cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temperature Effects on the Onset of Sporulation by Phytophthora ramorum on Rhododendron ‘Cunningham's White’

The effect of temperature and moist period on the onset of sporangia production by Phytophthora ramorum on Rhododendron ‘Cunningham's White’ was examined with misted detached leaves held in humid chambers. Following wound inoculation with sporangia, leaves were pre-incubated at 20°C for either 24 or 72 h prior to placement at six different temperatures (4, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C). The overall mean moist period required for first occurrence of sporulation over all six temperatures was 3.24 days with the 24-h pre-incubation time, compared with 1.49 days for the 72-h pre-incubation time. Following 24 h pre-incubation at 20°C and at an incubation temperature of 15°C, sporangia were first collected from leaves following a 24 h incubation. At 10 and 20°C, sporangia were first collected after 48 h, whereas at 4, 25 and 30°C, sporangia were first collected after 3 days. Following 72 h pre-incubation at 20°C, sporulation generally occurred within 1 day, even at temperatures such at 4 and 30°C that are suboptimal for sporulation. The highest levels of P. ramorum sporulation were observed at 20°C. P. ramorum formed sporangia on host tissue under moist conditions within the same time frame reported for P. phaseoli, P. palmivora and P. nicotianae, but substantially more slowly than certain other species such as P. infestans. Quantifying moisture and temperature conditions for initiation of sporangia production provides knowledge which leads to a greater understanding of the epidemic potential of P. ramorum.
From blind certainty to informed uncertainty

The accuracy, computational efficiency, and reliability of static timing analysis have made it the workhorse for verifying the timing of synchronous digital integrated circuits for more than a decade. In this paper we charge that the traditional deterministic approach to analyzing the timing of circuits is significantly undermining its accuracy and may even challenge its reliability. We argue that computation of the static timing of a circuit requires a dramatic rethinking in order to continue serving its role as an enabler of high-performance designs. More fundamentally we believe that for circuits to be reliably designed the underlying probabilistic effects must be brought to the forefront of design and no longer hidden under conservative approximations. The reasons that justify such a radical transition are presented together with directions for solutions.
The solubilities of zinc complexes of 8-quinolinol and some derivatives of 8-quinolinol

Abstract The solubilities of bis-8-quinolinolo-zincII, bis-2-methyl-8-quinolinolo-zincII and bis-5 : 7-dibromo-S-quinolinolo-zincII have been measured over the pH range of 4.5 to 9 at ionic strengths of 0.114 and 0.230 and at 25° and 40°. A mathematical treatment of the results gave nearly constant solubility products only when a dissolved but undissociated molecule, in addition to all of the dissociated and partly dissociated species, was considered. The relative abundance of each species of molecule in solution has been calculated.
The Politics of Educational Policy: Urban School Reform in Unsettling Times:

This article argues that in relatively stable political periods a unifying policy discourse prevails in the state-what the author calls the hegemonic policy discourse-that represents the worldview and interests of the dominant political coalition. This policy discourse may remain basically unchanged until it is challenged by a counterhegemonic discourse based on new organizing principles and associated with the rise of a new political coalition and social movement. This general conceptual framework is applied to an analysis of urban school reform over the past several decades. The article indicates that throughout this period a hegemonic conservative discourse has constructed urban school reform issues around a "basic skills" model of the curriculum and suggests how basic skills reforms have participated in the structuring of class, race, and gender inequalities. After critiquing conservative approaches to managing the urban school crisis, the article discusses some possible organizing principles for a co...
The clinical diagnosis of myelopathy

Myelopathy is a complex diagnostic problem with many possible causes. Diagnosis rests on recognition of a constellation of symptoms consistent with central nervous system pathology involving trunk, arms, and legs and, in general, sparing the head. Symptoms of cerebral and neuromuscular disease may mimic myelopathy and require brain imaging or electromyography. Pain, most commonly over the site of the lesion, is one of the cardinal complaints of patients with spinal cord disease. Complaints of motor abnormalities caused by myelopathy may include sudden weakness and paralysis, clumsiness, fatigability; sensory complaints such as paresthesias, numbness, deadness, dysesthesias, and bladder symptoms are also characteristic. General examination may point to systemic disease associated with myelopathy. Neurological examination excludes cerebral disease. Motor and sensory examination may define the level of the lesion. Physical examination localizes not only the level of the spinal cord lesion but the anatomic distribution of the lesion within a given level. When tumor or paraspinal infection are diagnostic possibilities, emergent imaging of the spine is required.
Intratumoral interleukin-2 immunotherapy: Activation of tumor-infiltrating and splenic lymphocytes in vivo

Direct intratumoral injection of interleukin-2 (IL-2) was evaluated in a murine model. Balb/c mice received 5 × 104 Line 1 alveolar carcinoma cells (L1C2) by subcutaneous injection. On the third day following tumor implantation, mice received injections of IL-2 (5 × 103−5 × 104 units) or diluent twice daily, either by i. p. or intratumoral injection, 5 days/week for 3 weeks. Intratumoral injection of 5 × 104 units IL-2 significantly reduced tumor volume (P <0.05 versus control), increased median survival time (P = 0.0001), and resulted in a 23.5% cure rate (P = 0.008). There were no long-term survivors in the other treatment groups. Both tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and splenic lymphocytes isolated directly from IL-2-treated mice demonstrated enhanced cytolytic activity compared to diluent-treated controls. To determine whether non-T-cell-mediated antitumor responses were active in our model, intratumoral immunotherapy was evaluated in athymic Balb/cnu/nu mice. In order to decrease the recruitment of lymphocyte precursors, nude mice were splenectomized and received cyclophosphamide prior to tumor injection and IL-2 therapy. Intratumoral IL-2 immunotherapy also significantly decreased tumor volume in these immunodeficient mice (P <0.02), but did not lead to long-term survival. We conclude that both TIL and splenic lymphocytes are activated in vivo in response to intratumoral IL-2 immunotherapy, suggesting that intratumoral therapy with IL-2 activates both local and systemic antitumor responses.
Singular Perturbation Analysis of a Certain Volterra Integral Equation

An investigation is made of the asymptotic behavior of the solutionu(t;e) to the Volterra integral equation $$\varepsilon u(t;\varepsilon ) = \pi ^{ - \tfrac{1}{2}} \int\limits_0^t {(t - s)^{ - \tfrac{1}{2}} [f(s) - u^n (s;\varepsilon )]} ds, t \geqslant 0, n \geqslant 1$$ , in the limit as e→0. This investigation involves a singular perturbation analysis. For the linear problem (n=1) an infinite, uniformly valid asymptotic expansion ofu(t;e) is obtained. For the nonlinear problem (n≥2), the leading two terms of a uniformly valid expansion are found
Resources and the life course: Patterns through the demographic transition

Abstract In most mammals, and in the majority of traditional human societies for which data exist, status, power, or resource control correlates with lifetime reproductive success; male and female patterns differ. Because such correlations are often argued to have disappeared in human societies during the demographic transition of the nineteenth century, we analyzed wealth and lifetime reproductive success in a nineteenth-century Swedish population in four economically diverse parishes, subsuming geographic and temporal variation. Children of both sexes born to poorer parents were more likely than richer children to die or emigrate before reaching maturity. Poorer men, and women whose fathers were poorer, were less likely to marry in the parish than others, largely as a result of differential mortality and migration. Of all adults of both sexes who remained in their home parish and thus generated complete lifetime records, richer individuals had greater lifetime fertility and more children alive at age ten, than others. The age-specific fertility of richer women rises slightly sooner, and reaches a higher peak, than that of poorer women. These patterns persisted throughout the period of the sample (1824–1896). Thus, wealth appears, even during the demographic transition in an egalitarian society, to have influenced lifetime reproductive success positively.
Hair-type sheep generate an accelerated and longer-lived humoral immune response to Haemonchus contortus infection

Abstract Antibody levels produced in response to gastro-intestinal nematode (GIN) parasite infection are typically higher in GIN-resistant breeds than susceptible breeds. Consequently, GIN-resistant ewes should generate greater parasite-specific antibody in colostrum and milk, potentially providing greater passive immunity to young lambs. To test this hypothesis, we monitored immunoglobulin levels in wool and hair-type sheep infected with Haemonchus contortus for 35 days following the end of a 45-day autumn breeding season and subsequently for 6 weeks around the time of parturition. Ten, first-parity ewes of each type were infected with 12,000 H. contortus L3 larvae following the end of breeding. In response to infection, hair ewes generated greater serum IgA (P
Sustainable developments for flame retardants

CHANGING chemical regulation and mounting market pressure are impacting many of the items we use on a daily basis, such as electrical equipment. The implications of the changing regulatory programs worldwide impact a broad range of materials, including flame retardants. Emerging chemical regulations are focusing on the need for characterizing all chemical substances in use in terms of their environmental and human health impacts.
Multicomponent diffusion in highly asymmetric systems. An extended Maxwell-Stefan model for starkly different-sized, segment-accessible chain molecules

An extended version of the Maxwell−Stefan (EMS) equation is proposed to describe transport in multicomponent solutions of molecules that are starkly different in size and whose segments are all accessible for mutual frictional interactions. The proposed modification corrects the friction factor between the colliding molecules by replacing the molar species concentration by the molar segment concentration, or equivalently, by the volume fraction of the component. The new expression for the friction factor is consistent with the kinetic theory of Curtiss and Bird for polymer solutions in the limit of linear isotropic systems. When the classical generalized Maxwell−Stefan equation is applied to diffusion in a membrane-solvent system, the (unknown) molecular weight of the membrane must be specified. In EMS, however, such a specification is not required. Further, in contrast to a previous equation for polymer solutions proposed by Heintz and Stephan (J. Membr. Sci. 1994, 89, 153), EMS is consistent with restri...
Panmetatarsal head resection. A viable alternative to the transmetatarsal amputation

While the transmetatarsal amputation has resulted in the salvage of numerous diabetic limbs, it remains an ablative procedure with both short- and long-term complications. The authors reviewed their experience with the panmetatarsal head resection as an alternative to the transmetatarsal amputation. A retrospective review was performed of all patients having undergone this procedure between May 1986 and November 1991. Thirty-seven procedures were performed; of these, 34 were evaluated. The average follow-up period was 20.9 months. Thirty-two feet showed primary healing while one showed delayed healing. One patient had local recurrence of the original ulceration. Primary healing was 94% while overall success was 97%. No patient required amputation of any kind. The authors conclude that the panmetatarsal head resection is a viable alternative to the transmetatarsal amputation in properly selected patients because it avoids many of the structural and biomechanical pitfalls of the transmetatarsal amputation.
Barriers and facilitators to adoption of soft copy interpretation from the user perspective: Lessons learned from filmless radiology for slideless pathology.

Background: Adoption of digital images for pathological specimens has been slower than adoption of digital images in radiology, despite a number of anticipated advantages for digital images in pathology. In this paper, we explore the factors that might explain this slower rate of adoption. Materials and Method: Semi-structured interviews on barriers and facilitators to the adoption of digital images were conducted with two radiologists, three pathologists, and one pathologist's assistant. Results: Barriers and facilitators to adoption of digital images were reported in the areas of performance, workflow-efficiency, infrastructure, integration with other software, and exposure to digital images. The primary difference between the settings was that performance with the use of digital images as compared to the traditional method was perceived to be higher in radiology and lower in pathology. Additionally, exposure to digital images was higher in radiology than pathology, with some radiologists exclusively having been trained and/or practicing with digital images. The integration of digital images both improved and reduced efficiency in routine and non-routine workflow patterns in both settings, and was variable across the different organizations. A comparison of these findings with prior research on adoption of other health information technologies suggests that the barriers to adoption of digital images in pathology are relatively tractable. Conclusions: Improving performance using digital images in pathology would likely accelerate adoption of innovative technologies that are facilitated by the use of digital images, such as electronic imaging databases, electronic health records, double reading for challenging cases, and computer-aided diagnostic systems.
Biosynthesis of Pyrrolidone Carboxylic Acid in Hairless Mouse Epidermis

[ 3 H]Glutamic acid incorporated in vivo into hairless mouse epidermal pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA) was followed with time after a single subcutaneous injection. PCA specific activity increased slowly, reaching a peak at 3 to 4 days after injection of the labeled amino acid, after which it slowly declined. Incorporation of [ 3 H]glutamic acid into epidermal PCA was markedly inhibited by a single topical application of cycloheximide. Topical application of cycloheximide 2hr prior to [ 3 H]glutamate injection caused a significantly greater reduction in PCA specific activity (determined 3 days after injection) than cycloheximide treatment 3hr after administration of the labeled amino acid. Ninety-seven percent of the PCA content of hairless mouse epidermis was shown to reside in the stratum corneum. These observations indicate the involvement of protein synthesis in the formation of PCA from glutamic acid rather than a direct conversion of the amino acid. The high level of PCA in mammalian epidermis appears to be caused by its accumulation in the stratum corneum accompanied by a relatively slow rate of PCA turnover in comparison to other tissues.
First-degree relative history of alcoholism in eating disorder inpatients: relationship to eating and substance use psychopathology.

Abstract Objective We examined the influence of family history of alcoholism on the presentation and course of inpatients with eating disorders (ED) by comparing ED behaviors, substance abuse behaviors, and psychopathology of patients with alcoholic first-degree relatives (AFDR+) to those without alcoholic first-degree relatives (AFDR−). Method Female inpatients admitted to a specialty eating disorders service completed demographic, family history, behavioral, and psychological questionnaires (N = 217). Body mass index (BMI) at admission and discharge, length of stay, and rates of weight gain were calculated. Results AFDR+ participants did not differ from AFDR− participants diagnostically, but AFDR+ participants did report higher lifetime frequencies of several ED and substance abuse behaviors. Measures of ED psychopathology and personality vulnerability were also elevated in the AFDR+ group. Discussion ED inpatients with a first-degree family history of alcoholism demonstrate increased psychopathology in eating behavior, substance use, and personality vulnerability domains. While the genetic diathesis for alcoholism is likely distinct from that for eating disorders, these findings suggest that first-degree relative history of alcoholism may nevertheless exert a negative influence on eating disorder behaviors.
The effects of illicit drug use and HIV infection on sex hormone levels in women.

Drug use and HIV infection may affect sex hormone levels in women. One hundred and ninety-six women with and without a history of illicit drug use (50 HIV-negative and 148 HIV-infected), with regular menses, who never used antiretrovirals, were evaluated. Luteinizing hormone levels were significantly higher in women with a CD4 cell count <200/μl (p < 0.002). Current methadone use was associated with lower levels of total testosterone (p = 0.03) and higher levels of prolactin (p = 0.002); mean estradiol levels were 43% lower in women who used intravenous drugs (p < 0.001). Alcohol and crack cocaine use was not associated with sex hormone levels. Age, race, body mass index and degree of HIV immunosuppression were also associated with differences in sex hormone levels.
Tom and Joshua: Perceptions, Conceptions and Progress in Meaning-Based Reading Instruction

Based on interviews and observations collected during a year in a second-grade classroom, this article presents case studies of two at-risk readers, Tom and Joshua. It describes their perceptions of in-school and out-of-school reading-related activities; their conceptions of reading, learning to read, and themselves as readers; and their responses to their teacher's learner-centered, meaning-based reading instruction. Both boys were enabled to participate in the classroom literacy community and both made progress in reading, but each brought different experiences and conceptions to the class, and so responded differently to the opportunities the class offered. Their stories illustrate the instructional significance of children's conceptions about reading; reaffirm the importance of flexible, meaning-based reading instruction; and demonstrate the power of looking past the “at-risk” label to understand the thoughts, beliefs, resources, and concerns of children who struggle with learning to read.
Comparison of a Neural Network Approach with Five Traditional Methods for Predicting Creatinine Clearance in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Study Objective. To compare the results of an artificial neural network approach with those of five published creatinine clearance (Clcr) prediction equations and with the measured (true) Clcr in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Design. Six-month prospective study. Settings. Two university medical centers. Patients. Sixty-five HIV-infected patients: 18 relatively healthy outpatients and 47 inpatients. Interventions. All subjects had urine collected for 24 hours to determine Clcr. Measurements and Main Results. The 16 input variables were age, ideal body weight, actual body weight, body surface area, height, and the following blood chemistries: sodium, potassium, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, red blood cell count, platelet count, white blood cell count, glucose, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and albumin. The only output variable was Clcr. A training set of 55 subjects was used to develop the relationship between input variables and the output variable. The trained neural network was then used to predict Clcr of a validation set of 10 subjects. Mean differences between predicted Clcr and actual Clcr (bias) were 4.1, 28.7, 29.4, 26.0, 31.8, and 55.8 ml/min/1.73 m2 for the artificial neural network, Cockcroft and Gault, Jelliffe 1, Jelliffe 2, Mawer et al, and Hull et al methods, respectively. Conclusion. The accuracy of predicting Clcr in subjects with HIV infection by the artificial neural network is superior to that of the five equations that are currently used in clinical settings.
Experimental and emerging therapies for chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Hepatitis C virus infection is prevalent throughout the world and is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality and health economic burden. No effective preventative measure, including vaccination, is currently available. Incremental and substantial progress in the rate of viral eradication using interferon-based therapies has been made over the past decade. The most recent advance has been related to the development of a pegylated form of IFN-alpha by two independent pharmaceutical companies. Pegylation of IFN-alpha appears to prolong its half-life, allowing for less frequent dosing. Reports have suggested that pegylated interferons are also associated with better efficacy for viral eradication in patients with hepatitis C virus. Slower progress also has been made in developing non-interferon-based therapeutic agents against hepatitis C virus, including protease inhibitors, helicase inhibitors, ribozymes, antisense therapies, cytokine-based therapies and T-cell-based therapeutic vaccines.
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, a viscous soluble fiber, reduces insulin resistance and decreases fatty liver in Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats

Diets producing a high glycemic response result in exaggerated insulin secretion which induces hepatic lipogenesis, contributing to development of insulin resistance and fatty liver. Viscous dietary fibers blunt the postprandial rise in blood glucose, however their effect on type 2 diabetes and obesity are not entirely known. This study examined the effect of chronic consumption of the viscous, non-fermentable dietary fiber, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), on glucose control, insulin resistance and liver lipids in an obese diabetic rat model. Three groups of Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats were fed diets containing either 5% non-viscous cellulose (control), low viscosity HPMC (LV-HPMC) or high viscosity HPMC (HV- HPMC) for six weeks. Zucker lean littermates consuming cellulose served as a negative control. Markers of glucose control, including oral glucose tolerance test, glycated hemoglobin and urinary glucose, were measured as well as adiposity and the accumulation of liver lipids. The HPMC diets increased the viscosity of the small intestinal contents and reduced the postprandial rise in blood glucose. The food efficiency ratio was greater with HPMC feeding compared to the obese control and urinary excretion of glucose and ketone bodies was reduced. The two HPMC groups had lower glycated hemoglobin and kidney weights and a reduced area under the curve during a glucose tolerance test, indicating improved glucose control. Epididymal fat pad weight as percent of body weight was reduced in the HV-HPMC group compared to the obese control group. The HV-HPMC group also had lower concentrations of liver lipid and cholesterol and reduced liver weight. However, HV-HPMC feeding did not affect hepatic gene expression of SREBP-1c or FAS. Muscle concentration of acylcarnitines, a lipid intermediate in fatty acid β-oxidation, was not different between the HPMC groups and obese control, suggesting no change in muscle fatty acid oxidation by HPMC. Consumption of the viscous non-fermentable fiber HPMC decreased diabetic wasting, improved glucose control and reduced insulin resistance and fatty liver in a model of obesity with diabetes.
BRIEF GROUP THERAPY TO FACILITATE UTILIZATION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BY SPANISH‐SPEAKING PATIENTS

Barriers of culture and language have tended to keep poor Spanish-speaking people from using community mental health center treatment facilities. This paper describes a program of brief group therapy, conducted in Spanish by a bilingual social work assistant, that helped patients with their presenting problems and helped prepare them to accept referral to the longer term treatment facilities of the center.
Data Analysis and Visualization within the M&#168;obius Modeling Environment

The M¨obius modeling environment is a multipleformalism, multiple-solver framework for discrete-event system analysis. The basis of the framework is an abstract functional interface that defines the interactions between modules. New formalism and solver modules continue to be added to the tool. This paper describes recent additions to M¨obius that can loosely be characterized as providing a variety of result analysis and visualization techniques.
Nonsoliton pulse evolution in normally dispersive fibers

For a typical nonreturn-to-zero pulse propagating in existing normally dispersive fibers, we provide a uniform description of the optical transmission. There are three distinct regimes of the governing nonlinear Schrodinger equation: the fully nonlinear dispersive regime, which covers a small region of the pulse, and two limiting asymptotic regimes, namely, nonlinear, weakly dispersive (for the bulk of the pulse) and linear dispersive (for the tails). For prediction of pulse degradation, the asymptotic regimes admit accurate, simplified models for both nonlinear-dispersive pulse spreading and the onset of optical shocks and oscillations at the fronts.
Mechanisms of response homeostasis during retinocollicular map formation.

The mechanisms of Hebbian synaptic plasticity have been widely hypothesized to play a role in the activity-dependent development of neural circuits. However, these mechanisms are inherently unstable and would lead to the runaway excitation or depression of circuits if left unchecked. In the last decade, a number of elegant studies have demonstrated that homeostatic plasticity mechanisms exist to stabilize neural networks and maintain the constancy of neuronal output in response to changes in activity levels. These include synaptic scaling, sliding threshold models of synaptic plasticity, dynamic regulation of the number and strength of synapses, and bidirectional control of intrinsic excitability. Recently, we showed that the total synaptic input onto individual neurons of the mouse superior colliculus is preserved regardless of the size of their visual receptive fields, a phenomenon we term ‘response homeostasis’. Here, we argue that regulating the capacity for synaptic plasticity and controlling the number and strength of retinocollicular inputs can preserve collicular neuron output, and we present evidence that changes in intrinsic excitability are not associated with response homeostasis. We also review findings from a number of different mutant mice and discuss whether and how different cellular mechanisms may underlie response homeostasis. Combined with other studies, our work reveals an important role for homeostatic mechanisms in regulating functional connectivity during the construction of receptive fields and the refinement of topographic maps.
Habitat Use and Population Dynamics of Blue Crabs, Callinectes sapidus, in a High-Salinity Embayment

A high-salinity embayment located near Beaufort, North Carolina was surveyed to create a bathymetric profile of the main basin. To examine population dynamics and habitat use within the embayment, over 3,000 blue crab locations, sex, size, and egg stage were recorded during nocturnal low tides. Males and females partitioned habitat, with males concentrated in the shallower upper portion of the embayment, and mature females concentrated near the deeper mouth of the embayment. Juvenile females were predominantly found in shallower areas within mature male habitat. Location of ovigerous crabs varied with egg developmental stage. Crabs with late-stage eggs were found closest to the mouth of the embayment, and 92.9% (156 of 168) of ovigerous crabs left the embayment before larval release and may not have returned. Because the embayment is homogenous at 35 psu, a salinity gradient is not the primary mechanism underlying this segregation. We hypothesize that tidal activity rhythms and microhabitat selection contribute to the observed spatial patterns.
Olfactory-enriched transcripts are cell-specific markers in the lobster olfactory organ.

Genes expressed specifically in a tissue are often involved in the defining functions of that tissue. We used representational difference analysis of cDNA to amplify 20 cDNA fragments representing transcripts that were more abundant in the lobster olfactory organ than in brain, eye/eyestalk, dactyl, pereiopod, or second antenna. We then independently confirmed that the transcripts represented by these clones were enriched in the olfactory organ. The 20 cDNA fragments represent between 6 and 15 different genes. Six of the cDNAs contained sequences highly similar to known gene families. We performed in situ hybridization with these six and found that all were expressed in subsets of cells associated with the aesthetasc sensilla in the olfactory organ. Clones OET-07, an ionotropic receptor, and OET-10, an α tubulin, were specific to the olfactory receptor neurons. OET-02, a monooxygenase, was expressed only in the outer auxiliary cells. OET-03, a serine protease, was specific to the collar cells. OET-11, an α2 macroglobulin, was expressed by the receptor neurons and the collar cells. OET-17, a calcyphosine, was expressed in the receptor neurons, inner auxiliary cells, and collar cells. The identities and expression patterns of these six transcripts predict involvement in both known and novel properties of the lobster olfactory organ. J. Comp. Neurol. 455:125–138, 2003. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Comparison of Bone Strengths from Broilers Reared Under Various Conditions in Coops and Floor Pens

Abstract A series of four trials was conducted to compare the influence of several design variables on the strength of bones from coop and floor-reared broilers. So that the activity of coop-reared broilers would increase, a fan system intermittently forced air up through the bottom of the coops. Because the broilers became accustomed to the intermittent force of air, the induced extra activity decreased after the first 7 days of fan use. No differences in bone strength were observed in broilers reared in the control and fan-treated coops. Broilers reared in floor pens with a screen covering placed at a height equal to the height of the coops (29 cm) had significantly (P
Throughput analysis of cooperative wireless medium access scheme exploiting multi-beam adaptive arrays

Cooperative wireless network medium access schemes can achieve high throughput through collision resolution. By using a multi-beam adaptive array (MBAA) at a base station or access point, it can concurrently communicate with multiple nodes/users and thus the network performance can be further enhanced. In this paper, we provide an efficient packet resolution method and analyze the throughput of cooperative wireless medium access scheme exploiting MBAAs.
Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in Guillain-Barre Syndrome: A Case Report & Literature Review (P2.074)

Objective: To describe a case of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) occurring in the setting of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and to review the literature on this rare combination of disorders. Background: Autonomic dysfunction is common in GBS and may manifest as hemodynamic fluctuations. PRES can result from acute hypertension, but is rarely reported to be associated with dysautonomia in GBS. Design/methods: Case report and literature review. Results: A 63-year-old female presented with back pain and cramps in her distal extremities following a self-limited gastrointestinal illness one week prior. Her initial blood pressure and pulse were 172/98 and 96. She acutely developed blindness followed by seizures. Brain MRI showed symmetric parieto-occipital T2 hyperintensities, consistent with PRES. Lumbar puncture demonstrated a protein level of 59 mg/dl. Seizures resolved with levetiracetam. However, she reported progressive leg weakness and dyspnea, requiring intubation. On exam, she was hypotonic, quadriplegic, and areflexic with persistently labile blood pressure (60/40 to 160/90). Nerve conduction studies revealed a severe polyneuropathy with absence of almost all compound muscle and sensory nerve action potentials. She was diagnosed with GBS and treated with IVIG. Within 6 months, she had a near-complete recovery except for mild sensory deficits in her digits. 11 published reports of PRES co-occurring with GBS exist. 10 (91[percnt]) were female and 10 (91[percnt]) were over age 55. All had hypertension initially. In 9 (82[percnt]), GBS-related sensorimotor symptoms preceded PRES, on average by 6 days. Outcomes varied but were mostly favorable. Conclusions: Although autonomic complications of GBS are well-described, PRES has been reported rarely. In most patients, symptoms of GBS occurred first followed by onset of PRES. Early hypertension from dysautonomia may be a trigger for PRES. Nearly all cases have occurred in women over age 55, raising the possibility of increased sensitivity to dysautonomia in this group. Disclosure: Dr. Chen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kim has nothing to disclose. Dr. Henderson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Berkowitz has received royalty payments from Clinical Pathophysiology Made Ridiculously Simple and The Improvising Mind.
Anergy in Peripheral Memory Cd4+ T Cells Induced by Low Avidity Engagement of T Cell Receptor

Induction of tolerance in self-reactive memory T cells is an important process in the prevention of autoimmune responses against peripheral self-antigens in autoimmune diseases. Although naive T cells can readily be tolerized, memory T cells are less susceptible to tolerance induction. Recently, we demonstrated that low avidity engagement of T cell receptor (TCR) by low densities of agonist peptides induced anergy in T cell clones. Since memory T cells are more responsive to lower antigenic stimulation, we hypothesized that a low avidity TCR engagement may induce tolerance in memory T cells. We have explored two antigenic systems in two transgenic mouse models, and have tracked specific T cells that are primed and show memory phenotype. We demonstrate that memory CD4+ T cells can be rendered anergic by presentation of low densities of agonist peptide–major histocompatibility complex complexes in vivo. We rule out other commonly accepted mechanisms for induction of T cell tolerance in vivo, such as deletion, ignorance, or immunosuppression. Anergy is the most likely mechanism because addition of interleukin 2–reversed anergy in specific T cells. Moreover, cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen (CTLA)-4 plays a critical role in the induction of anergy because we observed that there was increased surface expression of CTLA-4 on anergized T cells, and that injection of anti–CTLA-4 blocking antibody restored anergy in vivo.
Emergent opportunities in humans: playful kittens, an arthropod vector, and a zoonotic agent

Bartonella henselae is implicated as the main etiologic agent of Cat scratch disease (CSD, Cat-scratch fever). A majority of domestic cats may harbor the intra-erythrocytic agent for extended periods without apparent disease. In humans, B. henselae most commonly results in a subacute, bacterial infection that presents with one or more reddish papules which may progress to pustules and regional lymph node enlargement. Usual features include fever, malaise, and a granulomatous lymphadenitis on biopsy. However, atypical clinical presentations occur, albeit with infrequence, and may result in a difficult and protracted diagnostic process. The infection in susceptible hosts such as immunocompromised or elderly patients may result in endocarditis, encephalitis, fever of unknown origin, and general malaise. It is not transmitted from person to person and quarantine is not necessary. The arthropod vector, Ctenocephalides felis, or the cat flea, plays a major role in transmission among cats and to humans. The transmission risk to humans can be substantially reduced through elimination of flea infestations in companion animals. There are numerous recent reviews and case reports in the veterinary and medical literature reflecting increased recognition of this zoonotic agent. All this notwithstanding, many physicians and other providers may not be familiar with this agent and the potential spectrum of human disease; this may lead to delays in diagnosis and unnecessary diagnostic procedures. This article emphasizes the aspects of B. henselae infection, including a typical case report and a table with selected human case reports of unusual clinical manifestations from the published literature.
Celioscopic intra-abdominal retraction: Comparison of two mechanical devices

Summary. The proper utilization and safety of rapidly developing celioscopic instrumentation remains uncertain. A porcine model was developed for testing two different types of mechanical, intra-abdominal retraction devices. One instrument was inflatable, forming a broad compliant interface for tissue retraction. The second device consisted of three rubber-shod metal arms which formed a rigid, noncontiguous sweep. Each intra-abdominal device was placed with identical manual traction upon the spleen, ileum and liver in sequential fashion with pressure maintained for 10 min. Photographic documentation of the gross effects of retraction was obtained along with histological sectioning of each portion of the involved viscera with controls. The retraction devices produced small contusions with punctate, petechial haemorrhages within the tissue, with the tips of each capable of tissue laceration. On each organ, the balloon retraction device produced the least amount of gross and histological damage, demonstrating iatrogenic injury directly attributable to device design.
Long-Term Outcome of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy

Investigators at Epilepsy Centers in Berlin, Germany, performed a retrospective study of seizure outcome in 66 patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) after a mean follow-up time of 44.6 years (20-69 years); 59.1% of patients remained seizure-free for at least 5 years before the last contact.
A Case Study Investigation of a Lightweight, Systematic Elicitation Approach for Enterprise Architecture Requirements

Enterprise architectures (EA) try to develop an alignment between an enterprise’s technology infrastructures with its business objectives and are often facilitated by an EA framework (EAF). EAFs provide the processes to create and govern an EA and have been used to understand both strategy and business architecture to synthesize a supporting information system infrastructure. However, existing EAFs do not provide lightweight, systematic process for eliciting the needed inputs to develop an EA. The contribution of this work is a lightweight, systematic approach for eliciting the enterprise vision, mission and objective requirements necessary as input to an EAF. We make two basic claims for this idea. First, the utilization of the Vision-Mission-Objectives-Strategy-Tactics (VMOST) queries provides a lightweight approach for eliciting required EA knowledge from stakeholders. Second, the use of the Grounded Theory Method, a qualitative analysis technique, provides a structured, systematic approach for analyzing and documenting elicited EA requirements. To illustrate these claims, we apply our lightweight, EA elicitation approach to a real world enterprise using the case study approach as a research methodology.
Ab Initio Coupled Cluster Determination of the Heats of Formation of C2H2F2, C2F2, and C2F4

Heats of formation at 298.15 K were computed for cis- and trans-1,2-difluoroethylene, 1,1-difluoroethylene, difluoroethyne, and tetrafluoroethylene using conventional coupled cluster theory through perturbative triples and basis sets up through augmented 6ζ or 7ζ quality. As an independent check, calculations were also performed with the explicitly correlated F12b method and basis sets up through 4ζ quality. F12b calculations converge to the basis set limit much more rapidly than the conventional method. Both approaches were subsequently extrapolated to the complete basis set limit using a variety of simple formulas. After the 1-particle basis set limits were established, corrections were applied for core/valence, scalar relativistic, non-Born-Oppenheimer, and higher order correlation effects through explicit quadruple excitations. A final correction for the remaining error relative to full configuration interaction theory, the exact result for a given basis set, was included. Although this general approach produced excellent agreement with recently reported semiexperimental structures for the difluoroethylene compounds, the level of agreement with the available tabulated experimental heats of formation for 1,1-difluoroethylene is considerably poorer. The best theoretical ΔHf(0)(298K) estimates (with experimental values from tabulations given in parentheses) are 1,1-difluoroethylene = -84.1 ± 0.6 kcal/mol (-80.5 ± 0.2); cis-1,2-difluoroethylene = -74.4 ± 0.6 kcal/mol (-73.3 ± 1.2); trans-1,2-difluoroethylene = -73.5 ± 0.6 kcal/mol (-72.6 ± 1.2). In the other two cases, where Active Thermochemical Table values were available, the agreement was much better: C2F2 = 1.0 ± 0.3 (0.7 ± 0.4) and C2F4 = -161.3 ± 0.8 kcal/mol (-161.8 ± 0.2). Considering the demonstrated accuracy of the approach in previous studies for the three difluoroethylene equilibrium structures and its performance in predicting the enthalpies of formation of over 100 small-to-medium size chemical systems, we believe the magnitude of disagreement between theory and experiment for 1,1-difluoroethylene merits a re-examination of the experimental value.
Intermittent Acute Porphyria — Demonstration of a Genetic Defect in Porphobilinogen Metabolism

Abstract In a family with intermittent acute porphyria (IAP) five affected members were found to have decreased erythrocyte uroporphyrinogen I (URO)-synthetase activity, when compared to unaffected...
A model based framework for semantic interpretation of architectural construction drawings

The study addresses the automated translation of architectural drawings from 2D Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) data into a Building Information Model (BIM), with emphasis on the nature, possible role, and limitations of a drafting language Knowledge Representation (KR) on the problem and process. The central idea is that CAD to BIM translation is a complex diagrammatic interpretation problem requiring a domain (drafting language) KR to render it tractable and that such a KR can take the form of an information model. Formal notions of drawing-as-language have been advanced and studied quite extensively for close to 25 years. The analogy implicitly encourages comparison between problem structures in both domains, revealing important similarities and offering guidance from the more mature field of Natural Language Understanding (NLU). The primary insight we derive from NLU involves the central role that a formal language description plays in guiding the process of interpretation (inferential reasoning), and the notable absence of a comparable specification for architectural drafting. We adopt a modified version of Engelhard’s approach which expresses drawing structure in terms of a symbol set, a set of relationships, and a set of compositional frameworks in which they are composed. We further define an approach for establishing the features of this KR, drawing upon related work on conceptual frameworks for diagrammatic reasoning systems. We augment this with observation of human subjects performing a number of drafting interpretation exercises and derive some understanding of its inferential nature therefrom. We consider this indicative of the potential range of processes a computational drafting model should ideally support. The KR is implemented as an information model using the EXPRESS language because it is in the public domain and is the implementation language of the target Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) model. We draw extensively from the IFC library to demonstrate that it can be applied in this manner, and apply the MVD methodology in defining the scope and interface of the DOM and IFC. This simplifies the IFC translation process significantly and minimizes the need for mapping. We conclude on the basis of selective implementations that a model reflecting the principles and features we define can indeed provide needed and otherwise unavailable support in drafting interpretation and other problems involving reasoning with this class of diagrammatic representations.
A Biography of Water in Atacama, Chile: Two Indigenous Community Responses to the Extractive Encroachments of Mining

Resumen El siguiente articulo examina las respuestas indigenas ante las invasiones mineras que se llevan a cabo en Atacama. Este analisis revela la existencia de sistemas valoricos y de significados en competencia dentro de los que podemos identificar cambios en la conceptualizacion del agua. Especificamente, se describen dos ejemplos etnograficos que dan cuenta como en las comunidades de Turi y Toconce (al norte de Chile), se concibe el agua como mercancia cuando se arrienda a–pero no cuando se defiende de–una empresa minera. Tal como lo argumenta Kopytoff (1988:69), un mundo perfectamente mercantilizado seria aquel en el cual todo lo que es intercambiable se encuentra a la venta. De la misma manera, un mundo perfectamente desmercantilizado seria aquel en el cual nada es intercambiable. Este estudio demuestra como ninguna situacion en la vida real se ajusta a esos extremos. Por el contrario, toda economia del mundo real, ocupa un lugar que transita constantemente dentro de un espectro de posibilidades. [agua, Andes, mercancias, mineria, pueblos indigenas, sagrado]
Resources and Reserves

Energy resources have been described as renewable or nonrenewable, economic or uneconomic, discovered or undiscovered, and we will have occasion to deal with all these terms, some of which depend very much on the describer’s outlook. Examples of ambiguities and paradoxes have appeared in Chapters 1 and 2, where resources may be perceived as adequate or inadequate depending on time perspectives.
Big Holes in Big Data: A Monte Carlo Algorithm for Detecting Large Hyper-Rectangles in High Dimensional Data

We present the first algorithm for finding holes in high dimensional data that runs in polynomial time with respect to the number of dimensions. Previous algorithms are exponential. Finding large empty rectangles or boxes in a set of points in 2D and 3D space has been well studied. Efficient algorithms exist to identify the empty regions in these low-dimensional spaces. Unfortunately such efficiency is lacking in higher dimensions where the problem has been shown to be NP-complete when the dimensions are included in the input. Applications for algorithms that find large empty spaces include big data analysis, recommender systems, automated knowledge discovery, and query optimization. Our Monte Carlo-based algorithm discovers interesting maximal empty hyper-rectangles in cases where dimensionality and input size would otherwise make analysis impractical. The run-time is polynomial in the size of the input and the number of dimensions. We apply the algorithm on a 39-dimensional data set for protein structures and discover interesting properties that we think could not be inferred otherwise.