cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overload/Absence: The Collapse of Space to Surface in Representations of Urban Space

As public space is rapidly diminished through gentrification and privatization, it is paradoxically “enlivened” by the introduction of large-screen moving images, digital advertising, and other mediazation. We live in an environment of overload/absence, navigating public spaces dense with video monitors and giant advertisements, while beyond the explicit media zones, the streetscape is increasingly narcotic. The hyperactive and featureless landscapes, seemingly opposites, in fact both prioritize the skin of architecture: each is the manifestation of an intense preoccupation with surface, demonstrated in the activation of surface by light and moving images on billboards and screens or in the ubiquitous grids of glass and metal that wrap contemporary buildings. This paper will examine the perceptual shift from space to surface in environments of overload and absence and look at how surface has been used to create new representations of urban space.
Conditional Probability Mass Functions

In Chapter 4 we discussed the concept of conditional probability. We recall that a conditional probability P[A|B] is the probability of an event A, given that we know that some other event B has occurred. Except for the case when the two events are independent of each other,the knowledge that B has occurred will change the probability P[A].
Peripheral stem cell collection: From leukocyte growth factor to removal of catheter

A wide variety of hematologic malignancies, autoimmune diseases, inborn errors of metabolism, and bone marrow failure syndromes maybe put into a remission or potentially cured by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Depending on the underlying disorder, stem cells may be collected from the future transplant recipient themselves, an human leukocyte antigen (HLA) identical donor, a mismatched related or unrelated donor, or banked umbilical cord blood. Peripheral blood leukapheresis to collect stem cells from autologous or allogeneic donors is safe and well-tolerated. In most cases, the apheresis procedure is performed in an outpatient setting over 4-6 h a day for up to 4 days to achieve the stem cell dose needed for HSCT. Current research in stem cell mobilization and collection is focused on optimizing the numbers of stem cells collected by improving mobilization regimens, and increasing the efficiency of the apheresis collection to reduce the number of apheresis procedures needed to meet the stem cell dose requirement for HSCT.
Progress towards high power 1.5 /spl mu/m GaInNAsSb/GaAs lasers for Raman amplifiers

We present a CW 1.5 /spl mu/m GaInNAsSb laser with threshold current density of 1.06 kA/cm/sup 2/, characteristic temperature of 101 K, and 140 mW CW output power, tested epitaxial-side up. 527 mW (pulsed) were achieved from a single facet.
A Marathon, a Series of Sprints, or Both? Tournament Horizon and Dynamic Task Complexity in Multi-Period Settings

When using a tournament in multi-period settings, firms have discretion in selecting the tournament horizon. For example, firms can use a single tournament (a grand tournament) or a sequence of multiple tournaments each with a shorter horizon than a grand tournament (a repeated tournament). Firms have also begun to use a combination of both in which a repeated tournament is embedded within a grand tournament (a hybrid tournament). Using an experiment, we investigate whether the effect of tournament horizon on performance depends on the dynamic complexity of the task, which reflects the potential for effort in one period to influence the link between effort and performance in future periods. When dynamic task complexity is low, we find performance is greatest in the hybrid tournament, followed by the repeated and then the grand tournament. In contrast, when dynamic task complexity is high, we find performance is greatest in the repeated tournament, followed by the grand and hybrid tournaments, with similar performance in the latter two tournaments. More generally, the results of our experiment suggest the effect of tournament horizon on performance depends on dynamic task complexity. These results can help firms make better decisions when designing their tournaments by reinforcing the need to align the tournament horizon with the task.
An analysis of time-instability in web search results

Due to the dynamic nature of web and the complex architectures of modern commercial search engines, top results in major search engines can change dramatically over time. Our experimental data shows that, for all three major search engines (Google, Bing and Yahoo!), approximately 90% of queries have their top 10 results altered within a period of ten days. Although this instability is expected in some situations such as in news-related queries, it is problematic in general because it can dramatically affect retrieval performance measurements and negatively affect users' perception of search quality (for instance, when users cannot re-find a previously found document). In this work we present the first large scale study on the degree and nature of these changes. We introduce several types of query instability, and several metrics to quantify it.We then present a quantitative analysis using 12,600 queries collected from a commercial web search engine over several weeks. Our analysis shows that the results from all major search engines have similar levels of instability, and that many of these changes are temporary. We also identified classes of queries with clearly different instability profiles - for instance, navigational queries are considerably more stable than non-navigational, while longer queries are significantly less stable than shorter ones.
Review of Hungry Planet: Stories of Plant Diseases

Hungry Planet: Stories of Plant Diseases uses readable examples to highlight the importance of using best practices in agriculture to provide high-quality food at respectable prices. The authors ar...
Risk Assessment of a Hyperbaric Evacuation System

Risk Assessment is gaining increasing acceptance as a tool in addressing the safety of offshore operations. In addition to a complete assessment of an installation, which may form part of a Formal Safety Assessment, risk assessment techniques can be applied to specific safety related systems on a platform.
Structure of oncomodulin refined at 1.85 A resolution. An example of extensive molecular aggregation via Ca2

The crystal structure of oncomodulin, a 12,000 Mr protein isolated from rat tumours, has been determined by molecular replacement using the carp parvalbumin structure as a starting model. Refinement was performed by cycles of molecular fitting and restrained least-squares, using area-detector intensity data to 1·85 A resolution. For the 5770 reflections in the range 6·0 to 1·85 A, which were used in the refinement, the crystallographic R-factor is 0·166. The refined model includes residues 2 to 108, three Ca2+ and 87 water molecules per oncomodulin molecule. The oncomodulin backbone is closely related to that of parvalbumin; however, some differences are found after a least-squares fit of the two backbones, with root-mean-square (r.m.s.) deviations of 1 to 2 A in residues 2 to 6, 59 to 61 of the CD loop, 87, 90 and 108. The overall r.m.s. deviation of the backbone residues 5 to 108 is 0·62 A. Each of the two Ca2+ atoms that are bound to the CD and EF loops is co-ordinated to seven oxygen atoms, including one water molecule. The third Ca2+ is also seven-co-ordinated, to five oxygen atoms belonging to three different oncomodulin molecules and to two water molecules which form hydrogen bonds to a fourth oncomodulin; thus, this intermolecular Ca2+ and its equivalents interlink the molecules into zigzag layers normal to the b axis with a spacing of b/2 or 32·14 A. No such extensive molecular aggregation has been reported for any of the related Ca-binding regulatory proteins of the troponin-C family studied thus far. The Ca-O distances in all three polyhedra are in the range 2·07 A to 2·64 A, indicating tightly bound Ca polyhedra.
Cation-π interactions of methylated ammonium ions: a quantum mechanical study.

Cation–π interactions of methylated ammonium ions play a key role in a broad range of biochemical systems. These include methyl-lysine binding proteins which bind to methylated sites on histone proteins, lysine demethylase enzymes which demethylate these sites, and neurotransmitter receptor complexes which bind choline-derived ligands. Recognition in these systems is achieved through an ‘aromatic cage’ motif in the binding site. Here we use high-level quantum mechanical calculations to address how cation–π interactions of methylated ammonium ions are modulated by a change in methylation state and interaction geometry. We survey methyl-lysine and choline-derived complexes in the Protein Databank to validate our results against available structural data. A quantitative description of cation–π interactions of methylated ammonium systems is critical to structure-based efforts to target methyl-lysine binding proteins and demethylase enzymes in the treatment of unregulated transcriptional control, and neurotransmitter receptors in the treatment of neurological disease. It is our hope that our work will serve as a benchmark for the development of physical chemistry based force fields that can accurately model the contribution of cation–π interactions to binding and specificity in these systems. Proteins 2014; 82:1494–1502. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Novel role of cathepsin V in TLRs-MyD88 mediated signaling revealed in HMGB1-TLR4 inhibitor screening (835.9)

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogen-derived molecular patterns (PAMP) and danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMP), and induce NF-κB-dependent pro-inflammatory cytokines release such a...
ACID MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDE CONTENT OF DERMAL CONNECTIVE TISSUE OF NORMAL AND HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED RATS.

PREVIOUS investigations conducted in our laboratory have shown a parallel relationship between the in vitro oxidative-reductive depolymerization of hyaluronic acid and the in vivo ‘permeability’ changes of dermal connective tissue1–5. These results suggest that hyaluronic acid may play a part in the permeability of dermal connective tissue. Our investigations concerning substances which act as activators and others which act as inhibitors of connective tissue ‘permeability’ also have shown that a different effect is obtained using hypophysectomized and adrenalectomixed rats as compared with normal rats6. This result led us to investigate the content of mucopolysaccharides in the dermal connective tissue of normal and hypophysectomized rats in order to establish whether the amounts of these substances are affected by the pituitary function.
Solutions and Suggestions from across the Pond: An Interview with Hazel Woodward

In August 2009 Margaret Dull interviewed Hazel Woodward, university librarian and director of the University Press at Cranfield University (Cranfield, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom). Woodward shares her views on the challenges facing librarians regarding e-resources, their licensing, and management. She also shares how the collaborative work of libraries in the UK can offer solutions to similar challenges faced in America and abroad.
Bovine acute mastitis: effects of intravenous sodium salicylate on endotoxin-induced intramammary inflammation.

Abstract Effects of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent sodium salicylate on endotoxin-induced mastitis were evaluated in lactating cows. Escherichia coli endotoxin was administered to a mammary quarter 1h after initiation of a 12-h i.v. infusion of sodium salicylate. Milk SCC, BSA concentrations in milk, mammary inflammation, rectal temperature, appetite, milk production, and plasma and lymph PGF 2α , were monitored. Gross mammary inflammation was not reduced by salicylate infusion, nor did sodium salicylate prevent increased milk SCC or BSA concentrations in milk, although treatment tended to decrease the magnitude of these responses. Sodium salicylate decreased subcutaneous abdominal vein PGF 2α , metabolite, and PGF 2α , metabolite tended to be reduced in lymph during the acute phase of inflammation. The increased rectal temperature after endotoxin infusion was reduced in cows treated with sodium salicylate. Appetite was reduced after endotoxin infusion in untreated cows and those treated with sodium salicylate. Milk production declined after endotoxin challenge in all cows. Although sodium salicylate did not substantially reduce mammary inflammation, it had an antipyretic effect and reduced PGF 2α metabolite in mammary blood.
Response of Cottons to Chemical Treatments Part V: Effects of Tension During Single-Fiber Resin Finishing

Single fibers from six cottons were subjected to a resin finishing treatment during which the tension on each fiber was carefully controlled and systematically varied. It was observed that the changes in mechanical properties resulting from the treatment were highly dependent upon the tension exerted on each fiber during the treatment. Treatments at high tensions resulted in greater resilience increases and lower strength losses than corresponding treatments at low tensions.The six cottons responded differently to the variations in tension during the treat ment, and this differential response was related to fibrillar orientation as estimated by x-ray angle.
Characterization of Respiratory Drug Delivery with Enhanced Condensational Growth using an Individual Path Model of the Entire Tracheobronchial Airways

The objective of this study was to evaluate the delivery of inhaled pharmaceutical aerosols using an enhanced condensational growth (ECG) approach in an airway model extending from the oral cavity to the end of the tracheobronchial (TB) region. The geometry consisted of an elliptical mouth-throat (MT) model, the upper TB airways extending to bifurcation B3, and a subsequent individual path model entering the right lower lobe of the lung. Submicrometer monodisperse aerosols with diameters of 560 and 900 nm were delivered to the mouth inlet under control (25 °C with subsaturated air) or ECG (39 or 42 °C with saturated air) conditions. Flow fields and droplet characteristics were simulated using a computational fluid dynamics model that was previously demonstrated to accurately predict aerosol size growth and deposition. Results indicated that both the control and ECG delivery cases produced very little deposition in the MT and upper TB model (approximately 1%). Under ECG delivery conditions, large size increases of the aerosol droplets were observed resulting in mass median aerodynamic diameters of 2.4–3.3 μm exiting B5. This increase in aerosol size produced an order of magnitude increase in aerosol deposition within the TB airways compared with the controls, with TB deposition efficiencies of approximately 32–46% for ECG conditions. Estimates of downstream pulmonary deposition indicted near full lung retention of the aerosol during ECG delivery. Furthermore, targeting the region of TB deposition by controlling the inlet temperature conditions and initial aerosol size also appeared possible.
An analysis of the integration of instructional technology in pre-service teacher education in Zimbabwe

In the context of continuous innovations in information and communication technology (ICT) and its impact on higher education, this study explored the integration of instructional technology (IT) by university lecturers in pre-service secondary school teacher education programs in Zimbabwe. Specifically, the study examined how lecturers integrate IT into their instruction, and the constraints they face. Twenty-one lecturers in the colleges of education at three universities participated. The data collection methods used are questionnaires, interviews and analysis of documents. Analysis of data was inductive, employing Miles and Huberman’s interactive data analysis model. Findings show that lecturers’ computer proficiency and competencies were at the basic level in Internet usage, with little confidence shown in basic productivity software skills and in IT integration tasks and processes. The lecturers’ integration of IT was at the Entry and Adoption stages. Institutional support was characterized by poor availability and access to appropriate technological tools by both lecturers and students, and in the context of a hyper-inflationary operating environment, constraints ranged from lack of institutional funding, to the absence of an IT integration policy framework, and the lack of appropriate initial and continuous staff development. This study is part of the nucleus of instructional technology research in the Zimbabwean context. It is hoped that insights gleaned will influence policy, practice and future research. From a global perspective, this study will add to the limited knowledge and literature on instructional technology integration in “developing” and/or low-income countries like Zimbabwe.
Condensation on (002) graphite of liquid bismuth far below its bulk melting point

Condensation of thermally evaporated Bi on (002) graphite, at temperatures of $300--523\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, was studied using in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and room temperature ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM). For deposition at temperatures below $415\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, transmission RHEED patterns of Bi appeared at an average thickness of $\ensuremath{\sim}0.5$ monolayer (ML). AFM images showed that the film consisted of crystallites in the shape of triangular step pyramids with step heights corresponding to single and double Bi layers in the [111] direction. This morphology indicates crystallization from the vapor. For deposition at higher temperatures, diffuse RHEED patterns appeared independent of the deposited thickness. When these films were cooled, clear transmission patterns of crystalline Bi appeared. After cooling to near room temperature, the melting and solidification behaviors of these films were investigated with RHEED. Upon subsequent heating, the topmost layers of the probed Bi crystallites started to lose long-range order at $\ensuremath{\sim}10--15\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ below the Bi bulk melting point, ${T}_{0}=544.52\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. When crystallized from the melt, supercooling by $\ensuremath{\sim}125\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ below ${T}_{0}$ was observed. These results indicate that Bi condensed on graphite in the form of supercooled liquid droplets when the graphite temperature was above $419\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ $({T}_{0}\ensuremath{-}125)$. Below that temperature, Bi condensed in the solid phase. Bi films crystallized by cooling the liquid had crystal morphologies that depended on the degree of liquid supercooling.
Changing Reflections of the Coronary Microcirculation After Percutaneous Aortic Valve Replacement Novel Observations With Arterial Pulsed Wave Dynamics

In this issue of Circulation , Davies et al1 assess the changes in coronary blood flow and reserve after the relief of aortic stenosis (AS) by percutaneous aortic valve replacement (PAVR) and implicate these findings as additional mechanisms bearing on the critical role of the coronary microcirculation in this population. Article see p 1565 One cannot help but be intrigued by the novel physiological insights that pulsed wave analysis brings to one of the oldest cardiovascular diseases, AS, and one of the newest procedures in interventional cardiology, namely PAVR. For decades, the diagnosis and treatment of AS have rightly focused on identifying and then ameliorating the adverse consequences of abnormal transvalvular pressure and flow. In the absence of coronary artery disease, the mechanisms of angina in AS were debated and attributed mostly to microvascular insufficiency with ischemia resulting from myocardial oxygen supply/demand imbalance. Left ventricular (LV) muscle mass was increased out of proportion to myocardial capillary oxygen supply.2,3 As one might expect in medical science, this is not the end of the story. Examining the arterial pulsed wave dynamics that characterize features of both epicardial and microcirculatory blood flow, Davies et al detail additional mechanisms beyond coronary reserve impairment to better understand why angina may occur in the AS patient with normal coronary arteries. PAVR produced not only a fall in myocardial microvascular resistance, but also improved diastolic filling waves related to favorable changes in LV wall stress as another postulated mechanism for a reduction in …
Diversity, distribution, and zoogeography of benthic polychaetes in the Gulf of Mexico

The polychaete diversity of the Gulf of Mexico was examined using a comprehensive species database. The Gulf of Mexico was divided into four geographic regions and six depth classes; β-diversity between the 24 polygons was calculated with the Sorensen similarity index and analyzed using a cluster analysis and an ordination based on non-metric multidimensional scaling. Both analyses revealed a strong influence of depth on the polychaete assemblages. The polychaete fauna in the southeastern sector was the most distinctive among the four sectors. Each of the 835 polychaete species and subspecies was assigned to a class in the categories “mobility,” “feeding strategy,” and “feeding appendage” and the compositions of the categories throughout different depths were examined. The categories introduced by Fauchald and Jumars (Oceanogr Mar Biol Annu Rev 17:193–284, 1979) were amended and the suggested changes discussed. Each species was assigned to a biogeographical class based on their worldwide distributions. Ten percent of the polychaete species were endemic to the Gulf of Mexico. More than 40 % of the species were exclusively found in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, about one-third of the polychaetes had a wide distribution, and 15 % of all species were restricted to both coasts of the American continent. Below 200 m more than 30 % of the species were endemic. Thorough taxonomic research will be pivotal in fostering our understanding of the Gulf of Mexico polychaete fauna.
14N NQR studies of substituted pyrimidines

Abstract The nitrogen-14 quadrupole coupling constants have been measured in nine pyrimidine systems, and the results compared with the data in substituted pyridines. The effect of mixed substituents on the ring nitrogen π-electron densities is found to be additive. In 2-aminopyrimidine, there is a close interaction between the electrons of the NH 2 group and the ring nitrogens which shows that the amino group is readily polarized.
Investigation of the solvatochromic electronic transitions of [Ru(NH3)4bipyridine]2+

Abstract The electronic transitions of [Ru(NH 3 ) 4 bipyridine] 2+ were examined. The two longest wavelength absorption bands red-shift with increasing Gutmann donor number of the solvent, and the lowest energy band is split by about 1500 cm −1 in a mixed alcohol glass at 77 K. INDO/S calculations were employed to interpret the solvent-dependent electronic spectrum. The calculation predicts a number of closely spaced d π → π ∗ transitions, polarized in the plane of the bipyridine, as well as weak perpendicularly polarized non-bonding d → π ∗ transitions. The results point out the limitations of simple molecular orbital descriptions of nominal metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transitions.
Altered expression of genes involved in inflammation and apoptosis in frontal cortex in major depression

The etiology of major depression (MDD), a common and complex disorder, remains obscure. Gene expression profiling was conducted on post-mortem brain tissue samples from Brodmann Area 10 (BA10) in the prefrontal cortex from psychotropic drug-free persons with a history of MDD and age, gender, and post-mortem interval-matched normal controls (n=14 pairs of subjects). Microarray analysis was conducted using the Affymetrix Exon 1.0 ST arrays. A set of differential expression changes was determined by dual-fold change-probability criteria (∣average log ratios∣>0.585 [equivalent to a 1.5-fold difference in either direction], P<0.01), whereas molecular pathways of interest were evaluated using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis software. The results strongly implicate increased apoptotic stress in the samples from the MDD group. Three anti-apoptotic factors, Y-box-binding protein 1, caspase-1 dominant-negative inhibitor pseudo-ICE, and the putative apoptosis inhibitor FKGS2, were over-expressed. Gene set analysis suggested up-regulation of a variety of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 1α (IL-1α), IL-2, IL-3, IL-5, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12A, IL-13, IL-15, IL-18, interferon gamma (IFNγ), and lymphotoxin α (TNF superfamily member 1). The genes showing reduced expression included metallothionein 1M (MT1M), a zinc-binding protein with a significant function in the modulation of oxidative stress. The results of this study indicate that post-mortem brain tissue samples from BA10, a region that is involved in reward-related behavior, show evidence of local inflammatory, apoptotic, and oxidative stress in MDD.
Challenges to Legitimacy at the Forest Stewardship Council

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a global private governance system overseeing the sustainability and biodiversity of the world forestry system through certification of forests and forestry processes and products, and is perceived as the strongest of the various certification schemes available (Domask, Globalization and NGOs: Transforming Business, Government, and Society, 2003; Gulbrandsen, Global Environmental Politics, 2004). It has seen more success in developed than developing countries in terms of amount of forest certified and number of chain-of-custody certificates issued, raising questions as to its ability to promote biodiversity Gulbrandsen, Global Environmental Politics, 2004). A number of challenges have risen to the pragmatic and moral legitimacy of the FSC as a global governance system: alternative certification schemes, output and market access, cost of certification, plantations, and illegal logging. I examine each of these challenges as they pertain to the dimensions of pragmatic and moral legitimacy of the FSC. I conclude with a discussion of theoretical implications for global governance systems using ecolabel schemes, as well as a discussion of practical implications for the FSC in particular.
Droplet size and transmittance spectra of mechanically generated water fogs

Abstract The concept of using commercially available water fog generators to simulate natural fogs and military obscurants is investigated. Results obtained with a high-pressure direct impaction system developed for agricultural and environmental control applications are reported. Experiments verify that such systems can produce optically dense “artificial fogs” similar in appearance to natural fogs under favorable meteorological conditions. Measurements of the droplet mass distribution function indicate a broad spectrum in the lower size region (0.3–1.5 μm) and a marked peak in the upper region at a diameter of about 17 μm. Experiments show that droplet size can be partially controlled with common surfactants and inhibitors. The artificially generated fogs are good broadband obscurants, exhibiting a nearly flat transmittance spectrum in the visible through mid-infrared regions with a broad peak in the far infrared region. The measured extinction spectrum is similar to natural fogs, being in between the advective and radiative cases.
Kinematic properties of on-line error corrections in the monkey

Despite the abundant experimental evidence for the irregular, multipeaked velocity profiles that often characterize rapid human limb movements, there is currently little agreement on how to interpret these phenomena. While in some studies these irregularities have been interpreted as reflecting a continuous control process, in others the irregularities are considered to be evidence for the existence of discrete movement primitives that are initiated by an intermittent controller. Here we introduce a novel "soft symmetry" method for analyzing irregular movements and decomposing them into their discrete movement primitives. We applied this method to analyze rapid pronation/supination wrist movements in monkeys during a one-dimensional tracking task. We showed that the properties of the extracted overlapping submovements (OSMs) were very similar to those of single, regular movements, despite the fact that the decomposition algorithm did not restrict the extracted submovements to a particular shape. In addition we showed that the movement primitives corrected preceding primitives and that the correction initiation time was highly variable, and thus could not be explained by the relatively fixed sensorimotor delay. These results argue against the interpretation of movement irregularities as reflecting a continuous control process and reinforce the hypothesis that movement irregularities result from an intermittent control mechanism. Demonstrating these phenomena in non-human primates will allow neurophysiological investigation of the neural mechanisms involved in these corrections.
DETECTING FALSE STATEMENTS IN TEXT: THE ROLE OF OUTLINES AND INSERTED HEADINGS

Summary. Students read text material containing false statements under four instructional conditions. Given directions to underline anything “hard to understand”, students in a control condition identified only about 26 per cent of the false statements. Given the same directions, students who carefully read an outline of the text or who carefully read text headings as they proceeded through the material identified approximately 56 per cent of the false statements. Finally, in a condition in which students read an outline prefacing the text, and also carefully read inserted headings, they identified approximately 87 per cent of the false statements. The results are discussed in terms of schema theory.
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells in transplantation and cancer

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are myeloid cells that suppress the immune response, a definition that reflects both their origin and their function. As negative regulators of the immune response, MDSC represent a novel therapeutic approach for manipulating the immune system toward tolerance or immunity. MDSC are present in cancer patients and tumor-bearing mice and are in part responsible for the inhibition of the cell-mediated immune response against the tumor. Our laboratories investigate the immunologic mechanisms of tumor acceptance mediated by MDSC, which can be exploited to prevent allograft rejection in transplantation. A better understanding of MDSC biology will open new avenues for therapeutic intervention, either by inhibiting their function (i.e. in cancer patients), or by enhancing their suppressive effects and promoting their expansion (i.e. in organ transplantation and alloimmune responses). In this review, we summarize some of the critical aspects of the immunoregulatory function of MDSC in cancer and transplantation and discuss their potential clinical applications.
Screening for trauma history on an inpatient affective-disorders unit : A pilot study

Psychiatric inpatients (N = 343) admitted to an affective-disorders unit were administered a self-rating Trauma Questionnaire (TQ) to evaluate life history of traumatic experiences. Eighty four percent of the sample identified at least one traumatic-event category (M = 2.72 categories/patient). Symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were highly prevalent. However, only six patients received a chart diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder. Female patients evidenced more PTSD symptoms than males, in contrast to an equal number of event categories identified by the two sexes. Age correlated negatively with number of symptoms endorsed. Implications for trauma screening in affective-disorder patients are discussed.
Some recent gauging applications

Abstract Several X-ray backscattering methods have been recently developed for process-control and quality-assurance measurements in applications where thin coatings are applied to much thicker substrates. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques have been developed for some aerospace applications where many differing layers are sequentially applied to the same substrate. The measurements were carried out utilizing suitable inherent tag elements either in the layer being applied or in one or more of the layers underneath. The suitability of certain tag elements is discussed for given coating thickness ranges, material composition and required sensitivity and throughput. Some specific examples are presented. In addition, a contact-film radiographic technique has been developed for localized porosity measurements in applications where the coating material and substrate differ significantly in average atomic number. Photoelectrons stimulated by a highly filtered X-ray field are used to produce a high-resolution radiograph of the localized porosity defects. Both of the methods represent measurement techniques that have been optimized for specific gauging applications.
Behaviour of pink bollworm males near high‐dose, point sources of pheromone in field wind tunnels: insights into mechanisms of mating disruption

The mechanisms by which the application of formulated pheromone interferes with mating in the pink bollworm moth (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella were examined in 0.4 ha cotton fields using high-dose (78 mg A.I.) sealed polyethylene dispensers. Walk-in, field wind tunnels 6.2 m long were placed over two rows of cotton. Treatments consisted of a control, a tunnel in a field free of disruptant formulation; a 3-rope treatment, in which the field was free of pheromone but one of the cotton rows in the wind tunnel was treated with 3 PBW ropes; and a rope-grid treatment, in which the field was treated with PBW ropes at the standard density of 1000 ha -1 and one of the cotton rows inside the wind tunnel was treated with 3 PBW ropes. We released marked males into the tunnels near sunset or held them in field cages for 24 h prior to assay. Two pheromone traps at the tunnel's upwind end monitored the ability of males to locate point sources of pheromone. In the 3-rope tunnel, traps placed upwind of the cotton row treated with disruptant pheromone captured far fewer males than those placed upwind of the untreated cotton row. In the tunnel situated in the centre of the rope-gridded field, very few males were caught in traps in both rows, indicating a camouflage of the pheromone plumes from the traps by the background of airborne disruptant drawn into the tunnel from the field. Activity of moths near the synthetic pheromone sources was video-recorded. Males oriented to, landed on or near, and walked on or near, PBW ropes, indicating competition between pheromone sources as a mechanism of mating disruption. Most males visiting PBW ropes became quiescent or disappeared from the field of view after a few minutes, suggesting a habituation/adaptation of response. The rhythm of attraction of males held in the field for 24 h before release was comprised of a small peak of activity near 2000 h, with the majority of attraction between 2300 and 0300 h. Much of the attraction before 0100 appears to be an advancement of the male's normal diel rhythm, caused by the presence of disruptant. Together these findings indicate that mating disruption of pink bollworm using the PBW ropes is achieved by a combination of mechanisms: a camouflage of natural plumes, competition between pheromone sources, habituation, and some advancement of the male's rhythm of response.
Biology of the basic multicellular unit and the pathophysiology of osteoporosis

Bone structural integrity is maintained by removal of old bone by osteoclasts and synthesis of new bone in its place by osteoblasts. This process, called bone remodeling, is accomplished by assembly of osteoclasts and osteoblasts into discrete temporary anatomic structures called basic multicellular units (BMUs). The lifespan of osteoclasts and osteoblasts is short compared to the lifespan of the BMU; therefore, they must be continually replenished for BMU progression to occur. Osteoclasts develop from hematopoeitic progenitors; and osteoblasts are derived from mesenchymal stem cells, also known as marrow stromal fibroblasts. Circulating hormones together with locally produced cytokines and growth factors modulate the replication and differentiation of osteoclast and osteoblast progenitors. The most important locally produced pro-osteoclastogenic cytokine is receptor activator of NF-kappaB (RANK) ligand. It is expressed by stromal/osteoblastic cells, and binds to its receptor (RANK) on osteoclast progenitors to stimulate differentiation. The development of mature osteoblasts is promoted by growth factors released from the bone matrix during resorption, as well as by growth factors produced by osteoblast progenitors themselves. Many of these same locally produced factors and cytokines also govern the lifespan of osteoclasts and osteoblasts by their effects on apoptosis. The orderly genesis and apoptosis of both osteoclasts and osteoblasts is essential for normal bone homeostasis during bone remodeling. Bone loss caused by sex steroid deficiency or glucocorticoid excess is caused by alteration of bone cell production, and by prolonging osteoclast lifespan and shortening osteoblast lifespan. Therapies that prevent or reverse osteoporosis act at least in part by preventing osteoblast apoptosis and/or stimulating osteoclast apoptosis.
Management and effectiveness of psychopharmacology in emotionally unstable and borderline personality disorder

The article by Paton and colleagues on the use of psychotropic medication in patients with emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD) in the current issue of JCP is an important article. Making the assumption that EUPD as defined by ICD-10 (F60.3) is reasonably equivalent to borderline personality disorder (BPD) as defined in the United States by DSM, we are provided some insight into how practitioners think about prescribing medications to people with EUPD/BPD. The article not only offers information as to the class of medication these practitioners are using but also provides reasons why, ie, for what clinical signs and symptoms, the medications are being prescribed.
Continuous-wave and pulsed electron-nuclear double-resonance study of paramagnetic defects in amorphous hydrogenated silicon-carbon alloy.

Alloying amorphous hydrogenated silicon with carbon, although increasing the optical band gap, results in a dramatic increase in the number of paramagnetic defects and subsequent deterioration of optoelectronic properties. Electron-nuclear double-resonance and electron spin resonance studies of $^{13}\mathrm{enriched}$ materials provide a picture of how unpaired electrons, silicon atoms, and carbon atoms relate to each other in the alloys. We report the observation of weak hyperfine interactions originating from $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ and $^{29}\mathrm{Si}$ nuclei which are about two bond lengths away from the unpaired electrons. The absence of stronger interactions between unpaired electrons and $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ nuclei indicates that carbon dangling bonds do not exist, even in materials with a high level of paramagnetic defects. We suggest a model involving dangling-bond migration and carbon-double-bond formation to explain these results.
Large scale charging of Electric Vehicles

The problem of scheduling for large scale charging of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is considered. As part of the future EV infrastructure, a Large Scale Charging (LSC) facility is capable of charging hundreds of electric vehicles simultaneously. As an intelligent load in the future smart grid, LSC requires properly designed pricing and scheduling algorithms that take into account the electricity consumed, the arrival-departure characteristics, and overall charging capacity. The scheduling of LSC is formulated as a deadline scheduling problem. Utility functions that combine both amount of charge and tightness of the deadline are proposed. Under arbitrary (and deterministic) arrival, departure, and charging characteristics, a scheduling policy referred to as deadline scheduling with admission control is proposed. The proposed algorithm achieves the highest competitive ratio (against the best offline scheduling) for the utility function linear in charging level among all online scheduling algorithms. It also offers significant gain over benchmark scheduling algorithms such as the Earliest Deadline First (EDF) scheduling and the First Come First Serve (FCFS) scheduling in terms of average performance for general utility functions when tested with randomly generated charging requests.
Management of the irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common disorder diagnosed by gastroenterologists and one of the more common ones encountered in general practice. The overall prevalence rate is similar (approximately 10%) in most industrialized countries; the illness has a large economic impact on health care use and indirect costs, chiefly through absenteeism. IBS is a biopsychosocial disorder in which 3 major mechanisms interact: psychosocial factors, altered motility, and/or heightened sensory function of the intestine. Subtle inflammatory changes suggest a role for inflammation, especially after infectious enteritis, but this has not yet resulted in changes in the approach to patient treatment. Treatment of patients is based on positive diagnosis of the symptom complex, limited exclusion of underlying organic disease, and institution of a therapeutic trial. If patient symptoms are intractable, further investigations are needed to exclude specific motility or other disorders. Symptoms fluctuate over time; treatment is often restricted to times when patients experience symptoms. Symptomatic treatment includes supplementing fiber to achieve a total intake of up to 30 g in those with constipation, those taking loperamide or other opioids for diarrhea, and those taking low-dose antidepressants or infrequently using antispasmodics for pain. Older conventional therapies do not address pain in IBS. Behavioral psychotherapy and hypnotherapy are also being evaluated. Novel approaches include alosetron; a 5-HT3 antagonist, tegaserod, a partial 5-HT4 agonist, k-opioid agonists, and neurokinin antagonists to address the remaining challenging symptoms of pain, constipation, and bloating. Understanding the brain— gut axis is key to the eventual development of effective therapies for IBS.
Brain damage in neonatal mice following monosodium glutamate administration: Possible involvement of hypernatremia and hyperosmolality

Abstract The effects of glutamic acid hydrochloride, sodium chloride and sucrose administered orally to neonatal mice at levels equimolar and hyperosmolar to those used in obtaining brain damage with a monosodium glutamate (MSG) were examined. Hypernatremia is induced in neonatal mice at the highest dosage of MSG used to elicit neuropathologic changes. Glutamic acid hydrochloride was found to elicit the same pattern of brain lesions as does MSG. High sodium levels therefore, are not necessary to open the bloodbrain barrier for glutamate-induced neuronal lesions. Sodium chloride itself, although not causing lesions in arcuate nucleus, is capable of causing a wide spectrum of damage in neonatal mouse brain at lower levels (0.02–0.05 meq 1) than previously recognized. Glutamic acid and sodium caused brain lesions often in the same structures but their pattern of damage differed, probably as a result of different routes of entry into the brain. Glutamate, or more probably one of its metabolites, damaged cells close to circulating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), while hypertonic saline apparently egressed into brain tissue from capillaries, arterioles and venules. Neuronal damage following MSG administration tends to radiate inward within structures in contact with circulating CSF. Lesions following sodium chloride ingestion present themselves as foci or bands occurring throughout a given structure. Sometimes neuronal necrosis accompanied hemorrhagic vessels within a structure, a phenomenon not seen following MSG administration. A high rate of animal mortality followed hyperosmolality induced by sucrose loads. Brain shrinkage and extensive vascular dilatation, unaccompanied by marked neuronal dehydration were the major neurological observations. Finally, while neither hyperosmolarity nor hypernatremia is capable of eliciting the patterns of lesions correlated with MSG ingestion, either condition can result in severe vascular changes in the neonatal mouse brain.
Superlattices formed by interaction of polar solvents with Pt(111) surfaces studied by LEED, Auger spectroscopy and thermal desorption mass spectrometry

Abstract Eleven compounds commonly used as polar solvents in electrochemistry and other liquid-solid catalytic processes have been studied at Pt(111) by LEED, Auger spectroscopy and thermal desorption mass spectrometry. Eight of the compounds chemisorb irreversibly on Pt(111): sulfolane, dimethylsulfoxide, pyridine, dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, acetic acid, propylene carbonate and p-dioxane. Limiting chemisorbed coverages are reached at pressures (less than 3 × 10 −6 Torr) many orders of magnitude below the vapor pressures of these materials. The remaining three compounds (water, dichloromethane and ammonia) do not chemisorb to an appreciable extent on Pt(111) at pressures as high as 0.3 Torr. The chemisorbed compounds form highly ordered layers at certain coverages. Adsorption is accompanied by varying degrees of dissociation. Heating the surface to 1075 K following chemisorption at room temperaure removes only a small fraction of the total chemisorbed matter; the rest forms a very heat-resistant overlayer composed of most elements of the original adsorbed layer (C, N, O, S).
Cerebellar alterations in the weaver mouse

The fine structure of the cerebellum of weaver mouse was examined and the paucity of granule cells and their axons, the parallel fibers, was confirmed. Unexpectedly, however, the dendritic spines of the Purkinje cells which, in normal animals, are the postsynaptic mates of the parallel fibers, were present. Furthermore, their essential morphology and their staining reactions were indistinguishable from those of the Purkinje cell dendritic spines in normal animals. Possible mechanisms of development are discussed.
Have You Heard? Viral-Mediated Gene Therapy Restores Hearing

Genetic loss of VGLUT3 in cochlear inner hair cells results in profound deafness. In this issue of Neuron, Akil et al. (2012) show that AAV-mediated introduction of wild-type VGLUT3 in the genetically deaf mouse cochlea results in significantly improved hearing.
Packed capillary column solvating gas chromatography using neat water mobile phase and flame ionization detection

Neat water at temperatures above its normal boiling point was used as a mobile phase for packed capillary column chromatography. The “universal” flame ionization detector (FID) was used for detection. No restrictor or back pressure was imposed at the column outlet. The effects of temperature on column efficiency and retention were investigated using particle-bonded continuous bed columns packed and crosslinked with 3 μm polybutadiene-encapsulated zirconia particles. It was found that when the column inlet pressure was held constant and the temperature was increased to values that were higher than 100°C, the pressure drop decreased rapidly, allowing the use of long columns or small particles. Solute retention factors decreased with increasing temperature; however, column inlet pressure had little effect on retention factor. Mass transfer resistance also decreased with an increase in temperature. Mixtures of alcohols and phenols could be separated within several minutes after the interface between the column and the FID was optimized. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Micro Sep 13: 41–47, 2001