cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heating-Induced Damping of Density Perturbations in Nuclear-Reactor-Pumped Lasers

This paper reports on a previously reported analytical model describing gas motion in nuclear-reactor- pumped lasers that is extended to incorporate spatially nonuniform initial gas density fields. This model is solved analytically, and the solution is used to study the damping of density perturbations in the gas induced by fission- fragment heating. An approximate scaling relation is found that describes the reduction in the root-mean-square density perturbation in terms of the heating-induced pressure rise normalized by the initial pressure. This damping process is shown to be relatively independent of the spatial frequency of the initial density perturbation field.
Deafness as a Natural Experiment-Revisited

The compelling appeal of deafness as a natural experiment in language deprivation must be tempered with recent research showing that much more than language is affected by deafness. When deaf children are born to normal-hearing parents, they are deprived of more than language. Although deafness is more complex than philosophers and psychologists have described it, it is still appealing as a natural experiment. In fact, the complexity of factors associated with deafness makes it a richer, more fertile ground for research than a simple experiment in language deprivation.
Metabolomic Analysis of Low Phytic Acid Maize Kernels

Phytic acid, or hexaphosphorylated myo-inositol, is the major storage form of phosphorous (P) in maize kernels. Phytic acid in foods or animal feeds can complex with proteins and mineral cations resulting in reduced bioavailablility of important nutrients. Classic mutation breeding has been used to develop maize plants that produce kernels with significantly less phytic acid. An extensive survey of the low phytate phenotype in different maize genetic backgrounds grown in five field locations revealed that an increase in inorganic P correlated with a decrease in phytic acid P, but the increased amount of inorganic P did not consistently account for the P reduction noted in the low phytate lines. There were no quantitative phosphorous differences in phospholipids or starch. In follow-up experiments using a metabolomics approach, both mutant and wild type kernels were obtained from a single segregating ear, minimizing variability. Individual mature kernels were lyophilized and ground. Kernel phenotype was determined by using a simple colorimetric test for inorganic P content. Kernels of similar phenotype were pooled and extracted in aqueous methanol and partitioned into polar and and raw data was processed using the Leco ChromaTof peak deconvolution software. Compounds were identified via coelution and/or mass spectrum matching with authentic standards. Each of these metabolites was semi- quantified by calculating the ratio of the peak area of a characteristic extracted ion against that of the internal standard and correcting for sample weight. P-containing metabolites were recognized easily by a prominent m/z 299. Several P-containing metabolites were more abundant in low phytic acid kernels, although it is unlikely that they are responsible for the reduced yield associated with this phenotype.
Lateral tarsal strip versus lateral tarsal strip with three-snip punctoplasty for managing epiphora in involutional ectropion.

Summary Purpose To compare the efficacy of two surgical techniques–lateral tarsal strip (canthoplasty) alone, and lateral tarsal strip with three-snip punctoplasty–in reducing epiphora arising from involutional ectropion with partial punctal stenosis. Methods Fourty patients with involutional ectropion and partial stenosis of the lacrimal punctum were randomly allocated to two treatment groups. Group 1 patients received lateral tarsal strip alone with only non-invasive stenting of the punctum, and group 2 patients received tarsal strip plus three-snip punctoplasty. Subjective assessment of epiphora was achieved via completion of a quality of life (QoL) questionnaire preoperatively and at postoperative month 3. Eyelid position, adverse outcomes and corneal dryness (via Oxford grading scheme) were also assessed postoperatively. Only patients with unilateral problems were included in the study. Results Forty eyes of 40 patients were included: 20 in each group. The mean ages of group 1 and group 2 patients were 79 ± 11 and 80 ± 9 years, respectively. All patients reported significantly reduced eye watering after surgery, with no significant intergroup difference in subjective outcomes, except that computer usage and night driving (P 0.05), improved in a more significant way in group 2. Eyelid malposition was corrected in all cases, there were no cases of postoperative punctal eversion, and no significant adverse events or complications occurred. Finally, the mean improvements in the dryness/keratitis score (using the Oxford scheme) were comparable between the 2 groups ( P = 0.34). Conclusion The study findings indicate that treatment of involutional ectropion with partial punctal stenosis by lateral tarsal strip with three snip punctoplasty does not provide greater reduction in discomfort secondary to epiphora than conventional lateral tarsal strip alone, except for specific situations such as night driving or computer use.
Electric permittivity of carbon fiber

Abstract The electric permittivity is a fundamental material property that affects electrical, electromagnetic and electrochemical applications. This work provides the first determination of the permittivity of continuous carbon fibers. The measurement is conducted along the fiber axis by capacitance measurement at 2 kHz using an LCR meter, with a dielectric film between specimen and electrode (necessary because an LCR meter is not designed to measure the capacitance of an electrical conductor), and with decoupling of the contributions of the specimen volume and specimen-electrode interface to the measured capacitance. The relative permittivity is 4960 ± 662 and 3960 ± 450 for Thornel P-100 (more graphitic) and Thornel P-25 fibers (less graphitic), respectively. These values are high compared to those of discontinuous carbons, such as reduced graphite oxide (relative permittivity 1130), but are low compared to those of steels, which are more conductive than carbon fibers. The high permittivity of carbon fibers compared to discontinuous carbons is attributed to the continuity of the fibers and the consequent substantial distance that the electrons can move during polarization. The P-100/P-25 permittivity ratio is 1.3, whereas the P-100/P-25 conductivity ratio is 67. Thus, defects associated with a low degree of graphitization hinder conduction more than polarization.
Molecular Biology in Tardigrades

Molecular biology, a term first coined in the 1930s, can be viewed as a set of techniques and approaches, as well as a subdiscipline within biology. Molecular approaches have and continue to be used in nearly every area of biological study today, including genetics, biochemistry, biophysics, cell and developmental biology, physiology, and evolutionary biology. The adoption of molecular techniques to tardigrade research has helped to propel these fascinating animals from obscure biological novelties to important emerging models.
Improving Parent-Teacher Communication through Recorded Telephone Messages: Systematic Replication in a Special Education Classroom.

Six students in an elementary special education classroom served as subjects in a study conducted to evaluate the effects of a parent-teacher communication system which used a daily recorded telephone message as a communications link between parents and the students' teacher. An ABAB reversal design was used to determine 1) if parents would use the system; 2) if inclusion of the next day's spelling words would increase students' performance on in-class spelling tests; and 3) if parents would comply with teacher requests made via the recorded messages. Results of the experiment show the system was used regularly, three of the six students' spelling performance improved as a function of the message system, and families complied with recorded teacher requests at a higher rate than when those requests were made by sending a note home with the child. This study extends to the special education classroom the findings of a similar experiment conducted in a regular second grade classroom.
The affinity of ractopamine, clenbuterol, and L-644,969 for the beta-adrenergic receptor population in porcine adipose tissue and skeletal muscle membrane.

The affinities (Ki) with which ractopamine (RA), clenbuterol (CB), and L-644,969 (L6) bind the beta-adrenoceptor populations of adipose tissue (middle and outer subcutaneous [SQ] layers) and longissimus (LM) and semitendinosus (ST) muscle were determined. Within a given agonist, Ki values (nanomolar) were similar among tissues, except for RA, which had a higher (P < or = .05) affinity (lower Ki) for middle SQ adipose tissue than for outer SQ adipose and both muscles. For all tissues, binding affinities were greatest for CB (126), followed by L6 (350) and RA (856, exclusive of middle SQ adipose). The data indicate that both adipose and muscle tissues are targets of CB, RA, and L6 in vivo, and that tissue preferences of the agonists cannot be established from affinity data alone. The relatively constant affinity of the agonists for the various tissues examined implies that if tissue preferences exist, the efficiency with which postreceptor events are invoked by these agonists is the determining factor.
DOT1L complex suppresses transcription from enhancer elements and ectopic RNAi in Caenorhabditis elegans

Methylation of histone H3 on lysine 79 (H3K79) by DOT1L is associated with actively transcribed genes. Earlier, we described that DOT-1.1, the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of mammalian DOT1L, cooperates with the chromatin-binding protein ZFP-1 (AF10 homolog) to negatively modulate transcription of highly and widely expressed target genes. Also, the reduction of ZFP-1 levels has consistently been associated with lower efficiency of RNA interference (RNAi) triggered by exogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), but the reason for this is not clear. Here, we demonstrate that the DOT1L complex suppresses transcription originating from enhancer elements and antisense transcription, thus potentiating the expression of enhancer-regulated genes. We also show that worms lacking H3K79 methylation do not survive, and this lethality is suppressed by a loss of caspase-3 or Dicer complex components that initiate gene silencing response to exogenous dsRNA. Our results suggest that ectopic elevation of endogenous dsRNA directly or indirectly resulting from global misregulation of transcription in DOT1L complex mutants may engage the Dicer complex and, therefore, limit the efficiency of exogenous RNAi.
Investigation of the Possible Pharmacologically Active Forms of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonist Anabaseine.

Three major forms of the nicotinic agonist toxin anabaseine (cyclic iminium, cyclic imine and the monocationic open-chain ammonium-ketone) co-exist in almost equal concentrations at physiological pH. We asked the question: Which of these forms is pharmacologically active? First, we investigated the pH dependence of anabaseine inhibition of [3H]-methylcarbamylcholine binding at rat brain α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). These experiments indicated that one or both monocationic forms interact with the orthosteric binding site for ACh. However, since they occur at equal concentrations near physiological pH, we employed another approach, preparing a stable analog of each form and examining its agonist activities and binding affinities at several vertebrate brain and neuromuscular nAChRs. Only 2-(3-pyridyl)-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine monohydrogen chloride (PTHP), the cyclic iminium analog, displayed nAChR potencies and binding affinities similar to anabaseine. The cyclic imine analog 2,3′-bipyridyl and the open-chain ammonium-ketone analog 5-methylamino-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-pentanone (MAPP), displayed ≤1% of the activity predicted if the one form was solely active. The lower potency of weakly basic 2,3′-bipyridyl can be explained by the presence of a small concentration of its monocationic form. Since the open chain ammonium-ketone monocationic form of anabaseine has some structural similarity to the neurotransmitter GABA, we also tested the ability of anabaseine and its 1,2-dehydropyrrolidinyl analog myosmine to activate a mammalian GABAA receptor, but no activity was detected. We conclude that the monocationic cyclic iminium is the form which avidly binds and activates vertebrate nAChRs.
Tools for Prescreening the Most Active Sites on Ir and Rh Clusters toward C−H Bond Cleavage of Ethane: NBO Charges and Wiberg Bond Indexes

B3LYP calculations were carried out to study the insertion of iridium (Ir) and rhodium (Rh) clusters into a C–H bond of ethane, which is often the rate-limiting step of the catalytic cycle of oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane. Our previous research on Ir catalysis correlates the diffusivity of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the Ir clusters and the relative activities of the various catalytic sites. The drawback of this research is that the molecular orbital visualization is qualitative rather than quantitative. Therefore, in this study on C–H bond activation by the Ir and Rh clusters, we conducted analyses of natural bond orbital (NBO) charges and Wiberg bond indexes (WBIs), both of which are not only quantitative but also independent of the basis sets. We found strong correlation between the NBO charges, the WBIs, and the relative activities of the various catalytic sites on the Ir and Rh clusters. Analyses of the NBO charges and the WBIs provide a fast and reliable means of prescreening th...
Eastbound and down: The United States, NATO enlargement, and suppressing the Soviet and Western European alternatives, 1990–1992

When and why did the United States first contemplate NATO’s enlargement into Eastern Europe? Existing research generally portrays U.S. backing for NATO enlargement as a product of the policy debate...
Teen Dating Violence and Suicide Risk Among Bisexual Adolescents.

Abstract Purpose Suicide is a public health problem that disproportionately affects bisexual youth more than heterosexual, lesbian/gay, and other sexual minority youth. Teen dating violence (TDV) consists of physically, emotionally, and/or psychologically aggressive behavior in adolescent relationships and has been linked to increased suicidality among sexual minority youth. Although biological sex differences in suicide and TDV have been noted, limited research currently exists regarding the importance of these differences in bisexual youth. Methods This study employed a cross-sectional descriptive design to investigate the relationship between biological sex, TDV, and suicide risk among bisexual youth in grades 9–12. This study used structural equation modeling to conduct a secondary analysis of pooled 2015 and 2017 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey data that examined whether TDV mediated the relationship between biological sex and suicide risk among bisexual youth. Results Results indicated that TDV did not mediate the relationship between biological sex and suicide risk among bisexual youth. Biological sex was a significant predictor of suicide risk with male youth reporting lower suicide risk than female youth, when controlling for dating history, TDV, age, and race. TDV predicted suicide risk, with youth reporting TDV having higher suicide risk, when controlling for dating history, biological sex, age, and race. In addition, black and Hispanic youth reported lower suicide risk compared to white youth. Conclusion There is a dire need for research that addresses issues of TDV and suicide among bisexual youth. Understanding factors influencing suicide risk following TDV experiences among bisexual youth will inform interventions to mitigate negative mental health outcomes.
Exploring the Prevalence and Meaning of Frontline Work in the COVID-19 Era: Implications for Policy Analysis

Frontline workers have gained heightened attention in the news media during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a comparative analysis of New York Times articles referencing frontline work before and d...
Joule and Kelvin: Internal Energy and Enthalpy

Unlike the state variables, the volume, pressure, and temperature, other thermodynamic state functions such as the internal energy and enthalpy cannot easily be measured by a well-designed piece of apparatus. Rather, it is necessary to follow a circuitous route.
Computer-Based Reading Interventions with a Post-Secondary Student with Intellectual Disability: Self-Determined and Fixed Response Intervals

Working with a post-secondary student with intellectual disability, an adapted alternating treatments design was used to compare sight-word acquisition across three computer-delivered learning trial interventions: one with fixed 5-s response intervals, another with fixed 1-s response intervals, and a third with self-determined intervals. Visual analysis of session-series graphs suggest that all three interventions increased sight-word acquisition with the 5-s and self-determined interventions causing more steady and consistent learning per session than the 1-s intervention. Analysis of the time-series graph suggests that the self-determined intervention caused superior learning rates to the other interventions. From an applied perspective, the self-determined intervention is the most appropriate remedial procedure for this student because it resulted in the most rapid learning. Discussion focuses on the value of making relative-effectiveness decisions based on measures of learning as a function of time spent learning (learning speed) versus measures of learning as a function of sessions or trials.
Productivity spillovers in supply chain networks

This study examines the productivity spillovers that occur along supply chains. Our data envelopment analysis (DEA)-based analyses, using publicly available data for the period 1995-2006, indicate that the productivity gains flow from the customers to the suppliers in a supply chain, and moreover, such spillovers are affected by the strength of the relationship (economic bond) between the customer and the supplier. We also find that the customers' productivity has a positive impact on the profitability of the suppliers. Our results demonstrate an additional means of enhancing firm productivity through strategic supply chain partnerships. If such productivity enhancements can accrue to the entire economy, it will be of interest to policy makers. This study complements and extends existing literature, which focuses on specific settings, to a more generalised and broader cross section of the economy.
The stress in a dispersion of mutually polarizable spheres.

Dispersions of dielectric and paramagnetic nanoparticles polarize in response to an external electric or magnetic field and can form chains or other ordered structures depending on the strength of the applied field. The mechanical properties of these materials are of interest for a variety of applications; however, computational studies in this area have so far been limited. In this work, we derive expressions for two important properties for dispersions of polarizable spherical particles with dipoles induced by a uniform external field—the isothermal stress tensor and the pressure. Numerical calculations of these quantities, evaluated using a spectrally accurate Ewald summation method, are validated using thermodynamic integration. We also compare the stress obtained using the mutual dipole model, which accounts for the mutual polarization of particles, to the stress expected from calculations using a fixed dipole model, which neglects mutual polarization. We find that as the conductivity of the particles increases relative to the surrounding medium, the fixed dipole model does not accurately describe the dipolar contribution to the stress. The thermodynamic pressure, calculated from the trace of the stress tensor, is compared to the virial expression for the pressure, which is simpler to calculate but inexact. We find that the virial pressure and the thermodynamic pressure differ, especially in suspensions with a high volume fraction of particles.
Classification and analysis of asynchronous communication content between care team members involved in breast cancer treatment.

Objective A growing research literature has highlighted the work of managing and triaging clinical messages as a major contributor to professional exhaustion and burnout. The goal of this study was to discover and quantify the distribution of message content sent among care team members treating patients with breast cancer. Materials and methods We analyzed nearly two years of communication data from the electronic health record (EHR) between care team members at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. We applied natural language processing to perform sentence-level annotation into one of five information types: clinical, medical logistics, nonmedical logistics, social, and other. We combined sentence-level annotations for each respective message. We evaluated message content by team member role and clinic activity. Results Our dataset included 81 857 messages containing 613 877 sentences. Across all roles, 63.4% and 21.8% of messages contained logistical information and clinical information, respectively. Individuals in administrative or clinical staff roles sent 81% of all messages containing logistical information. There were 33.2% of messages sent by physicians containing clinical information-the most of any role. Discussion and conclusion Our results demonstrate that EHR-based asynchronous communication is integral to coordinate care for patients with breast cancer. By understanding the content of messages sent by care team members, we can devise informatics initiatives to improve physicians' clerical burden and reduce unnecessary interruptions.
New models for networked control in smart grid

Introduction There is a growing communication and computation infrastructure in support of the transfer of electrical energy in both the high-voltage (HV) transmission network and the medium and low-voltage (MV/LV) distribution side. Rather than passively witnessing this trend, research efforts are ongoing to study systematically how information architectures can renew and advance power systems. They go under the umbrella of smart grid . To advance this field, it is useful to understand why and in what form this information infrastructure has come about in the first place, and what challenges are intrinsic in the network design problem. Then, we can start questioning if new information networks can be a game changer in the energy sector, and can contribute, in more fundamental ways, to advance power-delivery systems. Can cheap information bits and computation flops make greener and cheaper joules flow in the system? That is the question. Some argue that a positive answer may amount to no less than ensuring prosperity for our species [1]. Clearly, the attention on bits and flops cannot replace other parallel investigations. But this research deserves some of the spotlight, along with carbon capture, nuclear fusion and other similarly motivated scientific quests centred around sustainable electrical energy systems. The aim of this chapter is to envision what possible evolution of the power grid cyber-physical system can address the important issue of scaling up the generation capacity of the system, while relying increasingly on green energy and increasing the transmission efficiency.
".....and their spears into pruning hooks." [MMIC products]

By leveraging MMIC circuits and GaAs processing expertise gleaned from military funded programs such as the MIMIC Program and GBR (Ground Based Radar), Raytheon at its Advanced Device Center (ADC) has initiated a thrust into commercial markets for MMIC products. Adapting microwave technology advances for use in commercial products is the simplest part of the Dual Use equation. Historically, military designs are application-specific MMIC solutions tailored to high-performance military system needs. Efforts are being made to make military designs as "generic" as possible, particularly under the MIMIC program. Market-driven application specific standard products (ASSPs) required a major change in focus that proved difficult but achievable. Maintaining a balance between cost competitive high volume quality manufacturing and the requirements of supplying MMIC components to full military specifications is a challenge which is being met. This paper will discuss how Raytheon has addressed the difficulties inherent in defense conversion. >
Microstructure-Based Constitutive Model for Yield Strength and Strain Hardening of 5XXX-Series Aluminum Alloys after Non-Isothermal Fire Exposure

Aluminum alloys are increasingly being used in a broad spectrum of load-bearing applications such as light rail and marine crafts. Post-fire evaluation of structural integrity and assessment of the need for structural member replacement requires an understanding of the residual (post-fire) mechanical behavior. In this work, models are presented to predict the residual (post-fire) constitutive behavior, including yield strength and strain hardening, at ambient conditions following fire exposure. This model consists of a series of sub-models for (i) microstructural evolution, (ii) residual yield strength, and (iii) residual strain hardening behavior. Kinetics-based (time-temperature dependent) models were implemented to predict microstructural evolution during fire, i.e., recovery and recrystallization for 5xxx-series Al alloys.. The residual yield strength is predicted using individual strengthening contributions and which are function of the microstructural material state. The residual strain hardening behavior is predicted using the Kocks-Mecking-Estrin law modified to account for the additional dislocation storage and dynamic recovery from subgrains. The constitutive model for residual mechanical behavior was bench-marked against AA5083-H116 specimens exposed to conditions resembling those in fire. The residual yield strength and strain hardening models show good agreement with experimental data.
Robust control of systems with a single input lag

A state space H ∞ /gap methodology is developed for systems with a single input lag. The main contribution is in converting operator Riccati equations to fixed order, matrix Riccati equations of a fixed order and in providing finite dimensional, integro-differential compensator realizations.
SOME PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF GAMMA-RAY SPECTRAL RESOLUTION TO RADIONUCLIDE DETERMINATION.

Resolution of complex gamma-ray spectra obtained with NaI(Tl) detectors is a means to fast, accurate determinations of radionuclides. Detection limits, a function of counting statistics, can be ext...
Reactivation of latent tuberculosis in rhesus macaques by coinfection with simian immunodeficiency virus.

Background Tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS together present a devastating public health challenge. Over three million deaths every year are attributed to these twin epidemics. Annually, ~ 11 million people are co-infected with HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). AIDS is thought to alter the spontaneous rate of latent TB reactivation.
A comparison of two learning philosophies

The authors first present a learning model using class 2 dynamical systems and a learning model using class 3 dynamical systems. Then they compare these two approaches, and emphasize a unification of the two theories. The similarities of these approaches are that both schemes use the idea of storing information in stable configurations of dynamical systems. Both schemes follow the procedures of learning as encoding, change, and quantization. The algorithms used in both approaches are similar. The differences are that one model classifies input stimulus by its corresponding attractors while the other classifies input stimulus by quantization in internal parameter space. One model uses a distance defined as an inference guidance while the other uses the Hausdorff distance as an inference guidance. >
Observable vector feedback digital controller

A method for designing a partial state feedback controller for single-input single-output linear discrete systems is presented. It is based on minimizing a quadratic cost function with respect to the feedback parameters. Because a global optimal control does not exist for partial state feedback controls, that is, the minimum cost control is a function of the initial condition, the cost function is minimized for a particular initial condition. It is shown that the resulting partial state feedback control always stabilizes the closed-loop system. As in the full state optimal control, the desired control us determined by choosing an appropriate cost function. >
The roles of resilience and nonmotor symptoms in adjustment to Parkinson’s disease

Resilience contributes to better chronic disease adjustment but is understudied in Parkinson's disease. Although nonmotor symptoms affect quality of life, their effect on other aspects of Parkinson's disease adjustment is less understood. Hierarchical regression analyses from a cross-sectional survey of 138 community-dwelling adults with Parkinson's disease (mean (standard deviation) age = 64.15(10.09) years) investigated relationships between nonmotor symptoms and resilience on depression, apathy, life satisfaction, and quality of life. After controlling for demographic variables, functional status, and nonmotor symptoms, resilience was associated with all adjustment variables. Nonmotor symptoms were associated with depression and worse quality of life. Nonmotor symptoms and resilience appear to play critical roles in Parkinson's disease adjustment.
Are less able readers disadvantaged by reading in electronic environments

Reports on an empirical investigation of the relationship between print and hypertext reading skills. The subjects in the study were university students at a public Midwestern US university. A repeated-measures, counter-balanced design was employed. Subjects were categorized as high- and low-ability readers based on a standardized measure of reading achievement. The experimental tasks required subjects to answer questions using both print and hypertext versions of an academic advice handbook. A number of significant effects were observed, including a practice effect, a format effect that favored print over hypertext, and a question-set effect. Although this study provides support for the claim that readers find hypertext more difficult, there was no clear evidence that hypertext differentially disadvantages less able print readers.
Chronic Infections with Hepatotropic Viruses: Mechanisms of Impairment of Cellular Immune Responses

Chronic hepatitis B and C cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Antiviral therapy suppresses but does not eliminate chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and it is effective in only half of all hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. Because adaptive immune responses are associated with spontaneous resolution of acute HBV and HCV infection, therapeutic enhancement of immune responses has been proposed as alternative or supplementary therapy for chronic infection. However, all efforts have been hampered by poor proliferation and effector functions of HBV- and HCV-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells, which are thought to be due to T cell exhaustion, high antigenic load, and viral escape. Recent studies revealed that endogenous factors, such as regulatory T cells, immunosuppressive cytokines, and inhibitory receptors, also contribute to the impairment of virus-specific T cell responses in chronic infection, perhaps reflecting the host's attempt to protect itself against immune-mediated pathology. These endogenous mechanisms and potential avenues to revert them are the subject of this review.
Optimal two-phase vaccine allocation to geographically different regions under uncertainty

In this article, we consider a decision process in which vaccination is performed in two phases to contain the outbreak of an infectious disease in a set of geographic regions. In the first phase, a limited number of vaccine doses are allocated to each region; in the second phase, additional doses may be allocated to regions in which the epidemic has not been contained. We develop a simulation model to capture the epidemic dynamics in each region for different vaccination levels. We formulate the vaccine allocation problem as a two-stage stochastic linear program (2-SLP) and use the special problem structure to reduce it to a linear program with a similar size to that of the first stage problem. We also present a Newsvendor model formulation of the problem which provides a closed form solution for the optimal allocation. We construct test cases motivated by vaccine planning for seasonal influenza in the state of North Carolina. Using the 2-SLP formulation, we estimate the value of the stochastic solution and the expected value of perfect information. We also propose and test an easy to implement heuristic for vaccine allocation. We show that our proposed two-phase vaccination policy potentially results in a lower attack rate and a considerable saving in vaccine production and administration cost.
Access to Multilingual Medication Instructions at New York City Pharmacies

An essential component of quality care for limited English proficient (LEP) patients is language access. Linguistically accessible medication instructions are particularly important, given the serious consequences of error and patient responsibility for managing often complex medication regimens on their own. Approximately 21 million people in the U.S. were LEP at the time of the 2000 census, representing a 50% increase since 1990. Little information is available on their access to comprehensible medication instructions. In an effort to address this knowledge gap, we conducted a telephone survey of 200 randomly selected NYC pharmacies. The primary focus of the survey was translation need, capacity, and practice. The majority of pharmacists reported that they had LEP patients daily (88.0%) and had the capacity to translate prescription labels (79.5%). Among pharmacies serving LEP patients on a daily basis, just 38.6% translated labels daily; 22.7% never translated. In multivariate analysis, pharmacy type (OR=4.08, 95%CI=1.55–10.74, independent versus chain pharmacies) and proportion of Spanish-speaking LEP persons in the pharmacy’s census tract (OR=1.09, 95%CI=1.05–1.13 for each 1% increase in Spanish LEP population) were associated with increased label translation. Although 88.5% of the pharmacies had bilingual staff, less than half were pharmacists or pharmacy interns and thus qualified to provide medication counseling. More than 80% of the pharmacies surveyed lacked systematic methods for identifying linguistic needs and for informing patients of translation capabilities. Consistent with efforts to improve language access in other health care settings, the critical gap in language appropriate pharmacy services must be addressed to meet the needs of the nation’s large and ever-growing immigrant communities. Pharmacists may require supplemental training on the need and resources for meeting the verbal and written language requirements of their LEP patients. Dispensing software with accurate translation capability and telephonic interpretation services should be utilized in pharmacies serving LEP patients. Pharmacists should post signs and make other efforts to inform patients about the language resources available to them.
Charge density and chemical bonding in rutile, TiO2.

The low-order structure factors of rutile (TiO(2)) have been measured with an accuracy of up to 0.09% by quantitative convergent-beam electron diffraction (QCBED). This error is an order of magnitude smaller than that in conventional Bragg X-ray diffraction and equivalent to the accuracy of the X-ray Pendellosung method. It is sufficient to distinguish atomic, covalent and ionic bonding. By refinement of the combined data of low-order reflections measured by electron diffraction with high-order reflections from X-ray diffraction, accurate charge-density maps are obtained and used to understand the role of the 3d electrons in Ti-O bonding. The results are combined with electron energy-loss spectra (EELS) in a study of the electronic structure.
Percutaneous endoscopic suturing: an effective treatment for gastrocutaneous fistula

Background Development of persistent gastrocutaneous fistula and leakage after the removal of a PEG tube is a well-known complication. Various treatments including medications to alter gastric pH, prokinetic agents, endoscopic clipping/suturing, electric and chemical cauterization, argon plasma coagulation, and fibrin sealant, have been used with variable success. Although surgical closure is the current treatment of choice, most of the elderly patients are poor surgical candidates because of multiple comorbid conditions. Objective We describe a method of endoscopic suturing of a gastrocutaneous fistula that is a safe and cost-effective alternative to surgical closure. Design Individual case. Setting Community hospital. Patient One elderly patient. Interventions By using a trocar, we placed multiple, long monofilament sutures from the skin around the gastrocutaneous fistula in criss-cross fashion. Gastric ends of these sutures were pulled from the stomach with a snare under endoscopic visualization. Suture knots were made at the gastric end of the sutures and then were pulled back from the cutaneous side. Multiple biopsy specimens were obtained from both ends of the fistula to promote granulation tissue. Final knots were made at skin level to obliterate the fistula. Result Our procedure resulted in complete closure of a large, persistently leaking gastrocutaneous fistula in an elderly patient within 7 days. The patient tolerated the optimal rate of enteral nutrition without further leakage. Limitation Only 1 patient. Conclusion We believe that this method of endoscopic suturing along with de-epithelialization of the fistula tract for persistent gastrocutaneous fistula is a safe and cost-effective alternative to surgical closure.
Frazzled regulation of myosin II activity in the Drosophila embryonic CNS

Frazzled (Fra) is a chemoattractive guidance receptor regulating the cytoskeletal dynamics underlying growth cone steering at the Drosophila embryonic midline. Here, by genetically evaluating the role of Rho GTPases in Fra signaling in vivo, we uncover a Rho-dependent pathway apparently regulating conventional myosin II activity. Midline crossing errors induced by expressing activated Cdc42(v12) or Rac(v12) are suppressed by a heterozygous loss of fra(4) signaling but, in a Fra(wt) gain-of-function condition, no interaction is detected. In contrast, the frequency of crossovers is enhanced approximately 5-fold when Fra(wt) is co-expressed with activated Rho(v14) and this interaction specifically requires the cytoplasmic P3 motif of Fra. Expression of Rho(v14) and activated MLCK (ctMLCK) synergistically increase ectopic crossovers and both require phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain (Sqh) of myosin II. Abelson tyrosine kinase may also help regulate myosin II activity. Heterozygous abl(4) abolishes the midline crossing errors induced by ctMLCK alone or in combination with Fra(wt); suppression of Rho(v14) crossovers is not observed. Interestingly, an interaction between Fra and an activated Abl (Bcr-Abl) also specifically requires the P3 motif. Therefore, the P3 motif of Frazzled appears to initiate Rho and Abl dependent signals to directly or indirectly regulate myosin II activity in growth cones.
Integrating Human Dimensions into Fish and Wildlife Management: An Essential Component of Adaptive Capacity

In recent years, many conservation organizations have been forced to operate with declining resources—having to do more with less. Working under worsening resource constraints, an increasing amount...
The Preparation of Humanistic Teachers for Schools of the Next Century.

The authors offer strategies in teacher education by giving as much attention to the attitudinal characteristics of teachers as is currently given to subject matter and teaching methods.
Urine sampling techniques for captive white-tailed deer.

Three urine sampling techniques were employed in nutritional experiments with captive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Urethral catheterization permitted successful urine collection from females. Furosemide induced urination in male fawns 36.4 ±3.1 min (SE) after injection. Significant (P<0.05) variation in the responses of individual fawns to this drug were detected. Xylazine hydrochloride induced urination in adult males 91.8 ± 4.7 min after injection. Significant (P<0.01) differences in responses to this drug were detected among individual deer and sample months. The applicability of these urine sampling techniques is discussed.
Field Practicum Experiences of Bilingual Social Work Students Working with Limited English Proficiency Clients.

This study examined the field internship experiences of bilingual graduate social work students who worked with limited English proficiency (LEP) clients. Data were collected via a Web-based survey from 55 bilingual social work students. Respondents reported that LEP clients required more time and work and generally had more complicated cases than monolingual English clients. Working in two or more languages often fatigued respondents. Respondents frequently interpreted for monolingual staff but received no training in using professional terminology when interpreting. They reported that agencies had only some documents translated. One quarter of the sample stated that being bilingual interfered with their field education. The article closes with recommendations for augmenting the language skills of bilingual students.
Directional sensitivity of neurons in the lumbar spinal cord to neck rotation.

Abstract A combination of roll and pitch stimuli was applied to the head of decerebrate, labyrinthectomized cats to determine the direction of maximal sensitivity (‘vector’) of lumbar neurons to neck rotation. Some neurons were best modulated by pitch, others by roll or by intermediate stimulus planes. Among modulated neurons were propriospinal neurons activated antidromically from the lumbosacral enlargement.
NMR and X-ray Spectroscopy of Sodium−Silicon Clathrates†

The 23Na and 29Si NMR spectra of the sodium−silicon clathrate materials Na8Si46 and NaxSi136 (1 < x < 24) and the parent Zintl phase NaSi have been studied in detail with a view to ironing out a number of ambiguities in the published literature and to determining properties of these potential thermoelectric materials. Sharp spectra are obtained only when the clathrate cages are close to fully occupied by Na, so that crystallographic symmetry is achieved. Signals from Na in the small and large cages of both structures have been unequivocally assigned. The pseudospherical cages give isotropic 23Na lines, whereas the other cages produce first-order quadrupolar line shapes. Electric field gradients derived from these spectra, and ab initio calculations are in remarkable agreement. The large Knight shifts of both types of nuclei have rather unusual temperature dependences, which reflect the changing distributions of unpaired electron density in the conduction bands. As the Na content of NaxSi136 is reduced the...
Photoinduced Electron Transfer and Solvation in Iodide-doped Acetonitrile Clusters†

We have used ultrafast time-resolved photoelectron imaging to measure charge transfer dynamics in iodide-doped acetonitrile clusters I−(CH3CN)n with n = 5−10. Strong modulations of vertical detachment energies were observed following charge transfer from the halide, allowing interpretation of the ongoing dynamics. We observe a sharp drop in the vertical detachment energy (VDE) within 300−400 fs, followed by a biexponential increase that is complete by ∼10 ps. Comparison to theory suggests that the iodide is internally solvated and that photodetachment results in formation of a diffuse electron cloud in a confined cavity. We interpret the initial drop in VDE as a combination of expansion of the cavity and localization of the excess electron on one or two solvent molecules. The subsequent increase in VDE is attributed to a combination of the I atom leaving the cavity and rearrangement of the acetonitrile molecules to solvate the electron. The n = 5−8 clusters then show a drop in VDE of around 50 meV on a mu...
State Constitutional Law in 1938–39.

The years 1936–38 were remarkable for the vigorous manner in which the courts attempted to preserve “the American system” from the return of the guild. The right to engage in a normal trade or calling without passing too rigorous an examination as to one's capabilities and training, to charge such prices for services as one sees fit regardless of the wishes of a dominant majority of those engaged in a particular trade or calling, and to close when one wishes rather than when a “code authority” commands, were given judicial protection. The past year has witnessed a partial change of heart. Apparently, opponents of the new economy of control are about to be told to “go to the polls, not to the courts.” Even more remarkable has been the increasing tendency on the part of the legal profession, under an expanding doctrine of “inherent” powers, to take back from the legislature and from the people the right to control that profession. This tendency continued unabated during the past year. In most fields, the cases were merely typical of the normal run of decisions on state constitutional questions.
DNA-mediated vaccination conferring protection against infectious bursal disease in broiler chickens in the presence of maternal antibody.

The objective of the present study was to determine if a DNA vaccine carrying large segment gene of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) could confer protection against infectious bursal disease (IBD) in broiler chickens in the presence of maternal antibody. Broiler chickens with maternal antibody titers to IBDV were intramuscularly injected with a DNA plasmid coding for VP2, VP3, and VP4 genes of IBDV strain variant E (VE) (P/VP243/E) at 1-day, 1-week, and/or 2 weeks old. The dose of P/VP243/E used ranging from 400 μg to 10 mg. Broiler chickens at 3 weeks old were orally challenged with IBDV strain (VE) and observed for 10 days. Only broiler chickens vaccinated with 7.5 or 10 mg of P/VP243/E 3 times had 90 or 100% protection against challenge by IBDV strain VE and protected broiler chickens had significantly higher (P 0.05) in ELISA or VN titers to IBDV among all groups of broiler chickens or among the groups of broiler chickens vaccinated with various dose of P/VP243/E before challenge. Broiler chickens in the groups receiving 7.5 or 10 mg of P/VP243/E had significantly lower (P < 0.05) ELISA or VN titers to IBDV than those in the challenge control (CC) groups or the other groups vaccinated with various dose of P/VP243/E after challenge. Broiler chickens in the groups vaccinated with 10 mg of P/VP243/E 3 times had significantly higher (P < 0.05) stimulation indices for IBDV-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation response than those in the vector control (VC) or CC group at 14, 21, 24, or 31 days after first DNA vaccination. The results indicated that DNA vaccination with DNA encoding large segment gene of IBDV confers protection against challenge by IBDV in broiler chickens with maternal antibody to IBDV.