cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Profiling the gastrointestinal microbiota in response to Salmonella: low versus high Salmonella shedding in the natural porcine host.

Controlling Salmonella in the food chain is complicated by the ability of Salmonella to colonize livestock without causing clinical symptoms/disease. Salmonella-carrier animals are a significant reservoir for contamination of naive animals, the environment, and our food supply. Salmonella carriage and shedding in pigs varies greatly both experimentally and on-farm. To investigate the dynamics between the porcine intestinal microbiota and Salmonella shedding, we temporally profiled the microbiota of pigs retrospectively classified as low and high Salmonella-shedders. Fifty-four piglets were collectively housed, fed and challenged with 10 9 Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Bacterial quantitation of Salmonella in swine feces was determined, and total fecal DNA was isolated for 16S rRNA gene sequencing from groups of high-shedder, low-shedder, and non-inoculated pigs (n = 5/group; 15 pigs total). Analyses of bacterial community structures revealed significant differences between the microbiota of high-shedder and lowshedder pigs before inoculation and at 2 and 7 days post-inoculation (d.p.i.); microbiota differences were not detected between low-shedder and non-inoculated pigs. Because the microbiota composition prior to Salmonella challenge may influence future shedding status, the ‘‘will-be’’ high and low shedder phylotypes were compared, revealing higher abundance of the Ruminococcaceae family in the ‘‘will-be’’ low shedders. At 2 d.p.i., a significant difference in evenness for the high shedder microbiota compared to the other two groups was driven by decreases in Prevotella abundance and increases in various genera (e.g. Catenibacterium, Xylanibacter). By 21 d.p.i., the microbial communities of high-shedder and lowshedder pigs were no longer significantly different from one another, but were both significantly different from non-inoculated pigs, suggesting a similar Salmonella-induced alteration in maturation of the swine intestinal microbiota regardless of shedding status. Our results correlate microbial shifts with Salmonella shedding status in pigs, further defining the complex interactions among the host, pathogen, and microbiota of this important public health issue and food safety concern. Published by Elsevier B.V.
A constructive proof of the Gohberg-Semencul formula

Abstract Gohberg and Semencul gave some elegant formulas for the inverse of a Toeplitz matrix as a difference of products of lower and upper triangular Toeplitz matrices. There are several algebraic and analytic proof of these formulas. Here we give a “constructive” proof for two of the Gohberg-Semencul formulas, under the assumption that the matrices are strongly nonsingular, i.e., all leading minors are nonzero. This assumption is stronger than necessary, but it enables fast O ( n 2 ) constructions for the entries in the Gohberg-Semencul formulas. Our method also gives a new proof of the relation between the reflection coefficients of a Toeplitz matrix and its inverse.
Does the built environment affect when American teens become drivers? Evidence from the 2001 National Household Travel Survey

PROBLEM: Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of death for American adolescents. However, the impact of where teens live on when they begin driving has not been studied. METHOD: Data from the 2001 National Household Travel Survey were used to estimate the effect of residential density on the driver status of teens aged 16 to 19 years after matching on demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Controlling for demographic characteristics, 16 and 17 year old teens in high density neighborhoods had driver rates 15 percentage points below teens living in less dense areas (p Language: en
Consumers' perceptions and opinions of health care challenges--case study by the Virginia Hospital Association.

(1990). Consumers' Perceptions and Opinions of Health Care Challenges — Case Study by the Virginia Hospital Association. Journal of Hospital Marketing: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 49-56.
Resonance Raman scattering in the 1Σg+ → 1B2 (1Σu+) transition of CS2

Abstract Resonance Raman spectra of CS 2 are presented at excitation wavelengths of 204 and 200 nm. Both spectra show activity in the symmetric (ν 1 ) stretch and bending (ν 2 ) modes consistent with a bent, symmetrically stretched 1 B 2 ( 1 Σ u + ) upper state. In addition, these spectra show activity of the transition involving two quanta in the asymmetric (ν 3 ) stretch as well as progressions in ν 1 and ν 2 based upon this asymmetric mode overtone.
Consequence of the metal-atom clustering on the magnetic properties in vanadium sulfide V5S8

Abstract On the basis of qualitative bonding considerations and tight-binding electronic band structure calculations, we examined how the unequal spin moment distribution is related to the metal-atom clustering in V 5 S 8 and why V 5 S 8 exhibits both localized and itinerant magnetic properties.
Present status of axially angled angiocardiography

Axial angiography visualizes anatomical details of normal and pathological hearts not previously demonstrated by conventional angiography. Progress in the diagnosis of congenital heart malformations using axial projection technique has been reconsidered, emphasizing that the anatomical details of each congenital heart malformation and their associated anomalies that can be revealed by axial angiography.
Effects of standard‐tone range and intersignal interval on frequency discrimination

Psychometric functions and reaction times were obtained for four listeners in a pure‐tone frequency‐discrimination task using a same‐different paradigm. In the fixed‐standard conditions, each interval contained either a 1000‐Hz tone (A) or a tone higher in frequency (B), such that all four combinations (AA, AB, BA, BB) were equally likely. In the roving‐standard conditions, the value of A was randomly selected from a set of six logarithmically spaced frequencies ranging from 725 to 1378 Hz. In separate 60‐ or 120‐trial runs, the duration of the interval separating the two tones was varied from 600 msec to 8 sec. The discrimination results can be interpreted in terms of the memory assumptions in the model of intensity resolution proposed by Durlach and Braida [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 46, 372–383 (1969)]. Increasing the intersignal interval had less effect in the fixed‐ than in the roving‐standard conditions, presumably because context coding was possible. This interpretation is supported by the relative magnitudes of the RTs for decisions of same and different. [Research supported by a grant from NINDS.]
Oxide formation on biological nanostructures via a structure-directing agent: towards an understanding of precise structural transcription

Biomimetic silica formation is strongly dependent on the presence of cationic amine groups which hydrolyze organosilicate precursors and bind to silicate oligomers. Since most biological species possess anionic surfaces, the dependence on amine groups limits utilization of biotemplates for fabricating materials with specific morphologies and pore structures. Here, we report a general aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) directed method for preparing hollow silica with well-defined morphologies using varying biotemplates (proteins, viruses, flagella, bacteria and fungi). Control experiments, pH evolution measurements and 29Si NMR spectroscopic studies have revealed a mechanism of the assembly of APTES on bio-surfaces with subsequent nucleation and growth of silica. The APTES assembly and nuclei formation on bio-surfaces ensured precise transcription of the morphologies of biotemplates to the resulting silica. This method could be extended to the preparation of other oxides.
Impact of host age and parity on susceptibility to severe urinary tract infection in a murine model

The epidemiology and bacteriology of urinary tract infection (UTI) varies across the human lifespan, but the reasons for these differences are poorly understood. Using established monomicrobial and polymicrobial murine UTI models caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) and/or Group B Streptococcus (GBS), we demonstrate age and parity as inter-related factors contributing to UTI susceptibility. Young nulliparous animals exhibited 10-100-fold higher bacterial titers compared to older animals. In contrast, multiparity was associated with more severe acute cystitis in older animals compared to age-matched nulliparous controls, particularly in the context of polymicrobial infection where UPEC titers were ∼1000-fold higher in the multiparous compared to the nulliparous host. Multiparity was also associated with significantly increased risk of chronic high titer UPEC cystitis and ascending pyelonephritis. Further evidence is provided that the increased UPEC load in multiparous animals required TLR4-signaling. Together, these data strongly suggest that the experience of childbearing fundamentally and permanently changes the urinary tract and its response to pathogens in a manner that increases susceptibility to severe UTI. Moreover, this murine model provides a system for dissecting these and other lifespan-associated risk factors contributing to severe UTI in at-risk groups.
Hydrodynamic chromatography for the size classification of micron and sub-micron sized packing materials.

Hydrodynamic chromatography (HDC) was used as a size classification and purification method for porous bridged ethyl hybrid (BEH) packing materials (particles) in the micron to sub-micron range. Using packed column HDC, a batch of particles with size 0.76 ± 0.26 μm was fractionated to yield classified material of 1.05 ± 0.16 μm, reducing the relative standard deviation from 33% to 15%. Subsequent chromatographic evaluation of this packing material showed significant improvement in column performance and decrease in flow resistance over the unclassified material. Comparing a column packed with the classified versus non-classified material, the effective flow resistance of the two columns was decreased by 58% and the minimum HETP for the packing material was improved from 4 to 2.5 μm.
The absolute maximum payoff in differential games and optimal control

This paper deals with a differential game or optimal control problem in which the payoff is the maximum (or minimum), during play, of some scalar functionK of the statex. This unconventional payoff has many practical applications. By defining certain auxiliary games for a significant class of problems, one can show how to solve the general case where more than one maximum ofk(t)=K[x(t)] occurs under optimal play. For a subclass of such problems, it is found thatclosed optimal solutions can exist on certain surfaces in the playing space. As the playing interval becomes indefinitely long, the open optimal trajectories converge to (or diverge from) such surfaces. In particular, for two-dimensional problems of this subclass, the closed optimal trajectories are periodic and called periodic barriers. They are analogous to limit cycles in uncontrolled nonlinear systems.
Reservoir-induced seismicity associated with the Itoiz Reservoir, Spain: a case study

SUMMARY Reservoir-induced seismicity was observed in 2004 after the impoundment of the Itoiz Reservoir in the central-western Pyrenees, Spain. Subsequent annual filling cycles were accompanied by large epicentral growth in the northern part of the Jaca-Pamplona basin. Based on the evaluation of the available geohydrologic data, we suggest that the seismicity is associated with the diffusion of increased pore pressures along the carbonate megabreccia systems of the Early to Middle Eocene age Hecho Group. Assuming 1-D pore-pressure diffusion from the Itoiz Reservoir, we estimate that excess pore pressures of ∼100–500 kPa are adequate to induce M ≥ 3.0 earthquakes in this geological terrane. The results of this study have potential applicability in regions where reservoirs are built over karst terranes.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the pancreas and pancreatic tumors in a mouse orthotopic model of human cancer

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma has a rising incidence and a very poor survival rate. To develop new treatment strategies, extensive research is performed on animal models of pancreatic cancer. Orthotopic pancreatic tumors models, where the tumor is implanted into the pancreas, resemble the human disease more closely than subcutaneous tumor models, yet are difficult to monitor. In our study we report a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach to visualize the pancreas in mice and to monitor orthotopically implanted pancreatic tumors. An MRI scanner was used to image normal murine pancreas and the pancreas of mice implanted with a human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line. Gadolinium (Gd)-DTPA-enhanced T1- and T2-weighted standard sequences were used with the objective to identify the pancreas and to monitor the growth of orthotopic tumors during 30 days. The pancreas as well as the implanted tumors could be easily identified using MRI. On T2-weighted images, the implanted tumors were easily visualized at the implantation side with high signal intensity. After application of a contrast agent, the tumors showed an enhancement. Heterogeneities within the tumor could be delineated, corresponding to histology, and the size of the tumor could be measured precisely. MR serves as a noninvasive high-resolution image modality to monitor murine pancreas as well as size, growth and even areas of heterogeneity in orthotopic pancreatic tumors.
Performance of Nonlinear Finite-Difference Poisson−Boltzmann Solvers

We implemented and optimized seven finite-difference solvers for the full nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation in biomolecular applications, including four relaxation methods, one conjugate gradient method, and two inexact Newton methods. The performance of the seven solvers was extensively evaluated with a large number of nucleic acids and proteins. Worth noting is the inexact Newton method in our analysis. We investigated the role of linear solvers in its performance by incorporating the incomplete Cholesky conjugate gradient and the geometric multigrid into its inner linear loop. We tailored and optimized both linear solvers for faster convergence rate. In addition, we explored strategies to optimize the successive over-relaxation method to reduce its convergence failures without too much sacrifice in its convergence rate. Specifically we attempted to adaptively change the relaxation parameter and to utilize the damping strategy from the inexact Newton method to improve the successive over-relaxation method. Our analysis shows that the nonlinear methods accompanied with a functional-assisted strategy, such as the conjugate gradient method and the inexact Newton method, can guarantee convergence in the tested molecules. Especially the inexact Newton method exhibits impressive performance when it is combined with highly efficient linear solvers that are tailored for its special requirement.
Disturbed CXCR4/CXCL12 axis in paediatric precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Malignant cells infiltrating the bone marrow (BM) interfere with normal cellular behaviour of supporting cells, thereby creating a malignant niche. We found that CXCR4-receptor expression was increased in paediatric precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (BCP-ALL) cells compared with normal mononuclear haematopoietic cells (P < 0·0001). Furthermore, high CXCR4-expression correlated with an unfavourable outcome in BCP-ALL (5-year cumulative incidence of relapse ± standard error: 38·4% ± 6·9% in CXCR4-high versus 12% ± 4·6% in CXCR4-low expressing cases, P < 0·0001). Interestingly, BM levels of the CXCR4-ligand (CXCL12) were 2·7-fold lower (P = 0·005) in diagnostic BCP-ALL samples compared with non-leukaemic controls. Induction chemotherapy restored CXCL12 levels to normal. Blocking the CXCR4-receptor with Plerixafor showed that the lower CXCL12 serum levels at diagnosis could not be explained by consumption by the leukaemic cells, nor did we observe an altered CXCL12-production capacity of BM-mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC) at this time-point. We rather observed that a very high density of leukaemic cells negatively affected CXCL12-production by the BM-MSC while stimulating the secretion levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). These results suggest that highly proliferative leukaemic cells are able to down-regulate secretion of cytokines involved in homing (CXCL12), while simultaneously up-regulating those involved in haematopoietic mobilization (G-CSF). Therefore, interference with the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis may be an effective way to mobilize BCP-ALL cells.
The rational timing of parliamentary elections

This paper presents a rational choice model for the timing of parliamentary elections in political systems where the government has the option of calling an early election. The optimal timing of elections involves the government weighing the benefits of calling an election versus the costs and is modelled mathematically as an optimal stopping problem. The model implies that the timing of elections depends upon time left in the government's term, the degree of electoral uncertainty, the volatility of government popularity, the government's time rate of discount, and institutional constraints such as the length of term and whether the government is likely to be forced from power by a vote of no confidence.
Femoral artery occlusion following percutaneous catheterization.

Abstract Femoral artery occlusion occurred in 7 of 533 patients undergoing percutaneous femoral artery catheterization (1.3 per cent). Of the total group, 113 patients had predominant mitral stenosis, and 5 of these developed femoral occlusion (4.4 per cent). Unusually small iliofemoral arteries were found in 5 of the 6 patients who required thrombectomy. In addition, 2 had atheromatous narrowing and 2 had pre-existing emboli. The 5 patients who underwent thrombectomy within 12 hours had good functional results. Individuals with mitral valve disease, weak peripheral pulses, low cardiac output or previous arterial obstruction appear predisposed to arterial occlusion after catheterization. Large catheters, prolonged procedures, extensive catheter manipulation and excessive pressure to control bleeding should be avoided. Persistent signs of ischemia during a 6 hour observation period after catheterization are an indication for early arterial exploration.
Embryonic brain enlargement requires cerebrospinal fluid pressure

Abstract The brain of the chick embryo begins to enlarge abruptly on the second day of incubation. Shortly thereafter, major flexures and torsions of the brain occur, and many bulges and furrows appear. The onset of enlargement coincides with closure of the spinal canal which makes the neural tube a closed compartment filled with cerebrospinal fluid. We propose that cerebrospinal fluid pressure is a necessary driving force for normal brain enlargement. We have experimentally tested this hypothesis by intubating brains of chick embryos and comparing brain cavity and tissue volumes in normal and intubated embryos. The increase in cavity volume is greatly reduced, whereas brain tissue continues to grow at a reduced rate and folds into the ventricles.
Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: refractive error and its relationship to cup/disc ratio.

Objective To investigate refractive error in eyes with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION) and its relationship to cup/disc (C/D) ratio. Design Cohort study. Participants A total of 608 consecutive patients with NA-AION. Methods At first visit, all patients had a comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation, including recording best-corrected visual acuity, visual fields, anterior segment examination, ophthalmoscopy, and fluorescein fundus angiography. Morphometric measurement of C/D ratio was performed in 65 fellow normal eyes in patients with unilateral NA-AION. Refraction was converted into spherical equivalent for data analysis. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test, Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test, chi-square goodness-of-fit test, and segmented linear regression. Main Outcome Measures Refractive error in NA-AION eyes and any association between refractive error and C/D ratio. Results Mean age of patients with NA-AION was 60.9 (standard deviation [SD] = 12.6; range 20.5–95.2) years. Median time from onset to refraction was 2 weeks (interquartile range 1–5 weeks). There was a significant association between spherical equivalent and age ( P P = 0.289). Comparison with the age-matched US population from the 1999–2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed a higher proportion of NA-AION eyes with spherical equivalent from −0.5 to 0.5 diopters and a smaller proportion with −3 to 0.5 to +3 diopters ( P P P = 0.057) but not in myopia ( P = 0.428). Conclusions There was a significant association between spherical equivalent refraction and age ( P Financial Disclosure(s) The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Variational inequalities for marketable pollution permits with technological investment opportunities: The case of oligopolistic markets

In this paper, we develop a variational inequality framework for the modeling, qualitative analysis, and computation of equilibrium patterns in multiproduct, multipollutant oligopolistic markets with marketable pollution permits along with opportunities for investment in production technology and/or emission-abatement technology. The model deals explicitly with spatial differentiation and also guarantees that the imposed environmental standards are met through the initial allocation of licenses. An algorithm is proposed, with convergence results, to compute the profitmaximized quantities of oligopolistic firms' products and the quantities of emissions, along with the equilibrium allocation of licenses and their prices, as well as the optimal investments in the technologies. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the model and the algorithm.
Simplified behaviors from increased heterogeneity: I. 2-D uranium transport experiments at the decimeter scale

Abstract Intermediate scale tank studies were conducted to examine the effects of physical heterogeneity of aquifer material on uranium desorption and subsequent transport in order to bridge the scaling gap between bench and field scale systems. Uranium contaminated sediment from a former uranium mill field site was packed into two 2-D tanks with internal dimensions of 2.44 × 1.22 × 0.076 m (tank 1) and 2.44 × 0.61 × 0.076 m (tank 2). Tank 1 was packed in a physically homogenous manner, and tank 2 was packed with long lenses of high and low conductivities resulting in different flow fields within the tanks. Chemical gradients within the flow domain were altered by temporal changes in influent water chemistry. The uranium source was desorption from the sediment. Despite the physical differences in the flow fields, there were minimal differences in global uranium leaching behavior between the two tanks. The dominant uranium species in both tanks over time and space was Ca 2 UO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 0 . However, the uranium/alkalinity relationships varied as a function of time in tank 1 and were independent of time in tank 2. After planned stop-flow events, small, short-lived rebounds were observed in tank 1 while no rebound of uranium concentrations was observed in tank 2. Despite appearing to be in local equilibrium with respect to uranium desorption, a previously derived surface complexation model was insufficient to describe uranium partitioning within the flow domain. This is the first in a pair of papers; the companion paper presents an intermediate scale 3-D tank experiment and inter-tank comparisons. For these systems, physical heterogeneity at or above the decimeter scale does not affect global scale uranium desorption and transport. Instead, uranium fluxes are controlled by chemistry dependent desorption patterns induced by changing the influent ionic composition.
Modeling studies of an impinging jet reactor design for hybrid physical–chemical vapor deposition of superconducting MgB2 films

Abstract An impinging jet reactor was developed for the deposition of superconducting MgB2 thin films by hybrid physical–chemical vapor deposition, a technique that combines Mg evaporation with the thermal decomposition of B2H6 gas. A transport and chemistry model for boron film deposition from B2H6 was initially used to investigate the effect of carrier gas, Mg crucible temperature and gas flow rates on boron film growth rate and uniformity. The modeling studies, which were validated experimentally, demonstrated a reduction in B2H6 gas-phase depletion and an increased boron film growth rate using an argon carrier gas compared to hydrogen. The results were used to identify a suitable set of process conditions for MgB2 deposition in the impinging jet reactor. The deposition of polycrystalline MgB2 thin films that exhibited a transition temperature of 39.5 K was demonstrated at growth rates up to ∼50 μm/h.
Qualitative Assessment of Gifted Education

This article describes qualitative research using an ethnographic perspective, with particular reference to gifted education. The purpose is to help the reader, through examples, to understand the potential use of qualitative assessment methods when studying and evaluating programs for gifted children. The sources include the published literature on qualitative research and studies on gifted education using an ethnographic perspective. The article concludes that more use of this methodology could be beneficial to the field of gifted education.
WE‐C‐217BCD‐04: Multimodality Imaging of Breast Cancer Experimental Lung Metastasis

Purpose: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is incurable. The clinical gold standard for assessing tumor microvessel density (MVD), an independent prognostic marker in MBC, is CD 105 staining. The goal of this study is to develop a positron emission tomography (PET)/near‐infrared fluorescent (NIRF) probe for imaging of CD105 expression in MBC (i.e. non‐invasive measurement of MVD), as well as other applications such as early detection of metastasis, intraoperative guidance, etc. Methods: TRC105, a chimeric anti‐CD105 mAb, was dual‐labeled with a NIRF dye and 89Zr to yield 8 9 Zr‐Df‐TRC105‐800CW. Luciferase‐transfected 4T1 murine breast cancer cells were injected intravenously into female BALB/c mice to establish a lung MBC model. Bio luminescenceimaging (BLI) was carried out to non‐ invasively monitor the lungtumor burden. Comprehensive in vivo/ex vivo studies were performed to investigate 8 9 Zr‐Df‐TRC105‐800CW in this MBC model. Cetuximab was used as an isotype‐matched control. Results: Radiolabeled TRC105 has high tumor uptake in many tumor types in addition to MBC (e.g. pancreatic/prostate cancer and braintumor), revealing broad clinical potential for TRC105‐based agents. FACS analysis of HUVECs showed no difference in CD 105 binding between TRC105 and Df‐ TRC105‐800CW. PETimaging revealed that 4T1 lungtumor uptake of 89 Zr‐Df‐TRC105‐800CW was 8.7±1.4,10.9±0.5, and 9.7±1.1 %ID/g at 4, 24, and 48 h post‐injection (n = 4), with excellent tumorcontrast. Bio distribution studies, blocking, control studies with 8 9 Zr‐Df‐cetuximab‐ 800CW, ex vivo BLI/PET/NIRF imaging, and histology all confirmed CD 105 specificity of the tracer. NIRF imaging‐guided removal of 4T1 tumors with Df‐TRC105‐800CW in a subcutaneous model was also straightforward. Conclusions: We report the first PET/NIRF imaging of CD105 expression in a MBC model. Broad clinical potential of TRC105‐ based agents was shown in many tumor types, which also enabled early detection of small metastases and provided intraoperative guidance for tumor removal.
Sales and Restocking Policies in a Single Item Inventory System

A single product system with linear costs is considered when customers are of two different types. Penalty costs for lost sales differ for the two types of customers and; therefore, optimal system control requires different shortage probabilities for the two classes. In one case, high penalty customers independently arrive while at the other extreme it is assumed that there is only one such customer. Single critical number policies are optimal in the simple situations. If the priority type customers become active and register displeasure by changing their demand pattern when their demands are not satisfied, simple convexity or Polya frequency function arguments are not sufficient to guarantee that the optimal policy remains one of the single critical number variety.
Universal Estimation of Erasure Entropy

Erasure entropy rate differs from Shannon's entropy rate in that the conditioning occurs with respect to both the past and the future, as opposed to only the past (or the future). In this paper, consistent universal algorithms for estimating erasure entropy rate are proposed based on the basic and extended context-tree weighting (CTW) algorithms. Simulation results for those algorithms applied to Markov sources, tree sources, and English texts are compared to those obtained by fixed-order plug-in estimators with different orders.
Speech errors in progressive non-fluent aphasia.

The nature and frequency of speech production errors in neurodegenerative disease have not previously been precisely quantified. In the present study, 16 patients with a progressive form of nonfluent aphasia (PNFA) were asked to tell a story from a wordless children’s picture book. Errors in production were classified as either phonemic, involving language-based deformations that nevertheless result in possible sequences of English speech segments; or phonetic, involving a motor planning deficit and resulting in non-English speech segments. The distribution of cortical atrophy as revealed by structural MRI scans was examined quantitatively in a subset of PNFA patients (N=7). The few errors made by healthy seniors were only phonemic in type. PNFA patients made more than four times as many errors as controls. This included both phonemic and phonetic errors, with a preponderance of errors (82%) classified as phonemic. The majority of phonemic errors were substitutions that shared most distinctive features with the target phoneme. The systematic nature of these substitutions is not consistent with a motor planning deficit. Cortical atrophy was found in prefrontal regions bilaterally and peri-Sylvian regions of the left hemisphere. We conclude that the speech errors produced by PNFA patients are mainly errors at the phonemic level of language processing and are not caused by a motor planning impairment.
Calculated internal stress distributions in melt‐spun fibers

Although melt spinning is a basic process in the synthetic fiber industry, theoretical understanding of heat transfer and stress development in a melt-spun fiber is limited. In this work, the finite-element method is first applied to the melt-spinning process to determine radial and axial temperature distributions in a solidfying fiber. A thermal stress analysis is then made, again by the finite-element method. Calculated stresses are found to reach maximum values shortly after the fiber solidifies. Because material properties are reduced at these elevated temperatures, this is a location of potential mechanical failure. Anisotropy due to drawing may add to this problem. Analysis of the effects of spinning parameters shows that ambient air temperature is the most critical variable in controlling the internal stresses. Mass flow rate and take-up speed have smaller effects.
Tapetosomes and Elaioplasts in Brassica and Arabidopsis Floral Tapetum

Insect/self-pollinating species such as Brassica, Arabidopsis, tobacco and lily have abundant neutral lipids on the pollen surface. The lipids form a continuous layer to waterproof the pollen and provide a medium in which other important molecules (e.g., flavonoids, cell wall digestive enzymes, and self incompatibility molecules) are dissolved.
Field studies of the host range of the citrus blackfly, Aleurocanthus woglumi (Homoptera; Aleyrodidae).

We studied the ovipositional behavior of the citrus blackfly (CBF), Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby, and found several plant species (mango, pink trumpet, and kumquat) to be as attractive as Citrus spp to ovipositing CBF at low densities. There is a significant (P < 0.01) positive correlation between the attractiveness of various host plants in our tests and the frequency of CBF occurrence on these plants in field surveys The host range of CBF increases with increasing CBF density. Oviposition by CBF on preferred hosts appears to occur at all CBF densities and is independent of their frequency in the environment We also found that CBF adults appear to be attracted to plant material reflecting light in the 500–600 nm range and it appears that this is the only long-range attractant operative.
On the Components of Segregation Distortion in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER. II. Deletion Mapping and Dosage Analysis of the SD Locus.

Segregation distorter (SD) chromosomes are preferentially transmitted to offspring from heterozygous SD/SD+ males owing to the induced dysfunction of the SD+-bearing sperm. This phenomenon involves at least two major loci: the Sd locus whose presence is necessary for distortion to occur and the Rsp locus which acts as the site of Sd action. Several additional loci on SD chromosomes enhance distortion.—In a previous study deletions were used to map the Sd locus and to determine some of its properties. We have extended this analysis with the isolation and characterization of 14 new deletions in the Sd region. From our results we conclude (1) SD chromosomes contain a single Sd locus located in region 37D2-6 of the salivary gland chromosome map. Deletion of this locus in any of three SD chromosomes now studied results in complete loss of ability to distort a sensitive chromosome; (2) the reduced male fecundity observed in many homozygous SD or SDi/SDj combinations is due at least in part to the action of the Sd locus. The fecundity of these males can be substantially increased by deletion of one Sd locus. Thus, it is the presence of two doses of Sd rather than the absence of Sd+ that produces the lowered male fecundity in SD homozygotes; (3) Sd behaves as a neomorph, whereas Sd+, if it exists at all, is amorphic with respect to segregation distortion; (4) these results support a model in which the Sd product is made in limiting amounts and the interaction of this product with the Rsp locus causes sperm dysfunction. The Sd product appears to act preferentially at Rsps (sensitive-Responder) but may also act at Rspi (insensitive-Responder).
Tissue Engineering Applications for Cleft Palate Reconstruction

Abstract Cleft palate is a common birth defect that carries significant biomedical and psychosocial implications throughout the lives of affected children and their families. To date, numerous etio...
A latent curve model of parental motivational practices and developmental decline in math and science academic intrinsic motivation.

A longitudinal approach was used to examine the effects of parental task-intrinsic and task-extrinsic motivational practices on academic intrinsic motivation in the subject areas of math and science. Parental task-intrinsic practices comprise encouragement of children's pleasure and engagement in the learning process, whereas task-extrinsic practices comprise parents' provision of external rewards and consequences contingent on children's task performance. A conditional latent curve model was fit to data from the Fullerton Longitudinal Study (A. W. Gottfried, A. E. Gottfried, & D. W. Guerin, 2006), with academic intrinsic motivation in math and science assessed from ages 9 to 17 and parental motivational practices measured when children were age 9. The results indicated that task-intrinsic practices were beneficial with regard to children's initial levels of motivation at age 9 as well as with regard to motivational decline through age 17. Conversely, parents' use of task-extrinsic practices was adverse with regard to children's motivation both at age 9 and across the 8-year interval. Theoretical implications of the findings with regard to academic intrinsic motivation are discussed.
Using a triple‐quadrupole mass spectrometer in accurate mass mode and an ion correlation program to identify compounds

Atomic masses and isotopic abundances are independent and complementary properties for discriminating among ion compositions. The number of possible ion compositions is greatly reduced by accurately measuring exact masses of monoisotopic ions and the relative isotopic abundances (RIAs) of the ions greater in mass by +1 Da and +2 Da. When both properties are measured, a mass error limit of 6–10 mDa (< 31 ppm at 320 Da) and an RIA error limit of 10% are generally adequate for determining unique ion compositions for precursor and fragment ions produced from small molecules (less than 320 Da in this study). ‘Inherent interferences’, i.e., mass peaks seen in the product ion mass spectrum of the monoisotopic [M+H]+ ion of an analyte that are −2, −1, +1, or +2 Da different in mass from monoisotopic fragment ion masses, distort measured RIAs. This problem is overcome using an ion correlation program to compare the numbers of atoms of each element in a precursor ion to the sum of those in each fragment ion and its corresponding neutral loss. Synergy occurs when accurate measurement of only one pair of +1 Da and +2 Da RIAs for the precursor ion or a fragment ion rejects all but one possible ion composition for that ion, thereby indirectly rejecting all but one fragment ion-neutral loss combination for other exact masses. A triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer with accurate mass capability, using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), was used to measure masses and RIAs of precursor and fragment ions. Nine chemicals were investigated as simulated unknowns. Mass accuracy and RIA accuracy were sufficient to determine unique compositions for all precursor ions and all but two of 40 fragment ions, and the two corresponding neutral losses. Interrogation of the chemical literature provided between one and three possible compounds for each of the nine analytes. This approach for identifying compounds compensates for the lack of commercial ESI and APCI mass spectral libraries, which precludes making tentative identifications based on spectral matches. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Apothecia and ascospores of Lobaria oregana and Lobaria pulmonaria investigated

Apothecia of Lobaria oregana and L. pulmonaria emerge in late spring and discharge ascospores throughout the year. Most populations have a few fertile thalli, although the proportion of fertile tha...
Developing New-to-the-Firm Products: The Role of Micropolitical Strategies

Abstract This research addresses three questions: (1) To what extent do new-to-the-firm products (with market and technology newness) face resistance in winning approval for development during the review process? (2) To what degree does product development teams' use of micropolitical strategies help reduce resistance and get approval with minimum compromise in the product? (3) To what extent do some of these micropolitical strategies harm the new product's performance? The findings suggest that products with both market and technology newness encounter resistance in getting approval for development. If the product development team wants to reduce resistance to products with market newness, it needs to build a coalition of supporters that can help it during the review process. Similarly, if the team seeks to minimize resistance to products with technology newness, it should frame the product in terms of the firms' existing products, strategies, and competitive thrusts. However, such framing increases resi...
An empirical quality model for web service ontologies to support mobile devices

As Web Services and the Semantic Web become more important, enabling technologies such as web service ontologies will grow larger. The ability of mobile devices, such as cell phones and PDAs, to download and reason across them will be severely limited. Given that an agent on a mobile device only needs a subset of what is described in a web service ontology, an ontology sub-graph can be created. In this paper, we develop a empirical software engineering approach to build a prediction model to measure the quality in terms of correct query handling of ontology sub-graphs relative to the original ontology — mean average recall of the sub-graph compared to the original ontology is used as the quality standard. Our metrics allow speedy selection of a sub-graph for use by a mobile device.
A critical study of the circuit relations of two distant antennas

In this work, we present a critical study of the circuit relations for two distant coupled antennas: either both are transmitting, or one is transmitting and one is receiving. We found that Carter's two mutual impedances, Z/sub 12/ and Z/sub 21/, are not applicable to these two cases. Two sets of circuit relations have been formulated, with two sets of wave impedances, to characterize these new circuit relations. It is shown that the coupled wave impedances are not equal to each other, and they satisfy a conjugate relation with a negative sign. Such a relation also applies to Carter's Z/sub 12/ and Z/sub 21/.
Following the money: copy-paste of lifestyle counseling documentation and provider billing

Evidence suggests that copy-pasted components of electronic notes may not reliably reflect the care delivered. Federal agencies have raised concerns that such components may be used to justify inappropriately inflated claims for reimbursement. It is not known whether copied information is used to justify higher evaluation and management (E&M) charges. This retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the relationship between the level of evaluation and management (E&M) charges and the method of documentation (none, distinct or copied) of lifestyle counseling (diet, exercise and weight loss) for patients with diabetes mellitus. To determine the association, an ordered multinomial logistic regression model that corrected for clustering within individual providers and patients and adjusted for patient and encounter characteristics was utilized. E&M charge level served as the primary outcome variable. Patients were included if they were followed by primary care physicians affiliated with two academic hospitals for a minimum of two years between 01/01/2000 and 12/13/2009. Lifestyle counseling was documented in 65.4% of 155,168 primary care encounters of 16,164 patients. Copied counseling was identified in 12,527 encounters. In multivariable analysis higher E&M charges were associated with older patient age, longer notes, treatment with insulin, medication changes and acute complaints. However, copied lifestyle counseling was associated with a decrease of 70.5% in the odds of higher E&M charge levels when time spent on counseling (required to justify higher charges based on counseling) was recorded (p<0.0001). This finding is opposite to what would have been expected if the impetus for copied documentation of lifestyle counseling was an increase in submitted E&M charges. There is no evidence that copied documentation of lifestyle counseling is used to justify higher evaluation and management charges. Higher charges were generally associated with indicators of complexity of care.
Three-Dimensional Wind-Driven Flow in an Elongated, Rotating Basin

Abstract The wind-driven circulation in lakes, lagoons, estuaries, or coastal embayments is described with a linear, steady, three-dimensional barotropic model in an elongated basin of arbitrary depth distribution, on an f plane. With rotation, the vertically averaged velocity scales with the Ekman depth rather than the maximum depth h0 as in the case without rotation. Near the closed ends of the basin, the flow turns in viscous boundary layers. Because the length of the turning areas depends on the sign of the bottom slope and on δ, the ratio of the Ekman depth to h0, there is a striking contrast between the turning areas on either side of an observer looking toward the end of the basin. In the Northern Hemisphere, the turning area on the left is broad, of order δ−1B*, where B* is the basin half-width. The turning area on the right is narrow, of order δB*, and dynamically equivalent to the western boundary current in models of the wind-driven ocean circulation. Ekman solutions are used to describe the ve...
A geometric view of neural networks using homotopy

A homotopy approach is formulated for solving for the weights of a network. It is shown how this leads simply to a geometric interpretation of the weight optimization problem. The homotopy approach accounts for distinct sets of weights and infinite weights. The geometric interpretation further aids in explaining the appearance of local minima in the network, the appearance of infinite weights, and the similarities and differences between optimizing the weights in a nonlinear network, and the weights in a linear network. >
Spying by American Archaeologists in World War I

I am interested in detailing two aspects linked to the issue of several archaeologists working for the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) during the First World War. These spying activities were part of the controversy surrounding the censure of Franz Boas by the American Anthropological Association (AAA) for his published letter of October 1919, in which Boas claimed that four unnamed researchers were involved in espionage activities using archaeological research as a front. As they were unnamed, who were these four archaeologists?
Sortase as a Target of Anti-Infective Therapy

The rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a major concern, in particular because it includes many different species of pathogenic microbes. These "superbugs" are further characterized by high levels of virulence and disease-associated mortality. There seems to be few new antibiotics in the drug discovery pipeline; recent work has sought to define and validate new drug targets. The assembly of surface proteins and pili in the cell wall envelope of Gram-positive bacteria is catalyzed by sortase. Sortase cleaves a conserved C-terminal sequence of these polypeptides to generate an acyl-enzyme intermediate. The acyl-enzyme is next resolved by nucleophilic attack by the amino groups within cell wall cross-bridges or pilin proteins, thereby covalently attaching the polypeptides to the cell wall or the next pilin subunit. Sortase substrates function as adhesins, internalins, blood clotting and immune evasion factors, and transporters for nutrients across the microbial cell wall envelope; without them, most pathogens cannot sustain an infection. Here we review what is known about sortase catalysis and surface protein function, how surface protein anchoring can be inhibited, and what prospects such inhibition may have for anti-infective therapy.
A Critical Comparison of Classical and Domain Theory: Some Implications for Character Education.

Contemporary approaches to moral education are influenced by the ‘domain theory’ approach to understanding moral development (Turiel, 1983; 1998; Nucci, 2001). Domain theory holds there are distinct conventional, personal and moral domains; each constituting a cognitive ‘structured‐whole’ with its own normative source and sphere of influence. One of the strengths of domain theory is that separating convention from morality and distinguishing morality from self‐interest provides a conceptual critique of both conventional values and the pursuit of self‐interest. Relying on the work of Joseph Raz, this paper will show how a classical, neo‐Aristotelian conception can also provide conceptual space for an ethical critique of convention and self‐interest, yet deny that it must emanate from different normative sources. Practical implications for both of these theories will also be considered, pointing out the strengths of, as well as some areas of vulnerability for, both.