cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immune privilege of skin stem cells: What do we know and what can we learn?

The skin forms a barrier that prevents dehydration and keeps us safe from pathogens. To ensure proper function, the skin possesses a myriad of stem cell populations that are essential for maintenance and repair upon damage. In order to protect, the skin is also an active immunological site, with abundant resident immune cells and strong recruitment of even more immune cells during wounding or infection. Such active and strong immunity makes the skin susceptible to a diverse spectrum of autoimmune diseases, such as vitiligo and alopecia areata. Conversely, despite constant immune surveillance, the skin is also a tissue where frequent malignancies occur, which suggests that immune evasion must also take place. Skin stem cells play a crucial role during both regeneration and tumorigenesis. How immune cells, and in particular T cells, interact with skin stem cells and the implications this crosstalk has in skin disease (both autoimmunity and cancer) is not fully understood. Uncovering the mechanisms governing immune - stem cells interactions in the skin is critical for the development of new therapeutic strategies to safeguard susceptible cells during autoimmunity and, conversely, to improve cancer immunotherapy. Here, I will discuss how distinct skin stem cell populations are attacked by, or conversely, cloaked from immune cells, and the implications their differences have in autoimmunity and cancer.
Generalized Reflexive Responding and Cross-Modal Tactile Transfer of Stimulus Function in Children with Autism

We sought to evaluate the efficacy of successive matching training for establishing generalized reflexive matching across 4 children with autism. In Experiment 1, differential reinforcement with delay fading was efficacious in establishing “yes” and “no” matching and nonmatching responses in 2 participants when 2 identical or nonidentical picture stimuli were presented. In addition, emergent visual–visual reflexive relational responses were observed using novel picture stimuli in a transfer test phase. In Experiment 2, differential reinforcement alone was efficacious in establishing matching and nonmatching responses in the other 2 participants when 2 identical or nonidentical objects were presented. Transfer to identical objects presented through touch (i.e., tactile discrimination) was additionally observed for both participants. Procedures in the study were adapted from the PEAK Relational Training System to aid in clinical replication, and the translational results have implications for language training with individuals with autism.
An Exploratory Study of the Acceptability and Feasibility of Yoga Among Women in Substance Use Disorder Recovery.

Objectives: This qualitative study explored the acceptability and feasibility of yoga among women in substance use disorder (SUD) recovery. Design: Seventeen women in SUD recovery for 2 weeks or longer were recruited from nine sites in the mid-South, including a Medication-Assisted Treatment clinic in a hospital setting, prison re-entry housing, community-based peer support organizations (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous [AA], Narcotics Anonymous [NA]), a residential SUD treatment facility, a yoga teachers' online group, and through referrals. The median age of participants was 41.5, with ages ranging from 25 to 65. We used an interpretive description approach to explore both the perceptions of women without yoga experience and the experiences of women with yoga experience to collect formative data for intervention development and implementation. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. A hybrid analysis (i.e., inductive and deductive coding) was applied to the data. Results: Women's narratives included a high prevalence of trauma exposure. Overall, women in this sample were interested in either beginning or continuing yoga. Barriers to participation included perceived lack of self-efficacy of yoga, weight, and physical injuries. Additional environmental barriers included balancing care of self with caring for others, including partners, children, and NA/AA sponsees; as well as prioritizing finances, housing, employment, and transportation. Conclusion: High prevalence of trauma exposure among women in SUD recovery necessitates careful consideration of co-occurring psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression and the necessary professional psychological support, as well as serious physical injuries that require modification in yoga āsana classes. As transportation and balancing care needs were salient in these data, rural SUD populations could be served with telehealth interventions that provide SUD recovery support with integrative health practices such as adjunctive yoga interventions.
Influence of Turbulence on an Essentially Nonlinear Dynamo Mechanism

Through direct numerical simulations, we study the influence of turbulence on a novel essentially nonlinear dynamo (END) mechanism. This dynamo operates through the interaction of a velocity shear with magnetic buoyancy mitigated by secondary Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. As opposed to the traditional mean-field or kinematic theory treatment, this END paradigm only exhibits dynamo action if the initial magnetic configuration is finite and above a critical threshold. We first study the effects of the smallest scales of turbulence by injecting noise into the magnetic fields. We then seek to study the effect of a wider range of scales by analyzing the interactions of actual resolved convection. To achieve a setup that is perhaps more realistic, we ultimately embed the END mechanism in a two-layer penetrative simulation. These preliminary results indicate that turbulence in many forms does little to hinder the END mechanism and therefore this example of an END at least appears to be quite robust.
Even Galois representations and the Fontaine–Mazur conjecture. II

We prove, under mild hypotheses, that there are no irreducible two-dimensional ordinary even Galois representations of \(\mathrm{Gal}(\overline{\mathbf{Q}}/\mathbf{Q})\) with distinct Hodge–Tate weights. This is in accordance with the Fontaine–Mazur conjecture. If K/Q is an imaginary quadratic field, we also prove (again, under certain hypotheses) that \(\mathrm{Gal}(\overline{\mathbf{Q}}/K)\) does not admit irreducible two-dimensional ordinary Galois representations of non-parallel weight.
Detecting Expressive Writing in Online Health Communities by Modeling Aggregated Empirical Data

Although expressive writing has proved to be beneficial on physical, mental, and social health of individuals, it has been restrained to lab-based experimental studies. In the real world, individuals may naturally engage with expressive writing when dealing with difficult times, especially when facing a tough health journey. Health blogging may serve as an easy-to-access method for self-therapy, if spontaneous expressive writing occurs. However, many posts may not be expressive enough to provide the therapeutic power. In this study, we build a Gaussian naive Bayes model to detect expressive writing in an online health community, CaringBridge. Because we lack full text data as training data, we use a method to learn model parameters from meta-analysis of the literature. The classifier reaches reasonable accuracy on the test set annotated by the authors. We also explore factors that may influence users' spontaneous expressive writing. We find gender, health condition, author type, and privacy settings can affect individuals' spontaneous expressive writing. Finally, we reflect on our methodology and results and provide design implications for online health communities.
The single atom laser: a quantized Rabi oscillator

Summary form only given. We have recently developed the first working single-atom microlaser in which coherent light is generated by means of the interaction of a single two-level atom with a single mode of the radiation field. The photon generation process follows the Jaynes-Cummings model, and photon buildup is initiated by vacuum Rabi oscillations, not by spontaneous emission as in conventional lasers. We measured the mean photon number in the cavity (n) as a function of the average number of atoms present there . Laser oscillation was observed with as small as 0.1, resulting in (n) of 0.1.
Nutritional evaluation of poultry by-product meal as a protein source for ruminants: small intestinal amino acid flow and disappearance in steers.

Six Angus steers (260 ± 4 kg initial BW) fitted with ruminal, duodenal, and ileal cannulas were used in a 6 × 6 Latin square design to evaluate the effect of feeding poultry by-product meal (PBM) on small intestinal flow and disappearance of amino acids. The diets were provided at 2% of BW on a DM basis, formulated to contain 11.5% CP, and consisted of 49% corn silage, 36% cottonseed hulls, and 15% supplement on a DM basis. Supplements were formulated to contain 37% CP with sources of supplemental N being soybean meal (100% SBM) and 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% PBM, with urea used to balance for N. Duodenal flow of all amino acids increased linearly ( P .80) by PBM; however, they were greater ( P .31) on apparent small intestinal disappearance of essential, nonessential, and total amino acids. These data suggest that when PBM, SBM, and urea were used as sources of supplemental N, the daily disappearance of amino acids from the small intestine of steer calves consuming a corn silage- and cottonseed hull-based diet was similar.
High performance tracking in adaptive disturbance cancellation

Exact linear time-invariant analysis of a simple adaptive filter for the cancellation of single tone disturbances is carried out. Symmetry in the multivariable loop gain is exploited to simplify control design. Limits on adaptive tracking speed are discussed.
Techniques for synchronization of X-ray pulses to the pump laser in an ultrafast X-ray facility

Accurate timing of ultrafast X-ray probe pulses emitted from a synchrotron radiation source with respect to the signal initiating a process in the sample under study is critical for the investigation of structural dynamics in the femtosecond regime. We describe schemes for achieving accurate timing of femtosecond X-ray synchrotron radiation pulses relative to a pump laser, where X-rays pulses of <100 fs duration are generated from the proposed LUX source based on a recirculating superconducting linac. We present a description of the timing signal generation and distribution systems to minimize timing jitter of the X-rays relative to the experimental lasers.
Engineering the lipid layer of lipid–PLGA hybrid nanoparticles for enhanced in vitro cellular uptake and improved stability

Abstract Lipid–polymer hybrid nanoparticles (NPs), consisting of a polymeric core and a lipid shell, have been intensively examined as delivery systems for cancer drugs, imaging agents, and vaccines. For applications in vaccine particularly, the hybrid NPs need to be able to protect the enclosed antigens during circulation, easily be up-taken by dendritic cells, and possess good stability for prolonged storage. However, the influence of lipid composition on the performance of hybrid NPs has not been well studied. In this study, we demonstrate that higher concentrations of cholesterol in the lipid layer enable slower and more controlled antigen release from lipid–poly(lactide-co-glycolide) acid (lipid–PLGA) NPs in human serum and phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Higher concentrations of cholesterol also promoted in vitro cellular uptake of hybrid NPs, improved the stability of the lipid layer, and protected the integrity of the hybrid structure during long-term storage. However, stabilized hybrid structures of high cholesterol content tended to fuse with each other during storage, resulting in significant size increase and lowered cellular uptake. Additional experiments demonstrated that PEGylation of NPs could effectively minimize fusion-caused size increase after long term storage, leading to improved cellular uptake, although excessive PEGylation will not be beneficial and led to reduced improvement. Statement of Significance This paper reports the engineering of the lipid layer that encloses a polymeric nanoparticle, which can be used as a carrier for drug and vaccine molecules for targeted delivery. We demonstrated that the concentration of cholesterol is critical for the stability and uptake of the hybrid nanoparticles by dendritic cells, a targeted cell for the delivery of immune effector molecules. However, we found that hybrid nanoparticles with high cholesterol concentration tend to fuse during storage resulting in larger particles with decreased cellular uptake. This problem is subsequently solved by PEGylating the hybrid nanoparticles. With increased research and clinical applications of lipid–polymer hybrid nanoparticles in drug and vaccine delivery, this work will significantly impact the design of the hybrid nanoparticles for minimized molecule release during circulation and increased bioavailability of the target molecules.
Inflammatory markers in patients with inflammatory arthritis: perhaps they can be helpful in diagnosing chronic periprosthetic infection: commentary on an article by Cara A. Cipriano, MD, et al.: "Serum and synovial fluid analysis for diagnosing chronic periprosthetic infection in patients with inflammatory arthritis".

Late and/or chronic periprosthetic joint infection in patients with total joint replacements can be very difficult to diagnose, and evaluation of the levels of serum inflammatory markers is one of the more commonly done diagnostic tests when periprosthetic joint infection is considered. Unfortunately, inflammatory arthritis, in its many forms, is a common etiology of joint destruction leading to arthroplasty, results in mild or moderate degrees of immunocompromise, and is associated with persistent, baseline elevations in levels of inflammatory biomarkers. Because of this terrible triad, patients with inflammatory arthritis may be at greater risk of chronic periprosthetic joint infection, and such infections may be harder to diagnose because elevations in inflammatory markers may reflect the underlying disease rather than infection of the prosthetic joint. Until now, very little actual information has existed to aid clinicians who face the difficult task of trying to diagnose an infection at the site of a joint replacement in a patient with known inflammatory arthritis. In fact, a workgroup consisting of members of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society recently proposed a new definition of periprosthetic joint infection, but none of the studies on which they based their work included patients with underlying inflammatory diseases1. Thus, a number of important …
Architectural approaches for dynamic translation and reconfiguration

A microprocessor taxonomy is introduced based on whether: (1) the hardware is static or reconfigurable and (2) the code translation process is static or dynamic. The IBM DAISY and Transmeta Crusoe/spl trade/ microprocessors are reviewed. These static hardware microprocessors support a dynamic translation process to execute programs originally compiled for the PowerPC and Intel/spl reg/ X86 microprocessors, respectively. Inspired by features from both the DAISY and Crusoe/spl trade/ microprocessors, a conceptual design of a dynamically reconfigurable microprocessor is given. Driven by the results of a preliminary study, a specific approach to designing a reconfigurable microprocessor is presented. As a part of this approach, the concept of partitioning the instruction set of a microprocessor in order to support an application, instead of partitioning the functionality of the application, is developed.
The Relationship between Peer and/or Friends" Influence and Physical Activity among Elementary School Children: A Review

One modifiable factor linked to the current childhood obesity epidemic is inactivity among children. In hopes of providing researchers and practitioners with insight for combating the childhood obesity epidemic, the objective of this review is to synthesize the research on the association between peer and/or friends‟ influence and elementary school-aged children‟s physical activity behaviors. Six databases were searched to identify studies published within the last 20 years that assess the relationship between peer and/or friends‟ influence and elementary school-aged children‟s physical activity behaviors. Analysis of the 13 studies meeting these criteria identified four processes through which peers and/or friends may be associated with elementary school-aged children‟s physical activity behaviors: modeling, social support, popularity and victimization. While more research is needed in this area, this review suggests that there is an association between peer and/or friends‟ influence and elementary school-aged children‟s physical activity levels. Peer victimization may be negatively associated with children‟s physical activity levels. Peer support is positively correlated with children‟s physical activity. Among boys, popularity may be associated with physical activity. Finally, evidence suggests that peer models may be effective at enhancing physical activity among girls and children with low physical activity self-efficacy.
A hypercubic sorting network with nearly logarithmic depth

A natural class of “hypercubic” sorting networks is defined. The regular structure of these sorting networks allows for elegant and efficient implementations on any of the so-called hypercubic networks (e.g., the hypercube, shuffle-exchange, butterfly, and cube-connected cycles). This class of sorting networks contains Batcher's O(lg2n)-depth bitonic sort, but not the O(lg n)-depth sorting network of Ajtai, Komlo´s, and Szemere´di. In fact, no o(lg2n)-depth compare-interchange sort was previously known for any of the hypercubic networks. In this paper, we prove the existence of a family of 2O((lg lg n)1/2) lg n-depth hypercubic sorting networks. Note that this depth is o(lg1+en) for any constant e > 0.
Radiocesium concentrations and DNA strand breakage in two species of amphibians from the Chornobyl exclusion zone

Relatively few studies have considered impacts of the 1986 nuclear accident at Chornobyl on lower vertebrate populations. Amphibians are recognized as sensitive indicators of environmental degradation and pollution, and some amphibian population declines may be associated with contaminant-induced stress. Amphibians also utilize both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, which facilitates comparison of radionuclide accumulation and effects in different environments. We sampled sympatric frog species from a highly contaminated area within the Chornobyl exclusion zone and from a nearby, less contaminated area in August - September 1999. Radiocesium was measured in whole frogs and in muscle samples. Whole body mean radiocesium for Rana esculenta from Gluboke Lake, a highly contaminated area, was 22.3 Bq/g wet mass; R. terrestris from the same area contained 53.4 Bq/g wet mass. Radiocesium levels in frogs from Emerald Camp, a less contaminated area, were about an order of magnitude lower. In both locations, whole body radiocesium concentrations were higher in R. terrestris than in R. esculenta, probably reflecting dietary differences between species. Mean muscle radiocesium concentrations were generally lower than whole body concentrations, and muscle and whole body concentrations were highly correlated within individuals. We used pulsed field-gel electrophoresis to examine the size distribution of DNA fragments in muscle tissue from a subsample of R. terrestris from both locations. Increased proportions of smaller DNA fragments, suggesting DNA strand breakage, occurred in R. terrestris from the more contaminated location. Results support the concept that amphibians are useful in assessing radionuclide accumulation and effects in contaminated areas. However, differences among species must be considered in evaluating contaminant concentrations and potential effects.
Methylphenidate in Hyperkinetic Children: Differences in Dose Effects on Learning and Social Behavior.

Methylphenidate (Ritalin) is widely prescribed for hyperkinetic children. This study showed a peak enchancement of learning in children after being given a dose of 0.3 milligram per kilogram of body weight, and a decrement in learning in those given larger doses; social behavior showed the most improvement in children given 1.0 milligram per kilogram. These results had been hypothesized from theoretical dose-response curves which indicate different target behaviors would improve at different doses.
SenseCam reminiscence and action recall in memory-unimpaired people

Case studies of memory-impaired individuals consistently show that reminiscing with SenseCam images enhances event recall. This exploratory study examined whether a similar benefit would occur for the consolidation of memories in memory-unimpaired people. We tested delayed recall for atypical actions observed on a lengthy walk. Participants used SenseCam, a diary, or no external memory aid while walking, followed by reminiscence with SenseCam images, diary entries, or no aid, either alone (self-reminiscence) or with the experimenter (social reminiscence). One week later, when tested without SenseCam images or diary entries, prior social reminiscence produced greater recall than self-reminiscence, but there were no differences between memory aid conditions for action free recall or action order recall. When methodological variables were controlled, there was no recall advantage for SenseCam reminiscence with memory-unimpaired participants. The case studies and present study differ in multiple ways, making ...
Fine structural observations on nuclear maturation during spermiogenesis in Hydra littoralis

Cytodifferentiation during spermiogenesis in Hydra littoralis was studied at the fine structural level. Concentration of nuclear material as well as specific orientation of granular and filamentous nuclear elements are apparent in two regions of the early spermatid: where the nuclear envelope is in contact with mitochondrial membranes at one pole of the cell and at an opposite region where the nucleus is closely apposed to the plasma membrane. Ultimately the mass of condensed nuclear material becomes concentrated at the mitochondrial pole of the cell. Additional electron-dense material is extruded from the nucleus into a large vacuole which is in continuity with the nuclear membrane as well as associated with Golgi lamellae and vesicles. Eventually all residual cytoplasm is sloughed, leaving the nucleus, mitochondria, and flagellum. These observations are suggestive of nucleocytoplasmic interactions during development, especially influences of mitochondria and plasma membranes on chromatin condensation.
Shedding Light on the Genome’s Dark Matter

When scientists search for genetic mutations that cause human disease, they tend to look in protein-coding DNA, which comprises the exons of known genes. Interpreting the impact of a genetic change in an exon, which can be related to a subsequent change in the protein, is straightforward. Indeed, the vast majority of known disease-causing mutations lie within protein-coding DNA, even though it makes up only 1 to 2% of the human genome. The remaining 98% of the genome is often referred to as “dark matter.” The function of the DNA sequence in this dark matter is less clear, and interpreting the effect of a genetic change is difficult. Recent projects such as the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) have made substantial progress in annotating the dark matter, assigning putative functions to many regions such as the promoters, enhancers, repressors, and transcription factor binding sites of genes. This effort should accelerate the interpretation of noncoding changes, facilitating mutation discovery in patients and in diseases in which coding mutations cannot be identified. Weinhold and colleagues take advantage of whole-genome sequencing data from paired tumor and normal tissue samples to investigate the role of noncoding mutations in cancer. They identified noncoding DNA mutations in tumor DNA compared with normal tissue from the same individual in 863 cancer patients. Using three different approaches, they identified regions of noncoding DNA where mutations in the tumor samples seemed to cluster. A search for “hotspots” revealed two recurrent mutations upstream of PLEKHS1 , a gene not previously implicated in cancer, as well as several near genes that are known to be associated with cancer. Targeted analysis of annotated regulatory regions identified several genes with frequent promoter or 5′ untranslated region mutations, including WDR74 , near which 4% of samples harbored a noncoding mutation. Last, they looked specifically for mutations that created or destroyed a binding site for the transcription factor, ETS, again identifying an enrichment of this class of mutation upstream of some genes. Importantly, the authors could also show in some cases that the noncoding DNA mutation correlated with a change in gene expression, suggesting that at least some have a functional effect. There is no question that noncoding mutations will play an important role in human disease. This comprehensive analysis by Weinhold and colleagues sheds light on noncoding mutations in cancer. Further investigation of the types and locations of noncoding mutations that are related to disease in this study may also lend insight into the interpretation of similar mutations in other genetic disorders. N. Weinhold et al ., Genome-wide analysis of noncoding regulatory mutations in cancer. Nat Genet. 10.1038/ng.3101 (2014). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ng.3101.html
SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF ZIRCONIUM IN URANIUM ALLOYS OF THE FISSION ELEMENTS

Abstract Alizarin-Red S has been used to determine zirconium spectrophotometrically in uranium alloys of the fission elements. Separation from interferences is effected by co-precipitating the zirconium with barium fluosilicate. Colour stability and improved precision have been realised through changes in the colour development procedure. Alloys containing from 1 to 0.01 % zirconium can be analysed by this method with coefficients of variation from 1.5 to 20.
Combined surgery and postoperative radiation therapy for advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinomas

Abstract The survival, pattern of failure and complications in 47 patients with Stage III and IV cancers of the glottis, supraglottis and hypopharynx treated with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy using a new treatment technique referred to as “mini-mantle” were analyzed. The absolute survival probability of the entire group was 53 and 31% at 3 and 5 years. The local control probability at 3 and 5 years was 63 and 58%, and was higher for the supraglottic/hypopharyngeal than for glottic carcinomas. Advanced lesions, lymph node metastases and positive resection margins were significantly related to a worse local control. Five patients developed complications requiring surgical correction, but none experienced mortality. Moderate complications were treated conservatively without lasting sequelae. This technique is a reasonably safe and efficient procedure and can be effectively employed for the management of advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinomas after definitive surgery.
Students create game-based online learning environment that teaches Java programing

This paper examines current Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) and their educational value. It provides details of a project at Auburn University where students are attempting to create an Educational MMORPG that teaches Java programming. The game allows students to play the role of a computer scientist, and use programming skills to interact with in-game objects. Throughout the paper are examples of why Java is an excellent choice for MMORPG development. This paper also serves as a jump-start for other students who are interested in creating an Educational MMORPG.
Importance of composition and hygroscopicity of BC particles to the effect of BC mitigation on cloud properties: Application to California conditions

Black carbon (BC) has many effects on climate including the direct effect on atmospheric absorption, indirect and semi-direct effects on clouds, snow effects, and others. While most of these are positive (warming), the first indirect effect is negative and quantifying its magnitude in addition to other BC feedbacks is important for supporting policies that mitigate BC. We use the detailed aerosol chemistry parcel model of Russell and Seinfeld (1998), observationally constrained by initial measured aerosol concentrations from five California sites, to provide simulated cloud drop number (CDN) concentrations against which two GCM calculations – one run at the global scale and one nested from the global-to-regional scale are compared. The GCM results reflect the combined effects of their emission inventories, advection schemes, and cloud parameterizations. BC-type particles contributed between 16 and 20% of cloud droplets at all sites even in the presence of more hygroscopic particles. While this chemically detailed parcel model result is based on simplified cloud dynamics and does not consider semi-direct or cloud absorption effects, the cloud drop number concentrations are similar to the simulations of both Chen et al. (2010b) and Jacobson (2010) for the average cloud conditions in California. Reducing BC particle concentration by 50% decreased the cloud droplet concentration by between 6% and 9% resulting in the formation of fewer, larger cloud droplets that correspond to a lower cloud albedo. This trend is similar to Chen et al. (2010b) and Jacobson (2010) when BC particles were modeled as hygroscopic. This reduction in CDN in California due to the decrease in activated BC particles supports the concern raised by Chen et al. (2010a) that the cloud albedo effect of BC particles has a cooling effect that partially offsets the direct forcing reduction if other warming effects of BC on clouds are unchanged. These results suggests that for regions like the California sites studied here, where BC mitigation targets fossil fuel sources, a critical aspect of the modeled reduction is the chemical composition and associated hygroscopicity of the BC particles removed as well as their relative contribution to the atmospheric particle concentrations.
A Primary Prevention Group for Latency Age Children Dealing with Adoption Issues

The authors describe an eight-session primary prevention group program for latency age children who were dealing with adoption issues. The structure and the process of the group are described and the effectiveness of the program is evaluated. One of the authors, who is both an adoptive parent and a nurse psychotherapist, was the group leader. The group served to facilitate the lifelong process of dealing with adoption issues.
Effect of Vacuum and Milking Machine Liners on Liner Slip

Abstract The effect of milking machine liners and operating vacuum of 50 versus 44 or 42 kPa upon the frequency of liner slips, major vacuum fluctuations, manual machine adjustments, unit fall offs, milk yield, and milking time were enumerated in The Pennsylvania State University dairy herd of approximately 160 milking cows. Two separate trials were conducted using two liner types at two vacuum settings for each trial. Data were utilized from four milkings with each combination of liner and vacuum. Liner type, vacuum, and the interaction of liner type with vacuum were associated with the frequency of liner slips and major vacuum fluctuations in both trials. Liner slips, major vacuum fluctuations, manual adjustments, unit fall offs, and milking time increased at a lower operating vacuum. More slips occurred during the a.m. than during the p.m. milkings. Results indicate that machine liner design and construction and operating vacuum influence the occurrence of liner slips. Optimization of vacuum setting and liner design could improve machine milking.
Ion-implant compensation of tensile stress in tungsten absorber for low distortion X-ray masks

Abstract For high-power, repetitively pulsed x-ray sources the thermal expansion coefficient of the absorber should match that of the membrane. On this basis, W is more attractive than Au. Also, W is refractory and can be patterned by dry processing. We show that high values of tensile stress in sputtered W films can be compensated by ion implantation of Si. With proper dosage, zero stress can be achieved which would imply an absence of pattern distortion. Stress measurements were made by full-wafer interferometry and by measuring membrane deflection in a Linnik interferometer.
Fundus image diagnostic agreement in uveitis utilizing free and open source software

Abstract Objective To assess the adequacy of image agreement regarding uveitis based on color fundus and fluorescein angiography images alone, and to use free and open source applications to conduct an image agreement study. Design Cross-sectional agreement study. Participants Baseline fundus and fluorescein images of patients with panuveitis, posterior, or intermediate uveitis enrolled in the Multi-center Uveitis Steroid Treatment (MUST) trial. Methods Three fellowship-trained specialists in uveitis independently reviewed patient images using ClearCanvas™ and responded using Epi Info™. The diagnoses of the 3 reviewers were compared with the MUST clinician as a gold standard. A rank transformation adjusted for the possible variation in number of responses per patient. Chance-corrected interobserver agreement among the 3 reviewers was estimated with the ι coefficient. Confidence interval (CI) and SE were bootstrapped. Results Agreement between the diagnoses of the respondents and the baseline MUST clinician’s diagnosis was poor across all diagnostic categories, ι = 0.09 (95% CI, 0.07–0.11). The agreement among respondents alone also was poor, ι = 0.11 ± 0.02 (95% CI, 0.08–0.13). The specialists requested more patient historical and clinical information to make a diagnosis on all patients. Conclusions The role in distinguishing the multiple conditions in uveitis appears to be limited when based on fundus imaging alone. Future studies should investigate different categories of clinical data to supplement image data. Freely available applications have excellent utility in ophthalmic imaging agreement studies.
Automatically building customized circuit-based simulation models using symbolic computing

Nowadays, most scientists and engineers rely on computer simulations to analyze, design, and prototype complex systems. Scientific and engineering system models are implemented in a variety of simulation environments; however, limited model libraries are often provided to users who are compelled to create their own customized models. Developing customized simulation models is a time-consuming and error-prone task which requires software developer skills. The difficulty of creating customized models presents the need for user-friendly tools that assist users in their code development process. This paper describes a tool named RCMAG that automatically builds customized models for the Virtual Test Bed (VTB) [http://vtb.engr.sc.edu/, The Virtual Test Bed Overview, Architecture, and Downloads] simulation environment. VTB is an interactive software system that provides a problem-solving environment (PSE) for simulation, prototyping, and advanced visualization of large-scale multi-disciplinary systems. VTB complies with a simulation standard named VHDL-AMS to enforce natural (circuit), signal, and data coupling between entities from diverse disciplines. The PSE tool RCMAG automatically builds naturally coupled or circuit-based VTB entities from input data provided by the user. RCMAG accepts both numeric and symbolic input data from the user, manages it to create code, and releases the compiled model object, which is ready to be added to the VTB model library and be used in a simulation.
Semi-interpenetrating network (sIPN) gelatin nanofiber scaffolds for oral mucosal drug delivery

The oral mucosa is a promising absorption site for drug administration because it is permeable, highly vascularized and allows for ease of administration. Nanofiber scaffolds for local or systemic drug delivery through the oral mucosa, however, have not been fully explored. In this work, we fabricated electrospun gelatin nanofiber scaffolds for oral mucosal drug delivery. To improve structural stability of the electrospun gelatin scaffolds and allow non-invasive incorporation of therapeutics into the scaffold, we employed photo-reactive polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEG-DA575, 575 gmol(-1)) as a cross-linker to stabilize the scaffold by forming semi-interpenetrating network gelatin nanofiber scaffolds (sIPN NSs), during which cross-linker concentration was varied (1×, 2×, 4× and 8×). The results showed that electrospun gelatin nanofiber scaffolds after being cross-linked with PEG-DA575 (i.e. sIPN NS1×, 2×, 4× and 8×) retained fiber morphology and possessed improved structural stability. A series of structural parameters and properties of the cross-linked electrospun gelatin scaffolds were systematically characterized in terms of morphology, fiber diameter, mechanical properties, porosity, swelling and degradation. Mucin absorption onto sIPN NS4× was also confirmed, indicating this scaffold possessed greatest mucoadhesion properties among those tested. Slow release of nystatin, an anti-fungal reagent, from the sIPN gelatin nanofiber scaffold was demonstrated.
Electrostatic fields inside two planar distributions of potential

The potentials and fields inside two parallel planar distributions of potential can be written as Green's function integrals. Each Green's function can be evaluated numerically by decomposing it into two series of terms (one for large and one for small distances) which converge rapidly within their intervals of use. The accuracy of truncation after a few terms is evaluated.
The independent effect of added mass on the stability of the sagittal plane leg kinematics during steady-state human walking

This study investigated the independent effect of added mass on the stability of the leg kinematics during human walking. We reasoned that adding mass would influence the body's inertial state and thus challenge the ability of the leg to redirect and accelerate the total mass of the body while walking. We hypothesized that walking with added mass would reduce the stability of the leg kinematics. Lower extremity sagittal plane joint kinematics were recorded for 23 subjects as they walked on a treadmill at their preferred speed with and without added mass. The total mass of each subject was manipulated with combinations of simulated reduced gravity and added load. The stability of the leg kinematics was evaluated by computing the eigenvalues of the Poincare map (i.e. Floquet analysis) that defined the position and velocity of the right hip, knee and ankle at heel-contact and mid-swing. Significant differences in stability were found between the various added mass conditions ( P =0.040) and instant in the gait cycle ( P =0.001). Post-hoc analysis revealed that walking with 30% added mass compromised the stability of the leg kinematics compared with walking without additional mass ( P =0.031). In addition, greater instability was detected at the instance of heel-contact compared with mid-swing ( P =0.001). Our results reveal that walking with added mass gives rise to greater disturbances in the leg kinematics, and may be related to the redirection and acceleration of the body throughout the gait cycle. Walking with added mass reduces the stability of the leg kinematics and possibly the overall balance of the walking pattern.
Examples in noncommutative localization

Abstract Examples are given to show that Goldie's localization at a prime ideal need not be Noetherian even for a ring finitely generated as a module over its Noetherian center.
Professional skepticism about multiple personality.

Therapists who have treated patients with multiple personality disorder (MPD) were surveyed about professional skepticism regarding the existence of MPD. Of these therapists, 78% reported that they had encountered intense skepticism from fellow professionals. Much of this skepticism appears to be ex
VOLUNTEERING FOR JOB ENRICHMENT: A TEST OF EXPECTANCY THEORY PREDICTIONS

In order to test predictions derived from an expectancy theory model developed by Lawler, measures of higher-order need satisfaction, locus of control, and intrinsic motivation were obtained from 252 female assembly line workers. Also, each employee was asked whether or not she wished to volunteer for a job enrichment project. Enriched jobs were described as having greater autonomy, variety, task identity, and feedback than typical assembly line jobs. Both locus of control and intrinsic motivation were found to serve as effective moderators of the relationship between higher-order need satisfaction and volunteering for job enrichment, in that significantly higher negative relationships were obtained for persons high in locus of control and intrinsic motivation than for persons low in these measures. These results are seen as supportive of applicable portions of Lawler's model. Also, implications of the results for placement of individuals in enriched jobs are discussed.
Acylation of lysine and of arginine-rich histones with carbamyl phosphate and 1,3 diphosphoglycerate.

Abstract The formation of carbamyl and phosphoglyceryl derivatives of both lysine-rich and arginine-rich histones is demonstrated. Lysine-rich histone reacts more readily than arginine-rich histone. Acyl phosphatase prevents histone acylation. The large production of acyl phosphates and concentration of acyl phosphatase in tissues is pointed out, and it is suggested that acyl phosphatase plays a regulatory role in preventing histone acylation.
Optical Scatter Imaging Detects Mitochondrial Swelling in Living Tissue Slices

Mitochondrial swelling is observed in neuronal injury and is a key event in many pathways to cell death. Currently, there is no technique for directly measuring mitochondrial size changes within living tissue slices with a field of view of several millimeters. In this paper, we test our hypothesis that Mie light-scatter theory can be used to study mitochondrial swelling in living tissue sections. Using a unique dual-angle scatter ratio (DASR) optical imaging system previously demonstrated to be sensitive to latex particle size changes and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) treatment of hippocampal slices, we studied mitochondrial swelling induced by 500 microM NMDA treatment of hippocampal slices. We observed a strong (R(2) = 0.73) and significant (P 9 mm(2)) in an intact tissue slice. This novel technique may allow for the study of regional changes in mitochondrial swelling and recovery as sequential events within a single specimen. This technique will eventually be useful in studying the efficacy of stroke and other disease therapies targeting mitochondrial swelling.
Serological response of non-human primates to human melanoma disialoganglioside GD3.

The immunogenicity of the disialoganglioside, GD3, a melanoma-tumor-associated antigen, has been evaluated in non-human primates. Sera from four chimpanzees and two monkeys were evaluated for anti-GD3 antibody activity by solid-phase radioimmunoassay using GD3 and control gangliosides as targets. Serum from one monkey, immunized with cells from a melanoma cell line, was strongly reactive with GD3, having a titer of >2500. In contrast, serum from this animal was non-reactive with several other gangliosides including the structurally similar GM3. Anti-GD3 reactivity was also demonstrable, albeit in low titer, in the sera of an additional monkey and a chimpanzee. Each of these animals had likewise been immunized using cells from melanoma cell lines. On the basis of these observations, suggestive of a primate anti-GD3 antibody response, we initiated a series of immunizations of chimpanzee using purified GD3 bound to Salmonella minnesota, R595. IgG reactive with melanoma cells in the cell-binding assay was first detected in sera collected after 4 immunizations and increased in titer against each reactive melanoma cell line during the immunizations. Reactivity of this serum with melanoma cell lines demonstrated a direct correlation with the expression of GD3 by the respective cell line. Anti-GD3 reactivity was evident in solid-phase radioimmunoassay against purified GD3 beginning with serum collected after 11 immunizations. By comparison with its binding to the control ganglioside panel, this serum demonstrated strong specificity for GD3 (titer=640) while having only marginal reactivity with GM3 (titer=40). Immune serum from this animal was also able specifically to block subsequent binding of a murine IgM anti-GD3 antibody (DMab7) to target GD3 in solid-phase radioimmunoassay. Together, these observations suggest that GD3, in the form of a purified molecule bound to a bacterial matrix or as part of the intact melanoma cell membrane, can be immunogenic in non-human primates, and is able to elicit an antibody response of appropriate specificity.
Late Transition Metal Oxo and Imido Chemistry

Abstract The synthesis and reaction chemistry of second and third series late transition metal oxo and imido complexes are examined. The often serrendipitous syntheses are analyzed and catagorized into general types and according to the metal group. A brief survey of reaction chemistry reveals great diversity ranging from nucleophilic reactivity to oxygen atom and nitrene transfers.
The tridimensional structure of native collagenous fibrils, their proteinaceous filaments.

Fresh, unfixed collagen from aorta adventitia of the rat was “inertly dehydrated” (19), embedded in hydroxypropyl methacrylate, sectioned and stained with uranyl acetate and/or lead citrate. The collagenous fibrils displayed a filamentous structure. The filaments (a) could be measured because of the high contrast and visibility of their staining sites in both longitudinal and transverse sections; (b) belonged to a single population with a mean diameter of 30–35 A, (c) therefore were not identical to single 10–15 A tropocollagen molecules, but must have contained a small and probably constant number of molecules; (d) presented a beaded appearance related to stain-combining sites, which were in register so that the conventional banded pattern of collagen could be recognized in individual filaments; and (e) were arranged in a helical pattern within fibrils with a gyre length slightly exceeding 1 μ, and probably always spiraling in a single direction. The filaments were separated from one another by a space-filling matrix, believed to consist at least in part of complex carbohydrates (22). Technical limitations have been assessed by a variety of control experiments. The findings and conclusions of this study correlate well with information derived from “whole mounts” of native fibrils, studied by negative stains, and by other means.