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In February 1973, scombroid fish poisoning occurred in 232 persons who had eaten from either of two lots of commercially canned tuna. Cases occurred in four states, with no reported hospitalizations or deaths. Patients became ill about 45 minutes after eating the fish; symptoms lasted about eight hours. Contaminated fish contained histamine levels of 68 to 280 mg/100 gm of fish muscle.(JAMA 228:1268-1269, 1974)

Abstract: The etiologic agent of Legionnaires' disease grows on certain agar media. Cultures of this organism on supplemented Mueller-Hinton agar are characterized by the appearance of brown pigment in and around areas of bacterial growth. The major peptone source in Mueller-Hinton agar is an acid hydrolysate of casein. Legionnaires' disease bacterium also grows on a medium in which the peptone source is 0.25% yeast extract, but no pigment is produced. If the yeast extract agar is enriched withl-tyrosine, pigment formation can occur. Pigmentation of cultures of Legionnaires' disease bacterium may be mediated by a phenolo-monooxygenase, or tyrosinase.

SB 209963 was produced in three steps starting from 17β-carboxyandrost-4-en-3-one. A palladium-catalyzed hydroxycarbonylation introduced the carboxylic acid under mild conditions without epimerization at C-17. This reaction represents the first example of hydroxycarbonylation of a vinyl halide under neutral conditions.

The poem "Moon-Pulling" by Harvey J. Baine is presented. First Line: She wears gloves of dust; Last Line: into the black-toothed air.

The poem "Underground" by Harvey J. Baine is presented. First Line: Where the shadow giant walks; Last Line: Wake me up.

Background Universal immunization of adolescents against meningococcal disease with a quadrivalent meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) conjugate vaccine is recommended in a number of countries. Methods In a randomized, controlled, observer-blinded, multicenter trial, 1016 participants, 10–25 years of age, were randomly allocated 1:1:1 to receive a single dose of 1 of 2 lots of an investigational tetanus toxoid‐conjugated MenACWY vaccine (MenACWY‐TT) or a marketed diphtheria toxoid‐conjugated MenACWY vaccine (MenACWY‐DT). The primary outcome was the noninferiority of the vaccine response after MenACWY‐TT (lot A) compared with MenACWY‐DT for all 4 serogroups. Vaccine response was defined as a postvaccination human serum bactericidal antibody (hSBA) titer against each of the serogroups of at least 1:8 in persons initially seronegative (<1:4) or as a 4‐fold increase in titer pre‐ to postvaccination in persons initially seropositive (≥1:4). Adverse events (AEs) after immunization were measured 4 and 31 days postvaccination. Results The mean age of participants was 16.3 years; 977 (96.6%) completed the study. The noninferiority of MenACWY‐TT (lot A) to the control vaccine in terms of the percentage of participants with hSBA vaccine response was demonstrated for each serogroup. Vaccine response rates ranged from 51.0% to 82.5% for the 4 serogroups after MenACWY‐TT (both lots) compared with 39.0%–76.3% for the 4 serogroups after MenACWY‐DT. Pain was the most common injection‐site reaction reported by 50.8%–55.4% across the 3 groups. Fatigue and headache were the most common systemic solicited AEs, reported by 27.3%–29.2% and 25.5%–26.4%, respectively. Conclusions Tetanus toxoid‐conjugated MenACWY vaccine was well tolerated and elicited an immune response that was noninferior to that of a marketed MenACWY‐DT (www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01165242).

Objectives. We examined the role of radiation therapy (RT) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PA) treatment through a 15-year retrospective analysis of patients treated at University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) as well as those from the SEER database. Methods. A total of 561 patients diagnosed with PA at UNMC between 1995 and 2011 and 60,587 patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2009 from the SEER were included. Examined prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) were age, gender, race, stage, year of diagnosis, and treatment with surgery, chemotherapy (CT), or RT. Time to death was plotted by Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate prognostic factors for OS. Results. The median OS was 7.3 and 5 months for patients from UNMC and the SEER database, respectively. A Cox model of patients from UNMC showed that RT was associated with improved OS (HR 0.77, P=0.018) after adjusting for factors including age, race, gender, stage, year of diagnosis, having surgery, or having CT. Cox analysis of patients from the SEER showed similar results (HR 0.65, P<0.0001). Conclusions. RT confers an independent survival advantage in patients being treated for PA which is apparent both at UNMC and through SEER data.

The article discusses highlights of the Sandbox Scavenger Hunt for children ages 5-11, a library activity of the Thornhill Branch of the St. Louis County Library in St. Louis, Missouri which was held on June 14, 2013, citing an article published in the July 2013 issue of "Co-Lib Chronicle" of the library.

Germanium is one of the most promising materials for high performance infra-red photovoltaic devices. High quality single-crystal germanium on insulator structures can be produced by a Rapid Melt Growth process. Experiments show that thin-film germanium deposited by physical vapor deposition provides better quality in comparison with chemical vapor deposition. The longitudinal optical Ge-Ge peak in Raman spectrum is shifted from the expected 300.2 cm-1 position due to tensile stress resulting from the thermal expansion differences of the materials. The importance of silicon in the rapid melt process is confirmed by the fact that germanium films on sapphire substrates yielded polycrystalline structure. Films produced at high temperature (980 oC) show full width at half maximum values of 3.3 cm-1 indicating good crystalline quality, comparable to bulk germanium (3.2 cm-1). Thus demonstrating the potential to produce low cost high quality germanium films.

GeON has been investigated as an interfacial layer for high-k gate stacks. Thermally grown GeON layers have been prepared at 550oC and compared with plasma GeON layers prepared at 300oC, The optical band gap of thermally-grown GeON was also determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry to be 4.86 eV. Electrical characterisation of MOS capacitors has yielded interface state densities (Dit) of less than 1012 cm-2eV-1 for all devices using the conductance method.

Indoor localization with sensing capabilities is the missing link for a Geospatial Information System and sensor web. The sensor network is capable of environmental monitoring and geo-tagging sensor data. This paper presents a unique algorithm which uses fusion of Radio Signal Strength Indicator and Time Difference of Arrival for centimeter level accurate indoor localization using wireless sensor network motes. The paper also proposes the integration of various environmental sensors with wireless sensor network. The acquired sensor data can be geo-tagged with the translated global coordinates and additional sensory metadata. With the use of semantic sensor web, this sensor information can be utilized in various decision making scenarios for critical situations. The main goal of the paper is to use indoor localization assisted by sensor fusion and semantic web for first responders in emergency scenarios.

Nickel germanide Schottky contacts, formed by rapid thermal annealing of thin nickel films, have been characterized on n-type germanium wafers for a range of RTA temperatures. The highest Schottky barrier heights for electrons (= 0.6-0.7 eV) were obtained for RTA temperatures of approximately 300°C. For this RTA schedule, the corresponding barrier height for holes is close to zero, ideal for Schottky contacted p-channel germanium MOSFETs. When the RTA temperature was increased to 400oC, a dramatic reduction in electron barrier height (< 0.1 eV) was observed. This RTA schedule, therefore, appears ideal for ohmic source/drain contacts to n channel germanium MOSFETs. From sheet resistance measurements and XRD characterization, nickel germanide formation was found to occur at 300oC and above. The NiGe phase was dominant for RTA temperatures up to at least 435oC.

An atmospheric plasma activation system has been employed to study its application on low temperature wafer bonding. Oxygen activation on PECVD oxide for bonding of temperature sensitive materials shows no pin hole when activating oxide with thickness more than 0.25 microns. Activation on thermal oxide by helium plasma also shows a pin hole free oxide. Bond strength approximately 1000 mJ/m2 is achieved after 250 degree celcius post-bond anneal which is about twice the bond strength of non-activated samples. Multiple UV components from the helium plasma were detected by spectograph. These UV spectra might have contributed to the bond strength enhancement in Si-SiO2 bonding.

Hydrogen implantation of germanium is a promising technique for layer transfer. However, both the implantation process, and subsequent heat treatment can create defects in the transferred layer, which detrimentally effect the performance of devices fabricated on these transferred layers. In this study, implanted Germanium wafers were given various anneals and analysed optically and by spreading resistance, to gain insight on the nature of such defects. GeOI layers were produced by thermal splitting of implanted germanium wafers bonded to sapphire handle substrates.

An atmospheric plasma activation system has been employed to study its application on low temperature wafer bonding. High bond strength (> 2000 mJ/m2) is achieved by oxygen plasma activation on hydrophilic Si-Si and Si-SiO2 bonding at low temperature annealing. This technique has been proved to cause physical damage to thin SiO2 layers (< 0.5 µm) creating a high density of pin holes resulting in leaky oxides. When high resistivity substrates are employed the pin holes is reduced by nearly a factor of 7. A germanium disc bonded to plasma treated thin oxide on silicon was electrically connected to the substrate. The atmospheric plasma technique is currently best suited for silicon-silicon bonding, standard SOI, MMIC and MEMS technology.

Al2O3and HfO2films were deposited on germanium substrates by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and analyzed by MOS capacitor electrical characterization. In-situ plasma nitridation performed prior to ALD was found to improve the stability of the interface. For Al2O3/GeON/Ge capacitors, a 450°C anneal in nitrogen ambient reduced hysteresis and oxide fixed charge to 90 mV and 1012cm-2respectively, with low leakage current density. On the contrary, degradation was observed for un-nitrided Al2O3/Ge capacitors after 300 and 400°C post-metal anneals. HfO2/GeON/Ge capacitors benefitted from a 400°C densification anneal but exhibited degradation after post-metal anneals at temperatures greater than 300°C. This degradation is attributed to the influence of Al electrodes on the HfO2gate stack. HfO2is considered to be a suitable material for the gate stack and Al2O3for the buried dielectric in a GeOI structure.

This paper describes a serpentine flexure spring design and fabrication process development for radio frequency microelectromechanical (RF MEMS) capacitive switches with coplanar waveguide (CPW) lines. Sputtered tungsten is employed as the CPW line conductor instead of Au, a non-Si compatible material. The bridge membrane is fabricated from Al. The materials and fabrication process can be integrated with CMOS and SOI technology to reduce cost. Results show the MEMS switch has excellent performance with insertion loss 0.3dB, return loss -27dB at 30GHz and high isolation -30dB at 40GHz. The process developed promises to simplify the design and fabrication of RF MEMS on silicon.

Presents letters to the editor referencing articles and topics discussed in previous issues. "Garden Goddess," which featured English garden designer Gertrude Jekyll; "Weekend Shopper," which featured chairs and tables; "Summer Fun," which focused on home renovation.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Thermolysis of the anils (I) in the presence of air yields the quinolines (II) via 6π‐electrophilic rearrangement, (1,5)‐H shift, and oxidation.

In 1972 and 1973 a nationwide outbreak of typhoid fever occurred in Mexico. The responsible strain of Salmonella typhi had a characteristic pattern of phage lysis, resembling the type A pattern, referred to as degraded Vi(A), and was resistant to chloramphenicol and other antimicrobial agents in vitro and in vivo. Eighty cases of infection with strains of S. typhi that were related to the Mexican epidemic strain were reported in the United States. The epidemic in Mexico subsided in mid-1973, and no further cases of typhoid fever due to chloramphenicol-resistant organisms were reported in the United States. Infections with chloramphenicol-sensitive strains of S. typhi with the phage lysis pattern of degraded Vi(A) occurred in association with travel in Mexico before and after the height of the epidemic in Mexico. Although typhoid fever due to chloramphenicol-resistant organisms has not been reported in the United States since the subsidence of the Mexican epidemic. testing of isolates of S. typhi for antibiotic sensitivity is recommended because of the continued existence of resistant strains elsewhere.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.

Rabbits were infected with Legionella pneumophila by intravenous administration of allantoic fluid from eggs infected with this organism. Heated plasma from animals with severe illness caused by L. pneumophila lysed erythrocytes from guinea pigs in a radial hemolysis assay. Plasma from control rabbits did not lyse guinea pig erythrocytes in parallel assays. Urine from two of the infected animals also showed hemolytic activity. Attempts to induce illness in rabbits by intranasal administration of L. pneumophila were less successful. Allantoic fluid from embryonated hen eggs developed hemolytic activity when maintained either in vitro at room temperature or in eggs whose embryos were killed by refrigeration. Hemolytic activity in filtrates of allantoic fluid from eggs infected with L. pneumophila, as previously reported, may not be due to the presence of bacterial hemolysins in the fluid.

2‐Acylaminostyrenes (III) prepared from the corresponding amine (I) are converted to the imino ethers (V).

An indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test was used to establish the background prevalence of antibody to Legionella pneumophila in single serum specimens from 1,143 persons. The serum specimens had been obtained from volunteers 46 years of age and older who were not acutely ill and who resided in the areas of Atlanta, Georgia; Washington, D.C.; Houston, Texas; and Rochester, New York. The overall prevalence of seropositivity (reciprocal titer, 64) was 1.7%. The prevalence of seropositivity did not vary with age, sex, or geographic location. Groups of persons in which the prevalence of reciprocal titers of 64 is significantly higher than 1.7% may have unusually great exposure to L. pneumophila. In the population tested, a reciprocal IFA titer of 64 would have a specificity of 98.3% in the diagnosis of an acute illness as Legionnaires' disease.

In February and March 1973, 225 cases of probable or confirmed Salmonella typhi infection occurred at the South Dade Migrant Farm Labor Camp, Dade County, Florida. Five other cases occurred outside the camp. At least 184 patients were hospitalized. There were no deaths. This was the largest reported outbreak of typhoid fever in the United States since 1939. A mentally retarded girl at the camp developed typhoid fever in January and was probably the index case; a possible source of her infection was a suspected carrier living next door. Epidemiologic investigation suggested a common source and implicated the water supply at the camp as the mode of transmission. Engineering evaluation revealed substantial flaws in the design and construction of the camp's wells, chlorinator, and sewerage system, which were subsequently corrected. The outbreak subsided with few secondary cases and no transmission to persons unconnected with the camp, and without resort to quarantine or mass immunization against S. typhi.

A DNA-based vaccine containing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) env and rev genes was tested for safety and host immune response in 15 asymptomatic HIV-infected patients who were not using antiviral drugs and who had CD4+ lymphocyte counts of 500 per microliter of blood. Successive groups received three doses of vaccine (30, 100, or 300 µg) at 10-week intervals in a dose-escalation trial. Vaccine administration induced no local or systemic reactions, and no laboratory abnormalities were detected. Specifically, no patient developed anti-DNA antibody or muscle enzyme elevations. No consistent change occurred in CD4 or CD8 lymphocyte counts or in plasma HIV concentration. Antibody against gp120 increased in individual patients in the 100- and 300-µg groups. Some increases were noted in cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity against gp160-bearing targets and in lymphocyte proliferative activity. The safety and potential immunogenicity of an HIV-directed DNA-based vaccine was demonstrated, a finding that should encourage further studies.

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.