cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using mathematical modeling to define kinetic properties of HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses

Multiple lines of evidence indicate that CD8+ T cells are important in the control of HIV-1 (HIV) replication. However, CD8+ T cells induced by natural infection cannot eliminate the virus or reduce viral loads to acceptably low levels in most infected individuals. Understanding the basic quantitative features of CD8+ T-cell responses induced during the course of HIV infection may therefore inform us about the limits that HIV vaccines, which aim to induce protective CD8+ T-cell responses, must exceed. Using previously published experimental data from a cohort of HIV-infected individuals with sampling times from acute to chronic infection we defined the quantitative properties of CD8+ T-cell responses to the whole HIV proteome. In contrast with a commonly held view, we found that the relative number of HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses (response breadth) changed little over the course of infection (first 400 days post-infection), with moderate but statistically significant changes occurring only during the first 35 symptomatic days. This challenges the idea that a change in the T-cell response breadth over time is responsible for the slow speed of viral escape from CD8+ T cells in the chronic infection. The breadth of HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses was not correlated with the average viral load for our small cohort of patients, highlighting the possibility that statistically significant correlations previously found in other small cohorts of patients arose by chance. Metrics of relative immunodominance of HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses such as Shannon entropy or the Evenness index were also not significantly correlated with the average viral load. Our mathematical-model-driven analysis suggested extremely slow expansion kinetics for the majority of HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses and the presence of intra- and interclonal competition between multiple CD8+ T-cell responses; such competition may limit the magnitude of CD8+ T-cell responses, specific to different epitopes, and the overall number of T-cell responses induced by vaccination. Together, our results suggest that vaccines inducing T-cell responses with breadth and expansion kinetics similar to those induced by natural HIV infection are unlikely to be highly efficacious, and we propose minimum quantitative features of CD8+ T-cell responses (breadth, expansion kinetics) that vaccines must induce to be deemed acceptable for further testing.
Dispersive Fourier transformation for megahertz detection of coherent stokes and anti-stokes Raman spectra

Abstract In many fields of study, from coherent Raman microscopy on living cells to time-resolved coherent Raman spectroscopy of gas-phase turbulence and combustion reaction dynamics, the need for the capability to time-resolve fast dynamical and nonrepetitive processes has led to the continued development of high-speed coherent Raman methods and new high-repetition rate laser sources, such as pulse-burst laser systems. However, much less emphasis has been placed on our ability to detect shot to shot coherent Raman spectra at equivalently high scan rates, across the kilohertz to megahertz regime. This is beyond the capability of modern scientific charge coupled device (CCD) cameras, for instance, as would be employed with a Czerny-Turner type spectrograph. As an alternative detection strategy with megahertz spectral detection rate, we demonstrate dispersive Fourier transformation detection of pulsed (∼90 ps) coherent Raman signals in the time-domain. Instead of reading the frequency domain signal out using a spectrometer and CCD, the signal is transformed into a time-domain waveform through dispersive Fourier transformation in a long single-mode fiber and read-out with a fast sampling photodiode and oscilloscope. Molecular O - and S -branch rotational sideband spectra from both N 2 and H 2 were acquired employing this scheme, and the waveform is fitted to show highly quantitative agreement with a molecular model. The total detection time for the rotational spectrum was 20 ns, indicating an upper limit to the detection frequency of ∼50 MHz, significantly faster than any other reported spectrally-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman detection strategy to date.
Cinema, Sexuality, Mechanical Reproduction

﻿Although Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings​﻿ show a degree of male intimacy seldom seen in Hollywood blockbusters, the films also seek to forestall queer possibilities—not only by expanding the limited heterosexual elements of Tolkien’s plot, but also by shifting the focus of non-normative sexuality from object-choice to reproduction. The films both foreground the figure of the child as a sentimentalized confirmation of heterosexual love and introduce the threat of unnatural reproduction. This inhuman generation functions as a displaced site of queer sexuality which implicates the cinematic mechanism, named by Walter Benjamin as a form of “mechanical reproduction,” in the very perversity it seeks to forestall.
The Ethernet speaker system

If we wish to distribute audio in a large room, building, or even a campus, we need multiple speakers. These speakers must be jointly managed and synchronized. The Ethernet Speaker (ES) system presented in this paper can be thought of as a distributed audio amplifier and speakers, it does not "play" any particular format, but rather relies on off-the-shelf audio applications (e.g., mpg123 player, Real Audio player) to act as the audio source. The Ethernet Speaker, consists of three elements: (a) a system that converts the audio output of the unmodified audio application to a network stream containing configuration and timing information (rebroad-caster), (b) the devices that generate sound from the audio stream (Ethernet Speakers), and (c) the protocol that ensures that all the speakers in a LAN play the same sounds. This paper covers all three elements, discussing design considerations, experiences from the prototype implementations, and our plans for extending the system to provide additional features such as automatic volume control, local user interfaces, and security.
Collaboration Technologies for Supporting E-Supply Chain Management

This chapter presents the design and implementation of an Event-Trigger-Rule-based electronic supply-chain management system (ESCM). The ESCM is constructed by a network of Knowledge Web Servers, each of which consists of a Web server, an Event Manager, an Event-Trigger-Rule (ETR) Server, a Knowledge Profile Manager, a Persistent Object Manager, a Metadata Manager, a Negotiation Server, and a Cost-Benefit Evaluation Server. Together, they manage the activities and interactions among Manufacturers, Distributors and Retailers. ESCM offers a number of features. First and foremost is the flexibility offered to business entities in defining their own rules according to their own business strategies. Second, since the rules that control the business activities are installed and processed by the multiple copies of the ETR server installed at business entities' individual sites, their privacy and security are safeguarded. Third, ESCM's event, event filtering and event notification mechanisms keep both Buyers and Suppliers better informed with more timely information about business events so that they or their software systems can take the proper actions in different business processes.
The Binomial Cumulative Distribution Function

Let X be a binomial random variable characterized by the parameters n and p. This table contains values of the binomial cumulative distribution function\(B(x;n,p) = p(X \le x) = \sum\limits_{y = 0}^x {b(y;n,p) = \sum\limits_{y = 0}^x {(_y^n){p^y}{{(1 -p)}^{n -y.}}} } \)
Site directed mutagenesis to probe for active site components of liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase.

Mammalian aldehyde dehydrogenase was first purified to homogeneity in our laboratory (Feldman and Weiner, 1972a). The enzyme, isolated from horse liver, was found to be an esterase as well as a non—specific NAD—dependent dehydrogenase. At that time we did not know that the enzyme we were studying (pI=5) was from mitochondria. We found a second minor form of the enzyme with a pI=6; later it was shown that this was the cytosolic form of the enzyme. During our initial attempts to purify the mitochondrial isoenzyme we found a third form with a pI value of 4.8. It had kinetic properties identical with those of the pI 5.0 enzyme form, but it was less stable when heated at 520C. As we became more experienced with isolating the enzyme we failed to identify the low pI form. Though never proven, we felt that this was a degraded form of the mitochondrial isoenzyme.
A New Commercial Scale Process for n-Butane Oxidation to Maleic Anhydride Using a Circulating Fluidized Bed Reactor

Abstract DuPont has developed a new process for n-butane oxidation to maleic anhydride using a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) reactor. An extensive effort spanning a period of ten years has resulted in a successful demonstration of the process on a large demonstration plant. A novel approach to imparting attrition resistance to the catalyst for the process has been demonstrated on a commercial scale. The demonstration plant was used to activate the catalyst, optimize hydrodynamics of the CFB, confirm catalytic performance and attrition resistance, and generate data for the design of a very large commercial plant. Construction of the first commercial plant using this technology is scheduled to be completed in 1995.
Stress in the fetus and newborn.

Birth and its attendant hypoxia, represent the first major stress to which all mammals are exposed. Even a normal, otherwise uneventful vaginal delivery is accompanied by a surge of stress hormones, including catecholamines and corticosteroids.1-3 Indeed, the magnitude of the rise in plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine during parturition and in the immediate postnatal period far exceeds that seen in even the most extreme circumstances in adulthood: infants at birth experience typical catecholamine levels of 50 nmols/liter, compared to 5–7 nmols/liter in women during delivery or men during severe exercise, or 30 nmols/liter in patients with catecholamine-secreting tumors.1 Where asphyxia occurs during delivery, the catecholamine levels may even exceed 200 nmols/liter, levels which in adulthood would cause a cerebral hemorrhage.
Origin and Evolution of Vegetables

As of the mid-1800s nothing was known of the origin of our important economic crops. Their origin was said at that time to be an “impenetrable secret.” However, Alphonse de Candolle’s classic work, “Origin of Cultivated Plants,” published in 1886 and, the more recent studies (1932) by Nikolai Vavilov, the Russian botanist, have contributed much in establishing the centers of origin of some of our more important crops.
The etiology and exercise implications of sarcopenia in the elderly

Abstract An increasing aging population greatly impacts health care services worldwide. A large percentage of healthcare expenditures for seniors arise from the negative outcomes of muscle loss, also known as sarcopenia. Aging-related losses of muscle strength and quality impair balance, walking ability and endurance and cause negative events such as falls, incident disability and frailty. This review systemically explores the significance of sarcopenia in the elderly and addresses several important physiological mechanisms of sarcopenia. The implications of crucial exercise regimens that improve muscle strength and delay the onset of sarcopenia are also discussed.
Reasoning and Acting in Time

This dissertation investigates aspects of the design of an embodied cognitive agent that interleaves reasoning, acting, and interacting with other agents while maintaining a record of what has happened and is happening in its environment. Among other things, such knowledge of its own history allows the agent to reason more effectively when faced with an emergency situation such as the failure of one of its acts. Crucial to distinguishing what has happened from what is happening is a notion of the present time, or “now”. There has been much research in artificial intelligence on issues of time. However, it is typically the case that, although an agent reasons about time, it is not itself situated in time. Once the agent has a concept of “now”, one that continuously changes to reflect the progression of time, a different kind of temporal reasoning problem emerges. For example, given that an agent could be told anything, how are formal representations of present states to be distinguished from those of past states, where the former, but not the latter, are pertinent to the agent's actions? And, given that the present must be distinguished, how is “now” to be modeled so that the mere passage of time does not result in computationally costly knowledge-base-editing routines? How can the agent reason about “now”, when the very process of reasoning results in “now” changing? How can the agent be endowed with a feel for how much time has passed, which seems crucial for reasoning about persistence as time passes while the agent acts? In this dissertation, the above issues are investigated in detail. A theory of subjective time is presented, accounting for a cognitive agent's vague concept of “now”, its sense of temporal progression, and its feel for how much time has passed. An investigation of the impact of embodiment and time perception on issues of reasoning about persistence as the agent acts comes out as a natural by-product of the theory. The theory of subjective time is wrapped around a core logic of objective time that axiomatizes various aspectual phenomena needed for reasoning, acting, and natural language interaction. Unlike most theories of linguistic aspect, the logic of aspect presented here accounts for the agent's knowledge of states, events, and processes, not only from static natural language inputs, but also from the dynamic accumulation of perceptual and proprioceptual information as events unfold in time. Based on the logical analysis of the notion of telicity (the analysis goes beyond the standard telic/atelic distinction), a theory of how cognitive agents may employ reasoning to control the execution of sequences of acts is presented. The theory proposes a principled way by which agents may decide when it is time to move on to the next step in a sequence; an issue that has not been given much attention in the literature. Finally, the dissertation establishes a framework for interrupt-handling and error recovery based on a system of context-sensitive priorities among acts.
Salmonella neck abscess in a diabetic.

Abstract Salmonella is known to cause invasive illness. However, head and neck abscesses are an unusual presentation of extra-intestinal infection with this organism. We describe a case of Salmonella neck abscess in a diabetic patient. An 18 year old diabetic male was admitted with increasing left sided neck pain and swelling approximately four weeks after gastrointestinal illness. Imaging revealed a left sided neck abscess. Surgical drainage was undertaken. Cultures grew non-typhoid Salmonella species. He was treated with intravenous antibiotics and did well clinically. Salmonella infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with immunocompromising conditions presenting with neck abscess of unclear etiology.
Preference for hierarchy is associated with reduced empathy and increased counter-empathy towards others, especially out-group targets

Abstract The capacity to empathize with others facilitates prosocial behavior. People's willingness and capacity to empathize, however, is often contingent upon the target's group membership – people are less empathic towards those they categorize as out-group members. In competitive or threatening intergroup contexts, people may even feel pleasure (counter-empathy) in response to out-group members' misfortunes. Social dominance orientation (SDO), or the extent to which people prefer and promote group-based inequalities, is an ideological variable that is associated with a competitive view of the world, increased prejudicial attitudes, and decreased empathy. Thus, higher levels of SDO should be associated with reduced empathy and increased counter-empathy in general, but especially towards those whose subjugation maintains group inequalities. Across three studies we show that among White individuals, higher SDO levels are associated with less empathy, and more counter-empathy in response to others' good and bad fortunes. More importantly, these reductions in empathy and increases in schadenfreude as a function of SDO were significantly stronger for Asian and Black targets than for in-group White targets when group boundaries were made salient prior to the empathy ratings. Finally, in a fourth study we show that this phenomenon is not dependent upon a history of status differences: higher SDO scores were associated with decreased empathy and increased counter-empathy for competitive out-group (relative to in-group) targets in a novel group setting. We discuss implications of these effects for hierarchy maintenance.
A 3D printing replication technique for fabricating digital dentures

Abstract Digitally fabricated dentures allow clinicians to provide new prostheses for edentulous patients in an efficient manner. One approach uses a replication technique where a prosthesis in need of minor alterations is used as a basis for the definitive prosthesis. Compared with conventional duplication techniques, this method allows for the predictable fabrication of accurate dentures in less time and with increased quality. In this clinical report, interim treatment dentures were scanned and 3D printed to make a replication denture for fabrication of a digital prosthesis with the replication technique.
Smart CCR IoT: Internet of Things Testbed

In this vision article, we presented a large-scale IoT testbed that is currently under development at the Phoenix metropolitan area called Smart CCR. In particular, the description focused on a pilot Smart IoT testbed project called "Blue Light IoT testbed" on ASU campuses. Smart CCR targets at establishing a scale and distributed IoT data collection and processing platform to support future IoT applications considering real-time, location, and security constraints. In addition to the presented IoT testbed infrastructure, we also presented the conceptual model of the IoT testbed by answering a set of design, development, and operation questions.
Macrophages and Their Organ Locations Shape Each Other in Development and Homeostasis – A Drosophila Perspective

Across the animal kingdom, macrophages are known for their functions in innate immunity, but they also play key roles in development and homeostasis. Recent insights from single cell profiling and other approaches in the invertebrate model organism Drosophila melanogaster reveal substantial diversity among Drosophila macrophages (plasmatocytes). Together with vertebrate studies that show genuine expression signatures of macrophages based on their organ microenvironments, it is expected that Drosophila macrophage functional diversity is shaped by their anatomical locations and systemic conditions. In vivo evidence for diverse macrophage functions has already been well established by Drosophila genetics: Drosophila macrophages play key roles in various aspects of development and organogenesis, including embryogenesis and development of the nervous, digestive, and reproductive systems. Macrophages further maintain homeostasis in various organ systems and promote regeneration following organ damage and injury. The interdependence and interplay of tissues and their local macrophage populations in Drosophila have implications for understanding principles of organ development and homeostasis in a wide range of species.
Confronting Oppression: Reframing Need and Advancing Responsivity for LGBTQ+ Youth and Young Adults

Research in juvenile and criminal justice concerning how to assess and target interventions to LGBTQ+ youth and young adults is insufficient. With the proliferation of the Risk-Need-Responsivity Mo...
Examining the Effects of Netropsin on the Curvature of DNA A-Tracts Using Electrophoresis

A-tracts are sequences of repeated adenine bases that, under the proper conditions, are capable of mediating DNA curvature. A-tracts occur naturally in the regulatory regions of many organisms, yet their biological functions are not fully understood. Orienting multiple A-tracts together constructively or destructively in a phase has the potential to create different shapes in the DNA helix axis. One means of detecting these molecular shape differences is from altered DNA mobilities measured using electrophoresis. The small molecule netropsin binds the minor groove of DNA, particularly at AT-rich sequences including A-tracts. Here, we systematically test the hypothesis that netropsin binding eliminates the curvature of A-tracts by measuring the electrophoretic mobilities of seven 98-base pair DNA samples containing different numbers and arrangements of centrally located A-tracts under varying conditions with netropsin. We find that netropsin binding eliminates the mobility difference between the DNA fragments with different A-tract arrangements in a concentration-dependent manner. This work provides evidence for the straightening of A-tracts upon netropsin binding and illustrates an artificial approach to re-sculpt DNA shape.
Federal regulations and impact on emissions

This chapter is on federal legislation and regulatory trends in the United States and their impact on air quality and emissions. A history of legislative action in the United States as it pertains to stationary heat and power plants utilizing fossil fuels is presented. Impending legislation of emissions currently not regulated is also discussed. The types and quantities of emissions are presented along with their trends over time as a consequence of legislative action.
The Genetic Map of Bacillus megaterium

This chapter talks about the mapping data for B. megaterium and compares these data with genetic mapping data compiled for B. amyloliquefaciens, B. licheniformis, B. stearothermophilus, B. subtilis, and B. thuringiensis. Considerable genetic mapping data have now been reported for several other bacilli. These data are presented, some in abbreviated form, in this chapter. In B. megaterium, the leu and ilv genes are inverted in relation to phe, the hemA gene is near metC and not near leu, argO and hem are inverted, and cysB and cysC are in the ribosomal protein region. The chapter contains a table providing details on genetic markers of B. megaterium.
Improvements to the stability of electric field sensors

The measurement of the amplitude and phase of electric fields on high voltage transmission lines is important for several reasons including: a) metering and determination of power flow, b) protective relaying, and c) fault sensing. The work reported here is directed toward a major improvement to optically based, electric-field sensors in LiNbO/sub 3/. This is a signal processing based technique for overcoming the instabilities of conventional, optically-based, electric-field sensors to changes in optical power or temperature.
A History of the INTERNIST-1 and Quick Medical Reference (QMR) Computer-Assisted Diagnosis Projects, with Lessons Learned

The INTERNIST-1/Quick Medical Reference (QMR) diagnostic decision support project spans four decades, from 1971-onward. This paper describes the history of the project and details insights gained of relevance to the general clinical and informatics communities.
The future of employment relations: insights from theory

The other chapters in this volume examine likely trends and changes in the various institutions, practices and outcomes that comprise the field of employment relations (ER). For the most part, they are empirical-based. To complement them, in this chapter I provide an overview of several theoretical frameworks and models that in some way address and explain changes in employment relations over time. In particular, I canvas these models and frameworks in order to identify the central dependent variables in the field, the most important independent variables, and key contingencies. These relationships, supplemented with projected trends and developments with regard to the key independent variables, are then used to prognosticate about likely contours of change in employment relations in the years ahead. Included are convergence or divergence in employment relations systems in the world economy, future trends in industrial conflict, the future of labor movements and trends in union density, and the relative success of liberal market employment relations systems versus coordinated market employment systems.
Mapping of a Structural Gene for Valyl-Transfer Ribonucleic Acid Synthetase in Escherichia coli by Transduction

A structural gene, valS, for the valyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase of Escherichia coli has been mapped on the clockwise side of pyrB and is closely linked to it.
On the Stability of Numerical Methods of Hopf Points Using Backward Error Analysis

Backward error analysis is used to analyze the behavior of selected one-step and multi-step methods for ordinary differential equations at weakly attracting fixed points and weakly attracting periodic solutions. For many methods, a Hopf bifurcation for maps occurs. The effect of an adaptive mesh selection procedure on these results is presented for a special case.
Effects of Amino Acid Medium on Cell Aggregation in Suspension-cultured Rice Cells

The effects of amino acid medium (AA medium) on the dissociation of rice callus tissues were examined in suspension-cultured cells, because a finely dispersed cell suspension had been obtained previously from rice callus tissues in this medium. The level of extracellular polysaccharides formed in cultured AA medium was much higher than that of those formed in cultured B5 medium. The polysaccharides were mainly composed of higher levels of arabinose, xylose, and galactose, suggesting the solubilization of arabinoxylan and (arabino)galactan. Nevertheless, wall polysaccharides in cells cultured in AA medium contained the same levels of arabinosyl-, xylosel-, and galactosyl-linkages as those in B5 medium. Based on amino acid analysis, rice cells in AA medium incorporated the amino acids in 3 days and formed ornithine and urea during the early stages of cultivation, and secreted urea into the culture medium. Transfer of rice tissue cultured in AA medium to B5 medium composed of inorganic nitrogen source caused...
D-Cycloserine improves the impaired sociability of the Balb/c mouse.

Abstract The genetically inbred Balb/c mouse strain shows evidence of impaired sociability in a standard paradigm. For example, relative to 8-week-old male outbred Swiss-Webster mice, 8 week-old male Balb/c mice spend less time sniffing and in the vicinity of an enclosed 4 week-old male ICR stimulus mouse and, when allowed to interact freely with the stimulus mouse for five minutes, make fewer discrete episodes of social approach and show suppression of locomotor activity. We explored the effect of d -cycloserine (320 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), a partial glycine agonist that binds to the obligatory co-agonist glycine binding site on the NMDA receptor, on the sociability of the Balb/c and Swiss-Webster mouse strains in a standard paradigm. The results show that treatment with d -cycloserine increased the locomotor activity of the Balb/c mouse strain in the presence of an enclosed social stimulus mouse and when these mice were allowed to interact freely with each other. Also, d -cycloserine increased the number of discrete episodes of social approach when Balb/c mice were allowed to interact freely with social stimulus mice. However, d -cycloserine had similar effects on measures of sociability in the Swiss-Webster mouse, raising the possibility that the positive effects on the sociability of the Balb/c mouse strain may be mediated by indirect effects on locomotion, arousal, and anxiety.
Training to Reduce the Disruptive Effects of Interruptions

Two multi-session experiments are described in which a complex problem-solving task was interrupted at different stages of practice. In Experiment 1, subjects practiced the main problem-solving task for three sessions, with intermittent interruptions during each session. By the end of Session 3, interruptions which were similar to the main task, in terms of type of material processed and processing demands, no longer disrupted performance as they had in Sessions 1 and 2. In Experiment 2, subjects practiced the same problem-solving task for two sessions without interruptions. The same types of interruptions used in Experiment 1 were introduced in Session 3. Although the main task was well learned by the third session, the interruptions disrupted subjects' main-task accuracies dramatically. These results suggest that training tasks under uninterrupted conditions can lead to excellent performance, but may not allow subjects to develop the kinds of strategies needed to flexibly recover from interruptions when...
Generalized dynamical systems

There has been active interest recently, some of it promted by the paper of Rosenbrock [1], in the structure of linear time-invariant dynamical systems at 'infinite frequencies'. We review some of this work, [2]-[10], noting recent extensions, and suggesting useful directions for future work. Of particular interest are systems that exhibit impulsive responses to initial conditions; these we have termed generalized dynamical systems.
Multivariate sufficient statistics using Kronecker products

We present a multivariate sufficient statistic using Kronecker products that dramatically increases computational efficiency in evaluating likelihood functions and/or posterior distributions. In particular, we examine the example of multivariate regression in a Bayesian setting. We compare the computation time for using the Gibbs sampler both with and without the sufficient statistic. We show that the difference in computation time grows quadratically with the number of covariates and products and linearly with the number of individuals. In the simulation study, speedup factors ranging from at least 20 times to almost 300 times were observed when using the Kronecker sufficient statistic.
Numerical model to calculate microphysical influences on sound wave propagation in forests

There is a growing need for increasingly accurate and reliable numerical models to predict micrometeorological and turbulence conditions in complex sound wave propagation environments. In this paper, a prototype finite-difference computer model is developed to calculate the microphysical influences on sound speed in forested areas. Several numerical tests are conducted to assess model code capabilities using micrometeorological field data collected in June 2006. For the current analysis, the model domain and total number of grid points are greatly increased from earlier reported versions and the finite-difference numerical schemes for advection are modified to permit different inflow and outflow boundaries. Preliminary results for three cases are encouraging. Micrometeorological profiles and calculated fields of sound speed are presented. Some initial approximations of short-range acoustic transmission loss for the experimental test site are also discussed.
Departmental Publication Productivity and Reputational Quality: Disciplinary differences

Using US national data, this study examines the levels and interactions between reputational rankings, average publications, citations, and external research support across 30 disciplines. The analyses show great variation among the disciplines in average and range of publications, citations, and external research support. They also show that the intercorrelations among the measures vary greatly by discipline. For example, the correlation between average publication level and reputational rankings was substantial in chemistry (.87), but weak in industrial engineering (.20); the correlation between the level of research support and reputation was strong in psychology (.74), but very small in astronomy (.14). Comparison of departments ranked in the top 10 with those ranked near the bottom showed that it was possible for departments to rank very high in a discipline but have publication, citation, and support levels below departments ranked near the bottom. The implications for quality and increasing status ...
The impact of the 1989 change in bank capital standards on loan loss provisions and loan write-offs

Abstract We investigate whether banks with low capital ratios use accounting accruals for capital ratio management. We focus on a time where we expect a change in bank managers behavior regarding certain accruals. In 1989 regulatory changes created (removed) incentives to depress loan loss provisions (write-offs) after (before) 1989. Our results show that banks with low capital ratios reduced their loan loss provisions and increased write-offs during the 1990–1992 period compared to the 1985–1988 period. Banks with high capital ratios exhibited no difference in loss provisions, but did significantly increase loan write-offs during 1990–92.
Reduction of Anxiety and Personal Space as a Function of Assertion Training with Severely Disturbed Neuropsychiatric Inpatients

7 severely disturbed neuropsychiatric inpatients participated in a 12-session assertion training program as well as the normal hospital milieu therapy program. A matched group participated in only ...
Numerical treatment of the kinetics of track processes in radiation chemistry

Abstract It is shown that the time dependence of the population of intermediates that react within radiation tracks can be approximated quite well as the sum of a finite series of exponential decays. One can, as a result, use straightforward numerical integration methods to simulate the observable where the time origins of the intermediates are distributed over a region comparable to that during which track processes are important. This approach avoids detailed consideration of the histories of the intermediates. By changing the weight of the different components in the decay one can also readily examine the effect of changes in the decay function on the concentration dependence for reaction with solutes.
Efficient algorithms for reconfiguration in VLSI/WSI arrays

The issue of developing efficient algorithms for reconfiguring processor arrays in the presence of faulty processors and fixed hardware resources is discussed. The models discussed consist of a set of identical processors embedded in a flexible interconnection structure that is configured in the form of a rectangular grid. An array grid model based on single-track switches is considered. An efficient polynomial time algorithm is proposed for determining feasible reconfigurations for an array with a given distribution of faulty processors. In the process, it is shown that the set of conditions in the reconfigurability theorem is not necessary. A polynomial time algorithm is developed for finding feasible reconfigurations in an augmented single-track model and in array grid models with multiple-track switches. >
Professional phase of engineering education

The distinguishing feature of a professional course is, or should be, that it is built on the basic engineering sciences which must precede it, and the emphasis in the course should be on a most thorough analysis of these principles as applied to fundamental practical problems, in the opinion of this educator.
Necrotizing sialometaplasia of palate

A patient with necrotizing sialometaplasia of the hard palate was treated with wide resection on a biopsy diagnosis of carcinoma. The literature on this recently identified entity is reviewed and the characteristic clinical features, histopathology and ultrastructure are summarized. To the best of our knowledge, no ultrastructural study concerning this entity has been previously reported. Unless recognized early, an extensive resection might be done needlessly.
Epoxidation of the lindane metabolite, β-PCCH, by human- and rat-liver microsomes

1. Human- and rat-liver microsomes convert the lindane metabolite, β-PCCH (β-1,3,4,5,6-pentachlorocyclohex-1-ene (3,4,6/5-PCCH)) to the metabolites: 1,2,4-TCB (1,2,4-trichlorobenzene), 1,2,3,4-TTCB (1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene), 2,4,5-TCP (2,4,5-trichlorophenol), 3,4,5/6-PCCOL (1,2,4,5,6-pentachlorocyclohex-1-en-3-ol) and β-PCCH oxide (1,2,3,4,5-pentachloro-7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane) or (3,4,6/5-PCCH oxide).2. The identity of the β-PCCH oxide is confirmed by column chromatography and g.l.c.-mass spectrometry, in comparison to characterized synthetic material.3. The stability of the β-PCCH oxide is indicated by its resistance to hydrolysis by microsomal epoxide hydrolase (EC. 3.3.2.3), or various aqueous acid conditions.4. It shows no mutagenicity using S. typhimurium strain TM677. However, in levels above 0-05 mg/ml it was lethal to the test cells.5. It is not a substrate for and is only a weak inhibitor of epoxide hydrolase.6. A stable halogenated hydrocarbon epoxide metabolite is described. Its toxicolo...
Dispersion characteristics of a fluidized bed

Abstract Several common dusts were injected into a fluidized bed of spherical, inert and electrically conducting bronze spheres, about 100 μm in size. The fluidized bed deagglomerated the dust and dispersed most of it out of the bed during the first minute. Comparisons of size distributions measured microscopically from dry samples of aerosols above the bed with size distributions of the feed dust dispersed in liquid showed that for fly ash, coal dust and classified air cleaner test dust, the bed dispersion was complete. However, the measured size distributions showed some dust classification for intermittent dust injections.
Thoracoscopic versus open mitral valve repair : a propensity score analysis of early outcomes

Background The very low risk of mitral valve repair performed through median sternotomy must be reproducible when using a port-access approach to justify early repair employing minimally invasive platforms. We compared the outcomes of mitral valve repair performed through port access using thoracoscopic assistance (port) versus median sternotomy (open). Methods The early results after mitral valve repair performed by two different surgeons at two separate institutions were analyzed. Between January 1999 and December 2006, isolated mitral valve repair was performed with a port approach in 350 patients and an open approach in 365 patients. Results The mean age was similar between the two groups; however, port patients were more frequently female (148 [42%] versus 119 [33%], p = 0.007), and had a higher likelihood of having New York Heart Association class III to IV symptoms (100 [29%] versus 48 [13%], p Conclusions Despite longer cross-clamp and bypass times, early outcomes using a thoracoscopic port-access approach were similar to those for mitral valve repair performed through median sternotomy. Minimally invasive mitral valve repair was associated with a shorter time to extubation, but that did not translate into a diminished duration of postoperative hospitalization.
Solution complexation between potassium iodide and lariat ethers having pi-donor sidearms

Experimental evidence is presented for the interaction of triple bond pi-donors with potassium cation in acetonitrile solution.
Mosaic tetrasomy 20p associated with osteoporosis and recurrent fractures

Tetrasomy 20p is a very rare chromosome abnormality, with only two single cases previously reported in the literature, both fetuses with multiple congenital anomalies, osteopenia, and fractures. We report on the first case of mosaic tetrasomy 20p in a 13-year-old male. Amniocentesis karyotype showed mosaicism (73% of cells) for a supernumerary marker chromosome, an isodicentric chromosome 20p. At birth, cord blood karyotype was normal in all cells but uroepithelial cells showed the marker chromosome in 30% of cells analyzed. Chromosomal single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray using buccal cells confirmed the previous result with mosaicism estimated at 59% of cells. His course has been complicated by profound osteoporosis with recurrent nontraumatic fractures and vertebral compression leading to significant disability. This report describes the phenotype and evaluation of mosaic pure tetrasomy 20p syndrome and compares to nonmosaic tetrasomy 20p and trisomy 20p syndromes, both of which have been previously reported in association with osteopenia and fractures. The pathophysiology of osteoporosis in tetrasomy 20p is unknown. We hypothesize that overexpression of bone morphogenetic protein 2 may be the underlying mechanism of osteoporosis and recurrent fractures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Single-beam squeezed-state generation in semiconductor waveguides with x(3) nonlinearity at below half-band gap

We analyze a new scheme for generating squeezed states in a short semiconductor AlxGa1−xAs waveguide with χ(3) nonlinearity at below half the band-gap energy. We find that for a Gaussian pulse the amount of squeezing achievable is limited by the squeezed-state detection phase mismatch caused by the pump self-phase modulation and is also degraded slightly by the pump–probe phase mismatch that is due to the different nonlinear refractive indices experienced by the pump and the probe beams. We show theoretically that the amount of squeezing observed can be increased by use of either a short pulse or a pulse with matched phase variation as the local oscillator. In a centimeter-long AlxGa1−xAs waveguide more than 85% (8.2 dB) of squeezing potentially can be obtained, limited mainly by two-photon absorption.
Yearlong evaluation of performance and durability of a pilot-scale Revolving Algal Biofilm (RAB) cultivation system

Abstract Current algal cultivation has been mainly performed in open ponds or photobioreactors in which algal cells are suspended and harvested through flocculation and centrifugation. A unique attachment based Revolving Algal Biofilm (RAB) cultivation system was recently developed for easy biomass harvest with enhanced biomass productivity. The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance (durability, algal growth, and the geometry) of the RAB system at pilot-scale. A yearlong test of the RAB system was successfully conducted at a greenhouse facility at Boone, Iowa, USA. The RAB resulted in an average of 302% increase in biomass productivity compared to a standard raceway pond, with a maximum biomass productivity (ash free) of 18.9 g/m 2 -day being achieved. The RAB with a vertical configuration generated higher productivity than the triangular RAB. Collectively, the research shows that the RAB as an efficient algal culture system has great potential for being deployed at commercial scale.
The evaluation and management of hematuria in women

This review outlines an efficient diagnostic work-up for hematuria in women. An English-language MEDLINE database search and a bibliographic review of the relevant articles was conducted. The evaluation includes a detailed history, physical examination, invasive and non-invasive testing. An algorithm for laboratory tests, procedures and follow-up recommendations is presented.
STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF THE RDNA INTERNAL TRANSCRIBED SPACER (ITS) REGION 2 IN THE SYMBIOTIC DINOFLAGELLATES (SYMBIODINIUM, DINOPHYTA)

Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the eukaryotic rDNA operon are integral to the correct processing and maturation of rRNAs. To further understand the evolution of this region, we elucidated the secondary structure of ITS2 from representatives of the eight divergent clades of Symbiodinium Freud., a large genus of dinoflagellate endosymbionts occurring in association with zooxanthellate marine protists and invertebrates. Symbiodinium ITS2 molecules folded into one of two distinct conformations. One conformation, the “four-fingered hand” model, has been described from a wide variety of eukaryotes, including free-living dinoflagellates. A monophyletic assemblage comprising several Symbiodinium clades shared an unusual conformation, a five-stem model previously known only from drosopholids, indicating that it arose in the common ancestor to this “superclade” of Symbiodinium. Several conserved features were identified in the ITS2 secondary structures, including a pyrimidine–pyrimidine bulge and a highly conserved 11 bp sequence motif, that correspond to known processing sites in other eukaryotes. Lastly, the ITS2 structural data are discussed in the context of Symbiodinium evolution, phylogenetics, and ecology.
Laser Stabilization Using Diffractive Grating Angular Sensors

Grating angle magnification enhanced angular sensor can be used for laser frequency stabilization. This robust method provides adequate frequency stability for numerous applications, such as absolute frequency stabilization for Laser Interferometric Space Antenna.
An MHC II-Dependent Activation Loop between Adipose Tissue Macrophages and CD4+ T Cells Controls Obesity-Induced Inflammation

Summary An adaptive immune response triggered by obesity is characterized by the activation of adipose tissue CD4 + T cells by unclear mechanisms. We have examined whether interactions between adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) and CD4 + T cells contribute to adipose tissue metainflammation. Intravital microscopy identifies dynamic antigen-dependent interactions between ATMs and T cells in visceral fat. Mice deficient in major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) showed protection from diet-induced obesity. Deletion of MHC II expression in macrophages led to an adipose tissue-specific decrease in the effector/memory CD4 + T cells, attenuation of CD11c + ATM accumulation, and improvement in glucose intolerance by increasing adipose tissue insulin sensitivity. Ablation experiments demonstrated that the maintenance of proliferating conventional T cells is dependent on signals from CD11c + ATMs in obese mice. These studies demonstrate the importance of MHCII-restricted signals from ATMs that regulate adipose tissue T cell maturation and metainflammation.
In vitro transcriptomic prediction of hepatotoxicity for early drug discovery

Liver toxicity (hepatotoxicity) is a critical issue in drug discovery and development. Standard preclinical evaluation of drug hepatotoxicity is generally performed using in vivo animal systems. However, only a small number of preselected compounds can be examined in vivo due to high experimental costs. A more efficient yet accurate screening technique that can identify potentially hepatotoxic compounds in the early stages of drug development would thus be valuable. Here, we develop and apply a novel genomic prediction technique for screening hepatotoxic compounds based on in vitro human liver cell tests. Using a training set of in vivo rodent experiments for drug hepatotoxicity evaluation, we discovered common biomarkers of drug-induced liver toxicity among six heterogeneous compounds. This gene set was further triaged to a subset of 32 genes that can be used as a multi-gene expression signature to predict hepatotoxicity. This multi-gene predictor was independently validated and showed consistently high prediction performance on five test sets of in vitro human liver cell and in vivo animal toxicity experiments. The predictor also demonstrated utility in evaluating different degrees of toxicity in response to drug concentrations, which may be useful not only for discerning a compound's general hepatotoxicity but also for determining its toxic concentration.
On the difference between colonic and small intestinal alkaline phosphatase.

Colonic and small intestinal alkaline phosphatase extracts were studied biochemically and electrophoretically to elucidate the source of a reported difference in cellulose acetate electrophoretic mobility. Both preparations were inactivated with 0.5 mmol/L l -phenylalanine but retained full activity in the presence of 1.0 mmol/L tetramisole. Treatment with neuraminidase changed a minor fraction of the small intestinal but the major portion of the colonic alkaline phosphatase to a cathodically migrating form. The most likely explanation for our findings is that the colon and small intestinal alkaline phosphatase are mixtures of the same multiple forms but in different proportions.