cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biogenic amine-stimulated adenylate cyclase and spiroperidol-binding sites in rabbit brain: evidence for selective loss of receptors with aging.

The aging process in man results in or is accompanied by a host of changes in brain structure and biochemistry (Terry and Gershon, 1976). The possible relationship of these alterations to the diminished mental function seen frequently in the older population is not yet known. Furthermore, the implications of these alterations for the manifestation and severity of neurological diseases such as parkinsonism are poorly understood. A major task in the investigation of biochemical changes occurring with senescence is to sort out the early or primary changes of greatest functional significance. In this regard, it is becoming increasingly evident that biogenic amine and closely interrelated transmitter or synaptic modulator systems play important roles in hypothalamic, cortical and extrapyramidal system functions. A number of studies have indicated that in experimental animals and in man deficiencies in brain aminergic systems, assessed functionally and/or biochemically, may occur with senescence (Finoh, 1973; Finch, Jonec, Hody, Walker, Morton-Smith, Alper and Dougher, 1975; Jonec and Finch, 1975; McGeer and McGeer, 1976ab; McGeer, McGeer and Suzuki, 1977; Simpkins, Mueller, Huang and Meites, 1977) (see also Finch and McGeer in this volume).
Review of N N Interaction from Lattice QCD

Historically, lattice studies of QCD have concentrated on understanding the properties and structure of an isolated hadron. Recently, there have efforts at understanding the interactions between hadrons. In this talk I will review two approaches to this problem.
Double Bladder Sign: Three Cases of an Ultrasonographic Sign that Indicates Ovarian Torsion

Ovarian torsion is a surgical emergency that can be difficult to diagnose and can therefore lead to delayed treatment and loss of ovarian function. While the diagnosis of ovarian torsion is based clinically, several sonographic findings can suggest ovarian torsion, including an enlarged ovary, presence of an ovarian cyst or mass, or abnormal ovarian blood flow. Less commonly described is the finding of an abnormal ovarian location in a clinical setting concerning for torsion. We present three cases of ovarian torsion where an ultrasonographic finding of a "double bladder sign" aided in early detection of ovarian torsion.
How to Prepare for a Simulation Session (Instructor and Learner)

Understanding the uniqueness of mobile simulation programs and the uniqueness of the learners enables the simulation teams to adequately prepare instructors and students for the simulation event. Supplying instructor portfolios provides the instructors with documents that allow them to get to know the learners as well as the institution they work in and therefore better understand their needs and learning objectives. Documents such as the Mobile Simulation Event Planning Worksheet, Scenario Planning Worksheet, Briefing document, Pre- and Post-tests, and Debriefing outline provide necessary information for the instructor to best serve the learners. Appropriate preparation of the learners is vital to the learning experience as well, and may involve a pre-simulation assignment, orientation information, and a briefing covering the logistics, and information to help the learner engage and have a safe experience.
Chapter 8 – Preferences

The basic concept of a preference ordering is introduced. Consumer choice axioms are defined, beginning with completeness and transitivity. Strict preference and indifference are defined as derived concepts. Ordinal utility representation of preference is then defined and the continuity problem is demonstrated via lexicographic preferences. A fundamental utility representation theorem is stated and proven. The additional preference axioms of monotonicity, local nonsatiation, and convexity are defined and explained.
Structure and mechanism of the mitochondrial Ca 2+ uniporter holocomplex

Mitochondria take up Ca2+ through the mitochondrial calcium uniporter complex to regulate energy production, cytosolic Ca2+ signalling and cell death1,2. In mammals, the uniporter complex (uniplex) contains four core components: the pore-forming MCU protein, the gatekeepers MICU1 and MICU2, and an auxiliary subunit, EMRE, essential for Ca2+ transport3-8. To prevent detrimental Ca2+ overload, the activity of MCU must be tightly regulated by MICUs, which sense changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations to switch MCU on and off9,10. Here we report cryo-electron microscopic structures of the human mitochondrial calcium uniporter holocomplex in inhibited and Ca2+-activated states. These structures define the architecture of this multicomponent Ca2+-uptake machinery and reveal the gating mechanism by which MICUs control uniporter activity. Our work provides a framework for understanding regulated Ca2+ uptake in mitochondria, and could suggest ways of modulating uniporter activity to treat diseases related to mitochondrial Ca2+ overload.
The clinical application and analysis of hepatitis C virus NS3 antigen detection by ELISA in human serum

Objective To evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of a Hove]hepatitis C virus NS3 antigen detection immunoassay and the potential application of this assay in clinical diagnosis.Methods Samples from 77 healthy flubjects,173 anti-HCV-positive pailents and 3708 patients infected with other type of hepatitis were tested with the HCV NS3 antigen assay,some HCV NS3 antigen positive samples were validated witll HCV-RNA.neutralization and immunodot assays.Twenty.five sequential samples from 11 HCV NS3 antigen positive patients were subjected to kinetic studv.Results Forty-eight(1.3%)of 3708 antiHCV negative samples were positive for HCV NS3 antigen.Among them,44 of 3030 samples from patients only infected with HBV were HCV NS3 antigen-positive,4 of the 445 samples from patients infected with other type hepatitis were HCV NS,antigen-positive.In addition.42(24.3%)of 173 anti-HCV positive samplea were HCV NS3 antigen-positive and all 77 samples from healthy subjects were negative to HCV NS3 antigen assay.Of 15 HCV NSl antigen-positive samples,9(60%)were HCV-RNA positive.The neutralization and positive percentage of immunodot assay for 23 HCV NS3 antigen-positive sera were 87.0%(20/23)and 69.6%(16/23) respectively.Of the 25 sequential samples from 11 HCV NS3 antigen positive patients,there was a negative correlation between the A values and the duration of test.and there were correlations among their HCV NS3 antigen.HCV.RNA and anti-HCV;In addition,the anti-HCV antibodies of two sera were detected while their A values of HCV NS3 antigen decreased gradually.Conclusion The HCV NS3 antigen detection assay showed perfect specificity and higher sensitivity,it will be useful in routine laboratories test in developing countfies for earlier diagnosis of HCV infection. Key words: Hepatitis C virus(HCV); HCV NS,antigen; HCV RNA; HCV antibody; ELISA
Intellectual humility's association with vaccine attitudes and intentions.

Vaccinations are critical to public health but uptake levels remain suboptimal. Intellectual humility, a virtue characterized by nonjudgmental recognition of one’s own intellectual fallibility, may...
Spirituality, Creativity and Vision as Alternatives to Neo-Classical Economics in Accounting and Business Education

The “Chicago School” of economic thought, led by the intellectual descendants of Milton Friedman, has become the dominant paradigm not only of economics but of all social sciences, including business and accounting. According to the Chicago School, the manager’s sole concern should be the maximization of shareholder value. After the financial crisis, business professionals and educators have been looking for an alternative paradigm, and Spirituality presents such an alternative paradigm. A spiritual perspective recognizes the interconnectivity of all members of society and advocates for social solidarity. Just as importantly, a spiritual perspective promotes creativity in finding solutions that support both long term profits and social solidarity. Accountants must rethink their role from that information providers to that of creative counselors.
Discontinuation of Maintenance Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia outside of Transplant

BACKGROUND The addition of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) to chemotherapy has dramatically improved outcomes of patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). When allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is performed, maintenance TKI is generally given for a fixed duration. However, the optimal duration of TKI outside of HSCT remains unknown, and the common practice is to continue indefinitely. Here, we report characteristics and outcomes of 9 patients treated with chemotherapy + TKI without HSCT and later discontinued TKI. METHODS Among 188 patients with Ph-positive ALL who did not undergo HSCT, 9 of them discontinued maintenance TKI mainly due to side effects. Patients were closely monitored with serial PCR testing for the BCR-ABL1 transcript. Major molecular response (MMR) was defined as BCR-ABL1 transcript ≤0.1% on the international scale for p210 transcripts and a 3-log reduction from baseline for p190 transcripts. Deep molecular remission (DMR) was defined as the absence of quantifiable BCR-ABL1 transcripts with a sensitivity of 0.01%. Molecular relapse was defined as loss of MMR. Treatment-free remission (TFR) was defined from time of TKI discontinuation to molecular relapse, last follow-up, or death from any cause. RESULTS At the time of TKI discontinuation, transcript level was undetected in 6 patients, <0.01% in 2 patients, and 0.01% in another patient. Prior to discontinuation, the median duration of TKI therapy and of DMR was 70 and 47 months, respectively. No morphological relapse occurred. Three patients (33%) had molecular relapse at a median of 6 months. All 3 resumed TKI therapy, and 2 of them regained DMR after a median of 13 months. After a median follow-up of 49 months, the median TFR was not reached, and the 4-year TFR rate was 65%. The median duration of DMR in patients with and without molecular relapse was 22 and 58 months, respectively (p = 0.096). CONCLUSION TKI discontinuation outside of HSCT in Ph-positive ALL in the setting of compelling toxicity may be safe only among a highly selected group of patients with deep and prolonged DMR undergoing close and frequent monitoring. Validation of these findings in prospective clinical trials is highly needed.
Students and teachers mobilizing mathematical concepts through reciprocal noticing

This article elaborates a theoretical, methodological, and analytical approach intended to highlight the materiality and reciprocity of noticing in mathematics classrooms. Drawing from highly resonant concepts from materialism and Indigenous Knowledges—two perspectives that researchers rarely bring into dialogue—this alternative approach explores the reciprocal, material, and more-than-human nature of noticing. By focusing on the role of movement in noticing, the approach discusses the indivisibility of sensing and making sense as students and teachers mobilize mathematical concepts. Applying this approach in a non-traditional analysis of two classroom episodes, the paper provides a discussion centered on what noticing looks like when humans are decentered, concepts are mobilized, and sensing meets making sense.
Deep representation learning for process variation management in laser powder bed fusion

Abstract Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing process where laser power is applied to fuse the spread powder and fabricate industrial parts in a layer by layer fashion. Despite its great promise in fabrication flexibility, print quality has long been a major barrier for its widespread implementation. Traditional offline post-manufacturing inspections to detect the defects in finished products are expensive and time-consuming and thus cannot be applied in real-time monitoring and control. In-situ monitoring methods by relying on the in-process sensor data, on the other hand, can provide viable alternatives to aid with the online detection of anomalies during the process. Given the crucial importance of melt pool characteristics to the quality of final products, this paper provides a framework to process the melt pool images by a configuration of Convolutional Auto-Encoder (CAE) neural networks. The network’s corresponding bottleneck layer learns a deep yet low-dimensional representation from melt pools while preserving the spatial correlation and complex features intrinsic in the images. As opposed to the manual annotation of data by X-ray imaging or destructive tests, an agglomerative clustering algorithm is applied to these representations to automatically extract the anomalies and annotate the data accordingly. A control charting scheme based on Hotelling’s T2 and S2 statistics is then developed to monitor the process’s stability by keeping track of the learned representations and residuals obtained from the reconstruction of original images. Testing the proposed methodology on the collected data from an experimental build demonstrates that the method can extract a set of complex features that are inextricable otherwise by using hand-crafted feature engineering methods. Moreover, through extensive numerical studies, it is shown that the proposed feature extraction and statistical process monitoring scheme is capable of detecting the anomalies in real-time with accuracy and F1 score of about 95% and 82%, respectively.
Pricing a Brazilian PRE/DI Swap

A Brazilian swap is an exchange-guaranteed contract between two counterparties where at maturity both sides exchange netted payments accrued according to different schedules.
A Comparison of Resting Scapular Posture and the Davies Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test

# BACKGROUND In orthopaedic practice, it is well established that weak scapular stabilizers and an unstable scapula is related to shoulder dysfunction. Faulty scapular position has been linked to decreased scapular stability and is thought to be a result of weak or unbalanced timing in the recruitment of scapulothoracic dynamic stabilizing muscles. Kibler has described a four-type classification of scapulothoracic dysfunction. Functional performance testing is used to objectively measure activities that simulate various desired activities. The reliability of assessing the four static scapular positions may be important in diagnosing shoulder dysfunction. An understanding of the scapular position and its relationship to functional performance testing is needed. # PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine if a static scapular test, the Kibler scapula classification, in healthy participants affects the ability to perform a closed chain functional test that involves the use of the scapula and the upper extremity, the Davies Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test (CKCUEST). A secondary analysis was performed to evaluate the reliability of a student physical therapist and an experienced physical therapist to identify scapular type by observation. # STUDY DESIGN Multicenter, single session descriptive cohort # METHODS Sixty-one healthy participants (33 males, 28 females; mean age 24.19±2.61) completed testing across two locations in one testing session. Blood pressure and heart rate as well as height and weight were measured for each participant. Participants were classified by visual observation of Kibler scapular classification. The average number of CKUEST touches, a normalized score, and a power score were calculated for each participant. Three trials were performed and participants were required to take a 45-second rest break between each CKCUEST trial. # RESULTS One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed statistically significant differences in Type I and Type IV Kibler scapula classification for the CKCUEST power score, however when an ANCOVA controlled for body mass index, there was no statistically significant difference. A strong correlation r=.94 was observed between student and experienced physical therapist in evaluating all four types of Kibler scapular classification. # CONCLUSIONS Visually observed Kibler scapular position does not affect the ability to perform the Davies CKCUEST in healthy young adults. The ability to identify Kibler scapular position was reliable between student and experienced physical therapists. Additional studies are required to identify the usefulness of the Kibler scapular position classification. # LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2b: Individual Cohort Study
NERVE BLOCKS FOR PEDIATRIC ACL RECONSTRUCTION: COMPARING FUNCTION, PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES, AND EFFICIENCY:

Background:Previous studies have compared the use of continuous nerve catheter versus single-shot nerve block approaches to regional anesthesia in ACL Reconstruction (ACLR), but they have primarily...
Evaluating Universal Dependency Parser Recovery of Predicate Argument Structure via CompChain Analysis

Accurate recovery of predicate-argument structure from a Universal Dependency (UD) parse is central to downstream tasks such as extraction of semantic roles or event representations. This study introduces compchains, a categorization of the hierarchy of predicate dependency relations present within a UD parse. Accuracy of compchain classification serves as a proxy for measuring accurate recovery of predicate-argument structure from sentences with embedding. We analyzed the distribution of compchains in three UD English treebanks, EWT, GUM and LinES, revealing that these treebanks are sparse with respect to sentences with predicate-argument structure that includes predicate-argument embedding. We evaluated the CoNLL 2018 Shared Task UDPipe (v1.2) baseline (dependency parsing) models as compchain classifiers for the EWT, GUMS and LinES UD treebanks. Our results indicate that these three baseline models exhibit poorer performance on sentences with predicate-argument structure with more than one level of embedding; we used compchains to characterize the errors made by these parsers and present examples of erroneous parses produced by the parser that were identified using compchains. We also analyzed the distribution of compchains in 58 non-English UD treebanks and then used compchains to evaluate the CoNLL’18 Shared Task baseline model for each of these treebanks. Our analysis shows that performance with respect to compchain classification is only weakly correlated with the official evaluation metrics (LAS, MLAS and BLEX). We identify gaps in the distribution of compchains in several of the UD treebanks, thus providing a roadmap for how these treebanks may be supplemented. We conclude by discussing how compchains provide a new perspective on the sparsity of training data for UD parsers, as well as the accuracy of the resulting UD parses.
Using baseflow to quantify diffuse groundwater recharge and drought at a regional scale

Abstract Although diffuse groundwater recharge is difficult to quantify at a regional scale, baseflow discharge can be used in watersheds with gaining streams with negligible effects from pumping. In Iowa, where these conditions are met, we investigated how watershed-scale baseflow calculated from a network of 132 streamflow gages can be used to quantify spatial and temporal patterns of groundwater recharge across a region; and characterize the emergence and expansion of drought conditions in the state. Mean annual groundwater recharge for the 2000–2017 study period estimated by area-weighting annual baseflow was found to be approximately 220 mm but vary widely from 73 to 467 mm based on precipitation inputs. Recharge was found to be particularly concentrated in the months of March to July which accounted for 66% of the average annual recharge. Baseflow discharged from the drought-impacted headwater basins was highly correlated to U.S. Drought Monitor designations in Iowa headwater basins and thresholds varied among landscape regions due to differences in soils and hydrology. Economic losses due to drought were found to substantially increase when annual groundwater recharge was less than approximately 130 mm yr−1. Overall, study results suggest that regional groundwater recharge and drought susceptibility can be reliably assessed using baseflow available from networked stream gages.
International Consultancy Firms and African States: New Debt Bonds

Over the past decade, a tide of financial analyses has washed over the African continent. These reports by international consultancy firms predict fundamental economic transformation, or “Africa Rising,” a slogan that signifies an emergent middle class and investment-ready domestic consumer markets. However, in promoting the Africa Rising narrative, the consultancy firms also have directed attention to the role of the private sector for public financing. This chapter illustrates that process through a specific example: the securitization of remittances. By recasting remittances as future flow receivables, African states claim increased foreign exchange reserves and thus improve sovereign credit ratings. This financial technique allows governments to access foreign capital markets by issuing sovereign bonds based on asset-backed securities, thus bypassing channels of public credit, such as multilateral foreign aid. The international consultancies serve as intermediaries in this network of migrants, local development banks, and international institutional investors, leading to new forms of debt-financing.
Interrogation of the integrated mobile genetic elements in gut-associated Bacteroidaceae with a consensus prediction approach

Exploration of mobile genetic element (MGE) diversity and relatedness is vital to understanding microbial communities, especially the gut microbiome, where the mobilization of antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity genes has important clinical consequences. Current MGE prediction tools are biased toward elements similar to previously-identified MGEs, especially tailed phages of proteobacterial hosts. Further, there is a need for methods to examine relatedness and gene sharing among MGEs. We present VICSIN, a consensus approach for MGE prediction and clustering of predictions to provide classification. Testing of VICSIN on datasets of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacteroides fragilis genomes suggests VICSIN is the optimal approach to predict integrated MGEs from poorly-explored host taxa, because of its increased sensitivity and accuracy. We applied VICSIN to a dataset of gut-associated Bacteroidaceae genomes, identifying 816 integrated MGEs falling into 95 clusters, most of which are novel. VICSINs fast and simple network-building scheme revealed a high degree of gene sharing within and between related MGE clusters. Shared gene functions across MGEs include core mobilization functions and accessory gene content, such as type VI secretion systems and antibiotic resistance genes. The MGEs identified here encode a large portion of unknown gene content, emphasizing the fact that the full diversity of MGEs and the factors they encode remain very poorly understood. Together, this work motivates more exploration of the gut mobilome, which is likely one of the most potent drivers of microbial evolution in the human microbiome. IMPORTANCEMobile genetic elements (MGEs), including phages and integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs), drive the diversity and function of microbial communities through horizontal gene transfer. Current tools to predict MGEs in genomic sequence data are highly focused on phages, and are biased against the discovery of novel MGEs. We present VICSIN, a consensus approach to MGE prediction that is able to find a diversity of MGEs, particularly in poorly-understood bacterial taxa. By applying VICSIN to a large database of diverse Bacteroidaceae genomes, we have been able to get a distinct view of the gut mobilome, extending beyond the phageome. These novel MGEs belong to related groups, sharing a significant amount of functional gene content within and between groups, supporting a mosaic model of evolution for ICEs. Understanding how phages evolve in Bacteroidaceae hosts, however, remains elusive and highlights the need for more experimental research.
The Moment of Truth: An Analysis of the Physician/Client Interaction and Interpretation of Test Results

The relationships between health, the scientific approach in medicine and concepts of epidemiology underlie theoretical and cultural attitudes of the nature of behavior and health risks. Medical tests that diagnose risk factors are thought to be predictive of disease. Physicians employ these tests to more accurately assess the health of their patients and convince their charges to change their behaviors. Communication of newly described risk factors is challenging for both physicians and patients as each party negotiates modifications of behavior and perceptions of reality.
Digital circuit on x=0.35 Hg/sub 1-x/Cd/sub x/Te

The letter reports the demonstration of a digital circuit on HgCdTe. The circuit is a single-bit dynamic shift register, using a ratioless inverter design. The circuit was fabricated on epitaxially grown HgCdTe, with a cutoff wavelength of 3.56 μm at 77 K. The circuit's properties are presented and discussed.
In vivo studies on glycosphingolipid metabolism in porcine blood.

Abstract Porcine plasma and erythrocytes were found to contain the same glycosphingolipids as humans, namely glucosyl ceramide, lactosyl ceramide, galactosylgalactosylglucosyl ceramide, and globoside, and the actual concentrations were very similar. The in vivo studies were carried out by using uniformly labeled 14C-d-glucose as the isotopic precursor and isolating the glycolipids from 30-ml samples of blood removed at frequent intervals over the 3-month study period. The results suggested that erythrocyte lactosyl ceramide, galactosylgalactosylglucosyl ceramide and globoside were synthesized in the bone marrow, did not exchange with their plasma counterparts, and were released into the plasma at the time of general erythrocyte catabolism. Erythrocyte glucosyl ceramide did not appear to be synthesized in the marrow and was in dynamic equilibrium with plasma glucosyl ceramide. The label was rapidly and randomly incorporated into all the plasma glycosphingolipids but after 9 days no labeling could be detected until the erythrocytes began to be catabolized (50 to 70 days). The relative amounts of label in the glycolipids during the 1st week and the latter period from 40 to 60 days confirmed that the rapid source of plasma glycosphingolipid biosynthesis is a minor pathway and showed that the release or catabolism of erythrocyte glycosphingolipids (especially globoside, the major component) is the major source of all four plasma glycosphingolipids.
Chapter 14 Catalytic membrane reactors

Summary A review of catalytic membrane reactors (CMRs), which combine heterogeneous catalytic reaction with membrane separation, was presented. A number of possible advantages, in addition to shifting equilibrium conversion and reducing cost by combining two processes, are presented. These include preferential removal of an intermediate product, controlled addition of a reactant, controlling which gases contact a catalyst, and combining two reactions in the same system. The major separating mechanisms were discussed, as were their advantages and limitations. Some description of the membranes that can be used in a CMR was included. An extensive discussion of published experimental and modeling studies was presented. Though large scale use has not been made of CMRs, the recent laboratory studies and the improvements in materials properties (such as composite ceramic and zeolite membranes) opens up many application possibilities. A review of laboratory studies and the simulation studies of CMRs indicate some of the possibilities. A few references were located after this review was completed. They are worthy of inclusion and are noted here. Ito et al. [84] studied the decomposition of HI. Champagnie et al. [85] studied ethane dehydrogenation. Lee and Hwang [86] and Aseda and Du [87, 88] studied capillary condensation in microporous membranes. Ilias and Govind [89] provided an overview of high temperature membrane reactors. Recently, the Journal of Membrane Science and the Journal of Applied Catalysis published a joint issue on membrane catalysis [90, 91].
Infrared coronal lines: (Observations of infrared [iron XIII] at the 1973 total solar eclipse)

Abstract It has only been recently that vidicon systems have gained sufficient sensitivity as to allow their use in ground-based infrared studies of the solar corona. This paper reports on the use of a silicon vidicon spectrometer for ground-based eclipse studies of infrared coronal lines. Two forbidden spectral emission lines in the ground state of Fe xiii in the near infrared at 10,747 A ( 3 P 1 → 3 P 0 ) and 10,798 A ( 3 P 2 → 3 P 1 ) are the strongest coronal lines in line-to-continuum ratio accessible to ground-based observers. It has been shown that the ratio of the intensity of these lines is insensitive to temperature and provides a good measure of the electron density in corona since one level is radiatively and the other collisionally populated. Simultaneous observations of the 10,747 A and 10,798 A lines therefore provide a sensitive probe of coronal electron density. Both coronagraphic and eclipse observations of these lines have been made but all observations have been severely handicapped by the fact that the lines lie beyond the effective limit of most photographic film and on the upper end of the wavelength limit of the S-1 photocathode of the most commonly employed image tube. At the total solar eclipse of June 30, 1973 in Kenya, we observed the spectral region that included the two lines with a Tektronix J20/7J20 rapid scanning silicon vidicon spectrometer. We scanned the corona in height from 1.1 to 2.0 R⊙. We report here on the observations and their reduction, as well as describe the instrumentation and the theory of the [Fe xiii ] lines.
Morphological Changes and Antibiotic-Induced Thermal Resistance in Vegetative Cells of Bacillus subtilis

The morphology and thermal resistance of vegetative cells of Bacillus subtilis W168 were examined after growth at 37 and 53 C. Vegetative cells grown at 37 C exhibited a typical trilaminar morphology, whereas cells grown at 53 C exhibited a cell wall which was apparently thicker and more loosely organized and had a poorly defined periphery. A concurrent increase in thermal resistance to a heat shock of 60 C occurs with the change in cell wall morphology. The change to the aberrant cell wall form, or its reversal to the normal form, is always accompanied by the gain or the loss of thermal resistance, respectively. The inhibition of protein synthesis by chloramphenicol has little effect upon the acquisition of thermal resistance at 53 C. Addition of the disaccharide pentapeptide subunit to the cell wall peptidoglycan is apparently essential to growth at 53 C and the acquisition of thermal resistance, since both growth and thermal resistance are inhibited by bacitracin. Two antibiotics, penicillin and cycloserine, which inhibit the final cross-linking of the cell wall peptidoglycan at two separate points, do not affect the acquisition of thermal resistance at 53 C. These same antibiotics induce a high degree of thermal resistance at 37 C. It is proposed that a change in the cell wall structure is related to an increased thermal resistance.
Characterization of data transmission through a maritime free-space optical channel with a custom bit error rate tester

Free Space Optical (FSO) Communications channels can exhibit high percentage availability, yet are subject to frequent intensity fades due to turbulence effects. For gigabit class links, tremendous amounts of data can still be transported through a fading channel, but an efficient network protocol is required to overcome the effects of fades. We describe a custom error detector that can process a digital signal from a channel which has frequent fades below system sensitivity and can provide data link statistics with bit-level timing accuracy. The statistics measured by the instrument include bit level counters that allow the device to be used as a traditional bit error rate tester (BERT), as well as block-based counters, which provide insight to the channel for packet based transmission formats. Synchronization parameters are adjustable to accommodate different link dynamics. Additionally, stretched error and sync pulse outputs provide useful live indicators of link performance when plotted against optical channel power. This paper will discuss the performance of the custom bit error rate tester (cBERT) in testing a 2.5 Gbps channel over a maritime FSO link trial conducted off the mid-Atlantic coast near Wallops Island, VA, in July and September 2009. Additionally, the overall design of the cBERT will be presented.
ABRP: Anchor-based Routing Protocol for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Ad hoc networks, which do not rely on any infrastructure such as access points or base stations, can be deployed rapidly and inexpensively even in situations with geographical or time constraints. Ad hoc networks are attractive in both military and disaster situations and also in commercial uses like sensor networks or conferencing. In ad hoc networks, each node acts both as a router and as a host. The topology of an ad hoc network may change dynamically, which makes it difficult to design an efficient routing protocol. As more and more wireless devices connect to the network, it is important to design a scalable routing protocol for ad hoc networks. In this paper, we present Anchor-based Routing Protocol (ABRP), a scalable routing protocol for ad hoc networks. It is a hybrid routing protocol, which combines the table-based routing strategy with the geographic routing strategy. However, GPS (Global Positioning System) (Kaplan, Understanding GPS principles and Applications, Boston: Artech House publishers, 1996) support is not needed. ABRP consists of a location-based clustering protocol, an intra-cell routing protocol and an inter-cell routing protocol. The location-based clustering protocol divides the network region into different cells. The intra-cell routing protocol routes packets within one cell. The inter-cell routing protocol is used to route packets between nodes in different cells. The combination of intra-cell and inter-cell routing protocol makes ABRP highly scalable, since each node needs to only maintain routes within a cell. The inter-cell routing protocol establishes multiple routes between different cells, which makes ABRP reliable and efficient. We evaluate the performance of ABRP using ns2 simulator. We simulated different size of networks from 200 nodes to 1600 nodes. Simulation results show that ABRP is efficient and scales well to large networks. ABRP combines the advantages of multi-path routing strategy and geographic routing strategy--efficiency and scalability, and avoids the burden--GPS support.
A novel strategy for the synthesis of the cysteine-rich protective antigen of the malaria merozoite surface protein (MSP-1). Knowledge-based strategy for disulfide formation.

The most promising antigen for a protective malaria vaccine is a cysteine-rich domain at the carboxyl terminus of the merozoite surface protein (MSP-1). Passive transfer of anti-MSP-1 antibody or immunization of MSP-1 against infection challenge confers protection in primate and rodent models. The antigen belongs to the three-disulfide epidermal growth factor (EGF) family based on the alignment of the six cysteines. In the K1 strain there are, however, only four cysteines corresponding to the four carboxyl cysteines of EGF. Furthermore, disulfide pairing would produce a non-EGF pattern. Because this cysteine-rich antigen is conformation-dependent, and reduction of the disulfide bonds abolishes antigenicity, we used a synthetic analog to investigate the probable disulfide pairing of this antigen. This paper describes the synthesis, folding and disulfide pairings of two 50-residue cysteine-rich peptides. One contains two disulfides (VK-50) derived from the native sequence of MSP-1 of the Thailand K1 strain (aa 1629–1679). The other contains an EGF-like, three-disulfide [Cys-9,14]VK-50 peptide. Both peptides were synthesized by a solid-phase method using Fmoc-chemistry. The crude peptide of VK-50 was folded, and the disulfide was oxidized by the DMSO method to obtain a structure with an expected disulfide pairing of 3–4, and 5–6. The specific pairing pattern of 1–3, 2–4 and 5–6 in [Cys 9,14]VK-50 corresponding to EGF in [Cys 9,14]VK-50 was obtained using a ‘knowledge-based’ (KB) strategy for their formation. Purified VK-50 and [Cys-9,14]VK-50 had the correct molecular weight, as shown by Cf-252 fission ionization mass-spectrometry. The disulfide pairings were confirmed by enzymatic digestion. These two peptides can be conjugated to the multiple peptide antigen core for immunization. The immunological results will allow us to conclude the correct disulfide pairing and the conformational importance of this antigen.
Integration of Point Field Detectors Within Power Electronic Packages to Achieve Multifunctional Sensing

The spatially varying magnetic field within a power electronics package contains information of the semiconductor junction temperature and the interconnect currents, temperature, displacement, and strain. The design of semiconductor interconnects for point field detector based high bandwidth current and strain sensing is investigated using finite element analysis (FEA) and verified by experimental results. High bandwidth (10MHz) current sensing was achieved by interconnect design based field shaping and concentration. A displacement sensing resolution of 0.6 μm was achieved by eddy current based high frequency field shaping. Design methodologies to achieve this multifunctional integration of sensing are the primary new contribution of this work.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Immunopathogenesis of AIDS

Twenty-five years after the discovery of HIV as the cause of AIDS, tremendous progress has been made in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. However, there is still neither a cure nor a vaccine for HIV infection. This shortcoming is likely a consequence of our incomplete understanding of the mechanisms of AIDS pathogenesis, particularly with regard to the interaction between the virus and the host immune system. In this article we review a series of recent advances in specific areas of HIV immunopathogenesis research: virus-host cell interactions; immune responses to HIV; chronic immune activation; and natural simian immunodeficiency virus infections. Finally, we discuss the potential implications of these findings for HIV/AIDS therapy and vaccines.
Site‐Specific Irrigation and Nitrogen Management for Cotton Production in the Southern High Plains

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production in the Southern High Plains is usually limited by water and N. The most prevalent means of irrigation in this region is center-pivot, and injection and/or ground application of liquid urea ammonium nitrate is the most common N management The declining Ogallala aquifer has led to interest in variable-rate or variable-speed irrigation using center pivots. Variability in yields, soil properties, and elevation within the typical 48-ha center-pivot fields suggests that N fertilizer use efficiency might be improved by variable-rate N applications. We conducted a 3-yr experiment on a 14-ha area within a 48-ha center pivot in a terminated-rye (Secale cereale L.) conservation tillage cotton system. The objectives were to assess lint yield response to irrigation level for different landscape positions and to compare the effects of variable-rate N, blanket-rate N, and zero N on lint yields at varying irrigation levels and landscape positions. Lint yield response to irrigation was linear in 2002 and 2003. Increased rainfall in 2004 limited irrigation response. Contrary to our hypothesis, cotton lint yield response to irrigation was not less in the bottomslope than in the sideslopes. Nitrogen fertilizer resulted in greater lint yields in all 3 yr, but the magnitude of the response was less than that of irrigation in 2002 and 2003. Nitrogen response did not interact with landscape position or with irrigation rate. Variable-rate N resulted in more consistent lint yield response than did blanket-rate N in all years. However, when the costs of implementing variable-rate management were considered, the dollar returns to N fertilizer were favorable for variable-rate fertilization in only 1 of 3 yr.
Smoking Cessation Treatment for Substance Misusers in Early Recovery: A Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Practice

Recent surveys have documented the very high incidence of smoking among treatment populations of alcohol and other drug misusers. While the health risks of smoking are well-documented in the literature, addictions professionals have traditionally been reluctant to address the problem of nicotine dependence with their clients. Recently, researchers have begun to investigate the impact of smoking cessation treatment on substance misusers who are also nicotine dependent. The purpose of this paper is to provide addictions treatment professionals with an overview of the research in this area and to highlight gaps in the knowledge base. In addition, this paper will review recent developments in the treatment of nicotine dependence and discuss their applicability to nicotine-dependent persons who are in treatment for the misuse of alcohol or another drug.
APPLICATIONS OF GAME THEORY MODELS IN AGRICULTURE

Due to the time lag between investment and payoff, the price-taking nature of agriculture, stochastic weather variables and other factors, the uncertainty faced by decision makers in agriculture is greater than and different from that confronting managers of most other sectors of economy. In this paper, game theory models have been applied to the problem of decision making under uncertainty in agriculture. The authors examine and compare the pros and cons of the four conventional theories of choice in decision making in agriculture. The four theories are: (a) Wald's maximin criterion, (b) Laplace's principle of “insufficient reason”, (c) Hurwicz's “optimism-pessimism” criterion and (d) Savage's “regret” criterion. In this study, applications have been made to the choice of type of farming, optimum dosage of fertiliser and manure and the most appropriate time of selling agricultural produce. The authors propose an additional theory of choice—the criterion of “benefit”—which seems more appropriate than the conventional theories under many situations.
Elevated pretransplant serum ferritin is associated with inferior survival following nonmyeloablative allogeneic transplantation.

Iron overload is a well-established adverse prognostic factor for allogeneic hematopoietic SCT in thalassemia,1 and elevated pretransplant serum ferritin seems to adversely affect prognosis with myeloablative transplantation2, 3 for other diseases as well, primarily because of increased non-relapse mortality. We analyzed patients who underwent nonmyeloablative preparation for allogeneic transplantation to determine whether the presence of iron overload was also an adverse prognostic factor for patients undergoing nonmyeloablative transplants.
Sensitivity of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, multidrug-resistant Salmonella, and antibiotic-susceptible Salmonella to lactic acid on inoculated beef trimmings.

Studies were performed to determine whether lactic acid treatments used to reduce Escherichia coli O157:H7 on beef trimmings are also effective in controlling non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (nSTEC), and multidrug-resistant and antibiotic-susceptible Salmonella. Beef trimming pieces (10 by 5 by 1 cm) were inoculated (3 log CFU/cm2) separately with four-strain mixtures of rifampin-resistant E. coli O157:H7, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145. Similarly, in a second study, trimmings were separately inoculated with rifampin-resistant E. coli O157:H7, and antibiotic-susceptible or multidrug-resistant (MDR and/or MDR-AmpC) Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Typhimurium. Inoculated trimmings were left untreated (control) or were immersed for 30 s in 5% lactic acid solutions (25 or 55°C). No differences (P ≥ 0.05) were obtained among surviving counts of E. coli O157:H7 and those of the tested nSTEC serogroups on lactic acid–treated (25 or 55°C) samples. Counts (3.1 to 3.3 log CFU/cm2) of E. coli O157:H7 ...
PARAMETRIC STUDY FOR MONITORING CEREBRAL BLOOD OXYGENATION USING DUAL-WAVELENGTH OPTICAL REFLECTANCE MEASUREMENT

A numerical study is initiated to investigate the feasibility of determining cerebral blood oxygen saturation (StO) noninvasively using optical reflectance ratio of dualwavelength measurements. The light signals are measured on the neck skin surface above the common carotid artery (CCA) and jugular vein (JV), respectively, such that the StO states for both the CCA and JV can be evaluated. A Monte Carlo approach was employed to simulate the light reflectance measurement experiments in a neck tissue model with a submerged CCA/JV blood vessel. Emphasis was placed on investigating the reflectance ratio behavior with respect to the location, size, and hemoglobin concentration of the CCA or JV. The results revealed quantifiable logarithmic relationships between each of the above-mentioned parameters and the StO of the blood vessel. Correlations relating the cerebral blood StO to the reflectance ratio were developed.
Nutrition and the commoditation of food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract Commoditization of food systems, defined as the use of agricultural goods for sale rather than for home consumption, affects nutrition of rural families via economic, social and ecological mechanisms in addition to direct dietary effects. Broad-scale mechanisms include alterations in land tenure, increased stratification of wealth, widespread labor migration, urban bias, food price changes, disruption of traditional reciprocal social relations, and ecological changes accompanying commercial agriculture that may limit long-term food production. At the family level, the replacement of food with cash is often problematic as regards nutrition, due to low prices to producers, increased cash needs, the ‘lumpiness’ of earnings during the year, reduced decision-making power of women, and often decreased dietary diversity. Three case studies in Latin america and the Carribean, from Peru, Jamaica, and Mexico, illustrate that commoditization tends to have a negative impact on nutrition in poor rural households. Although commoditization is theoretically advantageous on a national level by allowing the use of ‘comparative advantage’, in actuality its potential benefits are eroded by inequitable uses of foreign exchange. Commoditization is in essence a more efficient means by which to extract surplus value from small agricultural procedures. While commoditization is a necessary component of economic growth, policies to safeguard health and nutrition and improve the status of women in development programs must be implemented within an overall strategy to meet basic needs of the population.
A Practical Model Reduction Method for Complex Variable Identified System

This paper presents a practical model order reduction method which can handle the complex variable state-space model. The proposed model reduction method is based upon an identified result which is from the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm (ERA) with a complex variable transformation (z = x + iy) in [1]. The biggest advantage of a complex variable transformation is the fact that transformation (i) eliminates skew-symmetric term in state-space model and (ii) reduces a number of system states. However, using the complex variable transformation causes the result that an identified system includes the complex variables. Therefore, a new model reduction method for a complex variables state-space model is required. In particular, it is shown results of selecting system order with experimental data of flywheel energy storage system and the proposed method. Finally, a comparison of system order which is chosen by the other model reduction methods is analyzed.© 2010 ASME