cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coronary arteriography and lipid lowering: limitations, new concepts, and new paradigms in cardiovascular medicine

Coronary arteriography has played a central role in improving our understanding of the mechanisms of unstable coronary syndromes and the benefits of cholesterol lowering. However, coronary arteriography as currently used is outmoded and inadequate for new clinical algorithms based on vigorous lipid and other risk factor control as alternatives to invasive procedures for the primary treatment of coronary artery disease. What is needed is a way of viewing or analyzing noninvasive myocardial perfusion images and coronary arteriograms so as to identify and quantify the extent or severity of diffuse coronary atherosclerosis. Determining the relative contribution of diffuse and segmental narrowing by definitive myocardial perfusion imaging or coronary arteriography would provide the optimal basis for determining the need for revascularization procedures. In the absence of significant segmental stenoses, mild or diffuse disease identified by coronary arteriography would also provide a definitive diagnosis as the basis for lifelong cholesterol-lowering drugs and risk factor modification, even for patients with normal cholesterol levels. Thus, it is important to consider several new concepts for analyzing coronary arteriograms. More physiologically accurate invasive and noninvasive technology allows improved diagnosis and management of coronary atherosclerosis as new paradigms in cardiovascular medicine.
Characteristics of women receiving mandated treatment for alcohol or polysubstance dependence in Massachusetts

Characteristics of the first 20 women consecutively admitted for treatment for alcohol or polysubstance dependence following civil commitment by Massachusetts courts were studied. Women were diagnosed as either alcohol dependent (n = 12) or polysubstance dependent (n = 8). Alcohol dependent women were older at initial alcohol use, onset of regular alcoholic use, first treatment admission, and at this admission. For the group as a whole 75% had completed high school; 50% were divorced and 35% were supported by public assistance. Seventy-five percent had a family history of alcoholism. This sample of women who received court-ordered alcohol and polysubstance dependence treatment had multiple social, psychological, legal and health problems.
Spontaneous pattern formation by dip coating of colloidal suspensions on homogeneous surfaces.

We study the slow withdrawal of a partially wet vertical plate at velocity U from a suspension of well-wet particles. Periodic horizontal striped assemblies form spontaneously at the three-phase contact line on energetically uniform surfaces. Stripe width and spacing depend on the withdrawal velocity U relative to a transition velocity Ut. Thick stripes separated by large spaces form for U Ut, thin stripes separated by small spaces form. The stripe spacing is reduced by an order of magnitude and varies weakly with U until a maximum velocity is reached at which the stripes fail to form. A partially wet surface can entrain a meniscus. For U < Ut, the meniscus forms a finite contact angle wedge with a pinned contact line. As the plate moves upward, it stretches the meniscus until it becomes too heavy to be retained by the wet, porous network provided by the particles at the contact line. The contact line then jumps backward to find a new equilibrium location, and the process begins anew. For U ...
Ordering of Quantum Dots Using Genetically Engineered Viruses

A liquid crystal system was used for the fabrication of a highly ordered composite material from genetically engineered M13 bacteriophage and zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanocrystals. The bacteriophage, which formed the basis of the self-ordering system, were selected to have a specific recognition moiety for ZnS crystal surfaces. The bacteriophage were coupled with ZnS solution precursors and spontaneously evolved a self-supporting hybrid film material that was ordered at the nanoscale and at the micrometer scale into approximately 72-micrometer domains, which were continuous over a centimeter length scale. In addition, suspensions were prepared in which the lyotropic liquid crystalline phase behavior of the hybrid material was controlled by solvent concentration and by the use of a magnetic field.
Acute effects of aspartame on systolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Exogenous tyrosine lowers blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The artificial sweetener aspartame also elevates blood and brain tyrosine levels in rats by being hydrolyzed to phenylalanine, which is then rapidly hydroxylated to tyrosine in the liver. Hence we tested the ability of aspartame; its hydrolytic products phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol; and of tyrosine itself to lower blood pressure in SHR. For one week prior to experimentation rats were acclimated to the indirect blood pressure measurement technique; on the day of an experiment they received I.P. injections (mg/kg) of aspartame (12.5-200), tyrosine (25-200) or phenylalanine (100-200), or of aspartic acid or methanol in the doses theoretically contained within 200 mg/kg aspartame. Animals receiving 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg of aspartame exhibited maximum falls in blood pressure of 17.3, 24.2 and 19.3 mmHg, respectively. All changes were significant, as determined by ANOVA and the Newman-Keuls test (p less than 0.05). Tyrosine or phenylalanine also lowered blood pressure, but aspartic acid or methanol produced no significant effects. Co-administration of aspartame with valine, a large neutral amino acid that competes with phenylalanine or tyrosine for brain uptake, attenuated aspartame's hypotensive effect. These observations suggest that the neurochemical changes produced by aspartame lead to predicted tyrosine-induced changes in blood pressure.
Differences in Clinical Presentation among Persons with Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Comparison of Documented and Undocumented Foreign-Born versus US-Born Persons

BACKGROUND Most cases of tuberculosis (TB) in the United States are diagnosed in foreign-born persons, and undocumented foreign-born persons may face particular barriers to timely access to health care services. This study investigates whether differences in clinical presentations among persons with pulmonary TB are associated with foreign birth or documentation status. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, we reviewed the medical records of patients who had received a diagnosis of microbiologically proven pulmonary TB at a New York City public hospital during the period April 1999 through March 2005. Three groups of patients with pulmonary TB (US-born persons, foreign-born persons with documents, and undocumented, foreign-born persons) were defined and compared at presentation. Odds ratios (ORs) for a symptom duration >or=8 weeks before hospital admission for each group were estimated using logistic regression. RESULTS Among 194 subjects with newly diagnosed pulmonary TB, 61 (31%) were US born, 62 (32%) were documented foreign-born persons, and 71 (37%) were undocumented foreign-born persons. Undocumented foreign-born persons presented with significantly higher frequencies of cough (P = .020) and hemoptysis P = .012 and had a significantly longer median duration of symptoms, compared with US-born persons (8 vs. 4 weeks; P = .023). No statistically significant differences between documented foreign-born and US-born persons were observed. Multivariate analysis revealed that undocumented status (compared with being US born; adjusted OR, 4.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-10.2; P = .0002) and being unemployed (adjusted OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1-4.5; P = .023) were independently associated with a prolonged symptom duration (i.e., >or=8 weeks). CONCLUSIONS Undocumented status was associated with an increased frequency of cough and hemoptysis and a longer duration of symptoms before medical evaluation for pulmonary TB. Whether reducing barriers to health services for undocumented foreign-born persons could enhance TB control deserves additional study.
Personality disorder traits as predictors of subsequent first-onset panic disorder or agoraphobia.

Abstract Determining how personality disorder traits and panic disorder and/or agoraphobia relate longitudinally is an important step in developing a comprehensive understanding of the etiology of panic/agoraphobia. In 1981, a probabilistic sample of adult (≥18 years old) residents of east Baltimore were assessed for Axis I symptoms and disorders using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS); psychiatrists reevaluated a subsample of these participants and made Axis I diagnoses, as well as ratings of individual Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition personality disorder traits. Of the participants psychiatrists examined in 1981, 432 were assessed again in 1993 to 1996 using the DIS. Excluding participants who had baseline panic attacks or panic-like spells from the risk groups, baseline timidity (avoidant, dependent, and related traits) predicted first-onset DIS panic disorder or agoraphobia over the follow-up period. These results suggest that avoidant and dependent personality traits are predisposing factors, or at least markers of risk, for panic disorder and agoraphobia—not simply epiphenomena.
Functional status of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

Abstract OBJECTIVES: Although autoimmune diseases can have a significant impact on the quality of life, there has been a relative paucity of data with respect to the functional status of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). METHODS: We conducted a case-control study of 182 patients (“cases”) with PBC as well as 225 age- and sex-matched friend control subjects using a standardized instrument obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. RESULTS: In all, 126 of 182 cases (69%) and 141 of 225 friend controls (62.6%) responded to this survey, a response rate comparable to or better than in similar previous studies of such instruments. Patients with PBC had a significantly reduced functional status score compared to their controls (p CONCLUSIONS: Studies of this nature have potential implications for the well-being and management of patients with PBC, and focus on issues that can be addressed to help maintain functional status in this chronic disease.
Smith theory and Hecke operators

Abstract Of the connections between the cohomology of arithmetic groups and representations of Galois groups, some are known and more are conjectured. This paper proves one of these conjectures for certain monomial Galois representations. Let p be a prime. We show that the representation of the absolute Galois group of Q induced from an F p × -valued ray class character of the cyclotomic field Q (ζ p ) is attached to a Hecke eigenclass in the mod p cohomology of a torsion-free congruence subgroup Γ(M) of GL(p−1, Z ) . The method involves constructing an action of the Hecke algebra on the fundamental exact sequence of Smith theory arising from the action by conjugation of an element of order p in GL(p−1, Z ) on Γ(M).
Mining the Sources of Delay for Dray Trucks at Container Terminals

To isolate the causes of abnormally high truck turn time, this paper develops a methodology for examining the sources of delay for dray trucks at container terminals. It is motivated by the need of port authorities and terminal operators to develop specialized solutions to reduce turn time based on terminal-specific causes. Although many ports have taken steps to improve the general level of service for trucks, such as establishing chassis pools and extending gate hours, fewer have performed the transaction-level analysis required to determine why a certain subset of operations is significantly higher than the average, thereby hindering the overall level of service. After problematic steps in the truck transaction process are isolated, terminals can select and deploy a range of technological or organizational countermeasures to address the problem. This study draws on a database of truck activity from the port of Houston, Texas. Because of the large number of gate transactions and potential factors that c...
Determination of trap energy levels in AlGaN/GaN HEMT

The density of two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in the channel of AlGaN/GaN HEMT is often altered by trapped charges on the surface or in the bulk of the heterostructure, limiting the device performance at high frequencies. The existing methods, such as photoionization spectroscopy, Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) etc., mainly focus on deep level traps in GaN, providing little information about traps in the AlGaN layer. In this work, we use Inelastic Electron Tunneling Spectroscopy (IETS), in conjunction with the Frenkel-Poole (F-P) trap energy extraction method developed by Yeh at el, to examine electrically active traps in the AlGaN barrier layer. The results indicate that traps exist in the AlGaN bulk, as well as at the AlGaN/GaN interface. The trap energy levels are within a 0.5eV band below the conduction band edge (Ec) of AlGaN in the sample that we studied.
Evaluation of the Use of Carbon-11 Methionine PET Scans in Pediatric Patients With Craniopharyngioma

Materials/Methods: Between 1991 and 2011, 48 patients 36 months received chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) for definitive treatment. Thirty-seven patients also underwent surgery with or without intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) (n Z 12). Median age was 17 (0-35) months. Unfavorable characteristics were as follows: 31% alveolar histology, 75% Group III disease, and 15% Group IV disease. Primary site was unfavorable in 77%: pelvis (n Z 11), extremity (n Z 10), parameningeal (n Z 10), trunk (n Z 6), and bladder/prostate (n Z 4). The remainder had disease in the orbit (n Z 4) and head-and-neck (n Z 3). Median time to RT was 21 weeks. Median external beam RT (EBRT) dose was 41.4 (25.2-54) Gy in non-IORT patients. Patients receiving IORT (4-15 Gy) received a reduced median EBRT dose of 36 (24-45) Gy. Late effects were examined in 22 of 31 surviving patients with detailed follow-up. Results:With median follow-up of 5 years (range, 1-22 years) in surviving patients, 5-year actuarial local control was 91% and overall survival was 64% for all patients. Among 22 patients with long term follow-up, median 8 (2-22) years, late effects depended on primary tumor site. Patients receiving pelvic RT (nZ 6) experienced gastrointestinal dysfunction (nZ 5), recurrent urinary tract infections (nZ 3), and leg length inequality with scoliosis (n Z 1), while those receiving RT to the head-and-neck (n Z 11) experienced endocrine dysfunction (n Z 4), cataracts and/or visual impairment (n Z 5), chronic otitis/sinusitis (n Z 3) and facial asymmetry (n Z 5). One patient with a primary chest wall tumor developed mild cardiopulmonary dysfunction. One patient is receiving treatment for secondary AML. No secondary solid tumors have been reported. Conclusions: Although RT produces excellent local control in RMS, it is often avoided in very young children because of fear of late effects. In our experience, very young children can tolerate and benefit from risk-adapted RT often in combination with surgery and IORT. Site-related late-effects are generally compatible with a good quality of life. Author Disclosure: J.C. Yang: None. L.H. Wexler: None. M.P. LaQuaglia: None. C.A. Sklar: None. P.A. Meyers: None. S.L. Wolden: None.
Platelet monoamine oxidase activity in subjects tested for Huntington's disease gene mutation

Monoamine oxidase activity (MAO) has been related to neuronal damage, since the oxidative deamination of biogenic amines produces free radicals that may enhance oxidative stress. Elevated enzyme activities in brain (MAO-A and MAO-B forms) and in platelets (MAO-B form) have been reported in several degenerative diseases, indicating that MAO activity may be involved in the disease progression. We estimated platelet MAO activity in a group of 59 patients (34 males) with HD, 20 subjects (7 males) at risk, and 29 (14 males) healthy subjects with positive family history for HD, categorized according to clinical features and the number of CAG repeat units (CAG-RN) at the Huntington gene. A group of 64 subjects (36 males) with negative family history for HD served as controls. In contrast to some previous studies, platelet MAO activities in both male and female patients (CAG-RN 40 to 62) with overt symptomatology, were not different compared to same sex control subjects. Subjects at risk (CAG-RN 39 to 52), though, showed significantly lower activities compared to same sex patients or controls. MAO activities seem to increase with disease progression, and tend to be higher in patients with dementia. The increases may be an epiphenomenon of disease pathology, but the possibility that an increase in the expression of the enzyme precedes the onset of the disease and contributes to enhanced oxidative stress should be considered in future longitudinal studies as a possible mechanism that accelerates disease progression.
The structure of chlorosulfonated polyethylene

The chlorines in chlorosulfonated polyethylene have been characterized by kinetic analysis according to the method of Salomon. It is found that 2.7% of the total chlorine is primary, 89.8% secondary, 3.5% tertiary, and 4% is sulfonyl chloride. These results are in accord with statistical calculations based on a polyethylene model containing the same methylene-to-methyl group ratio as the polyethylene precursor. The types and approximate quantities of dichlorides in the chlorosulfonated polyethylene have been determined by reactions with potassium iodide and zinc dust
Hazardous waste minimization in III-V wafer fabrication processes

Several coordinated hazardous waste minimization projects are underway at facilities involved in III-V device manufacturing. These include modifications to existing processes to reduce emissions of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), 1,1,1-TCA (trichloroethane), xylenes, ethylene glycol ethers, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (in photoresist stripper), and other compounds. These issues are addressed, noting the unique aspects of GaAs and GaP device manufacture that need to be taken into account. Goals achieved have been complete cessation of CFC and 1,1,1-TCA use and 33% reductions in xylene and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene usage since 1990, despite significant increases in total production volume during the same time period. Specific strategies for tracking chemical use and sharing best practices for hazardous waste reduction across functional groups are also described. >
Cocurrent flow of gas‐particulate mixtures through helical tubular colis: Particle velocity measurement and prediction

Particle velocities are measured for the cocurrent flow of air and coal particles through helical colis. The ratio of average particle velocity to gas velocity, Vg, is nearly independent of Vg at 0.25 ± 0.1. This ratio would be above 0.95 for similar flow conditions in straight, horizontal tubes. The particle velocities also depend slightly on other variables, decreasing with larger particles, larger solids feed rate, and smaller helix diameters. Visual observations reveal that the particles slide along the outer periphery of the coil, in a fashion similar to the sliding action at saltation conditions in horizontal flow. A model that permits prediction of particle velocity in helical geometries is proposed; this model is based on the modification of existing saltation velocity correlations by substituting centripetal acceleration for gravitational acceleration. Approximate agreement between experiment and prediction is obtained.
Organizational socialization as instrument and symbol: An extended institutional theory perspective

Organizational socialization can be viewed from the perspective of institutional theory, and institutional theory plays a key role in helping organizations achieve their missions. This article applies a framework to suggest that socialization can be interpreted as a symbolic response to societal expectations. Research propositions are presented that can be used to guide future research on the role of socialization.
Age-related changes in glucose metabolizing enzymes in spleen, thymus, and pulmonary lavage cells from F344 rats

Healthy male Fischer 344 rats were sampled at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. There was no gross pathological evidence or deviations in body weight, hematology, or clinical chemistry that were indicative of disease. Mixed populations of thymus, spleen, and pulmonary cells were obtained for enzymatic analyses. Key enzymes from the hexose monophosphate shunt, glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were evaluated to determine if there were tissue-specific or pathway-specific changes that occurred during aging. The enzyme responses among the tissues were not consistent during the aging process. Generally the activities of the glucose metabolizing enzymes in thymus and pulmonary lavage cells decreased with age whereas they increased in the spleen cells. Between 18 and 24 months enzymes representative of all three glucose metabolic pathways decreased in pulmonary lavage cells, whereas the decreases in thymic cells were mainly restricted to glycolytic enzymes. By contrast there were two- to ten-fold increases during aging in all of the splenic enzymes measured except malate dehydrogenase. The alterations in tissue enzyme activities probably reflected the changing cellular populations during aging, and in the thymic and pulmonary lavage cellular environment resulted in a loss of energy production by glucose oxidation, compared to the vigorous activity maintained in spleen.
Spontaneous Trance as a Possible Cause for Persistent Symptoms in the Medically Ill

A 45-year-old female underwent pericardiectomy for recurrent pericarditis. Four years later, persistent, unexplained chest pain was seen as a “conversion” symptom and treated with hypnosis and psychotherapy. Improvement was noted in narcotic dependence and level of function but not in the complaint of pain or disability status. The roles of the patient's emotional arousal and the physician's words in the setting of acute illness are explored as contributing factors in the genesis of the persistent pain. The concepts of spontaneous trance, posthypnotic suggestion, and conversion are reviewed in the context of this case.
A Linked Science Investigation: Enhancing Climate Change Data Discovery with Semantic Technologies.

Linked Science is the practice of inter-connecting scientific assets by publishing, sharing and linking scientific data and processes in end-to-end loosely coupled workflows that allow the sharing and re-use of scientific data. Much of this data does not live in the cloud or on the Web, but rather in multi-institutional data centers that provide tools and add value through quality assurance, validation, curation, dissemination, and analysis of the data. In this paper, we make the case for the use of scientific scenarios in Linked Science. We propose a scenario in river-channel transport that requires biogeochemical experimental data and global climate-simulation model data from many sources. We focus on the use of ontologies—formal machine-readable descriptions of the domain—to facilitate search and discovery of this data. Mercury, developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is a tool for distributed metadata harvesting, search and retrieval. Mercury currently provides uniform access to more than 100,000 metadata records; 30,000 scientists use it each month. We augmented search in Mercury with ontologies, such as the ontologies in the Semantic Web for Earth and Environmental Terminology (SWEET) collection by prototyping a component that provides access to the ontology terms from Mercury. We evaluate the coverage of SWEET for the ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center (ORNL DAAC).
Enhanced piezoelectricity and stretchability in energy harvesting devices fabricated from buckled PZT ribbons

This paper was presented at the SPIE conference indicated above but was submitted to the conference proceedings in error by M.C. McAlpine. The paper has been withdrawn from the SPIE Proceedings at the author’s request.
Cherish every joule: Maximizing throughput with an eye on network-wide energy consumption

Conserving network-wide energy consumption is becoming an increasingly important concern for network operators. In this work, we study network-wide energy conservation problem which we hope will offer insights to both network operators and users. In the first part of this work, we study how to maximize throughput under a network-wide energy constraint. We formulate this problem as a mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP). We propose a novel piece-wise linear approximation to transform the nonlinear constraints into linear constraints. We prove that the solution developed under this approach is near-optimal with guaranteed performance bound. In the second part, we generalize the problem in the first part by exploring throughput and network-wide energy optimization via a multi-criteria optimization framework. We show that the weakly Pareto-optimal points in the solution can characterize an optimal throughput-energy curve. We offer some interesting properties of the optimal throughput-energy curve which are useful to both network operators and end users.
Total complexity and the inference of best programs.

Axioms for a total complexity measure for abstract programs are presented. Essentially, they require that total complexity be an unbounded increasing function of the Blum time and size measures. Algorithms for finding the best program on a finite domain are presented, and their limiting behaviour for infinite domains described. For total complexity, there are important senses in which a machine $underline{can}$ find the best program for a large class of functions.
Stokes drag on a disk sedimenting edgewise toward a plane wall

For comparison with the results of current experiments, a concise analytical method is developed to describe the non-axisymmetric flow generated by the edgewise sedimentation of a disk toward a plane wall. Since all Fourier modes contribute to the flow, the use of Abel transforms in earlier work must be suitably extended in order to again obtain integral equations of the second kind. By expanding the wall effects in powers of D−1, where D is the distance from the disk axis to the wall, the dimensionless drag coefficient is found to order D−5 without having to solve the flow problem beyond the second Fourier mode.
Plant community structure in an oligohaline tidal marsh.

An oligohaline tidal marsh on the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain, LA was characterized with respect to the distributions and abundances of plant species over spatial and temporal gradients using Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). In addition, the species distributions were correlated to several physical environmental factors using Detrended Canonical Correspondence Analysis (DCCA). The distributions of species were best correlated with distance from Lake Pontchartrain, and to a lesser extent with elevation and substrate organic matter. They were least correlated with mean soil salinity (referred to here as background salinity). Of the three mid-seasonal dominant species, the perennial grass, Spartina patens, is the most salt tolerant and was found closest to the lake. Further inland the dominant perennial was Sagittaria lancifolia, which has a salt tolerance less than that of Spartina patens. The perennial sedge, Cladium jamaicense, which is the least salt tolerant of the three, was dominant furthest inland. Background salinity levels were generally low (<5 ppt.) and did not explain species distributions. We hypothesize that the distribution of species is regulated by occasional storm-generated ‘salt pulses’ that generate strong, short-lived salinity gradients as a function of distance from the lake. Biotic interactions likely also play a role in structuring the plant community. The distributions of several annuals depended on the size and life history of the mid-seasonal dominant perennials. Most of the annuals frequently co-occurred with Sagittaria lancifolia, which was the shortest in stature and had the least persistent canopy of the three mid-seasonal dominant perennials.
Paradoxical Paroxysmal Nocturnal Congestive Heart Failure as a Severe Manifestation of the Pacemaker Syndrome

Single-chamber ventricular pacing remains the most frequent pacing method used for symptomatic bradyarrhythmias despite the availability over the past 20 years of dualchamber devices. In 1985 80% of pacemaker implants in the United States were single-chamber.1 VVI pacing is effective in maintaining a basic acceptable ventricular rate and in preventing the symptoms due to severe bradycardia, but it may produce a constellation of symptoms attributable to inappropriate atrial and ventricular sequencing called the pacemaker syndrome.2,3 Evidence of the pacemaker syndrome can be found in 7 to 21% of patients with single-chamber ventricular pacemakers and may range in severity from vague pacing awareness to congestive heart failure.3 Because the syndrome is correctable by a change of pacing mode to one that restores atrioventricular synchrony, it is important to identify the patient with symptoms due to ventricular-pacemaker intolerance. This report describes an unusual and severe manifestation of the pacemaker syndrome, namely congestive heart failure paradoxically brought on by rest.
Qui tam: suing physicians who make false claims.

The 1986 False Claims Act Amendments authorize private citizens to sue on behalf of the U.S. government to recover federal funds from fraudulent recipients. The "relator" receives a share of any pr...
Sexually transmitted infections and infectiousness beliefs among people living with HIV/AIDS: implications for HIV treatment as prevention.

Objectives Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) significantly impact the health of people living with HIV/AIDS, increasing HIV infectiousness and therefore transmissibility. The current study examined STIs in a community sample of 490 HIV-positive men and women. Methods Assessments were performed using confidential computerized interviews in a community research setting. Results Fourteen per cent of the people living with HIV/AIDS in this study had been diagnosed with a new STI in a 6-month period. Individuals with a new STI had significantly more sexual partners in that time period, including non-HIV-positive partners. Participants who had contracted an STI were significantly more likely to have detectable viral loads and were less likely to know their viral load than participants who did not contract an STI. Multivariate analysis showed that believing an undetectable viral load leads to lower infectiousness was associated with contracting a new STI. Conclusions Individuals who believed that having an undetectable viral load reduces HIV transmission risks were more likely to be infectious because of STI coinfection. Programmes that aim to use HIV treatment for HIV prevention must address infectiousness beliefs and aggressively control STIs among people living with HIV/AIDS.
On the strength of figures used in triangulat ion-reconnaissance

The strength-of-figure formula now in use in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey was proposed by J. F. Hayford in 1903. W. H. Burger prepared the table for field-use. It was first applied in field-work by Burger and J. S. Bilby in 1903 and proved so successful that practically all reconnaissance for first-order triangulation is executed in accordance with this method. The strength-of-figure formula is as follows: R = [(D ‐ C)/D] ∑ (δA2 + δA δB + δB2) (1) where R is the strength-factor, δA and δB are the logarithmic differences corresponding to l″ for the distance-angles A and B, taken in units of the sixth place of decimals, C is the number of geometric conditions, and D is the number of new directions observed.
Behavioral attraction of Leach's storm-petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) to dimethyl sulfide.

SUMMARY A recent model for olfactory foraging by procellariiform seabirds suggests that these birds use biogenic sulfur compounds to locate productive areas for foraging in the southern oceans. The present study refines a simple approach to test birds9 responses to odors on land and extends our knowledge to a northern species, the Leach9s storm-petrel ( Oceanodroma leucorhoa ). Rather than working at sea, we tested the behavioral response to dimethyl sulfide (DMS) at night in breeding colonies on Kent Island, New Brunswick, Canada. Birds were presented with either 5 ml DMS (100 μmol l –1 concentration) or control (water) solutions from a platform 1.5 m in height positioned in a flyway 10 m from a breeding colony. We also tested birds9 responses to cod liver oil, a well-established olfactory attractant of procellariiforms foraging at sea. Leach9s storm-petrels approached DMS presentations nearly twice as frequently as they approached controls. We next compared the distribution of approaches against a Poisson process to test for evidence of social cueing. We found that approaches to DMS were significantly clustered. By contrast, the distribution of approaches did not depart significantly from a Poisson distribution for either cod liver oil or control presentations. Taken together, these results suggest that Leach9s storm-petrels can smell DMS and potentially use it as a foraging cue. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the detection of biogenic sulfur compounds in combination with other cues assists birds in locating foraging hotspots.
Detection and differentiation of fungi in clinical specimens using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and restriction enzyme analysis

We have developed a method for processing and detecting fungi in clinical specimens using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology. This PCR amplification of a segment of a ribosomal DNA gene results in a 310 bp product. The gene sequences used as amplimers have been highly conserved throughout the fungal kingdom and positive PCR results have been obtained for all genera and species of fungi tested (n = 42). Neither human nor a variety of pathogenic bacteria (n = 24) gave an amplified product. This PCR method can detect as few as 15 cells of Candida albicans in clinical specimens following a simple processing procedure. The sensitivity of the PCR for detecting other fungi remains to be determined. Analysis of the 310 bp amplified product, following digestion with the restriction enzyme HaeIII, can be used to further characterize the identity of the fungus involved into the following five groups: (i) Candida species and closely related yeasts; (ii) Cryptococci and Trichosporon species; (iii) Aspergi...
Akt signaling: a damaging interaction makes good

Phosphorylation of the protein kinase Akt at Ser473 is a key regulatory event in the induction of cellular survival mechanisms. A new study provides a novel mechanism for Akt activation. In cells and mice exposed to DNA-damaging insults, Ser473 phosphorylation is mediated by the DNA-dependent protein kinase at sites of DNA double-strand breaks. This event triggers the induction of a transcriptional program that promotes survival in response to DNA damage.
Metabolic oxygen regulation and conformity during submergence in the salamandersSiren lacertina, Amphiuma means, andAmphiuma tridactylum, and a comparison with other giant salamanders

The giant salamanders of North America include 4 genera, all of which are aquatic. We have compared the efficacy of aquatic O2 uptake among them by measuring theVO2 while submerged and determining the responses to progressive hypoxia at 10–240 mmHg at 20° C. Both species ofAmphiuma were metabolic O2 conformers over the entire range ofPO2. About half ofSiren lacertina were conformers over this range, and half were regulators with an average critical O2 tension of 92 mmHg. There were no short-term changes (days) in the response ofSiren to progressive hypoxia, but one animal switched from conformation to regulation after 4–5 months. Neither genus is considered to have an exceptionally low metabolic rate. The “whole-body O2 conductance”, defined asΔVO2/ΔPO2(µl O2 · g−1 · h−1 · mmHg−1) in the range of metabolic O2 conformity, was least in the species most dependent upon air-breathing and most likely to be found in hypoxic waters (e.g., 0.076 forAmphiuma), and greatest in those that airbreathe less frequently and/or are found in relatively normoxic waters (e.g., 0.429 forNecturus). These conductances are considered to be adaptive in terms of preventing O2 loss through the skin, or in facilitating its uptake, as correlated with the O2 tensions normally prevailing in the environment of each species.
Reconstructing the response of C3 and C4 plants to decadal-scale climate change during the late Pleistocene in southern Illinois using isotopic analyses of calcified rootlets

Abstract The δ13C and δ18O values of well-preserved carbonate rhizoliths (CRs) provide detailed insights into changes in the abundance of C3 and C4 plants in response to approximately decadal-scale changes in growing-season climate. We performed stable isotope analyses on 35–40 CRs sampled at 1-cm intervals from an 18-cm-thick paleosol formed in southern Illinois during Wisconsin interstadial 2. Minimum δ13C values show little variation with depth, whereas maximum values vary dramatically, and average values show noticeable variability; maximum δ18O values vary less than the minimum δ18O values. These findings indicate that a diverse and stable C3 flora with a limited number of C4 grass species prevailed during this interval, and suggest that the maximum growing-season temperatures were relatively stable, but minimum growing-season temperatures varied considerably. Two general patterns characterize the relationships between the δ13C and δ18O values obtained from the 1-cm samples. In some cases, low δ13C values correspond to low δ18O values and high δ13C values correspond to high δ18O values, suggesting that cooler growing-season temperatures favored C3 and warmer growing-season temperatures favored C4 plants. In other cases, low δ13C values correspond to high δ18O values, likely suggesting that wetter growing-season conditions were favorable to C3 plants. The high density of well-preserved CRs in this paleosol provides a unique opportunity to study detailed ecological responses to high-resolution variability in growing-season climate.
Using ancient protein kinases to unravel a modern cancer drug’s mechanism

Macromolecular function is rooted in energy landscapes, where sequence determines not a single structure but an ensemble of conformations. Hence, evolution modifies a protein’s function by altering its energy landscape. Here, we recreate the evolutionary pathway between two modern human oncogenes, Src and Abl, by reconstructing their common ancestors. Our evolutionary reconstruction combined with x-ray structures of the common ancestor and pre–steady-state kinetics reveals a detailed atomistic mechanism for selectivity of the successful cancer drug Gleevec. Gleevec affinity is gained during the evolutionary trajectory toward Abl and lost toward Src, primarily by shifting an induced-fit equilibrium that is also disrupted in the clinical T315I resistance mutation. This work reveals the mechanism of Gleevec specificity while offering insights into how energy landscapes evolve.
Managing Conflict by Managing Boundaries: How Professional Homeworkers Cope With Multiple Roles at Home

Professional homework, that is, performing paid labor out of one's home, provides an opportunity to examine the spatial, temporal, behavioral, and social boundaries individuals create to manage role conflict and role overlap. Interviews were conducted with 104 homeworkers, and inventories of their homes were completed. Although there is considerable reported role overlap between work and domestic/leisure activities, this overlap does not necessarily lead to role conflict. Rescheduling work activities, maintaining a separate workspace, restricting access to the workspace, relocating activities outside the home, and eliminating and starting new activities are particular adjustments homeworkers make to minimize or avoid role conflict. An agenda for future work based on this exploratory study is suggested.
Economic determinants and consequences of self-reported work disability

This paper examines the determinants of and behavioral responses to self-reported work disability in samples of older men and women stratified by race. Strong support is found for the hypothesis that economic factors as well as poor health influence the probability that individuals report health conditions limit the amount or kind of work they do. In particular, lower expected wage rates significantly raise the probability of reporting work disablement, controlling for health status and health-related job requirements. The empirical analysis also shows that only a part of the reduced labor supply of disabled individuals is attributable to health conditions. The policy and methodological implications of these findings are discussed.
Cardiac Vagal Stimulation Eliminates Detrimental Tachycardia Effects of Dobutamine Used for Inotropic Support

Background Many patients require temporary inotropic support after cardiac surgery, and dobutamine is one of the commonly used drugs for this purpose. However, dobutamine infusion is frequently associated with unwanted sinus tachycardia. Selective sinus node electrical vagal stimulation through a discrete epicardial ganglionic plexus (fat pad) approach can achieve sinus rate slowing. Because sinus node fat pad vagal stimulation (SNFP-VS) can easily be applied during or after cardiac surgery, we hypothesized that combining selective SNFP-VS with dobutamine could produce desired hemodynamic improvement while avoiding sinus tachycardia in patients when inotropic drug support is needed. Methods This exploratory experimental study was performed in 7 open-chest dogs. Dobutamine (2.5 to 10 μg · kg −1 · min −1 ) was infused at a rate producing at least 30% increase in sinus rate and cardiac output. Then electrical SNFP-VS was applied in the epicardial ganglionic plexus located at the right pulmonary vein-atrial junction, to slow the sinus rate back to control level. Hemodynamic data during control, with steady-state dobutamine infusion, and with dobutamine plus SNFP-VS were collected and compared. Results Dobutamine significantly increased heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, peak left ventricular systolic pressure, positive and negative maximal derivatives of left ventricular pressure, and cardiac output. Combining SNFP-VS with dobutamine eliminated sinus rate increase while preserving all major hemodynamic benefits. Selective SNFP-VS itself had no direct effect on cardiac contractility during atrial pacing. Conclusions Combining SNFP-VS with dobutamine could achieve hemodynamic improvement while avoiding sinus tachycardia in this dog model, suggesting that similar strategy may also be applied in patients.
Kinetic-theory approach to quark-gluon plasma oscillations

The difficulties in the unique definition of oscillations of a plasma with a non-Abelian interaction are considered. The recently formulated kinetic theory of the quark-gluon plasma in the semiclassical limit is presented and discussed with particular attention to the gluon sector of the theory. The transport equations are linearized around the global equilibrium and the chromoelectric permeability tensor is found. The dispersion relations of the plasma oscillations are discussed and the rate of oscillation damping is estimated.
Exchange effects in the Li6(He3, p)Be8 reaction

Abstract The Li6(He3, p)Be8 reaction has been studied in the bombarding energy range 5 to 17 MeV. No compound nucleus resonances are apparent in the excitation curves. The angular distributions of protons leaving Be8 in the ground state show a gradual change from a dominant back angle maximum at 5 MeV to a dominant forward maximum at 17 MeV. They are described well by the plane wave Born approximation with Exchange (PWBAE) and above 7 MeV the energy dependence of the ratio of cross sections at 0° and 180° can be explained by the kinematics of the two-mode stripping process. Single-mode DWBA calculations do not fit the data at angles beyond the forward maxima.
Singularity formation in a cylindrical and a spherical vortex sheet

Abstract The evolutions of the planar and axisymmetric vortex sheets generated by the impulsive motion of a cylinder and a sphere, respectively, are compared numerically. The numerical method addresses difficulties that occur in the axisymmetric case near the axis of symmetry. The planar vortex sheet is known to develop a branch point singularity in finite time. Comparison of the planar and axisymmetric solutions indicates that the axisymmetric sheet develops a branch point singularity as well, and that it is of the same order p as the planar singularity. The value of p is consistent with 3/2.
Understanding Vygotsky for the Classroom: Is It Too Late?

Determining the capability of Vygotsky’s cultural–historical theory to fulfill key functions of educational theory (such as revealing the complexity of apparently simple events) has been hindered primarily by the following factors: (a) inaccurate information about a minor discussion, the zone of proximal development (ZPD), attracted attention early on and became identified as a major aspect of his theory; (b) the unavailability of accurate translations of his complete theory for several years; and (c) the lack of key information in popular discussions of Vygotsky’s work on scientific (subject matter) concepts, a major factor in cognitive development. This article first describes the original misconception of the ZPD, current extrapolations, and discrepancies between Vygotsky’s thinking and those views of the ZPD. Then the pivotal role of subject matter concepts in cognitive development, their relationship to logical thinking, and levels of thinking (pseudoconcepts, preconcepts, true conceptual thinking) are discussed. Implications for education include (a) rethinking classroom practices (accurately assessing the ZPD, collaborative learning in the classroom), (b) providing a sound rationale for reducing the proliferation of content requirements, and (c) refuting the practice of introducing abstract ideas and complex intellectual capabilities in the early grades. Issues in constructing curricula according to Vygotsky’s perspective are also discussed.
Microstructure properties of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 thin films on Si with conductive SrRuO3 bottom electrodes

Abstract Quaternary Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BSTO) thin films were deposited on (100) Si by pulsed laser deposition with conductive SrRuO3 (SRO) bottom electrodes. The growth of highly (001)-oriented SRO film on (100) Si was accomplished by using a bilayer buffer CeO2 and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The BSTO films deposited on SRO on Si using such a buffer system were well aligned in the plane with respect to the major axes of the substrate confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The crystalline nature of the BSTO films on Si was further illustrated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. The BSTO thin films exhibited a dielectric constant above 340 at 10 kHz tested from a capacitor configuration of Au/BSTO/SRO. © 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.
A reliable argument principle algorithm to find the number of zeros of an analytic function in a bounded domain

The argument principle is a natural and simple method to determine the number of zeros of an analytic functionf(z) in a bounded domainD. N, the number of zeros (counting multiplicities) off(z), is 1/2? times the change in Argf(z) asz moves along the closed contour ?D. Since the range of Argf(z) is (??, ?] a critical point in the computational procedure is to assure that the discretization of ?D, {z i ,i=1, ...,M}, is such that $$|\Delta _{{\text{[z}}_i {\text{,}} {\text{z}}_{i + 1} {\text{]}}} Arg f(z)| \leqq \pi $$ . Discretization control which may violate this inequality can lead to an unreliable algorithm. Mathematical theorems derived for the discretization of ?D lead to a completely reliable algorithm to computeN. This algorithm also treats in an elementary way the case when a zero is on or near the contour ?D. Numerical examples are given for the reliable algorithm formulated here and it is pointed out in these examples how inadequate discretization control can lead to failure of other algorithms.