cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human Papillomavirus Testing in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Impact of the 2018 College of American Pathologists Guideline Among Referral Cases at a Large Academic Institution.

CONTEXT.— Given the growing clinical significance of human papillomavirus status in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, the College of American Pathologists established a set of evidence-based recommendations for high-risk human papillomavirus testing for publication in a guideline. OBJECTIVE.— To evaluate the impact of the recommendations on human papillomavirus ancillary test ordering habits by comparing compliance before and after the guideline was published. DESIGN.— We retrospectively reviewed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma biopsy or resection specimens from outside institutions during a 2.5-year period around guideline publication to determine whether human papillomavirus testing was performed in accordance with the guideline. RESULTS.— Human papillomavirus testing deviated from the guideline in 45 of 107 cases (42.1%) before and 93 of 258 cases (36.0%) after its publication (P = .29). This included 6 of 26 cases of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (23.1%) before and 5 of 55 cases (9.1%) after (P = .16), with 5 of 5 (100.0%) after due to not performing p16 immunohistochemistry. This also included 30 of 68 cases of nonoropharyngeal carcinoma (44.1%) before and 69 of 163 (42.3%) after the guideline was published (P = .88), with 29 of 30 (96.7%) before and 67 of 69 (97.1%) after due to unnecessary use of p16 immunohistochemistry. Nodal metastasis testing deviated in 9 of 13 cases (69.2%) before and 19 of 40 cases (47.5%) after (P = .21) with marked variability in testing, including 3 of 9 (33.3%) before and 8 of 19 (42.1%) after, for not confirming certain p16 immunohistochemistry-positive tumors with human papillomavirus-specific testing. CONCLUSIONS.— Pathologists continue to deviate from the testing guideline significantly in everyday practice. Further education and discussion about the appropriate handling of head and neck cancer specimens may be needed.
The cyclic di-GMP network is a global regulator of phase-transition and attachment-dependent host colonization in Erwinia amylovora

Cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is an essential bacterial second messenger that regulates the transition to biofilm formation in the phytopathogen Erwinia amylovora. The c-di-GMP system in E. amylovora is comprised of 12 diguanylate cyclase/Edc (dimerize cyclic-di-GMP) and phosphodiesterase/Pde (hydrolyze cyclic-di-GMP) proteins that are characterized by the presence of GGDEF and/or EAL motifs in their domain architecture. In order to study the global regulatory effect (without the inclusion of systemic regulatory impedance) of the c-di-GMP system in E. amylovora, we eliminated all 12 edc and pde genes in E. amylovora Ea1189Δ12. Comparisons between the representative transcriptomic profiles of Ea1189Δ12 and the combinatorial edc gene knockout mutant (Ea1189Δ5) revealed marked overall distinctions in expression levels for targets in a wide range of regulatory categories, including metabolic pathways involved in the utilization of methionine, isoleucine, histidine, etc. as well as critical signal transduction pathways including the Rcs phosphorelay and PhoPQ system. A complete loss of the cyclic-di-GMP signaling components resulted in the inability of Ea1189Δ12 cells to attach to and form biofilms in vitro and within the xylem vasculature in apple shoots. Using a flow-based in vitro biofilm system, we found that initial surface sensing was primarily dependent on the flagellar filament (FliC), following which the type IV pilus (HofC) was required to anchor cells to the surface to initialize biofilm development. A transcriptomic analysis of WT E. amylovora Ea1189 and Ea1189Δ12 cells in various stages of biofilm development revealed that cyclic-di-GMP based regulation had widespread effects on purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis pathways, amylovoran biosynthesis genes and the EnvZ/OmpR signal transduction system. Additionally, complementing individual eliminated genes back into Ea1189Δ12, and the collective evaluation of several virulence factors, enabled the correlative clustering of the functional effect rendered by each Edc and Pde enzyme in the system.
Equivalences of graded fusion categories

Abstract We further the techniques developed by Etingof, Nikshych, and Ostrik in [7] to classify the C -based equivalences between two G-graded extensions of C , in terms of cohomological data. As a warm up for the proof of our classification result we reprove the classification of graded extensions of a fusion category, making extensive use of graphical calculus. We end by providing several practical applications of our classification result. These practical applications include methods to determine when two distinct G-graded extensions are monoidally equivalent, and tools to help compute the group of gauge auto-equivalences of a G-graded category.
Properties of repression condensates in living Ciona embryos

Recent studies suggest that transcriptional activators and components of the pre-initiation complex (PIC) form higher order associations—clusters or condensates—at active loci. Considerably less is known about the distribution of repressor proteins responsible for gene silencing. Here, we develop an expression assay in living Ciona embryos that captures the liquid behavior of individual nucleoli undergoing dynamic fusion events. The assay is used to visualize puncta of Hes repressors, along with the Groucho/TLE corepressor. We observe that Hes.a/Gro puncta have the properties of viscous liquid droplets that undergo limited fusion events due to association with DNA. Hes.a mutants that are unable to bind DNA display hallmarks of liquid–liquid phase separation, including dynamic fusions of individual condensates to produce large droplets. We propose that the DNA template serves as a scaffold for the formation of Hes condensates, but limits the spread of transcriptional repressors to unwanted regions of the genome. While recent studies suggest that transcriptional activators form condensates at active loci, less is known about the distribution of repressor proteins. Here, the authors develop an expression assay in living Ciona embryos and visualize puncta of Hes repressors, with the Groucho/TLE corepressor, observing that the Hes.a/Gro puncta have the properties of viscous liquid droplets that undergo limited fusion events due to association with DNA.
ROARing 20’s: Cultivating Responsible, Optimal, Authentic, and Resilient Students

COVID-19 exacerbated a multitude of challenges facing institutions of higher education. The abrupt transition to virtual programming and support services substantially impacted how students lived, learned, and stayed connected to their campus environments. With this shift, one institution reimagined their orientation programming to prioritize advancing community well-being through a student-centered and equity-minded approach. These frameworks informed the strategy for helping students understand the interconnectedness of health and well-being topics as they matriculate into, and engage with, the campus community. This initiative increased students’ knowledge, confidence, and intention to support themselves and their peers as they transition to the college environment.
Comparison of Patient Clinical characteristics and Outcomes Between Different COVID-19 Peak Periods: A Single Center Retrospective Propensity Matched Analysis

Introduction While Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) specific treatments have been instituted, overall mortality rates among hospitalized patients remain significant. Our study aimed to evaluate patient clinical characteristics and outcomes comparing the different COVID-19 infection peak periods. Methods This is a retrospective study of all adult patients hospitalized with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 between March 1 to April 24, 2020 and November 1 to December 31, 2020, which corresponded to the first and second waves of COVID-19 infection in our institution, respectively. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were compared and used for propensity matching. Clinical outcomes, such as need for intubation, renal replacement therapy and inpatient mortality were subsequently compared between the two groups. Results Patients in the second COVID-19 wave had a significantly higher body mass index (32.58 vs 29.83, p <0.001), as well as prevalence of asthma (14% vs 8%, p=0.019) and chronic kidney disease (42% vs 18%, p <0.001). Almost all patients in the second COVID-19 wave received corticosteroid treatment (99% vs 30%, p <0.001), and significantly more patients received remdesivir (43% vs 2%, p <0.001). Meanwhile, none of the patients in the second COVID-19 wave were treated with tocilizumab or hydroxychloroquine. Differences in clinical outcomes, such as need for renal replacement therapy or intubation, and median length of stay were not statistically significant. Inpatient mortality remained largely unchanged between the two COVID-19 peak periods. Discussion/ Conclusion In our institution, after propensity matched analysis, clinical outcomes such as need for renal replacement therapy, intubation and inpatient mortality remained unchanged between the two COVID-19 peak periods.
Chronic progressive calcineurin nephrotoxicity: an overstated concept.

It has long been believed that, for kidney transplant recipients, acute rejection episodes were a risk factor for, and a forerunner of, late graft dysfunction and graft loss. Thus, when the introduction of calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based immunosuppression was associated with a significant decease in acute rejection rates and improvement in short-term graft survival, there was optimism that there would be significant improvement in long-term graft survival rates. This hope has not been realized. At the same time, some CNI-immunosuppressed extra-renal transplant recipients have developed progressive native kidney dysfunction and renal failure. One possible explanation for these clinical observations is chronic CNI nephrotoxicity. There is no doubt that acute CNI nephrotoxicity exists (reviewed in 1). Numerous reports attest to renal dysfunction or even anuria related to high CNI blood levels, and this toxicity has been associated with specific histologic lesions (1). The acute dysfunction, however, is usually reversible when the CNI is withdrawn (2). In contrast to acute nephrotoxicity, data supporting chronic progressive CNI-related nephrotoxicity is less clear (3, 4). Although some kidney and extrarenal transplant recipients develop late renal dysfunction, there have been no studies that define what proportion of this dysfunction is due to CNI use vs. other causes. Yet much of the progressive late graft dysfunction after a kidney transplant, or progressive native kidney dysfunction after an extrarenal transplant, has been attributed to CNI toxicity. In my opinion, the importance of progressive chronic CNI nephrotoxicity has been overstated as a cause of late renal dysfunction. This overemphasis on chronic CNI nephrotoxicity has resulted in negative consequences for our recipients. First, the diagnosis of “CNI toxicity” in individual patients has led to lowering of CNI doses (and levels); for some dose reduction had resulted in increased immunologic activity. Second, we have spent two decades attempting to minimize “CNI nephrotoxicity” instead of studying and minimizing other more prevalent causes of late dysfunction. CNIs have numerous side effects and there may be many reasons to consider minimization or elimination of CNI use. However, in the subsequent sections, I will suggest that: a) for the great majority of cases, the existing data does not support chronic progressive calcineurin nephrotoxicity, and b) there are other more plausible explanations for late kidney dysfunction after kidney and extrarenal transplantation.
Subjective effects of the nicotine lozenge: assessment of abuse liability

Rationale A nicotine lozenge was developed as a novel smoking cessation aid. Abuse liability, which in this context refers to use by novices not addicted to tobacco, may be expected to be low for the lozenge due to the relatively slow route of nicotine absorption. However, its resemblance to commercially marketed lozenges and its palatability, intended to increase medication compliance, may increase its abuse liability, especially among younger individuals.
Finiteness of Ricci Flat $N=2$ Supersymmetric $\sigma$ Models

We study the ultraviolet behavior of two dimensional supersymmetric non-linear σ-models with target space an arbitrary Kahler manifoldM, so that the models areN=2 supersymmetric. We point out that these models have an additional fermionic axial symmetry if and only if the metric onM is Ricci flat. We show that the preservation of this symmetry in perturbation theory implies that both bare and renormalized metrics onM are Ricci flat. Combining this result with the constraint ofN=2 supersymmetry requiring that all counter-terms to the metric beyond one-loop order be cohomologically trivial, we argue thatN=2 models defined on Ricci flat Kahler manifolds are on-shell ultraviolet finite to all orders of perturbation theory.
Student dispositions and help-seeking in collaborative learning

Previous work suggests that student dispositional attributes have an effect on help-seeking behaviors We report on studies attempting to apply this work to a computer-supported collaborative environment that suggest that dispositional attributes of motivation orientation and self-efficacy may be more easily examined in the context of task choices that follow failure events as part of an experimental design Two studies that have lead to this conclusion are discussed, as well as plans for a recovery-from failure study in preparation.
Optimal Bandwidth Selection for Kernel Density Functionals Estimation

The choice of bandwidth is crucial to the kernel density estimation (KDE) and kernel based regression. Various bandwidth selection methods for KDE and local least square regression have been developed in the past decade. It has been known that scale and location parameters are proportional to density functionals with appropriate choice of and furthermore equality of scale and location tests can be transformed to comparisons of the density functionals among populations. can be estimated nonparametrically via kernel density functionals estimation (KDFE). However, the optimal bandwidth selection for KDFE of has not been examined. We propose a method to select the optimal bandwidth for the KDFE. The idea underlying this method is to search for the optimal bandwidth by minimizing the mean square error (MSE) of the KDFE. Two main practical bandwidth selection techniques for the KDFE of are provided: Normal scale bandwidth selection (namely, “Rule of Thumb”) and direct plug-in bandwidth selection. Simulation studies display that our proposed bandwidth selection methods are superior to existing density estimation bandwidth selection methods in estimating density functionals.
Ruptured tuboovarian abscess.

Abstract Active and aggressive management of patients with suspected ruptured tuboovarian abscess begins in the emergency room with the aim of exploring the patient surgically as soon as conditions warrant. This regimen has been used since 1951 in 93 patients with a mortality rate of 8.6 per cent. This represents a marked improvement in results over our previous conservative management of this disease process.
The feasibility of the PA projection for tomography of the petrous bone. Significant reduction in radiation dose to the lens of the eye.

PA view during linear tomography of the petrous bone can easily be used in about 80 per cent of children.This results in a 20-30 fold reduction in dosage to the lens when compared to the AP view. Dose to the lens with 6 cuts in the PA projection is less than from a single AP roentgenogram of the skull.It is strongly recommended that the PA projection be used during linear tomography of the petrous temporal bone in all children and adults whenever possible.
Writing On the Wall: Social Media the First 2,000 Years

Book Review over Tom Standage's book Writing On the Wall: Social Media the First 2,000 Years
Electronic Properties at Gold/Conjugated-Polyelectrolyte Interfaces

ofVL(D 0) provides a larger electron-injection barrier (fe). [8–10] XPS and UPS studies are typically carried out by growing organic thin films of progressive thicknesses atop a metallic surface or a single crystal. [11] These films are usually deposited in several steps, and are subsequently analyzed without breaking the vacuum. [8–12] In contrast, polymers are nonvolatile, and are therefore commonly processed from solution by methods that do not offer as good a control over layer thickness. [13] Most polymer/ metal interfaces have been studied by evaporating the metal in situ on ex-situ-prepared films. [14] Examples of the reverse procedure are scarce. [15] In this contribution, we investigate the electronic structures of one neutral conjugated polymer and three CPEs using XPS and UPS. Control of film thickness was achieved by varying the spin-casting speed and the solution concentration. As shown in Scheme 1, the materials studied are poly[9,9-bis[6 0 -(N,N,N- tri
Precipitation phenomena in an ultrafine-grained Al alloy

Abstract To provide insight into the influence of length scales on precipitation phenomena, a bulk Al 7075 alloy with an ultrafine grain (UFG) structure was fabricated via cryomilling, hot isostatic pressing and extrusion, followed by solution treatment and artificial aging. The precipitation behavior in the UFG material was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and compared to its coarse grain (CG) counterpart. Results indicate that there are important differences in the size, chemistry and spatial distribution of precipitates between these two bulk materials. Differences in grain size were noted to influence the dislocation substructure, which in turn governed precipitation kinetics. Specifically, a high volume of grain boundaries (GBs) leads to a low concentration of vacancies in the UFG material, which hinders homogeneous nucleation of precipitates during aging. The nucleation of Guinier–Preston (GP) zones in UFG after extrusion is influenced by the presence of dislocations, which provide heterogeneous nucleation sites. The density of precipitates in the UFG was comparatively lower than that in the CG counterpart, because of the lower dislocation density in the grain interior. Solution treatment promoted recovery of dislocations in the UFG material. Then GP zones and nanoscale platelet η′ phase precipitates nucleated homogeneously during artificial aging. In comparison, the network of dislocations that remained in the CG material after solution treatment facilitated the formation of plate-like η′ phase precipitates around dislocations during artificial aging. Moreover, copious GP zones were observed in the CG interior after artificial aging with a comparatively higher density than those in the UFG.
Monolingual and bilingual concept visualization from corpora

As well as identifying relevant information, a successful information management system must be able to present its findings in terms which are familiar to the user, which is especially challenging when the incoming information is in a foreign language (Levow et al., 2001). We demonstrate techniques which attempt to address this challenge by placing terms in an abstract 'information space' based on their occurrences in text corpora, and then allowing a user to visualize local regions of this information space. Words are plotted in a 2-dimensional picture so that related words are close together and whole classes of similar words occur in recognizable clusters which sometimes clearly signify a particular meaning. As well as giving a clear view of which concepts are related in a particular document collection, this technique also helps a user to interpret unknown words.
CROSS SECTION FOR THE (n,2n) REACTION IN Be$sup 9$

Thc cross section for the (n,2n) reaction in Be/sup 9/ has bcen measured for neutron energies between 2.6 and 3.25 Mev. It was found that the reaction sets in sharply at approximately 2.7 Mev, from which energy the cross section rises rapidly to 0.70 barn at 3.25 Mev. This experimental result strongly suggests that the reaction proceeds primarily by means of an inelastic interaction which leaves the excited Beg nucleus in its 2.43-Mev level before emission of the second neutron upon breakup. There is no peak in the (n,2n) cross section corresponding to the broad peak at 2.73 Mev in the total neutron cross section. (auth)
Fostering social capital in economically distressed communities

Past Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literature suggests that engaging in meaningful activities with ICTs may be related to socio-economic security, social inclusion, empowerment, and increased social capital. However, we identify a pervasive lack of understanding in existing literature, which raises an important research question: how can we build social capital where little social capital exists? We conducted a preliminary study to explore whether and if so, how, individuals in an economically distressed population with limited social capital use technologies to increase social capital and achieve socio-economic security. We contribute details about barriers affecting social capital (e.g., difficulties finding and making the right connections and an overall lack of trust within communities). We also suggest ways in which ICTs can assist populations that could benefit most from increased social capital and economic security.
Controlling on-off intermittent dynamics

On-off intermittent chaotic behavior occurs in physical systems with symmetry. The phenomenon refers to the situation where one or more physical variables exhibit two distinct states in their time evolution. One is the ``off'' state where the physical variables remain constant, and the other is the ``on'' state where the variables temporarily burst out of the ``off'' state. We demonstrate that by using arbitrarily small feedback control to an accessible parameter or state of the system, the ``on'' state can be eliminated completely. This could be practically advantageous where the desirable operational state of the system is the ``off'' state. Relevant issues such as the influence of noise and the time required to achieve the control are addressed. It is found that the average transient time preceding the control obeys a scaling law that is qualitatively different from the algebraic scaling law which occurs when one controls chaos by stabilizing unstable periodic orbits embedded in a chaotic attractor. A theoretical argument is provided for the observed scaling law. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Electrooptic sampling in GaAs integrated circuits

Electrooptic sampling has been shown to be a very powerful technique for making time-domain measurements of fast electronic devices and circuits. Previous embodiments relied on a hybrid connection between the device under test and a transmission line deposited on an electrooptic substrate such as LiTaO 3 . The hybrid nature of this approach leads to device packaging difficulties and can result in measurement inaccuracies and performance degradation at very high frequencies. Since GaAs is electrooptic and an attractive material for high speed devices, we have devised an approach of direct electrooptic sampling of voltage waveforms in the host semiconductor. In this paper, we review the principles and limitations of electrooptic sampling and discuss this new noninvasive technique for electronic probing with applications to characterizing high speed GaAs circuits and devices.
Thermal denaturation of wild type and mutant recombinant acetylcholinesterase from amphioxus: effects of the temperature of in vitro expression and of reversible inhibitors

We have studied the thermal inactivation at 37 degrees C of wild type and mutant ChE2 (C310A, F312I, C466A, C310A/F312I, and C310A/C466A) from amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) expressed in vitro in COS-7 monkey cells under three sets of conditions: 30 degrees C for 48 h, 30 degrees C for 24 h and 37 degrees C for 24 h, and 37 degrees C for 48 h. We found biphasic denaturation curves for all enzymes and conditions, except wild type and C310A ChE2 expressed at 30 degrees C for 48 h. Generally, single mutants are more unstable than wild type, and the double mutants are even more unstable. We propose a model involving stable and unstable conformations of the enzymes to explain these results, and we discuss the implications of the model. We also found a correlation between the melting temperature of the ChEs and the rates at which they denature at 37 degrees C, with the denaturation of the unstable conformation dominating the relationship. Reversible cholinergic inhibitors protect the ChEs from thermal denaturation, and in some cases produce monophasic denaturation curves; we also propose a model to explain this stabilization.
MITIGATION OF RF GUN BREAKDOWN BY REMOVAL OF TUNING RODS IN HIGH FIELD REGIONS

The π-mode resonant frequency of the 1.6 cell SLAC/BNL/UCLA style RF photoinjector electron gun is conventionally tuned using cylindrical copper tuning pieces that extend into the full-cell cavity through holes in the side of the gun. This design begins to fail in many versions of this popular gun design at higher voltage levels, when the cavity undergoes electric breakdown in the vicinity of the tuners. In order to remove the tuners from the region of high electric field, mitigating this problem, one must change the full cell geometry significantly. We have investigated a method for accomplishing this, in which we stretch the gun structure to tune the resonant frequency up by over 2 MHz. We constructed a device to perform this stretching and tested the modified photoinjector in an RF test bed. We succeeded in putting approximately 8.4 MW of RF power into the gun, an improvement over the 4 MW routinely achieved with a similar gun using conventional tuning methods installed at the UCLA Neptune laboratory. Recent results in testing this gun with a magnesium cathode insert are reported as well.
Spawning and Associated Movement Patterns of Gulf Sturgeon in the Pascagoula River Drainage, Mississippi

Abstract Gulf sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi are federally listed as threatened, the principal reasons for population declines being habitat loss due to dams, overfishing, and water quality deterioration. The timing of freshwater migration and the locations and habitat features of spawning areas are undocumented for Gulf sturgeon in the Pascagoula River drainage. Our objectives were to identify and characterize spawning areas, determine spring movement patterns, and document homing fidelity by gill netting and radio-tracking. Through collection and rearing of Gulf sturgeon eggs, we verified that the Bouie River north of Hattiesburg, Mississippi (250 river kilometers upstream from the mouth of the Pascagoula River), is a spawning area. We also documented homing fidelity in the Bouie River using radiotelemetry and capture data. Prolonged residence and overwintering of Gulf sturgeon were observed near the Bouie River spawning area. This behavior may be caused by the modified nature of this portion of ...
IgM antibody—III: The role of light chains in equine anti-lactose Fabμ

Abstract The diversity and role of the L chains in equine IgM anti-lactose antibody were investigated by examination of Fab fragments which were fractionated by preparative isoelectric focusing to provide subpopulations of restricted isoelectric range. Analysis by analytical isoelectric focusing revealed that the diversity of L chains associated with each of these subpopulations was comparable to that associated with the parent IgM pool. In addition the pattern of diversity was largely invariant. The extensive degeneracy in L chain utilization indicated by these results suggests a minor role for the L chain in the structure of the combining site. This view is supported by the recovery of binding activity in recombination experiments with Fab dissociated into Fd fragments and L chains. Both homologous and heterologous recombination yielded about 30% recovery of binding sites with no loss of affinity. The apparent degeneracy of the L chain population has led to an hypothesis regarding somatic diversification of the V L gene pool. If the μ chain provides the binding specificity and is controlled by germ-line genes, then proliferative stimulation of B cells with anti-lactose receptors would include B cells in which a somatic variant of the germ-line V L gene had occurred. The result would be the expansion of clones of cells carrying somatic derivatives of this germ-line gene. This expansion would, in turn, provide a multiplicity of V L regions which could be utilized by γ chains, for example, associated with somatic variants of V H genes. The proposed model for the expansion of clones with somatic variants of V L genes provides an explanation for the use of a common pool of L chains by all classes of immunoglobulins.
The role of host tree condition in attack of white oaks by the twolined chestnut borer, Agrilus bilineatus (Weber) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

The twolined chestnut borer, Agrilus bilineatus (Weber) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), attacks stressed oaks (Quercus spp.) and is associated with extensive mortality of trees in the eastern deciduous forests of North America. We examined host location by the insect and subsequent host mortality in experimentally stressed trees. A. bilineatus adults were able to rapidly and specifically locate stressed oak trees. Up to 160 beetles per week were captured on sticky band traps on the trunks of stressed trees, while beetles rarely landed on unstressed control trees. This suggests that adult borers have an acute perception of host tree “quality”, and that this perception is from a distance. One mechanism of host location may be detection of volatile compounds produced by stressed trees. The condition of the host tree appears to regulate both beetle attraction and successful colonization. Mortally wounded (xylem-girdled) trees attracted beetles only until the cambium died. Xylem-girdled trees were attacked early in the beetle flight season, but larvae did not survive to emerge as adults from these trees. In contrast, phloemgirdled trees continued to attract beetles throughout the flight period. Phloem-girdled trees which were heavily attacked by A. bilineatus died late in the season in which they were attacked. Lightly attacked trees survived until the following growing season, and were then heavily attacked and killed. In one stand, phloem-girdled trees were not attacked, healed over the girdling wounds and were still alive three years after girdling. These results indicate that oak trees are only attractive to A. bilineatus within a narrow range of physiological conditions following stress but prior to mortality. A. bilineatus appears to be a proximate agent of mortality in stressed oaks in eastern North America.
High-Q microring resonator for biochemical sensors

The large refractive index difference between silicon nitride and silicon dioxide allows silicon nitride/dioxide waveguides to have a small mode size and low radiation bending loss. Low radiation bending loss enables high quality (Q) factor microring resonators. In this paper, we will present a record high quality factor microring resonator using silicon nitride and silicon dioxide on a silicon wafer. The microring resonator was fabricated using a deep UV photolithography and etching process. The microring resonator was critically coupled to a straight waveguide. An intrinsic quality factor of 240,000 has been measured. We will also present our result of using on-chip high-Q microring resonators for liquid phase chemical sensing application.
Clinical Efficacy of New Antiepileptic Drugs in Refractory Partial Epilepsy: Experience in the United States With Three Novel Drugs

A number of new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), including topiramate (TPM), felbamate (FBM), and gabapentin (GBP), are approved or believed to be close to approval for marketing in the United States. Key efficacy findings for these AEDs in refractory partial epilepsy were reviewed. Large and significant drug-placebo differences were observed with TPM in two large dose-finding trials conducted in the United States. The minimal effective dose of TPM in the population studied was determined to be approximately 200 mg/day, and doses above 600 mg/day produced good efficacy but little incremental benefit versus the lower dosages for the overall study population. FBM is active in partial epilepsy, although seizure reduction is less marked and drug interactions complicate the findings. GBP is also active in this population, but only the 1,800 mg/day dosage was significantly better than placebo with respect to percent responders. It may be useful to explore higher dosage ranges for both FBM and GBP if they can be well tolerated
Intracellular Esterase from Lactobacillus casei LILA: Nucleotide Sequencing, Purification, and Characterization

An esterase gene (estC) was isolated from a genomic library of Lactobacillus casei LILA. The estC gene consisted of a 777 bp open reading frame encoding a putative peptide of 28.9 kDa. A recombinant EstC fusion protein containing a C-terminal six-histidine tag was constructed and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. Characterization of EstC revealed that it was a serine-dependent dimeric enzyme. Optimum temperature, NaCl concentration, and pH for EstC were determined to be 30 degrees C, 0% NaCl, and pH 5.5, respectively. EstC had significant activity under conditions simulating those of ripening cheese (10 degrees C, 4% NaCl, and pH 5.1). Kinetic constants (KM and Vmax) were determined for EstC action on a variety of ethyl esters and ester compounds consisting of substituted phenyl alcohols and short n-chain fatty acids. For comparison purposes, the previously studied EstA from Lactococcus lactis MG1363 was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity and its substrate selectivity determined in a similar fashion. Different substrate selectivities were observed for EstC and EstA.
Dynamic wetting in the low capillary number regime

An understanding of dynamic wetting is necessary when considering processes in which one fluid is forced to displace another fluid from a solid substrate. This work examines the forced wetting behavior exhibited by a series of solid-liquid systems in the low capillary number regime. In particular, the effects of specific chemical (i.e. acid-base) interactions between the liquid and the solid and of solid surface roughness on dynamic wetting are investigated. Measurement of the dynamic contact angle as a function of the interline velocity is performed using the technique of microtensiometry. The data are compared with empirical correlations in order to test the hypothesis that a universal correlation may be used to describe wetting behavior. The results suggest that two correlation having the same functional form but different constants are necessary to adequately describe wetting behavior above and below a capillary number of the order of 10−3. No significant differences are observed between the wetting behavior of systems with only dispersive interactions between the liquid and solid and systems with acid-base interactions, implying that the static contact angle adequately accounts for the effect of acid-base interactions. Surface roughness produces noticeable stick-slip effects in the low capillary number regime when the static contact angle is larger than approximately 15°. While these effects produce a large degree of scatter in the dynamic wetting measurements, they do not alter the constants from those found in the case of smooth interline motion.
Truancy Offenders in the Juvenile Justice System: Examinations of First and Second Referrals

Truancy has been identified as one of the top 10 educational problems in the United States and is considered an important predictor of later delinquent behavior. The purpose of this study was to track youth initially referred to the juvenile justice system because of truancy. Data were provided by the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ). The sample was drawn from a cohort of 12,468 juveniles, all born in 1985. A longitudinal approach was taken to examine truancy offenders' interactions with the SCDJJ at their first and second referrals. Compared to non-truancy referrals, youth who are first referred for truancy are more likely to be European American and female and less likely to have a history of serious drug use. Furthermore, they are less likely to be referred for more serious crimes later in their youth and, if later incarcerated, experience shorter commitments. The results of the present study suggest that youth who are referred to the juvenile justice system for truancy represent a...
Special Issue Conference on Computational Complexity 2013 Guest editor's foreword

This special issue contains the full versions of five papers that were presented at the 28th Annual IEEE Conference on Computational Complexity (CCC 2013) held in Palo Alto, California, from June 5, 2013 to June 7, 2013. These outstanding papers were selected in consultation with the program committee from among the twentynine papers that appeared in the conference. They were invited for submission and subsequently subjected to the standard refereeing process of the journal.
DNA Binding of Repressor Nuclear Factor-κB p50/p50 Depends on Phosphorylation of Ser337 by the Protein Kinase A Catalytic Subunit

The NF-κB p50/p50 homodimer is mainly associated with transcriptional repression. Previously, we demonstrated that phosphorylation of NF-κB p50 Ser337 is critical for DNA binding. Here, we report that p50 Ser337 is constitutively phosphorylated by the protein kinase A catalytic subunit (PKAc) in three different cell types, which may account for the constant binding of p50/p50 to DNA in unstimulated cells. This was demonstrated first by showing that treatment of cells with PKAc-specific inhibitors blocked p50/p50 DNA binding. Second, phosphorylation of p50 by PKAc was prevented by substitution of Ser337 to alanine. Third, both p50 and PKAc proteins as well as kinase activity that phosphorylates p50 were found to co-fractionate following gel filtration chromatography. Finally, PKAc and p50 were shown to be able to reciprocally co-immunoprecipitate one another, and their physical association was blocked by a PKA catalytic site inhibitory peptide. This indicates that phosphorylation of p50 Ser337 involves direct contact with the PKAc catalytic center. In contrast to the dramatic elevation of nuclear p50/p65 heterodimers induced by tumor necrosis factor α, DNA binding of p50/p50 homodimers was not greatly altered. Taken together, these findings reveal for the first time that there is a direct interaction between PKAc and p50 that accounts for constitutive phosphorylation of p50 Ser337 and the existence of DNA bound p50/p50 in the nuclei of most resting cells. This mechanism of DNA binding by p50/p50 following phosphorylation of Ser337 by PKAc may represent an important means for maintaining stable negative regulation of NF-κB gene expression in the absence of extracellular stimulation.
Magic in the Middle Ages

List of illustrations Preface 1. Introduction: magic as a crossroads 2. The classical inheritance 3. The twilight of paganism: magic in Norse and Irish culture 4. The common tradition of medieval magic 5. The romance of magic in courtly culture 6. Arabic learning and the occult sciences 7. Necromancy in the clerical underworld 8. Prohibition, condemnation, and prosecution Further reading Index.
The effects of fructose-1,6-diphosphate on myocardial damage in acute coronary artery occlusion.

Abstract Acute myocardial infarction can result from thrombosis of a coronary artery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of fructose- 1,6-diphosphate (FDP; Esafosfina ® ) to reduce myocardial necrosis during acute thrombosis of a coronary artery. A canine model of acute myocardial infraction was used to produce intraluminal thrombosis by placement of a coil of wire in a coronary artery. After developing a coronary thrombosis of the left anterior descending artery, dogs were injected intravenously with 90 mg/kg, 175 mg/kg, or 350 mg/kg of FDP or normal saline (controls). Hemodynamic, biochemical and electrocardio-graphic parameters were evaluated before, and 30 min and 4 h after occlusion. Four hours after acute coronary occlusion, the animals were sacrificed, and the weights of ischemic and necrotic myocardial tissue were quantified using a histologic-staining method. There were no significant differences between control and treated animals in biochemical or hemodynamic parameters. All animal groups treated with FDP demonstrated significant reductions in the amount of necrotic and ischemic tissue compared to controls (P
High-order Hopfield and Tank optimization networks

Abstract We employ high-order weights to extend the class of optimization problems that can be solved with neural networks. Hopfield and Tank networks are used; the associated energy function is a polynomial with order equal to the highest order weights in the network. As an example, we consider the problem of partitioning a graph into triangles. Simulation results indicate that multiple runs on a problem can be considered independent trials; high performance can thereby be achiebed feasibly.
Stability of viscoelastic shear flows in the limit of high Weissenberg and Reynolds numbers

Abstract We consider a limit of the upper convected Maxwell model where both the Weissenberg and Reynolds numbers are large. The limiting equations have a status analogous to that of the Euler equations for the high Reynolds number limit. These equations admit parallel shear flows with an arbitrary profile of velocity and normal stress. We consider the stability of these flows. An extension of Howard’s semicircle theorem can be used to show that the flow is stabilized if elastic effects are sufficiently strong. We also show how to analyze the long wave limit in a fashion similar to the inviscid case.
Bilateral pedicle screw fixation provides superior biomechanical stability in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: a finite element study

Abstract Background context Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is increasingly popular for the surgical treatment of degenerative lumbar disease. The optimal construct for segmental stability remains unknown. Purpose To compare the stability of fusion constructs using standard (C) and crescent-shaped (CC) polyetheretherketone TLIF cages with unilateral (UPS) or bilateral (BPS) posterior instrumentation. Study design Five TLIF fusion constructs were compared using finite element (FE) analysis. Methods A previously validated L3–L5 FE model was modified to simulate decompression and fusion at L4–L5. This model was used to analyze the biomechanics of various unilateral and bilateral TLIF constructs. The inferior surface of the L5 vertebra remained immobilized throughout the load simulation, and a bending moment of 10 Nm was applied on the L3 vertebra to recreate flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. Various biomechanical parameters were evaluated for intact and implanted models in all loading planes. Results All reconstructive conditions displayed decreased motion at L4–L5. Bilateral posterior fixation conferred greater stability when compared with unilateral fixation in left lateral bending. More than 50% of intact motion remained in the left lateral bending with unilateral posterior fixation compared with less than 10% when bilateral pedicle screw fixation was used. Posterior implant stresses for unilateral fixation were six times greater in flexion and up to four times greater in left lateral bending compared with bilateral fixation. No effects on segmental stability or posterior implant stresses were found. An obliquely-placed, single standard cage generated the lowest cage-end plate stress. Conclusions Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion augmentation with bilateral posterior fixation increases fusion construct stability and decreases posterior instrumentation stress. The shape or number of interbody implants does not appear to impact the segmental stability when bilateral pedicle screws are used. Increased posterior instrumentation stresses were observed in all loading modes with unilateral pedicle screw/rod fixation, which may theoretically accelerate implant loosening or increase the risk of construct failure.
Practical techniques for purging deleted data using liveness information

The layered design of the Linux operating system hides the liveness of file system data from the underlying block layers. This lack of liveness information prevents the storage system from discarding blocks deleted by the file system, often resulting in poor utilization, security problems, inefficient caching, and migration overheads. In this paper, we define a generic "purge" operation that can be used by a file system to pass liveness information to the block layer with minimal changes in the layer interfaces, allowing the storage system to discard deleted data. We present three approaches for implementing such a purge operation: direct call, zero blocks, and flagged writes, each of which differs in their architectural complexity and potential performance overhead. We evaluate the feasibility of these techniques through a reference implementation of a dynamically resizable copy on write (COW) data store in User Mode Linux (UML). Performance results obtained from this reference implementation show that all these techniques can achieve significant storage savings with a reasonable execution time overhead. At the same time, our results indicate that while the direct call approach has the best performance, the zero block approach provides the best compromise in terms of performance overhead and its semantic and architectural simplicity. Overall, our results demonstrate that passing liveness information across the file system-block layer interface with minimal changes is not only feasible but practical.
Stories of ‘Militant Theatre’ in the Guinean forest: ‘demystifying’ the motives and moralities of a revolutionary nation-state

Abstract The cultural dynamics of anticolonial and postcolonial nationalisms have inspired impassioned research and writing for several decades. Stark contrasts have emerged within this still growing body of work. Many analysts have stressed nationalism's powers to reconfigure popular experiences of politics, culture, and the movement of history. Conversely, many others, particularly current anthropologists, have underscored nationalism's incapacities to enfold peripheral localities within its hegemonic visions of ideal citizenship, modernity, and progress. Within African Studies, this latter emphasis on nationalism's weaknesses has become dominant. Depictions of nationalist cultural emphases and initiatives deployed by postcolonial regimes have become increasingly critical. Recent ethnographies of attempted politicizations of cultural performance around the continent have largely condemned official conceptualizations and promulgations of ‘national culture,’ as well as the long-term impacts of cultural po...
Tumor necrosis factor as a therapeutic target of rheumatologic disease.

TNF-α is a crucial pro-inflammatory and immunregulatory cytokine that is central to the pathogenesis of various inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. A number of controlled trials have shown effectiveness for TNF-α inhibitiors in several diseases, in particular rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and Crohn's disease. These agents may also be useful in additional autoimmune conditions. The introduction of TNF-α inhibitors has revolutionized the therapeutic approach and treatment paradigms especially for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Despite extensive investigation, the full profile of their mechanisms of action remain incompletely understood. Optimal use of these agents requires consideration of their possible adverse effects. In addition to the presently available TNF-α blockers, other agents targeting this key mediator are under study. Recent advances and future directions in anti-TNF-α therapy are discussed in this paper.