cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification of mouse poliomyelitis virus by methanol precipitation at low temperatures.

ConclusionsAlthough at first glance the data may appear rather inconsistent, closer inspection reveals that the results are consistent when consideration is given to the experimental error involved in some of the methods. The variation in the nitrogen determinations of the crude virus suspensions were thought to be due in turn to expected variation in the amount of protein removed in the freezing and thawing steps. Estimations of the degree of purity have been presented in terms of the amount of nitrogen eliminated from the crude sample. Since purified normal brain gave nitrogen values which bore a close similarity to those obtained with purified infected tissue, it can be seen that the so-called purified fractions still contain a large amount of normal brain protein. There is no doubt that the non-viral protein greatly overbalances the viral proteins in the purified fraction. However, a relatively large amount of protein is removed during the procedure, as compared with the amount removed in the ultracen...
Seismic Inversion For Splay Fault Interpretation In the Nankai Trough Accretionary Wedge, Japan

Summary The updip limit of the seismogenic zone is known to occur along splay faults within accretionary complexes. In this paper, we analyze 3D seismic data from Nankai Trough, a convergent plate boundary where the Philippine Sea plate is subducting beneath Eurasian plate, to characterize the splay faults. Many parts of these faults are characterized as strong reflectors which can be directly observed in 3-D seismic images, making these data ideal for studying fault properties that control thrust mechanics and seismogeneis at an active continental margin. To better interpret the data, we applied prestack seismic inversion to obtain elastic properties and rock properties of the splay faults structures. The inverted results show that seismic inversion is able to provide clear images of the elastic and rock properties of the regions around and at the splay fault with lateral spatial variation surrounding a series of boreholes drilled by the Integrated Ocean Drilling program. We observe that upper splay faults are characterized by high impedance with an underlying low impedance layer. Interpretation of one strong reflector cutting through the drilling site C0001 based on the seismic images alone is ambiguous (sedimentary bed or a splay fault). Our inverted results demonstrate that this reflector is more likely a splay fault. Based on the inverted results, we propose several possible interpretations related to fault activities.
Modification of solubility of cholesterol during incubation with growing cells of Aerobacter aerogenes.

SummaryC14-labeled cholesterol was incubated with growing cells of A. aerogenes. Following hydrolysis of the incubation medium, a significant portion of the sterol was recovered in the saponifiable fraction. Apparently, the solubility of the sterol was modified by a substance produced during the growth of the Aerobacter.
A Critical Thinking Benchmark for a Department of Agricultural Education and Studies.

Due to an ever changing world where technology seemingly provides endless answers, today’s higher education students must master a new skill set reflecting an emphasis on critical thinking, problem solving, and communications. The purpose of this study was to establish a departmental benchmark for critical thinking abilities of students majoring in agricultural education and studies. Seventy-five senior-level undergraduates completed a Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT) during the spring 2013 semester. A one-sample t-test utilizing national norm data and a step-wise regression model analyzing predictors of critical thinking ability were used to address research objectives. The only critical thinking skill area where participants’ mean scores were statistically higher than the national norm mean score was in the ability to summarize a pattern of results from a graph without making inappropriate inferences. Further, step-wise regression for total critical thinking score revealed ACT score was the only significant predictor of overall critical thinking ability.
Effect of pH on Disintegration and Dissolution of Ketoconazole Tablets

The effect of pH on the in vitro disintegration, dissolution, and solubility of ketoconazole tablets was studied. One 200-mg ketoconazole tablet was added to each of five different buffer solutions having pH values of 2 to 6;900 ml of each solution containing the ketoconazole was placed in a stationary basket dissolution device and stirred at 500 rpm at 37 degrees C for 60 minutes. Single 1-ml samples of each solution were obtained at 1,3, and 5 minutes after addition of the drug, and then every 5 minutes for the duration of the sampling period. This same procedure was repeated using two 200-mg tablets in the buffer solution at pH 3. The effect of pH on ketoconazole solubility was studied by gradually increasing the pH of a ketoconazole solution at pH 3 to pH 10. Samples of this solution were analyzed periodically after allowing a short period for equilibration of pH. All samples were assayed spectrophotometrically against blanks, and concentrations were determined by comparison with a standard curve. Disintegration of ketoconazole tablets occurred within 5 minutes in each buffer solution and was unaffected by pH. At pH 2 and 3, dissolution of ketoconazole was greater than 85% complete after five minutes, and all ketoconazole had dissolved after 30 minutes. As pH increased, the rate and extent of dissolution slowed; only 10% of ketoconazole was dissolved after 60 minutes at pH 6. Ketoconazole precipitated rapidly from solution as the pH of the dissolution medium exceeded 5.5. There was no difference in the rate or extent of dissolution of ketoconazole for the two doses studied at pH 3. In the buffer solutions tested, dissolution but not disintegration of ketoconazole tablets is pH-dependent. Dissolution characteristics of 200- and 400-mg doses of ketoconazole are similar at pH 3.
Child prodigy, pioneer scientist, and women and civil rights advocate: Dr. Margaret James Strickland Collins (1922-1996)

Abstract Often legends go unrecognized for their achievements in science and the betterment of society. In the case of Margaret Collins, it has been almost 20 years since her passing, and except for appreciation by a small cadre of termite experts, her contributions to entomology have received scant notice. However, her work and legacy have stood the test of time, and even today, she is considered, and often cited as, the definitive source for differences in toleration and resistance to drying among species of termites. At her core, Margaret was a field biologist, and she demonstrated it through her travels and termite collection trips to a dozen countries. Her long and illustrious career included publishing of scientific papers, tenured faculty positions, and service as a curator of the termite collection at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, District of Columbia. Margaret achieved many firsts during her life. She was the first African American female to be aw...
SHOCK INDUCED EXOTHERMIC REACTIONS IN POWDER MIXTURES

An investigation of exothermic reactions during shock synthesis of powder mixtures is in progress. A powder gun and specially designed reusable recovery fixture were employed to shock porous green compacts of binary powder mixtures at impact velocities of ~1 km/sec. Mixtures of Sn-S along with pure Sn and pure S powders were studied. Impact velocities and time-resolved pressure measurements were made during the passage of a plane shockwave. The pressure vs time profiles for pure Sn and Sn-S mixture were similar. This similarity is attributed to formation of a liquid phase in the Sn. Although examination of the recovered samples indicates that reaction occured in the Sn-S, no sign of this reaction occuring is evident in the P-t output.
Sraffa and Hayek on “Own-Rates of Interest”

In the last chapter we touched on the relationship between Keynes’s Treatise on Money and the Wicksellian tradition of monetary theory. Keynes was first of all attracted to Wicksell’s clear statement that the transmission mechanism from money to the ‘real’ economy was via the influence of the money rate of interest on investment, and not on speculation. Second, Keynes took on board Wicksell’s distinction between the money rate of interest, set in financial markets with the participation of the central bank, and the natural rate of interest, determined by the profit rate on new uses of capital. If these rates are the same then money is neutral with respect to the price level. If they depart from each other, prices will rise or fall as the money rate is below or above the natural rate.
A high-throughput microfluidic approach for 1000-fold leukocyte reduction of platelet-rich plasma.

Leukocyte reduction of donated blood products substantially reduces the risk of a number of transfusion-related complications. Current ‘leukoreduction’ filters operate by trapping leukocytes within specialized filtration material, while allowing desired blood components to pass through. However, the continuous release of inflammatory cytokines from the retained leukocytes, as well as the potential for platelet activation and clogging, are significant drawbacks of conventional ‘dead end’ filtration. To address these limitations, here we demonstrate our newly-developed ‘controlled incremental filtration’ (CIF) approach to perform high-throughput microfluidic removal of leukocytes from platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in a continuous flow regime. Leukocytes are separated from platelets within the PRP by progressively syphoning clarified PRP away from the concentrated leukocyte flowstream. Filtrate PRP collected from an optimally-designed CIF device typically showed a ~1000-fold (i.e. 99.9%) reduction in leukocyte concentration, while recovering >80% of the original platelets, at volumetric throughputs of ~1 mL/min. These results suggest that the CIF approach will enable users in many fields to now apply the advantages of microfluidic devices to particle separation, even for applications requiring macroscale flowrates.
Normal pressure hydrocephalus: an analysis of aetiology and response to shunting based on mathematical modeling.

AbstractThe dynamics which maintain the state of enlarged cerebral ventricles and normal intracranial pressures (normal pressure hydrocephalus) are not completely understoodmaking the response to cerebrospinal fluid diversion difficult to predict Using our previously described mathematical model of intracranial physiology which allows nonlinear relationships of pressure, volume, and flow in 7 distinct compartments, we desired to determine factors which could be responsible for the development and maintenance of the steady state of normal pressure hydrocephalus. Using typical starting values for CSF volume, pressure, and flow, the model indicates that this condition cannot be sustainedin spite of high CSF outflow resistance, unless capillary flow resistance is elevated. This condition can be the result of arterial hypertension. The additional modeling of a CSF diversion device demonstrates predicted time courses for ventricular size reduction which are consistent with clinical observations. We conclude tha...
The Nature of Healthcare: A Cross-National Time Series Perspective

Is healthcare a luxury? An answer to this question in the health economics literature mostly relied on the use of the level of healthcare spending as the explained variable. But by using the level of healthcare spending as the dependent variable, we may fail to identify pure income effects and therefore, may not be able to estimate the income elasticity properly. Employing standard welfare comparison methods widely used in the development economics literature, it is argued that budget-share of healthcare in national income is a more convenient and better policy-relavant variable than the level of spending on healthcare. Using panel data from 23 OECD countries for the years 1960-1998, it is showed that aggregate healthcare is strictly a necessary and not a luxury service. Similarly, publicly provided healthcare is a necessary service too. Results on the privately provided healthcare are ambiguous and depends in part on the inclusion of the US in the sample of countries. The policy implications of the results found are also discussed briefly.
Dynamic Simulations of Pressure-Drop Type Instabilities in a Two-Phase Upflow Boiling System Including the Effect of Thermal Non-Equilibrium

Two-phase flow pressure-drop type instabilities in a two-phase upflow boiling system has been studied theoretically. The drift-flux model is adopted in predicting the steady state characteristics of the boiling system, using the finite difference method. The dynamic simulation of the quasi-static pressure-drop type instability in the boiling system is presented. The thermal non-equilibrium effect between the two phases is included by assuming the temperature profile in the subcooled boiling region. By comparing the equilibrium theory, non-equilibrium theory and experiments, it is concluded that the models including the nonequilibrium effects fit better the experimental results of the steady state characteristics of the system, as well as the system stability boundary and oscillations characteristics (amplitude and period).
Contributions of food groups to intakes of energy, nutrients, cholesterol, and fiber in women's diets: effect of method of classifying food mixtures.

This study examined the effect of using two different methods for categorizing food mixtures when calculating the contribution of various food groups to energy, macronutrient, cholesterol, and fiber intakes. Using method 1, each food mixture was classified as a single item and assigned to a food group according to its main ingredient. Using method 2, most of the food mixtures were separated into their constituent ingredients, and each ingredient was assigned to its appropriate food group. Data were from 1,032 women who provided at least 4 days of dietary data in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 1985 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. We found that the importance of each food group's contribution to individual dietary components varied depending on the method used to categorize the food mixtures. When food mixtures were separated into their constituent ingredients before assigning foods to food groups, the contributions of meat, fish, poultry, and grain products declined for each of the seven dietary components studied. At the same time, the contributions of milk products, fats, and oils increased for most of the seven components. The results highlight the importance of foods eaten as part of food mixtures to the intake of energy, macronutrients, cholesterol, and fiber.
Outcomes From a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial of Weight Loss Strategies for African American Adolescents With Obesity.

Background Minority adolescents are at highest risk for obesity and extreme obesity; yet, there are few clinical trials targeting African American adolescents with obesity. Purpose The purpose of the study was to develop an adaptive family-based behavioral obesity treatment for African American adolescents using a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) design. Methods Fit Families was a SMART where 181 African American adolescents (67% female) aged 12-17 were first randomized to office-based versus home-based behavioral skills treatment delivered from a Motivational Interviewing foundation. After 3 months, nonresponders to first phase treatment were rerandomized to continued home-based behavioral skills treatment or contingency management with voucher-based reinforcement for adolescent weight loss and for caregiver adherence to the program. All interventions were delivered by community health workers. The primary outcome was treatment retention and percent overweight. Results All adolescents reduced percent overweight by -3.20%; there were no significant differences in percent overweight based on treatment sequence. Adolescents receiving home-based delivery in Phase 1 and contingency management in Phase 2 completed significantly more sessions than those receiving office-based treatment and continued skills without CM (M = 8.03, SD = 3.24 and M = 6.62, SD = 2.95, respectively). The effect of contingency management was strongest among older and those with lower baseline confidence. Younger adolescents experienced greater weight reductions when receiving continued skills (-4.90% compared with -.02%). Conclusions Behavioral skills training can be successfully delivered to African American adolescents with obesity and their caregivers by community health workers when using a home-based service model with incentives. More potent interventions are needed to increase reductions in percent overweight and may need to be developmentally tailored for younger and older adolescents.
1979 National Middle School Mathematics Olympiads in the People's Republic of China.

Mathematics competitions were orga nized in four major cities of China in 1956?Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Wuhan. Thereafter the competitions, whose objective was to identify mathe matically talented middle school students, grew and eventually came to involve mid dle school and university classroom teachers on a fairly large scale. (The Chi nese middle school [5 years] is analogous to the American secondary school [6 years]. Students begin middle school at [approximately] age 11.) However, the competitions were terminated in 1964 just prior to the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China. Subsequently, with changes taking place in educational policy in the mid-1970s, the competitions were reinstituted and the Chinese organized and carried out competitions at the munic ipal, provincial, and national levels in 1978. (For fuller information on the 1978 olympiads, see the Becker article in the Bibliography.)
Physician Based Practices and Instrument Sterilization - How do you do it?

BACKGROUND: Establishing an instrument sterilization program for physician-based practices (PBP) that are under a hospital license is an important aspect of a successful outpatient infection prevention (IP) program. PBP's struggle with the space and resources (staff and money) to adequately manage the sterilization of reusable instruments. Our objective is to develop a process that allows the PBP to operate efficiently and effectively but still be compliant with proper instrument reprocessing. METHODS: We created a program that removed all tabletop autoclaves and sterilization practices from the PBPs and provided them a service to have their instruments reprocessed at the hospital's sterile processing department. We obtained locking biohazard bins for the dirty instruments, red carts that housed the bins and green carts that held clean instruments returned to the PBP. We purchased a temperature-controlled truck that had segregated clean and dirty areas that securely held the carts and was only used for the transport of instruments. We established a schedule for pick up and drop off that accommodated each PBP's schedule. We established (up front) a 48?hour instrument turnaround time (TAT) for all practices. We held meetings with each PBP leadership team that discussed expectations of the program. RESULTS: The TAT was the most difficult aspect for the PBPs to manage in the beginning. All practices obtained additional instruments to accommodate the 48-hour TAT. Pick up schedules were adjusted to account for travel time and parking limitations that were not initially recognized. All PBPs effectively relinquished on site instrument sterilization practices without incident. CONCLUSIONS: Removing instrument sterilization from the PBPs provides an effective way to assure compliance with sterilization practices in an outpatient setting. It allows the PBP to concentrate on taking care of their patients and leaves reprocessing of instruments to the hospital sterile processing department.
Abstract P176: Familial Autonomic Ganglionopathy Caused by Rare CHRNA3 Genetic Variants. Novel Genetic Cause of Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension

Patients with autonomic failure developed severe neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH). There are only two reported genetic conditions that cause nOH, dopamine β-hydroxylase deficiency, and CYB5...
Post-Transplantation High-Dose Cyclophosphamide (Cy) Is Effective Single Agent GVHD Prophylaxis That Permits Prompt Immune Reconstitution after Myeloablative HLA Matched Related and Unrelated Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT).

Prolonged pharmacologic immunosuppression is a major obstacle to early immunologic recovery after allogeneic BMT. Based on our results in animal models, we studied whether properly timed high-dose Cy post-HLA matched related and unrelated BMT is an effective strategy for limiting GVHD; we hypothesized that avoiding prolonged immunosuppression would speed immune recovery and reconstitution of regulatory T cells (T regs) thereby decreasing post-transplant complications. We are reporting results on 46 consecutive patients (median age 41, range 1–64) with high-risk hematologic malignancies (20 AML, 12 ALL, 6 NHL, 3 HD, 2 MM, 2 CML, 1 CMMoL); 28 received related and 18 unrelated unmanipulated HLA-matched BM (median of 2.2 x 10 8 MNC per kg) after conditioning with busulfan on days -7 to -3 and Cy (50 mg/kg/day) on days -2 and -1, and followed by Cy (50 mg/kg/day) on days +3 and +4 as the sole GVHD prophylaxis. All the patients had advanced disease (20 in advanced remission with the rest having refractory disease), and the median follow-up is 13 (range 6–24) months. All but two patients had sustained engraftment. The cumulative incidence of acute grades II–IV and grades III–IV GVHD were 41% and 9%, respectively. All patients with GVHD responded fully to standard therapy (steroids ± tacrolimus) or therapy per BMT CTN0302, and all except 2 patients were rapidly weaned from all immunosuppressive agents. Of the thirty-six patients alive after day 100, only 1 of the 23 patients that received HLA-matched related, and 3 of 13 patients that received unrelated allografts, developed chronic GVHD. Twenty-six (56%) patients are alive, of whom 21 (45%) are in complete remission. There were no deaths secondary to infection or GVHD. CMV reactivation was detected in 11 of 36 (31%) patients, of whom 9 had GVHD. There was no CMV infection. Median (± SEM) CD4 + T cell counts were 99 ± 16/mL and 209 ± 49/mL on days 60 (n = 23) and 180 (n= 8), respectively. Corresponding values for CD8 + T cells were 248 ± 132/mL and 228 ± 161/mL on days 60 and 180, respectively. Patients with grade II–IV GVHD had significantly fewer peripheral blood (PB) CD4 + Foxp3 + T cells compared to patients with grade 0–I GVHD (p
Increased Risk of Chronic Opioid Use and Revision After Anterior Cervical Diskectomy and Fusion in Patients with Prior Shoulder Arthroscopy.

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare differences in the outcomes of patients who undergo anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) with and without a history of shoulder arthroscopy. Methods The PearlDiver Patient Records Database ( www.peardiverinc.com ) from 2007 to 2017 was used to query patients by Current Procedural Terminology, isolating those who underwent ACDF with and without prior shoulder arthroscopy. Postoperative complications within 30 days of the index procedure, opioid use, and revision procedures were assessed for each cohort using ICD-9/10 and Current Procedural Terminology coding. Results A total of 39,969 ACDF patients were queried, of which 38,859 (97.2%) underwent ACDF alone and 1110 (2.8%) underwent ACDF with prior shoulder arthroscopy. ACDF revision rates were significantly greater in patients with prior shoulder arthroscopy compared with ACDF alone (5.8% vs. 3.6%, aOR = 1.64, P = 0.0002). Patients with prior shoulder arthroscopy were also significantly more likely to fill opioid prescriptions at 3 months (aOR 1.19, P = 0.02), 6 months (aOR 1.22, P = 0.01), and 12 months (aOR 1.18, P = 0.04). Conclusions Patients who undergo ACDF with a prior shoulder arthroscopy have significantly greater revision rates, respiratory complications, and prolonged opioid use compared with patients without prior shoulder arthroscopy. With efforts to limit narcotic use and the importance of maximizing patient satisfaction, this analysis improves on the surgeon's ability to set expectations and postoperative plans for patients undergoing ACDF who have a history of shoulder arthroscopy.
Rabies Little Virus Against Powerful Innate Immunity

The innate immune system provides a very rapid defense mechanism against invading pathogens unlike adaptive immune responses, which require several days for cells to expand and differentiate till they are fit to assume effector function. Innate responses through the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns by pathogen recognition receptors trigger the initial inflammatory reactions to pathogens. Rabies virus induces innate immune responses including cellular responses and production of antiviral cytokines such as type I interferons, which slow down spread of the virus. In turn rabies virus has evolved to circumvent innate immune responses.
Yorkie-independent negative feedback couples Hippo pathway activation with Kibra degradation

The Hippo signaling pathway regulates tissue growth in many animals. Multiple upstream components are known to promote Hippo pathway activity, but the organization of these different inputs, the degree of crosstalk between them, and whether they are regulated in a distinct manner is not well understood. Kibra activates the Hippo pathway by recruiting the core Hippo kinase cassette to the apical cortex. Here we show that the Hippo pathway downregulates Kibra levels independently of Yorkie-mediated transcriptional output. We find that the Hippo pathway promotes Kibra degradation via SCFSlimb-mediated ubiquitination, that this effect requires the core kinases Hippo and Warts, and that this mechanism functions independently of other upstream Hippo pathway activators including Crumbs and Expanded. Moreover, Kibra degradation appears patterned across tissue. We propose that Kibra degradation by the Hippo pathway serves as a negative feedback loop to tightly control Kibra-mediated Hippo pathway activation and ensure optimally scaled and patterned tissue growth.
Weekend feeding (“BackPack”) programs and student outcomes

Abstract Weekend feeding (“BackPack”) programs that provide food to children have grown dramatically in recent years, yet their effects on educational outcomes have been little investigated. Our study combines administrative student data on test scores and absences in Northwest North Carolina elementary schools with primary data on program participation. School and student program eligibility criteria is used to estimate the intent-to-treat effect within a difference-in-difference-in-difference (DDD) framework. Results suggest a sizable 0.09 standard deviation improvement in reading scores, with a similar but weaker effect for math scores. These effects are strongest for the youngest and lowest performing students.
SCOTUS in the Strait of Messina

The greatest challenge for any civilized society is to find the appropriate balance of rights and responsibilities between the individual and society. In the United States, the Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter of the line between individual rights and liberties and government powers. The prerogatives and protections for private property rights help to define that line. The Supreme Court has developed two distinct bodies of constitutional jurisprudence bearing on the protections for private property, one under the doctrine of substantive due process and the other under the Takings Clause. But the appropriate balance has been difficult to achieve and the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence has been prone to slippage. Thus, substantive due process has now lost its teeth. Unless fundamental rights are implicated, modern substantive due process claims are so unlikely to succeed they are rarely worth making. Modern takings jurisprudence has not lost its teeth, but it has become incoherent and dysfunctional. The Supreme Court does not apply its takings jurisprudence consistently across different types of claims, and its expansive interpretation of public uses has allowed government takings powers to be exploited by powerful political interests. Takings jurisprudence could be made more coherent and less dysfunctional by clarifying the nuisance rule, extending the public use requirement to all takings, and narrowing the interpretation of public uses. These refinements of takings law would empower governments to resolve nuisance conflicts, improve the coherence of the Court’s jurisprudence across different types of takings, constrain governments from using their regulatory and takings powers on behalf of special interests, and reduce the burden of government on private property.
A review of onshore and offshore pipeline construction and decommissioning cost in the USA - part 2. Offshore and deepwater decommissioning cost algorithms

In the second part of this two-part review on the cost to construct and decommission oil and gas pipelines in the USA, summary data of offshore pipeline construction and decommissioning cost are described, along with hypothetical pipeline decommissioning cost algorithms for the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Similarities and differences between design and construction trade-offs are described to better understand the cost differences that arise between projects. Over long periods of time, significant temporal impacts enter cost statistics due to inflation, market conditions, regulatory and technology changes, and spatial impacts are always present due to differences in geologic conditions, infrastructure, and terrain. Most factors are unobservable and not available for evaluation, but there are many similarities in processes and infrastructure that allow normalised cost to serve as a useful first-order benchmark. [Received: May 26, 2020; Accepted: June 3, 2020]
Quorum Sensing in Vibrio cholerae Pathogenesis

One of the environmental signals measured by Vibrio cholerae is its own cell density, which it achieves by a quorum-sensing mechanism. During inhabitation of aquatic environments, V. cholerae lives in association with various species of phytoplankton and zooplankton, often in the form of biofilms. Once V. cholerae has entered the host and traversed the hostile stomach environment, it must penetrate the mucous layer and adhere to and colonize the epithelial cells of the small intestine. To achieve this, V. cholerae produces a number of virulence factors, including the cholerae toxin (CT) and the toxin coregulated pilus (TCP). TCP is a type IV pilus encoded by the Vibrio pathogenicity island (VPI) whose probable function is to mediate adherence to the intestinal mucosal cells. When the quorum-sensing pathways of V. cholerae were being dissected at the molecular level, it was noted that the simultaneous mutation of both the CAI-1 and AI-2 systems did not abolish density-dependent light induction from the lux operon. The mechanisms of quorum-sensing control of biofilm formation in V. cholerae is further complicated by a recent finding that the concentration of the autoinducer CAI-1 is higher in biofilms than in planktonic cultures. To assess the significance of quorum sensing, it is important to carry out experiments under conditions that mimic as closely as possible the natural habitat of V. cholerae.
Ischemic stroke-induced increases in circulating microparticles promote leukocyte adhesion in intact microvessels (672.3)

Studies in both stroke patients and experimental animals indicate an association between ischemic stroke and post stroke peripheral inflammation, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Our ongoing study indicated that circulating microparticles (MPs), the small vesicles released from the cell membrane upon activation, were significantly elevated in both patients and animals with diabetes, and increased circulating MPs with phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure on their outer membrane played important roles in the development of diabetes-associated microvascular complications. The objective of this study was to investigate whether local ischemic stroke produced increased circulating MPs and determine their impact on post stroke-associated peripheral vascular inflammation. Acute cerebral ischemia was induced by occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery (MCAO) in 3-4 month old rats using an autologous blood clot. Functional assessment, lesion volume, and hemispheric swelling were evaluated at 24h after MCA...
Increasing the deducibility in CNF instances for efficient SAT-based bounded model checking

In this paper, we propose low-cost static deduction techniques by combining binary resolution and static logic implications to efficiently extract invariant relations from a gate-level netlist. We show that processing our techniques across the circuit nodes helps us to learn highly nontrivial relations. All the relations learned in a user-defined finite window are then quickly replicated over the entire bound for BMC. These powerful relations, when added as new constraint clauses to the original formula, help to significantly increase the deductive power for the SAT engine, thereby pruning a larger portion of the search space. Experimental results on ISCAS89 and ITC99 benchmarks show that more than an order of magnitude performance improvement can be obtained using the proposed learning techniques.
Web Appendix for ‘Tax Eclecticism’

This document is the web appendix for the paper, Tax Eclecticism. (Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1491130.) For easy reference, the document is organized into the same subdivisions (parts, sections, subsections, etc...) as is Tax Eclecticism. Please note that this document is merely an ancillary reference, and not a stand-alone paper. It contains only the various details and additional points regarding which Tax Eclecticism specifically references its appendix.
An indexing scheme for fast similarity search in large time series databases

Addresses the problem of similarity searching in large time-series databases. We introduce a novel indexing algorithm that allows faster retrieval. The index is formed by creating bins that contain time series subsequences of approximately the same shape. For each bin, we can quickly calculate a lower bound on the distance between a given query and the most similar element of the bin. This bound allows us to search the bins in best-first order, and to prune some bins from the search space without having to examine the contents. Additional speedup is obtained by optimizing the data within the bins such that we can avoid having to compare the query to every item in the bin. We call our approach STB (Shape To Bit-vector) indexing, and experimentally validate it on space telemetry, medical and synthetic data, demonstrating approximately an order-of-magnitude speedup.
Complete mode-set stability analysis of magnetically insulated ion diode equilibria

We present the first analysis of the stability of magnetically insulated ion diodes that is fully relativistic and includes electromagnetic perturbations both parallel and perpendicular to the applied magnetic field. Applying this formalism to a simple diode equilibrium model that neglects velocity shear and density gradients, we find a fast growing mode that has all of the important attributes of the low frequency mode observed in numerical simulations of magnetically insulated ion diodes, which may be a major cause of ion divergence. We identify this mode as a modified two-stream instability. Previous stability analyses indicate a variety of unstable modes, but none of these exhibit the same behavior as the low frequency mode observed in the simulations. In addition, we analyze a realistic diode equilibrium model that includes velocity shear and an electron density profile consistent with that observed in the numerical simulations. We find that the diocotron instability is reduced, but not fully quenched by the extension of the electron sheath to the anode. However, the inclusion of perturbations parallel to the applied magnetic field with a wavelength smaller than the diode height does eliminate growth of this instability. This may explain why the diocotron mode has been observedmore » experimentally with proton sources, but not with LiF, since the turn on of LiF is not uniform.« less
Telemedicine in healthcare system

Telemedicine is a general term which is used to define various aspects of health care at a distance. Also, telemedicine can be defined as the use of telecommunication technologies to provide medical services. The key aspect of telemedicine is the use of electronic signals to transfer information from one place to another. Since the invention of the telephone, medical practitioners have employed electronic communication to facilitate patient care. Always in medicine, the trend is toward increasing volume of information and increasing demand for communication bandwidth. Based on the Institute of Medicine, about 30% of physicians could not have accessed their patientpsilas files in existing non-telemedicine systems and 70% of the records were incomplete. We define a telemedicine health care system, which can be used for emergency or patient monitoring cases. Ambulances, Rural Health Centers (RHC) or other remote health location, Airplanes in flight and Ships navigating in wide seas are frequent examples of possible emergency sites.
Step-tracking movements of the wrist in humans. II. EMG analysis

We asked human subjects to make accurate step-tracking movements of the wrist to targets that required 5 degrees-30 degrees of radial or ulnar deviation. Speed instructions were given prior to each trial. Muscle activity was recorded from extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL) and extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) using surface electrodes. The agonist muscle initiated each movement with a brief burst of activity which began approximately 45 msec before movement onset. Then, the antagonist muscle displayed a brief burst of activity which began approximately 10 msec after movement onset. The magnitude, but not the timing, of these bursts was modulated by changes in the task requirements. The area of the initial agonist burst varied with changes in both displacement and intended speed. This burst was most highly correlated with the initial peaks of acceleration and jerk. In contrast, the area of the initial antagonist burst varied with changes in intended speed and was less well modulated by changes in displacement. This burst was highly correlated with the reciprocal of movement duration. Some small, fast movements had the same agonist bursts as some large, slow movements. However, the antagonist bursts for these movements differed greatly. This observation provides clear evidence that the magnitudes of the agonist and antagonist bursts are independently controlled. In a prior paper (Hoffman and Strick, 1986b), we proposed that step-tracking movements of different amplitudes and intended speeds are centrally generated by adjusting 2 kinematic variables: (1) the peak value and (2) the duration of a derivative of displacement. The present results suggest that these 2 kinematic parameters are separately generated by independently modulating the magnitudes of the agonist and antagonist bursts. Thus, the peak displacement of a step-tracking movement must be determined by the appropriate adjustment of both bursts of muscle activity.
Morphogenesis in plants: modeling the shoot apical meristem, and possible applications

A key determinant of overall morphogenesis in flowering plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana is the shoot apical meristem (growing tip of a shoot). Gene regulation networks can be used to model this system. We exhibit a very preliminary two-dimensional model including gene regulation and intercellular signaling, but omitting cell division and dynamical geometry. The model can be trained to have three stable regions of gene expression corresponding to the central zone, peripheral zone, and rib meristem. We also discuss a space-engineering motivation for studying and controlling the morphogenesis of plants using such computational models.
Perceived Leadership Preparation in Counselor Education Doctoral Students Who Are Members of the American Counseling Association in CACREP-Accredited Programs

The researchers examined the perceived leadership training of counselor education doctoral students (N = 228) regarding their leadership preparedness. The results indicated that the majority of the participants believed that they are receiving the training that will prepare them to be leaders in the domains of clinical counseling, research, teaching, clinical supervision, writing and publishing, professional advocacy, leading and managing people, and motivating others to accomplish a mission. Conversely, the findings suggest that the sample did not perceive that their training prepared them for leadership in the areas of managing an organization.
On connectionist models

We show that an arbitrary “connectionist” model of n neutrons, defined by an n X n real matrix, can be simulated by a system of O(n3log n) Boolean gates with an O(log n) time slow-down factor. This establishes that, even though n2 real numbers possibly of high precision are required to define it, connectionist models do not possess any basic properties different from those of other (nonuniform) highly parallel hardware models.
A model for evaluating and predicting high-temperature thermal expansion

In this paper, a new set of experimental data, αV KT V, representing the partial temperature derivative of the work done by the thermal pressure of the solid, is fitted by n terms of a modified Einstein model. Experimental data show that αV KT V, not αV KT, approaches a constant value at high temperature. Based on the observed linear relationship of isothermal bulk modulus with temperature at high temperature, thermal expansion can be evaluated by fitting αV KT V data. Our previous results have shown that at low temperature or for materials with less variable bulk modulus and expansivity, thermal expansion data can be simply approximated by an n term Einstein model. More generally and for many materials, αV KT V data resemble an isochoric specific heat curve. With this method, thermal expansion can be predicted at high temperatures from low and intermediate temperature range data. With accurate thermal expansion data, high temperature bulk moduli can also be predicted.
Pyroelectric IR sensor based on oxide heterostructures on Si(100) and LaAlO3(100) substrates

Uncooled infrared detectors consisting of thin film pyroelectric oxide heterostructures have been fabricated. Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) and (Sr,Ba)Nb2O6 (BSN) thin films were integrated to YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) films on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-buffered Si(100) and on LaAlO3(100) substrates by the pulsed laser deposition technique. The YBCO thin films are used both as IR reflector- conductive electrodes and as atomic templates for PZT and BSN epitaxial growth, but not necessarily for their superconducting properties. The crystalline properties and photoresponse of the oxide thin film heterostructure infrared detectors were characterized from room temperature up to the phase transition temperatures of PZT and BSN. Detectivity values of approximately 108 cmHz1/2/W at room temperature have been obtained for simple heterostructure device configurations. The tunable phase transition temperature, dielectric constant and pyroelectric properties of the oxide allow for the development of an infrared detector with operation at temperatures higher than room temperature.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Preparation of guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) and guanosine pentaphosphate (pppGpp) from Escherichia coli ribosomes

Abstract A means of preparative enzymatic synthesis of guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp), guanosine pentaphosphate (pppGpp), and related derivatives is deseribed. The Escherichia coli ribosomes can be recovered, stored, and used repeatedly as a source of synthetic activity. The procedure described affords a relatively simple means of synthesizing gram amounts of these nucleotides as well as some derivatives such as the β-γ methylenyl derivative of guanosine pentaphosphate (peppGpp).
Maternal behavior of hospitalized pregnant women

This report presents an analysis of the maternal behavior of 75 women hospitalized during pregnancy who were subjects in a prospective, descriptive, correlational study of ante-partum hospitalization. Three operational definitions of maternal behavior were measured: acceptance of pregnancy, identification with a motherhood role, and maternal-fetal attachment. Two scales from the Lederman Prenatal Self-Evaluation Questionnaire, which was administered in its complete form, and Cranley's Fetal Attachment Scale were used to operationally measure maternal behavior. When compared to women who had experienced normal pregnancies, study women scored significantly lower on the measure of acceptance of pregnancy, but no differently on the 2 other measures. Interview data regarding the women's feelings about the pregnancy and fetus generally supported the quantitative measures and also provided a more varied perspective of their maternal behavior.
Chloride depth in soil and uptake by soybean

Abstract Soybean [Glycine max.(L.) Merr.] yield reductions due to chloride (Cl) toxicity, as a result of KCl application, have been recognized. A field study was conducted to determine whether Cl uptake by soybean could be minimized by incorporating Cl deeper in the soil profile and to predict the most probable depth of Cl after surface application by a weather‐based model. Essex, a Cl‐susceptible soybean cultivar, was grown on a Mexico silt loam (fine montmorillonitic, mesic Udollic Ochraqualfs) with Cl incorporated at depths of 0–15, 30–45, or 60–75 cm and analyzed for Cl through the growing season. Chloride applied at the 0 to 15‐cm depth significantly increased Cl concentrations in soybean leaves, stems, and roots, especially, in early stages of growth. Chloride concentration was higher in roots > stems > leaves. There was no significant increase in Cl uptake when Cl was applied below 30 cm in the soil. Chloride added to the surface of reformed soil profiles moved with the water front as the soil was ...
Kinematic synthesis of adjustable moving pivot four-bar mechanisms for multi-phase motion generation

A four-bar linkage can satisfy up to five prescribed positions for the motion generation problem. The adjustable four-bar linkage, on the other hand, can satisfy more than five given positions by making some of the parameters adjustable. Limited work had been done in the area of motion generation problems of kinematic synthesis of adjustable four-bar linkages. This paper considers for the first time, the adjustment of a moving pivot. Equations are developed for the most complicated cases, which are two phase adjustable moving pivot problems with three positions in each of the two phases. Solutions are developed for two and three phase adjustable moving pivot problems. The numerical method developed for solving adjustable fixed pivot problems are extended to solve adjustable moving pivot problems. Synthesis examples are presented. Several Turbo Pascal programs are developed for solving the synthesis problems. Many user-defined AutoLISP functions and commands are specially designed for this work.