cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An automatic PDMS interface for the Urotrack Plus 220 urimeter.

Periodic measurements of urine volume and temperature in critically ill patients are time consuming, unclean procedures. These measurements may be automated with an electronic urimeter (Urotrack Plus 220, C.R. Bard Company, Murray Hill, NJ). This device contains an RS-232 output port which transmits a complete device status report once per second. We interfaced 20 Urotrack Plus urimeters to a single I/O port of a computerized patient data management system (Hewlett-Packard 78709A PDMS, Hewlett-Packard Company, Waltham, MA). This interface required daisy chained controllers for port switching and a communications adapter for flow control. The urimeters have proven to be cost-effective, labor-saving devices. The PDMS interface provides a continuous display of measured variables and completely automates data entry for flowsheet documentation. Automatic urimetry data acquisition is estimated to save approximately 27 nursing minutes per patient per day.
Brands' quality levels, prices, and advertising outlays: empirical evidence on signals and information costs

Abstract For nearly 200 products evaluated by Consumer Reports we calculated rank correlations between brands' quality ratings and prices and advertising outlays. These correlations are related in cross-section to novel measures of buyers' information portfolios. Quality-price correlations increase with the scope for vertical differentiation and decline for innovative and “convenience” goods. Positive quality-advertising associations mainly reflect verifiable information about “quality” attributes. Evidence consistent with price as a quality signal is confined to frequent but unimportant purchases; for these “convenience” goods high prices might induce the maintenance of high quality. Advertising is not found to serve as a quality signal.
Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy of Metal/Metal Oxide Electrodes. Analysis of Spatially Localized Electron-Transfer Reactions during Oxide Growth

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) has been used to study the oxidation of iodide at Ta electrodes covered by a thin (∼2.5 nm) film of Ta(2)O(5). SECM images of surface activity reveal that the voltammetric response of a macroscopic Ta electrode comprises the individual responses of a large number of microscopic sites, each with its own unique electrochemical behavior. Oxide film growth and metal dissolution occur simultaneously with iodide oxidation, resulting in a complex voltammetric response. The component of the voltammetric current due to iodide oxidation can be separated from the total current by SECM analysis. The growth of nanometer-thick oxide films can also be studied using SECM by monitoring the rate at which iodide is oxidized at the electrode surface.
Solvent-induced crystallization of amorphous poly(ether ether ketone) by acetone

Abstract A 0.3 mm thick amorphous poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) film was exposed to acetone until equilibrium in the weight uptake was recorded, and was then dried in a vacuum oven at 70°C. The resulting structure was compared to the initial structure by means of differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and infra-red (i.r.) spectroscopy. Although the exposed film remained translucent, all of these complementary techniques suggested the presence of crystallinity which was induced by the exposure of the amorphous PEEK film to the solvent.
Procedures for immunochemical study of histamine release from leukocytes with small volume of blood.

Abstract Procedures are described for in vitro immunochemical study of release of histamine from leukocytes of peripheral blood. Only 10 ml. blood is required to measure the effect of 10 concentrations of antigen or to carry out 10 tests with individual antigens or compounds. The procedures have been applied extensively for 3 years in a variety of studies, and the convenience, reliability, and usefulness have been demonstrated.
TEXPRESS v1.0: A MATLAB toolbox for efficient processing of GDGT LC–MS data

Abstract Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) from sediment and soil samples has become a widely adopted approach for reconstructing past ocean and continental climate variables such as temperature and pH. The LC–MS data used for constructing these GDGT climate proxies are taken directly from the peak area values of individual GDGT [M+H] + ions, often determined from manual peak integration due to unreliable computer integrators in commercial software, particularly in cases of complex baselines, asymmetric peak shapes and peak coelution. Manual integration is not only time consuming, but also prone to user induced inconsistency when individuals utilize different criteria for peak/baseline definition. To overcome these problems, we have developed a user friendly, graphical user interface (GUI) programmed in the MATLAB environment, allowing users to efficiently and reproducibly perform batch processing and peak integration of LC–MS data. The program, “TEXPRESS” v1.0 (“tetraether index express”), incorporates modern chemometric based techniques for baseline definition and deconvolution of complex chromatographic peaks and we show that LC–MS data processed using the TEXPRESS toolbox are in strong agreement with results obtained from manual peak integration. We provide a general overview of the concepts and architecture of the TEXPRESS toolbox and discuss the advantages of chemometric based peak integration methods for processing branched and isoprenoid GDGT LC–MS data.
Stresses in bonded materials with a crack perpendicular to the interface

The problem of two elastic bonded half planes containing a crack perpendicular to the interface is considered. First the solution for the semi-infinite crack under concentrated wedge loading is given. Then the problem of a finite crack fully imbedded in one of the half planes of terminating at the interface is considered. The Mellin transform in conjunction with the dislocations is used to formulate the problem and to derive the integral equation. The integral equation is solved; the stress intensity factors, the crack surface displacement, and the stresses around the crack tip terminating at the interface are obtained. Noting that the power of the singularity for the interface tip of the crack is not -1/2, a tentative fracture criterion dealing with the initiation of fracture propagation is proposed.
P1-S3.08 Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in adolescents after treatment for cervicitis

Background We did a prospective study of incarcerated adolescents who had been treated for gonorrhoeal and/or chlamydial cervicitis to determine what proportion subsequently developed PID. Methods We performed the study at the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center, Texas, where PID is relatively common. At the time of their mandated medical assessment, all incarcerated women submitted first-catch urine samples for chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing. We used Gen-Probe NAAT assays. At the time of treatment among those infected, we performed bimanual pelvic examinations to determine if they had PID. We used the PID diagnostic criteria of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: the presence of adnexal or cervical motion or uterine tenderness. The bimanual examinations were performed by one of three experienced practitioners. We treated infected patients with no evidence of PID for chlamydial and gonococcal cervicitis with 1 gm of azithromycin and 400 mg of cefixime, even if they were positive for only one of the two organisms. We treated for both organisms in case that one test was falsely negative. Treatment was observed by clinic staff; if the medicine was vomited, treatment was repeated following the administration of an anti-emetic. We followed all treated women for 30 days or until released, to determine if they developed PID after treatment for cervicitis. During incarceration, they had no opportunity for sexual intercourse. Results We evaluated 61 adolescents with no evidence of PID, who were treated for chlamydia and gonorrhoea between 29 March 2010 and 27 December 2010. Their mean age was 15.6 (SD 1.2) years; 45% were black, 31% Hispanic, and 24% white. Duration of follow-up after treatment ranged from 6 to 30 days. During follow-up, 8 of 62 (13%) developed lower abdominal pain and had bimanual pelvic examination findings that supported the diagnosis of PID. All but one patient developed PID at least 10 days after cervicitis treatment (range 3−30 days). Conclusion In incarcerated adolescents treated for gonorrhoeal and/or chlamydial cervicitis, 13% met the criteria for PID in the month subsequent to treatment, even though their therapy was directly observed, and they were not re-exposed to these organisms. Our data suggest that appropriate treatment for cervicitis does not rule out the possibility of subsequent PID even without exposure to gonorrhoea or chlamydia.
Abolition of clonidine's effects on ventricular refractoriness by naloxone in the conscious dog.

The interaction between opiate and adrenergic receptors on cardiac electrophysiologic function in the conscious dog was addressed in our study. We examined the effects of opiate receptor blockade with naloxone on clonidine-induced changes in refractoriness of the cardiac ventricle. Nine dogs were chronically instrumented for recording mean arterial blood pressure, administration of drugs and for measurement of effective refractory period of the ventricle. Clonidine (10 micrograms/kg, i.v.) significantly (p less than 0.05) decreased heart rate to 72 +/- 5 beats/minute from 108 +/- 8 beats/minute; mean arterial pressure decreased significantly (p less than 0.05) to 83 +/- 3 mmHg from 91 +/- 4 mmHg. Ventricular refractoriness was increased significantly (p less than 0.05) at current levels of 7 and 10 mA and pacing rates 180 and 200 beats/minute. Naloxone (3-10 mg/kg, i.v.) abolished clonidine's effects on heart rate, mean arterial pressure and ventricular refractoriness. We conclude that ventricular refractoriness may be regulated in part by interactions between central adrenergic and opioidergic systems.
Modeling a Porous Slider Bearing With an External Reservoir

This work considers a porous slider bearing above an external reservoir. The bearing system consists of a lubricating film, porous medium, and a reservoir. The Darcy model is used for flow inside the porous medium. The moving slider bearing establishes a pressure profile that circulates fluid between the lubricating region and the reservoir. Simplifications are made to allow for a semi-analytical solution to be constructed that can be easily solved using a standard computational package. It is shown that the fluid is circulated inside the bearing to allow for a load-carrying capability as well as for no external lubricant supply.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Organized Living: From Cell Surfaces to Basement Membranes

Binding of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins to integrin receptors initiates intracellular signaling events that are essential for the differentiation and survival of epithelial cells. However, the propagation and processing of these signals also depend on the cells acquiring an appropriate three-dimensional morphology and polarity after contact with the ECM. In fact, even if adhesion to the ECM is maintained but subsequent cellular organization and polarity are impaired, epithelial cells fail to fully differentiate and become susceptible to apoptotic stimuli. Studies using three-dimensional tissue culture models with reconstituted basement membranes not only demonstrate the central role of tissue organization for differentiation and survival, but also emphasize how acquiring this organized polarized phenotype can override a number of genetic changes that would otherwise disrupt normal tissue function.
The Density of Rock Salt and Calcite

Crystals as perfect as could be secured were obtained from a variety of sources, and densities were measured by weighing them when suspended in paraffine oil or water respectively. The weights were calibrated and correction was made for the buoyancy of the air. The measurements are accurate to.2 mg ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ for rock salt and to.1 mg ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ for calcite. Variations in density were observed between different parts of the same crystal, as well as between different crystals, which are larger than the experimental error. The estimated uncertainty of the mean density is taken as the probable variation of the individual samples from the mean density. The mean result for 7 good crystals of rock salt is 2.1632\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}.0004 gm ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, and for 6 crystals of calcite, 2.7102\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}.0004 gm ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, at 20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C.
Managing Risks to Financial Markets from Volatile Capital Flows: the Role of Prudential Regulation

Prudential regulation is intended to channel capital inflows through institutions most likely to make sound investment decisions. The paper presents examples of prudential regulation in two countries, Mexico and Hong Kong, where capital was suddenly withdrawn in a test of the financial system. Especially under modern conditions, a risk-taking bank can avoid prudential regulation, which on paper is near the industrial country standard; and the case of Mexico shows how even the best intended regulation can be avoided and can even produce a result that is the opposite of their intent. The existence of offshore markets, particularly OTC derivative markets, makes on-shore regulation problematic in the absence of stringent, consolidated supervision. In addition, they have rendered meaningless the subaccounts of the standard balance of payments capital accounts.
Seedling responses to water pulses in shrubs with contrasting histories of grassland encroachment

Woody plant encroachment into grasslands has occurred worldwide, but it is unclear why some tree and shrub species have been markedly more successful than others. For example, Prosopis velutina has proliferated in many grasslands of the Sonoran Desert in North America over the past century, while other shrub species with similar growth form and life history, such as Acacia greggii, have not. We conducted a glasshouse experiment to assess whether differences in early seedling development could help explain why one species and not the other came to dominate many Sonoran Desert grasslands. We established eight watering treatments mimicking a range of natural precipitation patterns and harvested seedlings 16 or 17 days after germination. A. greggii had nearly 7 times more seed mass than P. velutina, but P. velutina emerged earlier (by 3.0±0.3 d) and grew faster (by 8.7±0.5 mg d−1). Shoot mass at harvest was higher in A. greggii (99±6 mg seedling−1) than in P. velutina (74±2 mg seedling−1), but there was no significant difference in root mass (54±3 and 49±2 mg seedling−1, respectively). Taproot elongation was differentially sensitive to water supply: under the highest initial watering pulse, taproots were 52±19 mm longer in P. velutina than in A. greggii. Enhanced taproot elongation under favorable rainfall conditions could give nascent P. velutina seedlings growth and survivorship advantages by helping reduce competition with grasses and maintain contact with soil water during drought. Conversely, A. greggii's greater investment in mass per seed appeared to provide little return in early seedling growth. We suggest that such differences in recruitment traits and their sensitivities to environmental conditions may help explain ecological differences between species that are highly similar as adults and help identify pivotal drivers of shrub encroachment into grasslands.
Stochastic non-linear oscillator models of EEG: the Alzheimer's disease case.

In this article, the Electroencephalography (EEG) signal of the human brain is modeled as the output of stochastic nonlinear coupled oscillator networks. It is shown that EEG signals recorded under different brain states in healthy as well as Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients may be understood as distinct, statistically significant realizations of the model. EEG signals recorded during resting eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) resting conditions in a pilot study with AD patients and age-matched healthy control subjects (CTL) are employed. An optimization scheme is then utilized to match the output of the stochastic Duffing - van der Pol double oscillator network with EEG signals recorded during each condition for AD and CTL subjects by selecting the model physical parameters and noise intensity. The selected signal characteristics are power spectral densities in major brain frequency bands Shannon and sample entropies. These measure allow matching of linear time varying frequency content as well as nonlinear signal information content and complexity. The main findings of the work is that statistically significant unique models represent the EC and EO conditions for both CTL and AD subjects. However, it is also shown that the inclusion of sample entropy in the optimization process, to match the complexity of the EEG signal, enhances the stochastic nonlinear oscillator model performance.
Non-transcriptional Priming and Deubiquitination Regulate NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation

The NLRP3 inflammasome is a key component of the innate immune response to pathogenic infection and tissue damage. It is also involved in the pathogenesis of a number of human diseases, including gouty arthritis, silicosis, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes. The assembly of the NLRP3 inflammasome requires a priming signal derived from pattern recognition or cytokine receptors, followed by a second signal derived from extracellular ATP, pore-forming toxins, or crystalline materials. How these two signals activate the NLRP3 inflammasome is not yet clear. Here, we show that in mouse macrophages, signaling by the pattern recognition receptor TLR4 through MyD88 can rapidly and non-transcriptionally prime NLRP3 by stimulating its deubiquitination. This process is dependent on mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production and can be inhibited by antioxidants. We further show that signaling by ATP can also induce deubiquitination of NLRP3 by a mechanism that is not sensitive to antioxidants. Pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 deubiquitination completely blocked NLRP3 activation in both mouse and human cells, indicating that deubiquitination of NLRP3 is required for its activation. Our findings suggest that NLRP3 is activated by a two-step deubiquitination mechanism initiated by Toll-like receptor signaling and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and further potentiated by ATP, which could explain how NLRP3 is activated by diverse danger signals.
OPC methodology and implementation to prototyping of small SRAM cells of 0.18-μm node logic gate levels

The evaluation of 'future' SRAM designs often involves aggressive patterning techniques. This is especially true for the prototyping stage of a product because the target 'production' tools are either unavailable or suffer from immature processes. This paper describes an OPC implementation method for 0.18 micrometers technology production of small SRAM cells of logic gate levels. A model based proximity correction has been applied to compensate the pattern distortions encountered in DUV lithography patterning. The first step is to generate a process specific empirical model for OPC simulation. To judge the accuracy of the OPC model, a set of linewidth measurements including linewidth versus pitches and linewidth versus linearity could be used to do a model prediction verification. However, linewidth confirmation is only in 1D. A 2D confirmation is important to ensure the success of OPC because there are lots of irregularly shaped layouts in a random logic device. The validity of OPC model prediction also needs to be verified for low contrast areas in patterning using focus exposure matrices by comparing the printed result to the model simulation. This procedure is very important in pushing chip density. Some experimental result from our approaches are discussed in this paper.
Veil and four walls: a state of terror in Pakistan 1

The understanding of terrorism should be expanded to encompass the types of violence most often experienced by women, such as rape. Pakistani men, soldiers and civilians have used rape as a strategy of terrorism against Pakistan's women, particularly those who dare to transgress existing social hierarchies or who belong to stigmatized social groups. Moreover, the complex and sometimes contradictory set of criminal, Islamic, and tribal laws on rape and ‘honour killings’ give women little recourse against gender violence and even permit their re-victimization.
A two-piece radiation therapy surface mold

A two-piece surface mold was designed that can facilitate the use of radium sources upon radiosensitive lesions of the palate. The prosthesis was designed to provide the necessary field dosage to the lesion as designated by the radiotherapist and to protect the normal tissue.
Backward Channel Aware Wyner-Ziv Video Coding

Wyner-Ziv video coding is a low complexity video encoding method that exploits source statistics at the decoder and shifts much of the computational complexity from the encoder to the decoder. Many Wyner-Ziv video coding schemes rely on the use of INTRA frames so that the decoder can derive sufficiently accurate side information. In this paper we extend our previous work on Wyner-Ziv coding that uses backward channel aware motion estimation. The basic idea is to perform motion estimation at the decoder and send the motion information back to the encoder through a backward channel. Experimental results show that this method can significantly improve the coding efficiency with a minimal use of the backward channel bandwidth. We also propose an error resilient technique by using error detection and adaptive coding to handle the situation when the backward channel is subject to erasure errors or delays.
Stability characteristics of deuterated myoglobin.

Purified sperm whale myoglobin was deuterated by being exposed to pD 3.5 in D2O buffer for 1 hr, then raised to pD 10.6 for an additional hour, and finally brought to neutrality in a D2O environment. Control myoglobin was similarly treated in H2O. The specific rotation at 233 mμ and/or the absorbance in the Soret region were used to follow the helix-coil transition of myoglobin subjected to denaturation by acid, alkali, urea and guanidine. Deuterated and control myoglobin had similar 50% transition points in the four denaturing media studied (acid: pH 4.4, pD 4.9; alkali: pH 9.4, pD 10.0; urea, 7.2M; guanidine, 2.5M). The shift toward the alkaline side of 0.5 or 0.6 units of the transition induced by either acid or alkaline denaturation reflects only the weakened acidity of ionizable groups in deuterium systems. Deuterated myoglobin in 3.25M guanidine had a 20% faster denaturation rate than that of control. Acid, urea, and guanidine denaturation curves showed fairly steep transitions, taken as indicative of a one-step process involving only two states (native and denatured molecules). Supporting this conclusion was the fact that plots of absorption and polarimetry measurements of the helix-coil transition induced by either acid or guanidine could be superimposed.
Enzyme electrodes immobilized on hetero-structured metallic nanowire array for glucose sensing

The fabrication of hetero-structured vertically aligned nanowire arrays and enzyme immobilization on their surface is presented for a glucose sensor with high sensitivity. Hetero-structured nanowires of gold and platinum are fabricated by hybrid polycarbonate membrane assembly and electrochemical deposition processes and glucose oxidase are attached on their surface by covalent immobilization. Platinum and gold hetero-structured nanoelectrodes with enzyme are evaluated to detect hydrogen peroxide produced in the enzyme reaction without the need for the artificial redox mediator, which is not viable on a homogenous gold electrode. Chronoamperometric current behavior is demonstrated with various concentrations from 0.5 mM to 28 mM. In this research, the combination of enzyme immobilization and sensing surfaces on nanowire arrays has shown superior performance with regards to the sensitivity and response time.
TU-FF-A2-01: Unexpected Doserate Dependencies of Diodes for Beam Scanning

Purpose: The doserate dependence in electron beams of four types of scanning diode were investigated — Scanditronix‐Wellhofer EFD and SFD, PTW60012 and Sun Nuclear QED 1113000‐1. Method and Materials: The detectors were positioned at a fixed source‐detector distance in an uncollimated 20 MeV electron beam and the doserate varied by varying the incident beam intensity. There were therefore no changes in field size,scatter contribution etc. The dose per pulse was in the range 0–0.1 cGy, which is typical of clinical linacs. Measurements were also made in high gradient electron fields, e.g. depth‐dose curves and beam profiles, for a range of electron energies from 6–22 MeV. Results: Two of the diodes — the SFD and QED‐ showed little or no doserate dependence. The EFD showed a variation that just exceeded the manufacturer's specification and the PTW60012 showed a very large effect with a 15% change in sensitivity over the range of doserates investigated. These differences in response were also seen in the comparison of beam profiles and depth‐dose curves. The EFD and PTW diodes gave a difference in R50 of approximately 1 mm, which is equivalent to a 4% error for 6 MeV. Similar discrepancies were seen for the measurement of field size. Doserate corrections were obtained and corrected dose distributions generally gave agreement between all detectors within the measurement uncertainties.Conclusion: These results would indicate that users should not simply rely on manufacturers' specifications and should characterize any new diode for doserate dependence before using the device for beam measurements.
The study of American religions: critical reflections on a specialization

This essay introduces a special forum on the study of American religions. The essays in the forum consider what role, if any, the discipline of religious studies plays in shaping work within one area of specialization. This introduction attempts to place the issues raised by the contributors within the context of debates about the status of religious studies in the wake of critiques of sui generis approaches to the study of religion. In different ways, the essays argue that some kind of critical theoretical reflection is necessary for religious studies to make sense as a discipline.
Psychosocial and personality differences in chippers and regular smokers.

Abstract Tobacco chippers are an anomalous group of smokers who, while having smoked regularly for years, have avoided the clutches of nicotine dependence. In an attempt to better understand the factors associated with nondependent cigarette smoking, this paper describes a study in which matched groups of regular smokers, chippers, and nonsmokers were compared on a number of personality and psychosocial variables believed relevant to drug-seeking behavior. The strongest finding indicated that sensation seeking best discriminates among the three groups, with nonsmokers clearly viewing themselves as more socially inhibited and less interested in pursuing sensations relative to both regular smokers and chippers, both of whom evidenced comparable scores. Regular smokers evidenced less self- control, or restraint, and appeared more impulsive and unable to resist temptation, compared to chippers and nonsmokers. Surprisingly, none of the groups could be differentiated on the basis of perceived stress, coping, or social support. Even among the personality variables, however, the effect sizes were relatively small, indicating that these differences in personality cannot fully account for chipper's resistance to dependence.
Wideband balun and vertical transition between microstrip and parallel‐strip transmission line

A wideband vertical transition between microstrip and parallel-strip transmission lines is presented. It performs as an unbalanced-to-balanced transformer as well. Its back-to-back configuration is fabricated, and the transition characteristics are measured. Measurement results reveal low insertion loss over wide frequency band. The performance of the microstrip transition is compared with those of the vertical transitions involving a coplanar waveguide and a conductor-backed coplanar waveguide, and comments on the comparison results are provided. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 1530–1532, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22482
Radiographic findings of canine dysautonomia in twenty-four dogs.

Canine dysautonomia is an idiopathic condition resulting in loss of autonomic nervous system function. Recently, the prevalence of dogs diagnosed with dysautonomia in the mid-western United States has increased. In this study the medical records and radiographic findings in 24 dogs with dysautonomia were reviewed. A diagnosis of dysautonomia was made in 17 (71%) of the dogs in this study by postmortem examination, the remaining 7 (29%) dogs were diagnosed pharmacologically. The radio-graphic findings supportive of dysautonomia include aspiration pneumonia, megaesophagus, or a distended stomach, small bowel, or urinary bladder. In some instances, the disease radiographically mimicked other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, including mechanical obstruction.
Accountants for the Public Interest: strategy implementation and performance measurement for a nonprofit organization

Abstract This case describes strategic issues and the operations of Accountants for the Public Interest (API), a national organization that is dedicated to making volunteer accounting services available to financially disadvantaged individuals and nonprofit organizations. API is a well-known nonprofit organization that receives financial support from the accounting profession. In addition to discussing strategic decisions facing API, the case covers performance measurement topics commonly integrated in managerial and cost accounting courses. API's Board of Directors (BOD) must make important strategic planning and implementation decisions during a period of change. One Board member has suggested using performance measures to assess API's progress in implementing strategy and achieving goals. Students are asked to develop financial and nonfinancial measures relevant to API's strategy and to show how their suggested measures would appear in a balanced scorecard. Whether CPAs should be obligated to provide volunteer accounting services to the community is another issue that the case requires students to address.
The Contextual Underpinnings of Voting Patterns for Black Statewide Candidates

African American candidates have usually struggled to win statewide elections, but they often perform relatively well in some localities, while doing badly in others. Drawing on unique time-series cross-section data collected in the State of Illinois, we examine how racial and socioeconomic contexts determine support for Black candidates in statewide elections. We show that African American candidates tend to do better primarily in counties that have witnessed a growing inflow of highly educated residents. Furthermore, only in communities where a high level of racial diversity interacts with a highly educated environment do residents seem to become more willing to embrace Black statewide candidates. Our findings may help shed light on the enduring question of what the future of a diversifying society holds.
Xenoepitope Substitution Avoids Deceptive Imprinting and Broadens the Immune Response to Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus

Many RNA viruses encode error-prone polymerases which introduce mutations into B and T cell epitopes, providing a mechanism for immunological escape. When regions of hypervariability are found within immunodominant epitopes with no known function, they are referred to as "decoy epitopes," which often deceptively imprint the host's immune response. In this work, a decoy epitope was identified in the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotype O VP1 G-H loop after multiple sequence alignment of 118 isolates. A series of chimeric cyclic peptides resembling the type O G-H loop were prepared, each bearing a defined "B cell xenoepitope" from another virus in place of the native decoy epitope. These sequences were derived from porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (PRRSV), from HIV, or from a presumptively tolerogenic sequence from murine albumin and were subsequently used as immunogens in BALB/c mice. Cross-reactive antibody responses against all peptides were compared to a wild-type peptide and ovalbumin (OVA). A broadened antibody response was generated in animals inoculated with the PRRSV chimeric peptide, in which virus binding of serum antibodies was also observed. A B cell epitope mapping experiment did not reveal recognition of any contiguous linear epitopes, raising the possibility that the refocused response was directed to a conformational epitope. Taken together, these results indicate that xenoepitope substitution is a novel method for immune refocusing against decoy epitopes of RNA viruses such as FMDV as part of the rational design of next-generation vaccines.
High speed on-board processing and switching

The author surveys the state of the art of on-board processing and switching for telecommunications satellites and the international capabilities to accomplish advanced satellite design, development, and manufacturing. >
Neuroprotective and disease-modifying effects of the ketogenic diet

The ketogenic diet has been in clinical use for over 80 years, primarily for the symptomatic treatment of epilepsy. A recent clinical study has raised the possibility that exposure to the ketogenic diet may confer long-lasting therapeutic benefits for patients with epilepsy. Moreover, there is evidence from uncontrolled clinical trials and studies in animal models that the ketogenic diet can provide symptomatic and disease-modifying activity in a broad range of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and may also be protective in traumatic brain injury and stroke. These observations are supported by studies in animal models and isolated cells that show that ketone bodies, especially β-hydroxybutyrate, confer neuroprotection against diverse types of cellular injury. This review summarizes the experimental, epidemiological and clinical evidence indicating that the ketogenic diet could have beneficial effects in a broad range of brain disorders characterized by the death of neurons. Although the mechanisms are not yet well defined, it is plausible that neuroprotection results from enhanced neuronal energy reserves, which improve the ability of neurons to resist metabolic challenges, and possibly through other actions including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. As the underlying mechanisms become better understood, it will be possible to develop alternative strategies that produce similar or even improved therapeutic effects without the need for exposure to an unpalatable and unhealthy, high-fat diet.
A NEW ASSAY FOR THYROTROPIC HORMONE BASED UPON THYROIDAL PHOSPHOLIPID TURNOVER IN VITRO1

THE assay of protein hormones still presents many problems. Most biological assay procedures are slow and inaccurate and require large numbers of animals. In vitro tests using tissues obtainable from the slaughterhouse therefore offer considerable advantages, especially to laboratories where the need for hormones assays arises only occasionally. To date, only a siugle in vitro assay for thyrotropin has been proposed (1) and the specificity and precision of this method have not been explored. We therefore considered it of interest to investigate further an in vitro effect of thyrotropin which was first described from this laboratory (2). This publication presents our findings regarding the sensitivity, specificity and limitations of the stimulation of radiophosphorus incorporation into the phospholipids of surviving thyroid slices by pituitary thyrotropic hormone.
Genetic susceptibility to vaginal candidiasis.

To enable future studies on host resistance factors and therapy, inbred and outbred mouse strains were tested for susceptibility to vaginal candidiasis. Groups of mice were given 0.5 mg estradiol 3 days before and 4 days after intravaginal challenge with a suspension of Candida albicans. On day 1 after challenge, a swab was used to quantitate infection in all groups and to assure equivalent infection levels. On day 6, this was repeated and the experiment was terminated. BALB/c, the reference strain in repeated experiments, was susceptible, showing persistent infection with levels of cfu at day 6 falling within a range between a twofold decrease and a fourfold increase in relation to day 1 levels. CD-1 outbred mice were markedly resistant, with day 6 cfu levels showing a 74- to 87-fold decrease with respect to day 1 levels, whereas other outbred strains (CF-1, SW, ICR) were susceptible. A BALB/c substrain (ByJ) was also susceptible. With exception of CBA/J, which showed modest resistance, all inbred strain...
Measurement of Depressive Symptoms in Women With Breast Cancer and Women With Clinical Depression: A Differential Item Functioning Analysis

Differential item functioning (DIF) analyses of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were conducted on samples of 267 women with breast cancer and 294 women with clinical depression. Patterns of items in which there was significant and nonsignificant DIF were identified using statistical tests and measures of DIF effect size. At the most general level, 15 of 21 BDI-II items were associated with nontrivial DIF suggesting that the item responses of these samples do not reflect the same underlying construct. Factor analyses of the BDI-II using a psychometrically defensible method for item level factor analysis supported the conclusions from the DIF analyses. These findings suggest that researchers and practitioners should apply caution when interpreting self-report depression symptoms in breast cancer patients.
Simulation of flexible control strategies

Flexibility in developing and testing operating policies for manufacturing systems requires the ability to quickly and easily change a simulation model to incorporate the new policy. To achieve this goal, the model of the system control strategy should be separated from the model of the physical system. Using a flexible manufacturing cell as an example, we first show how this separation can be accomplished, and then discuss desirable features in a language that would simplify the approach.
Experimental Autoimmune Thyroiditis in the Mouse

Experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) in mice is an excellent model for Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). It is induced with thyroglobulin (Tg), a known thyroid autoantigen that is common to both mouse and human and for which several conserved, thyroiditogenic epitopes have been identified. This unit describes induction and evaluation of EAT using thyroid histology and in vitro proliferative response assays. An ELISA is presented to detect the level of antibody to mouse thyroglobulin (MTg). To induce EAT, either bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or supplemented complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) can be used as adjuvant. A support protocol for preparing MTg is included. The T cell proliferation assay can be used to examine the antigenicity of synthetic peptides derived from MTg or heterologous Tg. EAT can be adoptively transferred utilizing cells that have been expanded in vitro, as described. A protocol is provided for inducing tolerance using deaggregated MTg; induction of tolerance requires larger amounts of MTg but efficiently suppresses EAT development. Also included is a protocol to demonstrate the role of regulatory T cells in mediating tolerance. A protocol to delineate HLA association with HT is illustrated using HLA class II transgenic mice.
Field studies in geophysical diffraction tomography

Geophysical diffraction tomography (GDT) is a quantitative, high- resolution technique for subsurface imaging. This method has been used in a number of shallow applications to image buried waste, trenches, soil strata, tunnels, synthetic magma chambers, and the buried skeletal remains of seismosaurus, the longest dinosaur ever discovered. The theory associated with the GDT inversion and implementing software have been developed for acoustic and scalar electromagnetic waves for bistatic and monostatic measurements in cross-borehole, offset vertical seismic profiling and reflection geometries. This paper presents an overview of some signal processing algorithms, a description of the instrumentation used in field studies, and selected imaging results.
Thin-film organic polymer phototransistors

We have studied the electrical performance of organic polymer thin-film transistors (OP-TFTs) under steady-state white-light illumination, as well as the performance of these devices as photodetectors. The off-state drain current of the OP-TFT is significantly increased due to the illumination, while a smaller relative effect is observed on the drain current in the strong-accumulation regime. The illumination effectively decreases the threshold voltage of the device and increases the apparent subthreshold swing, while the field-effect mobility of the charge carriers in the polymer channel is unchanged. We have observed full recovery of our devices after the illumination is removed at room temperature. These observations are explained in terms of the photogeneration of excitons due to the absorbed photons. The photogenerated excitons subsequently diffuse and dissociate into free charge carriers, thereby enhancing the carrier density in the channel of the device. We have found broadband responsivities of approximately 0.7 mA/W for devices biased in the strong-accumulation regime and gate-to-source voltage-independent photosensitivities of approximately 10/sup 3/ for devices in the off-state. We also determine, for the first time, the flatband voltage of these devices to be about -2.3 V.
Characterizing Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptors with Genetically Encoded Ca++ Sensors

We present a cell based system and experimental approach to characterize agonist and antagonist selectivity for ligand-gated ion channels (LGIC) by developing sensor cells stably expressing a Ca2+ permeable LGIC and a genetically encoded Forster (or fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based calcium sensor. In particular, we describe separate lines with human α7 and human α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, mouse 5-HT3A serotonin receptors and a chimera of human α7/mouse 5-HT3A receptors. Complete concentration-response curves for agonists and Schild plots of antagonists were generated from these sensors and the results validate known pharmacology of the receptors tested. Concentration-response relations can be generated from either the initial rate or maximal amplitudes of FRET-signal. Although assaying at a medium throughput level, this pharmacological fluorescence detection technique employs a clonal line for stability and has versatility for screening laboratory generated congeners as agonists or antagonists on multiple subtypes of ligand-gated ion channels. The clonal sensor lines are also compatible with in vivo usage to measure indirectly receptor activation by endogenous neurotransmitters.
Transdermal drug delivery treatment for overactive bladder

Overactive bladder is commonly treated with oral anticholinergic drugs such as oxybutynin chloride. Although oral anticholinergic agents have been effective in controlling urinary urgency and incontinence, adverse events, particularly dry mouth, often cause patients to discontinue oral therapy and to endure incontinence. Oxybutynin can be delivered transcutaneously, maintaining the efficacy of oral oxybutynin while significantly minimizing side effects (e.g., dry mouth) that may complicate therapy. By avoiding hepatic and gastrointestinal metabolism of oxybutynin, less N-desethyloxybutynin (N-DEO) is produced and this compound is deemed to be responsible for anticholinergic side effects such as dry mouth. This novel oxybutynin formulation offers patients with OAB and urge urinary incontinence a well-tolerated option for managing the symptoms of overactive bladder.
Effects of micro-vibratory modulation during robot-assisted membrane peeling

In retinal microsurgery, membrane peeling is a standard procedure requiring the delamination of a thin fibrous membrane adherent to the retina surface by applying very small forces. Robotic devices with combined force-sensing instruments have significant potential to assist this procedure by facilitating membrane delamination through induced micro-vibrations. However, defining the optimal frequency and amplitude for generating such vibrations, and updating these parameters during the procedure is not trivial. Automatic adjustment of these parameters via an adaptive control scheme is possible only if the individual parameter effects on delamination behavior are known. This study presents an experimental exploration of how micro-vibration amplitude and frequency affect membrane peeling forces alone. Combining a micromanipulator and a force-sensing micro-forceps, several peeling experiments were done on artificial phantoms (bandages) and inner shell membrane of raw chicken eggs. In the tested range of micro-vibration frequencies (10–50 Hz) the average delamination force was minimized mostly at 30 Hz for the bandages and at 50 Hz for the egg membranes. Increasing the micro-vibration amplitude from 50 µm up to 150 µm provided further reduction in average force, thus facilitated membrane delamination.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AND ADOPTION O FENERGY CROPS

Current study analyzes the socio-economic factors that impact farmers’ willingness to grow switchgrass and miscanthus in Missouri and Iowa. The results of the current study show that current level of farmers’ willingness to grow for either crop is low. Hence, there are barriers to accomplishing the goal of producing 21 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuel by 2022. It is also found that currently growing energy crops is more attractive to small farms as a source of crop diversification, rather than an alternative crop production system in the big scale by large farms.
Interstellar Extinction for λ ⩾ 1100 Å and H2+

The wavelength-dependent photoabsorption cross section σ(λ) for H by a transition from a discrete rotation-vibration (RV) state in the 1sσg electronic orbital to a continuum state of internuclear motion in the 2pσu electronic orbital is discussed. The predicted extinction depends strongly on the, as yet, unknown occupation numbers of the initial RV states appropriate to various parts of the interstellar medium. A simple method for adjusting the occupation numbers is introduced. It is applied to three formulae representing the variety observed in interstellar extinction for this or other galaxies. The agreement is quantitative for wavelengths λ ≥ 2700 A. Agreement in the ubiquitous λ ~ 2175 A bump region becomes less accurate as the observed relative height increases and the width decreases. The agreement is poor for λ ≤ 1400 A. The occupation numbers found for these cases are acceptable on physical grounds and bear a resemblance to those predicted and observed for the ionization of cold H2 by energetic radiation. The predicted shape would allow this mechanism to be the sole carrier for interstellar medium (ISM) extinction for λ ≥ 2700 A and important for 2700 A ≥ λ ≥ 1400 A. However, the [H] required by this mechanism is considerably larger than predicted by current ISM models. It is suggested that this mechanism be considered, along with the established dust mechanism and perhaps others, as a contributor to the ISM extinction.