cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Appropriate Testing of Isothiazolinones in Children

Background/Objective The isothiazolinones methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) and methylisothiazolinone (MI) are prevalent pediatric contact sensitizers. MI allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is underreported in the literature. The objective of the current study was to use a database of provider-reported U.S. pediatric patch test cases to evaluate the positive patch test (PPT) prevalence rates of the combined preservative test substrate MCI/MI and of MI alone. Methods U.S. pediatric patch test providers in all 50 states who had joined the registry were invited to submit deidentified cases to the database. More than 1100 logged cases in the database were evaluated for PPTs to MCI/MI combination, MCI/MI and MI, and MI alone. Results Within 1 year of data collection, 96 cases with a PPT for MCI/MI, MCI/MI and MI, and MI alone were identified; 37 of these were positive to MCI/MI, with MI alone not tested or negative, and 39 were positive to MI only, with MCI/MI and MI tested. Fifteen (41%) of the MCI/MI cases were detected using an epicutaneous patch test alone and 22 cases (59%) using comprehensive patch testing. Only one case (3%) of MI alone sensitization was detected using T.R.U.E. plus a supplemental panel of tests; the remaining 38 cases (97%) were detected using comprehensive testing. Testing with only the combined MCI/MI preservative substrate may miss 51% of MI allergies. Conclusion Appropriate testing of isothiazolinones is needed to clarify the true prevalence of sensitization to these allergens and the burden of pediatric ACD. Patch testing for MI alone in addition to MCI/MI combination is warranted in children with recalcitrant dermatitis.
Centrifuge-aided micromolding of micron- and submicron-sized patterns

Abstract Developed from soft lithography, replica molding has been proven to be a good method to prepare micron- and submicron-sized features. However, the fidelity of the features can be compromised by incomplete feature cavity filling and feature shrinkage during the forming process. In this study, centrifuge-aided micromolding is developed to prepare micron- and submicron-sized ZnO features. By introducing a centrifugal force, the shear-thinning behavior of the suspensions is utilized, and the cavity filling process and the diffusion of trapped air out of the features are accelerated. The drying shrinkage is decreased by increasing the density of the wet nanoparticle packing from the centrifugal process. The centrifugal force improves the fidelity of all the designed features. ZnO ridges from 0.4 μm to 2 μm size and rods of 1.6 μm size are prepared successfully. The wide applicability of this strategy has been demonstrated by preparing ZrO 2 features via the same method.
A glance into how the cold war and governmental loyalty investigations came to affect a leading U.S. radiation geneticist: Lewis J. Stadler's nightmare.

This paper describes an episode in the life of the prominent plant radiation geneticist, Lewis J. Stadler (1897–1954) during which he became a target of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concerning loyalty to the United States due to possible associations with the communist party. The research is based on considerable private correspondence of Dr. Stadler, the FBI interrogatory questions and Dr. Stadler’s answers and letters of support for Dr. Stadler by leading scientists such as, Hermann J. Muller.
Causes and Consequences of Missing Health-Related Quality of Life Assessments in Patients Who Undergo Mechanical Circulatory Support Implantation: Insights From INTERMACS (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support).

Background—Missing health-related quality of life (HRQOL) data in longitudinal studies can reduce precision and power and bias results. Using INTERMACS (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assist...
Development and differentiability of three brief interventions for risky alcohol use that include varying doses of motivational interviewing

While brief intervention (BI) for risky alcohol use generally yields positive effects among those identified by screening, effect sizes are small and there is unexplained heterogeneity in outcome. The heterogeneity may be related to differences in intervention style and content, including elements of motivational interviewing (MI). To date, it has been difficult to interpret the role of MI in BI and these gaps in knowledge interfere with efforts to train, disseminate and implement BI that retains and maximizes efficacy. This study sought to develop BI protocols with varying doses of MI and test their differentiability. Differentiable BI protocols could allow for future studies that prospectively evaluate the role MI plays in affecting BI outcome. We developed three intervention protocols: brief advice, standard BI (NIAAA Clinician’s Guide), and MI-enhanced BI and administered them to 45 primary care patients who reported exceeding recommended drinking limits. We then rated the BI sessions for fidelity to the assigned protocol as well as MI consistency based on Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) scale scores. The differentiability of BI protocols was determined by calculating fidelity to assigned protocols and comparing MITI scores using pairwise, Tukey-adjusted comparisons of least squares mean scores. High rates of fidelity to each protocol were achieved. The three BI protocols were also highly differentiable based on MITI scores. The three interventions can be used in future trials to prospectively examine the role MI has in determining BI outcome. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov NCT02978027, retrospectively registered 11/28/16
Grave Action: Last Rites in Brecht’s "Mother Courage" and Beckett’s "Endgame"

Against the background of Brecht’s de-familiarization (epic theater) and Beckett’s tragicomedy (absurdist theater), this essay compares scenes of incapacitation and mutilation, of deaths and corpses, shrouds and burials in Mother Courage and Endgame . It places its specific emphasis on the last rites, which, whether granted or refused, relentlessly permeate both plays. This comparison of two exilic plays about loss is based in obvious difference (e.g. in setting, character constellation, and, to some degree, in dramatic intention), as well as in resemblance (e.g. the two playwrights’ shared interest in distancing). Mother Courage and Endgame are marked by the ghostly ubiquity of violence, and portray in complex fashion the human struggle with the barest of realities: death.
The Impact of Information Technology and the Informating Capacity of the Organization on the Enterprise’s Performance

This proposal provides a framework to assess the relationship between a firm’s output and collaborative decision-making structures, technology, and the informating capacity of labour at the firm level. The model suggests the level of ‘informating’ can be characterized as the relationship between labour’s training, the level of information technology available and the kind of decision-making structures in the organization. The informating capacity of the organization can be understood by one or more of the following three a priori hypotheses: informating impacts directly on labour’s input; impacts by its effects on technology efficiency; and its corresponding effects on economies of scale of the enterprise, all which have been proven to have a measurable and positive effect on the firm’s performance. To assess this relationship, a simulated production system is suggested as a way to evaluate the weights of the variables used to define: ■ labour education (training) ■ decision-making structure ■ technology.
Development of Sensitive Assays to Detect Antifolate Resistance in Leukemia Blasts

Despite the importance of drug resistance, both intrinsic and acquired following chemotherapy, relatively little is known of the mechanisms underlying resistance to chemotherapeutic agents in the clinic [1]. This lack of information is a result of the inherent difficulties in studying tumors from patients. Inadequate samples, tumor heterogeneity, and inability to obtain repetitive biopsies are some reasons for this paucity of information relative to the large amount of data regarding mechanisms of resistance to these drugs both at the phenotypic as well as the genetic level in experimental tumors.
Microbiology of pork carcasses from pigs with differing origins and feed withdrawal times

The effects of buying source (terminal market, buying station, outdoor farm, and indoor farm), feed withdrawal before slaughter (0, 2, 4, and 6 h), and the incidence of punctured gastrointestinal (GI) tracts during evisceration on the numbers of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria on pork carcasses were determined. Of the 932 samples tested, a 0% incidence of the pathogens Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes , Campylobacter spp., Clostridium perfringens , and Yersinia enterocolitica was found.A significant (P < 0.05) location effect was found, with the belly-sternum region having higher total plate counts than the head, pelvic cavity, and diaphragm regions of the carcass. A significant (P < 0.05) buying-source effect indicated that pigs from buying stations had higher lactic acid bacteria counts than pigs from outdoor and indoor farms. A buying source by fasting time interaction (P < 0.05) was noted for GI tract weights, with the indoor farm pigs having the highest incidence of ruptured GI tracts. The removal of feed prior to slaughter resulted in lighter GI tract weights and a lowered incidence of vicera rupture resulting in a lowered risk of pathogen contamination of carcasses. The extent of punctured GI tracts during evisceration was influenced by fasting time and buying source and may be useful in a HACCP system for the pork-processing industry.
El Códice Madrid. Un viejo documento revela nuevos secretos

Investigaciones recientes demuestran que el Codice Madrid, el mas voluminoso y menos estudiado de los codices mayas, es sin lugar a dudas prehispanico y proviene del norte de las Tierras Bajas mayas. En sus 112 paginas, que contienen augurios agricolas y astronomicos, hay claves que nos hacen suponer que los escribas que lo pintaron estuvieron estrechamente relacionados con sus lejanos colegas del Centro de Mexico.
Agency, Structure and the Power of Global Health Networks.

Global health networks-webs of individuals and organizations linked by a shared concern for a particular condition-have proliferated over the past quarter century. In a recent editorial in this journal, I presented evidence that their effectiveness in addressing four challenges-problem definition, positioning, coalitionbuilding and governance-shapes their ability to influence policy. The editorial prompted five thoughtful commentaries that reflected on these and other challenges. In this follow-up editorial, I build on the commentaries to suggest ways of advancing research on global health networks. I argue that investigators would do well to consider three social theory-influenced global governance debates pertaining to agency-the capacity of individuals and organizations to act autonomously amidst structural constraints. The three debates concern the relationship between agency and structure, the power of ideas vis-a-vis interests and material capabilities, and the level of influence of non-state actors in a global governance system that most scholars identify as state-dominated. Drawing on these debates, I argue that rather than presume global health network influence, we need to find more robust ways to investigate their effects. I argue also that rather than juxtapose agency and structure, ideas and interests and non-state and state power, it would be more productive to consider the ways in which these elements are intertwined.
Chiral current-phase relation of topological Josephson junctions: A signature of the 4 π -periodic Josephson effect

The $4\ensuremath{\pi}$-periodic Josephson effect is an indicator of Majorana zero modes and a ground-state degeneracy which are central to topological quantum computation. However, the observability of a $4\ensuremath{\pi}$-periodic Josephson current-phase relation (CPR) is hindered by the necessity to fix the fermionic parity. As an alternative to a $4\ensuremath{\pi}$-periodic CPR, this paper proposes a chiral CPR for the $4\ensuremath{\pi}$-periodic Josephson effect. This is a CPR of the form $J(\ensuremath{\phi})\ensuremath{\propto}C\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}|sin(\ensuremath{\phi}/2)|$, describing a unidirectional supercurrent with the chirality $C=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$. Its nonanalytic dependence on the Josephson phase difference $\ensuremath{\phi}$ translates into the $4\ensuremath{\pi}$-periodic CPR $J(\ensuremath{\phi})\ensuremath{\propto}sin(\ensuremath{\phi}/2)$. The proposal requires a spin-polarized topological Josephson junction which is modeled here as a short link between spin-split superconducting channels at the edge of a two-dimensional topological insulator. In this case, $C$ coincides with the Chern number of the occupied spin band of the topological insulator. This paper details three scenarios of achieving a chiral CPR: By only Zeeman-like splitting, by Zeeman splitting combined with bias currents, and by an external out-of-plane magnetic field.
Experimental species introduction shapes network interactions in a plant-pollinator community

Invasive species that form mutualistic interactions can perturb resident communities by creating new interactions, or weakening the strength of existing interactions via competition. We hypothesized that introducing a super-generalist plant species to bee-plant networks would lead to (1) increases in the weighted and unweighted average degree, nestedness, and connectance and (2) decreases in the modularity. We constructed visitation networks of bees to five native plant species in experimental research plots, in the presence and absence of an invasive thistle and while varying thistle abundance and time/duration of introduction. Species introduction did not change the visitation rate of bees to co-occurring native plants, or the interaction structure between the native plant species and bee visitors; seed set of a focal native plant species was also unaffected. We found the number of bee species with which the introduced species interacted (generality) correlated with significant increases in unweighted and weighted average degree, nestedness, and connectance, but not modularity. When comparing the impact of the introduced species either early or late in the season, we found similar relationships between introduced species generality and weighted and unweighted average degree and connectance; there was a significant negative relationship between introduced species generality and modularity early in the season, and a significant positive relationship with nestedness late in the season, suggesting introduction timing within a season may affect some measures differently. Overall, the native community was robust to the introduction of the super-generalist; our experimental test of network theory predictions demonstrates an improving mechanistic understanding of how mutualistic networks respond to ecological perturbations.
eSupport: Feasibility trial of telehealth support group participation to reduce loneliness in multiple sclerosis.

Background:Loneliness is a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality. Persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) are at increased risk for loneliness. Support groups facilitate meaningful socia...
Parenting and social-ecological correlates with children's health behaviours: A latent profile analysis

Background Paediatric obesity poses dangers to children's short and long-term health. Multi-level ecological models posit how children's health behaviours are influenced by interpersonal relationships. Objectives To identify profiles of individual and interpersonal health behaviours and parenting skills among caregivers and their children with elevated BMI. Methods Participants were 240 children (63.7% Latino) ages 5 to 12 years with body mass index ≥85th percentile and their caregivers in a paediatric weight management intervention trial. A latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles among caregiver report of parenting skills; child physical activity, eating behaviours, and food and beverage choices; family mealtime, media and sleep routines; and parent health behaviours, and associations with food and housing insecurity. Results A three-class model was chosen based on conceptual interpretation and model fit. Profiles were differentiated by parenting skills, child food choices, child physical activity habits, family mealtime, media, and sleep routines, and parent health behaviours. Food and housing insecurity were associated with class membership while child and caregiver anthropometrics were not. Conclusions Distinct profiles existed among this low-income, racially/ethnically diverse sample of children with elevated BMI. Such findings emphasize the importance of assessing individual and interpersonal influences and contextual factors on childhood obesity.
Nuclear weapons risk communication: evaluating the impact of message exposure and format

Many experts believe the risk of nuclear war today is the highest it’s been in generations. Yet much of the public has little awareness of nuclear threats and is ill-prepared to take the actions ne...
Risk factors for progression from low level BK dnaemia to unfavorable outcomes after BK management via immunosuppressive reduction.

Backgrounds Effective management of BK viremia (BKPyV-DNAemia) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) involves regular monitoring and adjustment of immunosuppression. With this strategy, the majority of patients will clear BK or have ongoing, but non-significant, low-level BKPyV-DNAemia. However, despite adjustments, some will develop more severe sequelae of BK including BKPyV-DNAemia >5 log10 copies/mL and BK nephropathy, and others may develop de novo DSA (dnDSA) or acute rejection (AR). Methods This was a single-center study of KTRs transplanted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison between 01/01/2015 and 12/31/2017. In this study, we sought to elucidate characteristics associated with the progression of BKPyV-DNAemia to unfavorable outcomes after decreasing immunosuppressive medications for the management of BK viremia as described in consensus guidelines. Results A total of 224 KTRs fulfilled our selection criteria; 118 (53%) resolved or had persistent low DNAemia, 64 (28%) had severe BK/nephropathy, and 42 (19%) developed dnDSA or AR. In multivariable analysis, female gender (HR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.08-3.90; P = .02); previous rejection (HR: 2.90; 95% CI: 1.04-8.12; P = .04), and early infection (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72-0.90; P 3 (HR: 2.27; HR: 1.01-5.06; P = .04), and delayed graft function (HR: 4.14; 95% CI: 1.12-15.28; P = .03) were associated with development of dnDSA and/or rejection. Conclusion Our study suggests that almost half of KTRs with BKPyV-DNAemia managed by our immunosuppressant adjustment protocol progress unfavorably. Identification of these risk factors could assist the frontline clinician in creating an individualized immunosuppressive modification plan potentially mitigating negative outcomes.
The top 50 most cited articles in both-bone forearm open reduction internal fixation in the skeletally mature patient.

Both-bone forearm fractures in the adult population frequently and usually necessitate an operative reduction. The purpose of this study was to identify the 50 most cited publications regarding both-bone ORIF and evaluates their level of evidence to help guide the best treatment and management practices, as well as gauge the current level of inquiry into this topic. The Clarivate Analytics Web of Knowledge Database was queried. The top 50 most cited articles identified as relevant were analyzed. Aggregate citation counts, citation density, type of study, and level of evidence were documented for each of the 50 articles. Abstracts from the last decade of prominent orthopaedic meetings were analyzed to determine the current level of inquiry into this area. The initial search yielded 408 results. There were 27 articles published before 2000 and 23 after. The total summation of citations for the top 50 articles totaled 2062. Each study was classified according to its study design and level of evidence. The most common was case series (34). Level IV studies were most numerous (34). Since 2010, the subject of both-bone forearm fracture ORIF was presented 8 times at prominent orthopaedic conferences. Our work demonstrated 54% of top-50 studies are pre-2000 and the majority are Level IV evidence. Additionally, despite the established treatment, there is active inquiry into this topic. Higher quality research can be helpful to validify treatment and management options.
Abstract P301: Renal Expression of Collectrin (TMEM27) is Downregulated During Angiotensin II-induced Hypertension

Collectrin (Tmem27) is transmembrane glycoprotein with homology to ACE-2, but lacks any catalytic domain. It plays a key role as a chaperone of amino acid transporters, and is abundantly expressed ...
Environmental-Biomechanical Reciprocity and the Evolution of Plant Material Properties.

Abiotic-biotic interactions have shaped organic evolution since life first began. Abiotic factors influence growth, survival, and reproductive success, whereas biotic responses to abiotic factors have changed the physical environment (and indeed created new environments). This reciprocity is well-illustrated by land plants who begin and end their existence in the same location while growing in size over the course of years or even millennia, during which environment factors change over many orders of magnitude. A biomechanical, ecological, and evolutionary perspective reveals that plants are (1) composed of materials (cells and tissues) that function as cellular solids (i.e., materials composed of one or more solid and fluid phases), (2) that have evolved greater rigidity (as a consequence of chemical and structural changes in their solid phases), (3) allowing for increases in body size and (4) permitting acclimation to more physiologically and ecologically diverse and challenging habitats, which (5) have profoundly altered biotic as well as abiotic environmental factors (e.g., the creation of soils, carbon sequestration, and water cycles). A critical component of this evolutionary innovation is the extent to which mechanical perturbations have shaped plant form and function and how form and function have shaped ecological dynamics over the course of evolution.
Trends in breast cancer incidence rates by race/ethnicity: Patterns by stage, socioeconomic position, and geography in the United States, 1999-2017

Background The incidence rate of breast cancer has been increasing over time across race/ethnicity in the United States. It is unclear whether these trends differ among stage, poverty, and geography subgroups. Methods Using data from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, this study estimated trends in age-adjusted breast cancer incidence rates among women aged 50 to 84 years from 1999 to 2017 by race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, and Hispanic) and across subgroups (stage, county-level poverty, county urban/rural status, and geographic region [West, Midwest, South, and Northeast]). Results From 2004 to 2017, breast cancer incidence rates increased across race/ethnicity and subgroups, with the greatest average annual percent increases observed for non-Hispanic Black women, overall (0.9%) and those living in lower poverty areas (0.8%), rural areas (1.2%), and all regions except the West (0.8%-1.0%). Stronger increases among non-Hispanic Black women were observed for local-stage disease and for some subgroups of distant-stage disease. Non-Hispanic Black women had the smallest decrease in regional-stage disease across most subgroups. Similarly, Hispanic women had the strongest increases in some subgroups, including areas with higher poverty (0.6%-1.2%) and in the West (0.8%), for local- and distant-stage disease. Conclusions These trends highlight concerns for an increasing burden of breast cancer among subpopulations, with some already experiencing disparate breast cancer mortality rates, and they highlight the need for targeted breast cancer prevention and efforts to reduce mortality disparities in areas with increasing incidence.
Determination and Monitoring of through Hole Diameters in Thin Plates Using Acoustic Diffraction

In this paper, we describe a method to monitor changes in the diameter of through holes in thin plates. The method has the potential for applications in the industry.
Policy and Regulatory Programs Affecting Wetlands and Waters of the Mid-Atlantic Region

Federal and state laws and policies determine which wetlands and waters are protected and which are not. More than a century of policy evolution has reflected growing understanding of the importance of wetland systems, while responding to economic and social pressures of a rising population with development expectations. Federal laws, chiefly the Clean Water Act, provide the most substantial regulatory framework governing what activities may take place in wetlands and under what conditions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the federal permitting program, which allows filling of waters and wetlands under individual, nationwide, or general permits, subject to requirements for avoidance, minimization, and compensation for impacts. Supreme Court cases in the first decade of the twenty-first century have made the application of the Clean Water Act to wetlands more complex, requiring science to try to answer legal questions. In the Mid-Atlantic Region, state laws also regulate activities in many wetlands and waters, with most states operating permitting regimes in addition to the federal system. Finally, other federal programs and international agreements provide additional opportunities for wetland conservation.
Where Do We Belong? Addressing the Needs of Transgender Students in Higher Education

The field of student affairs is committed to educating students about and embodying diversity and multiculturalism. Sandeen and Barr (2006) named diversity as a critical priority for student affairs professionals and recognized the efforts of the last 40 years toward making higher education more inclusive and increasing students’ awareness of multicultural issues. At the same time, the authors indicated that there are many challenges yet to be addressed in regards to diversity within higher education.
Social Work Education for Interdisciplinary Practice with Older Adults and Their Families

Summary Training for interdisciplinary practice is integral to preparation of well-qualified gerontological social workers. Social work and other disciplines must be prepared to function in teams to achieve mutually determined therapeutic patient goals and to maintain team efficiency. A conceptual framework is presented to organize the content areas for social work education in preparation for interdisciplinary practice. Curricula tools and learning exercises are given as examples and resources for teaching in each of the four major components of the framework: context, structure, process and outcomes. Recommendations for curriculum considerations are presented.
Using an Online Auction to Sell Article 9 Collateral

This short article discusses selected issues under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code with respect to a secured party using an online auction like eBay to sell repossessed collateral. In particular, the article analyzes certain potential limitations imposed by Article 9's commercial reasonableness standard and its notice of sale requirement.
Simultaneous Distress of Residential Developers and Their Secured Lenders: An Analysis of Bankruptcy and Bank Regulation

With falling home prices and home foreclosures currently acknowledged as a severe problem in the U.S., more attention needs to be paid to the contributing phenomenon of residential developers undergoing liquidation, which has left behind a trail of partially-completed or abandoned properties. In order to understand this phenomenon, we analyzed 222 residential developers that filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy petitions between November 2007 and December 2008. We find that only a very small proportion of these developers, as compared to previous similar large studies, confirmed a reorganization plan. Most of the cases were dismissed or converted to Chapter 7, culminating in foreclosure or liquidation sales. In the sample, 72.5% of the cases showed at least one instance where a secured lender sought lift-stay motions to pursue foreclosure. Among such cases, orders granting the lift-stay motions were granted 92.2% of the time. Investigating this liquidation preference, we develop explanations based on nuances in the creditor banks' lending functions, risk management and regulatory environment that have not been explored in the prior literature on bankruptcy. We posit that, during a severe recession, banks may prefer liquidation of the developers over reorganization because of a capital shortfall and procyclical regulatory pressure to reduce portfolio concentrations, particularly in real estate lending. This would be inconsistent with theories that secured lenders will choose economically optimal outcomes within a bankruptcy case, as they may choose outcomes that are sub-optimal within a bankruptcy so as to maximize an exogenous urgent need for capital and regulatory compliance. Pursuing this hypothesis, we find that 45.4% of the secured lenders in our sample which are driving low confirmation rates are themselves failed or undercapitalized financial institutions. Furthermore, based on multivariate regression modeling, we find that the effect of a bank’s financial distress on the probability that it will file a lift-stay motion is economically large and statistically significant, after controlling for firm size, capital structure, housing market prices and region. Together, this is strong evidence that the standard theory of creditor behavior in bankruptcy is incomplete without consideration of the economic cycle or banking regulation.
Scalable fault tolerant protocol for parallel runtime environments

The number of processors embedded on high performance computing platforms is growing daily to satisfy users desire for solving larger and more complex problems. Parallel runtime environments have to support and adapt to the underlying libraries and hardware which require a high degree of scalability in dynamic environments. This paper presents the design of a scalable and fault tolerant protocol for supporting parallel runtime environment communications. The protocol is designed to support transmission of messages across multiple nodes with in a self-healing topology to protect against recursive node and process failures. A formal protocol verification has validated the protocol for both the normal and failure cases. We have implemented multiple routing algorithms for the protocol and concluded that the variant rule-based routing algorithm yields the best overall results for damaged and incomplete topologies .
Experimental sensitization to subtilisin : I. Production of immediate- and late-onset pulmonary reactions

Abstract Four experiments were undertaken to explore the nature of pulmonary sensitivity which may result from inhalation of subtilisin aerosols. In the first study, immediate- and late-onset responses were identified. Groups of guinea pigs were exposed to atmospheres containing 0.15 to 15 mg/m 3 bacterial subtilisin for 15 min/day on each of 5 consecutive days. Following an exposure-free period, reexposure to subtilisin at 1.9 mg/m 3 for 20 min resulted in pulmonary responses characterized as “rapid shallow breathing”. In some cases, reactions were severe and resulted in respiratory anaphylaxis; in one case, it was fatal. These responses usually occurred during the inhalation challenge or within 1 hr of challenge. However, late-onset reactions, maximum at 3–6 hr postchallenge, were occasionally observed. Results from the second series of experiments indicated that pulmonary responses were most prevalent in animals initially exposed to high concentrations of subtilisin (greater than 0.15 mg/m 3 ) whereas no responses were observed in animals which had been exposed to 8.3 × 10 −3 or 41 × 10 −3 mg/m 3 subtilisin. A third study indicated that exposure to 1.9 mg/m 3 subtilisin for 20 min could result in pulmonary hypersensitivity. Additionally, when animals received subtilisin exposure on Days 1–5, pulmonary responses were equally severe whether elicited by inhalation challenge on Day 10 or on Day 17. Lastly, long-term exposure of animals to low levels of the enzyme did not result in any cases of pulmonary sensitivity even though the total cumulative exposure received by these animals when administered over a short period of time regularly induced sensitivity. The identification of a “threshold” concentration for sensitization in this animal model implies that it should be possible to recommend a safe industrial exposure level to subtilisin and thus prevent sensitization of exposed workers.
Soil Factors Affecting Magnesium Availability in Plant-Animal Systems: A Review

Soils provide the support, water and most of the nutrient elements, including Mg, needed for plant growth. Magnesium uptake by plants depends largely on the amount, concentration and activity of Mg in the soil solution and the capacity of the soil to replenish Mg in the soil solution. The availability of Mg depends on the activity or proportion of Mg relative to soluble and exchangeable amounts of K, Ca, Na, Al and Mn. In humid regions, Mg losses from leaching are often greatest from agroecosystems receiving heavy N fertilization. Cool-season grasses produce nearly maximum growth at herbage concentrations of 1 to 1.5 g Mg/kg, 25 g K/kg and 30 g N/kg of dry matter. At these concentrations of N and K, herbage should contain about 2.5 g Mg/kg to avoid inducing hypomagnesemic grass tetany in ruminants. To increase herbage Mg concentration to this level often requires, except on sandy soils, an uneconomically large addition of Mg fertilizer. Adjusting soil conditions to produce grasses with a low-tetany potential may not always be possible physically. The risk of tetany can be reduced by a judicious program of well-timed N, K and Mg fertilizer applications. However, direct Mg supplementation of grazing ruminants is considered more cost-effective than is Mg fertilization to prevent grass tetany.
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RECOMBINATION BETWEEN NOCARDIA ERYTHROPOLIS AND NOCARDIA CANICRURIA

Adams, James N. (University of South Dakota, Vermillion). Recombination between Nocardia erythropolis and Nocardia canicruria. J. Bacteriol. 88:865-876. 1964.-Nutritionally complementary auxotrophic mutants derived from Nocardia erythropolis did not yield prototrophic recombinants when progeny from mixed cultures or newly mixed strains were inoculated onto minimal medium. Similarly, complementary auxotrophic mutants of N. canicruria did not produce prototrophic recombinants. When interspecific mating was attempted between complementary mutants of N. erythropolis and N. canicruria, prototrophic recombinants were recovered at frequencies dependent, in part, upon the auxotrophic strains used in the test crosses. Growth of the parental types in mixed cultures was necessary for the production of recombinant progeny. Direct selection for recombinants by inoculating the selective medium with a mixture of parental types without prior mixed growth did not result in the recovery of recombinants. Varying the medium upon which mixed growth occurred, or varying the ratio of N. erythropolis to N. canicruria cells used as inocula, did not greatly affect the recovery of recombinants. Heat-killing one or the other of the parental types prevented recombinant production. The lack of recovery of recombinants from crosses of homologously derived strains suggested that a mating factor controls recombination. The mating factor was not eliminated by acriflavine treatment. The recovery of a recombinant strain capable of forming recombinants with either N. erythropolis or N. canicruria, and the recovery of another strain which mated only with N. erythropolis in backcrosses, suggests that the mating factor may be of a multiple nature.
BCIs Based on Signals from Between the Brain and Skull

This chapter provides an introduction to electrocorticogram (ECoG) as a signal source for brain–computer interfaces (BCIs). I first define ECoG, examine its advantages and disadvantages, and outline factors affecting successful ECoG experiments for BCI. Past and present BCI projects that utilize ECoG and have published results through early 2008 are then summarized. My own ECoG work with the University of Michigan Direct Brain Interface project is described in detail, as the first and (at the time of writing) longest running targeted exploration of ECoG for BCI. The well established ECoG research at the University of Washington is described only briefly, since Chapter “A Simple, Spectral-change Based, Electrocorticographic Brain–Computer Interface” in this volume provides a first-hand description. This chapter concludes with a few thoughts on the growth of BCI research utilizing ECoG and potential future applications of BCI methods developed for ECoG.
Suppression of Plant Diseases by Composts

Composts offer unique opportunities to examine fundamental interactions between plant pathogens, biocontrol agents, soil organic matter and plant roots. These organic amendments can be prepared reproducibly and have the potential to provide consistent biological control of plant diseases. Foliar as well as root pathogens may be affected by composts. Unfortenately, many factors control these beneficial effects. Heat exposure during composting kills or inactivates pathogens if the process is monitored properly. Biocontrol agents with the exception of Bacillus spp. also are killed by this heat treatment, however. Thus, biocontrol agents largely must recolonize composts after peak heating. The raw feedstock, the composting environment, as well as conditions during curing and utilization affect the potential for recolonization of composts by biocontrol agents and the induction of disease suppression. In practice, controlled inoculation of compost with biocontrol agents has proved necessary to induce consistent levels of suppression.
Extending the tools of single-molecule fluorescence imaging to problems in microbiology

Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy enables non-invasive, high-sensitivity, high-resolution imaging, and this direct, quantitative method has recently been extended to understanding organization, dynamics and cooperativity of macromolecules in prokaryotes. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology, Bakshi et al. (2012) examine fluorescently labelled ribosomes and RNA polymerase (RNAP) in live Escherichia coli cells. By localizing individual molecules with 30 nm scale accuracy, they resolve the spatial distribution of RNAP (and thus of the E. coli nucleoid) and of the ribosomes, measure diffusion rates, and sensitively count protein copy numbers. This work represents an exciting achievement in terms of applying biophysical methods to live cells and quantitatively answering important questions in physiologically relevant conditions. In particular, the authors directly relate the positions, dynamics, and numbers of ribosomes and RNAP to transcription and translation in E. coli. The results indicate that, since the ribosomes and the nucleoid are well segregated, translation and transcription must be predominantly uncoupled. As well, the radial extension of ribosomes and RNAP to the cytoplasmic membrane is consistent with the hypothesis of transertion (simultaneous insertion of membrane proteins upon translation).
Chemical Vapor Deposition Based Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers Using a Template Method

We have developed a new approach for preparing graphitic carbon nanofiber and nanotube ensembles. This approach entails chemical vapor deposition (CVD) based synthesis of carbon within the pores of an alumina template membrane with or without a Ni catalyst. Ethylene or pyrene was used in the CVD process with reactor temperatures of 545 °C for Ni-catalyzed CVD and 900 °C for the uncatalyzed process. The resultant carbon nanostructures were uniform hollow tubes with open ends. Increasing the deposition time converted the carbon nanotubes into carbon nanofibers. Transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction data show the as deposited graphitic carbon nanofibers synthesized with the Ni catalyst were not highly ordered. Heating the carbon-containing membrane at 500 °C for 36 h, however, converts the carbon nanofibers into highly ordered graphite. The electron diffraction data show a spotted diffraction pattern characteristic of single-crystal graphite with the graphitic planes parallel to the long ...
Cataloging institutional efforts to understand and reduce college student departure

In spite of substantial investment in retention in Indiana higher education, there have been only a few well-designed studies that evaluate the effects of these interventions.
Phase transitions in relaxational systems with field-dependent coefficients

ABSTRACT We present a comprehensive study of phase transitions in single-field extended systems that relax to a non-equilibrium global steady state. The mechanism we focus on is not the so-called Stratonovich drift but is insteadsimilar to the one associated with noise-induced transitions a Ia Horsthemke-Lefever in zero-dimensional systems.As a consequence, the noise interpretation (e.g., Ito vs Stratonovich) merely shifts the phase boundaries. Withthe help of a mean-field approximation, we present a broad qualitative picture of the various phase diagramsthat can be found in these systems.Keywords: Phase transitions, relaxational systems, stochastic processes 1. INTRODUCTION Relaxational models describe the flow of a field co (t) defined on a d-dimensional lattice via a Langevin equationof the form (t) = F6)}) +F112(t). (1) Here i labels a lattice site, F is a positive constant, ({o}) (coi, . . . , coN) denotes the entire set of fields, andare Gaussian white noises with zero mean and correlation functions
Diagnostic model maturation

Performing fault diagnosis is an extremely difficult problem [1]. Given a complex system and a set of tests or alarm outcomes, the user wants to determine the most likely faulty component. Some of the most common diagnostic algorithms used are rule based, fault dictionaries, and fault trees [2], [3], [4]. Model-based methods provide another common set of approaches to performing system level diagnosis, which compare observations from the system with those expected from a model [5], [6].
Effect of alpha-adrenergic stimulation on regional contractile function and myocardial blood flow with and without ischemia.

BACKGROUND The effect of alpha-adrenergic receptor activation on regional contractile function and transmural myocardial blood flow is controversial. Accordingly, the effects of selective alpha 1-(methoxamine) and alpha 2-(BHT 933) receptor stimulation on regional contractile function and transmural myocardial blood flow distribution were studied in 15 anesthetized open-chest dogs. METHODS AND RESULTS The alpha-adrenergic agonists were separately infused into the cannulated left circumflex coronary artery during control and ischemic conditions in the same animal. Mean coronary perfusion pressure was held constant by a servocontrolled pump in an extracorporeal circuit. Ischemia was created by reducing coronary perfusion pressure to the level at which percent systolic wall thickening (%WT) decreased by 54%. Contractile function during control conditions was unchanged, whereas under ischemic conditions a further significant decrease in %WT of 27% occurred with either alpha 1- or alpha 2-receptor stimulation without any change in the anterior (control) wall function. Both alpha 1- and alpha 2-receptor stimulations during control conditions resulted in a relatively uniform transmural decrease in blood flow with no change in the subendocardial-to-subepicardial blood flow ratio. With alpha 1-stimulation during ischemia (n = 13), there was a tendency toward decreased subepicardial blood flow with no change in subendocardial flow, resulting in an increased subendocardial-to-subepicardial blood flow ratio (0.61 +/- 0.23 to 0.82 +/- 0.40, p less than 0.05). alpha 2-Receptor stimulation during ischemia (n = 12) produced a significant decrease in subepicardial blood flow (0.45 +/- 0.20 to 0.35 +/- 0.12 ml/min/g, p less than 0.01) with no change in subendocardial blood flow, also resulting in an increased subendocardial-to-subepicardial blood flow ratio. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate the selective vasoconstriction in outer wall layers during ischemia mediated by either alpha 1- or alpha 2-receptors can cause a decrease in regional contractile function despite unchanged subendocardial blood flow and improved subendocardial-to-subepicardial flow ratio. This suggests an adverse effect of alpha-adrenergic vasoconstriction during ischemia in this coronary perfusion pressure-controlled canine model.
Conversion of spironolactone to an active metabolite in target tissues: formation of 7α-thiospironolactone by microsomal preparations from guinea pig liver, adrenals, kidneys, and testes

Abstract Previous studies had established that much of the biological activity of the mineralocorticoid antagonist, spironolactone, depended upon its metabolism, but little was known about the nature of spironolactone metabolites in tissues. A method employing high pressure liquid chromatography has been developed for the separation and mfeasurement of several potential metabolites of spironolactone. Incubation of spironolactone with guinea pig hepatic, adrenal, renal, or testicular microsomal preparations resulted in the production of 7α-thiospironolactone (SC-24813), a compound which is a potent mineralocorticoid antagonist and which promotes the destruction of adrenal and testicular cytochromes P-450. Identification of 7α-thiospironolactone as the tissue metabolite was confirmed by mass spectrometry. The relative rates of production of 7α-thiospironolactone by the microsomal preparations were liver > kidney > adrenal > testis. Spectral data suggest that the effects of spironolactone on adrenal cytochromes P-450 may depend, at least in part, upon its conversion to 7α-thiospironolactone. The results establish that 7α-thiospironolactone is a tissue metabolite of spironolactone and may contribute to the therapeutic actions as well as some of the side effects of the parent drug.
Si in GaN — On the Nature of the Background Donor

A characterization of the Si impurity in GaN is performed by Raman spectroscopy. Applying hydrostatic pressure up to 25 GPa the authors study the behavior of the LO phonon-plasmon mode in a series of high mobility Si doped GaN films. In contrast to earlier results on unintentionally doped bulk GaN crystals no freeze out of the free carriers could be observed in Si doped samples. The authors find that Si is a shallow hydrogenic donor throughout the pressure range studied. This result positively excludes Si incorporation as a dominant source of free electrons in previously studied bulk GaN samples.
The Bible in Contemporary Drama

HIS is the third paper I have written on the Bible in Contemporary American Literature. The first, The Bible in the Contemporary Novel, was published in Religion in Life in January, 1940. The second, The Bible in Contemporary Poetry, was published in the same magazine in January, 1950. My interest throughout the successive studies has been to try to discover how much use contemporary writers make of sacred writ. We know that much of the older literature made