1) the phenomenon is consistent--26 of 27 D-ol-primed infants had an Ab rise with a geometric mean greatly exceeding that of unprimed infants; (2) a large response to the PRP “booster” can follow even a poor response to the D-ol priming; (3) while the response to D-ol is relatively high in IgG1/IgG2 ratio, the IgG2 tends to predominate in the response of infants to the PRP booster, as it does in the responses of adults; and (4) isoelectric focusing shows that the IgG response to D-ol consists of a relatively small number of B cell clones, that the response to the PRP booster occurs by restimulation of these clones, and that those clones with a low pI may be preferentially reactivated.
Revisiting the old link between infection and autoimmune disease with commensals and T helper 17 cells

Genetic composition and major histocompatibility complex polymorphisms unequivocally predispose to autoimmune disease, but environmental factors also play a critical role in precipitating disease in susceptible individuals. Notorious among these has been microbial infection. Older studies describing associations between microbial infection and autoimmune disease are now followed by new studies demonstrating correlations between susceptibility to autoimmune disease and commensal colonization of the intestinal tract. T helper 17 (TH17) cells have gained a prominent role in autoimmune disease, and notably, their development within the intestine has been linked to colonization with specific commensal bacteria. Here, we consider current views on how microbes, TH17 cells, and autoimmunity are connected. We speculate on how the intricate relationships among commensal, pathogen, and the host might ultimately determine susceptibility to autoimmune disease.
Stoichiometry effect on the irradiation response in the microstructure of zirconium carbides

Abstract Zone-refined ultra high pure ZrC with five C/Zr ratios ranging from 0.84 to 1.17 was irradiated using a 2 MeV proton beam at 1125 °C. The stoichiometry effect on the irradiation response of ZrC microstructure was examined using transmission electron microscopy following the irradiation. The irradiated microstructures generally feature a high density of perfect dislocation loops particularly at away from the graphite precipitates, and the C/Zr ratio shows a notable effect on the size and density of dislocation loops. The dislocation loops are identified as interstitial type perfect loops, and it was indirectly proved that the dislocation loop core likely consists of carbon atoms. Graphite precipitates that form with excess carbon in the super-stoichiometric ZrC are detrimental, and the dramatic increases in the size of and density of dislocation loops in the vicinity of graphite precipitates in ZrC phase were observed. Irradiation-induced faceted voids were only observed in ZrC0.95, which is attributed to the pre-existing dislocation lines as biased sinks for vacancies.
Reduction in the Incidence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Ceftazidime-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Following Changes in a Hospital Antibiotic Formulary

In 1995, changes in our hospital formulary were made to limit an outbreak of vancomycin-resistant enterococci and resulted in decreased usage of cephalosporins, imipenem, clindamycin, and vancomycin and increased usage of beta-lactam/beta-lactamase-inhibitor antibiotics. In this report, the effect of this formulary change on other resistant pathogens is described. Following the formulary change, there was a reduction in the monthly number (mean +/- SD) of patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (from 21.9 +/- 8.1 to 17.2 +/- 7.2 patients/1,000 discharges; P = .03) and ceftazidime-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (from 8.6 +/- 4.3 to 5.7 +/- 4.0 patients/1,000 discharges; P = .02). However, there was an increase in the number of patients with cultures positive for cefotaxime-resistant Acinetobacter species (from 2.4 +/- 2.2 to 5.4 +/- 4.0 patients/1,000 discharges; P = .02). Altering an antibiotic formulary may be a possible mechanism to contain the spread of selected resistant pathogens. However, close surveillance is needed to detect the emergence of other resistant pathogens.
Magnetic Structure of Sunspot Groups which Produce Solar Proton Flares

Solar proton flares take place due to the release of magnetic energy accumulated within the sunspot magnetic flux tube of force lying in the chromosphere and the lower corona due to the twisting of it, which is seen from the rotational motion of sunspot groups on the photospheric surface. This rotational motion is counterclockwise (clockwise) in the northern (southern) hemisphere when viewed from the earth. The accumulation of magnetic energy within the flux tube due to this motion continues to proceed until some instability is induced along the flux tube. It is further shown that the magnetic configuration of sunspot groups is important for the triggering of a solar proton flare.
Growth of redeposited carbon and its impact on isotope retention properties on tungsten in a high flux deuterium plasma

Abstract Experiments were performed in a linear magnetized plasma facility (PISCES-B) to simulate carbon re-deposition in the divertor of a fusion reactor such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The average ion energies are about 100 eV and the ion flux is 2 × 1022 m−2 s−1. Tungsten discs and foils were exposed to deuterium plasma for a period of 45–120 min at various substrate temperatures. Carbon impurities were introduced either using graphite sample holder or downstream CD4 puffing near the targets. In-situ XPS measurements showed a shifting of the binding energy of the carbon in the interlayer between the carbon film and the tungsten surface. Based on AES depth profile, the ratio of tungsten to carbon in the interlayer is about 1.9 : 1. Scanning electron microscopy of plasma-exposed tungsten revealed bubble and pits formation on uncontaminated surfaces. Raman measurements on deposited carbon films were also performed. Deuterium retention measurements were done using Thermal Desorption Spectrometry (TDS). The dominant factor that influences the hydrogen isotope retention is substrate temperature. Measurements indicated a transition from D2 dominant retention at low temperature exposure to D dominant retention at high temperature exposure. Carbon-contaminated tungsten substrates also showed similar, but a moderate, transition. Total deuterium retention decreases as the exposed temperature increases. The threshold of the carbon impurity concentration in the plasma, under which carbon starts to be deposited on the tungsten surface, is about 0.75% at 850 K. Keeping the impurity concentration at 1%, the temperature threshold is about 750 K.
Plasmoelectronics: coupling plasmonic excitation with electron flow

Explorations of the coupling of light and charge via localized surface plasmons have led to the discovery that plasmonic excitation can influence macroscopic flows of charge and, conversely, that charging events can change the plasmonic excitation. We discuss recent theory and experiments in the emerging field of plasmoelectronics, with particular emphasis on the application of these materials to challenges in nanotechnology, energy use, and sensing.
Concerning the kinetics of polypeptide synthesis on polyribosomes

The kinetics of biosynthesis of polypeptides on polyribosomes is analyzed in accordance with a simple mathematical model. Each ribosome is assumed to block L adjacent. (m-RNA) template sites but to move a distance of one, and only one, template site (nucleotide triplet) upon the addition of each monomer unit to the growing polypeptide chain bound to it. Solutions are sought, for the probability, nj(t), that a template possesses, at time t, a polypeptide chain that has reached degree of polymerization j. Several classes of steady-state solutions are obtained via machine computation. These correspond to various choices of relative rates of initiation, polymerization along templates, and termination (release of completed chains from templates). Experimental data available from radioactive pulse labeling experiments are discussed. The data obtained by Dintzis, and by Winslow and Ingram, in studies of the synthesis of the α chain of rabbit hemoglobin and human hemoglobin, respectively, are consistent with steady-state solutions obtained from the current theoretical calculations when the rates of initiation and termination are of comparable magnitude and rate-determining. In this case, a (relatively) small number of chains are polymerized at a (relatively) fast rate each near the beginning of the template, and there exists a transition to a situation near the end of the template in which a (relatively) large number of chains are polymerized at a (relatively) slow rate each. For this solution the situation near the end of the template is entirely analogous to a traffic jam in automobile traffic.
The commercialization and privatization of government information

Abstract In the past ten years there has been a marked effort by the information industry to draw parts of government publishing into the private sector. This lobbying effort has increased with the Reagan Administration's federal budget cuts. Two distinct and opposing issues are involved: “What is the best economic decision for government publishing?” and “What is the correct social policy for government publishing?” This paper discusses these two issues from the private and public sectors' perspectives. It outlines the legislative and regulatory sources of the conflict in government publishing. Discussed are the emergence of the information industry in the past decade and that industry's attempt to capture public data and thereby restrict its use in public printing.
Elution of organic solutes from different polarity sorbents using subcritical water

Abstract The intermolecular interactions between organic solutes and sorbent matrices under subcritical water conditions have been investigated at a pressure of 50 bar and temperatures ranging from 50 to 250°C. Both polar and nonpolar organics (chlorophenols, amines, n-alkanes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and five different sorbent matrices (glass beads, alumina, Florisil, silica-bonded C18, and polymeric XAD-4 resins) were used. From the same matrix, the polar solutes always eluted at lower temperatures, while the moderately polar and nonpolar solutes only eluted at higher temperatures. Similar to matrix effects previously observed using supercritical carbon dioxide, the sorbent type greatly influenced the elution efficiency under subcritical water conditions. Lower temperatures are sufficient to elute a particular solute from glass beads, alumina, and Florisil, but higher temperatures (less polar water) are needed to elute the same solute from silica-bonded C18. The highest temperatures were required to elute aromatic organics from XAD-4. These matrix effects demonstrate that, while low temperature water can break inert or dipole interactions between solutes and glass beads, alumina, and Florisil, higher temperature water is required to interrupt the van der Waals attractions between solutes and silica-bonded C18, and even higher temperatures needed to overcome the π-electron interactions between aromatic solutes and XAD-4.
Assessing the Mental Health/Offending Relationship Across Race/Ethnicity in a Sample of Serious Adolescent Offenders:

We examine the extent to which the relationship between mental health and substance use problems and the risk of rearrest varies across race/ethnicity. Data from the Pathways to Desistance, a longi...
Accelerating free breathing myocardial perfusion MRI using multi coil radial k-t SLR.

The clinical utility of myocardial perfusion MR imaging (MPI) is often restricted by the inability of current acquisition schemes to simultaneously achieve high spatio-temporal resolution, good volume coverage, and high signal to noise ratio. Moreover, many subjects often find it difficult to hold their breath for sufficiently long durations making it difficult to obtain reliable MPI data. Accelerated acquisition of free breathing MPI data can overcome some of these challenges. Recently, an algorithm termed as k − t SLR has been proposed to accelerate dynamic MRI by exploiting sparsity and low rank properties of dynamic MRI data. The main focus of this paper is to further improve k − t SLR and demonstrate its utility in considerably accelerating free breathing MPI. We extend its previous implementation to account for multi-coil radial MPI acquisitions. We perform k − t sampling experiments to compare different radial trajectories and determine the best sampling pattern. We also introduce a novel augmented Lagrangian framework to considerably improve the algorithm’s convergence rate. The proposed algorithm is validated using free breathing rest and stress radial perfusion data sets from two normal subjects and one patient with ischemia. k − t SLR was observed to provide faithful reconstructions at high acceleration levels with minimal artifacts compared to existing MPI acceleration schemes such as spatio-temporal constrained reconstruction and k − t SPARSE/SENSE.
Parameterized and Scripted Gaits for Modular Snake Robots

Snake robots, sometimes called hyper-redundant mechanisms, can use their many degrees of freedom to achieve a variety of locomotive capabilities. These capabilities are ideally suited for disaster response because the snake robot can thread through tightly packed volumes, accessing locations that people and conventional machinery otherwise cannot. Snake robots also have the advantage of possessing a variety of locomotion capabilities that conventional robots do not. Just like their biological counterparts, snake robots achieve these locomotion capabilities using cyclic motions called gaits. These cyclic motions directly control the snake robot's internal degrees of freedom which, in turn, causes a net motion, say forward, lateral and rotational, for the snake robot. The gaits described in this paper fall into two categories: parameterized and scripted. The parameterized gaits, as their name suggests, can be described by a relative simple parameterized function, whereas the scripted cannot. This paper desc...
Repair of congenital aural atresia

While challenging, surgery to repair congenital aural atresia can be successful in the carefully selected patient. This article describes the preoperative evaluation, surgical technique, and postoperative care that have evolved to produce the most favorable results for patients undergoing surgical repair of aural atresia. Results and complications of surgery and their management are also reviewed.
Swan-ganz catheter monitoring in neurosurgical patients: Theoretical and practical aspects

Theoretical and practical aspects of monitoring cardiac and blood volume status in neurosurgery patients are discussed. Groups of patients unique to neurosurgeons who might benefit from this approach include the following: those with intracranial hypertension; those undergoing blood volume expansion as a treatment for a variety of cerebrovascular disorders; and those with significant cardiovascular-respiratory problems undergoing high-risk or prolonged neurosurgical procedures. In addition, the generation of Starling-type ventrical function curves to be used in fluid management for blood volume expansion in the treatment of neurologic deficits associated with vasospasm is discussed.
Plate with a hole obeys the averaged null energy condition

During the recent years experiments with neutral kaons have yielded remarkably sensitive results which are pertinent to such fundamental phenomena as CPT invariance (protecting causality), timereversal invariance violation, coherence of wave functions, and entanglement of kaons in pair states. We describe the phenomenological developments and the theoretical conclusions drawn from the experimental material. An outlook to future experimentation is indicated.
Extremal convex sets

Letf be an extended real valued function on the classK n of closed convex subsets of euclideann-dimensional space. A setK∈K n is said to bef-maximal if the conditionsK′∈K n ,K⊂K′,K≠K′ implyf(K)<f(K′), andf-minimal ifK′∈Kn,K′∈K,K′≠K impliesf(K′)<f(K). In the cases whenf is the circumradius or inradius allf-maximal andf-minimal sets are determined. Under a certain regularity assumption a corresponding result is obtained for the minimal width. Moreover, a general existence theorem is established and a result concerning the existence of extremal sets with respect to packing and covering densities is proved.
Tumor cells utilize multiple pathways to down-modulate apoptosis. Lessons from a mouse model of islet cell carcinogenesis.

: Apoptosis, the process of programmed cell death, plays a critical role in many normal and pathological (disease) processes. 1 In normal tissues, apoptosis functions in the homeostatic maintenance of proper tissue and organ size by eliminating aged cells to offset the birth of new cells that arise by mitosis. In disease, apoptosis can affect the pathological process is two disparate ways. There are diseases that have too much apoptosis such as autoimmune diabetes and Alzheimer's, or those that have too little apoptosis, such as cancer. This review will focus on the latter and, more specifically, detail and summarize some important lessons learned about apoptosis and cancer from studying a transgenic mouse model of islet cell carcinoma, RIP-Tag, as outlined below.
A diffusion model for the internal photoresponse of PtSi/p‐Si Schottky barrier diodes

A one‐dimensional diffusion model describing the variation of the internal photoyield per absorbed photon of thin‐film platinum silicide/p‐type silicon Schottky barrier diodes with silicide layer thickness and incident photon energy is developed. In addition to providing a simple result, the diffusion formulation of the problem shows very clearly the relative importance of scattering processes and the barrier transmission probability in the determination of the device photoresponse. The model is demonstrated to accurately describe the available experimental data if the inelastic scattering length in the thin PtSi film is assumed to be ∼4000 A. The application of this model in conjunction with optical absorption calculations to determine the total quantum yield per incident photon and the optimum silicide thickness as a function of wavelength are also described. This procedure predicts optimum film thicknesses on the order of tens of angstroms, coinciding with experimental observations.
Prefrontal Cortical Dendritic Spine Pathology in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Importance Prior studies have demonstrated reduced dendritic spine density in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in schizophrenia. However, it remains unclear how generalizable this finding is in schizophrenia and if it is seen in bipolar disorder, a historically distinct psychiatric condition. Objective To assess whether spine loss is present in the DLPFC of individuals with schizophrenia and individuals with bipolar disorder. Design, Setting, and Participants This study used postmortem human brain tissue from individuals with schizophrenia (n = 14), individuals with bipolar disorder (n = 9), and unaffected control participants (n = 19). Tissue samples containing the DLPFC (Brodmann area 46) were Golgi-stained, and basilar dendrites of pyramidal cells in the deep half of layer III were reconstructed. Main Outcomes and Measures The number of spines per dendrite, spine density, and dendrite length were compared across groups. We also assessed for the potential effects of clinical and demographic variables on dendritic parameters. Results The mean (SD) spine density was significantly reduced (ie, by 10.5%) in individuals with bipolar disorder (0.28 [0.04] spines/μm) compared with control participants (0.31 [0.05] spines/μm) ( P = .02). In individuals with schizophrenia, the mean (SD) spine density was also reduced (by 6.5%; 0.29 [0.03] spines/μm) but just missed significance when compared with control participants ( P = .06). There was a significant reduction in the mean (SD) number of spines per dendrite in both individuals with schizophrenia (72.8 [24.9] spines per dendrite) and individuals with bipolar disorder (68.9 [12.9] spines per dendrite) compared with controls (92.8 [31.1] spines per dendrite) (individuals with schizophrenia vs controls: 21.6% reduction [ P = .003]; individuals with bipolar disorder vs controls: 25.8% reduction [ P = .005]). In addition, both individuals with schizophrenia and individuals with bipolar disorder had a reduced mean (SD) dendrite length (246.5 [67.4] and 245.6 [29.8] μm, respectively) compared with controls (301.8 [75.1] μm) (individuals with schizophrenia vs controls: 18.3% reduction [ P = .005]; individuals with bipolar disorder vs controls: 18.6% reduction [ P = .005]). Conclusions and Relevance Dendritic spine loss in the DLPFC was seen in both individuals with schizophrenia and individuals with bipolar disorder, suggesting that the 2 disorders may share some common pathophysiological features.
SPARCS: a new method of evaluating contrast sensitivity in patients with glaucoma

Purpose To evaluate a new contrast sensitivity instrument as a diagnostic test for glaucoma. Methods Glaucoma patients, glaucoma suspects, and controls were prospectively evaluated using the Spaeth-Richman Contrast Sensitivity (SPARCS) method. Testing was performed monocularly in a standardized testing environment. Contrast thresholds for the central, superonasal, superotemporal, inferonasal, and inferotemporal areas of vision were determined. The contrast sensitivity scores for each area of vision and the cumulative scores were then compared to subjects’ visual field and the amount of optic nerve damage, measured by the Disc Damage Likelihood Scale (DDLS) and the vertical cup to disc ratio. The results were analyzed with Spearman coefficients for continuous variables and the Kruskal-Wallis test for categorical variables. Results One hundred and eighteen patients with glaucoma, 18 glaucoma suspects, and 125 controls completed the study. The mean SPARCS scores were 63.0 for patients with glaucoma, 71.9 for glaucoma suspects, and 77.1 for controls (p < 0.01). SPARCS had strong correlations with patients’ visual field (r = 0.76, p < 0.01), DDLS (r = -0.73, p < 0.01), and vertical cup to disc (r = -0.64, p < 0.01). Conclusion SPARCS was able to discriminate well between patients with glaucoma, glaucoma suspects, and controls. SPARCS had strong relationships with the degree of visual field and optic nerve damage. SPARCS may become a standard technique to assess visual ability in glaucoma patients. Commercial interest
Attenuation of Electromagnetic Interference in a Shunt Active Power Filter

Shunt active power filters (APF) are commonly used for the reduction of current harmonics and improvement of the power factor in power systems with nonlinear loads, such as diode rectifiers. A pulsewidth modulation (PWM) power converter constitutes the main component of the APF. The low-order harmonics of the line current are attenuated, but the switch-mode operation of the converter results in electromagnetic interference (EMI) spreading to the grid. Specifically, clusters of harmonics appear in the frequency spectra of voltages and currents of the converter at multiples of the switching frequency. In this paper, transferring the discrete spectral power of those harmonics to the continuous spectral power density is proposed as means for mitigation of the EMI. It is accomplished by randomization of the switching periods using a novel random PWM method (RPWM II). In contrast to the existing random PWM methods, in RPWM II the sampling frequency of the digital modulator is constant and equal to the average switching frequency. Computer simulations and experimental investigation of an APF designed for shipboard power systems are described, and the results are presented. They demonstrate significant reduction of the EMI, a feat achieved at practically no expense.
Solution NMR structure of the C-terminal DNA binding domain of MCM10 reveals a conserved MCM motif

The eukaryotic DNA replication protein Mcm10 associates with chromatin in early S-phase and is required for assembly and function of the replication fork protein machinery. Xenopus laevis (X) Mcm10 binds DNA via a highly conserved internal domain (ID) and a C-terminal domain (CTD) that is unique to higher eukaryotes. Although the structural basis of the interactions of the ID with DNA and polymerase α is known, little information is available for the CTD. We have identified the minimal DNA binding region of the XMcm10-CTD and determined its three-dimensional structure by solution NMR. The CTD contains a globular domain composed of two zinc binding motifs. NMR chemical shift perturbation and mutational analysis show that ssDNA binds only to the N-terminal (CCCH-type) zinc motif, whose structure is unique to Mcm10. The second (CCCC-type) zinc motif is not involved in DNA binding. However, it is structurally similar to the CCCC zinc ribbon in the N-terminal oligomerization domain of eukaryotic and archaeal MCM helicases. NMR analysis of a construct spanning both the ID and CTD reveals that the two DNA binding domains are structurally independent in solution, supporting a modular architecture for vertebrate Mcm10. Our results provide insight in the action of Mcm10 in the replisome and support a model in which it serves as a central scaffold through coupling of interactions with partner proteins and the DNA.
Vladimir Soloviev: Prophet of Modernity

Explores the relevance of the nineteenth century Russian Christian‐mystical philosopher, Vladimir Soloviev, to the contemporary world. Demonstrates that his thought proved a harbinger of many of the concerns of the present. Breaking with the orthodoxies of the nineteenth century, Soloviev explored such questions as ecumenicalism, incarnational/ developmental mysticism, feminism, and social justice. He advocated a reformed, flexible, aesthetically aware Christianity unimagined by his contemporaries. Notes Soloviev′s relationship with Western and Eastern traditionality and his strategy for the reconciliation of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. In essence, argues for the significance of the contribution of Vladimir Soloviev.
Fire and Vegetation History from the Coastal Rain Forest of the Western Oregon Coast Range

High-resolution charcoal and pollen analyses were used to reconstruct a 4600-yr-long history of fire and vegetation near Taylor Lake in the wettest forests of coastal Oregon. Today, fires in these forests are rare because the season of ignition does not coincide with months of dry fuels. From ca. 4600 to 2700 cal yr B.P. fire episodes occurred at intervals of 140±30 yr while forest vegetation was dominated by disturbance-adapted taxa such as Alnus rubra. From ca. 2700 cal yr B.P. to the present, fire episodes have become less common, occurring at intervals of 240±30 yr, and fire-sensitive forest taxa, such as Tsuga heterophylla and Picea sitchensis, have become more prominent. Fire occurrence during the mid-Holocene was similar to that of the more xeric forests in the eastern Coast Range and suggests that summer drought was widespread. After ca. 2700 cal yr B.P., a decrease in fire episode frequency suggests that cooler conditions and possibly increased summer fog allowed the establishment of present-day Picea sitchensis forests within the watershed. These results provide evidence that fire has been an important disturbance agent in the Coast Range of Oregon, and variations in fire frequency and climate have led to the establishment of present-day forests.
Soldiers, mothers, tramps and others: Discourse roles in the 1907 New York City charity directory

Abstract The meaning of various categories of poverty during the Progressive Era in analyzed by looking at the ways in which relief organizations in New York City described and treated their clientele. Data come from categorical descriptions of types of eligible clients which were listed in the 1907 edition of the New York City Charity Directory by relief organizations operating in that city. The meaningfulness of different social identities is assessed by looking at similarities in the patterns of treatments that each identity was subjected to. The concept of discourse roles is suggested as a way of analyzing the location of these identities in the moral order. Blockmodel analyses of the data are used to assess the utility of this conceptual approach.
The New Female Condom: Attitudes and Opinions of Low-Income Puerto Rican Women at Risk for HIV/AIDS:

This research investigates attitudes about and potential use of the new, FDA-approved "female condom" (known as Realityt®, or the "vaginal pouch"). The author investigates perceived feasibility of this product for personal use, capacity of women to introduce this device to partners in conversation, perceived ability by women to negotiate its use, perceptions of product efficacy, and attributions accorded the device through demonstration and physical manipulation. Data from prior research in this population by the author are used to test relationships between attributions held about male condom use and sexual negotiation and attitudes reported about the female condom. Women's responses were trended positively toward the female condom, with a sizable percentage willing to try the device. The female condom emerged, attitudinally, as a promising vehicle for female protection among Hispanic females studied. Substantive support and education, however, should be made available concurrently to these women and the...
As others see us: physicians' perceptions of risk managers.

The financial support of the Greenwall Foundation in the preparation of this manuscript is gratefully acknowledged.
Genetic model reference adaptive control

A genetic algorithm (GA) uses the principles of evolution, natural selection, and genetics to offer a method for parallel search of complex spaces. Motivated by the past GA's use in off-line design of controllers we introduce a new approach to adaptive control, which we call "genetic model reference adaptive control" (GMRAC), where a GA manipulates a set (population) of parameterized controllers and selects the controller most capable of providing good performance for current plant operating conditions. The performance of GMRAC is evaluated for a cargo ship steering application. >
Molecular mimicry of host sialylated glycans allows a bacterial pathogen to engage neutrophil Siglec-9 and dampen the innate immune response

Human neutrophil Siglec-9 is a lectin that recognizes sialic acids (Sias) via an amino-terminal V-set Ig domain and possesses tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs in its cytoplasmic tail. We hypothesized that Siglec-9 recognizes host Sias as “self,” including in cis interactions with Sias on the neutrophil's own surface, thereby dampening unwanted neutrophil reactivity. Here we show that neutrophils presented with immobilized multimerized Siaα2-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc units engage them in trans via Siglec-9. The sialylated capsular polysaccharide of group B Streptococcus (GBS) also presents terminal Siaα2-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc units, and similarly engages neutrophil Siglec-9, dampening neutrophil responses in a Sia- and Siglec-9–dependent manner. Reduction in the neutrophil oxidative burst, diminished formation of neutrophil extracellular DNA traps, and increased bacterial survival are also facilitated by GBS sialylated capsular polysaccharide interactions with Siglec-9. Thus, GBS can impair neutrophil defense functions by coopting a host inhibitory receptor via sialoglycan molecular mimicry, a novel mechanism of bacterial immune evasion.
Dialysis Dose and Body Mass Index Are Strongly Associated with Survival in Hemodialysis Patients

Low dose of hemodialysis (HD) and small body size are independent risk factors for mortality. Recent changes in clinical practice, toward higher HD doses and use of more high-flux dialyzers, suggest the need to redetermine the dose level above which no benefit from higher dose can be observed. Data were analyzed from 45,967 HD patients starting end-stage renal disease (ESRD) therapy during April 1, 1997, through December 31, 1998. Data from Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) billing records during months 10 to 15 of ESRD were used to classify each patient into one of five categories of HD dose by urea reduction ratio (URR) ranging from 75%. Cox regression models were used to calculate relative risk (RR) of mortality after adjustment for demographics, body mass index (BMI), and 18 comorbid conditions. Of the three body-size groups, the lowest BMI group had a 42% higher mortality risk than the highest BMI tertile. In each of three body-size groups by BMI, the RR was 17%, 17%, and 19% lower per 5% higher URR category among groups with small, medium, and large BMI, respectively (P 75% had a substantially lower RR than patients treated with URR 70 to 75% (P 65%), is a strong predictor of lower patient mortality for patients in all body-size groups. Further reductions in mortality might be possible with increased HD dose.
Synthesis and hormonal activity of [Tyr22] glucagon and [desHis1, Tyr22] glucagon.

Abstract [Tyr22] glucagon and [desHis1, Tyr22] glucagon were synthesized by an improved solid phase procedure on a Pam-resin. The course of the synthesis was monitored by quantitative ninhydrin analysis and preview sequencing. Following cleavage by the low/high HF method the peptides were purified by ion exchange chromatography and reverse phase HPLC. The overall yield of homogeneous isolated peptide from the first amino acid was 41%. Circular dichroism measurements on dilute solutions in mixed aqueous organic solvents at pH 2, 6.9 and 9.2 showed increased beta-sheet structure relative to glucagon. [Tyr22] glucagon was a full agonist with 20-30% activity in the rabbit blood glucose assay and 10% activity in the rat liver membrane adenyl cyclase assay. [desHis1, Tyr22] glucagon had only a trace of activity in the adenyl cyclase assay (less than 0.002%) but bound to membranes in a competitive [125I] glucagon assay 1.0% as well as glucagon. The analog completely inhibited formation of cAMP by natural glucagon, with 50% inhibition at a ratio of 83:1 and pA2 = 6.7. The data are discussed in terms of models of glucagon structure in dilute solution.
The nature of interactions between Chinese immigrant families and preschool staff: How culture, class, and methodology matter:

While the parental involvement field has progressed from asking what the impact of parental involvement is to how we can better involve parents, research has lagged in finding out how sociocultural and class differentials between homes and schools affect immigrant families’ interactions with schools. This case study uses ethnographic tools to examine the nature of interactions between 11 Chinese immigrant families and staff at a low-income preschool. Interview, participant observation, and textual data revealed that the nature in which staff interacted with parents was didactic and one-directional and depended upon parents’ economic–cultural–linguistic capital. Sociocultural differences between staff and parents complicated the interaction, and parental resistance was often misinterpreted. These findings are discussed in light of methodological issues in research as well as how to avoid letting stereotypes, and sociocultural and class differences, hamper the establishment of successful partnerships betwee...
Exploring power management in multi-core systems

Power dissipation has become a critical design metric in microprocessor-based system design. In a multi-core system, running multiple applications, power and performance can be dynamically traded off using an integrated power management (PM) unit. This PM unit monitors the performance and power of each core and dynamically adjusts the individual voltages and frequencies in order to maximize system performance under a given power budget (usually set by the operating system). This paper presents a performance and power analysis methodology, featuring a simulation model for multi-core systems that can be easily reconfigured for different scenarios and a PM infrastructure for the exploration and analysis of PM algorithms. Two algorithms have been implemented: one for discrete and one for continuous power modes based on non-linear programming. Extensive experiments are reported, illustrating the effect of power management both at the core and the chip level.
Penn Macy Initiative to advance academic nursing practice

Academic nursing practice holds great promise for the future of the nursing discipline. The successful and intentional integration of the tripartite mission of research, education, and clinical practice can facilitate both the evolution of the science and implementation of evidence-based practice, while imbuing practitioners in the making with the world of the possible. Although many schools of nursing have been involved in some aspects of academic practice, the lack of common focus and direction has hampered concerted movement. The Penn Macy Initiative was conceived as a vehicle to help build and coalesce the critical mass needed to bridge this gap. The Penn Macy Initiative, its implementation and experience in the first 3 years, and how its alumni fellows, an annual conference, and Web-based consultation will continue to provide impetus, leadership, and resources for academic nursing practice in the years to come are described.
The validity of the children's PTSD inventory

The Children's PTSD Inventory (CPTSDI) was administered to 76 traumatized and 28 nontraumatized youths. CPTSDI diagnoses were compared to DICA-R and SCID PTSD diagnoses. Moderate to high sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive power, and diagnostic efficiency were evidenced across criterion measures. Convergent validity was evidenced by significant correlations with the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, Children's Depression Inventory, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Internalizing scale, and the Junior Eysenck Personality Inventory (JEPI) Neuroticism scale. Discriminant validity was observed through nonsignificant correlations with the CBCL Externalizing and the JEPI Extraversion scales.
Implementing the Slow Life in Southwest Ireland: A Case Study of Clonakilty and Local Food

Cittaslow is an Italian‐based global network of towns and cities that grew out of the Slow Food movement. Cittaslow and Slow Food reject the standardization of culture and taste that has accompanie...
Policy Diffusion of Emission Standards: Is There a Race to the Top?

In a dramatic example of policy diffusion, the past three decades have witnessed the spread of automobile emission standards throughout the world. Contrary to fears that global competition would produce a race to the bottom, there appears to be a race to the top, not only among rich countries but also among poor ones. Using econometric analysis of the adoption of automobile emission standards over the past twenty years for 129 countries, the author argues that this global diffusion results from countries’ efforts to stay competitive in the international market. Due to the pressure from importing countries that have adopted stringent emission standards, even developing countries have rapidly moved to adopt rich country standards. The evidence shows that adoption of automobile emission standards correlates with an increase in the total value of automobile exports. Under some conditions, economic incentives in a global market can be a complement to environmental protection.
A comparison of methods for detecting right whale calls

North Atlantic, North Pacific, and southern right whales all produce the up call, a frequency-modulated upsweep in the 50-200 Hz range. This call is one of the most common sounds, and frequently the most common sound, received from right whales, and as such is a useful indicator of the presence of right whales for acoustic surveys. A data set was prepared of 1857 calls and 6359 non-call sounds recorded from North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) near Georgia and Massachusetts. Two methods for the detection of the calls were compared: spectrogram correlation and a neural network. Spectrogram correlation parameters were chosen two ways, by manual choice using a sample of 20 calls, and by an optimization procedure that used all available calls. Neural network weights were trained via backpropagation on 9/10 of the test data set. Performance was measured separately for calls of different signal-to-noise ratio, as SNR heavily influences the performance of any detector. Results showed that the neural network performed best at this task, achieving an error rate of less than 6%, and is thus the preferred detection method here. Spectrogram correlation may be useful in situations in which a large set of training data is not available, as manual training on a small set of examples achieved an error rate (26%) that may be acceptable for many applications.
The Mitochondrial Genome of Kinetoplastid Protozoa: Genomic Organization, Transcription, Replication, and Evolution

INTRODUCTION 363 KI.NETOPLAST MINICIRCLE DNA 365 Is There a Gene Product? 365 Sequence Organization in Different Species 365 Sequence Heterogeneity as a Diagnostic and Epidemiological Tool 368 Analysis of Conformational Bend in Minicircle DNA 370 Replication of Minicircle DNA 371 KINETOPLAST .MAXICIRCLE DNA 372 Mitochondrial Ribosomal R.VA genes 372 Mitochondrial Siruciural Genes and Open Reading Frames 372 Comparison of the Maxicircle Genomes from Two Kinetoplastid Species 373 The c o n Frameshift 374 Divergence of .Maxicircle Genes from Mitochondrial Genes of Other Organisms 374 The Divergent Region cf the .Maxicircle 374 Transcription (^Maxicircle Genes 375 Regulation of Maxicircle Transcription During the Life Cycle of Trypanosoma bnicei 375 CONCLUSIONS 377
Inertial Oscillations and Frontogenesis in a Zero Potential Vorticity Model

Abstract Geostrophic adjustment and frontogenesis are examined by means of a two-dimensional, inviscid, rotating and nonlinear fluid model that satisfies the condition of zero potential vorticity. The fluid is bounded top and bottom by level, rigid lids. The initial state is one of no motion, but an unbalanced horizontal temperature gradient is prescribed. The subsequent motion is represented as the sum of an inertial oscillation, with the frequency of the local Coriolis frequency f, and an evolving geostrophic flow. When a nondimensional parameter a, a Rossby number, satisfies a < 1, the gradient of the evolving geostrophic flow increases (frontogenesis) during the period 0 < t ⩽ π/f; the gradient decreases during the period π/f < t ⩽ 2π/f (frontolysis). When a ≥ 1, the relative vorticity of the evolving geostrophic flow becomes infinite: a discontinuity forms at the top and bottom boundaries during the period 0 < t ⩽ π/f. There is an equipartition of energy between the inertial oscillation and the geost...
Turbidite systems of lacustrine rift basins: Examples from the Lake Kivu and Lake Albert rifts, East Africa

Abstract The Holocene turbidite systems of Lake Kivu and the Pliocene turbidite systems of Lake Albert in the East African Rift were examined using high-resolution 2-D and 3-D seismic reflection data and sediment core information. Based on investigations of seismic facies and lithofacies, several key turbidity-flow depositional elements were observed, including channels, overbank levees with sediment waves, and depositional lobes. Analyses of the sources of the recent and ancient turbidite systems in these two extensional basins suggest that flood-induced hyperpycnal flows are important triggers of turbidity currents in lacustrine rift basins. From source to sink, sediment dispersal, facies distribution, and depositional thickness of the turbidite systems are strongly influenced by rift topography. The Lake Kivu and Lake Albert rifts serve as excellent analogues for understanding the sedimentary patterns of lacustrine turbidites in extensional basins.
Coronary Artery Aneurysm Measurement and Z Score Variability in Kawasaki Disease

Background Coronary artery (CA) Z scores are commonly used for clinical decisions in Kawasaki disease, including treatment, anticoagulation, and duration and frequency of follow-up. The aim of this study was to evaluate CA measurement reproducibility, Z score calculation variability, and the impact of variability on management. Methods Twenty-one patients with Kawasaki disease with right CA (RCA) or left anterior descending CA (LAD) Z scores of 1.5 to 3 (group 1) were randomly selected, and all patients with Kawasaki disease with Z scores of 7 to 14 for either the RCA or LAD ( n = 20; group 2) were included from March 2008 to May 2014. Two echocardiographers measured left main CA, LAD, and RCA dimensions. The inter- and intraobserver reliability of absolute measurements was calculated, and the CA Z scores derived from three commonly used formulas were compared. Results Median age at echocardiography was 1.2 years (range, 0.2–11.5 years), and 68% of subjects ( n = 28) were male. Interobserver reliability was high for the LAD (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], 96.79%) and RCA (ICC, 93.31%) and lower for the left main CA (ICC, 73.54%). Intraobserver reliability was also high for the LAD and RCA (ICC, 99.08% and 97.74%) and lower for the left main CA (ICC, 80.88%). Calculated Z scores were similar among the three formulas for group 1 but varied markedly in group 2. Calculated Z scores using the same CA measurement in each of the three formulas resulted in different clinical management in up to seven of 21 group 1 patients (22%) and in up to 10 of 20 group 2 patients (50%). Conclusions Although CA measurements have high inter- and intraobserver agreement, CA Z scores vary dramatically on the basis of the Z score formula at larger CA dimensions. Discrepancies in CA Z score calculators may affect clinical decision making.