cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The birth of immunology: III. The fate of the phagocytosis theory

During the period of 1895-1910, immunology was preoccupied with defining the cellular (Elie Metchnikoff's phagocytosis theory) as opposed to the humoral basis of bactericidal defense. Although initial discovery of immunopathologic phenomena had been made (e.g., relating to transplantation, autoimmunity, allergy), focus on microbicidal therapy and diagnosis of infectious diseases remained the major stimuli of inquiry. The debate concerning the relative roles of phagocytes, complement, amboceptors (sensibilizing factors, antibody, antitoxins), various lysins (e.g., bacteriolysins, spermatolysins, hemolysins), agglutinins, stimulines, and then Almoth Wright's opsonins reflects the ambiguity of a scientific language being created in an era still struggling with a poorly defined experimental system, for the language, both its vocabulary (newly studied phenomena) and grammar (operational mechanisms) was yet to be codified. The joint award of the Nobel Prize to Metchnikoff and Paul Ehrlich in 1908 for their respective contributions to the "theory of immunity" appeared to proclaim a consensus, but the secret Nobel Committee reports that evaluated Metchnikoff's contributions reveal only a grudging acceptance of his position, and the award was clearly made on the basis of an apparent complementarity between the theoretical views of the humoralists and those elements of the phagocytosis theory that fit the then current discussion of immunity. In this regard, opsonins played an especially important role as both an experimental and conceptual bridge between the competing schools. What was no longer under consideration (and in fact never was explicitly debated) concerned the intellectual foundation of Metchnikoff's original concept of immunity as those activities that defined organismal identity, (developed from Metchnikoff's research in developmental biology) and which regarded host defense mechanisms as only subordinate to this primary function. Immunology in the first half of the 20th century pursued issues pertinent to chemically characterizing immune specificity and only later returned to the Metchnikovian question of how the immune identity was established. This latter venture has achieved molecular sophistication, but even such a formulation may be an inadequate answer to the Metchnikovian postulate. The theoretical discussion between cellularists and humoralists continues in new guises, for the essential debate remains unresolved.
Measuring Functional Status in Rehabilitation

Measurement requires a productive observation model followed by a measurement model that converts raw scores into linear measures. The nonlinearity of raw scores is shown for 13 motor items of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and explained with plots of three items. When FIM ratings are converted to linear form with the Rasch measurement model, motor and cognitive items measure differently. Patients improve significantly on both motor and cognitive measures between admission and discharge.
Hong Kong Housing and the Asian Financial Crisis

This study investigates the effect of the Asian Financial Crisis, capital flows, speculative demand and retail sales activity on housing transactions in Hong Kong. An error correction model and Gra...
Indian Bill of Rights

An entry in the forthcoming "Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties" from Routledge. This entry provides an overview of the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968, including a short discussion of the legislative history of the Act and a short summary of important federal and tribal court cases arising out the Act.
Stokes flow of vesicles in a circular tube

The inertialess motion of lipid-bilayer vesicles flowing through a circular tube is investigated via direct numerical simulation and lubrication theory. A fully three-dimensional boundary integral equation method, previously used to study unbounded and wall-bounded Stokes flows around freely suspended vesicles, is extended to study the hindered mobility of vesicles through conduits of arbitrary cross-section. This study focuses on the motion of a periodic train of vesicles positioned concentrically inside a circular tube, with particular attention given to the effects of tube confinement, vesicle deformation and membrane bending elasticity. When the tube diameter is comparable to the transverse dimension of the vesicle, axisymmetric lubrication theory provides an approximate solution to the full Stokes-flow problem. By combining the present numerical results with a previously reported asymptotic theory (Barakat & Shaqfeh, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 835, 2018, pp. 721–761), useful correlations are developed for the vesicle velocity on the membrane bending stiffness (relative to a characteristic viscous stress scale) is found to be rather complex. In particular, the competition between viscous forces and bending forces can hinder or enhance the vesicle’s mobility, depending on the geometry and flow conditions.
Evaluating lexical similarity and modeling discrepancies in the procedure hierarchy of SNOMED CT

SNOMED CT is a standardized and comprehensive clinical terminology that is used in Electronic Health Records to capture, store and access clinical data of patients. Studies have, however, shown that there are inconsistencies inherent in the modeling of concepts in SNOMED CT that can have an impact on its usage to record clinical data and in clinical decision-making tools. An effective lexical approach to identifying inconsistencies with high likelihood in the structural modeling of the concepts of SNOMED CT is discussed and assessed. The approach uses the two or more concepts in the context of their lexical similarity to compare their modeling in order to identify inconsistencies. A sample of 50 sets is randomly picked from the Procedure hierarchy of SNOMED CT and evaluated for inconsistencies. Of the 50 randomly picked sets, 58% are found to exhibit one or more concepts with inconsistencies. In terms of concepts, 29% of the 146 concepts are found to exhibit one or more inconsistencies. The assessment of the sample concepts shows that SNOMED CT is not free from inconsistencies which may affect its use in clinical care and decision support systems. The proposed methodology is found to be effective in identifying areas of SNOMED CT that may be in need of quality assessment.
Experimental Results on Using Deep Learning to Identify Agricultural Pests

Agriculture has been identified as one of the pathways to achieve the Zero hunger goal of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. [1]. Pests are one of the biggest factors affecting agricultural yield. Besides causing loss of yield, using the wrong pesticide could lead to a loss in investment for farmers. Hence accurately identifying pests and treating them correctly will increase yield and reduce wastage. Deep learning is a subset of Artificial Intelligence, which has become popular in recent years to perform tasks like image classification, speech recognition, etc. Of all the deep learning architectures, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are the most widely used architectures to classify images. Accurate classification of images can have wide applications, for example identifying agricultural pests. In this paper, we analyze the effects of dataset size on the accuracy of a Convolutional Neural Network when used for agriculture. We trained VGG16, ResNet and Inception CNNs with a small custom image dataset and CIFAR10. Our results show that larger training data leads to higher classification accuracy. We plan to test using a larger agricultural data set and deploy for farmers in rural communities in India.
An abrupt decrease in Southern Hemisphere terrestrial temperature during the Eocene–Oligocene transition

Abstract Earth's climate transitioned from the greenhouse conditions of the Eocene to the icehouse of the Oligocene ∼34 million years ago. Global cooling was triggered by a decrease in atmospheric pCO2 and is associated with the first appearance of large, permanent ice-sheets on Antarctica. The Eocene–Oligocene transition (EOT) is marked by a large two-step increase in the δ 18 O of benthic foraminifera, reflecting a combination of cooler global temperatures and continental ice growth. We measured the hydrogen isotope composition of hydrated volcanic glasses deposited in Patagonia during the EOT to reconstruct stable isotope hydrology and associated changes in temperature during this critical climate transition. These data show changes in stable hydrogen isotope ratios that are consistent with Patagonian terrestrial mean annual temperature decreasing by ∼5 °C during the EOT before returning to 2 °C below pre-EOT values by the Early Oligocene. This is approximately synchronous with Northern Hemisphere cooling during the EOT, and indicates close coupling of temperature and atmospheric pCO2.
Deliberation or distraction: How the presentation format of choice information impacts complex decision making

Abstract The authors extend unconscious thought theory by investigating how differences in the presentation of information affect subsequent conscious and unconscious thought. Three studies demonstrate that when information about choice options is presented individually, a period of conscious thought helps improve choice quality. Conversely, when information about choice options is presented across all options in an attribute-by-attribute manner, a period of unconscious thought enhances choice quality. Furthermore, these effects are generalized to the choice of real products with attribute information and presentation differences taken from a major online retailer. Implications for unconscious thought theory and buyer behavior are discussed.
Agent-Relative Restrictions and Agent-Relative Value

In this article I pose a challenge for attempts to ground all reasons in considerations of value. Some believe that all reasons for action are grounded in considerations of value. Some also believe that there are agent-relative restrictions, which provide us with agent-relative reasons against bringing about the best state of affairs, on an impartial ranking of states of affairs. Some would like to hold both of these beliefs. That is, they would like to hold that such agent-relative restrictions are compatible with a teleological theory, one that grounds all reasons for action in considerations of value. This is what I will argue is problematic. I will argue that agent-centered restrictions will not fit into a teleological theory. If the correct moral theory is a teleological one, then there are no agent-relative restrictions. If there are agent-relative restrictions, then teleology is false. My argument challenges a particular project, of showing that all ethical theories are broadly consequentialist. The attraction of this project is that it promises to preserve what is thought to be compelling about consequentialism—its teleology and maximizing—while also preserving elements of commonsense morality—such as agent-relative restrictions—that have typically been thought of as distinctly non-consequentialist in nature. If my argument is correct, then this promise cannot be fulfilled.
Comparison of the Effects of Two Push-to-Talk Button Implementations on Driver Hand Position and Visual Attention

Buttons built into the steering wheel are used in many vehicles as push-to-talk (PTT) buttons for in-car speech user interfaces. We explore the influence of such a fixed PTT button on driver hand position on the steering wheel and on visual attention while driving. We also explore these variables for a wireless PTT glove, which allows drivers to use the entire surface of the steering wheel to operate the PTT button. Participants in our driving simulator-based study were willing to take advantage of the flexibility in hand position afforded by the glove PTT button. We also found that participants cast glances toward the steering wheel significantly less often when using the PTT glove than they did when operating the fixed PTT button.
Batch automated image processing of 2D seismic data for salt discrimination and basin-wide mapping

ABSTRACTWe have explored the technical utility of analyzing massive sets of digital 2D seismic data, collected and processed in dozens of different surveys, conducted more than 25 years ago, using ...
Proton radiation damage experiment on an x-ray hybrid CMOS detector (Conference Presentation)

Understanding the effects of high energy proton radiation is essential in planning for the next generation of X-ray space telescopes. We report on the results of an experiment in which an X-ray hybrid CMOS detector was incrementally irradiated with 8 MeV protons up to a total absorbed dose of approximately 3 krad(Si) (4.5 x 109 protons/cm2). The effect of the damage caused by the high energy protons is then analyzed in the context of several detector characteristics, including read noise, dark current, and energy resolution.
RAGE and AXL expression following secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in mice.

Aim and Purpose: Tobacco exposure is one of the top three global health risks leading to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although there is extensive research into t...
Facile new approach to high sulfur-content materials and preparation of sulfur–lignin copolymers

This report introduces a new approach to high sulfur-content materials. This route, RASP (radical-induced aryl halide/sulfur polymerization), expands the substrate scope beyond olefins required for the traditional inverse vulcanization route to such materials. RASP allows direct reaction of two unmodified industrial waste products to give lignin–sulfur composites.
Treatment for hypotension in the first 24 postnatal hours and the risk of hearing loss among extremely low birth weight infants.

To evaluate whether treated hypotension in the first 24 postnatal hours is associated with hearing loss in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. In a cohort of 735 ELBW infants, we identified 25 with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) at 12–24 months adjusted age. For each case, we selected three controls with normal hearing. Logistic regression models were used to adjust for confounding variables. Sixty percent of cases and 25% of controls were treated for hypotension. After adjusting for confounding variables (gestational age, antenatal glucocorticoids, 5 min Apgar < 6, insertion of an umbilical catheter, treatment with high frequency ventilation, and major cranial ultrasound abnormality), treated hypotension was associated with an increased risk of SNHL (adjusted odds ratio: 3.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.3–9.7). Treated hypotension in ELBW infants in the first 24 h of life is associated with an increased risk of SNHL.
Multi-authority attribute based encryption with honest-but-curious central authority.

An attribute based encryption scheme capable of handling multiple authorities was recently proposed by Chase. The scheme is built upon a single-authority attribute based encryption scheme presented earlier by Sahai and Waters. Chase’s construction uses a trusted central authority that is inherently capable of decrypting arbitrary ciphertexts created within the system. We present a multi-authority attribute based encryption scheme in which only the set of recipients defined by the encrypting party can decrypt a corresponding ciphertext. The central authority is viewed as “honest-but-curious”: on the one hand it honestly follows the protocol, and on the other hand it is curious to decrypt arbitrary ciphertexts thus violating the intent of the encrypting party. The proposed scheme, which like its predecessors relies on the Bilinear DiffieHellman assumption, has a complexity comparable to that of Chase’s scheme. We prove that our scheme is secure in the selective ID model and can tolerate an honest-but-curious central authority.
The impact of social constraints on insomnia among African-American breast cancer survivors: The mediating role of fear of recurrence.

OBJECTIVE Insomnia is a significant concern among African-American breast cancer survivors (BCS). Social constraints (SC)-receiving unsupportive or critical responses when expressing trauma-related emotions-and fear of recurrence (FOR) have been associated with insomnia. We examined FOR as a mediator in the relationship between SC and insomnia in African-American BCS. We hypothesized a direct effect of SC on insomnia, and an indirect effect of SC on insomnia through FOR. METHODS Sixty-four African-American BCS completed a questionnaire assessing demographics, clinical characteristics, SC, FOR, and insomnia. Participants were an average of M = 8.41 (SD = 5.8) year survivors. The mediation was tested using PROCESS for SPSS. RESULTS The direct effect of SC on insomnia was significant (direct effect = .17, SE = .08, P = .04). Moreover, the indirect effect of SC on insomnia through FOR was significant (indirect effect = .19, SE = .10, 95% CI = .05, .41). CONCLUSIONS Experiencing SC from family and friends could produce cognitions that impact sleep for BCS, and FOR could be one of those cognitions. Family-based models of care that emphasize the emotional needs of survivors and families could be a relevant strategy to address the SC that impacts sleep.
Fault Analysis and Key Manufacturing Process Control of The Epoxy Pouring Current Transformer

With the advantages of small volume, light weight and high accuracy, the epoxy pouring current transformer is widely used in power systems of 35kV and below. The safety of its own equipment directly affects th1e safe and stable operation of power systems. This paper details an insulation breakdown fault of the epoxy pouring current transformer. The cause of the fault is clear and definite. In the manufacturing process of the current transformer, in order to make the primary copper winding located in the middle of the secondary winding, an insulating support block is installed between the primary winding and secondary winding in a fixed position. Then, in the pouring process, the insulating support block has not fully fused into an organic whole with the surrounding insulating medium, leaving a gap around the insulating support block. The insulating performance of the current transformer is reduced, which leads to the insulation breakdown after running for a long time. Based on this fault, the research on manufacturing technology of pouring current transformer is carried out, and the fault prevention measures are put forward.
A fuel cell free piston gas turbine hybrid architecture for high-efficiency, load-flexible power generation

Abstract Hybrid systems that incorporate fuel cells, such as fuel cell-gas turbine (FC-GT) and fuel cell-internal combustion engine (FC-ICE) systems, are increasing in popularity as a means to provide high-efficiency, load-flexible power generation. A free-piston gas turbine (FPGT) engine is a synergetic compromise between GTs and ICEs. This work is the first to propose an FC-FPGT hybrid architecture to provide high-efficiency, load-flexible power generation. To study the FC-FPGT system, a MATLAB thermodynamic system-level model was developed. Using this model, the effect of the subsystem and total compression ratios of the FPGT on the overall hybrid system efficiency was studied. When the FC electrical efficiency was 65%, the highest overall FC-FPGT efficiency was found to be 59.4% without the use of an exhaust heat recovery system. The FC-FPGT is also compared directly with two different FC-GT architectures: one in which only the anode tailgas is combusted before the turbine and a second in which additional fuel is input after the FC to be combusted before the turbine. The FC-GT architecture using no additional fuel after the FC has an overall system efficiency 6.1 percentage points higher than the FC-FPGT with half the power density. The FC-GT architecture using an equivalent amount of additional fuel has an efficiency that is 10 percentage points lower than the FC-FPGT, with a power density slightly lower than the FC-FPGT. Overall, the FC-FPGT is a better option than the FC-GT when power density, load flexibility, and system cost are more important than overall system efficiency.
Using a Z-score Approach to Combine Value andMomentum in Tactical Asset Allocation

This article presents several active strategies for combining value and momentum strategies in a tactical asset allocation (TAA) framework. It refines the basic yield approach to valuation by standardizing the value signal using the Z-score. Such standardization not only enables the authors to directly compare valuation measures across asset classes but also offers insight about each asset class’s absolute valuation by its own standard. Under the nonlinear approach, it helps to identify market peaks and bottoms. It improves the momentum strategy by considering both relative and absolute performances. In the combined TAA model, this modification to momentum acts as a simple mechanism to adjust the importance of value and momentum strategies under different market conditions. The combined model takes advantage of both short-term momentum effects and long-term mean-reversion in valuation to achieve superior overall portfolio performance. Finally, it also provides alternative models for smaller tracking errors.
An Evaluation of the Decreasing Incidence of Positive Surgical Margins in a Large Retropubic Prostatectomy Series

ABSTRACTPurpose: Positive surgical margins adversely affect biochemical recurrence-free survival after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) for prostate cancer. We retrospectively reviewed a large series of men who underwent RRP at a single academic university urology program to define the change in the incidence of organ confined (OC) disease and positive surgical margin (SM+) during the last 2 decades.Materials and Methods: Between 1982 and 2001, 9,035 men underwent RRP for clinically localized prostate cancer (T1 to T3a) at a single institution. We compared the incidences of OC disease and SM+ in this population.Results: An increasing proportion of men presented with OC disease over time. The incidence of SM+ in the overall RRP population decreased dramatically over time. However, in men with nonorgan confined disease (pT3), the proportion with SM+ was stable and consistently elevated (22.7% to 27.8%), after the initial decrease from the early 1980s (53%).Conclusions: Widespread early detection progr...
Self-reported and Documented Substance Use Among Adolescents in the Pediatric Hospital.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Adolescent substance use is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes. A hospitalization represents an opportunity to identify and address substance use. We sought to describe self-reported and documented substance use among hospitalized adolescents. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adolescents aged 14 to 18 years old admitted to two pediatric hospitals between August 2019 and March 2020. Using previously validated questions, we assessed the proportion of adolescents reporting ever, monthly, and weekly use of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, electronic cigarettes, and other illicit drugs and nonmedical use of prescription medications. We reviewed medical records for substance use documentation. RESULTS: Among 306 respondents, 57% were older (16–18 years old), 53% were female, and 55% were of non-Hispanic white race and ethnicity. The most frequently reported substances ever used were alcohol (39%), marijuana (33%), and electronic cigarettes (31%); 104 (34%) respondents reported ever use of >1 substance. Compared with younger adolescents, those aged 16 to 18 years were more likely to report ever use of alcohol (29% vs 46%; P = .002), marijuana (22% vs 41%; P CONCLUSIONS: In this study of hospitalized adolescents, the most commonly reported substances used were alcohol, marijuana, and electronic cigarettes. Positive substance use documentation was rare and often discordant with self-reported substance use. Efforts to improve systematic screening for substance use and interventions for prevention and cessation in hospitalized adolescents are critically needed.
D-Amphetamine Rapidly Reverses Dexmedetomidine-Induced Unconsciousness in Rats.

D-amphetamine induces emergence from sevoflurane and propofol anesthesia in rats. Dexmedetomidine is an α2-adrenoreceptor agonist that is commonly used for procedural sedation, whereas ketamine is an anesthetic that acts primarily by inhibiting NMDA-type glutamate receptors. These drugs have different molecular mechanisms of action from propofol and volatile anesthetics that enhance inhibitory neurotransmission mediated by GABAA receptors. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that d-amphetamine accelerates recovery of consciousness after dexmedetomidine and ketamine. Sixteen rats (Eight males, eight females) were used in a randomized, blinded, crossover experimental design and all drugs were administered intravenously. Six additional rats with pre-implanted electrodes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were used to analyze changes in neurophysiology. After dexmedetomidine, d-amphetamine dramatically decreased mean time to emergence compared to saline (saline:112.8 ± 37.2 min; d-amphetamine:1.8 ± 0.6 min, p < 0.0001). This arousal effect was abolished by pre-administration of the D1/D5 dopamine receptor antagonist, SCH-23390. After ketamine, d-amphetamine did not significantly accelerate time to emergence compared to saline (saline:19.7 ± 18.0 min; d-amphetamine:20.3 ± 16.5 min, p = 1.00). Prefrontal cortex local field potential recordings revealed that d-amphetamine broadly decreased spectral power at frequencies <25 Hz and restored an awake-like pattern after dexmedetomidine. However, d-amphetamine did not produce significant spectral changes after ketamine. The duration of unconsciousness was significantly longer in females for both dexmedetomidine and ketamine. In conclusion, d-amphetamine rapidly restores consciousness following dexmedetomidine, but not ketamine. Dexmedetomidine reversal by d-amphetamine is inhibited by SCH-23390, suggesting that the arousal effect is mediated by D1 and/or D5 receptors. These findings suggest that d-amphetamine may be clinically useful as a reversal agent for dexmedetomidine.
Valuation-Driven Cross-Border Acquisitions: Theory and Evidence from Private Equity

In this paper, I propose a theory that connects a Private Equity (PE) fund's valuation, a PE fund manager's expected ability and the likelihood of cross-border acquisitions. Using a model of costly-state verification, I show that an increase in a PE fund's valuation driven by economy-wide improvements raises the likelihood of a cross-border leveraged buyout (LBO) compared to a domestic LBO. Consistent with the model's key prediction, I find empirically that an increase in a PE fund's valuation, which captures the fund manager's expected ability, is associated with higher probability of cross-border acquisitions. The empirical estimates indicate a one-standard deviation increase in valuations, equivalent to approximately 5.2 percent of a fund's size, leads to at least an 11.9 percent increase in the predicted number of cross-border buyout deals compared to domestic LBOs.
Contextual intelligence: overcoming hindrances to performing well in times of change

Purpose – Intelligence is the adaptation to the environment. Therefore, intelligence rests on an individual's capacity to diagnose their context and not necessarily on IQ, test performance, or intellectual ability. This means that failure to diagnose the environment accurately can lead to the kind of mistakes that have a detrimental effect on an individual and an organization.Design/methodology/approach – This article focuses on the complexity of contextual intelligence, focusing on the behaviors that can both hinder and encourage contextual intelligence to address how to generate top performers across multiple contexts.Findings – Leadership is becoming so nuanced and idiosyncratic it is impossible or at best difficult to lead outside of a defined context. Therefore, a new set of skills is necessary that will enable its users to perform well in a variety of contexts. Intuition is quickly becoming a commodity that can have long‐term transferable value. However, developing a reliable sense of intuition take...
Enhanced Yields of Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria by In Situ Electrochemical Reduction of Soluble Iron in the Growth Medium

An electrochemical apparatus for culturing chemolithotrophic bacteria that respire aerobically on ferrous ions is described. Enhanced yields of the bacteria were achieved by the in situ electrochemical reduction of soluble iron in the growth medium. When subjected to a direct current of 30 A for 60 days, a 45-liter culture of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans grew from 6 × 107 to 9.5 × 109 cells per ml. Growth of the bacterium within the electrolytic bioreactor was linear with time. A final cell density corresponding to 4.7 g of wet cell paste per liter was achieved, and a total of 320 g of wet cell paste was harvested from one culture. The apparatus was designed to deliver protons concomitantly with electrons; therefore, the pH of the culture remained stable at 1.6 ± 0.1 for the duration of growth. This laboratory-scale apparatus may be readily adapted to pilot or production scale. It is thus anticipated that abundant numbers of iron-oxidizing bacteria may be obtained for both fundamental and applied studies.
Vertebrate Fidgetin Restrains Axonal Growth by Severing Labile Domains of Microtubules

Individual microtubules (MTs) in the axon consist of a stable domain that is highly acetylated and a labile domain that is not. Traditional MT-severing proteins preferentially cut the MT in the stable domain. In Drosophila, fidgetin behaves in this fashion, with targeted knockdown resulting in neurons with a higher fraction of acetylated (stable) MT mass in their axons. Conversely, in a fidgetin knockout mouse, the fraction of MT mass that is acetylated is lower than in the control animal. When fidgetin is depleted from cultured rodent neurons, there is a 62% increase in axonal MT mass, all of which is labile. Concomitantly, there are more minor processes and a longer axon. Together with experimental data showing that vertebrate fidgetin targets unacetylated tubulin, these results indicate that vertebrate fidgetin (unlike its fly ortholog) regulates neuronal development by tamping back the expansion of the labile domains of MTs.
Inferring Physical Parameters from Images of Vibrating Carbon Nanotubes.

We describe a hidden parameter inferencing algorithm for deducing the length, width, and vibration profile from images of thermally excited single-wall carbon nanotubes. With accurate estimates of these parameters, the Young's modulus can be deduced. The algorithm is sensitive to shot noise in the image, primarily because of the low nanotube image contrast. Noise causes the nanotube length and width to be overestimated, and the vibration amplitude to be underestimated. After correcting for shot noise, we infer an average value of the Young's modulus of = 1.20 +/- 0.20 TPa, which is larger than the currently accepted value for graphite.
Computer-assisted methods for assessing strain relatedness in Candida albicans by fingerprinting with the moderately repetitive sequence Ca3.

Abstract When used to probe EcoRI-digested Candida albicans DNA, the moderately repetitive sequence Ca3 generated a Southern blot hybridization pattern which included 15 to 25 bands, depending upon the strain. The pattern was stable through 400 generations in each of three independent strains but variable between most of 46 unrelated tester strains, making it a very effective probe for discrimination between strains. Computer-assisted methods (Dendron) were developed for storage of Ca3 patterns in data files, calculation of similarity (SAB) values between strains based upon band positions and intensities, and generation of histograms and dendrograms based on SAB values for all strains or any subset of strains in large epidemiological studies. In testing the effectiveness of the system, it was found that (i) multiple isolates from different body locations of the same healthy individual could represent either the same strain or different strains, (ii) isolates from oral lesions of a husband and wife represented the same strain, (iii) strains isolated from the mouths of 10 healthy individuals on the same day and in the same geographical location were as dissimilar on average as the 46 unrelated tester strains, and (iv) strains isolated from seven immunocompromised patients hospitalized over a 2.5-month period in the same hospital were highly similar, indicating nosocomial origin. The apparent effectiveness of these fingerprinting methods and the Dendron program suggests that interlaboratory procedures for fingerprinting should be standardized and all patterns should be analyzed and stored in a common and accessible data base for broad epidemiological analysis.
Neurotropic melanoma with prominent melanization

Neurotropic melanoma has generally been described in the context of desmoplastic melanoma. The vast majority of melanomas displaying neurotropism contain relatively little or no melanin. Herein, we report an unusual case of neurotropic melanoma with prominent melanin content. The patient developed a tumor notable for pagetoid (superficial spreading) melanoma with partial regression and a deep component characterized by perineurial aggregates of melanophages and intraneural infiltration by melanoma cells. This case serves to alert dermatopathologists to the fact that the spectrum of neurotropic melanoma includes tumors with perineurial aggregates of pigment-containing cells.
Differential Binding of Co(II) and Zn(II) to Metallo-beta-Lactamase Bla2 from Bacillus anthracis

In an effort to probe the structure, mechanism, and biochemical properties of metallo-beta-lactamase Bla2 from Bacillus anthracis, the enzyme was overexpressed, purified, and characterized. Metal analyses demonstrated that recombinant Bla2 tightly binds 1 equiv of Zn(II). Steady-state kinetic studies showed that mono-Zn(II) Bla2 (1Zn-Bla2) is active, while di-Zn(II) Bla2 (ZnZn-Bla2) was unstable. Catalytically, 1Zn-Bla2 behaves like the related enzymes CcrA and L1. In contrast, di-Co(II) Bla2 (CoCo-Bla2) is substantially more active than the mono-Co(II) analogue. Rapid kinetics and UV-vis, (1)H NMR, EPR, and EXAFS spectroscopic studies show that Co(II) binding to Bla2 is distributed, while EXAFS shows that Zn(II) binding is sequential. To our knowledge, this is the first documented example of a Zn enzyme that binds Co(II) and Zn(II) via distinct mechanisms, underscoring the need to demonstrate transferability when extrapolating results on Co(II)-substituted proteins to the native Zn(II)-containing forms.
The effects of behavioral vision training on multiple aspects of visual functioning in myopic adults

Twenty myopic adults were randomly assigned to either a behavioral visual acuity training program or to a no-treatment control group in order to assess changes in several aspects of visual behavior. Measures were obtained both pre- and posttraining for a number of variables. These included recognition and resolution visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, perceived clarity and confidence of responses, and stimulus duration. Results indicated that training subjects significantly improved on all three measures of visual acuity: recognition acuity, resolution acuity, and contrast sensitivity. Improvements in acuity were associated with significant improvements in the perceived clarity of the stimuli but not in the confidence of the subject's response. These data expand our knowledge concerning the effectiveness of behavioral training programs in improving visual acuity in myopia. The potential utility of such programs is discussed.
Clinical relevance of spore and pollen counts

Many people with allergies monitor daily pollen and spore counts with the belief that they can act on that information to improve their health. Because many factors can affect personal exposure, the value of community-wide counts for an individual is questionable. These factors include the presence of local pollen and spore sources, diurnal variations, weather effects, air pollution, and a particle-free bioaerosol. To take advantage of bioparticulate counts, the public needs to be informed about their meaning and factors that can influence personal exposure.
Subsistence ecology and play among the okavango delta peoples of botswana.

Children’s play is widely believed by educators and social scientists to have a training function that contributes to psychosocial development as well as the acquisition of skills related to adult competency in task performance. In this paper we examine these assumptions from the perspective of life-history theory using behavioral observation and household economic data collected among children in a community in the Okavango Delta of Botswana where people engage in mixed subsistence regimes of dry farming, foraging, and herding.
Citrullinemia: Investigation and treatment over afour-year period

A child with a severe form of citrullinemia has been studied over four years. The biochemical findings included increasedblood levels of citrulline, alanine, glutamine, homocitrulline, and carnosine, and increased urinary content of citrulline, glutamine, orotic acid, uracil, homocitrulline, and N-acetylcitrulline. Urea synthesis was compromised. The beneficial effect of dietary restriction of protein is illustrated by the rate of head growth and by the subsequent development of the child. Heterozygotes may be detected by assay of fasting plasma citrulline levels. Enzyme studies on cultured skin fibroblasts indicated a marked lack of argininosuccinate synthetase activity in the patient and approximately half-normal activity in three heterozygotes.
The number of performance assessments necessary to determine competence

Previous approaches to the issues of misclassifications and test length in criterion (competency, domain)-referenced assessment have usually been based on binomial or on Bayesian probability models which are not directly applicable to most instruction/selection decisions. The logic of the Sequential Probability Ratio Test, however, exactly parallels competency or mastery decision problems. It does not require a priori knowledge of individual examinees nor information about prior performance of other groups. It allows the examiner to establish reasonable levels of acceptance and rejection errors and specifies the minimum number of testing trials necessary to make individual decisions within these limits. The procedure, although mathematically unfamiliar to many practitioners, lends itself to a graphic solution with the use of only two tables.
Updates to the Data Quality Review Program: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac National Database

To ensure the credibility of this voluntary database, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons' National Database Audit and Validation Sub-Committee has been working during the past year to update and expand the group practice-based indicators used to assess the completeness, accuracy, and generalizability of the Adult Cardiac National Database. With increasing frequency, questions have been raised by third-party payors and regional/state-based groups as to the integrity of the data retained in the Adult Cardiac National Database. To work in conjunction with the Audit and Validation Sub-Committee to explicitly examine these issues, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons initiated a new Expert Advisory Panel review mechanism. This article describes the expanded data completeness and quality criteria that will be implemented in the coming year and summarizes the Expert Advisory Panel's recommendations for improvement.
A dietary test of putative deleterious sterols for the aphid Myzus persicae.

The aphid Myzus persicae displays high mortality on tobacco plants bearing a transgene which results in the accumulation of the ketosteroids cholestan-3-one and cholest-4-en-3-one in the phloem sap. To test whether the ketosteroids are the basis of the plant resistance to the aphids, M. persicae were reared on chemically-defined diets with different steroid contents at 0.1–10 µg ml−1. Relative to sterol-free diet and dietary supplements of the two ketosteroids and two phytosterols, dietary cholesterol significantly extended aphid lifespan and increased fecundity at one or more dietary concentrations tested. Median lifespan was 50% lower on the diet supplemented with cholest-4-en-3-one than on the cholesterol-supplemented diet. Aphid feeding rate did not vary significantly across the treatments, indicative of no anti-feedant effect of any sterol/steroid. Aphids reared on diets containing equal amounts of cholesterol and cholest-4-en-3-one showed fecundity equivalent to aphids on diets containing only cholesterol. Aphids were reared on diets that reproduced the relative steroid abundance in the phloem sap of the control and modified tobacco plants, and their performance on the two diet formulations was broadly equivalent. We conclude that, at the concentrations tested, plant ketosteroids support weaker aphid performance than cholesterol, but do not cause acute toxicity to the aphids. In plants, the ketosteroids may act synergistically with plant factors absent from artificial diets but are unlikely to be solely responsible for resistance of modified tobacco plants.
The characteristics of electric dipole strength built on highly-excited continuum states

Abstract High-energy γ-ray spectra from heavy-ion fusion reactions have been measured with low background and high resolution over a broad mass range. The data have been fitted with statistical-evaporation calculations in which the γ-ray strength associated with each level follows a lorentzian. The extracted resonance widths are generally much larger than the width of the giant dipole resonance built on the ground state of the compound system (gs-GDR). The centroids of these excited-state resonances are shifted from those of the gs-GDRs, but no simple A −1 3 dependence is evident. The most surprising result is that the extracted sum rule strengths of these resonances track those of the gs-GDRs observed in photoabsorption.
The Development of an Internalized Homonegativity Inventory for Gay Men

Because existing scales measuring internalized homonegativity suffer from various content validity flaws, a more valid instrument is needed. The purpose of this study was to develop and provide preliminary reliability and validity evidence for the Internalized Homonegativity Inventory (IHNI), which measures internalized homonegativity in gay men. Forty-two items were initially generated from a construct definition and were administered to 241 gay men living in the U.S. Exploratory factor analyses suggested that 23 items loaded on 3 subscales, which were labeled Personal Homonegativity, Gay Affirmation, and Morality of Homosexuality. IHNI scores correlated in expected directions and magnitude with measures of extroversion, emotional stability, stage of gay identity development, and another internalized homonegativity instrument. Implications of the three-factor structure of the IHNI for the conceptualization of internalized homonegativity are discussed.
Identification of substance use and dependence among patients with viral hepatitis.

Background As drug abuse and addiction have been shown to decrease adherence to treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) or HIV, screening for substance use should be standard clinical practice in those undergoing an evaluation for these diseases.
Knowledge, Processing, and Working Memory: Implications for a Theory of Writing

This article surveys writing research and attempts to sketch a principled account of how multiple sources of knowledge, stored in long-term memory, are coordinated during writing within the constraints of working memory. The concept of long-term working memory is applied to the development of writing expertise. Based on research reviewed, it is speculated that lack of fluent language generation processes constrains novice writers within short-term working memory capacity, whereas fluent encoding and extensive knowledge allow skilled writers to take advantage of long-term memory resources via long-term working memory.
Track 5: Social, Behavioral, Cultural and Ethical Factors Part 1

Compte-rendu de la rencontre annuelle de l'American Society for Information Association. L'auteur traite des questions liees aux aspects socio-culturel, comportemental et ethique dans la production comme dans l'utilisation de la connaissance : l'acces au numerique, les changements culturels, la notion de collaboration, les pratiques de recherche d'information, les differences entre populations, les bibliotheques electroniques, la flexibilite et le sur-mesure, la propriete intellectuelle, l'economie de l'information.
Protein phosphatase modulates the phosphorylation of spinal cord NMDA receptors in rats following intradermal injection of capsaicin.

Abstract The present study investigates the role of serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in the modulation of the phosphorylation of the NR1 and NR2B subunits of NMDA receptors in the spinal cord of rats following intradermal injection of capsaicin. The effects of a specific inhibitor of PP2A, fostriecin, on the expression of NR1, phospho-NR1, NR2B, and phospho-NR2B subunits of the NMDA receptor in the spinal cord of rats following noxious stimulation were examined. After continually perfusing with ACSF or fostriecin (3 μM) through a previously implanted microdialysis fiber for 30 min, central sensitization was initiated by injection of capsaicin into the plantar surface of the left paw of rats. The spinal cord was removed at different time points (30, 60, 90, 120, 180 min) after intradermal injection of capsaicin. Western blots were performed to examine the expression of NMDA subunits in spinal cord tissue by using specific antibodies. We found that the upregulated phosphorylation of both NR1 and NR2B subunits induced by capsaicin injection was significantly potentiated by the PP2A inhibitor without affecting the NR1 and NR2B protein itself. These results suggest that PP2A may have a regulatory effect on central sensitization induced by noxious stimuli in the periphery by regulating the phosphorylation state of NMDA receptors.
Activation of systemic, but not local, renin–angiotensin system is associated with upregulation of TNF-α during prolonged fasting in northern elephant seal pups

Northern elephant seal pups naturally endure a 2–3 month post-weaning fast that is associated with activation of systemic renin–angiotensin system (RAS), a decrease in plasma adiponectin (Acrp30), and insulin resistance (IR)-like conditions. Angiotensin II (Ang II) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are potential causal factors of IR, while Acrp30 may improve insulin signaling. However, the effects of fasting-induced activation of RAS on IR-like conditions in seals are not well described. To assess the effects of prolonged food deprivation on systemic and local RAS, and their potential contribution to TNF-α as they relate to an IR condition, the mRNA expressions of adipose and muscle RAS components and immuno-relevant molecules were measured along with plasma RAS components. Mean plasma renin activity and Ang II concentrations increased by 89 and 1658%, respectively, while plasma angiotensinogen (AGT) decreased by 49% over the fast, indicative of systemic RAS activation. Prolonged fasting was associated with decreases in adipose and muscle AGT mRNA expressions of 69 and 68%, respectively, corresponding with decreases in tissue protein content, suggesting suppression of local AGT production. Muscle TNF-α mRNA and protein increased by 239 and 314%, whereas those of adipose Acrp30 decreased by 32 and 98%, respectively. Collectively, this study suggests that prolonged fasting activates a systemic RAS, which contributes to an increase in muscle TNF-α and suppression of adipose Acrp30. This targeted and tissue-specific regulation of TNF-α and Acrp30 is likely coordinated to synergistically contribute to the development of an IR-like condition, independent of local RAS activity. These data enhance our understanding of the adaptive mechanisms evolved by elephant seals to tolerate potentially detrimental conditions.