cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulation of chromatin template activity by the physiological macromolecule polyphosphate: A possible mechanism for eukaryotic gene derepression

Abstract As compared to deproteinized DNA, the DNA in chromatin is more stable to thermal denaturation and is a poorer template for DNA-dependent RNA synthesis with exogenous enzyme. In the presence of suitable polyphosphates these properties of the DNA in chromatin are changed and resemble those of deproteinized DNA. Polyphosphate with an average chain length of 200 can affect the melting profile of the DNA in chromatin when present at a concentration 1% that of the DNA. At higher concentrations, this Polyphosphate can increase two- to fourfold the template activity of the chromatin when measured with exogenous bacterial DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Short chain polyphosphate, average chain length 5.5, has no effect on either the melting profile or the template activity of chromatin even at relatively high concentrations. Since polyphosphates are a normal constituent of nuclei, this polyanion may play a role in gene derepression.
Authority and Discourse in the Liber Monstrorum

The Liber monstrorum, a late seventh-or early eighth-century Anglo-Latin catalog of marvelous creatures, uses an ostensible discourse from an author to his superior about the believability of monsters in order to contain anxiety about England’s contemporary social and ecclesiastical situation. The author generally discounts the work of pagan poets or philosophers unless confirmed by Christian sources. Since the LM author cannot always verify the status of the monsters depicted, he leaves the decision about their existence to the reader. The possibility of disagreement among readers problematizes the perception of a broad, dismissive ecclesiastical view of marvels. However, that the LM permits individual opinions on the subject of monsters does not imply an assertion of freedom from authority, but rather that the author allows freedom within an authoritatively-defined discourse. The narrator’s discourse with a presumable social superior subtly suggests that if the marvelous narrative from which the description of the monster is derived is not a miraculous sign from an infallible God, it must be seen as part of a fallible dialogue between humans, and any possible error must be contained by an appropriate interpretative authority.
A case study of management skills comparison in online and on-campus MBA programs

This paper is unique in its comparison of full programs, rather than a comparison of courses, as previously documented in Web-based education literature. Two similar MBA programs utilizing two different delivery formats (i.e., online MBA and on-campus MBA) were studied. The Learning Skills Profile (LSP) was used to assess the managerial skills when entering and graduating the programs. A comparison of pre-MBA and post-MBA managerial skills was conducted for both MBA programs. Results show that both on-campus and online MBA programs provide positive enhancement of managerial skills; however, the online MBA program appears to provide greater enhancement of such skills.
Comparison of Restriction Patterns of Mitochondrial DNA from Low and High Sugar Accumulating Cultivars/Selections

Summary Mitochondria were isolated from tubers of several potato cultivarsl selections and the restriction pattern of their DNA was compared. Russet Burbank and Norchip are two important cultivars that accumulate high amounts of reducing sugars, while ND860-2, 2221-6, and 2652-9 accumulate only low amounts of sugars during cold storage. DNA was extracted from the purified mitochondria and subjected to digestion with the restriction endonuclease HindU!. The obtained fragments were resolved by agarose gel electrophoresis. The results indicate maternal inheritance of potato mitochondria. The mitochondrial DNA fragment pattern of the low sugar accumulating selections differed from that of Russet Burbank and Norchip in lacking a 4.2-kb fragment and exhibiting, instead, a band of size 3.7kb.
The relevance of drug injectors' social and risk networks for understanding and preventing HIV infection

Focusing on the social environment as well as the individual should both enhance our understanding of HIV transmission and assist in the development of more effective prevention programs. Networks are an important aspect of drug injectors' social environment. We distinguish between (1) risk networks (the people among whom HIV risk behaviors occur) as vectors of disease transmission, and (2) social networks (the people among whom there are social interactions with a mutual orientation to one another) as generators and disseminators of social influence. These concepts are applied to analyses of data from interviews with drug injectors in two studies. In the first study drug injectors' risk networks converge with their social networks: 70% inject or share syringes with a spouse or sex partner, a running partner, or with friends or others whom they know. Qualitative data from interviews with injectors in the second study also show that the social relationships between drug injectors and members of their risk network are often based on long-standing and multiplex relationships, such as those based on kinship, friendship, marital and sexual ties, and economic activity. In the first study the vast majority of injectors, over 90%, have social ties with non-injectors. Injectors with more frequent social contacts with non-injectors engage in lower levels of injecting risk behavior. Risk settings may function as risk networks: injectors in this study who inject at shooting galleries are more likely than those who do not to rent used syringes, borrow used syringes and inject with strangers. Since the adoption of a network approach is relatively new, a number of issues require further attention. These include: how to utilize social networks among drug injectors to reduce risk through peer pressure; how to promote risk reduction by encouraging ties between injectors and non-injectors; and how to integrate biographical and historical change into understanding network processes. Appropriate methodologies to study drug injectors' networks should be developed, including techniques to reach hidden populations, computer software for managing and analyzing network data bases, and statistical methods for drawing inferences from data gathered through dependent sampling designs.
SELF‐DIRECTED LEARNING AMONG ADULTS ENROLLED IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Relationships between self‐directed learning projects of adults and the directed learning activities comprising a community college curriculum need to be developed and clarified. Learning projects are defined as a series of related episodes where individuals intentionally spend seven or more hours to gain and retain fairly certain knowledge, information or skills. Trained interviewers used a structured interview format to investigate a total of 290 learning projects conducted by 41 males enrolled in a community college. During the 12 months preceeding the interview, subjects completed an average of 7 learning projects, devoting an average of 285 hours to each learning project. The learning projects were self‐directed (56%), for immediate or future use (57%), not motivated by academic credit (79%), acquired information from another person (57%), and resulted in a large amount of knowledge gained (63%). The results suggest that, even when adults are enrolled in a formal academic program, their learning proj...
Comparison of the Lens and subjective probability paradigms for financial research purposes

Abstract Two paradigms have been used by researchers to model and evaluate the quality of financial judgments relative to environmental conditions; the Brunswik Lens and the subjective probability (SP) paradigms. Here the Lens and SP paradigms are analyzed and compared in terms of their appropriateness for research issues such as the accuracy and reliability of financial judgments, the relative importance of data, effects of data sets, etc. Aspects considered include the assumptions and technical properties, descriptive statistics generated, environmental comparisons typically made and the overall effort required to utilize each paradigm. Direct comparisons are provided. Guidance is provided for researchers contemplating usage of the paradigms.
Adolescents and smoking: the first puff may be the worst.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death globally, contributing to more than 5 million estimated deaths every year.[1][1] Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and tobacco remains the only legal product that, when used as intended, kills. Most smokers first use tobacco between the
Optimal nonlinear filter for signal-union-noise and runlength analysis in the directional one-dimensional discrete Boolean random set model

Abstract A one-dimensional discrete Boolean model is a random process on the discrete line where random-length line segments are positioned according to the outcomes of a Bernoulli process. Points on the discrete line are either covered or left uncovered by a realization of the process. An observation of the process consists of runs of covered and not-covered points, called black and white runlengths, respectively. The black and white runlengths form an alternating sequence of independent random variables. We show how a Boolean model is completely determined by probability distributions of these random variables by giving explicit formulas linking the marking probability of the Bernoulli process and the segment length distribution with the runlength distributions. The black runlength density is expressed recursively in terms of the marking probability and segment length distribution and white runlengths are shown to have a geometric probability law. This equivalence allows us to do runlength analysis of the one-dimensional Boolean model. Filtering for the Boolean model can also be done via the runlengths. The windowed optimal minimum-mean-absolute-error filter for union noise is computed as the binary conditional expectation. It is expressible as a function of the observed black runlengths.
Biodegradation of atrazine in soil using poultry litter

Microorganisms, including Pseudomonas and Actinomycetes species, are known to degrade atrazine and other pesticides in soil. Poultry litter has a large number of microorganisms along with many nutrients. Atrazine is applied to soil at times soon after using poultry litter as manure. The objective of this research was to study the degradation of atrazine (2 or 3 ppm) in soil using poultry litter. The soil + atrazine mixture was treated with either poultry litter, gamma irradiated poultry litter or water extract of the irradiated litter in order to differentiate between the effects of microorganisms, nutrients and organic matter. Atrazine in the soil was extracted with water and methanol and analyzed by pesticide immunoassay (ELISA) 1, 5, 10, 30 or 60 d after poultry litter treatment. The small loss of atrazine from soil treated with the irradiated litter was almost the same as from the sterile soil with no poultry litter. Atrazine was significantly (86%) degraded in soil with untreated poultry litter within 30 d. Degradation was virtually completed within 60 d. The rate of atrazine biodegradation with poultry litter was almost 2 times faster than without the litter. The toxicity (EC50) of the samples after treatments, to Photobacterium phosphoreum (“Microtox”), was also measured. The toxicity of the soil + atrazine mixture treated with poultry litter (both the untreated and the gamma irradiated) was the same as that of the soil + litter mixture; no significant concentrations of toxic by-products were produced from the biodegradation of atrazine.
Effect on berry production of varied day length during the life of two triumph potato strains

With an intermediate strain of Triumph potatoes (Triumph 22), the continual use of long photoperiods until pollination time resulted in the most berries. When long photoperiods were used during relatively short intervals in the life of the plants, they appeared to be most useful when the flowers were making their final development. Long photoperiods very early in the life of the plant were very useful for berry production, but were not indispensable and unless the long photoperiods were continued for 60 or 70 days they brought about the production of relatively few’ berries. Berry production occurred with an 18-hour photoperiod, but production was only one-third as great as with a 24-hour photoperiod. No berries were developed by the very early strain (Triumph 12) with an 18-hour photoperiod and with this strain berries were produced with only four of the 24-hour photoperiod treatments. Our evidence indicates that induction of flowering in Triumph potatoes by using long photoperiods for short intervals of time is not feasible and except under very favorable conditions of high light intensity it is not possible.
Differential Regulation of Extracellular Matrix Metalloproteinase and Tissue Inhibitor by Heparin and Cholesterol in Fibroblast Cells

Abstract Heparin has been shown to stimulate angiogenesis in the border zones surrounding infarcted myocardium. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), which are involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, have also been shown to be activated. Cholesterol is required for receptor signaling in the plasma membrane, but a role of MMPs for cholesterol in ECM remodeling has not yet been shown. To examine whether heparin and cholesterol induce MMP and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) in human heart fibroblast (HHF) cells, confluent HHF cells were treated with cholesterol (100 μ m ) or heparin (20 μ m ). MMP activity was measured using zymography and TIMP was measured by Western blot analysis. The number of HHF cells, measured by a hemocytometer, increased after heparin or cholesterol treatment. Gelatinase A (MMP-2) activity increased in heparin treated cells, and the TIMP-1 level increased in cholesterol-treated cells. Based on Northern blot analysis, we observed that both MMP-1 and MMP-2 were induced at the gene transcription level by heparin and that TIMP-1 was induced by cholesterol. To examine whether the effects of heparin and cholesterol were due to Ca 2+ mobilization, we carried out Ca 2+ transient assays using FURA-2/AM as a fluorescence probe in HHF cells. Heparin induced a slow rise in the Ca 2+ transient with a slow decay, and cholesterol induced a rapid rise with a slow reversal to the baseline calcium level. This suggested that the effect of heparin on Ca 2+ release from HHF may be secondary to the receptor binding on the cell membrane but that cholesterol may have a direct effect. Protein kinase inhibitor and Ca 2+ -channel blocker have been shown to inhibit MMP expression. To examine whether the effect of heparin on MMP expression is mediated through the collagenase promoter activity, we carried out gel-shift assays using a 21-oligonucleotide analogue to the MMP-1 promoter sequence. Results suggested that the increase in MMP promoter activity by heparin is due to a specific transcription factor binding to MMP-1 promoter sequence. The effect of cholesterol on fibroblast cell proliferation is due in part to the tissue inhibitor. This study demonstrated the role of heparin and cholesterol in ECM remodeling and has implications for angiogenesis and athersclerosis, respectively.
Structural and biochemical changes in tissues isolated from the cantharidin-poisoned rat with special emphasis upon hepatic subcellular particles.

Abstract Male albino rats were poisoned with cantharidin by intraperitoneal injection. Extensive damage to the epithelium of all organs was noted by examination with the light microscope. The morphologic changes were uniform and reproducible. Examination of the hepatic cell with the electron microscope 5, 10, and 15 min post injection revealed early injury to the cell membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, and somewhat later to the mitochondria. The subcellular particles of the livers of poisoned and control rats were isolated. Phospholipid and cholesterol contents were analyzed after separation of the lipid components from these particles. No significant differences were noted. The chemical data do not preclude physical changes in the membrane structures resulting from cantharidin poisoning.
Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI): current clinical and pathophysiologic considerations.

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a rare transfusion reaction presenting as respiratory distress during or after transfusion of blood products. TRALI varies in severity, and mortality is not uncommon. TRALI reactions have equal gender distributions and can occur in all age groups. All blood products, except albumin, have been implicated in TRALI reactions. TRALI presents as acute respiratory compromise occurring in temporal proximity to a transfusion of a blood product. Other causes of acute lung injury should be excluded in order to definitively diagnose TRALI. Clinically and pathologically, TRALI mimics acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), with neutrophil-derived inflammatory chemokines and cytokines believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of both entities. Anti-HLA and anti-neutrophil antibodies have been implicated in some cases of TRALI. Treatment for TRALI is supportive; prevention is important. It is suspected that TRALI is both underdiagnosed and underreported. One of the difficulties in the evaluation of potential TRALI reactions is, until recently, the lack of diagnostic criteria. A group of transfusion medicine experts, the American–European Consensus Conference (AECC), recently met and developed diagnostic criteria of TRALI, as well as recommendations for management of donors to prevent future TRALI reactions. In light of the AECC consensus recommendations, we report an incident of TRALI in an oncology patient as an example of the potential severity of the lung disease and the clinical and laboratory evaluation of the patient. We also review the literature on this important complication of blood transfusion that internists may encounter.
Aragonite cements around methane seeps: Comment

Lithified rocks underlie extensive stretches of the Atlantic continental shelfoff the eastern United States. A sample of shelly sandstone resembling beachrock and cemented by aragonite wasrecovered from thisshelfat a depth of79 moff the New Jersey coast (lat, 38OZ2'N, long. 73°45'W). The radiocarbonageofthemolluscan shells is439O±120yearsand that of the cement is 15,6OO±250 years. At first sight, the radiocarbon agesgivewhatappears tobe an impossible result: cementation of "young" shellsby "old" cement Assuming that the radiocarbon measurements are correct, they require someexplanation. Onepossible waytoexplain theminvokes the idea that the actual precipitation of the cementoccurred less than4390 years ago, but that thecarbon in the aragonite didnotcomedirectly outofseawater (inwhich casethecarbon would be "new", that is, 4390 years old), but was rather derived from a sourceof older carbon. Analyses of stablecarbon isotopes showthat the cement is enriched in the light stableisotope(12C); its513C valueis -44.8. Thiscontrasts with a 013C value of -8.4for themolluscan shells of therock. The strongly negative 013C value of the cement suggests that carbon of thearagonite cementcamefrom methane (CH.J; no other material is known in which the lighter carbon isotope has been that much enriched. Although such strongly negative 513C values are diagnostic of methane, diagenetic processes ultimately will restore a normal isotopic composition (Friedman, 1975). Photographs of thesecements are given in papers by Allen et al. (1969) andFriedman et al. (1971).
A critical comparison of mercury porosimetry and capillary condensation pore size distributions of portland cement pastes

Abstract A comparison of pore-size distributions from mercury porosimetry and from capillary condensation measurements reveals discrepancies between the results of the two types of measurement for hydrated cement pastes. The mercury intrusion data indicate considerably coarser size distributions with mean diameters of the order of several hundred A. The capillary condensation data yield mean pore diameters between 50 and 100 A, and indicate that most of the space tallied is in pores of diameters less than 100A. Evidence derived from other techniques supports the presence of considerable pore volume in the range of diameters of several hundred to some thousands of A, which is consistent with the mercury porosimetry results.
The role of geometric complementarity in secondary structure packing: a systematic docking study.

A strong similarity between the major aspects of protein folding and protein recognition is one of the emerging fundamental principles in protein science. A crucial importance of steric complementarity in protein recognition is a well-established fact. The goal of this study was to assess the importance of the steric complementarity in protein folding, namely, in the packing of the secondary structure elements. Although the tight packing of protein structures, in general, is a well-known fact, a systematic study of the role of geometric complementarity in the packing of secondary structure elements has been lacking. To assess the role of the steric complementarity, we used a docking procedure to recreate the crystallographically determined packing of secondary structure elements in known protein structures by using the geometric match only. The docking results revealed a significant percentage of correctly predicted packing configurations. Different types of pairs of secondary structure elements showed different degrees of steric complementarity (from high to low: β–β, loop–loop, α–α, and α–β). Interestingly, the relative contribution of the steric match in different types of pairs was correlated with the number of such pairs in known protein structures. This effect may indicate an evolutionary pressure to select tightly packed elements of secondary structure to maximize the packing of the entire structure. The overall conclusion is that the steric match plays an essential role in the packing of secondary structure elements. The results are important for better understanding of principles of protein structure and may facilitate development of better methods for protein structure prediction.
Application of Discrete Autoregressive Moving Average models for estimation of daily runoff

Abstract Daily precipitation has been successfully modeled by the Discrete Autoregressive Moving Average (DARMA) family of models. One of these models is used in the estimation of daily streamflows by means of a linear transfer function. The statistical properties of the chosen DARMA precipitation process and the first- and second-order statistics of the relationships between daily precipitation and the corresponding streamflow are used in the determination of the transfer function parameters. The constructed process is applied to a watershed located in Indiana. The model identification, the parameter estimation, and the diagnostic checking are illustrated. This transfer model has the merit that it couples the first- and second-order statistics of the rainfall input and runoff output. The model limitations stem from the stationarity of the DARMA models used for the description of daily rainfall sequences. This requires the division of the year into stationary seasons and introduces minor inaccuracies at the season crossings.
Solar Magnetism: The State of Our Knowledge and Ignorance

We review some longstanding scientific mysteries related to solar magnetism, with final attention to the mystery of the “turbulent diffusion” essential for the theoretical α ω-dynamo that is believed to be the source of the magnetic fields of the Sun. Fundamental difficulties with the concept of turbulent diffusion of magnetic fields suggest that the solar dynamo problem needs to be reformulated. An alternative dynamo model is proposed, but it remains to be shown that the model can provide the quantitative aspects of the cyclic magnetic fields of the Sun.
Estimating cloth simulation parameters from video

Cloth simulations are notoriously difficult to tune due to the many parameters that must be adjusted to achieve the look of a particular fabric. In this paper, we present an algorithm for estimating the parameters of a cloth simulation from video data of real fabric. A perceptually motivated metric based on matching between folds is used to compare video of real cloth with simulation. This metric compares two video sequences of cloth and returns a number that measures the differences in their folds. Simulated annealing is used to minimize the frame by frame error between the metric for a given simulation and the real-world footage. To estimate all the cloth parameters, we identify simple static and dynamic calibration experiments that use small swatches of the fabric. To demonstrate the power of this approach, we use our algorithm to find the parameters for four different fabrics. We show the match between the video footage and simulated motion on the calibration experiments, on new video sequences for the swatches, and on a simulation of a full skirt.
Effects of Early Middle Ear Effusion on Child Intelligence at Three, Five, and Seven Years of Age

Objective: This study tested the hypothesis that children with prolonged middle ear effusion (MEE) during the first 3 years of life are at risk for cognitive delays or deficits. Method: A prospective study enrolled 698 children from diverse backgrounds and controlled for eight demographic and environmental factors. Participants were recruited at birth and monitored for ear status frequently in the home; 379 children were assessed for cognition with the Stanford-Binet, 4th ed., at 3 years of age, 294 at 5 years, and 198 at 7 years. Results: Using the SAS General Linear Models (GLM) procedure, we found a significant direct relation between duration of bilateral MEE and Stanford-Binet Composite and Nonverbal Reasoning/Visualization Factor scores at age 3, but not at age 5 or age 7. Statistical clustering analysis revealed four groups with different temporal patterns of MEE: Low MEE, Early MEE (peaking at 0-6 months), Later MEE (peaking at 6-12 months), and High MEE. GLM analyses revealed no direct effects, but several moderated effects, of MEE cluster on cognitive development at 3 years, but none at 5 or 7 years. In general, children in the Later MEE and High MEE groups appeared to be more adversely affected by bilateral MEE at 3 years, but effects were moderated in complex ways by socioeconomic status or home stimulation. Growth curve modeling across the three assessment periods showed no effects of total duration of MEE but did indicate that children in the Later MEE cluster had low scores at age 3 but caught up at ages 5 and 7. Conclusions: Prolonged MEE, especially between 6 and 12 months, may put children at risk for cognitive delays at 3 years, but the risk effect is not strong and effects are no longer detectable at 5 or 7 years.
Risk Sharing and Information in Village Economies

Arrangements for achieving efficient risk-sharing vary depending on the information available to agents in the economy. The usual Euler equation restricts efficient allocations in an economy which obeys the permanent income hypothesis, while efficient allocations in an economy with private information and long-term contracts satisfy a symmetric restriction, but not the Euler equation. Full insurance arrangements are unique in that they satisfy both restrictions. We look at an environment in which it seems likely that long-term contracts play a role in mitigating the effects of private information: three village economies in South India. The evidence that consumption allocations satisfy the private information restriction is quite strong for households in two of the three villages; the evidence for the third village suggests that while consumption for some households satisfies the private information restrictions, other households' consumption obey the permanent income hypothesis.
A Piezothermoelastic Thin Shell Theory Applied to Active Structures

Abstract : 'Smart' structures with integrated sensors, actuators, and control electronics are of importance to next-generation high-performance structural systems. Piezoelectric materials possess unique electromechanical properties, the direct and converse effects. which can be used in sensor and actuator applications. In this study, piezothermoelastic characteristics of piezoelectric shell continua are studied and applications of the theory to active structures in sensing and control are discussed. A generic piezothermoelastic shell theory for thin piezoelectric shells is derived using the linear piezoelectric theory and Kirchhoff-Love assumptions. It shows that the dynamic equations, in three principal directions, include thermal induced loads as well as conventional electric and mechanical loads. The electric membrane forces and moments induced by the converse effect can be used to control the thermal and mechanical loads. A simplification procedure, based on Lame's parameters and radii of curvatures, is proposed and applications of the theory to 1) a piezoelectric cylindrical shell and 2) a piezoelectric beam are demonstrated.... Smart structures, Piezoelectricity, Distributed sensor/actuator
32-electrode electrical impedance tomograph-software design and static images

A 32-electrode, 12-bit electrical impedance tomograph (EIT) which is capable of injecting optimal patterns of currents into an object to achieve maximum distinguishability is presented. The software for the system is described, and static images reconstructed from a circular 2-D phantom are shown. The EIT software consists of four parts: the interactive graphical finite-element mesh generator; the sparse linear system equation solver including node renumbering schemes; the calculation of the optimal patterns of injection current and the implementations of the EIT image reconstruction algorithms; and image display and postprocessing. >
α1-Antitrypsin deficiency presenting with panniculitis and incidental discovery of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

A 60-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with large, painful, indurated plaques on the right thigh, left abdomen, left chest, and right chest, which began without any preceding trauma on the right thigh 3 weeks prior to presentation in the ED. He was initially treated with cefazolin 1 g three times daily as home infusions. When the lesions continued to progress, he was admitted to the hospital and placed on amoxicillin/clavulanate and vancomycin. He had a single episode of fever of 102 degrees F, but his white blood cell count and differential remained normal. An initial biopsy showed a dermal inflammatory infiltrate composed primarily of neutrophils and eosinophils with rare flame figures in the dermis. There was minimal fat seen in this biopsy. A differential diagnosis of Wells or Sweet's syndrome was entertained, and he was placed on 60 mg/day prednisone with no resolution of his symptoms. The patient's past medical history included hypertension, hyperlipidemia, peripheral neuropathy, and hiatal hernia. His family history was significant for emphysema in both parents and coronary artery disease in his father. Both of his parents smoked cigarettes. His grandfather, who was a coal miner, also had emphysema. Whilst on antibiotics and prednisone, the plaques on the patient's right thigh, right abdomen, and left chest expanded and ulcerated, draining an oily liquid (Figs 1 and 2). An incisional biopsy was obtained from his thigh. Histopathology showed a septal and lobular panniculitis with fat necrosis, neutrophils, and histiocytes (Fig. 3). Special stains for organisms were negative. Tissue sent for bacterial and fungal culture had no growth. Amylase and lipase levels were normal. Rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibody (ANA), antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA), cryoglobulins, and antiphospholipid antibodies were all normal. The alpha1-antitrypsin level was low at 25 mg/dL (ref. 75-135). The alpha1-antitrypsin phenotype was PiZZ. The patient had a normal glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase level and was placed on dapsone 200 mg/day. The inflammation resolved and, over the course of several months, the involved areas healed with scarring. The patient denied any pulmonary complaints but, during his hospitalization, was found incidentally to have an oxygen saturation of 88% on room air. He was sent for evaluation by a pulmonologist, and pulmonary function tests revealed a mixed restrictive and obstructive pattern with a forced expiratory volume in 1 to forced vital capacity (FEV(1)/FVC) ratio of 63% of predicted. He had never smoked. He was placed on supplemental oxygen but, as his pulmonary disease has been stable, he has not been treated with intravenous antitrypsin inhibitor.
Alternative Algorithms for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Diagnosis Using Tests That Are Licensed in the United States

Serodiagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the United States has traditionally relied on a sequential two-test algorithm: an initial screen with an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and reflex testing of EIA-reactive specimens with a more specific supplemental test such as Western blotting or immunofluorescence. The supplemental tests are tedious, subjective, and expensive. In addition, there have been major improvements in the performance and accuracy of the EIA tests as well as the introduction of rapid serologic tests (RT) and HIV nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT). Related to these improvements is the possibility that alternative algorithms using combinations of currently approved HIV tests may function as well as if not better than the current algorithm, with more flexibility, improved accuracy, and lower cost. To this end, we evaluated the performance of 12 currently licensed tests and 1 in-house HIV test (6 EIA, 4 RT, and 3 NAAT) on panels of plasma samples from HIV-infected (n = 621 HIV type 1 [HIV-1] and 34 HIV-2) and uninfected (n = 513) people and of sequential specimens from people early in seroconversion (183 specimens from 15 patients). Test combinations were analyzed in two dual-test (sensitivity-optimized and specificity-optimized) algorithms and in a three-test (tie-breaking) algorithm, and performance was compared to the conventional algorithm. The results indicate that alternative algorithm strategies with currently licensed tests compare favorably with the conventional algorithm in detecting and confirming established HIV infection. Furthermore, there was a lower frequency of discordant or indeterminate results that require follow-up testing, and there was improved detection of early infection.
Safety and efficacy of telbivudine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B

Telbivudine was recently approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Phase III studies indicated its antiviral potency with 6- to 6.5-log copies/mL reductions in hepatitis B DNA levels at year 1, comparable to other potent agents such as entecavir or tenofovir. Genotypic resistance rates, however, reached 25% at year 2 in hepatitis B e-antigen positive subjects and 11% in hepatitis B e-antigen negative subjects, preventing it from becoming a preferred first-line drug for hepatitis B. Furthermore, its signature resistance mutation (a change from methionine to isoleucine at position 204 in the reverse transcriptase domain of the hepatitis B polymerase) also confers cross-resistance to entecavir, lamivudine, and emtricitabine. Telbivudine is well tolerated, with elevations in creatine phosphokinase being the most common abnormality observed in clinical trials. Most often, elevations were asymptomatic. Future research in hepatitis B will focus on the best ways to use existing therapies, including telbivudine, sequentially or in combination in order to maximize viral suppression and minimize the development of antiviral resistance.
Elevated potassium intake inhibits neointimal proliferation in the swine coronary artery

Abstract Background: Previously, we reported that elevated extracellular potassium concentration in vitro inhibited proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, formation of free radical compounds by macrophages, and reduced platelet sensitivity to agonists. More recently, we described a reduction in neointimal proliferation after balloon angioplasty injury in the carotid arteries of rats associated with an elevation of dietary potassium intake during a 4-week experiment. In the present study we conducted a similar investigation in the swine coronary artery balloon angioplasty model. Procedures: Two groups of seven castrated male swine were studied; for 28 days the normal potassium group consumed a diet containing 0.25% potassium and the high potassium group ate diet containing 2.0% potassium. After 14 days on the diet, balloon angioplasty was performed. After an additional 14 days on the same diets the hearts were removed, and normal and lesioned sections of the artery were analyzed histologically. Results: The neointimal area was markedly less in the high potassium group than in the normal potassium group, 0.33 ± 0.04 mm 2 v 0.74 ± 0.10 mm 2 ( P P Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis that a high level of dietary potassium intake inhibits neointimal proliferation after balloon angioplasty in the swine coronary artery.
An evaluation of the concurrent discrimination task as a measure of habit learning: performance of amnesic subjects.

Habit learning has been defined as an association between a stimulus and a response that develops slowly and automatically through repeated reinforcement. Concurrent discrimination (CD) learning, in which subjects learn to choose the rewarded objects in a series of pairs, is believed to be an example of habit learning in monkeys. Studies of human amnesic subjects, however, have produced equivocal results, revealing impaired or absent learning on the same CD tasks that monkeys with medial temporal-lobe (MTL) lesions learn normally. One possible explanation for impaired performance in human amnesic subjects is that, unlike monkeys, human subjects use explicit memory to solve CD problems. To test this hypothesis, we administered a 10-object pair CD learning task to two amnesic subjects, HM and PN, and normal control subjects (NCS). Both amnesic subjects have severe anterograde amnesia with little ability to form explicit memories. On the CD task, they demonstrated little or no learning and acquired no explicit knowledge of the task procedures or reward contingencies. In contrast, NCS learned the task quickly and easily using explicit memory strategies. These results suggest that CD tasks cannot be learned by habit in human subjects, and emphasize the discrepancies between the human and monkey literature on habit learning. # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Tenosynovitis of the posterior tibial tendon.

PTT tenosynovitis is a recognized entity no longer confused with an ankle sprain. Three possible causes are (1) overuse or age related (mechanical in cause, true stage I disease), (2) seronegative spondyloarthropathies (clinical suspicion, hematologic analysis), and (3) rheumatoid arthritis (deformity may be owing to ligamentous or capsular destruction). The PTT has a hypovascular zone 40 mm proximal to the insertion of the tendon and 14 mm in length. Pain often is localized to this portion of the tendon (primarily in stage I disease). Ultrasound is an inexpensive and accurate method to assist in the diagnosis of this condition and may replace MR imaging as more experienced ultrasonographers appear. The initial management of PTT tenosynovitis includes tendon rest and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy. Surgical synovial debridement is performed early (6 weeks) in patients with enthesopathies (seronegative disease). This procedure may be delayed 3 months in patients with true stage I disease. At surgery, the undersurface of the tendon must be inspected for longitudinal split tears, and these must be repaired with nonabsorbable suture, burying the knots. The excursion of the tendon should be checked intraoperatively. Patients with stage I disease should be evaluated carefully for preoperative structural deformity to choose the appropriate surgical procedure and prevent failure of isolated tenosynovectomy.
Characterization of Organic Emissions from a Wood Finishing Product – Wood Stain

The paper gives results of the measurement of emission characteristics of four organic compounds (nonane, decane, undecane, and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene) from a wood finishing product, wood stain, in an environmental chamber. It was found that the emission patterns of the four organic compounds can be described by a two-phase model: phase 1, when the wood stain is relatively wet; and phase 2, when the wood stain becomes relatively dry. The changes of emission mechanisms between phases 1 and 2 were reflected by the significantly different emission and decay rates measured during the two periods. A relationship was found that can be used to predict the relative emission and decay rates of the four organic compounds from the wood stain.
Role of Synchrophasor Technology in the development of a smarter transmission grid

Synchrophasor technology was first introduced in 1980s. Since then, many electric utilities such as American Electric Power (AEP), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Southern California Edison (SCE), New York Power Authority (NYPA), as well as universities such as Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI), have been conducting R&D to explore and advance the application of synchrophasor technology. The R&D pace has accelerated recently, mainly due to active participation and leadership provided by US Department Of Energy (DOE) and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). These R&D efforts have shown that the synchrophasor technology has promise to greatly enhance the transmission planning, design & operations functions. This paper provides a brief description of synchrophasor technology and summarizes potential synchrophasor technology applications that can contribute towards the development of a smarter transmission grid.
Adaptive Location Division Multiple Access for reliable safety message dissemination in VANETs

IEEE 802.11-based Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) are becoming important in enhancing road traffic safety. Drivers can proactively detect and avoid unsafe situations using safety message disseminated by VANETs. There are two common dissemination techniques: event-triggered multi-hop relaying (flood) and periodic one-hop broadcast (beacon). A basic idea of Location Division Multiple Access (LDMA) [2] has been proposed to mitigate the broadcast storm problem [1] in flood dissemination. However, it has not yet provided practical schemes applicable to a real vehicular environment. Moreover, if flood and beacon traffics coexist in a single channel, the reliability of beacon-type traffic can be significantly degraded during the broadcast storm of flood traffic even if LDMA mitigates the storm. We propose Adaptive LDMA (A-LDMA) that 1) mitigates the broadcast storm problem of flood traffic and 2) isolates beacon traffic from the storm in order to achieve a consistent reliability of safety messaging. Performance evaluation is conducted through ns-2 simulation with aim of understanding 1) the performance of LDMA for beacon and flood traffics, 2) the performance impact of LDMA's design parameters and mobility, and 3) the feasibility of using LDMA for traffic isolation. In our simulation, A-LDMA improves the delivery rate of individual broadcasts during the broadcast storm from 40% to 60% for flood and to 80% for beacon.
Comparing the OPI and the OPIc: The Effect of Test Method on Oral Proficiency Scores and Student Preference

While studies have been done to rate the validity and reliability of the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and Oral Proficiency Interview–Computer (OPIc) independently, a limited amount of research has analyzed the interexam reliability of these tests, and studies have yet to be conducted comparing the results of Spanish language learners who take both exams. For this study, 154 Spanish language learners of various proficiency levels were divided into two groups and administered both the OPI and OPIc within a 2-week period using a counterbalanced design. In addition, study participants took both a pre- and postsurvey that gathered data about their language learning background, familiarity with the OPI and OPIc, preparation and test-taking strategies, and evaluations of each exam. The researchers found that 54.5% of the participants received the same rating on the OPI and OPIc, with 13.6% of examinees scoring higher on the OPI and 31.8% scoring higher on the OPIc. While the results found that students scored significantly better on the OPIc, the overall effect size was quite small. The authors also found that the overwhelming majority of the participants preferred the OPI to the OPIc. This research begins to fill important gaps and provides empirical data to examine the comparability of the Spanish OPI and OPIc.
New Media and Democracy in the Arab World

New media have had a particularly sharp impact on the Middle East, where states at the turn of the century remained dominated by authoritarian regimes and information monopolies. New media were used in the 2000s to circumvent censorship, to build communities of dissent and identity building, and to contribute in causally distinct ways to the wave of uprisings known as the Arab Spring. However, robust structures of authoritarian rule remain prevalent in the region, and regimes are increasingly savvy in leveraging new media tools to their own advantage.
Explaining Systematic Bias and Nontransparency in U.S. Social Security Administration Forecasts

one. We show that SSA’s forecasting errors were approximately unbiased until about 2000, but then began to grow quickly, with increasingly overconfident uncertainty intervals. Moreover, the errors are largely in the same direction, making the Trust Funds look healthier than they are. We extend and then explain these findings with evidence from a large number of interviews with participants at every level of the forecasting and policy processes. We show that SSA’s forecasting procedures meet all the conditions the modern social-psychology and statistical literatures demonstrate make bias likely. When those conditions mixed with potent new political forces trying to change Social Security, SSA’s actuaries hunkered down, trying hard to insulate their forecasts from strong political pressures. Unfortunately, this led the actuaries into not incorporating the fact that retirees began living longer lives and drawing benefits longer than predicted. We show that fewer than 10% of their scorings of major policy proposals were statistically different from random noise as estimated from their policy forecasting error. We also show that the solution to this problem involves SSA or Congress implementing in government two of the central projects of political science over the last quarter century: (1) transparency in data and methods and (2) replacing with formal statistical models large numbers of ad hoc qualitative decisions too complex for unaided humans to make optimally.
Efficient Free Energy Calculation of Biomolecules from Diffusion-Biased Molecular Dynamics

Recently proposed metadynamics techniques offer an effective means for improving sampling in simulations of complex systems, including polymers and biological macromolecules. One of the drawbacks of such methods has been the absence of well-defined or effective convergence criteria. A solution to this problem is considered here in which an optimal ensemble is introduced to minimize the travel time across the entire order parameter range of interest. The usefulness of the proposed approach is illustrated in the context of two systems consisting of biological molecules dissolved in water. The results presented in this work indicate that the proposed method is considerably faster than other existing algorithms for the study of these systems, and that the corresponding free energy that emerges from the simulations converges to the exact result.