cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The ubiquity of the cumulative record: a quote from Skinner and a frequency count.

"Changes in rate comprise a vast and largely unsuspected subject matter. (The changes are made conspicious with a cumulative recorder, the ubiquity of which in the study of operant behavior is no accident. In a cumulative record, rate and changes in rate are visible at a glance....)" (Skinner, 1966, p. 15) The use of cumulative recorders in the experimental analysis of behavior may remain as commonplace as when the foregoing appeared. In the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, however, the relative frequency of appearance of figures showing cumulative records has decreased consistently across time (Figure 1). Although many variables may have contributed to this decline (e.g., publication of an increased number of nonempirical articles and articles concerned with behaviors not readily represented by cumulative records), the data in Figure 1 seem to underscore a question raised by Ferster (1978) and others: are operant conditioners getting bored with behavior? Time alone will tell, but it is apparent that a collective fondness for a direct and graphic depictor of ongoing behavior-the cumulative record-has faded. ; .2\
Proacrosin binding protein: immuno-comparative studies in boar, bovine, hamster, human and ram

Abstract The cross reactivities of acidic extracts from boar, bovine, hamster, human and ram spermatozoa to a polyclonal antibody of the boar proacrosin binding protein has been investigated. The pH 3.0 extracts of the washed spermatozoa from each species were subjected to Western blot analysis using a polyclonal antibody developed against the 28 kDa boar proacrosin binding protein. The boar sperm extracts had a major 28 kD and a minor 29 kDa proacrosin binding protein. A similar protein of 29 kDa was present in the bovine and ram samples, while the hamster had bands at 22 and 25 kDa. Extracts of human sperm yielded a diffuse but distinct area of cross reactivity of about 25–30 kDa. These results demonstrate that proacrosin binding proteins are present in sperm of different mammalian species and they have similar molecular weights.
A historic photomicrograph of a parasite (Trichomonas vaginalis)

Knowing that Alfred Donne was the discoverer of an important human parasite, and finding that he was also a pioneer of photomicrography, it occurred to me that his parasite might well have become a subject of his photography. It was a simple matter to confirm that this was indeed the case. The parasite he discovered was Trichomonas vaginalis; and, in collaboration with Foucault, Donne made a photomicrograph showing several protozoan parasites lying among vaginal epithelial cells. His publication of an engraved image of the photomicrograph in 1845, was a landmark in the history of photography and microbiology.
Extension of the Piecewise Parabolic Method to Multidimensional Ideal Magnetohydrodynamics

An extension of the piecewise parabolic method to treat multidimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamical equations is presented in this paper. The multidimensional scheme is constructed from a one-dimensional functioning code based on the dimensional splitting method originally suggested by Strang. The functioning code is built upon a nonlinear Riemann solver for ideal MHD equations recently developed by the authors. The correctness of the scheme is tested in the steepening of waves in both one- and two-dimensional situations and in various MHD shock-tube problems which involve all the discontinuities in ideal MHD. The robust character of the scheme is demonstrated in the shock-tube problems and in the interaction between MHD shocks and a cloud. The results of these problems show that the scheme keeps the principal advantages of a high-order Godunov scheme: robust operation in the presence of very strong waves, thin shock fronts with little attendant noise generation, and thin contact discontinuity.
The Sun’s Large-Scale Magnetic Field and Its Long-Term Evolution

The Sun’s large-scale external field is formed through the emergence of magnetic flux in active regions and its subsequent dispersal over the solar surface by differential rotation, supergranular convection, and meridional flow. The observed evolution of the polar fields and open flux (or interplanetary field) during recent solar cycles can be reproduced by assuming a supergranular diffusion rate of 500 – 600 km2 s−1 and a poleward flow speed of 10 –20 m s−1. The nonaxisymmetric component of the large-scale field decays on the flow timescale of ∼1 yr and must be continually regenerated by new sunspot activity. Stochastic fluctuations in the longitudinal distribution of active regions can produce large peaks in the Sun’s equatorial dipole moment and in the interplanetary field strength during the declining phase of the cycle; by the same token, they can lead to sudden weakenings of the large-scale field near sunspot maximum (Gnevyshev gaps). Flux transport simulations over many solar cycles suggest that the meridional flow speed is correlated with cycle amplitude, with the flow being slower during less active cycles.
LABOR TURNOVER IN THE USA AND JAPAN: A TALE OF TWO COUNTRIES

Abstract. The labor turnover rate in Japan is less than half the US level. A small-scale survey of companies that operate in both Japan and the USA was conducted to examine reasons for the discrepancy. The main findings are that Japanese human resource policies, including steep seniority-earnings profiles, extensive fringe benefits, participatory management, and a reluctance to recruit experienced workers from other firms, contribute to the lower Japanese turnover rate. Additionally, workers of Japanese descent in the USA have a somewhat lower labor turnover rate than other Americans, suggesting some role for cultural differences.
Boundary-Layer Adjustment Over Small-Scale Changes of Surface Heat Flux

Four months of eddy correlation data collected over a grass field and a nearby sage brush community are analyzed to examine the adjustment of the boundary-layer structure as it flows from the heated brush to the snow-covered grass. The grass site includes a 34-m tower with seven levels of eddy correlation data. The midday heat flux over the snow-covered grass and bare ground surfaces is often downward particularly with melting conditions, while the corresponding heat flux over the brush is almost always upward. For most of these cases, a stable internal boundary layer over the snow is well defined in terms of vertical profiles of the buoyancy flux over the snow-covered grass. The stable internal boundary layer is generally embedded within a deeper layer of flux divergence corresponding to increasing upward heat flux with height above the internal boundary layer. With thin snow cover, the surface heat flux over the grass is weak upward due to heating of grass protruding above the snow so that the flow adjusts to a decrease of the upward surface heat flux in the downwind direction. This common case of an adjusting boundary layer contrasts with the formation of an internal boundary layer due to a change of sign of the surface heat in flux the downwind direction. The adjustment of the boundary layer to the decrease of the surface heat flux leads to vertical divergence of the upward heat flux in contrast to the usual heated boundary layer over homogeneous surfaces. The consequences of the cooling due to the vertical divergence of the heat flux are discussed in terms of the heat budget of the adjusting and internal boundary layers.
Kinetic model of laser-controlled heterogeneous processes

Abstract A kinetic model of laser-stimulated desorption processes of multicomponent systems is presented. By combining the generalized Langmuir kinetic theory and the laser rate equation, an expression for the partial pressure of the selectively excited adspecies is obtained. The heterogeneity of the absorbent surfaces and some laser-controlled surface phenomena are discussed within the context of proposed experimental measurements.
Focus on African Films (review)

Francoise Pfaff, ed. Focus on African Films. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2004. 327 pp. Photographs. Index. $65.00. Cloth. $24.95. Paper. The introduction and fourteen chapters of Francoise Pfaff's Focus on African Films address a reader with very little exposure to or knowledge about African cinema. Many of the essays include extended film summaries and a fair amount of the contextual and historical information a newcomer to African cinema might appreciate. Most authors opt to survey several films unified by theme or approach instead of reading one or two films closely. As a result, students embarking on a discovery of African cinema in an undergraduate course will find the collection informative and accessible. The scholar of African cinema, however, may find little that is new in Pfaff s volume and may be frustrated by its limited thematic and methodological scope. Although the title of the collection promises a look at films from the entire continent, the majority of the essays in Focus on African Films adopt a much tighter focus on films from Francophone Africa. Among these, the films of Sembene Ousmane receive a disproportionately large amount of attention (seven of the volume's fourteen essays discuss Sembene's films at length). Furthermore, many of the authors included in Pfaff s book employ a very similar, and by now very familiar, critical approach. Operating from within a cultural-nationalist paradigm, contributors align themselves with, and locate the film's significance in, the filmmaker's intended and unified meaning, elucidating and celebrating the union of artistry and political commitment the African filmmaker achieves. Samba Gadjigo, for example, in an examination of Sembene's historical films, describes Sembene as "a committed artist and activist for social change" (38). Brief discussions of Emitai, Camp de Thiaroye, and Ceddo serve to illustrate how Sembene's films "combat the established dominant Hollywood tradition of historical representation" (37). Mbye Cham's survey of recent African films explains how the films, based in "the African heritage of oral traditions and memory" (50), contest official, Eurocentric historical narratives. N. Frank Ukadike reads Allah Tantou and Afrique, jet te plumerai as examples of "social documentary meant to combat the false image of Africa presented by traditional cinema" (160), and Brenda Berrian's article "Manu Dibango and Ceddo's Transatlantic Soundscape" examines how the film's "soundscape embraces the two men's Pan African vision" (153). In each analysis, the critic stands beside the filmmaker, amplifying his conscious intention through careful explication of important scenes in the film text. Kenneth W. Harrow's provocative deconstructive reading challenges this approach, contesting the claim that a filmmaker can have the last word on what his film means. …
The effect of media properties on the longitudinal recording performance of particulate barium ferrite media

The influence of coercivity, remanent magnetization, and film thickness on the longitudinal recording performance of particulate barium ferrite media was investigated. Smooth, continuous films of longitudinal barium ferrite media were prepared with thicknesses, delta , of 0.10 to 0.25 mu m. The coercivity, H/sub c/, of the media varied from 674 to 1494 Oe, and the remanent magnetization, M/sub r/, ranged from 68.0 to 83.9 emu/cm/sup 3/. The recording properties were measured using heads with inductive-write and magnetoresistive-read elements. Regression analysis showed the following significant linear correlations (R>or=0.92): H/sub c/ with linear density (+), resolution (+), and overwrite (-); M/sub r/ with amplitude (+); and delta with linear density (-), resolution (-), overwrite (-), amplitude (+), RMS noise (+), and signal-to-noise ratio (+). Linear densities (-3 dB) of nearly 1500 fc/mm were achieved with high-coercivity, thin particulate media without equalization. These results are in agreement with magnetic recording theory and confirm the applicability of barium ferrite media for high-density magnetic recording. The surfaces of the substrate and underlayer have a pronounced influence on the magnetic and physical properties of the barium ferrite media, in particular, noise, surface topography, and film uniformity. >
Electrocatalytic Reduction ofS-Nitrosoglutathione at Electrodes Modified with an Electropolymerized Film of a Pyrrole-Derived Viologen System and Their Application to CellularS-Nitrosoglutathione Determinations

Abstract The preparation, electrochemical characterization, and analytical applications of glassy carbon (GC) electrodes modified with electropolymerized films of the cationN,N′-di(3-pyrrol-1-yl-propyl)-4,4′-bipyridine (DPPB) are described. Electropolymerized films of DPPB on GC electrodes exhibit two one-electron redox processes centered at −0.45 and −0.85 V, respectively.S-Nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) can be electrocatalytically reduced at electrodes modified with electropolymerized films of DPPB at approximately −0.4 V vs sodium-saturated calomel electrode, which represents a dramatic diminution of about 600 mV in the overpotential in comparison with the reaction carried out at a bare GC electrode. The kinetics of the catalytic reaction have been characterized using cyclic voltammetry and rotated disk electrode techniques from which a value of (1.3 ± 0.2) × 103M−1s−1was obtained. Using electrodes modified with an electropolymerized film of DPPB we have carried out preliminary studies of the determination of intracellular GSNO concentrations in two strains of the bacteriumRhodobacter sphaeroides.
A non-recursive lagrangian solution of the non-causal inverse dynamics of flexible multibody systems : the planar case

A technique is presented for solving the inverse dynamics of flexible planar multibody systems. This technique yields the non-causal joint efforts (inverse dynamics) as well as the internal states (inverse kinematics) that produce a prescribed nominal trajectory of the end effector. A non-recursive Lagrangian approach is used in formulating the equations of motion as well as in solving the inverse dynamics equations. Contrary to the recursive method previously presented, the proposed method solves the inverse problem in a systematic and direct manner for both open-chain as well as closed-chain configurations. Numerical simulation shows that the proposed procedure provides an excellent tracking of the desired end effector trajectory.
Effect of glycemic control, race (white versus black), and duration of diabetes on reduced glutathione content in erythrocytes of diabetic patients

We designed this study to examine whether uncontrolled hyperglycemia, duration of diabetes, or race (black v white) have any effect on glutathione levels in erythrocytes of type I diabetic patients. Hyperglycemia was assessed by measuring the level of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c. Results show that erythrocytes of diabetic patients have a significantly lower glutathione level compared with those of age-matched normal subjects (P .12) between the level of GSH in erythrocytes and the duration of diabetes. Erythrocytes of black diabetic patients had significantly lower levels of GSH (P < .05) than those of white diabetic patients. Using erythrocytes as a model, this study suggests that a lower level of GSH may have a role in the cellular damage and impaired insulin secretion in uncontrolled diabetic patients.
Micromechanics of failure at high strain rates: Theory, experiments, and computations

Abstract This paper examines the micromechanics of material failure by shear banding, void collapse and void growth, microcracking, and related phenomena at high strain rates. The following topics are discussed: (1) physical modeling and analytical formulation of void growth or void collapse in single crystals, where the effects of local anisotropic plastic deformation by slip, the rate of loading, and material ductility, on the change in the void geometry and subsequent failure mechanisms are reviewed; (2) a review of some recent experiments on void collapse in single and polycrystalline ductile materials, which seem to corroborate the theoretical predictions and demonstrate how a very ductile material can undergo brittle tensile fracturing normal to the applied compression, in the absence of any applied tensile loading; and (3) a phenomenological constitutive model for rate-dependent plasticity, including effects of the vertex structure and the temperature on the plastic flow.
Level III-IV Inferior Vena Caval Thrombectomy Without Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Long-Term Experience with Intrapericardial Control

Purpose: Inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy requires experienced surgical teams due to complex hemodynamic considerations. The teams often use vascular bypass techniques that introduce additional risk. Inferior vena caval control in the pericardium obviates the need for cardiopulmonary bypass. We reviewed our experience with intrapericardial control during inferior vena caval tumor thrombectomy to evaluate perioperative outcomes and determine factors associated with overall survival.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 87 patients who underwent nephrectomy with inferior vena caval tumor thrombectomy using intrapericardial inferior vena caval control from 1978 to 2012. This technique was performed in all 43 and 35 cases of intrahepatic and supradiaphragmatic thrombi, respectively, and in 9 select cases of intra-atrial thrombi. Patient demographics, operative variables and postoperative outcomes were examined. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine association...
Assessment of Required Flow Thickness for Structural Integrity of Repository Rooms

Abstract The method presented herein for selecting an acceptable flow-flowtop layer thickness for the satisfactory structural performance of a nuclear waste repository in basalt is the result of a parametric finite element study of layered geologic material. The layer thicknesses and the material properties of the layers were varied, and the stresses were calculated for representative thermal and in situ loading. The relation between repository room peak stress and roof thickness was established for average material parameters.
Improving Hazard Analysis and Certification of Integrated Modular Avionics

Integrated modular avionics systems present new opportunities and benefits for developing advanced aircraft avionics, as well as a series of challenges related to hazard analysis and certification. This paper addresses some of those challenges and proposes a new procedure for improving hazard analysis of integrated modular avionics systems. A significant objective of integrated modular avionics architectures is the ability to develop individual software applications independently and then integrate those applications onto one platform. It has been very difficult for both designers and certifiers to understand and predict how the system will behave when the applications are integrated into one system. Traditional fault-based hazard analysis techniques are limited with respecttothisproblem.Therefore,thispaperusesadifferenttechnique,calledSystems-theoreticProcessAnalysis,to identify hazardous behavior that emerges when individual applications are integrated. Systems-theoretic process analysis is a systems-theoretic hazard analysis technique that accounts for hazardous behavior due to component interaction, including cases when the components have not failed or faulted. Systems-theoretic process analysis is extended in this paper to account for behavior that emerges when software applications share data, which is a requirement in aircraft systems. The paper illustrates the new approach with an example that includes real-world avionics functions.
Spectral function of a hole in the t - J model

We give numerical solutions, on finite but large-size square lattices, of the equation for the single-hole Green's function obtained by the self-consistent approach of Schmitt-Rink {ital et} {ital al}. and Kane {ital et} {ital al}. The spectral function of the hole in a quantum antiferromagnet shows that most features describing the hole motion are in close agreement with the results of the exact diagonalization on the 4{sup 2} lattice in the region of {ital J}/{ital t}{le}0.2. Our results obtained on sufficiently large-size lattices suggest that certain important features of the spectral function survive in the thermodynamic limit while others change due to finite-size effects. We find that the leading nonzero vertex correction is given by a two-loop diagram, which has a small contribution.
Depressed PKA Activity Contributes to Impaired SERCA Function and is Linked to the Pathogenesis of Glucose-induced Cardiomyopathy

Abstract K. Dutta, M. W. Carmody, S. E. Cala and A. J. Davidoff. Depressed PKA Activity Contributes to Impaired SERCA Function and is Linked to the Pathogenesis of Glucose-induced Cardiomyopathy. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2002) 34 , 985–996. We have previously described a cardiomyopathy induced by culturing ventricular myocytes from normal adult rats in a medium containing high concentrations of glucose, which recapitulates cellular changes associated with early onset diabetic cardiomyopathy. This investigation was designed to evaluate cellular mechanisms that could contribute to slowed cytosolic Ca 2+ removal and myocyte relaxation in glucose-induced cardiomyopathy. Isolated ventricular myocytes were cultured overnight in medium containing normal glucose ( n =5.5 mM) or high glucose (HG=25.5 mM). Cytosolic Ca 2+ removal was monitored with fluo-3 and myocyte mechanics with video-edge detection. Electrically stimulated Ca 2+ transients were prolonged in HG cells (A T/PK =215±7 ms, n =41) compared to N myocytes (A T/PK =173±5 ms, n =34). By pharmacological and ionic manipulations, Ca 2+ removal attributable to SERCA was slower in the HG group (A D/PK =290±17 ms, n =41) compared to N (A D/PK =219±10, n =34), whereas NCX function was similar in both groups of cells. Total PKA activity was depressed in HG myocytes by 56% compared to N cells. β-adrenergic receptor stimulation with ISO (10 −7 M) normalized myocyte relaxation, Ca 2+ transients and PKA activity in HG myocytes. Furthermore, inhibition of PKA with H89 (10 −5 M) depressed peak fractional shortening (PS) and slowed relengthening (A R/PK ) to a greater extent in N (−50% for PS and 92% for A R/PK ) than in HG cells (−25% for PS and 48% A R/PK ). Depressed cytosolic Ca 2+ removal was not, however, associated with changes in basal levels of phosphorylated PLB, nor levels of SERCA, NCX or PLB proteins. We conclude that cellular mechanisms associated with the early onset glucose-induced cardiomyocyte dysfunction involves alterations in Ca 2+ regulation, which may be a common manifestation of other forms of cardiomyopathies.
A Minipig Model of Maxillary Distraction Osteogenesis

Purpose To establish a porcine model for maxillary distraction osteogenesis and to document the sequence of bone formation in the zone of advancement. Materials and Methods Female Yucatan minipigs (n = 9) in the mixed dentition stage underwent modified Le Fort I osteotomy through a vestibular incision under general anesthesia. A unidirectional, semiburied Le Fort I distraction device was fixed across the osteotomy. The distraction protocol was 0-day latency, 1-mm/d rate for 12 days, and 24 days of fixation. Maxillary specimens (n = 9) were harvested and divided in half at the end of distraction (n = 6 sides), midfixation (n = 6), and the end of fixation (n = 6). Clinical stability, volume, and radiographic density across the zone of advancement were graded on semiquantitative scales. Specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and examined with light microscopy. Results Animals tolerated the operation, the distraction and fixation periods. There were no infections and no devices failed. At the end of the distraction period, bone trabeculae were present at the periphery and fibrous tissues, and vessels, preosteoblasts, and osteoblasts were present in the center of the zone of advancement. Islands of chondrocyte-like cells appeared in 1 specimen each at midfixation and the end of fixation. At the end of fixation, clinical stability and radiographic density were graded 3/3 and bone formation was complete across the advancement zone in all specimens. Conclusion A model for Le Fort I distraction osteogenesis was established. Intramembranous bone formation was the predominant mechanism of healing in the zone of advancement. Latency was not necessary for bone formation in this minipig model.
Name codes and features in the discrimination of letter forms.

This research addressed the role of name and physical codes in visual discriminations and also tested the appropriateness of discrete stage models of information processing as opposed to continuous flow models. One group of subjects was required to discriminate the uppercase letters A and E from the set G and Q. Another group discriminated between the lowercase counterparts, set a and e and set g and q. RT was the dependent variable. A response competition paradigm was used in which the target letter was flanked by “noise” letters that were either response compatible or response incompatible. The noise letters could also be either in the same case as the target or in the alternate case. Thus, it was possible for the noise letters to be either physically identical to the target or identical in name only, and their features could be similar to the target in either one of the response sets. Although physical features of the stimuli played the major role in discrimination, name codes were found to facilitate performance when target and noise shared the same name. Feature similarity between noise letters and targets of the opposite response set produced interference, supporting a continuous flow conception of visual information processing.
Development of hydronephrosis secondary to poorly managed neurogenic bowel requiring surgical disimpaction in a patient with spinal cord injury: a case report.

AbstractContextCase of an adult patient with paraplegia managing neurogenic bladder with intermittent catheterization who was not performing a standard bowel program for management of neurogenic bowel.FindingsPatient presented with increasing spasticity, fecal incontinence, and abdominal pain and ultimately was hospitalized for management. Imaging revealed massive fecal impaction, resulting in ureteral obstruction and hydronephrosis. Despite repeated aggressive bowel regimens, serial abdominal X-rays showed continued large stool burden. Ultimately surgical intervention was required to evacuate the colon and subsequently the hydronephrosis resolved.Conclusion/Clinical relevanceThis case illustrates the importance of proper management of neurogenic bowel, as significant medical complications, such as hydronephrosis can occur with poorly managed neurogenic bowel.
Using the World Wide Web for interactive control of an X-ray diffractometer

Abstract The web-accessible diffractometer is a Philips APD3520 X-ray diffractometer that can be controlled by anyone on the World Wide Web. More than a simulation, remotely-located users submit operating parameters and receive X-ray diffraction patterns through their web browsers. Using the web to control analytic devices enables expanded equipment use in university curricula, provides a new way to share the cost of equipment purchases and fosters long-distance research and teaching collaborations.
A retrospective analysis of auditing research (1975-2009)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the quality of doctoral programs in terms of their faculty auditing research output as well as their effectiveness in training future auditing faculty. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a retrospective analysis of auditing research that appeared in five premier accounting journals (AOS, TAR, CAR, JAE, and JAR) during the time period 1975-2009. Findings – The authors offer several new insights. First, the authors provide rankings of accounting programs based on their faculty's research output as well as their graduates' research output. The rankings of auditing research are significantly different from those that are based on aggregated accounting research output. Second, the rankings are found to be skewed; due to the display of high concentrations of auditing research among the top auditing research programs. Third, the rankings have exhibited considerable changes over time, which suggest extreme competitions in maintaining the relative pos...
A Statistical Generalization of the Transformed Eulerian-Mean Circulation for an Arbitrary Vertical Coordinate System

A new method is derived for approximating the mean meridional circulation in an arbitrary vertical coordinate system using only the time-mean and zonally averaged meridional velocity, meridional eddy transport, and eddy variance. The method is called the statistical transformed Eulerian mean (STEM) and can be viewed as a generalization of the transformed Eulerian mean (TEM) formulation. It is shown that the TEM circulation can be obtained from the STEM circulation in the limit of small eddy variance. The main advantage of the STEM formulation is that it can be applied to nonmonotonic coordinate systems such as the equivalent potential temperature. In contrast, the TEM formulation can only be applied to stratified variables. Reanalysis data are used to compare the STEM circulation to an explicit calculation of the mean meridional circulation on dry and moist isentropic surfaces based on daily data. It is shown that the STEM formulation accurately captures all the key features of the circulation. The error in the streamfunction is less than 10%. The STEM formulation is subsequently used to analyze the circulation induced by latent heat transport and to understand the processes responsible for setting the effective stratification in the troposphere. The eddy sensible heat transport dominates in the midlatitudes and in the winter hemisphere, while the eddy latent heat transport dominates in the subtropical regions and in the summer hemisphere. For the dry isentropic circulation, the approximate effective stratification is dominated by the vertical stratification, whereas for the moist isentropic circulation it is dominated by the eddy variance contribution. The importance of the eddy variance in setting the stratification is in agreement with previous work.
Siglec-G/10 in self–nonself discrimination of innate and adaptive immunity

Siglec-G/10 is broadly expressed on B cells, dendritic cells and macrophage subsets. It binds strongly to CD24, a small glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored sialoprotein, in a sialylation-dependent manner. Targeted mutation of Siglecg dramatically elevates the level of natural IgM antibodies and its producer, B1 B cells. Incorporation of Siglec-G ligands to both T-dependent and T-independent immunogens reduces antibody production and induces B-cell tolerance to subsequent antigen challenges. By interacting with CD24, Siglec-G suppresses inflammatory responses to danger (damage)-associated molecular patterns, such as heat-shock proteins and high mobility group protein 1, but not to Toll-like receptor ligands. By a CD24-independent mechanism, Siglec-G has been shown to associate with Cbl to cause degradation of retinoic acid-inducible gene 1 and reduce production of type I interferon in response to RNA virus infection. The negative regulation by Siglec-G/10 may provide a mechanism for the host to discriminate between infectious nonself and noninfectious self, as envisioned by the late Dr. Charles A. Janeway.
Bubble Rise in Glassmelts

Bubble-rise experiments in borate glassmelts were conducted in a transparent furnace at T=800° to 1000°C using video techniques to record and analyze the bubble rise. The results of these experiments over a range of Reynolds numbers from 10 −7 to 10° clearly indicate that the bubble motion is governed by the Rybezynski-Hadamard equation and hence that the glassmelts are not subject to interfacial contamination.
Brain injury in the Commonwealth of Virginia: an analysis of Central Registry data, 1988± 1993

Cumulative data from the Virginia Brain Injury Central Registry, which maintains information on persons presenting to the emergency rooms for evaluation and treatment of head trauma, were analysed for fiscal years 1988-1993. Persons age 40 years and younger represented almost 80% of all head injuries presenting to Virginia emergency rooms. Age-adjusted incidence rates were greatest for children under age 6 years (237/100,000 persons-years), and least for persons age 40-69 years (56/100,000 person-years). Head injuries occurred 1.4 times more frequently in males than females, and male mortality rates were 1.6 times greater. Falls exceeded motor vehicle accidents as the most common cause of head trauma after fiscal year 1989 followed by assaults and sports/recreation-related injuries. Head injuries were most common in May through October, and early mortality rates increased progressively with age. Findings are contrasted with prior demographic and epidemiological studies limited to persons hospitalized following moderate to severe head trauma.
Pyeloureterostomy with interposition of the appendix.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We describe the successful repair of a 6 cm. ureteral stricture involving the right ureteropelvic junction and proximal ureter using appendix as a ureteral substitute.Materials and Methods: A 37-year-old man involved in a motorcycle accident presented with a retroperitoneal urinoma and a 6 cm. proximal ureteral stricture. At flank exploration we were unable to perform successfully primary pyeloureterostomy through renal descensus with ureteral mobilization. The appendix was selected to bridge the ureteral defect. The right colon and cecum were mobilized to the area of the diseased ureter and the appendix was transected across the base of the cecum. Ureteral scar tissue was resected and the appendix was interposed in an isoperistaltic orientation from renal pelvis to proximal ureter.Results: Convalescence was unremarkable. Retrograde pyelography and flexible ureteroscopy 2 months postoperatively demonstrated a patent anastomosis and viable appendix. The ureteral stent was removed at that t...
Developmental Expression and Intracellular Localization of Superoxide Dismutases in Maize

Maize superoxide dismutase (superoxide: superoxide oxidoreductase, EC 1.15.1.1; abbreviated as SOD) has been resolved into five major electrophoretic forms by starch gel electrophoresis. All five isozymes are present in the tissues examined. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase activity was measured in the scutellum during kernel development and germination with no obvious correlations being observed. Superoxide dismutase activity is associated with the cytosolic, mitochondrial, and chloroplastic fractions of maize seedlings. Cyanide-sensitive SOD-1 is associated with chloroplasts while cyanide-resistant SOD-3 is associated with mitochondria.
A Colloidal Method to Ensure Phase Homogeneity in β‐Al2O3/ZrO2 Composite Systems

A colloidal processing method that ensures phase homogeneity has been developed for β″-Al2O3/ZrO2 composites. High volume fractions (<55 vol%) of β″-AI2O3 and limited volume fractions (5 vol%) of ZrO2 powders were dispersed in 2-propanoI. It is suspected that ions associated with the powders (e.g., Na+) and, possibly, trace amounts of water produce the coulombic repulsive forces needed for dispersion in the alcohol. All particles larger than a predetermined size were eliminated by sedimentation. To concentrate the fine solids of the slurry and to prevent mass segregation during storage, the ZrO2 powder was flocced with small additions of nitric acid. The water in nitric acid, however, leaches Na+ from the β″-Al2O3, creating large NaNO3 crystals in the slurry that volatilize upon firing, leaving voids in the composite material. The β″-AI2O3 powder, therefore, was sedimented from a concentrated (35 vol%) dispersed 2-propanol slurry and was not flocced. The two-phase slurry, which exhibited the thixotropic rheology indicative of a flocced system, was mixed by passing through an ultrasonic mixing chamber. The viscosity and mixing uniformity, quantified by high spatial resolution phase analysis of sintered materials, increased with utrasonification time. These observations suggest that when the flocced ZrO2 globules were sheared apart, they recombined with the dispersed β″-Al2O3 phase, causing two-phase heteroflocculation. Viscosity measurements can therefore be used as a measure of phase homogeneity. The two-phase slurries could be consolidated by slip casting or pressure filtration.
A predictive model to describe the effects of temperature, sodium lactate, and sodium diacetate on the inactivation of a serotype 4b strain of Listeria monocytogenes in a frankfurter slurry.

A modified Gompertz equation was used to model the effects of temperature (55, 60, and 65C), sodium lactate (0, 2.4, and 4.8%), and sodium diacetate (0, 0.125, and 0.25%) on inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes strain MFS 102 (serotype 4b) in frankfurter slurry. The effects of these factors were determined on the shouldering region (parameter A), maximum death rate (parameter B), and tailing region (parameter C) of microbial inactivation curves. Increased temperature or sodium diacetate concentrations increased the death rate, whereas increased sodium lactate concentrations decreased heat resistance. Complex two-way interactive effects were also observed. As both temperature and sodium lactate increased, the death rate decreased; however, as temperature and sodium diacetate increased, the death rate increased. The effect of the interaction between sodium lactate and sodium diacetate on the maximum death rate varied with temperature. Increases in both acidulants at temperatures above 56.7C decreased the death rate, whereas at temperatures below 56.7C, increases in both acidulants increased the death rate. To test for significant differences between treatments, D-values were calculated and compared. This comparison revealed that, in general, sodium lactate increased heat resistance and sodium diacetate decreased heat resistance of L. monocytogenes. This information is important for reducing and minimizing contamination during postprocessing thermal treatments.
Energy Maps for Large-scale, Mobile Wireless Networks

Energy planning and optimization constitutes one of the most significant challenges for high-mobility networks. This paper proposes a novel framework to share, retain and refine end- to-end energy metrics in the joint memory of the nodes, over time scales over which this information can be spread to the network and utilized for energy planning decisions. We construct maps of end-to-end energy metrics that enable energy optimization in high-mobility networks. We show how to (1) compute the spatial derivatives of energy potentials in high-mobility networks, (2) construct energy maps on-demand via path integration methods, (3) distribute, share, fuse, and refine energy maps over time by information exchange during encounters, (4) allow the nodes to use energy maps for energy planning and optimization in delay- tolerant, high-mobility networks.
The Structure of the Poliovirus 135S Cell Entry Intermediate at 10-Angstrom Resolution Reveals the Location of an Externalized Polypeptide That Binds to Membranes

Poliovirus provides a well-characterized system for understanding how nonenveloped viruses enter and infect cells. Upon binding its receptor, poliovirus undergoes an irreversible conformational change to the 135S cell entry intermediate. This transition involves shifts of the capsid protein β barrels, accompanied by the externalization of VP4 and the N terminus of VP1. Both polypeptides associate with membranes and are postulated to facilitate entry by forming a translocation pore for the viral RNA. We have calculated cryo-electron microscopic reconstructions of 135S particles that permit accurate placement of the β barrels, loops, and terminal extensions of the capsid proteins. The reconstructions and resulting models indicate that each N terminus of VP1 exits the capsid though an opening in the interface between VP1 and VP3 at the base of the canyon that surrounds the fivefold axis. Comparison with reconstructions of 135S particles in which the first 31 residues of VP1 were proteolytically removed revealed that the externalized N terminus is located near the tips of propeller-like features surrounding the threefold axes rather than at the fivefold axes, as had been proposed in previous models. These observations have forced a reexamination of current models for the role of the 135S particle in transmembrane pore formation and suggest testable alternatives.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Synergy Studies of Burkholderia cepacia Complex Isolated from Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

Susceptibility (18 antimicrobial agents including high-dose tobramycin) and checkerboard synergy (23 combinations) studies were performed for 2,621 strains of Burkholderia cepacia complex isolated from 1,257 cystic fibrosis patients. Minocycline, meropenem, and ceftazidime were the most active, inhibiting 38%, 26%, and 23% of strains, respectively. Synergy was rarely noted (range, 1% to 15% of strains per antibiotic combination).
Uniform random numbers in APL

In the article by R. Wheeler, the author laments the integer nature of the APL operator ? when faced with the need to construct a generator which produces random numbers uniformly distributed on (0, 1). The difficulty arises in that the definition specifies that ? X returns a random integer from 1 to X inclusive. It is indeed unfortunate, since in many ways APL is ideally suited to Monte Carlo experiments. Recently when designing and implementing an APL processor for the CDC 6600, the deficiency was clearly recognized. Under such conditions three possibilities exist in choosing a course of action, namely: (1) the deficiency can be ignored, (2) the operator definition can be altered, and (3) the operator definition can be extended. The design effort dictated that the processor be consistent (in every conceivable way) with the specifications given in [2] thus disallowing (2). This is important so that APL remains APL rather than a series of dialects all labeled APL. The only possible route for emmendation of the deficiency that remains, therefore, is (3).
Adhesion of polyimides to metal and ceramic surfaces: an overview

Experimental and theoretical results on polyimide-to-metal and -ceramic adhesion are briefly reviewed. In general, the polyimide-on-metal interfaces have stronger interactions vis-a-vis the metal-on-polyimide interfaces. A section is also devoted to adhesion promoters and their effect on the adhesion. Data from the literature imply that one of the reasons for the improvement in adhesion in the case of the polyimide-on-silicon oxide interface using a y-aminopropyltriethoxysilane adhesion promoter is physical in nature. With the adhesion promoter the interfacial region within the polyimide is likely to be less oriented and more entangled than the same system without the adhesion promoter. This subtle effect is illustrative of the understanding that can result from careful locus-of-failure analysis in an adhesion study.
Midlife Influences Upon Intellectual Functioning in Old Age

Evidence is presented from the Seattle Longitudinal Study to show that cognitive style and other life style variables in midlife can predict part of the individual differences in pattern and rate o...
Evolution of Catskill (Upper Devonian) River Systems: Intra- and Extrabasinal Controls

ABSTRACT The Frasnian Catskill magnafacies of the Catskill region, New York State, represents alluvium deposited in a foreland basin adjacent to the Acadian fold-thrust belt. Facies characteristics vary in space and time in association with a series of transgressive-regressive sequences on the order of 102m thick. Away from the paleoshoreline and upsection, the channel-belt sandstone bodies within a given regressive sequence show 1) an increase in mean grain size from fine to medium and coarse sand; 2) an increase in amount of large-scale cross-stratification relative to small-scale cross-stratification and planar stratification; 3) a decrease in the inclination of lateral-accretion surfaces and more common truncation of their upper parts by chute channel fills; 4) an increase in th proportion of sandstone-filled channels relative to those filled with sandstone plus mudstone. The overbank sandstone-mudstone beds concomitantly increase in mean grain size. The proportion of channel-belt deposits relative to overbank deposits increases slightly with distance from the paleoshoreline, and the degree of overlap (connectedness) of channel-belt sandstone bodies increases markedly. Paleohydraulic analysis shows that channels had low sinuosity (less than 1.25) and were predominantly unbraided. Channels ranged from tens to hundreds of meters wide, and were meters in depth. Channel slopes ranged from approximately 0.0001 to 0.0003, increasing with mean grain size of channel deposits, but decreasing as bankfull discharge increased. Bankfull mean velocity varied little from 0.5 to 0.7 m/s. With distance from the paleoshoreline, channels decreased in sinuosity and increased in sediment size, slope, and braiding index. Increase in proportion and connectedness of channel-belt deposits with distance from the paleoshoreline probably reflects upvalley increase in channel-belt-width/floodplain-width ratio rather than variation in deposition rate/avulsion frequency ratio. Du ing regression and transgression these spatial facies changes are reflected in, respectively, coarsening-upward and fining-upward vertical sequences. Eustasy probably had a minor influence on Frasnian regressive-transgressive sequences compared to the effects of varying rates of tectonic uplift, sediment supply, and subsidence. There is no evidence of long-term climatic change, either in the distribution of river-channel geometries or in the distribution of paleosols and plant and animal activity on the extensive floodplains.
Effects of Rinses with an Acidic Calcium Phosphate Solution on Fluoride Uptake, Caries, and in situ Plaque pH in Rats

The effects of oral rinses on enamel fluoride uptake, caries, and plaque pH in rats were investigated by use of (1) an acidic calcium phosphate solution (CPS) saturated with dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) and (2) a 1% fluoride solution.Osborne-Mendel rats, 19 days of age, were randomly assigned to one of four mouth-rinse treatment groups, with the two consecutively administered rinses being: H2O-H 2O; H2O-F; CPS-H20; and CPS-F. The treatments were administered on days 1 through 4, and the animals were provided with a cariogenic challenge throughout the study.The groups treated with F exhibited significantly higher mean levels of enamel-bound F than did the non-F groups. Furthermore, CPS significantly increased uptake of F by enamel when used as an adjunct to the F treatment. The caries scores of the CPS-F and H2O-F groups were not statistically different; however, a strong negative correlation was observed between enamel F content and caries scores, indicating that as more F was incorporated into th...
Supporting Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered Models of Prevention in Schools: Administrators' Perspectives.

We report findings from a statewide survey of 365 site-level administrators developed to (a) learn about the extent to which schools across the state were implementing components of multi-tiered systems of support and (b) determine the areas in which these schools might need professional development or resources to support them. At least half of the administrators indicated a high level of implementation for all Tier 1 features, with the exception of instruction in school-wide behavioral expectations. Tier 2 and Tier 3 behavioral and social supports were reportedly less fully implemented than those focused on academic domains. Most differences between elementary and secondary schools existed in Tier 1 features, with implementation occurring more fully in elementary schools. More than half of the administrators indicated a high level of implementation of the 15 research-based educational practices and supports examined, with a statistically significant relation between administrators’ ratings of currently ...