cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Venous waveform morphological changes associated with treatment of symptomatic venous sinus stenosis

Introduction Venous outflow obstruction is recognized as a contributing factor in a subset of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Little is known about venous sinus waveform morphology or how it changes after stenting. Methods Fifteen patients with IIH underwent waveform recording during catheter venography and manometry. Ten patients (Group A) with venous sinus stenosis and pressure gradient ≥7 mm Hg underwent waveform recording during awake venography and during stenting under general anesthesia. Five control IIH patients (Group B) without a gradient underwent awake recording only. Results Group A patients underwent successful stenting with reduction of their gradient from 15.1±6.19 mm Hg to 1.2±0.60 mm Hg. This resulted in an amplitude reduction from 8.3 mm Hg to 2.8 mm Hg (P=0.02). Qualitative evaluation of the waveform yielded a number of novel findings. In Group A before stenting, the observed waveform progressed from an intracranial pressure (ICP)-dominated to central venous pressure (CVP)-dominated waveform. Stenting abolished the high amplitude waveform and smoothed the transition from the intracranial to central venous measurement points. Group B displayed primarily CVP-influenced waveforms distal and proximal to the transverse-sigmoid junction along with respiratory variability of the waveform, absent in 8/10 Group A patients. General anesthesia appeared to blunt the waveform in 5/10 Group A patients. Conclusion The cerebral venous waveform appears to be influenced by both the ICP and CVP waveforms. As measurement moves proximally, the waveform progressively changes to mirror the CVP waveform. Venous sinus stenosis results in a high amplitude waveform which improves with treatment of the stenosis.
Substance-associated elevations in monocyte activation among methamphetamine users with treated HIV infection.

Objective:Microbial translocation and monocyte activation predict mortality in treated HIV. We examined whether substance use independently contributes to these pathophysiologic processes.Design:Cross-sectional study at baseline for a randomized controlled trial.Methods:HIV-positive, methamphetamine
Diverging Perspectives on Electronic Contracting in the U.S. And the E.U.

Electronic Contracting - understood broadly to include both the Internet downloading of free or purchased software and the use of rolling contracts (shrink-wrap or terms in the box) in the sale of computers or the lease of software - has raised problems, based in part on the novelty of the transactional forms, and in part on the now-standard issue of unread terms in standardized contracts. This article, part of a conference relating to the legal regulation of new property and new technologies, offers an overview of the distinctly different approaches to Electronic Contracting of the U.S. and the European Union. The American legal system has tried, at times awkwardly, to fit the new transactions into existing doctrinal categories, leaving protection of consumers primarily to market mechanisms. The E.U. has responded through significant governmental intervention, at least for consumer contracts: expressing requiring some terms in consumer transactions, while prohibiting many others.
Inverse Design of Energy and Environmental Systems

Conventional design of systems for environmental cleanup and for energy production relies to a great extent on prior art. Successful designs that meet regulatory requirements as well as technical and economic needs for efficiency and cost have traditionally been produced by trial and error.
Principles of Antigen Processing and Presentation

Publisher Summary Getting rid of the host of invading pathogens is a formidable task considering the wide variety of pathogenic organisms and their ability to rapidly mutate when put under evolutionary selection. T cells, which have a central role in regulating immune responses, have antigen-specific receptors with extensive primary sequence homology to immunoglobulins of B cells, but despite this homology the receptors of B and T cells recognize antigens in different ways. While the B cell receptor recognizes structural epitopes in proteins, T-cell receptors recognize antigens in the form of peptides associated with class I or class II molecules encoded in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Antigen processing is the process of peptide generation from antigenic proteins and the association of these peptides with MHC molecules. It is of crucial importance for T cell function and thus for the function of the immune system. The differences between the class I and class II antigen-presenting molecules are a reflection of the intracellular trafficking of these molecules and the compartments where they encounter peptides. While both class I and class II molecules assemble in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) only class I molecules acquire peptides in this compartment. The peptides loaded onto class I are generated in the cytoplasm and transported into the ER. In addition to the normal class I and class II molecules, this chapter describes a number of class I-like molecules. It summarizes the present knowledge of the cell biology of MHC class I and class II antigen processing and presentation, as well as the current understanding of the biology and function of nonclassical class I molecules.
Poetics of mu

The daughter appears in Hortense Spillers’s literary criticism as an oblique subject of a doubled law of genealogy: first, the Oedipal ‘law of the Father’ which intervenes on the mother–child relat...
Effects of environmental storage conditions on survival of indicator organisms in a blend of surface water and dual disinfected reclaimed water.

AIMS The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of temperature, mixing and sunlight exposure on the 5-day survival of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus sp., F+/male-specific coliphages, somatic coliphages and Clostridium perfringens spores in an 80/20 blend of surface water and reclaimed water approved for potable reuse in North Carolina. METHODS AND RESULTS Grab samples of tertiary treated, dual disinfected North Carolina 'Type 2' reclaimed water were collected and mixed with ambient surface waters to create the 80/20 mix and then spiked with naturally occurring organisms present in the blended water or organisms isolated from sewage. Organism survival over the 5-day period was evaluated at 4 and 20°C, 0, 60 and 120 rev min-1 mixing speeds and exposure to sunlight or darkness. The log10 survival ratio was then calculated for each organism at each condition. CONCLUSIONS There were measurable differences between the log10 survival ratios at 5 days for most organisms; indicating that storage can decrease microbial concentrations. Mixing conditions were not a significant factor in microbe survival over the 5-day storage period. Sunlight was the most effective treatment factor to decrease log10 survival during 5-day storage. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY No previous studies have evaluated the survival of micro-organisms in the NC approved 80/20 blend of surface and reclaimed water over the 5-day storage. This study provides the first results on the survival of regulated faecal indicator organisms stored for 5 days in blended water under different environmental conditions.
Aggressive Surveillance Is Needed to Detect Endoleaks and Junctional Separation between Device Components after Zenith Fenestrated Aortic Reconstruction.

Background Junctional separation and resulting type IIIa endoleak is a well-known problem after EVAR (endovascular aneurysm repair). This complication results in sac pressurization, enlargement, and eventual rupture. In this manuscript, we review the incidence of this late finding in our experience with the Cook Zenith fenestrated endoprosthesis (ZFEN, Bloomington, IN). Methods A retrospective review was performed of a prospectively maintained institutional ZFEN fenestrated EVAR database capturing all ZFENs implanted at a large-volume, academic hospital system. Patients who experienced junctional separation between the fenestrated main body and distal bifurcated graft (with or without type IIIa endoleak) at any time after initial endoprosthesis implantation were subject to further evaluation of imaging and medical records to abstract clinical courses. Results In 110 ZFENs implanted from October 2012 to December 2017 followed for a mean of 1.5 years, we observed a 4.5% and 2.7% incidence of clinically significant junctional separation and type IIIa endoleak, respectively. Junctional separation was directly related to concurrent type Ib endoleak in all 5 patients. Three patients presented with sac enlargement. One patient did not demonstrate any evidence of clinically significant endoleak and had a decreasing sac size during follow-up imaging. The mean time to diagnosis of modular separation in these patients was 40 months. Junctional separation was captured in surveillance in 2 patients and reintervened upon before manifestation of endoleak. However, the remaining 3 patients completed modular separation resulting in rupture and emergent intervention in 2 and an aortic-related mortality in the other. Conclusions Junctional separation between the fenestrated main and distal bifurcated body with the potential for type IIIa endoleak is an established complication associated with the ZFEN platform. Therefore, we advocate for maximizing aortic overlap during the index procedure followed by aggressive surveillance and treatment of stent overlap loss captured on imaging.
Treatment of Veterans with Psychiatric Diagnoses Nationally in the Veterans Health Administration: A Comparison of Service Delivery by Mental Health Specialists and Other Providers

Patients with psychiatric disorders are treated by both mental health specialists and non-specialists. We use national data from the Veterans Health Administration to evaluate changing proportions of patients seen exclusively by non-specialists during the study year (FY 2012) limit as well as differences in socio-demographic, clinical and service use characteristics. There has been a five-fold increase in veterans with mental disorders seen by non-specialists over 20 years from 7 to 38%, findings similar to those in non-VA settings. Veterans treated by mental health specialists were younger, more likely to have been homeless and disabled, and had more severe and more numerous psychiatric diagnoses. There is a need to maintain specialty services and to strengthen non-specialty care through education and research.
Finding the “lost-time” in detonator function

Exploding bridgewire (EBW) detonators were invented during the Manhattan Project over 75 years ago. Initially developed for precise timing and reproducibility, they continue to be used in many applications. Despite widespread use and reliability, their mechanism for function remains controversial. They provide precision timing, yet their function is described in terms of a “lost time” accounting for nearly half of the function time. Buried in understanding the EBW function is the mystery of how an incoherent impulse such as powering a bridgewire yields the coherent energy output of a detonation. Even the general phenomena by which release of chemical energy in a crystalline organic explosive becomes associated with the sonic plane of a steady detonation wave remain uncertain. Here, we investigate the EBW function with a suite of diagnostics and show that stationary heating occurs during the “lost-time.” We use x-ray radiography to observe the propagation of a shock wave from bridgewire vaporization and establish that the origin of the radially emanating detonation wave is spatially separated from the initial shock. Utilizing the observed temperature as a boundary condition in our explosive response models yields a thermal ignition consistent with the “lost-time” and detonation location consistent with previous work. With these results, we define a direct thermal initiation mechanism for the EBW function consistent with previous integral observations and explain the displacement of initiation from the bridgewire burst in time and space.
Effects of Aging and Rejuvenation on Surface-Free Energy Measurements and Adhesion of Asphalt Mixtures

AbstractThis paper presents the results of a study that was conducted to understand the impacts of aging and rejuvenation on fundamental properties of asphalt binders. A Performance Grade (PG) 64-2...
Multiline Bus Bunching Control via Vehicle Substitution

Abstract Traditional bus bunching control methods (e.g., adding slack to schedules, adapting cruising speed), in one way or another, trade commercial speed for better system stability and, as a result, may impose the burden of additional travel time on passengers. Recently, a dynamic bus substitution strategy, where standby buses are dispatched to take over service from late/early buses, was proposed as an attempt to enhance system reliability without sacrificing too much passenger experience. This paper further studies this substitution strategy in the context of multiple bus lines under either time-independent or time-varying settings. In the latter scenario, the fleet of standby buses can be dynamically utilized to save on opportunity costs. We model the agency’s substitution decisions and retired bus repositioning decisions as a stochastic dynamic program so as to obtain the optimal policy that minimizes the system-wide costs. Numerical results show that the dynamic substitution strategy can benefit from the “economies of scale” by pooling the standby fleet across lines, and there are also benefits from dynamic fleet management when transit demand varies over time. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the applicability and advantage of the proposed strategy. The substitution strategy not only holds the promise to outperform traditional holding methods in terms of reducing passenger costs, they also can be used to complement other methods to better control very unstable systems.
Soil respiration and organic matter decomposition dynamics respond to legacy fertilizer and weed control treatments in loblolly pine stands

Abstract Most studies examining how forest soil carbon (C) cycling responds to silvicultural treatments are restricted to a single rotation, with the legacy effects of past management practices being relatively unstudied. Here, we examined soil respiration and organic matter decomposition dynamics (important proxies for C dynamics), climate, and nutrient cycling in a second rotation, 2-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation in north Florida. Carryover (C-) effects of the previous rotation's control (CC), fertilizer (CF), weed control (CW), and combined fertilizer and weed control (CFW) treatments were examined for residual effects on soil respiration (Rs), heterotrophic respiration (Rh), and substrate decomposition potential. Repeated measurements were made over 13 months. The mean Rs for both the CF (4.56 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) and CFW (4.49 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) treatments were increased by 29% and 27%, respectively, compared to the CC (3.53 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) treatment. The Rh in the CW (2.97 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) was significantly lower compared to the CF (4.02 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) and CFW (3.66 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1) treatments, despite having warmer soil temperatures than the CF treatment, and no differences in soil moisture contents. Soil temperature and Mehlich III soil extractable manganese (Mn) concentrations (0–10 cm) were the only variables that explained variation in Rh. Decomposition rates for a common substrate were also lower in the CW compared to the CF, treatment (p = 0.027), potentially because the removal of understory plants in the CW treatment affected both microclimate and Mn cycling compared to the CF treatment where understory plants were retained and micronutrients were added as fertilizers. Overall, forest management affected organic matter cycling after replanting and 12 years after the last treatment in the previous rotation, suggesting that long-term studies are needed to understand the effects of silvicultural practices on ecosystem C cycling.
Structural variability of pendant groups within the interlayer region of zirconium arene-phosph(on)ates: chemical and structural characterization of oxy- and methyl-linked 2-naphthyl phosphonates, and mixed oxy-linked derivatives.

Several new zirconium phosphonates incorporating the naphthalene ring and having the general formula Zr(O3PR)1(O3PR′)1 [R and R′ = –CH2C10H7, –OC10H7, –CH3, –OC2H5, –OH] have been synthesized. These materials were chemically characterized using thermal gravimetric analysis (percentage of organic content), infrared spectroscopy (presence of the desired organic functional groups), and solid-state 31P NMR (phosphorus environments), while the structural parameters were determined using X-ray powder diffraction (interlayer d spacings). The two new zirconium bis(phosphonates), Zr(O3PC10H7)2 and Zr(O3PCH2C10H7)2, were found to have d spacings of 19.6 and 20.0 A, respectively. Three of the four zirconium mixed phosphonates examined are found to be single-phase structures with random mixtures of the organic moieties within the interlayer, and possess d spacings (14.3, 15.3, and 16.1 A) that are between those of the two parent zirconium bis(phosphonates). The fourth is found to be a staged or segregated structure and possesses a d spacing that is approximately a sum of the two parent zirconium bis(phosphonates), with a d spacing of 28.2 A. Solid-state 31P NMR of Zr(O3PCH2C10H7)2 revealed the presence of two isotropic resonances, which is interpreted in terms of two distinct, “locked-in” conformations of the –CH2C10H7 group. The experimental d spacings of the zirconium bis(phosphonates) correlate well with a simple predictive model based on the effective length and predominant conformation of the organic functional group.
Ecology of Prokaryotic Microbes in the Guts of Wood- and Litter-Feeding Termites

The gut of wood- and litter-feeding termites harbors a dense and diverse community of prokaryotes that contribute to the carbon, nitrogen and energy requirements of the insects. Acetogenesis from H2 plus CO2 by hindgut prokaryotes supports up to 1/3 of the respiratory requirement of some termite species; and N2-fixing and uric acid-degrading microbes can have a significant impact on termite N economy. Microelectrode studies reveal that hindguts consist of an anoxic lumen surrounded by a microoxic periphery — a finding consistent with the occurrence of both anaerobic and O2-dependent microbial metabolism in hindguts. They also suggest that the enigmatic dominance of acetogens over methanogens as an H2 “sink” reflects a spatial separation of these H2-consuming populations, with the former being closer to sources of H2 production. Isolation of a number of the prokaryotes (including spirochetes, which have proven to be H2/CO2-acetogens) reveals that termite guts are a source of novel microbial diversity. However, molecular biological analyses indicate that much of that diversity is still poorly represented in culture.
Estimated effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 on private noncorporate forest landowners' timber income in the U.S. South

Abstract Financial effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) on private noncorporate timber growers vary due to the difference in timber holdings, level of non-timber income, and intensity of forest management. This commentary reports on a financial analysis, which suggests that landowners holding timber as investments as a group are moderately worse off due to the changes in itemized deductions brought by the TCJA. The distinction in the net benefits of timber holdings becomes more significant between forest investors (as a group) and material participants. This may become an incentive for some investors to consider converting to a business and intensifying their forest management to meet the material participation requirement. Some investors, on the other hand, may reduce forest management costs or divest their timberland due to deterioration in profitability. It also suggests that owning and managing timber becomes less beneficial in terms of tax savings for forest landowners with moderate and high non-timber income (except for high income, large holding scenario) under the new law than under the prior law.
Single port robotic assisted reconstructive urologic surgery—with the da Vinci SP surgical system

Background Single port (SP) robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery was approved by the FDA for urologic surgery and clinically available in 2018. This new robotic system enables a camera and 3 separate instruments, with fully wristed motions, to be placed through a single 25 mm port. This system was designed to perform complex surgery in narrow deep spaces making it very suitable for complex urinary tract reconstruction surgery. This paper will describe our early experience of using the SP system for several types of urinary reconstruction procedures and will present our lessons learned, surgical philosophy to using the SP and early data. As with all new technologies, there is an associated learning curve and nuances to be discovered and overcome. Methods The da Vinici SP™ surgical system was acquired and delivered to at our institution in January 2019. Five high volume robotic urologic surgeons at our institutions underwent certification with the da Vinci SP™ and have been adding this technology into their armamentarium. Almost all cases were recorded for quality improvement initiatives and evaluated with the goal of creating standard operating procedures in terms of access, steps of procedure and minimizing pit falls. Data from all patients undergoing SP urinary tract reconstruction that were entered into our prospective institutional database were reported. Results From 1/2019 to 8/2019 we have performed 71 urologic SP cases with the SP of which 18 were for urinary tract reconstructive procedures. These cases included 15 pyeloplasties, 1 buccal mucosa ureteroplasty, 1 ureteral implant and 1 repair of vesico-vaginal fistula. This paper outlines our standard operating procedures for table positioning, port placement, access and surgical steps for these complex SP cases. Our early data suggests that use of the SP system for urinary reconstruction is safe and reproducible. Conclusions The SP robotic surgical system has the potential to be used for nearly all robotic urologic reconstructive procedures. Advantages include a superior cosmetic result and ability to access all surgical quadrants without re-docking or repositioning. Limitations include no near infrared fluorescence imaging, smaller working space and slightly increased difficulty with retraction. We believe these obstacles will be overcome with time and experience. The da Vinci SP™ surgical system, in our initial experience, appears to be as safe and effective as its multiport counterpart for reconstructive surgeries.
Uneven impacts and uncoordinated studies: A systematic review of research on unconventional oil and gas development in the United States

Abstract The unconventional oil and gas (UOG) boom in the United States produced a surge of social science research activity about the industry's local impacts, the vast majority of which relied on local stakeholders to contribute data. Like UOG development across the United States, research on the local impacts of UOG has been geographically dispersed and uneven and mostly uncoordinated. The primary purpose of this systematic review of peer-reviewed articles and theses and dissertations is to provide an overview of the timing, spatial distribution, and methods used in research on local impacts of UOG development since 2000. The study identifies 167 unique human subject data collection efforts in U.S. UOG locations between 2000 and 2018. This overview—along with analysis of response rates and recruitment and engagement patterns—reveals risks that the recent boom in impacts research may have contributed to research fatigue on the part of some human subject research participants. The study also demonstrates challenges in deriving generalizable observations from local impacts research. Both problems are associated with the uneven geographic distribution of research across UOG locations in the U.S., researchers’ tendency to arrive at the height of development activity, inconsistent and incomplete reporting on methods in publications, and an over-reliance on accessible research subjects. Future research and scholarly reflection should evaluate constraints and factors that influence research strategies. In the meantime, the U.S. research community faces an imperative to consider opportunities to enhance and coordinate research activities in energy communities.
Conclusions and Thinking to the Future

This concluding chapter reiterates the purpose, significance, and rationale for writing this book. It, again, indicates the appropriateness of poststructuralist point of views to explore the sociocultural contexts of second language learners’ lived experiences and to interpret the shaping factors that affect their (un)successful endeavors. It also sheds light on the fruitfulness of small culture approach to investigate the emergent cohesive behaviors/activities of L2 learners’ lived experiences in the form of narrative inquiry. Going beyond the discussions and recommendations in Chap. 5, we further share thoughts on implications and impact of educational contexts to stakeholders (e.g., normal and/or dynamic contexts interrupted by a global public health crisis and pandemic outbreak). The aspects of thinking are related to (1) the host institutions of higher education, (2) English language teaching in China, (3) Chinese international students, and (4) directions for future research. We highlight research gaps in each area of thought and suggest possible directions for future research respectively. We conclude this book with suggestions for how the model of The Dimensions and Impact of Study Abroad Learning Experiences in L2 Learners/Users could possibly be used as a tool to further explore the continuum of the subgroup of non-native English-speaking Chinese (and other) international students’ lived experiences when seeking a degree in Anglophone countries. This contributes to our understanding of Chinese international students whose subjective perceptions on the lived experience as L2 learners and users are seldom the center of research investigation when examining the host institute’s internationalization and home country’s EFL education, from a participation standpoint rather than a deficit one.
Voice-controlled quantum chemistry

Over the past decade, artificial intelligence has been propelled forward by advances in machine learning algorithms and computational hardware, opening up myriads of new avenues for scientific research. Nevertheless, virtual assistants and voice control have yet to be widely used in the natural sciences. Here, we present ChemVox, an interactive Amazon Alexa skill that uses speech recognition to perform quantum chemistry calculations. This new application interfaces Alexa with cloud computing and returns the results through a capable device. ChemVox paves the way to making computational chemistry routinely accessible to the wider community. Using voice-based technologies, ChemVox is able to answer quantum chemistry questions in seconds, thus making such complex questions more accessible to the community.
Reflections on African Americans in Baseball: No Longer the Vanguard of Change.

During the last decade, a number of athletes began engaging in social activism. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, that wave of protest became a tsunami, energizing collegiate and professional athletes and reverberating across society. But baseball, once in the vanguard of sports activism, remained on the sidelines. As the national pastime, it reflected the country’s turn toward social Darwinism and segregation at the turn of the 20th century. After World War II, when Jackie Robinson reintegrated the major leagues, it was a catalyst to change off the field. This essay addresses that politicized past and its more quiescent present.
How does patent litigation by Patent Assertion Entities impact invention activity

Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs) can enhance invention by creating a market for patents or reduce invention by making the returns to invention uncertain. We empirically examine the impact of patent...
Anticonvulsant Properties of Dihydropyridine Calcium Antagonists

In the past several years a primary thrust of our research effort has been directed toward evaluating the anticonvulsant properties of dihydropyridine Ca2+ antagonists.
The Role of Adaptation-Level In Stimulus Generalization

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the successes and failures of the Adaptation-level (AL) theory of stimulus generalization and provides an evaluation of its fruitfulness. The chapter describes the voluntary generalization experiments, which employs diverse stimulus dimensions such as lifted weight, wavelength, brightness, and line angle. Generally, the AL theory is extremely successful in predicting or interpreting the results of stimulus generalization experiments. With regard to the Central Tendency Effect, the central tendency shift occurs with reference to the psychological center (AL) of the generalization test series, which may not coincide with the physical center. In such cases, a shift of maximal responding from the training stimulus (TS) value may occur even when the test series is nominally symmetrical. In the choice paradigm, AL serves as the crossover point, such that stimuli above AL are to be responded to in one fashion and stimuli below AL are to be responded to in another. In the go/no-go situation, it appears that the TS are encoded not just with regard to their direction from, but also their distance from, the Prevailing AL.
Thermal and Compositional Evolution of the Core

This chapter examines the thermal and compositional evolution of the Earth's core, from shortly after its formation to the present day.
The rise and reason of comics and graphic literature: critical essays on the form, edited by Joyce Goggin and Dan Hassler-Forest

This collective of 15 critical essays on comic books and graphic novels presents readers with new and wide-ranging perspectives in this current area of research. Unlike many other books that focus ...
Total ownership cost use in management

Total ownership cost (TOC) is being adopted by government and industry to manage business processes. Total ownership cost provides managers actual costs and the causes of these costs. Actual costs are often visible to management after some rollup from lower levels has taken place. This rollup process often obscures the causes or cost drivers and leaves the manager without the information needed to drive down costs. Knowledge of the high cost drivers is the first step in driving down costs. The second step is the process of defining alternatives in sufficient detail that the investment and operating and support costs can be determined considering technical, schedule, and cost risk. The third step is the computation of the return on investment, payback period, and cost savings/growth associated with each alternative. This paper describes the use of total ownership cost and the decision support tools in government and industry.
Radio Emission towards Lensed Arcs in Galaxy Clusters

We present initial results from a search to detect radio emission at 1.4 GHz from gravitationally lensed arcs towards galaxy clusters. Using the FIRST survey observations of galaxy cluster fields, we have clearly detected 1.4 GHz emission at the location of bright arc towards the galaxy cluster Abell 370. The possibility that this emission is associated with a projected galaxy superimposed on the arc cannot be completely ruled out. However, the detection of CO(2-1) line towards this arc by Casoli et al. (1996) and the increase in 1.4 GHz diffuse emission near the arc region strongly suggest a lensed origin for detected radio emission.
Antigens of Streptococcus mutans: isolation of a serotype-specific and a cross-reactive antigen from walls of strain V-100 (serotype e).

Abstract Two cell wall-associated polysaccharide antigens were extracted from purified cell walls of Streptococcus mutans serotype e strain V-100. One of these purified antigens (I) is specific for serotype e, whereas the other (II) has antigenic determinants reactive with both heterologous anti-serotype c serum (GS-5) and the homologous (e) serum. When crude formamide extracts of V-100 cell walls were loaded onto a Cellex-D column and eluted with a linear gradient of ammonium carbonate (0.02 to 0.40 M), the two products mentioned above could be recovered. The purified, antigenically reactive products (I and II) were each composed only of rhamnose and glucose in approximately a 2:1 molar ratio. Immunoelectrophoresis of the crude formamide extract, peak I, and peak II showed the purified fractions to have opposite mobilities and the crude extract to have a mobility that encompassed both purified peaks when reacted with homologous antiserum (V-100). When these three fractions were immunoelectrophoresed and reacted with heterologous anti-serotype c serum (GS-5), only the anodic portion of the crude V-100 formamide extract and purified peak II formed precipitates. Ouchterlony analysis with homologous antiserum produced precipitin patterns between the crude formamide extract and both purified peaks, indicating complete identity. However, only crude extracts of V-100 and the purified peak II material reacted with heterologous (c) antiserum; peak I did not cross-react in these Ouchterlony assays. Hapten inhibition studies revealed that a β-glucosyl moiety is the immunodeterminant for serotype e and is present on each purified fraction. The basis of the cross-reaction between anti-c sera and the purified antigen II of e is discussed.
Legendary Hawai'i and the Politics of Place: Tradition, Translation, and Tourism

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Cristina Bacchilega Year: 2007 Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press ISBN: 978-0-8122-3975-1 (hard cover). Prices: $45.00 USD(hard cover).
Tailored polymeric membranes for Mycobacterium smegmatis porin A (MspA) based biosensors

Nanopores based on protein channels inserted into lipid membranes have paved the way towards a wide-range of inexpensive biosensors, especially for DNA sequencing. A key obstacle in using these biological ion channels as nanodevices is the poor stability of lipid bilayer membranes. Amphiphilic block copolymer membranes have emerged as a robust alternative to lipid membranes. While previous efforts have shown feasibility, we demonstrate for the first time the effect of polymer composition on MspA protein functionality. We show that membrane-protein interaction depends on the hydrophobic-hydrophilic ratio (f-ratio) of the block copolymer. These effects are particularly pronounced in asymmetric protein pores like MspA compared to the cylindrical α-Hemolysin pore. A key effect of membrane-protein interaction is the increased 1/fα noise. After first showing increases in 1/fα behaviour arise from increased substate activity, the noise power spectral density S(f) was used as a qualitative tool for understanding protein-membrane interactions in polymer membranes. Polymer compositions with f-ratios close to lipid membranes caused noise behaviour not observed in lipid membranes. However, by modifying the f-ratio using a modular synthetic approach, we were able to design a block copolymer exhibiting noise properties similar to a lipid membrane, albeit with better stability. Thus, by careful optimization, block copolymer membranes can emerge as a robust alternative for protein-pore based nano-biosensors.
Ultra-low threshold optical nonlinear oscillator using a high-Q microsphere

Summary form only given. High-Q micro-resonators are attractive for nonlinear light generation due to their long photon storage time and small mode volumes, which lead to high circulating intensities and hence strong reductions of the necessary power for stimulated and parametric optical processes. We use silica microspheres coupled to a tapered fiber which allows stable and long-term study of cavity-enhanced nonlinear processes. The weak intrinsic nonlinearity of silica is overcome by the ultrahigh-Q of the optical modes, since the threshold for nonlinear oscillation in a resonator is reduced by Q/sup 2//V, where V is the modal volume. The quadratic dependence on quality factor is due to the simultaneous resonance of both pump and nonlinear wave, which leads to extremely low thresholds even for weak processes like stimulated Raman scattering in silica. In our work, we observed a Raman threshold of only 60 /spl mu/W in a microsphere of 40 /spl mu/m diameter having a Q of 10/sup 8/. This is the lowest threshold achieved in silica to date and represents a 1000/spl times/ reduction in threshold over all micro-droplet work.
THE USE OF RESIDUALS FOR LONGITUDINAL DATA ANALYSIS: THE EXAMPLE OF CHILD GROWTH

Health impact evaluations often measure changes in health status over part of a total life experience. The effects on health up to and including the start of the evaluation, which are embodied in the measure of initial health status, need to be removed while examining the effects that other variables exert during the evaluation period on final health status. Statistical models, which include initial health status as a covariate while examining the effects of other variables during the evaluation, confound the effects of a determinant during evaluation with preevaluation effects, because they do not differentiate between effects produced at different times by the same determinant. A residual model removes the preevaluation effects by regressing final health status on initial health status. The residuals from this regression are then regressed on the other predictor variables. In this paper, standard covariate adjustment, which includes all effects simultaneously, is compared with a two-part residual model using child growth as an example. The simultaneous model over- and underpredicts growth relative to the residual model depending on the age and initial body size of a child. In general, whenever initial (preintervention) and final (postintervention) measures of health outcome exist, the residual model should be considered on the basis of biologic and epidemiologic consideration, not solely on statistical optimality.
Oscillatory doubly diffusive convection in a finite container.

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Intercollegiate Publications at Scholarship @ Claremont. It has been accepted forinclusion in WM Keck Science Faculty Papers by an authorized administrator of Scholarship @ Claremont. For more information, please contactscholarship@cuc.claremont.edu.
Statewide fluoridation: how it was done in Connecticut.

Connecticut is an example of a statewide effort to promote the fluoridation of water. The Connecticut Citizens for Fluoridation, Inc., was formed, and its functions, communications, program for education, and legislative activities are presented. The need for an active organization heading the program promoting fluoridation is stressed.
Colchicine update: 2008.

Objectives To review recent advances in the understanding of molecular mechanisms of drug disposition and cellular mechanisms of action and targets of colchicine, and disease applications and guidelines for oral colchicine use. Methods Summarized and interpreted here is the pertinent English and non-English language literature on MEDLINE ® since the last update of colchicine in this journal in 1998 and published up to July 2008 regarding colchicine pharmacology, toxicology, mechanisms of action, and clinical applications in gout and other medical conditions. Results Assessment, after review of 1512 publications, is that oral colchicine therapy is being refined by attention to novel targets such as NALP3 and pyrin. The drug has a narrow therapeutic-toxicity window, and potentially serious drug–drug interactions (eg, with clarithromycin and cyclosporine) are better recognized and therefore preventable. Reviewed here are recent advances in colchicine pharmacogenomics, and recognition of drug–drug interactions and predictors of potential toxicities, including alterations in the P-glycoprotein multidrug transporter ABCB1, cytochrome P450 3A4 isoenzyme, and hepatobiliary and renal function. Current understanding of optimization of colchicine dosing is reviewed, as are recent findings on colchicine therapy of nonrheumatic cardiovascular, hepatic, and renal diseases (eg, lowering of C-reactive protein, and treatment of acute and recurrent pericarditis). Finally, the article reviews the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration-mandated cessation of marketing of injectable colchicine. Conclusions Oral colchicine has unique anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects with broad ramifications for rheumatic and nonrheumatic disease applications. Significant advances in the last decade have increased understanding of predictors of both colchicine efficacy and toxicity.
The origin and geochemical evolution of the Woodlark Rift of Papua New Guinea

Abstract Geochemical, isotopic, and geochronologic data for exhumed rocks in the Woodlark Rift of Papua New Guinea (PNG) allow a tectonic link to be established with the Late Cretaceous Whitsunday Volcanic Province (WVP) of northeastern Australia. Most of the metamorphic rocks in the Woodlark Rift have Nd isotopic compositions (e Nd = + 1.7 to + 6.2) similar to the Nd isotopic compositions of rocks in the WVP (e Nd = + 1.3 to + 6.6; Ewart et al., 1992), and contain inherited zircons with 90 to 100 Ma U–Pb ages that overlap the timing of magmatism in the WVP. None of the metamorphic rocks in the Woodlark Rift have the highly evolved Hf and Nd isotopic compositions expected of ancient continental crust. Magmas were erupted in the WVP during the middle Cretaceous as eastern Gondwana was rifted apart. The protoliths of felsic and intermediate metamorphic rocks in the Woodlark Rift are interpreted to be related to the magmatic products produced during this Cretaceous rifting event. Some mafic metamorphic rocks exposed in the western Woodlark Rift (eclogites and amphibolites) are not related to the WVP and instead could have originated as basaltic lavas crystallized from mantle melts at (U)HP depths in the Late Cenozoic, or as fragments of Mesozoic aged oceanic lithosphere. Isotopic and elemental comparisons between basement gneisses and Quaternary felsic volcanic rocks demonstrate that felsic lavas in the D'Entrecasteaux Islands did not form solely from partial melting of metamorphic rocks during exhumation. Instead, the isotopic compositions and geochemistry of Quaternary felsic volcanic rocks indicate a significant contribution from the partial melting of the mantle in this region. When combined with geophysical data for the western Woodlark Rift, this suggests that future seafloor spreading will commence south of Fergusson Island, and west of the present-day active seafloor spreading rift tip.
Determining Athlete's Injury with Wireless Body Area Sensor Network-Based Overhead Squat Testing

Wireless technologies employing small sensors are particularly useful since they allow monitoring of kinetic and physiological data without affecting any individual in motion. The primary objective of this collaborative research between the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computing Sciences and the Department of Athletes at the University of Cincinnati is to build a wireless system using a wireless body area sensor network (WBASN) for the overhead squat in assessing one element of human movement and its relationship to the kinematic lower extremity movement and injuries. This research can provide an objective analysis of the pilot data for movement of the human body during regular athletic exercises.
The relationship of heparin source to the incidence of delayed hemorrhage.

Abstract The incidence of delayed hemorrhage after systemic heparin has been found to vary depending on the origin of the heparin. Delayed hemorrhage occurred with a significantly higher frequency with heparin of intestinal origin compared to that of lung origin. Hemostasis usually remained secure if lung heparin was reversed with protamine, whereas protamine did not influence the results after gut heparin and the incidence of delayed hemorrhage remained very frequent. These differences are probably due to activation of fibrinolysins and suggest circumspection in selecting heparin for clinical use.
Optimal carotid artery coverage for carotid plaque CT-imaging in predicting ischemic stroke

Summary Objective To determine the optimal spatial coverage for CT-imaging of carotid atherosclerosis, allowing the most accurate prediction of the associated risk of ischemic stroke. Methods In a cross-sectional study, we retrospectively identified 136 consecutive patients admitted to our emergency department with suspected stroke who underwent a CT-angiogram (CTA) of the cervical and intracranial carotid arteries. CTA studies of the carotid arteries were processed using a custom, CT-based automated computer classifier algorithm that quantitatively assesses a battery of carotid CT features. We used this algorithm to individually analyze different lengths of the common and internal carotid arteries for carotid wall features previously shown to be significantly associated with the risk of stroke. Acute stroke patients were categorized into “acute carotid stroke patients” and “non-acute carotid stroke patients” independently of carotid wall CT features. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the different spatial coverages in terms of their ability to distinguish between the carotid stroke patients and the noncarotid stroke patients using a receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) approach. Results The carotid wall volume was excellent at distinguishing between carotid stroke patients and noncarotid stroke patients, especially for coverages 20 mm or less. The number and location of lipid clusters had a good discrimination power, mainly for coverages 15 mm or greater. Measurement of minimal fibrous cap thickness was most associated with carotid stroke when assessed using intermediate coverages. Typically, a 20 mm coverage on each side of the carotid bifurcation offered the optimal compromise between the individual carotid features. Conclusion We recommend assessment of 20 mm of each side of the carotid bifurcation to best characterize carotid atherosclerotic disease and the associated risk of ischemic stroke.
Petrology of a transform fault zone and adjacent ridge segments

The Verna Fracture Zone in the North Atlantic (9 to 11° N), which has been identified as a transform fault zone, contains exposures of serpentinized peridotites, while its adjacent ridge segments are floored mainly by typical abyssal ocean ridge basalts. This petrologic contrast correlates with the greater frequency of volcanic eruptions along the actively spreading ridge segments compared to the transform fault zone. Where rifting components occur across transform faults, exposures of the deeper zone of oceanic crust may result. The bathymetry of the Verna Fracture Zone suggests that some uplift parallel to the fracture zone as well as rifting led to exposures of deeper rocks. The basalts from the adjacent ridge axes contain ‘xenocrysts’ of plagioclase and olivine and more rarely of chromite. These appear to have a cognate origin, perhaps related to cooling and convection in near surface magma chambers. The basalts from the ridge axes, offset and on opposite sides of the transform fault, have similar features and compositions. The plagioclase peridotites have mineralogical features which indicate equilibration in the plagioclase pyrolite facies, suggesting maximum equilibration depths of around 30 km for a temperature of around 1200 °C. The chemical characteristics of the Vema F.Z. peridotites suggest that they may be undifferentiated mantle, emplaced as a subsolidus hot plastic intrusion or as a crystal mush. The abundance of peridotites and serpentinized peridotites is believed to reflect their abundance in seismic layer three of the oceanic crust.