cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analytical and Clinical Evaluation of the Automated Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Assay on the Roche cobas e602 Analyzer.

Objectives To evaluate the analytical and clinical performance of the automated Elecsys anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody (Elecsys Ab) assay on the Roche cobas e602 analyzer. With the ongoing global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, widespread and routine serologic testing of SARS-CoV-2 remains a pressing need. To better understand its epidemiologic spread and to support policies aimed at curtailing further infections, reliable serologic testing is crucial for providing insight into the dynamics of the spread of COVID-19 on a population level. Methods The presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in polymerase chain reaction-positive, confirmed COVID-19 patient samples was determined using the Elecsys Ab assay on the Roche cobas e602 analyzer. The precision and cross-reactivity of the Elecsys Ab assay were characterized and its performance was compared against the EuroImmun IgA/IgG antibody (EuroImmun Ab) assay. Calculated sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were assessed. Results The Elecsys Ab assay demonstrated good precision, had no cross-reactivity with other viral samples, and showed 100% concordance with the EuroImmun Ab assay. Excellent clinical performance with respect to sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values was observed. Conclusions The Elecsys Ab assay is a precise and highly reliable automated platform for clinical detection of seropositivity in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Soil–skin adherence measures from hand press trials in a Gulf study of exposures

Marine oil spills and the resulting environmental contamination is common along coastal areas; however, information is lacking about the safety of impacted beaches for public use, especially for the most vulnerable population: children. One route of exposure for children at oil impacted beaches is through contact with sands. The purpose of this study was to evaluate beach sand skin adherence for children under the age of seven. Each of 122 children participated in a hand press trial conducted at one of four different U.S. beaches (two in Miami, FL, and two in Galveston, TX USA). During the hand press trials, hand conditions of the children were randomized (dry, wet, or with sunscreen), and soil adherence (mass of sand per palmar surface area of the hand) and the maximum pressure applied (force applied per area of hand) was measured and calculated. Each child was instructed to press their hands on a soil laden tray for 5 s and pressure of contact was measured using a scale. Results (n = 98) showed that the average soil adherence for both palmar hands across the four beaches ranged from 0.200 to 234 mg/cm2 with an average of 35.7 mg/cm2, with boys (40.4 mg/cm2) showing slightly higher means than girls (31.7 mg/cm2), but these differences were not significant even after adjusting for age. Among the three conditions evaluated, the highest loading was measured for children with wet hands (mean 65.3 mg/cm2), followed by dry hands (mean 24.5 mg/cm2). Sunscreen hands (mean 23.2 mg/cm2) had the lowest loadings. The pressure of contact ranged from 0.180 to 1.69 psi and varied by age groups and by height and weight, where pressure of contact did not have a significant influence on soil adherence. The average adhered sand grain size and average ambient sand grain size both had a statistically significant impact on hand soil adherence. Overall results from this study can be utilized in exposure and risk assessment models to evaluate the possible health impacts from contaminants found in beach sands.
Can a Tiger Change its Stripes? Reform of Chinese State-Owned Enterprises in the Penumbra of the State

The majority of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China were privatized through ownership reforms over the last two decades. Using a comprehensive dataset of all medium and large enterprises in China between 1998 and 2013, we show that privatized SOEs continue to benefit from government support relative to private enterprises. Compared to private firms that were never state-owned, privatized SOEs are favored by low interest loans and government subsidies. These differences are more salient with the Chinese government’s trillion-dollar stimulus package introduced after the 2008 global financial crisis. Moreover, both SOEs and privatized SOEs significantly under-perform in profitability compared to private firms. Nevertheless there are clear improvements in performance post-privatization. The tiger can change its stripes; however, the government’s behavior seems to be sticky. Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.
Go-CHART: A miniature remotely accessible self-driving car robot

The Go-CHART is a four-wheel, skid-steer robot that resembles a 1:28 scale standard commercial sedan. It is equipped with an onboard sensor suite and both onboard and external computers that replicate many of the sensing and computation capabilities of a full-size autonomous vehicle. The Go-CHART can autonomously navigate a small-scale traffic testbed, responding to its sensor input with programmed controllers. Alternatively, it can be remotely driven by a user who views the testbed through the robot’s four camera feeds, which facilitates safe, controlled experiments on driver interactions with driverless vehicles. We demonstrate the Go-CHART’s ability to perform lane tracking and detection of traffic signs, traffic signals, and other Go-CHARTs in real-time, utilizing an external GPU that runs computationally intensive computer vision and deep learning algorithms.
Smart Device Identification of Potsherds and Gemstones with Radiofrequency-Induced Harmonics Vibrations

Radiofrequencies can induce unique vibrational signatures in material such as potsherds and precious or semiprecious gemstones. We previously reported a method of identifying pottery shards based on their vibrational characteristics with ultrasound stimulation. We now detail the experimental procedure necessary for the extraction of such signatures from both ceramic shards and precious gems using radiofrequency stimulation. With both rapid and inexpensive vibrational signature extraction and comparison to a known database library, the technique provides a potential method of on-site material identification.
State-Society Relations in an International Context

In this article, current conceptions of state/society relations are examined in an international context. After a brief overview of research on state/society relations and the multinational corporation in Africa, a case study of Ismaili health-care initiatives in Tanzania is presented which illustrates the relevance of multi-level analysis to the study of civil society.
Antibody microarrays for high-throughput, multianalyte analysis

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) microarray technology promises to be a powerful tool for detecting and validating protein biomarkers, especially panels of biomarkers. ELISA microarrays are capable of high-throughput analysis of multiple proteins using small sample volumes. In this chapter we review the literature on the use of antibody microarrays for biomarker discovery and validation. We also described the methodologies we employ to obtain high-quality data through protocol optimization and data calibration.
An extended urn model with application to approximation

Polya's urn model from probability theory is extended to obtain a class of approximation operators for which the Weierstrass Approximation Theorem holds.
BLOOM OF THE GIANT ANADYOMENE GIGANTODICTYON SP. NOV. (ANADYOMENACEAE, CLADOPHORALES) FROM THE OUTER SLOPE (25–50 m) OF THE BELIZE BARRIER REEF1

A giant form of Anadyomene, most similar to Anadyomene pavonina (J. Agardh) Wille, a rare and diminutive alga endemic to Florida, appeared as up to 10 m long net-like strands covering 10%-80% of a 0.5 km region of the 25-50 m deep Belizean outer reef slope where none had been present up to 12 months earlier. This new species, described herein as Anadyomene gigantodictyon Littler et D. S. Littler, is characterized by a unistratose blade or cluster of blades formed by the polychotomous branching of uniseriate veins, with the interstices, or spaces between the veins, completely or partially filled with cells that are smaller than those of the veins, with cylindrical to ovate cells. The cells at mid-blade are 1.7-2.0 mm in length and 0.2-0.3 mm diameter; interstitial cells are parallel and not juxtaposed. All cells are joined in one plane and form species-specific, fan-shaped patterns with secondary interstitial cells loosely or tightly woven.
Theoretical perspectives on adoptive families' well-being: Which comparison groups are most appropriate?

ABSTRACT In this article, we review alternative approaches to selecting appropriate comparison groups when assessing the well-being of members in adoptive families. We consider four theoretical perspectives, each emphasizing the importance of different features of families in determining relationship quality and well-being. The four theoretical approaches reviewed in relation to adoption research include stigmatization, socialization, biological, and family process models. Each leads to somewhat different hypotheses as to how adoptive family members' well-being compares to that of families with two biological parents, single parents, and stepparents. We conclude that designs that permit researchers to assess family processes are crucial in allowing researchers to determine whether apparent family structure differences hold up after accounting for variance within family types.
Power distribution planning reference book

Power delivery systems electrical load and consumer demand for power availability and power quality planning criteria reliability and contingency criteria economic evaluation line segments and transformer economics and set design distibution feeder layout multi-feeder layout distribution substations distribution system layout substation siting and system expansion planning service level layout and planning planning and the T&D planning process forecasting T&D load feeder analysis methods automated planning tools and methods traditional versus competitive industry paradigms.
OR7 Antibodies to MHC class I induce transcription factor Zbtb7a and regulate development of autoimmunity leading to chronic rejection

Aim Chronic rejection, bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), is a major hurdle following human lung transplantation. Antibodies (Ab) to HLA (DSA) and lung-associated antigens (Collagen V (Col-V) and K-alpha-1 Tubulin (K α 1T) have been associated with development of BOS. Our goal was to demonstrate early events (genes and their role in inflammation) associated with administration of anti-MHC class I (H-2 Kb) into murine (C57BL/6) lungs that precede cellular and humoral autoimmunity and chronic rejection. Methods We analyzed molecular signatures arising from anti-MHC administration by genechip microarray. Zbtb7a was selected for functional analysis. siRNA-Lentivirus was used to knockdown Zbtb7a in lungs to study its role in Ab induced chronic rejection. Kinetics of Ab development and T cell responses was tested by ELISA and ELISPOT. Changes in leukocyte profile were analyzed by flow cytometry and gene expression levels by real-time PCR. Results In genechip assay, 12 genes including Zbtb7a were significantly ( p 1.5-fold) at 4 h post Ab administration. Use of siRNA-Lentivirus knocked down Zbtb7a expression. Following anti-MHC I, Zbtb7a knockdown demonstrated significant ( p α 1T and anti-Col-V, and remained free from inflammation and fibrosis. Further, anti-MHC elicited lower K α 1T and Col-V specific Th17 and Th1 cells. Moreover, less infiltration of neutrophil and B cell were seen in lungs and decreased levels of B cell (CXCL13) and neutrophil (CXCL15) chemoattractants were observed. Conclusions We demonstrate that DSA activates unique molecular signature involved in lung autoimmunity. Zbtb7a, as a transcription factor induced by DSA, is a “master regulator” of B and T cell development and has novel inflammatory functions leading to chronic rejection. By targeted knockdown, we established that Zbtb7a has an obligatory role in the amplification of inflammatory circuits where its loss rendered protection from Ab induced obliterative airway disease.
A forest of dreams: Ontological multiplicity and the fantasies of environmental government in the Philippines

Abstract How do invisible beings in the forested hinterlands complicate the work of bureaucrats in the capital? What do dreams and the beings who visit them have to do with state power? Despite a deepening commitment to posthumanism, political ecologists have rarely opened our accounts of more-than-human assemblages to what have conventionally been termed “supernatural” or “metaphysical” forms of agency. To counter this lingering ethnocentrism, I argue here for an ontologically broadened understanding of how environmental government is produced and contested in contexts of difference. My argument draws on ethnographic fieldwork on Palawan Island in the Philippines, where the expansion of conservation enclosures has coincided with the postauthoritarian recognition of Indigenous rights. Officials there have looked to a presumed Indigenous subsistence ethic as a natural fit for conservation enclosures. In practice, however, Palawan land- and resource-use decisions are based, in part, on social relations with an invisible realm of beings who make their will known through mediums or dreams. These relations involve contingencies that complicate and at times subvert the designs of bureaucratic conservation. As a result, attempts to graft these designs onto Palawan practices do as much to engender mutually transformative encounters between contrasting ontological practices as they do to create well-disciplined eco-subjects or establish state territoriality. To better understand the operation of environmental government – and to hold it accountable to promises of meaningful local participation – political ecology should, I argue, attend more carefully to the ontological multiplicity of forces that shape spatial practices and their regulation.
Phenomenology and theory of possible light Higgs bosons

We study the implications of the absence of a direct discovery of a Higgs boson at LEP. First we exhibit 15 physically different ways in which one or more Higgs bosons lighter than the LEP limit could still exist. In the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) all of these, as well as the cases where mh ≥ 115 GeV, seem fine-tuned. We examine some interpretations of the fine tuning in high scale theories. The least fine-tuned MSSM outcome will have mh ≃ 115 GeV, while approaches that extend the MSSM at the weak scale can naturally have larger mh.
A method for localizing microelectrode trajectories in the macaque brain using MRI.

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often used by electrophysiologists to target specific brain regions for placement of microelectrodes. However, the effectiveness of this technique has been limited by few methods to quantify in three dimensions the relative locations of brain structures, recording chambers and microelectrode trajectories. Here we present such a method. After surgical implantation, recording chambers are fitted with a plastic cylinder that is filled with a high-contrast agent to aid in the segmentation of the cylinder from brain matter in an MRI volume. The resulting images of the filled cylinder correspond to a virtual cylinder that is projected along its long axis – parallel to the trajectories of microelectrodes advanced through the recording chamber – through the three-dimensional image of the brain. This technique, which does not require a stereotaxic coordinate system, can be used to quantify the coverage of an implanted recording chamber relative to anatomical landmarks at any depth or orientation. We have used this technique in conjunction with Caret [Van Essen DC, Drury HA, Dickson J, Harwell J, Hanlon D, Anderson CH. An integrated software suite for surface-based analyses of cerebral cortex. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2001;8:443–59] and AFNI [Cox RW. AFNI: software for analysis and visualization of functional magnetic resonance neuroimages. Comput Biomed Res 1996;29:162–73] brain-mapping software to successfully localize several regions of macaque cortex, including the middle temporal area, the lateral intraparietal area and the frontal eye field, and one subcortical structure, the locus coeruleus, for electrophysiological recordings.
Separation of Polymers by Molecular Weight through Inclusion Compound Formation with Urea and α-Cyclodextrin Hosts

α-Cyclodextrin (α-CD) and urea (U) hosts were used in order to separate a mixture of poly(ethylene glycols) (PEGs) with two different molecular weights (Mw = 600 [PEG600] and Mw = 20 000 [PEG20000]) by forming the respective inclusion compounds (ICs). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) have been used to verify the formation and successfully characterize all inclusion compounds. The high melting point of the urea inclusion compound (PEG*-U IC) formed from the solution containing both polymers was the first evidence that urea preferentially included poly(ethylene glycol) with the higher molecular weight. The PEG*-U IC and PEG20000-U IC X-ray diffraction patterns and FTIR spectra were very similar to each other, confirming that urea preferentially complexes PEG20000 in their mutual solution. Since the above-mentioned techniques were not as useful in the case of α-CD ICs, viscosity measurements were made in order to ...
Randomized trials in coronary artery bypass surgery

C ORONARY ARTERY BYPASS surgery (CAB) has been the focus of controversy regarding indications, effectiveness, cost, and societal impact.lw4 In part, the controversy relates to skepticism developed in response to earlier surgical procedures for patients with coronary artery disease. ‘-’ Furthermore, the natural history of coronary artery disease has improved in many countries, including the United States, with impressive declines in cardiovascular mortality that began well before widespread use of CAB.8 New drugs introduced to clinical practice in the late 1960s and 1970s are effective medical therapy for relief of angina.“” In this milieu of an altered natural history and changing therapeutic options, the need for prospective trials with random treatment assignment was recognized. The objective of this article is to provide a critical review of the published randomized trials of CAB, providing first a background and analysis of randomized trials as a method of clinical research.
Investigation of ligand effects on exciton recombination in PbS nanoparticles

Multiple exciton generation (MEG) and exciton recombination were studied by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy in PbS nanoparticles (NPs) capped with oleic acid (PbS–OLA) and 2,3-dimerca...
Bone graft substitutes in spinal surgery

Abstract There are over 185,000 spinal fusions performed each year in the United States. Iliac crest bone graft is the mostcommonly used graft source due to its osteoinductive, osteoconductive, and osteogenic potential. Harvesting iliac-crest bone is associated with significant morbidity, and much research has been aimed at developing bone-graft substitutes. The alternatives to bone graft currently available include allograft, ceramics, demineralized bone matrix and bone morphogenetic proteins. Research in gene therapy is well underway with the goal of developing osteogenic substitutes. Although certain products in clinical studies demonstrate potential to serve as bone-graft substitutes, there are alternatives available currently that parallel or exceed the osteogenic potential of autogenous bone.
The usefulness of the verbal receptivity construct in instructional communication research

Perceptions of verbal receptivity of dyadic partners have recently been incorporated into interpersonal research. Receptivity of a teacher appears likely to be associated with student learning. However, it was suspected that perceptions of teacher responsiveness, a factor found very important in previous research, might overlap with perceptions of receptivity to the point that the latter construct would not be useful for predicting additional variability in student learning. While both verbal receptivity and responsiveness were found to be significantly correlated with both affective and cognitive learning, the data indicated that measures of verbal receptivity and responsiveness were highly correlated. Analyses of variance found that verbal receptivity contributed significantly to cognitive learning but non‐significantly to affective learning (except affect for instructor) when the effects of responsiveness were accounted for. Receptivity probably would be best considered as a subset of the larger respon...
Anisotropic resistivity in the mixed state of YBa2Cu3O7-δ

Abstract Anisotropic YBCO film resistivity data of Iye et al. [Physica C 166 (1990) 62] have been analyzed in terms of conventional flux-flow and phase-slip resistivities. Iye et al. systematically varied the angle θ of the magnetic field relative to the c -axis for a number of fields ranging from 0.3 to 5 T. It is shown that the data exhibit no evidence for conventional Bardeen-Stephen flux-flow; the data are interpreted using an expression for anisotropic phase-slip resistivity. The phenomenological expression for the resistivity given by Tinkham has been extended to include the dependence on the polar angle θ; the phase-slip resistivity varies approximately as ϱ ps (H,T,θ) = ϱ n /[I 0 ( γ(H,T,θ) 2 )] 2 . Although the mass anisotropy parameter Γ = 5.3 (the ratio H c2 (θ = π 2 ) (H c2 (θ = 0) ) , for low fields, the data for the ratio ϱ ( H ∥ c )/ ϱ ( H ⊥ c ) is as large as 160 and the field and angular dependent resistivity does not scale with H / H c 2 ( θ ); the variation is easily accomodated by the proposed model.
A low noise programmable clock multiplier based on a pulse injection-locked oscillator with a highly-digital tuning loop

This paper introduces a pulse injection-locked oscillator (PILO) that provides low jitter clock multiplication of a clean input reference clock. A mostly-digital feedback circuit provides continuous tuning of the oscillator such that its natural frequency is locked to the injected frequency. The prototype uses a 50 MHz reference input to generate a 3.2 GHz output with integrated phase noise, reference spur, and estimated deterministic jitter of 134 fs (rms), - 63.4 dBc, and 211 fs (peak-to-peak), respectively.
Current and potential improvements in the treatment of asthma from increased understanding of airway pathophysiology

ABSTRACT The mainstay of chronic asthma management consists of using pharmacological agents that induce bronchodilatation, such as short-acting β-adrenergic receptor agonists (bronchodilators or relievers), and that control the chronic inflammatory process, such as corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory or controllers). Short-acting β-adrenergic receptor agonists are the best relievers, whereas inhaled corticosteroids, by inhibiting eosinophilic and lymphocytic inflammation and mediator/cytokine expression, remain the mainstay chronic treatment of asthma. Long-acting β-adrenergic receptor agonists are best used in conjunction with inhaled corticosteroids, providing additive bronchodilatation, better asthma control and reduced exacerbation rates in patients with moderate to severe asthma. Slow-release theophylline combines bronchodilator and some anti-inflammatory effects and is best used in combination with inhaled corticosteroids. Leukotriene inhibitors, by either inhibiting the effects of cysteinyl leukotrienes or reducing their production, also cause some bronchodilator effects with inhibition of eosinophilic inflammation. They are effective in mild-tomoderate asthma, but low-dose inhaled steroids are more efficacious; leukotriene inhibitors also provide additive effects in combination with inhaled steroids. Increased understanding of the immunology and inflammatory responses has led to the identification of novel targets and to the development of potentially new therapies. These include immunologic targets, such as those against T cells and T cell-related targets, anticytokine therapies and anti-IgE approaches. New effective therapies are particularly needed for patients with severe asthma who do not respond to currently available treatments.
When best practices aren’t: A Schwabian perspective on teaching

The curriculum literature has much to say about the ecological fallacy embodied in the ‘best practices’ movement. The work of Schwab anticipated much of it by reminding us of the dangers of trying to control classroom practices from afar, with the use of theoretical representations of classrooms that were, by definition, never fully like their real counterparts. The North American discourse on the quality of teaching can be substantively improved by being understood through this important Schwabian lens.
Triggering at LHC experiments

Abstract Triggering and Data Acquisition is one of the extraordinary challenges facing experiment designers at the high luminosity LHC collider. For the nominal LHC design luminosity of 10 34 cm −2 s −1 , an average of 17 events occurs at the beam crossing frequency of 25 ns . This input rate of 10 9 interactions every second must be reduced by a factor of at least 10 7 to about 100 Hz . Custom hardware processors make an initial decision to keep an event in a few μs using coarsely segmented data from a subset of the detectors, while holding all the high-resolution data in pipelined memories. Commodity processors make subsequent decisions using more detailed information from all of the detectors in more sophisticated algorithms that eventually approach the final reconstruction.
On the use of hidden Markov modelling for recognition of Dysarthric speech

Recognition of the speech of severely dysarthric individuals requires a technique which is robust to extraordinary conditions of high variability and very little training data. A hidden Markov model approach to isolated word recognition is used in an attempt to automatically model the enormous variability of the speech, while signal preprocessing measures and model modifications are employed to make better use of the existing data. Two findings are contrary to general experience with normal speech recognition. The first is that an ergodic model is found to outperform a standard left-to-right (Bakis) model structure. The second is that automated clipping of transitional acoustics in the speech is found to significantly enhance recognition. Experimental results using utterances of cerebral palsied persons with an array of articulatory abilities are presented.
The Coping Cat Program for Children with Anxiety and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate whether a modified version of the Coping Cat program could be effective in reducing anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Twenty-two children (ages 8–14; IQ ≥ 70) with ASD and clinically significant anxiety were randomly assigned to 16 sessions of the Coping Cat program (cognitive-behavioral therapy; CBT) or a 16-week waitlist. Children in the CBT condition evidenced significantly larger reductions in anxiety than those in the waitlist. Treatment gains were largely maintained at two-month follow-up. Results provide preliminary evidence that a modified version of the Coping Cat program may be a feasible and effective program for reducing clinically significant levels of anxiety in children with high-functioning ASD.
Mapping Cross-Linking Sites in Modified Proteins with Mass Spectrometry: An Application to Cross-Linked Hemoglobins

Abstract The combined use of trypsin digestion and peptide mass mapping by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is reported here as an effective and rapid means for identifying the cross-linking sites in human oxy hemoglobin A (HbA) cross-linked with either bis(3,5-dibromosalicyl)-succinate or -glutarate. MALDI-MS analysis of a nondigested sample of oxy HbA modified with bis(3,5-dibromosalicyl)-glutarate showed that cross-linking only occurred between the β 1 - and β 2 -protomers and not between α 1 - and α 2 - or α- and β-protomers, along with a modification reaction on an un-cross-linked β-chain. Results of the MALDI tryptic peptide mass maps of cross-linked hemoglobins showed several cross-linked peptides having masses consistent with: βVal 67 -Lys 95 -XL-βVal 67 -Lys 95 , βVal 67 -Lys 95 -XL-βVal 67 -Arg 104 , βVal 67 -Arg 104 -XL-βVal 67 -Arg 104 , where XL represents the succinyl or glutaryl bridging span moiety. Each of these peptides contains Lys 82 , the targeted residue for these reagents, substantiating the cross-linking sites at β 1 Lys 82 -β 2 Lys 82 . This approach in general will enable rapid identification of the cross-linking sites in engineered proteins or intracellularly recombinant cross-linked proteins when the mass of the cross-linker and the protein primary structure are known.
Comparative Geochemical and Microbiological Characterization of Two Thermal Pools in the Uzon Caldera, Kamchatka, Russia

Arkashin Schurf (Arkashin) and Zavarzin Spring (Zavarzin), two active thermal pools in the Uzon Caldera, Kamchatka, Russia, were studied for geochemical and microbiological characterization. Arkashin, the smaller of the two pools, had broader temperature and pH ranges, and the sediments had higher concentrations of total As (4,250 mg/kg) relative to Zavarzin (48.9 mg/kg). Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether profiles represented distinct archaeal communities in each pool and agreed well with previous studies of these pools. Although no archaeal 16S rRNA sequences were recovered from Arkashin, sequences recovered from Zavarzin were mostly representatives of the Crenarchaeota and “Korarchaeota,” and 13% of the sequences were unclassifiable. The bacterial community in Arkashin was dominated by uncultured “Bacteroidetes,” Hydrogenobaculum of the Aquificales and Variovorax of the Betaproteobacteria, and 19% of the sequences remained unclassified. These results were consistent with other studies of As-rich features. The most abundant members of the Zavarzin bacterial community included the Chloroflexi, as well as members of the classes Deltaproteobacteria and Clostridia. In addition, 24% of the sequences were unclassified and at least 5% of those represent new groups among the established Bacterial phyla. Ecological structure in each pool was inferred from taxonomic classifications and bulk stable isotope δ values of C, N, and S. Hydrogenobaculum was responsible for primary production in Arkashin. However, in Zavarzin, the carbon source appeared to be allochthonous to the identified bacterial community members. Additionally, sequences related to organisms expected to participate in N and S cycles were identified from both pools.
Envelope and sensitivity analysis ‘in the large’

Abstract New results on global sensitivity analysis are derived. Relying on the saddle-point characterization of the Lagrangean, simple yet powerful results are shown to hold under general conditions. A generalized envelope result is obtained. It does not require differentiability assumptions or unique solution, and it holds for discrete changes.
Uniform almost sub-Gaussian estimates for linear functionals on convex sets

A well-known consequence of the Brunn-Minkowski inequality, is that the distribution of a linear functional on a convex set has a sub-exponential tail. That is, for any dimension n, a convex set K ⊂ Rn of volume one, and a linear functional φ : Rn → R, we have V oln ({ x ∈ K; |φ(x)| > t‖φ‖L1(K) }) ≤ e−ct for all t > 1, where ‖φ‖L1(K) = ∫ K |φ(x)|dx and c > 0 is a universal constant. In this note we prove that for any dimension n and a convex set K ⊂ Rn of volume one, there exists a non-zero linear functional φ : Rn → R such that V oln ({ x ∈ K; |φ(x)| > t‖φ‖L1(K) }) ≤ e t2 log5(t+1) for all t > 1, where c > 0 is a universal constant.
Structure of chlorodesoxypatulinic acid.

BERGEL et al.1 found that the product of the action of ethanolic hydrogen chloride on patulin gave on hydrolysis a crystalline chloro-acid, C7H7O4Cl, now called Chlorodesoxypatulinic acid. Afterwards, Plattner et al.2 observed that the same acid was readily produced by the action of hydrogen chloride on patulin in moist ethereal solution. The expression (I) was originally deduced1 for Chlorodesoxypatulinic acid from its relationship to patulin, for which the structure (II) was assumed3. Recent developments in this Laboratory and in that of Plattner necessitated the abandonment of these views, and led the Swiss group2 to formulate Chlorodesoxypatulinic acid as (III), which was consonant with either of two new structures, (IV)4 and (V)2, put forward for patulin in Cambridge and in Zurich, respectively. We have now accumulated new evidence which requires that (III) in its turn be rejected, and which leads to a new view of the structure of chlorodesoxypatulinic acid which is consistent only with the structure (IV) for patulin.
Plasticity of a two-phase composite with partially debonded inclusions

Abstract The effective elastoplastic behavior of a two-phase composite consisting of partially debonded elastic inclusions and a ductile matrix is investigated by a homogenization method. The method drew information from a recent study by the authors on the effective elastic moduli of the said composite and from an energy approach suggested by Qui and Weng, J. Appl. Mech., 59, 261 [1992] to address the homogenized plastic state of the heterogeneously deformed ductile matrix. Two types of partial debonding configuration are considered; the first is on the top and bottom of the aligned oblate inclusions and the other is on the lateral surface of the prolate ones, with special reference to spherical inclusions for both types of debonding. The transversely isotropic elastoplastic properties of the partially debonded composite are found to be highly dependent upon the debonding mode and the volume concentration and shape of inclusions. A damage mechanics based on Weibull's statistical function is also proposed to study the progressive partial debonding of the initially bonded composite under pure tension and under biaxial tension, respectively, for these two types of partial debonding. It is found that the interfacial strength, particle concentration, inclusion shape and debonding mode all play significant role in the overall response of the heterogeneous system during the progressive debonding process.
Integral equation theory for the surface segregation from blends of linear and star polymers

Abstract An integral equation theory is investigated for the surface segregation from a blend of star and linear polymers. The molecules of both components are modeled as freely jointed tangent hard sphere molecules, and differ only in their topology, i.e. how the beads are connected. The surface is a hard wall impenetrable to the centers of the beads. The wall polymer reference interaction site model theory is used to study the surface segregation from this blend. The linear polymers are always in excess in the immediate vicinity of the surface as is expected from packing arguments. In most cases, the star polymers segregate to the surface if one looks at the integrated excess of star polymers over the linear polymers. This entropic segregation of the star polymers increases in magnitude if the functionality or arm length is increased.
Outcome and intestinal adaptation in neonatal short-bowel syndrome.

We reviewed 52 consecutive patients with short-bowel syndrome (SBS) treated with long-term parenteral nutrition (PN) from 1978 through 1990. The SBS etiologies included necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in 26 patients (50%), abdominal wall defects in 11 (22%), jejunoileal atresia in 6 (12%), midgut volvulus in 4 (8%), Hirschsprung's disease in 3 (6%), and segmental volvulus and cloacal exstrophy in 1 (2%) each. The average initial small bowel length was 48.1 cm, and only 31% of the patients retained an ileocecal valve (ICV). The mean duration of PN therapy was 16.6 months, and 39 patients (75%) were successfully weaned from it. Forty-three patients (83%) survived. Significant differences between the initial 20 patients treated from 1978 through 1984 and the next 32 from 1985 through 1990 were duration of PN therapy (25.1 v 11.4 months; P = .04), incidence of PN-associated jaundice (80% v 31%; P = .001), and survival (65% v 94%; P = .02). NEC patients had a significantly lower mean birthweight than those with other etiologies (mean, 1,367 v 2,544 g; P less than .0001) but did not differ in initial small bowel length, ICV retention rate, duration of PN treatment, incidence of successful PN weaning, or outcome. The presence of an ICV did not correlate with successful PN weaning but did affect the mean duration of PN therapy (7.2 months with ICV v 21.6 months without; P = .03).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Trypanosomes of the African Lemurs, Perodicticus potto ibeanus and Galago demidovi thomasi*

SYNOPSIS. The common lemurs Galago demidovi thomasi and Perodicticus potto ibeanus of the African rain forest in Kivu province, (Congo), all showed trypanosomes in the circulating blood. On examining a number of the animals for long periods of time, the trypanosomes proved to belong to two different species, T. perodictici Reichenow (1917) and T. irangiense, van den Berghe, Chardome and Peel, 1956. These two species correspond with the two types previously seen by Hoare, (1932) in P. potto.
Responding When Students Don't Get It

When students make mistakes, have misconceptions, or are simply wrong, how their teachers respond either builds new skills and understanding or reinforces errors. An intentional approach to responding when students don't get it includes questions to check for understanding, prompts for cognitive and metacognitive work, cues to divert attention, and direct explanations.
Germline prognostic markers for urinary bladder cancer: obstacles and opportunities.

Abstract Urinary bladder cancer is a heterogeneous disease with diverse genetic and environmental risk factors that can influence disease risk or clinical course for recurrence, progression, and survival. Therefore, identification of these factors is paramount for disease prevention and optimal clinical management of bladder cancer patients. Of particular interest is the need to identify molecular biomarkers that can give accurate assessment of tumor biological potential and to predict treatment response. Recent advances in molecular biology, cytogenetic, and genomic research have spurred discovery efforts for novel genetic, epigenetic, and proteomic biomarkers that are prognostic for cancer. This review focuses on some of the important germ line polymorphisms found to be correlated with clinical outcomes in bladder cancer. So far, most of the identified candidate loci were based on prior knowledge of pathogenesis and had not been validated for clinical applications. The future challenges are to analyze the wealth of information from whole-genome studies, to understand the underlying biological mechanisms of these associations, the network of gene–gene and gene–environment interactions, and to apply these markers for the identification of high-risk population for targeted, personalized therapy.
Embedded stories and the life story: Retellings in a memoir and perzine

This article explores how tellers, more specifically life writers, embed small stories within larger narratives of significant episodes in their lives. I analyze the way in which a life writer, Ayun Halliday, embeds two smaller stories about ordinary experiences from her own childhood into a lengthier narrative about her daughter’s first case of head lice. The data set includes two versions of the lice narrative: one version appears in the writer’s motherhood memoir (The Big Rumpus) published by Seal Press in 2002, and a later version appears in the writer’s self-published perzine (The East Village Inky) in 2004. I analyze how the embedded story-worlds are presented differently in each context by focusing on openings and closings and level of detail in referrals and event clauses. Studying changes in retellings is one way of unpacking the role of embedded stories in the construction of larger ones. Ultimately, I make the point that both embedded stories play a role in Ayun’s larger discursive move in the lice narrative to share the burden of her daughter’s stigma by positioning herself both within a set of mother figures from her family biography and against a broader cultural backdrop of big “D” discourses (Gee, 1999) about good (or bad) parenting.
QCD prediction for heavy boson transverse momentum distributions.

We investigate the predictive power of the Collins, Soper, and Sterman b -space QCD resummation formalism for transverse momentum (Q{sub T}) distributions of heavy boson production in hadronic collisions. We show that the predictive power has a strong dependence on the collision energy S in addition to its well known Q{sup 2} dependence, and the S dependence improves the predictive power at collider energies. We demonstrate that, at the Fermilab Tevatron and the CERN LHC energies, the Q{sub T} distributions derived from b -space resummation are not sensitive to the nonperturbative input at large b , and give good descriptions of the Q{sub T} distributions of heavy boson production at all transverse momenta Q{sub T}{<=}Q .
Crisis? A brief critique of masters, Johnson and Kolodny

Masters, Johnson and Kolodny a volume which claims that risk understated by public This paper presents a brief analysis of the key data contained in MJK's book using simple mathematical models. The paper shows that the unconditional per partner risk of infection for the sexually active heterosexuals in the MJK study is exceeded by the similar risk for typical gay men in San Francisco by a factor of nearly fifty; that the conditional probability of infection given exposure via vaginal sex is about 2% for men and 3% for women per partner (both of these numbers are lower than the corresponding infec‐tivities for unprotected anal sex among gay men); and that an AIDS epidemic among the general heterosexual population would occur only if the average number of sexual partners per year exceeds about 5.3, an unlikely number given the data in MJK's study.
Work in Progress: Teaching a First Semester Freshman Engineering Course: A Team Effort between Faculty and Graduate Teaching Assistants at Virginia Tech

The experiences of a team of twelve graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) recruited from engineering and education departments and seven professors who co-taught the freshmen engineering course in the fall semester of 2005 and the five GTAs and one professor who continued in the spring semester of 2006 are outlined. The major issues and challenges encountered in transforming the course from a traditional "instructors only" format into a team effort between the instructors and the GTAs are addressed. A training session developed by the department prior to the beginning of the fall semester, weekly meetings as well as occasional training sessions held throughout the semester is also discussed. The introduction of the GTAs provided opportunities for mentorship, improved teaching pedagogy, and the introduction of several innovative hands-on educational activities. Assessment data gathered through surveys and clicker questions in lecture is presented.
Directional correlation in the β-decay of 211Pb

Abstract The 970 keV β-transition in the decay of 211Pb to the 7 2 − first excited state of 211Bi has been investigated by measuring the directional correlation of this β-group with the 405 keV cascade γ-ray using a scintillation β-γ coincidence spectrometer. The directional correlation coefficient A2 is found to be about −30.03 for β-ray energies above 550 keV. This and other available information indicate the most likely Jπ assignment for 211Pb to be 9 2 + . Assuming this assignment, the directional correlation data were analyzed for β-decay matrix elements using the formulation of Morita and Morita. It is found that the data are very well explained by the Kotani parameters x = 0.75±0.15, y = 33±7 and z = 1.30±0.40. These results are in agreement with expectations based on the CVC theory and shell-model calculations of Rao and Gerace. The ft value for the β-transition is also well reproduced by these matrix elements.
Regulation of mucin secretion and inflammation in asthma; A role for MARCKS protein?

Abstract Background A major characteristic of asthmatic airways is an increase in mucin (the glycoprotein component of mucus) producing and secreting cells, which leads to increased mucin release that further clogs constricted airways and contributes markedly to airway obstruction and, in the most severe cases, to status asthmaticus. Asthmatic airways show both a hyperplasia and metaplasia of goblet cells, mucin-producing cells in the epithelium; hyperplasia refers to enhanced numbers of goblet cells in larger airways, while metaplasia refers to the appearance of these cells in smaller airways where they normally are not seen. With the number of mucin-producing and secreting cells increased, there is a coincident hypersecretion of mucin which characterizes asthma. On a cellular level, a major regulator of airway mucin secretion in both in vitro and in vivo studies has been shown to be MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate) protein, a ubiquitous substrate of protein kinase C (PKC). General Significance In this review, properties of MARCKS and how the protein may regulate mucin secretion at a cellular level will be discussed. In addition, the roles of MARCKS in airway inflammation related to both influx of inflammatory cells into the lung and release of granules containing inflammatory mediators by these cells will be explored. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biochemistry of Asthma.
Models of Steady Heat Conduction in Multiple Cylindrical Domains

An analytical model of steady state heat conduction in multiple cylindrical domains is presented and discussed. The domains are axisymmetric, contiguous, and coaxial. Three domains are considered in the current study. The thermal conductivities, thicknesses, and radii of the domains may be different. The entire geometry composed of the three connected domains is considered as adiabatic on its lateral surfaces and is subjected to uniform convective cooling at one end. The other end of the geometry is subjected to a constant heat flux, while uniform heat generation is imposed in one of the domains. The analytical solution of the model is found and special cases of it are shown to be in agreement with known solutions for simpler geometries. One application of this model relates to the thermal management of computer chips that are attached to a heat sink or a heat spreader. The three layers could simulate the chip, the thermal adhesive and the heat sink. Another application is the simulation of a nanotube or nanocylinder connecting a region of the chip to a region of the heat sink. Many other potential applications may be simulated using the different possible configurations for the solution presented.
Microbiology of the canine and feline eye

Knowledge of the microbiology of the canine and feline eye in normal and pathologic states is an important aspect of the clinician's assessment of external ocular disease. Gram-positive bacteria predominate in surveys of microbial flora in normal and diseased eyes. These same organisms are routinely isolated from skin and the upper respiratory tract. Injury to the eye may result in proliferation and potential pathogenicity of normal ocular flora. A variety of bacterial, fungal, viral, and other microbial isolates affect the diagnosis and treatment of external ocular disease.