cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bacterial Pili exploit integrin machinery to promote immune activation and efficient blood-brain barrier penetration

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of meningitis in newborn infants. Bacterial cell surface appendages, known as pili, have been recently described in streptococcal pathogens, including GBS. The pilus tip adhesin, PilA, contributes to GBS adherence to blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelium; however, the host receptor and the contribution of PilA in central nervous system (CNS) disease pathogenesis are unknown. Here we show that PilA binds collagen, which promotes GBS interaction with the α₂β₁ integrin resulting in activation of host chemokine expression and neutrophil recruitment during infection. Mice infected with the PilA-deficient mutant exhibit delayed mortality, a decrease in neutrophil infiltration and bacterial CNS dissemination. We find that PilA-mediated virulence is dependent on neutrophil influx as neutrophil depletion results in a decrease in BBB permeability and GBS-BBB penetration. Our results suggest that the bacterial pilus, specifically the PilA adhesin, has a dual role in immune activation and bacterial entry into the CNS.
"Subordination" and sensitivity to nonverbal cues: A study of married working women.

Women's superiority in decoding nonverbal cues of emotion has often been discussed as an adaptation to low status. To examine the relation of status to nonverbal sensitivity, “subordination” in 83 female employees of a large university was defined in terms of marriage traditionality, gender-role values, salary rank, and self-reported subordination at work. Sensitivity to nonverbal cues was measured using voice tone clips from the Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity (PONS). Measures of subordination as defined by marriage and gender-role values showed that less subordinate women were better decoders of a female encoder than were more subordinate women. These measures were not significantly related to success in decoding a male encoder. The hypothesis that women in lower ranked jobs would have greater ability to decode nonverbal affect cues was significantly disconfirmed for one subscale of the PONS and received no support for the other subscales and total score. Among higherranked women only, subjective feelings of subordination on the job had a linear relation to one PONS subscore, such that better decoders felt more subordinate; there were also quadratic trends for other subscores showing that both the least and most subordinate-feeling were the most accurate decoders. Limitations and future directions for the subordination hypothesis are discussed in light of these findings.
Ultrafast diffraction and molecular structure

We report our first successful ultrafast electron diffraction from beams of isolated molecules, CCI_4, I_2, and CF_3I. To demonstrate the feasibility of studying reactions, we report results on the structure of CF_3 radical from the dissociation of CF_3I.
Learning Gaussian Tree Models: Analysis of Error Exponents and Extremal Structures

The problem of learning tree-structured Gaussian graphical models from independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) samples is considered. The influence of the tree structure and the parameters of the Gaussian distribution on the learning rate as the number of samples increases is discussed. Specifically, the error exponent corresponding to the event that the estimated tree structure differs from the actual unknown tree structure of the distribution is analyzed. Finding the error exponent reduces to a least-squares problem in the very noisy learning regime. In this regime, it is shown that the extremal tree structure that minimizes the error exponent is the star for any fixed set of correlation coefficients on the edges of the tree. If the magnitudes of all the correlation coefficients are less than 0.63, it is also shown that the tree structure that maximizes the error exponent is the Markov chain. In other words, the star and the chain graphs represent the hardest and the easiest structures to learn in the class of tree-structured Gaussian graphical models. This result can also be intuitively explained by correlation decay: pairs of nodes which are far apart, in terms of graph distance, are unlikely to be mistaken as edges by the maximum-likelihood estimator in the asymptotic regime.
Gap in the spin excitations and magnetization curve of the one-dimensional attractive Hubbard model.

The magnetic properties of a Hubbard chain with on-site attraction are studied as a function of the band filling. Magnetization curves are calculated numerically for several values of the interaction and band filling. An unexpected feature of these curves is that the susceptibility is always finite except for the empty and half-filled band. The gap in the magnetic excitation spectrum is also calculated as a function of the band filling. The numerical results are compared with analytical results, which are obtained for the nearly empty and nearly-half-filled band.
The relationship between pre-harvest stress and the carcass characteristics of beef heifers that qualified for kosher designation.

Differences in pre-harvest stress measurements and carcass characteristics between kosher and not-qualified-as-kosher cattle were evaluated. Finished heifers (n = 157) were slaughtered by a shochet while held in an upright position using Glatt slaughter procedures. Stress measurements were collected prior to slaughter. Carcass data were collected, and 3.8-cm thick samples were taken from the loin at the 13th rib. Steaks from each sample were evaluated for mechanical tenderness and simulated retail display. Cattle with shorter times from gate to exsanguination and lower vocalization scores were more likely (P < 0.01) to qualify as kosher. Kosher carcasses had larger (P = 0.02) ribeye areas and higher (P < 0.0001) Warner–Bratzler shear values. At each day of simulated retail display, kosher steaks had lower (P < 0.05) L*, a*, and b* values. These data suggest that body composition and pre-harvest stress affect the likelihood of a beef animal qualifying as kosher and quality differences exist between kosher and non-kosher steaks.
Homies with aspirations and positive peer network ties: associations with reduced frequent substance use among gang-affiliated Latino youth

In marginalized urban neighborhoods across the USA, Latino youth are disproportionately represented among the growing number of youth gangs. Substance use among gang-involved youth poses both immediate and long-term health risks and can threaten educational engagement, future socioeconomic stability, and desistance. Conventional assessments of gang-affiliated youth and their peer network overlook the possibility that positive peer ties may exist and can foster health promoting behavior norms. Drawing on a positive deviance framework, in this study, we examine the relationship between positive peer network characteristics tied to post-secondary educational aspirations and frequent alcohol and marijuana use among Latino, gang-affiliated youth from a neighborhood in San Francisco. Using generalized estimating equations regression models across 72 peer network clusters (162 youth), we found that having close friends who plan to go to a 4-year college was associated with a lower odds of frequent marijuana and alcohol use (OR 0.27, p = 0.02; OR 0.29, p = 0.14, respectively) and that this association persisted when adjusting for risk characteristics (OR 0.19, p < 0.01; OR 0.25, p = 0.12). Public health can advance gang intervention efforts by identifying protective and risk factors associated with non-criminal health outcomes to inform participatory research approaches and asset-based interventions that contribute to building healthy communities.
PACAP27 and Other Neuropeptides in the Inferior Mesenteric Ganglionaa

Abstract: The presence and location of PACAP27-like immunoreactivity (PACAP27-LI) in the colon-inferior mesenteric ganglion (IMG) reflex pathway and the effect of exogenously administered PACAP27 on the excitability of IMG are reported. The results provide morphological and electrophysiological support for the hypothesis that PACAP modulates reflex activity between the large intestine and IMG. The intense excitatory effect would be expected to increase the rate of action potential discharge in IMG neurons, increasing sympathetic drive to the colon thereby decreasing of colonic activity.
Implementing atomic objects in a dynamic environment

This talk will describe a new algorithm for implementing atomic objects in distributed settings where processes may fail (by stopping), and may also join and leave voluntarily. This strategy builds on Lamport's Paxos algorithm, and also on work by [Yeger-Lotem, Keidar, Dolev] and [De Prisco, Fekete, Lynch, Shvartsman] on view-oriented group communication.Lamport's Paxos algorithm (as described in his paper “The Part-Time Parliament”) implements atomic objects using repeated executions of a consensus protocol to maintain consistency of object replicas. The consensus executions are managed by a leader process, assisted by read and write quorums of processes. The algorithm has the nice feature that safety properties are guaranteed to hold even in the presence of timing or failure anomalies, and even if more than one process acts as a leader. On the other hand, termination and timing guarantees do depend on failure and timing assumptions. The basic Paxos algorithm is designed for use in a static group of processes, with fixed membership. A dynamic version of the algorithm is mentioned briefly, but not developed in detail.The basic idea of our new dynamic algorithm is to separate issues of system reconfiguration from issues of performing updates within each particular configuration. The reconfiguration aspects include electing a new leader when the old leader fails, changing the sets of read and write quorums, and changing the set of participants. We handle all of these using reconfiguration ideas from view-oriented group communication. Within each configuration, we use a simplified version of basic Paxos that uses a single leader.Based on joint work with Roberto De Prisco.
Interdisiplinary Programs in an University Setting

This paper focuses upon the organizational and administrative problems associated with interdisciplinary research programs—using an illustrative case, the Ceramic Materials Research Program at the ...
Health care use by perpetrators of domestic violence

Research has demonstrated that men will admit to the perpetration of domestic violence (DV), if questioned, in the medical setting. The opportunity to identify DV perpetrators, however, also depends on the frequency of contact between health care providers and perpetrators. The purpose of this study was to determine health care use among a group of DV perpetrators. A survey was administered to 133 men enrolled in the largest community-based batterer treatment program in a metropolitan region. Of the 133 men surveyed, 56 (42%) indicated they had visited a doctor, hospital, or received some other type of medical care within the preceding 6 months. Of men reporting health care visits, the majority (41%, n = 23) indicated that the Emergency Department was the location where care was provided. These data demonstrate that Emergency Departments are often visited by DV perpetrators in this community and may be important sites for screening and intervention protocols.
A one-step enzymatic assay for the measurement of 17β-hydroxy- and 17-oxo-steroid profiles in biological samples

Abstract We describe a simple enzymatic method for the sensitive and specific detection and quantitation of families of hydroxy- and oxo-steroids in biological mixtures. Analysis of the profiles of individual steroids may be achieved following their Chromatographie separation. The objectives of this analytical system are, therefore, different from conventional methods which are designed to measure single steroids with a high degree of specificity. The method employs highly purified and active bacterial hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSD) which promote stereospecific, nicotinamide nucleotide-dependent oxidations and reductions at specified positions of steroids. In the presence of catalytic quantities of steroids these enzymes promote the transfer of hydrogen (transhydrogenation) between NADH and NAD analogues. A recently purified 17β-HSD from an Alcaligenes species (D. W. Payne and P. Talalay, J. biol. Chem ., 260 , 13468–13655, 1985) shows almost complete specificity for the 17β-hydroxy- and 17-oxogroups of both C 18 and C 19 steroids. This enzyme catalyzes steroid-dependent transhydrogenation between NADH and the thionicotinamide analogue of NAD (S-NAD). When these components are incubated at pH 8.5 in the presence of minute quantities of steroid substrates, S-NADH (measured at 398 nm where NADH does not absorb) accumulates at a constant rate which is proportional to the concentrations of steroid and enzyme. The linear increase in absorbance with time is a measure of the total concentration of 17β-hydroxy- and 17-oxo-steroids, and can be used to detect subpicomol quantities of steroids. The method is illustrated by the detection and identification of free and conjugated androgens in human serum following their separation by high pressure liquid chromatography. The specificity of the transhydrogenase assay is completely dependent on the specificity of the enzyme and is thus applicable to the detection of other hydroxy- and oxo-steroids by making use of HSDs with appropriate specificities (e.g. 3α-HSD for the measurement of 3α-hydroxy- and 3-oxo-steroids). The simple one-step reaction lends itself to automation, needs no auxiliary detection systems, and requires only an inexpensive colorimeter.
Room temperature performance of mid-wavelength infrared InAsSb nBn detectors

In this work we investigate the high temperature performance of mid-wavelength infrared InAsSb-AlAsSb nBn detectors with cut-off wavelengths near 4.5μm. The quantum efficiency of these devices is 35% without antireflection coatings and does not change with temperature in the 77 - 325K temperature range, indicating potential for room temperature operation. The device dark current stays diffusion limited in the 150K-325K temperature range and becomes dominated by generation-recombination processes at lower temperatures. Detector detectivities of D*(λ) = 1x10 9 (cm Hz 0.5 /W) at T = 300K and D*(λ) = 5x10 9 (cm Hz 0.5 /W) at T = 250K, which is easily achievable with a one stage TE cooler.
Analysis to Develop Hydrogen Production From Bio-Oils

The United States economy’s dependence on fossil fuels has historical significance but lacks vision for a long-lasting fuel consumption policy. Political complications, economic instabilities, supply shortages, and continued pollution contributions pose significant obstacles to continued reliance on oil. Alternative technologies based on renewable resources offer much more promise for a sustainable approach to meeting global energy needs. Recent research and applications have established hydrogen as a viable clean fuel source. Those applications, including fuel cells, have shown promise for the eventual migration from a fossil-fuel economy to one based on renewable energy sources. Air pollution, specifically contributions to greenhouse gases, is a major environmental hazard due to the use of fossil fuel-related hydrocarbons for fuel and industrial applications. An alternative, hydrogen, offers significant advantages as an ultra-clean fuel of the future when it is burned directly or processed through fuel cells. Currently, the main process for hydrogen production is catalytic steam reforming of natural gas. This process is relatively inefficient and does not allow the use of a wide range of feedstock materials including renewable sources. The objective of impending research is to develop this new, ultra-clean and efficient process, which converts a wide range of hydrocarbons, including renewable bio-oils, into pure hydrogen suitable for fuel cells and which also converts CO2 emission into syngas. The main impact is clearly on air pollution and global warming through the minimization of greenhouse gas emission and the economical production of pure hydrogen to foster the hydrogen economy. This new process will achieve considerable increase in hydrogen productivity and considerable decrease in the energy consumed to produce it. The technology will center on a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) that will separate hydrogen from bio-oils in an efficient process that greatly reduces polluting hydrocarbons compared to traditional fossil fuel processing. Early studies will include the mathematical modeling of computational fluid dynamics to identify process parameters. Eventually, a pilot plant will be used to verify/modify the mathematical model, for a wide range of conditions and renewable feedstocks. Testing the pilot plant will lead to the development of reliable design equations suitable for replication, build, and tight control of this novel process.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
'True apothecary thy drugs art quick'-Are we providing our pain patients the means to self-poison?

The 2012 National Poison Data System (NPDS) Annual Report lists a total of 2,576 poisoning-related deaths.1 Narrative synopses are provided for 70 individual cases with descriptive or educational v...
Vasectomy reversal in humans

Vasectomy is the most common urological procedure in the United States with 18% of men having a vasectomy before age 45. A significant proportion of vasectomized men ultimately request vasectomy reversal, usually due to divorce and/or remarriage. Vasectomy reversal is a commonly practiced but technically demanding microsurgical procedure that restores patency of the male excurrent ductal system in 80–99.5% of cases and enables unassisted pregnancy in 40–80% of couples. The discrepancy between the anastomotic patency rates and clinical pregnancy rates following vasectomy reversal suggests that some of the biological consequences of vasectomy may not be entirely reversible in all men. Herein we review what is known about the biological sequelae of vasectomy and vasectomy reversal in humans, and provide a succinct overview of the evaluation and surgical management of men desiring vasectomy reversal.
Prevention of emergency physician migratory contamination in a cluster randomized trial to increase tissue plasminogen activator use in stroke (the INSTINCT trial).

Abstract Objectives Cluster randomized trials (CRTs) are increasingly used to evaluate quality improvement interventions aimed at health care providers. In trials testing emergency department (ED) interventions, migration of emergency physicians (EPs) between hospitals is an important concern, as contamination may affect both internal and external validity. We hypothesized that geographically isolating EDs would prevent migratory contamination in a CRT designed to increase ED delivery of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in stroke (the INSTINCT trial). Methods INSTINCT was a prospective, cluster randomized, controlled trial. Twenty-four Michigan community hospitals were randomly selected in matched pairs for study. Contamination was defined at the cluster level, with substantial contamination defined a priori as greater than 10% of EPs affected. Nonadherence, total crossover (contamination + nonadherence), migration distance, and characteristics were determined. Results Three hundred seven EPs were identified at all sites. Overall, 7 (2.3%) changed study sites. One moved between control sites, leaving 6 (2.0%) total crossovers. Of these, 2 (0.7%) moved from intervention to control (contamination); and 4 (1.3%) moved from control to intervention (nonadherence). Contamination was observed in 2 of 12 control sites, with 17% and 9% contamination of the total site EP workforce at follow-up, respectively. Average migration distance was 42 miles for all EPs moving in the study and 35 miles for EPs moving from intervention to control sites. Conclusion The mobile nature of EPs should be considered in the design of quality improvement CRTs. Increased reporting of contamination in CRTs is encouraged to clarify thresholds and facilitate CRT design.
Heavy fermion materials

The heavy-fermion ground state occurs in a few select metallic compounds as a result of interactions between felectron and conduction-electron spins. A characteristically large electronic heat capacity at low temperature indicates that the effective electron mass of these materials is more than two orders of magnitude greater than that expected for a free-electron metal. This heavy-fermion ground state can become superconducting or antiferromagnetic, exhibiting very unusual properties. We will briefly discuss these materials, and the role of muon spin rotation in their study.
Oestrogen shuts the door on SOX9.

Oestrogen exerts a robust yet imperfectly understood effect on sexual development in vertebrate embryos. New work by Pask and colleagues in BMC Biology indicates that it may interfere with male development by preventing nuclear localization of SOX9, a master regulator of the testis differentiation pathway.
Characteristics Of Ir Variable Stars As Observed From Orbit

A selection of infrared variable stars was studied at wavelength 2.7 microns during 1971-1975 with data from U.S. Air Force satellites. Stars observed in this program are classified as long-period variable stars, semiregular variables, and irregular variables and are among the strongest stellar sources at this wavelength. In addition, a few new, as yet unclassified variable stars were identified during the course of the investigation. Time scales of reproducible variations range from a few weeks to a few years, and amplitudes of variation are as large as a factor of three for stars with periods of order one year. The minimum infrared flux density of a long-period star repeats accurately from one cycle to the next, whereas the maximum flux density was found to be unstable. The correlation of 2.7 micron and radio emission line data from one, well-studied long-period variable is consistent with the hypothesis that the H2O and OH circumstellar masers are saturated, if pumped by the stellar infrared flux near 2.7 microns.
Ballistics of Dwarf Mistletoe Seeds

The explosive fruit of Arceuthobium expels the seed for several feet, but the ballistics of seed flight has not been previously investigated. The data reported here for A. vaginatum f. cryptopodum indicate that the seeds have an initial velocity of about 1370 cm/sec and an initial acceleration of nearly 5000g.
Controlled synthesis of photochromic polymer brushes by atom transfer radical polymerization.

This work reports on the grafting of methyl methacrylate polymer brushes containing spirobenzopyran pendant groups from flat silica surfaces and colloidal particles utilizing atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The reaction conditions were optimized with respect to the kind of surface bound initiator, the type of halide and ligand used in the catalytic complex, the presence/absence of untethered initiator, and solvent type. This enabled synthesis of coatings up to 80 ± 3 nm thick with controlled spirobenzopyran content. While polymerization kinetics indicate the presence of chain termination reactions, the “living” character of the process is confirmed by controlled formation of block copolymer brushes. UV/vis spectroscopy was used to characterize the UV-induced isomerization of spirobenzopyran to zwitterionic merocyanine and the thermal back-reaction. Spectral and kinetic analyses of this latter bleaching process points to the existence of free and associated merocyanines in the polymeric brush ...
The Global Financial Crisis: what have we learned so far?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a cohesive review of the major findings in the literature concerning the Global Financial Crisis. Design/methodology/approach – Papers published in top-rated finance and economics journal since the crisis up to the present were reviewed. A large number of these were selected for inclusion, primarily based on the number of citations they had received adjusted for the amount of time elapsed since their publication, but also partly based on how well they fit in with the narrative. Findings – Much has been done to investigate the causes of the Global Financial Crisis, its effects on various aspects of the financial system, and the effectiveness of regulatory measures undertaken to restore the financial system. While more remains to be done, the existing body of research paints an interesting picture of what happened and why it happened, describes the interrelationships between the mortgage markets and financial markets created by the large scale securitization of financial assets, identifies the problems created by these inter-linkages and offers possible solutions, and assesses the effectiveness of the regulatory response to the crisis. Originality/value – This study summarizes a vast amount of literature using a framework that allows the reader to quickly absorb a large amount of information as well as identify specific works that they may wish to examine more closely. By providing a picture of what has been done, it may also assist the reader in identifying areas that should be the subject of future research.
SeaWinds applications for land and ice studies

While originally designed for making wind vector measurements over the ocean, radar scatterometers are also effective for large-scale monitoring of the Earth's land and ice surfaces. The recently launched SeaWinds scatterometer is the next generation of Ku-band scatterometers and offers many advantages over previous scatterometers including a very wide swath and constant incidence angle measurements. The wide swath of SeaWinds enables much more frequent coverage of the Earth's surface than has previously been possible and enhances the potential of the data in land and ice applications. SeaWinds data has been particularly effective in polar ice applications and SeaWinds data is currently being used for operational sea-ice extent monitoring and large iceberg tracking. Additional applications include monitoring glacial and sea-ice melting and studying the firn structure in Greenland and Antarctica. New applications of SeaWinds are being developed, including high resolution wind retrieval. Several such applications are briefly considered.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of Reused Water on Atlantic Salmon

Abstract Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fingerlings were reared in water passing successively through a series of six troughs for 110 d. Fish loading per trough was based on a flow index (a ratio of fish weight to fish length and water flow) of 36.4; thus the cumulative index was 218.4 at the sixth water use. Two indicators of water quality were measured after each water use; mean dissolved oxygen concentration decreased from 7.2 mg/L after the first water use to 3.3 mg/L after the sixth use, and mean total ammonia concentration increased from 0.09 to 0.63 mg/L. Growth rate began to decline at the third water use, when dissolved oxygen averaged 4.9 mg/L and total ammonia averaged 0.40 mg/L.
Computational Study of Reactive Flow in Halide Chemical Vapor Deposition of Silicon Carbide Epitaxial Film

In this study, a comprehensive transport model is developed for Halide Chemical Vapor Deposition (HCVD) system which includes gas dynamics, heat and mass transfer, gas-phase and surface chemistry, and radio-frequency induction heating. This model addresses transport of multiple chemical species in high temperature environment with large temperature difference and complex chemical reactions in gas-phase and on the deposition surface. Numerical modeling of the deposition process in a horizontal hot-wall reactor using SiCl4 /C3 H8 /H2 as precursors has been performed over a wide range of operational parameters to quantify the effects of processing parameters on the film growth. The simulations of the deposition process provide detailed information on the gas-phase composition as well as the distributions of gas velocity and temperature in the reactor. The deposition rate on the substrate surface is also predicted. The results illustrate that deposition temperature and the flow rate of carrier gas play an important role in determining the processing conditions and deposition rate. A high concentration of HCl exists in the growth chamber and the etching of the SiC films by HCl has significant effect on the deposition rate. The modeling approach can be further used to improve reactor design and optimization of processing conditions.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Stereospecificity of hydride transfer for the catalytically recycled NAD+ in CDP-d-glucose 4,6-dehydratase

Abstract CDP-D-glucose 4,6-dehydratase (Eod), found in the biosynthetic pathway of 3,6-dideoxysugars, contains a tightly bound NAD+ that is recycled during catalysis. The stereochemical preference of the hydride transfer to and from the coenzyme in Eod was determined to be pro-S by analyzing the NAD+ produced when the apoenzyme was incubated with stereospecifically labeled NADH and its product, CDP-6-deoxy-D-glycero-L-threo-4-hexulose.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), with its excellent spatial resolution and ability to visualize networks of neuroanatomical structures involved in complex information processing, has become the dominant technique for the study of brain function and its development. The accessibility of in-vivo pediatric brain-imaging techniques together with the revolution in modern molecular genetic and epigenetic techniques offers the developmental scientist an unprecedented opportunity to enact a truly developmental perspective, allowing the experimentalist to understand and integrate multiple levels of analysis in the study of developing children. Here, we review how fMRI works along with a critical issue in the use of fMRI to study cognition and its development—the necessity to carefully control movement in the scanner. We then provide a primer on strategies implemented in our laboratory to successfully scan children as young as 4 years of age while they are awake and engaged in cognitive tasks. We concl...
Effect of Electronic Correlations in the X-Ray Edge, and Recoil Problems

It is shown that a self-consistent Hartree-Fock treatment of the x-ray edge profile in metals modifies the singularity near threshold predicted by current theories. Some exact results are presented for the response spectrum of a charged Fermi liquid recoiling under a sudden applied potential. These do indicate a strongly asymmetrical spectrum of recoil energies for weak perturbations, similar to that predicted for noninteracting particles.
The Influence of Flock Uniformity on the Reproductive Performance of Broiler Breeder Hens Housed in Cages and Floor Pens

Abstract Two flocks of broiler breeder hens, differing in uniformity of body weight, were evaluated under cage and floor management systems over a 28-week period. Hens were housed singly in cages (N = 280) or in litter floor pens (N = 304). Caged hens were artificially inseminated with .05 ml of pooled semen once weekly. Floor birds were mated naturally. During the first 10 weeks of production, the more uniform flock exhibited significantly higher egg production than the less uniform flock. Uniformity did not influence cumulative egg production, egg weight, fertility, or mortality. Initial egg production was similar for caged and floor housed hens, but the caged birds attained significantly higher egg production during peak production. Caged females showed higher egg weights and body weights than did the floor females throughout the study. Naturally mated birds attained significantly higher fertility than artificially inseminated birds (94.9 vs. 90.6). Correlation coefficients for the weights of caged hens at 20 and 24 weeks with 24, 32, 40, and 50 week weights, total eggs per bird, and age at first egg indicated that body weight at 24 weeks was a better indicator of subsequent flock performance than was body weight at 20 weeks.
Dynein light chain Tctex-1 identifies neural progenitors in adult brain

The identity and biology of stem cells and progenitors in the adult brain are of considerable interest, because these cells hold great promise for the development of novel therapies for damaged brain tissue in human diseases. This research field critically needs biological markers that specifically identify the resident precursors in the germinal zones of the adult central nervous system so that the discovery of regulatory influences for adult neurogenesis may be facilitated. In this study, by using a combination of in situ hybridization, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, immunocolocalization, and ultrastructural studies, we show that in rodents Tctex-1, a cytoplasmic dynein light chain, is selectively enriched in almost all cycling progenitors and young neuronal progeny, but not in mature granular cells and astrocytes, in the subgranular zone of the adult dentate gyrus. Tctex-1 is also selectively abundant in cells closely resembling previously described immature progenitors and migrating neuroblasts at the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle. Our results suggest that Tctex-1 serves as a novel marker for the identification of neural progenitors of the adult brain.
Liver Transplantation Is Possible in Some Patients with Liver Metastasis of Colon Cancer

Liver metastases from colorectal cancer are an absolute contraindication for liver transplantation. Aggressive therapy with liver resection and local chemotherapy in selected patients may be able to provide long-term cure. Given the risks of tumor recurrence, whether patients with post chemotherapy complications leading to liver failure should be offered transplantation is a challenging question in an era of limited organ availability. Herein we have presented 2 cases of liver transplantation performed in patients with colorectal cancer metastases treated with liver resection followed by hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy leading to development of sclerosing cholangitis and eventual liver failure. This report demonstrates that liver transplantation may be an option in selected patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases that have been well treated.
Quantity and Quality in Evaluation Research: A Divergent View.

Abstract Many researchers in evaluation and related fields are now attempting to synthesize quantitative and qualitative approaches. Certainly such efforts appear to carry great promise. However, there is reason to believe that the subtleties and genuine incompatibilities of these approaches are being overlooked. I illustrate some of these differences and subtleties and their implications for social inquiry.
Mode I Fracture Resistance of a Laminated Fiber-Reinforced Ceramic

The mode I fracture resistance of a ceramic matrix composite has been measured. Simultaneous observations have revealed that the resistance is dominated by frictional dissipation upon the pullout of fibers that fracture in the crack wake off the crack plane. Numerical and analytical crack growth simulations have been compared with the experimental results. One important feature in this comparison concerns the occurrence of large-scale bridging. With these effects taken into account, the simulations and the experiments are found to be in good correspondence for acceptable magnitudes of the interface sliding stress.
Analysis of particle–matrix interfacial debonding using the proper generalized decomposition

Abstract Syntactic foams are a class of particulate composites consisting of microballoons dispersed in a matrix material. While several modeling schemes have been developed to study their elastic response, the mechanics of failure of these composites is a largely untapped research area. Here, we propose a mathematically tractable framework to analyze particle–matrix interfacial debonding in uniaxial tension. The proper generalized decomposition is used to study the deformation of the matrix and the inclusion, and the method of Lagrange multipliers is adapted to satisfy the boundary conditions along the bonded portion of the inclusion–matrix interface. A variational approach is utilized to derive the governing differential equations, and the Galerkin method is implemented to cast the problem into a manageable set of algebraic equations. An iterative procedure based on the fixed point algorithm is ultimately used to determine the displacement fields. Results are specialized to a glass particle–vinyl ester matrix system, and a parametric study is conducted to understand the mechanics of debonding. Results are validated through available data and new finite element simulations. We find that the proposed framework is in very good agreement with numerical results for a wide range of debonding angles, inclusion volume fractions, and inclusion wall thicknesses.
A content analytic comparison of fitspiration and thinspiration websites

Objective “Pro-ana” or Thinspiration websites are internet sites that support weight loss and eating disorders. Fitspiration websites are a newer type of site that supposedly advocates a fit and healthy lifestyle. Method The first 10 images from a sample of 50 Fitspiration and 50 Thinspiration websites, chosen using a standard internet search protocol, were rated on a variety of weight, eating, and appearance characteristics. χ2 analyses were conducted to compare website content. Results Thinspiration sites featured more content related to losing weight or fat, praising thinness, showng a thin pose, and providing food guilt messages than Fitspiration sites. However, sites did not differ on guilt-inducing messages regarding weight or the body, fat/weight stigmatization, the presence of objectifying phrases, and dieting/restraint messages. Overall, 88% of Thinspiration sites and 80% of Fitspiration sites contained one or more of the coded variables. Discussion Prior research has examined Thinspiration websites and noted the potentially hazardous messages contained on these sites. This content analysis indicates that sites supposedly devoted to healthy pursuits (fitness) may also contain thematically similar content. (Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:98–101)
Experiments with Lattice-based PPRLM Language Identification

In this paper we describe experiments conducted during the development of a lattice-based PPRLM language identification system as part of the NIST 2005 language recognition evaluation campaign. In experiments following LRE05, the PPRLM-lattice sub-system presented here achieved a 30s/primary condition EER of 4.87%, making it the single best performing recognizer developed by the MIT-LL team. Details of implementation issues and experimental results are presented and interactions with backend score normalization are explored.
Facilitation of ventricular tachyarrhythmia induction by isoproterenol

Ventricular tachyarrhythmia induction was facilitated during infusion of isoproterenol in 21 of 60 patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) in whom programmed electrical stimulation alone failed to reproducibly induce sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Of 44 patients with no ventricular tachyarrhythmias induced before isoproterenol infusion, 11 had a sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia and 1 patient had unsustained VT induced by isoproterenol alone or by programmed stimulation during the infusion. In 9 of 16 patients in whom nonreproducible or unsustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias were induced before isoproterenol infusion, more reproducible or more sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias were induced during the infusion. Tachyarrhythmia induction was facilitated by isoproterenol in 20 of 40 patients with sustained VT clinically, but in only 1 of 20 patients with unsustained VT or VF clinically. Among patients with sustained VT clinically, those with exercise-provoked VT and those who had not been tested with stimulation at a second right ventricular site or in the left ventricle were more likely to have induction facilitated by isoproterenol. Drugs effective against induction of isoproterenol-facilitated ventricular tachyarrhythmias were identified in 13 of 25 trials. These drugs were effective during a mean follow-up of 17 months in 7 of 9 long-term trials.
All in the Golden Afternoon: The Early Life of Charles L. Dodgson (Lewis Carroll).

This paper analyzes the early life of the eminent children's writer and mathematical scholar, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll). The author concludes that by examining the early years of eminent individuals, we are better able to analyze nurturing environments and document those qualities, characteristics, responses, and events that describe the phenomenon we call giftedness.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Breast: Opportunities to Improve Breast Cancer Management

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a relatively recent diagnostic tool for the breast, and the role of MRI in breast cancer management is evolving. As an adjunct to mammography and ultrasound, MRI can be a valuable addition to the work-up of a breast abnormality or biopsy-proven cancer. MRI has the advantages of providing a three-dimensional view of the breast, performing with high sensitivity in dense breast tissue and using non-ionizing radiation. MRI has significant disadvantages as well, including its high cost, variability in performance, and moderate specificity that, in combination with high sensitivity, often leads to unnecessary work-up. AsMRI findswider use, there is concern among clinicians that itmay lead tomoreaggressive treatments forbreast cancerwithout necessarily improving patient outcomes. MRI may be oversensitive, revealing noninvasive disease that may never progress, or residual disease that would be effectively treated by radiation. MRI also adds considerablecost topatient care.However, it is possible that judicious use of MRI could lead to changes in practice patterns that have been adopted based on outcomes using current methods for detecting and staging breast cancer. Many standards of care are applied broadly to groups of patients, although it is known that they benefit only a subset. The high sensitivity ofMRImay allow breast cancers to be characterized more precisely such that less invasive and better-tailored treatment options, including watchful waiting, can be used. This review discusses the current clinical applications for breast MRI and emerging areas where MRI has the potential to change and improve breast cancer management.
Software aesthetics: from text and diagrams to interactive spaces

Ubiquitous computing suggests that the computers and their information are located everywhere – inside walls, rooms, people and trees. A complementary scenario occurs along the virtuality continuum, where scripts and data are located separately in virtual 3D objects. A natural consequence of ubiquitous computing in physical and virtual environments is that information and software begin to transition from ethereal artefact to design object. Currently, this trend is being seen in ambient devices that display information. We describe how this trend will also lead to other forms of software being similarly expressed in a variety of human-interactive forms. The end result is a new vision for software representation that brings it into the public sphere.
EconPort: a digital library for microeconomics education

We present the EconPort system (WWW.econport.org), a digital library for Microeconomics education that incorporates experimental economics software and automated e-commerce agents.
Teachers’ unions, compensation, and tenure

In this paper I show that school districts in which teachers negotiate via collective bargaining have greater returns to experience and grant tenure earlier than districts without collective bargaining. Districts that are unionized, either with or without legal collective bargaining protections, have higher returns to degrees and higher starting salaries than districts without a union. Unionization is not strongly correlated with the existence of output-based pay for performance but is correlated with the use of output-based measures in tenure decisions. Unionization is positively correlated with the number of junior teachers dismissed for poor performance but not strongly correlated with the number of senior teachers dismissed for poor performance.
Community-acquired pneumonia in older veterans: does the pneumonia prognosis index help?

OBJECTIVES: Mortality rates from pneumonia increase steadily with age. Recently, a disease severity model (the Pneumonia Prognosis Index (PPI)) has been developed to predict mortality from community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). PPI ranks severity of pneumonia from 1 to 5, with 5 being most severe. This retrospective study utilizes the PPI to address the prognosis of CAP in older adults. DESIGN: Retrospective review of medical charts. SETTING: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. PARTICIPANTS: All adults aged 60 and older admitted to a Veterans Affairs Medical Center with CAP between January 1 and December 31, 1998. MEASUREMENTS: PPI was calculated using subjects' demographics, comorbidities, presenting symptoms, and laboratory measurements. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients aged 60 and older were admitted with 101 episodes of CAP. The mean age ± standard deviation was 72 ± 9. Seventy-four episodes were admitted from the emergency room, 20 from another hospital, seven from nursing homes, and five from outpatient clinics. Mean length of stay was 7.1 ± 6 days. Comorbid conditions included coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, neoplasm, stroke, and renal failure. Most episodes fell into higher PPI classes, with 20% in Class 3, 46% in Class 4, and 32% in Class 5. PPI score was significantly related to length of stay (P < .001), intensity of care (P < .0001), and presence of complications (P < .001). Mortality was 14% at 30 days: 0.5% in Class 3, 10.8% in Class 4, and 25% in Class 5. CONCLUSION: The PPI was effective in identifying older adults with CAP who were at risk of a poor outcome, but the practical utility of this index remains to be determined. Further prospective studies are required to elucidate the importance of comorbidities, severity at presentation, and premorbid functional status on clinical and functional outcomes of CAP in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 50:434–438, 2002.
Serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase assay using the sequential multiple analyzer (SMA 12-30).

The SMA-12/30 method for serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase assay gives higher values than are obtained with a reference spectrophotometric method for some serums. A modification of the manifold is made to permit the running of serum blanks. Blank corrections on 466 serum samples indicate that dialysis does not eliminate the need for the blank determination. Acetoacetate interferes in the SMA-12/30 method. The possibility of other interfering substances has not been ruled out.
Average Earnings and Long-Term Mortality: Evidence from Administrative Data

In this paper we exploit a unique database that merges longitudinal earnings data on Pennsylvanian workers with national death records to study the detailed nature of the corre lation between earnings and mortality. We find that the estimates typically reported in the lit erature, which are based on single years of earn ings data, are likely to understate substantially the strength of the association between income and mortality. In particular, relative to a single year of earnings, the average of earnings over a six-year period predicts a 70 percent greater impact of income on mortality. In addition, con trolling for the mean level of earnings over a period, we find that greater earnings volatility is associated with higher mortality. We also examine the lag structure of the rela tionship between earnings and mortality. We