cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of caffeine on metabolic activity and biofilm formation of Candida albicans on acrylic denture resin in the presence of nicotine.

Abstract Statement of problem Candida albicans has been implicated in denture stomatitis, and this effect is exacerbated by nicotine exposure. However, studies have also suggested that caffeine exposure inhibits the growth of C. albicans. The interaction effects of nicotine and caffeine are not yet clear on the growth of C. albicans. Purpose The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine the effect of caffeine on metabolic activity and biofilm formation of C. albicans growing on acrylic denture resin while simultaneously exposed to nicotine and, if an effect were to be identified, whether this effect would vary depending on the caffeine concentration. Material and methods A total of 240 acrylic resin specimens were divided into 2 equal groups (120 each). Specimens in one group were processed to measure C. albicans metabolic activity, and those in the other group were processed to measure C. albicans biofilm attachment. Ten subgroups (n=12) were established within each group with different concentration combinations of nicotine and caffeine to test the interaction effect. The first subgroup was designed as a negative control, containing 0 mg/mL of nicotine and caffeine. The following subgroups all contained 8.00 mg/mL of nicotine, and the caffeine concentrations were prepared at the following 9 levels: 0, 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 4.00, 8.00, 16.00, and 32.00 mg/mL. Metabolic activity was measured by using a 2,3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-carboxanilide (XTT) assay. Biofilm attachment was measured by using spiral plating and calculated in terms of the number of colony-forming units (CFUs)/mL. Descriptive statistics and a 2-way ANOVA were conducted to determine whether the concentrations of nicotine and caffeine used affected the biofilm attachment and metabolic activity of C. albicans (α=.05). Results The presence of 8 mg/mL of nicotine increased the metabolic activity and biofilm formation of C. albicans. When compared with the 0 mg/mL of caffeine and 8.00 mg/mL of nicotine group, caffeine from 1.00 to 4.00 mg/mL significantly increased C. albicans biofilm metabolic activity. Caffeine at 16.00 and 32.00 mg/mL significantly decreased C. albicans biofilm metabolic activity in the presence of 8 mg/mL of nicotine. Caffeine from 1.00 to 32.00 mg/mL significantly decreased the biofilm formation of C. albicans in the presence of 8 mg/mL of nicotine. Conclusions The presence of 8 mg/mL of nicotine alone increased the metabolic activity and biofilm formation of C. albicans. In the presence of 8 mg/mL of nicotine with different caffeine concentrations, the results suggest that, overall, caffeine at higher concentrations (16 and 32 mg/mL) inhibited the metabolic activity and biofilm formation of C. albicans on acrylic denture resin most.
Abstract I13: Modulating the immune response with epigenetic agents

Epigenetic modulation offers the potential of altering key tumor-immune interactions to allow for more effective therapeutic targeting. Epigenetic abnormalities in cancer in the tumor-immune response will be discussed, as well as data that support the reversibility of these lesions with epigenetic modulators. Preclinical and emerging clinical data in solid tumors will be surveyed, with an eye towards how these data support the rationale of epigenetic-immunotherapy combinations in pancreatic cancer. Citation Format: Nilofer S. Azad. Modulating the immune response with epigenetic agents [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Advances in Science and Clinical Care; 2019 Sept 6-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(24 Suppl):Abstract nr I13.
The Kasimovian-Gzhelian Boundary and Associated Microfauna of the Transgressive Part of the Finis Shale Cycle (Graham Formation, Cisco Group, Pennsylvanian) in North-Central Texas, USA

The transgressive part of the Finis Shale cycle (Graham Formation, Cisco Group, Virgilian, Pennsylvanian) in North-Central Texas contains abundant conodonts of the group Idiognathodussimulator, the species I. simulator being the global marker of the Kasimovian–Gzhelian boundary. The interval also has a dominantly agglutinated foraminiferal fauna with scarce calcareous taxa. A thin calcareous unit with a diverse Triticites fusulinid fauna directly underlies the Finis Shale.
Human GBP1 promotes pathogen vacuole rupture and inflammasome activation during Legionella pneumophila infection

The inflammasome is an essential component of host defense against intracellular bacterial pathogens, such as Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of the severe pneumonia Legionnaires disease. Inflammasome activation leads to recruitment and activation of caspases, which promote IL-1 family cytokine release and pyroptosis. In mice, interferon (IFN) signaling promotes inflammasome responses against L. pneumophila, in part through the functions of a family of IFN-inducible GTPases known as guanylate binding proteins (GBPs) (1). Within murine macrophages, IFN signaling promotes rupture of the L. pneumophila-containing vacuole (LCV), whereas GBPs are dispensable for vacuole rupture. Instead, GBPs facilitate the lysis of cytosol-exposed L. pneumophila. In contrast to mouse GBPs, the functions of human GBPs in inflammasome responses to L. pneumophila are poorly understood. Here, we show that IFN-{gamma} promotes caspase-1, caspase-4, and caspase-5 inflammasome activation during L. pneumophila infection and upregulates GBP expression in primary human macrophages. We find that human GBP1 is important for maximal IFN-{gamma}-driven inflammasome responses to L. pneumophila. Furthermore, IFN-{gamma} signaling promotes the rupture of LCVs. Intriguingly, in contrast to murine GBPs, human GBP1 targets the LCV in a T4SS-dependent manner and promotes vacuolar lysis, resulting in increased bacterial access to the host cell cytosol. Our findings show a key role for human GBP1 in targeting and disrupting pathogen-containing vacuoles and reveal mechanistic differences in how mouse and human GBPs promote inflammasome responses to L. pneumophila.
Mucosal microbiota and metabolome along the intestinal tracts reveals location specific relationship

Abstract Background The intestinal microbiota has been recognized as an important component for maintaining human health. The perturbation to its structure has been implicated in many diseases, such as obesity and cancers. The microbiota is highly metabolically active and plays a role in many metabolic pathways absent from the human host. Altered microbiota metabolism has also been linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and colorectal cancer. However, there is a gap in the current knowledge of how the microbiota interacts with its host. Here we performed an integrated analysis between the mucosal-associated microbiota and the mucosal tissue metabolomics in healthy non-human primates (NHPs) to investigate these relationships. Results We found that the overall microbiota composition is influenced by both the tissue location as well as the host individual. The NHPs intestinal microbiota predominantly comprised of members of the phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria. The large intestines contain more Spirochaetes, Tenericutes, and Lentisphaera phyla members. The small intestinal tissues have no significantly different microbiota compositions, while the cecum and distal colon differ greatly in the microbiota compositions. The metabolomics profile reveals a total of 140 metabolites with different concentration between the small and large intestines. The correlations between microbiota and tissue metabolites showed a dense and interconnected network in the small intestines while a sparse network in the large intestines. Conclusions Our analysis revealed an intricate global relationship between the microbiota and the host tissue metabolome that is mainly driven by the distal colon. Most importantly, we found location specific microbiota-metabolite correlations that have potential implications for studying host-microbiota metabolic interactions.
Potential new onset clinically detectable pentosan polysulfate maculopathy years after drug cessation.

Purpose To describe a potential case of pentosan polysulfate maculopathy that appeared to manifest nearly three years after drug cessation. Methods Complete ophthalmic examination including multimodal fundus imaging, electroretinography, automated perimetry, and molecular testing were performed. Results A 44-year-old female with a 435g cumulative exposure to pentosan polysulfate sodium presented 38-months after drug cessation with six months of worsening metamorphopsia and prolonged dark adaptation. Fundus exam and multimodal fundus imaging demonstrated characteristic features of pentosan polysulfate maculopathy, and molecular testing was unremarkable. In contrast, color fundus photos of the same patient acquired at an outside facility 25 months prior did not display features consistent with PPS maculopathy. Conclusion This case suggests that new onset clinically detectable pentosan polysulfate maculopathy may develop years after drug cessation. If corroborated, this finding has important ramifications for PPS dosing and surveillance guidelines.
Natural history of Waldenström macroglobulinemia following acquired resistance to ibrutinib monotherapy.

Ibrutinib is highly active and produces long-term responses in patients with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM), but acquired resistance can occur with prolonged treatment. We therefore evaluated the natural history and treatment outcomes in 51 WM patients with acquired resistance to ibrutinib monotherapy. The median time between ibrutinib initiation and discontinuation was 2 years (range, 0.4-6.5). Following discontinuation of ibrutinib, a rapid increase in serum IgM level was observed in 60% (29/48) of evaluable patients, of whom 10 acutely developed symptomatic hyperviscosity. Forty-eight patients (94%) received salvage therapy after ibrutinib. The median time to salvage therapy after ibrutinib cessation was 18 days (95% CI 13-27). The overall and major response rates to salvage therapy were 56% and 44%, respectively, and the median duration of response was 48 months (95% CI 34-not reached). Quadruple-class (rituximab, alkylator, proteasome inhibitor, ibrutinib) exposed disease (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.05-0.73) and salvage therapy 07 days after discontinuing ibrutinib (OR 4.12, 95% CI 1.07-18.9) were identified as independent predictors of a response to salvage therapy. The 5-year overall survival (OS) following discontinuation of ibrutinib was 44% (95% CI 26-75%). Response to salvage therapy was associated with better OS after ibrutinib (HR 0.08, 95% CI 0.02-0.38). TP53 mutations were associated with shorter OS, while acquired BTKC481S mutations had no impact. Our findings reveal that continuation of ibrutinib until subsequent treatment is associated with improved disease control and clinical outcomes.
Segmenting Wildlife Value Orientations to Mitigate Human–Wildlife Conflict for Ecotourism Development in Protected Areas

Ecotourism is increasingly being adopted to improve the livelihoods of local communities and fulfill conservation goals. Many critical actors, including but not limited to governments and conservat...
A New Schiff Base Chemodosimeter for Fluorescent Imaging of Ferric Ions in Living Cells

A new and efficient chemodosimeter for ferric ions has been developed. The visual and fluorescent behaviors of the compound toward various metal ions were investigated: ferric ions are distinguished from other cations by selective color change and unusual fluorescence enhancement in mixed aqueous solution. Fluorescence microscopy experiments showed that this receptor is effective for detection of Fe3+ in vitro, developing a good image of the biological organelles. The sensing mechanism is shown to involve a hydrolysis process.
Social Influence Network Theory: The Smallest Group

In this chapter, we analyze the process of interpersonal influence on attitudes in isolated dyads. Dyadic relationships are usually part of larger networks of interpersonal relationships. Although most relationships are not isolated, there are instances of dyads whose members are isolated on particular issues that do not involve the influences of other persons. Here, our theoretical focus is on the influence systems of such isolated dyads, the smallest groups in which interpersonal influence may occur. Simmel (1950) argued that social processes in isolated dyads are qualitatively different from those in triads and larger groups. He suggested that the presence of a third party (e.g., a “tertius gaudens”) importantly modifies the interaction between two persons. His ideas are not rigorously described but they are, nonetheless, important in sensitizing us to the possibility that certain social processes may occur in isolated dyads that do not occur in embedded dyads. Other investigators also have suggested that dyads are different from larger groups, that they may not simply be a special case of a group with n persons, but entail distinctive mechanisms (Levine and Moreland 1990: 586). For instance, Levine and Moreland (1998: 417) write, Most social psychologists view dyads as groups, noting broad similarities between social behavior in dyads and larger groups. But several important differences have been noted as well (Moreland, Hogg, and Hains 1994). […]
Global Modeling of Ozone and Trace Gases

Abstract A three-dimensional, global atmospheric model for simulation of the distribution of ozone and other trace gases Is described. The model extends from the surface to 60 km, Including a comprehensive formulation of the relevant chemistry. Simulated distributions of some of the constituents Important to understanding the stratospheric ozone budget are presented and discussed with respect to degree of agreement with observations. The seasonal evolution of the global distribution of the stratospheric ozone column Is discussed. The interaction between dynamical and chemical processes is illustrated during disturbed winter conditions in the mid-stratosphere.
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF RHODOTORULA GLUTINIS

Thyagarajan, T. R. (Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, N. H.), S. F. Conti, and H. B. Naylor. Electron microscopy of Rhodotorula glutinis. J. Bacteriol. 83:381-394. 1962.-The structure and manner of nuclear division in Rhodotorula glutinis was studied by electron microscopy of ultrathin sections. Parallel studies with the light microscope, employing conventional staining techniques and phase-contrast microscope observations on nuclei in living cells, were carried out. The nucleus is spherical to oval and is bounded by a nuclear membrane. Intranuclear structures, identified as nucleoli, and electron-transparent areas were observed. The nuclear membrane persists throughout the various stages of cell division. Observations of the nucleus with the electron microscope revealed that nuclear division occurs by a process of elongation and constriction similar to that seen in both living and stained cells. The fine structure of mitochondria and other components of the yeast cell and their behavior during cell division are described. The absence of vacuoles in actively dividing cells of Rhodotorula glutinis lends further support to the view that the vacuole is not an integral part of the nucleus. The results with the electron microscope generally support and considerably extend those obtained with living and stained cells.
Which patients and orthopedic material do get infected with Gram-negative non-fermenting rods?

The 1st and 2nd generation cephalosporins used for perioperative prophylaxis do not cover non-fermenting Gram-negative rods (NFR).
Top-down approach to segmentation of prostate boundaries in ultrasound images

Ultrasound has been increasingly used in surgical procedures of the prostate in recent years. Segmentation of prostate boundaries from ultrasound images is clinically useful in such situations as accurate volume measurement, and tumor margin estimation, and it can also provide real-time targeted image guidance during procedures such as biopsy and ablation. Automatic segmentation of the prostate, however, is a challenging task since the ultrasound images usually have high level of speckle noises due to large amount of random scatters and thus they have a very low signal-to-noise ratio. As a result, physicians have to use manual methods to draw contours of the prostate, slice by slice, in order to calculate prostate volume information. This is a tedious work and apparently it delays the whole clinical procedures. In addition, accuracy of the segmented prostate boundaries cannot be guaranteed due to significant variations among different physicians or with the same physician at different times. In this paper, we present a top-down approach to the segmentation of prostate ultrasound images using a snake model, as compared to most existing bottom-up methods. Special measures were taken to deal with the high speckle noises and complex shapes of prostate boundaries. In general, median filtering proved to be effective in removing speckle noises. We extensively evaluated most of the existing edge detection methods and found that the logic combination of Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG) and Sobel operator provided the best performance in finding the useful image gradients. Parameters of the snake were dynamically optimized, and the shape information of the prostate was used as a strong guidance during the deformation process of the snake model. Experimental results with several ultrasound prostate images with various levels of noises were presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Healthcare Ethics: A Patient-Centered Decision Model

A common financial model used in business decisions is the cost/benefit comparison. The costs of a proposed project are compared with the benefits, and if the benefits outweigh the costs, the project is accepted; if the costs exceed the benefits, the project is rejected. This model is applicable when tangible costs and benefits can be reasonably measured in monetary units. However, it is difficult to consider intangible factors in this model because intangible factors cannot be readily quantified in money. While some might argue that the financial model should not apply to healthcare decisions, the fact is that costs do enter into the picture. People may decide to forego needed healthcare because they cannot afford it. Healthcare providers may make choices based in part on the costs of diagnosis and treatment, rather than solely on medical information and what is best for the patient. Should financial issues enter into healthcare decisions--decisions about human health and well being? If so, how should the costs and benefits be measured and evaluated? What are some ethical issues and dilemmas involved in such decisions. This paper addresses ethical dilemmas and financial issues in healthcare. A healthcare decision model, which considers medical information, financial information, as well as ethical and other intangible factors, is proposed.
Diffuse Interstellar Gas

Figures 1a-c, taken from Colomb, Poppel, and Heiles (1980), shows the H I structure on the sky in Galactic coordinates for three LSR velocity ranges: two small ranges centered at -8 and +8 km/s, which exhibit some prominent individual features, and a large range around 0 km/s to exhibit nearly the full amount of gas, irrespective of velocity. In addition, Figure 1d contains a panel containing sketches of prominent OB associations (Blaauw, 1964), and dark clouds above declination -30° (Lynds, 1962); regions of enhanced diffuse X ray emission (McCammon et al., 1983) and radio continuum loops (Berkhuijsen, Haslam, and Salter, 1971); and the Orion nebula. Figure 1 constitutes a capsule summary of our knowledge about the structure of H I and its relation to other interstellar phenomena.
Regional and Racial Disparity of Preterm Birth Prevalence in Georgia, 1995–2012

Preterm birth (PTB), defined as a live birth with a gestational age of less than 37 weeks, is the leading cause of infant mortality in developed countries. Recent studies have shown increases in PTB rates through the 1990s and 2000s in the United States, especially in a few states in the southeast including Georgia. Although researchers have studied the epidemiology of PTB in several regions, the spatial-temporal patterns of PTB rates in Georgia remain largely unexplored. This paper examines the spatial variations of PTB prevalence in Georgia at the county level between 1995 and 2012. Spatial clusters are assessed using global Moran's I and local indicators of spatial association (LISA). For disparity analysis, comparisons are made between births classified by race (black vs. white) and by four levels of urbanization. Results indicated a steady increase in PTB rates for both black and white births of all four urbanization classifications from 1995 to 2007, followed by a general decline from 2007 to 2012 f...
Evaluation of TR-MUSIC algorithm efficiency in detecting breast microcalcifications

Early detection is key to surviving breast cancer. The earliest indication of potential breast cancer detectable by current screening methods is the presence of microcalcifications. The low efficiency of ultrasound in detecting these microcalcifications is due to several factors, including the low spatial resolution of the ultrasound images and the speckle noise, which masks the tiny microcalcifications. This paper aims to investigate the efficiency of the time reversal multiple signal classification algorithm in detecting breast microcalcifications. Experiments were performed on numerical phantoms, and results show that the TR-MUSIC algorithm efficiency depends on several parameters.
Tentative interpretive criteria for disk diffusion susceptibility testing of sparfloxacin.

Abstract Susceptibility to sparfloxacin was tested simultaneously by the agar dilution and disk diffusion methods. For tests with 5-micrograms sparfloxacin disks, we propose that the breakpoints for the susceptibility and resistance categories should be > or = 19 and < or = 15 mm, respectively. Most minor discrepancies involved tests with pseudomonads.
Surface functionalized manganese ferrite nanocrystals for enhanced uranium sorption and separation in water

Developments in nanoscale engineering now allow for molecular scale optimization of reactivity, sorption, and magnetism, among other properties, for advanced, material-based environmental applications, including sorption, separation, and sensing of radionuclides. Herein, we describe novel, monodisperse nanoscale manganese ferrite crystals (MnFe2O4) for ultra-high capacity environmental sorption and subsequent separation of uranyl in water. System optimization was explored as a function of nanocrystal (core) composition, surface coating(s), and water chemistry. 11 nm MnFe2O4 nanocrystals, which were colloidally stabilized via engineered oleyl-based surface bilayers, demonstrate extreme, yet specific, uranium binding capacities while remaining monomerically stable under environmentally relevant conditions (water chemistries), which are key for application. In particular, MnFe2O4 cores with oleyl phosphate (as the outer facing layer) bilayers demonstrate preferential uranium binding of >150% (uranium weight)/(particle system weight) while being highly water stable in elevated ionic strengths/types and pH (up to 235.4 ppm (10.24 mM) of NaCl and 51.3 ppm (1.28 mM) of CaCl2, in addition to 60 ppm of uranyl, pH 5–9). Further, when normalized for size and surface coatings, MnFe2O4 nanocrystals had significantly enhanced sorption capacities compared to Mn2FeO4, Fe3O4 and manganese oxide core analogs. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that observed uranium sorption enhancement is due not only to thermodynamically favorable interfacial interactions (for both particle and selected bilayer coatings), but also due to significant uranyl reduction at the particle interface itself. Uranium sorption capacities for optimized systems described are the highest of any material reported to date.
Predictors of Service Effort: An Investigation of Cruise Line Service Workers

ABSTRACT Improving service quality will continue to be a vital goal for hospitality and tourism organizations in the new millennium. As service worker performance directly impacts customer's evaluation of quality, further investigation of methods of improving performance are necessary. Service effort is a construct that has received little attention in the literature, but may be a significant factor in linking employee attitudes and customer perceptions of service quality. This exploratory study tested three popular managerial constructs to determine the extent to which they predict service effort. Using data from 331 service workers from two cruise line operations organizations, motivation, organizational commitment and job satisfaction were regressed against service effort. Results indicate that organizational commitment was the greatest predictor of service effort, followed by motivation. One dimension of job satisfaction (satisfaction with company), failed to yield a significant relationship with serv...
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology for reliable RF MEMS

A nano-layer inorganic coating technology has been developed to protect RF MEMS from electrical shorting as well as long-term reliability failures due to charging or moisture. The combination of alumina dielectric and zinc-oxide conducting layers can be constructed one atomic layer at a time. At 177/spl deg/C, the released RF MEMS devices can be coated on a wafer or as a single device with conformal, inorganic coverage where the thickness and electrical conductivity can be controlled to meet desired values. With additional chemical treatment, the surface could be made hydrophobic to avoid moisture-induced stiction. The long-term reliability problem is the main barrier that impedes the growth of RF MEMS applications. This novel atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology can help in overcoming this limitation.
The Tell-the-Tale Detail

Attempting a definition of the role of details in architecture, Philip Johnson (1964: 137) an architectural guru quotes a maxime which within the architectural community has always been ascribed to Mies Van der Rohe: “God lies in the detail”. „Der liebe Gott steckt im Detail.“ The German version of the adage, perhaps the original source of Mies’s maxime, was used by Aby Warburg, an art historian, to indicate the foundation of the iconographical method for re-searching in art history. «Le bon Dieu est dans le detail.» The French version has been attributed to Gustave Flaubert and in this case was used as indication of a manner of literary production (Hecresche, 1974:101). The common denominator in these three different forms and uses of the maxime indicates that the process of signification is in the detail. This concept has triggered the following sequence of thoughts and observation on the role of the detail in the process of signification in architecture. The aim of this paper is to show that the role of detail is that of being the generator, a role traditionally ascribed to the plan (Le Corbusier, 1924), and that technology with its dual presence as techne of logos and logos of techne (Frascari, 1981) is the base for the understanding of the role of details.
Redescribing Health Privacy: The Importance of Information Policy

Current conversations about health information policy often tend to be based on three broad assumptions. First, many perceive a tension between regulation and innovation. We often hear that privacy regulations are keeping researchers, companies, and providers from aggregating the data they need to promote innovation. Second, aggregation of fragmented data is seen as a threat to its proper regulation, creating the risk of breaches and other misuse. Third, a prime directive for technicians and policymakers is to give patients ever more granular methods of control over data. This article questions and complicates those assumptions, which I deem (respectively) the Privacy Threat to Research, the Aggregation Threat to Privacy, and the Control Solution.This article is also intended to enrich our concepts of “fragmentation” and “integration” in health care. There is a good deal of sloganeering around “firewalls” and “vertical integration” as idealized implementations of “fragmentation” and “integration” (respective). The problem, though, is that terms like these (as well as “disruption”) are insufficiently normative to guide large-scale health system change. They describe, but they do not adequately prescribe.By examining those instances where: a) regulation promotes innovation, and b) increasing (some kinds of) availability of data actually enhances security, confidentiality, and privacy protections, this article attempts to give a richer account of the ethics of fragmentation and integration in the U.S. health care system. But, it also has a darker side, highlighting the inevitable conflicts of values created in a “reputation society” driven by stigmatizing social sorting systems. Personal data control may exacerbate social inequalities. Data aggregation may increase both our powers of research and our vulnerability to breach. The health data policymaking landscape of the next decade will feature a series of intractable conflicts between these important social values.
Some insights from translating conversational telephone speech

We report insights from translating Spanish conversational telephone speech into English text by cascading an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system with a statistical machine translation (SMT) system. The key new insight is that the informal register of conversational speech is a greater challenge for ASR than for SMT: the BLEU score for translating the reference transcript is 64%, but drops to 32% for translating automatic transcripts, whose word error rate (WER) is 40%. Several strategies are examined to mitigate the impact of ASR errors on the SMT output: (i) providing the ASR lattice, instead of the 1-best output, as input to the SMT system, (ii) training the SMT system on Spanish ASR output paired with English text, instead of Spanish reference transcripts, and (iii) improving the core ASR system. Each leads to consistent and complementary improvements in the SMT output. Compared to translating the 1-best output of an ASR system with 40% WER using an SMT system trained on Spanish reference transcripts, translating the output lattice of a better ASR system with 35% WER using an SMT system trained on ASR output improves BLEU from 32% to 38%.
The Impact of Inspector Fallibility on the Inspection Policy in Serial Production Systems

Appropriate inspection is a significant component of production systems. In this paper a model is developed to determine the optimal placement of inspection stations within n-stage linear production systems. This model accommodates two types of inspector fallibility: "predictable," which implies that the error rates are known and constant, and "erratic," which requires a random variable to describe inspector performance. Cost per good unit accepted by the customer is used as the optimizing criterion. The cost-quality response surface is explored through a sequential sensitivity analysis. Our results indicate that under certain conditions the level of predictable inspector fallibility significantly impacts the number and placement of inspection stations as well as cost per good unit produced. The modeled systems, however, were quite insensitive to the variability of inspector performance. This production-inspection model provides management with information on the optimal number and placement of inspection stations for specific planned or existing serial production systems. It can also be used by management to explore various policy options, such as the cost implications of increasing the quality vs. the quantity of inspection stations. The data required by the model can be obtained at reasonable cost provided management is willing to estimate or determine judgementally certain of the variables.
Ab Initio Investigation of Proton Transfer in Ammonia−Hydrogen Chloride and the Effect of Water Molecules in the Gas Phase

The gas-phase proton-transfer reaction of ammonia−hydrogen chloride and the effect of the first three water molecules are investigated by high-level ab initio calculations on the molecular clusters NH3−HCl−(H2O)n, n = 0, 1, 2, 3. The equilibrium structures, binding energies, and harmonic frequencies of the clusters as well as the potential energy surfaces along the proton-transfer pathway of ammonia−hydrogen chloride are calculated at the second-order Moller−Plesset perturbation (MP2) level with the extended basis set 6-311++G(d,p). Either without water or with one water molecule, the ammonia−hydrogen chloride system exists as a usual hydrogen-bonded complex. With two or three water molecules, the system becomes an ion pair resulting from the complete transfer of a proton from hydrogen chloride to ammonia. The potential energy surfaces along the proton-transfer pathway are examined to understand the effect of the water molecules. The harmonic frequencies and infrared intensities of the clusters provide ad...
Bi-objective analysis of waste load allocation using fuzzy linear programming

Because of its complexity from both a legal and economic standpoint, the problem of optimal waste load allocation is multiobjective by nature and should be treated accordingly. To perform this task, an optimization technique known as fuzzy linear programming is utilized in solving a multiple-discharge, two-objective waste load allocation problem. The two objectives considered are: (1) the maximization of waste discharge and (2) the minimization of the largest difference in equity measure between the various dischargers. Results from this study reveal that fuzzy linear programming is a valuable tool for solving the multiple-objective water quality management problems. Moreover, it is shown that the selection of a linear or logistic membership function in providing preference criteria between the two objects, has no effect on the ‘best compromising solution’.
Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-cationic polylactide nanocomplexes of differing charge density for gene delivery

Representing a new type of biodegradable cationic block copolymer, well-defined poly(ethylene glycol)-block-cationic polylactides (PEG-b-CPLAs) with tertiary amine-based cationic groups were synthesized by thiol-ene functionalization of an allyl-functionalized diblock precursor. Subsequently the application of PEG-b-CPLAs as biodegradable vectors for the delivery of plasmid DNAs (pDNAs) was investigated. Via the formation of PEG-b-CPLA:pDNA nanocomplexes by spontaneous electrostatic interaction, pDNAs encoding luciferase or enhanced green fluorescent protein were successfully delivered to four physiologically distinct cell lines (including macrophage, fibroblast, epithelial, and stem cell). Formulated nanocomplexes demonstrated high levels of transfection with low levels of cytotoxicity and hemolysis when compared to a positive control. Biophysical characterization of charge densities of nanocomplexes at various polymer:pDNA weight ratios revealed a positive correlation between surface charge and gene delivery. Nanocomplexes with high surface charge densities were utilized in an in vitro serum gene delivery inhibition assay, and effective gene delivery was observed despite high levels of serum. Overall, these results help to elucidate the influence of charge, size, and PEGylation of nanocomplexes upon the delivery of nucleic acids in physiologically relevant conditions.
A Bayesian approach to fingerprint minutia localization and quality assessment using adaptable templates

Fingerprints continue to serve as a reliable trait for human identification. Feature-based matching techniques, such as those used by Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS), have demonstrated remarkable success in minutiae-based matching from good quality prints with relatively large extent. As the image quality degrades and acquired fingerprint area decreases, however, the number of reliable minutiae that can be automatically detected decreases, causing match performance to suffer. This paper presents a novel approach to improving the precision of features that can be extracted from fingerprint images. This is accomplished through improved minutia localization and quality assessment routines that are inspired in part by human visual perception. Initial results have shown an improvement in minutia accuracy for 88.2% of fingerprint minutia sets after applying the proposed localization method. An increase in average quality of true minutiae was found for 98.6% of the fingerprint images when using the proposed quality assessment. The results were obtained using a database of 516 fingerprints with ground truth minutiae.
Stability of atropine sulfate prepared for mass chemical terrorism.

AbstractBackground. Preparedness for chemical terrorism includes the procurement of the appropriate pharmacological antagonists. A large emphasis has been placed on having a sufficient quantity of atropine available to treat patients exposed to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors such as sarin. Severe exposures may necessitate the administration of large amounts of atropine and dictate the need to prepare significant quantities of extemporaneously compounded atropine solution to respond to mass numbers of casualties over the first 24–48 hours postexposure. Objective. The objective of this project was to determine the stability of a 1 mg/mL atropine solution prepared in multidose IV solutions of 0.9% sodium chloride over a 72‐hr period stored at varying temperatures. Methods. Atropine sulfate solution 1 mg/mL in 0.9% sodium chloride was prepared from sterile pharmaceutical‐grade atropine sulfate powder. Multidose bags of atropine sulfate (100 mL) were stored at controlled temperatures of 4°C to 8°C, 20°C to 25...
SEX‐RELATED ATTITUDES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES

Abstract First, differences in attitudes and beliefs towards masculine and feminine roles as well as legal and social facts in the U.S. are presented. Due to women's and civil rights movements those differences are changing now. However, inequalities and barriers for changing are still not completely overcome, often referring to differences in temperament and motivation between men and women which are assumed to be based on biological and/or socializing factors. In the U.S. sample, sex differences emerged on the following variables: Marriage importance (F> M), Masculinity score for self (M > F), Femininity score for self (F > M), Femininity score for ideal man (F > M), Masculinity score for ideal women (F > M) and Competitiveness (M > F). Academic orientation also influences the Educational Aspirations and Expectations (college > technical) and the Masculinity score for the ideal woman (college > technical). Suggestions are given for future research work: finding techniques to decrease sex stereotypes and...
A Theory of Consumer Boycotts under Symmetric Information and Imperfect Competition

This article models strategic interactions between non-identical duopolistic firms and a public interest/environmental organisation (EO) that promotes ‘green’ production practices by threatening consumer boycotts against ‘brown’ producers. The article describes when boycotts are deterred by prior firm commitments to be ‘green’ and, also when a boycott arises in equilibrium, despite symmetric information. When a boycott arises, it is either a small persistent boycott against the ‘small firm’ in the industry, or a large transitory boycott against the ‘large firm’ in the industry that prompts the target firm to accede to the boycott demands quickly.
Toward an image of male partnership

(1990). Toward an image of male partnership. Psychological Perspectives: Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 95-110.
Expression of guanylate cyclase-A mRNA in the rat retina: detection using polymerase chain reaction.

Abstract A technique based on RNA-PCR was successfully employed for the detection of guanylate cyclase-A (GC-A) mRNA in the rat retina. Three sets of primers designed from the published cDNA sequence of rat brain guanylate cyclase-A (GC-A) produced amplification products of expected sizes from the retina as well as brain. Analysis of retinal PCR products yielded a 970 bp sequence, which showed 100% homology to the cDNA sequence of GC-A (2343–3312 bp region). Northern blot analysis was not very sensitive for the detection of GC-A mRNA in the retina. The results indicate that the mRNA for GC-A (or a closely related form) is probably expressed in the retina, but at a lower level than that found in the brain.
THE REVIVAL OF NARRATIVE: REFLECTIONS ON A NEW OLD HISTORY

Tacitus to Gibbon and Macaulay the composition of narrative in lively and elegant prose was always accounted their highest ambition. History was regarded as a branch of rhetoric. For the last fifty years, however, this story-telling function has fallen into ill repute among those who have regarded themselves as in the vanguard of the profession, the practitioners of the so-called "new history" of the postSecond-World-War era.1 In France story-telling was dismissed as "l'histoire evenementielle". Now, however, I detect evidence of an undercurrent which is sucking many prominent "new historians" back again into some form of narrative. Before embarking upon an examination of the evidence for such a shift and upon some speculations about what may have caused it, a number of things had better be made clear. The first is what is meant here by "narrative".2 Narrative is taken to mean the organization of material in a chronologically sequential order and the focusing of the content into a single coherent story, albeit with sub-plots. The two essential ways in which narrative history differs from structural history is that its arrangement is descriptive rather than analytical and that its central focus is on man not circumstances. It therefore
A Survey of Ethics Content in College-Level Remote Sensing Courses in the United States

Abstract Easier access to submeter imagery has fueled debates over ethical uses of remote sensing. Some have called for ethics instruction to counter undesired uses of the technology. Here, this article reports the results of a survey examining attitudes related to teaching ethics in remote sensing. It was found that 52 percent of respondents teaching remote sensing include ethical use discussions. Agreement on the importance of ethics instruction is statistically associated with the year the instructor received their degree, the highest degree awarded by their department, the number of remote sensing courses offered at their institution, and their prior exposure to ethical debates in remote sensing.
The Long‐Term Consequences of Infant Day‐Care and Mother‐Infant Attachment

The aim of this study was to explore the within-group effects of mother-infant attachment and day-care on children's social and emotional adaptation at 42 months and in the early school years. For this high-risk sample, the effects of day-care depended on the quality of mother-infant attachment. Day-care appeared to have a negative effect for secure children but had a positive influence for insecure children. For the secure group, children in day-care were more negative and avoidant at 42 months, and they were more externalizing and aggressive in kindergarten compared to the home-reared group. In contrast, day-care children who were insecurely attached were less withdrawn and more agentic. Overall, day-care children were rated higher on externalizing behavior in kindergarten than home-reared children, but no differences were found in the later school years. The sequelae of attachment indicated that security of attachment during infancy differentially predicted later adaptation for day-care and home-reared children. Attachment was related to later adaptation for home-reared children but did not predict later adaptation for day-care children.
Quantification of type I and II adrenal steroid receptors in neuronal, lymphoid and pituitary tissues.

Circulating lymphocytes are frequently used to study glucocorticoid receptor (GR) regulation in various clinical disease states, such as depression. Since little is known about the relationship between lymphoid and neuronal GR, type II adrenal steroid receptors (i.e., GR) were quantitated in neuronal (hippocampus, frontal cortex, hypothalamus), lymphoid (circulating lymphocytes, spleen, thymus) as well as pituitary tissues of adrenal-intact and 1 day adrenalectomized (ADX) rats using the selective type II receptor ligand, [3H]RU 28362. Specific, high affinity (dissociation constant = 0.2-0.3 nM) type II receptors were present in all tissues examined with the density in 1 day ADX rats being thymus greater than frontal cortex = spleen greater than hippocampus = pituitary greater than hypothalamus greater than lymphocytes. Adrenal intact rats had fewer type II receptors in frontal cortex, hippocampus and spleen as compared to 1 day ADX rats. Dose-response competition studies using [3H]RU 28362 and various unlabelled steroids revealed a binding profile indicative of a type II receptor with the potency being RU 28362 greater than triamcinolone acetonide greater than dexamethasone = corticosterone much greater than aldosterone in both whole brain and spleen soluble fractions. In contrast to the high concentration of type II receptors in the various tissues, the density of type I (i.e., mineralocorticoid) receptors was very low or nondetectable in the same tissues of 1 day ADX rats with the notable exception of the hippocampus where there were approximately comparable levels of both receptors. These results document the widespread distribution of type II adrenal steroid receptors in neuronal and lymphoid tissues which are similar in affinity and steroid specificity.
Reactivity of proteins in ribosomes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae with trypsin

The susceptibility of 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits from Saccharomyces cerevisiae to digestion with varying concentrations of trypsin was studied by two-dimensional electrophoresis and quantitative measurements of the protein remaining with the ribosomal particles after trypsin treatment. Proteins from both subunits can be classified into three groups according to their rate of digestion by trypsin. These results are in good agreement with those obtained on the order of ribosomal assembly in vivo, i.e., proteins which are most susceptible to trypsin digestion have been shown to associate with the ribosomal particles at a relatively late stage of ribosome assembly.