cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrophysiological characteristics of primary afferent fibers after systemic administration of anti-GD2 ganglioside antibody

An animal model showing mechanical allodynia following systemic bolus injection of a human/mouse chimeric monoclonal antibody to the GD2 ganglioside (ch14.18) has been established (e.g. pain behavior generated by a light tactile stimulus). This is of clinical relevance since ch14.18 is a promising experimental treatment for pediatric neuroblastoma. The present study examined the hypothesis that allodynic effects of the anti-GD2 antibody are mediated by actions on cutaneous nerve fibers. After determining the basal magnitude of the mechanical stimulus required to produce withdrawal, ch14.18, a murine form of the anti-GD2 antibody of IgG2a isotype (14G2a), a control murine anti-melanoma antibody of IgG2a isotype (9.2.27) or saline was injected through a previously implanted jugular cannula. The experimenter was blinded to the syringe contents. Withdrawal threshold was tested at 15 min intervals for 1 h. After administration of either ch14.18 or 14G2a mechanical allodynia typically started within the first 15 min and persisted throughout the hour of behavioral testing. In the control antibody group, a modest change in tactile withdrawal threshold was observed at the 60 min time point only. Rats were then anesthetized with pentobarbital and prepared for single fiber recordings from the sural nerve. Fibers were classified based on conduction velocity, as A beta (> 25 m/s), A delta (2-25 m/s) or C (< 2 m/s). Background activity (BA) was observed in a significant number of A delta (12/61) and C (32/42) fibers in both anti-GD2 treated groups compared to the anti-melanoma antibody (1/17 A delta and 2/10 C fibers) and saline (0/26 A delta and 0/19 C fibers) treated groups. Mean mechanical threshold for A delta fibers in all three antibody treated groups was significantly reduced compared to the saline control; this was not observed for C-fibers in any group. Intravenous bolus injection (15 mg/kg) and infusion of lidocaine (plasma level 0.3-2.2 micrograms/ml) both reduced anti-GD2 associated BA. These data demonstrate that mechanical-allodynia could be produced by action(s) of the anti-GD2 antibody (direct or indirect) on peripheral nerves and suggest intravenous lidocaine as part of the analgesic regimen accompanying anti-GD2 antibody treatment.
Parenteral iron compounds sensitize mice to injury-initiated TNF-α mRNA production and TNF-α release

Intravenous Fe is widely used to treat anemia in renal disease patients. However, concerns of potential Fe toxicity exist. To more fully define its spectrum, this study tested Fe's impact on system...
Role of Adenosine 3',5'-Monophosphate in the Effects of Insulin and Anti-insulin Serum on Liver Metabolism

Abstract Injection of guinea pig anti-insulin serum into rats decreased the concentration of glycogen in the liver and increased the level of nonesterified fatty acid and glucose in the blood and the concentration of citrate in the heart. The uptake of glucose was reduced in hearts removed from antiserum-treated rats and perfused in vitro. Glucose production by perfused livers from rats treated with antiserum in vivo was increased as a result of accelerated glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. Urea production and K+ efflux were also increased. The rates of these processes could be reduced to or below control values by addition of insulin to the perfusion medium. Insulin added in vitro also decreased these processes and the loss of inorganic phosphate in livers from normal rats. Antiserum added to the medium perfusing normal hearts or livers was without effect except that it abolished the action of insulin. Administration of anti-insulin serum in vivo caused a progressive rise in the liver cyclic AMP concentration. Diabetes induced by alloxan also resulted in an increase in liver cyclic AMP, which was rapidly abolished by insulin treatment. Insulin added to the medium perfusing livers from normal or antiserum-treated rats caused a small decrease in liver cyclic AMP. Insulin antagonized the effects of epinephrine and glucagon on glucose output by the perfused liver and reduced the level of cyclic AMP in the presence of glucagon. The hypothesis is advanced that changes in cyclic AMP levels may be partly responsible for the alterations in liver metabolism caused by insulin and diabetes.
Slip, twinning, and fracture at a grain boundary in the L12 ordered structure—AΣ = 9 tilt boundary

The role of interaction between slip dislocations and a ..sigma.. = 9 tilt boundary in localized microplastic deformation, cleavage, or intergranular fracture in the L1/sub 2/ ordered structure has been analyzed by using the anisotropic elasticity theory of dislocations and fracture. Screw superpartials cross slip easily at the boundary onto the (11-bar1) and the (001) planes at low and high temperatures, respectively. Transmission of primary slip dislocations onto the conjugate slip system occurs with a certain degree of difficulty, which is eased by localized disordering. When the transmission is impeded, cleavage fracture on the (1-bar11) plane is predicted to occur, not intergranular fracture, unless a symmetric double pileup occurs simultaneously. Absorption (or emission) of superpartials occurs only when the boundary region is disordered. Slip initiation from pre-existing sources near the boundary can occur under the local stress concentration. Implications of the present result on the inherent brittleness of grain boundaries in Ni/sub 3/ Al and its improvement by boron segregation are discussed.
Thalidomide: dermatological indications, mechanisms of action and side-effects.

Thalidomide was first introduced in the 1950s as a sedative but was quickly removed from the market after it was linked to cases of severe birth defects. However, it has since made a remarkable comeback for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved use in the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum. Further, it has shown its effectiveness in unresponsive dermatological conditions such as actinic prurigo, adult Langerhans cell histiocytosis, aphthous stomatitis, Behcet's syndrome, graft-versus-host disease, cutaneous sarcoidosis, erythema multiforme, Jessner-Kanof lymphocytic infiltration of the skin, Kaposi sarcoma, lichen planus, lupus erythematosus, melanoma, prurigo nodularis, pyoderma gangrenosum and uraemic pruritus. This article reviews the history, pharmacology, mechanism of action, clinical uses and adverse effects of thalidomide.
Cervilenz assessment of cervical length compared to fetal fibronectin in the prediction of preterm delivery in women with threatened preterm labor

Objective. To determine whether cervical length (CL) measured by the Cervilenz™ measuring device is an effective screening tool for the prediction of preterm delivery (PTD) compared to fetal fibronectin (fFN).Methods. We evaluated fFN and CL among women who enrolled into a randomized control trial (RCT) comparing management algorithms for threatened preterm labor between 24 and 34 weeks' gestation. In all subjects, fFN was collected, with CL determined in blinded fashion. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (NPV) for fFN or Cervilenz in prediction of PTD within 7 days or prior to 37 weeks were determined.Results. Fifty-two subjects were evaluated. CL <30 mm correlated with PTD <7 days (r = 0.31, p = 0.04) and fFN positivity (r = 0.43, p = 0.006). CL <30 mm and fFN had excellent NPV for PTD <7 days (97.1 vs. 97.3%), and the area under the receiver operator characteristic curves were similar for prediction of PTD <7 days (76.6 vs. 75.2%, p = 0.71) or <37 weeks (56.7 vs....
Timing models in VAL/VHDL

A detailed description is given of the timing model of VHDL (VHSIC hardware description language). VHDL uses a two-level timing model based on discrete event simulation. Timed assignment statements are preemptive, and two forms of preemption are supported in the language: inertial and transport. The author describes the VAL (VHDL annotation language) timing model and features of VAL designed to work with the VHDL timing model. VAL introduces assertions that understand the two-level timing framework in VHDL. In contrast to the preemptive assignment of VHDL, VAL models the same behavior using only anticipatory semantics (no preemption). The anticipatory model enables VAL descriptions to be treated as constraints on the input/output behavior of a device that may be directly translated into predicates. The author demonstrates by a simple example the application of formal techniques for manipulating these predicates. >
Compaction of Wilcox and Carrizo Sandstones (Paleocene-Eocene) to 4420 M, Texas Gulf Coast

ABSTRACT Changes in packing and porosity resulting from compaction were studied in 40 Wilcox and Carrizo sandstone samples with burial depths from 792 to 4420 m. As measured by packing indices and loss of intergranular porosity and pre-cement porosity, sands compacted rapidly to approximately 1200 m and more slowly and variably at greater depths. Contact index (= average number of contacts/grain) and tight packing index (= average number of long, concavo-convex and sutured contacts/grain) increase and intergranular porosity and pre-cement porosity decrease logarithmically with burial depth. Because of a scarcity of deep samples, compaction behavior deeper than 3000 m is uncertain. Compaction appears to have stopped at 3000 m, which is 500 m shallower than the present depth of hard overpressure Neither quartz cement (x = 11%) nor carbonate cement (x = 2%) was introduced shallow enough or insufficient quantity to halt compaction, although quartz cement may have retarded compaction. Compaction was the major cause of porosity reduction with depth (r = 0.79). The total whole rock porosity lost by compaction for individual samples ranges from 9 to 31%. At all depths the amount of porosity lost by grain rearrangement (9 to 27%) is more than twice the amount of porosity lost by either measureable ductile grain deformation (0 to 8.3%) or pressure solution (0 to 7.3%), although the amount of pressure solution and its influence on grain rearrangement is probably underestimated. Depth and thermal maturation, the latter represented by time-temperature, best explain compaction in these sandstones.
Effect of Dose History on SEGR Properties of Power MOSFETS

We present data that show that proton radiation damage can influence the single event gate rupture response of a power MOSFET. A primary phenomenon of single event gate rupture, the drain to gate threshold at which single event gate rupture occurs, drops as a function of device dosage. The shift in the threshold voltage correlates the best with the drop in the voltage at which SEGR occurs. The increase in the field strength due to trapped charges within the oxide during a charge collection event is suspected as the mechanism.
Childhood Medical and Behavioral Consequences of Maternal Cocaine Use

Reviewed available studies of the impact of fetal cocaine exposure on child medical and developmental outcome, as well as the current status of clinical psychological interventions and research strategies. Current studies are inconclusive but suggest that prenatal exposure to crack-cocaine can have significant effects on the growth and neurological development of the infant, with the potential of later learning and behavioral disabilities. Social-environmental correlates of maternal cocaine use are confounding factors with known negative effects on child outcome. Large, population-based studies using multivariate analyses are needed to determine the independent effects of cocaine on child outcome relative to other confounding variables.
Normative Resistance and Inventive Pragmatism Negotiating Structure and Agency in Transgender Families

Transgender individuals and families throw existing taxonomic classification systems of identity into perplexing disarray, illuminating sociolegal dilemmas long overdue for critical sociological inquiry. Using interview data collected from 50 cisgender women from across (primarily) the United States and Canada, who detail 61 unique partnerships with transgender and transsexual men, this work considers the pragmatic choices and choice-making capacities (or “agency”) of this social group as embedded within social systems, structures, and institutions. Proposing the analytic constructs of “normative resistance” and “inventive pragmatism” to situate the interactional processes between agency and structure in the everyday lives of this understudied group of cisgender women, this work theorizes the liminal sociolegal status of an understudied family form. In so doing, it exposes the increasingly paradoxical consolidation and destabilization of sociolegal notions of identity, marriage, normativity, and parenthoo...
Active Layer Thickness Prediction on the Western Antarctic Peninsula

The effects of climate change along the climatically sensitive Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) on active layer dynamics have just begun to be monitored. But extreme climates and difficult access make borehole installation here challenging. This study was designed to examine the ability of two commonly used, minimally intrusive techniques (the Stefan and Kudryavtsev equations) to predict active layer temperature dynamics and maximum active layer thickness (ALT) on Amsler Island, on the WAP. The ALT in soils and unconsolidated materials was predicted to be between 4.7 and 8.7 m, and between 11.9 and 18.6 m in bedrock, consistent with measurements made in a 14.6 m deep borehole. The thermal model HYDRUS accurately predicted temperature dynamics at several monitored borehole depths. The success of the HYDRUS method indicates that the model can be a useful tool in predicting active layer temperatures and approximating ALTs in regions that are too difficult to install monitoring boreholes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transduction rate constant as more reliable index quantifying efficiency of retroviral gene delivery.

Although the efficiency of retrovirus-mediated gene delivery can be enhanced by several physicochemical approaches reported (e.g., addition of polycations and spinoculation), systematic analysis of retroviral transduction combined with experimental data remains to be challenged. With the aid of a reasonable mathematical description of an experimental system, we can therefore predict and optimize the retroviral gene delivery on a quantitative basis of understanding. In this study, we formulated a mathematical model involved with diffusion, decay and uptake of retroviral vectors onto the target cells resided on a solid culture surface. The model was solved analytically by the Laplace transform method. The analytical solutions were then fitted with experimental data to compute two unknown parameters: concentration of infectious retrovirus and transduction rate constant. Our results showed that the concentration of infectious retrovirus determined by the titration method was approximately hundred-fold lower than the one calculated by fitting experimental data with the mathematical solutions. More importantly, effects of polycation (i.e., Polybrene) on ex vivo retroviral transduction were illustrated in a quantitative way by estimating the transduction rate constant, which represents a more reliable parameter to determine the degree of transduction of a retroviral vector to a given target cell.
COMPLEXITY AND ERROR IN SOCIAL DYNAMICS

A model of cultural dynamics based on the work of Colin Renfrew is briefly described. It is shown how the general concepts of complexity and error pertain to this kind of cultural model. In particular, it is suggested that conflict in cultural contexts arises through the generation of diverse simple models of the culture, created by different members of the culture. We indicate how general system-theoretic concepts can thus be brought to bear on problems of conflict in and between cultures.
Toward Transnational Standards of Judicial Decisionmaking

This paper was submitted to the International Association of Procedural Law Congress, September 2013.The law of procedure provides a civilized method through which to resolve disputes over the substantive rights of contending parties. Ideally, procedure should be no more complicated than necessary to provide a just and speedy resolution of the dispute. But simplicity is not a simple matter in our rapidly evolving global economy. The law of procedure must provide rules and standards that are predictable in consequence but at the same time sufficiently general to permit their application to a range of possibilities, some of which, by the nature of things, are unpredictable. In short, procedure must be simultaneously predictable and, at least as to some of its elements, open to adjustment, innovation or nuance. One way to achieve the balance between predictability and innovation is through a careful “lawmaking” interaction between legislative and judicial bodies. The challenge of our project is to accommodate the commonly understood function of the judiciary as an interpreter and applier of the law — a principal allocation — with the realistic probability that the judiciary is, as part of the organic lawmaking whole, also a maker of the law. Having confronted that probability, we are working on developing a method to assess the legitimacy of any particular instance of this judicial lawmaking authority. The ultimate goal is to provide descriptive set of guidelines as transnational benchmarks for the practice of judicial decisionmaking. Such guidelines might provide an educational function that would promote across-the-border consistencies through a transnational conformity of judicial practices. They would also provide means through which to anticipate and navigate the potentially less predictable applications or innovations in procedural law, especially those of a constitutional dimension.
The 50 Most Cited Articles in Orthopedic Cartilage Surgery.

ObjectiveTo determine the 50 most cited articles in orthopedic cartilage surgery and their characteristics.DesignA systematic review of the Science Citation Index Expanded was performed for articles related to cartilage surgery published in the 66 journals under the category “Orthopedics.” The 50 most cited articles were determined, and the following characteristics were analyzed for each article: authors, journal and year of publication, number of citations, geographic origin, article type (basic science or clinical), article subtype by study design, and level of evidence. Citation density (total number of citations/years since publication) was also computed.ResultsThe 50 most cited articles ranged from 989 to 172 citations, with citation density ranging from 71.5 to 4.1. The publication years spanned from 1968 to 2008, with the 2000s accounting for half (25) of the articles and the highest mean citation density (14.6). The 50 most cited articles were published in 11 journals. The majority of the article...
Charged State of Fe 57 Atoms Following the Decay of Co 57 in Solid Xenon

M\"ossbauer studies with $^{57}\mathrm{Fe}$ atoms following the decay of $^{57}\mathrm{Co}$ in solid Xe find these atoms in two states: the stable Fe $3{d}^{6}4{s}^{2}$ state and an unstable ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{+}$ $3{d}^{7}$ state. The isomer-shift analysis yields $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}R}{R}=\ensuremath{-}(8.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ for the 14.4-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ transition in $^{57}\mathrm{Fe}$. We obtain information about the charge-transfer mechanism and recombination time of Fe ions in solid xenon.
Quantum Interference of Electromagnetic Fields from Two Remote Trapped Atomic Ions

We observe quantum Hong Ou Mandel interference between electromagnetic fields emitted from two remote trapped ytterbium ions. This result points the way toward scaling to large entangled networks of remote qubits.
Effects on Soybean of Prophylactic In-furrow Application of Insecticide and Fertilizer in Minnesota and Ohio

ABSTRACT Use of crop inputs, including prophylactic application of insecticides, has increased in soybean production. A liquid fertilizer-ready formulation of the insecticide bifenthrin was recentl...
Assessment of Renal Viability by Phosphorus-31 Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

To assess the applicability of phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) in the analysis of renal transplant viability and preservation techniques with respect to pre-transplant ischemia, we studied two rat groups. Twenty-five rat kidneys were subjected to various time increments of warm ischemia (Group A), and 31P-MRS was performed on each kidney at time intervals of up to 72 hours during simple hypothermic storage. We correlated findings of 31P-MRS with simultaneous findings of electron microscopic (EM) ultrastructural viability parameters (in Group A) and subsequent survival and renal function in 30 rats (Group B) subjected to similar amounts of variable ischemia. Intracellular phosphorus metabolite levels were nondestructively monitored by 31P-MRS via spectral peaks of NAD, sugar monophosphates (SP), and inorganic phosphate (Pi). We concluded: SP/Pi and NAD/Pi ratios decay in a time-dependent manner for both warm and cold ischemia, although this process is much slower during cold storage; EM viability parameters correlate with the development of acute tubular necrosis (irreversible damage) versus nonviability (gross cell death) on a qualitative basis only; and 31P-MRS enables a quantitative assessment of renal viability and ischemic renal damage and can predict the degree of acute tubular necrosis and post-ischemic renal function. 31P-MRS is potentially a noninvasive, nondestructive method of assessing viability during simple hypothermic storage of the rat kidney. Preliminary evidence shows that this MRS method can be applied to human kidney viability studies for clinical renal transplantation and urologic research concerning renal preservation.
Surgical management of foaling injuries.

Peripartum injuries of the urogenital tract of the mare are described. Specific surgical procedures for repair of third-degree perineal laceration, rectovestibular fistula, and laceration of the cervix are discussed, as are common injuries of the reproductive tract.
RESEARCH FOCUS: The great climate paradox of ancient Mars

Understanding Mars’ past climate and the availability of surface water through time is paramount to assessing the Red Planet’s astrobiological potential. While cold and dry today, with an average surface pressure of 6 mbar, there is intriguing geomorphic evidence that ancient conditions were
Auto-Gopher-2 - Wireline Deep Sampler Driven by Percussive Piezoelectric Actuator and Rotary EM Motors

Two of the key purposes of future NASA’s solar system exploration of planetary bodies are the search for potentially preserved bio-signatures and for habitable regions. To address these objectives, a biologically inspired wireline deep rotary-percussive drill, called Auto-Gopher, has been developed. This drill employs a piezoelectric actuated percussive mechanism for generating impulsive stresses and breaking formations, and an electric motor to rotate the bit to break material and remove the cuttings. Initially, the drill was designed as percussive mechanism for sampling ice and was demonstrated in 2005 at Lake Vida, Antarctica, reaching about 2 m depth. The lessons learned suggested there is a need to augment the percussive action with bit rotation in order to maximize the penetration rate. The first generation implementation of the rotary augmentation was focused on the demonstration of this capability. In 2012, during the 3-day field test, the drill reached a 3-meter deep in gypsum. A separate mechanism was used to break and remove the cores. The average drilling power consumption was in the range of 100-150 Watts, while the rate of penetration was approximately 2.4 m/hr. Currently under development is the second-generation drill, called Auto-Gopher 2. The drill will be fully autonomous. In this paper, the capabilities that are being integrated into the Auto-Gopher-2 are described and discussed.
Using Nonprofit Narratives and News Media Framing to Depict Air Pollution in Delhi, India

How is the air pollution issue in Delhi framed by the news media and narrated by nonprofit organizations? To study news media framing, we employed an inductive approach based on automated text codi...
Formation and development of supraglacial lakes in the percolation zone of the Greenland ice sheet

We examine repeat surface altimetry and radio echo observations of two supraglacial lakes in the percolation zone of the Greenland ice sheet to investigate the changes in firn conditions leading to lake formation and implications for meltwater storage within firn. Both lakes formed in 2011, when an anomalously high melt season was followed by low winter accumulation, resulting in reduced infiltration and storage in the near surface. The lakes expanded during the 2012 record melt season and retained liquid meltwater through the following winter. The lakes then contracted, with one lake slowly draining and refreezing and another rapidly draining to the subsurface. The lack of observable change in firn conditions surrounding the lakes indicates increased run-off in the near surface firn, likely along low-permeability ice layers formed during the previous melt seasons. This implies a reduced ability of the firn to absorb increased meltwater.
Some Fundamental Problems in Experimental Psychology: An Overview:

The application of the experimental approach to a multidimensional discipline presupposes that it will work, that control and analysis will generate explanations which will lead to a unified theory for a restricted behavior domain, and that there will be a fundamental basis for our concepts, scales, and methods which will justify the measurable generalization of that theory. Yet little of this appears to be happening. It is suggested that, in the name of basic research, more effort be directed toward fitting our empirical approach to the subject matter rather than attempting to do the reverse. This may mean less control, greater descriptive generality, and more tolerance for diverse theoretical positions.
Mortgage lending in Middle America: subprime and predatory lending

In this research endeavor, subprime lending and reverse redlining were examined. Using data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and Census tracts, over 8,000 loan applicant registers in the city of Des Moines, Iowa were studied regarding the probability of applicants being victims of reverse redlining, an abusive tactic in mortgage lending. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. The results suggest that race, income, loan amount, and loan purpose are significant factors in reverse redlining. Introduction The purpose of this article is to determine the prevalence of subprime lending by geographic location, specifically in relation to the census tracts in the city of Des Moines, Iowa. Also, this study explores the likelihood of reverse redlining in relation to the demographic characteristics of the tract and lending patterns within the tract. Subprime Lending Subprime lending is a very vital part of the economy. Subprime lenders provide loans to borrowers who do not meet standards, which would make them "prime" borrowers. "Fair subprime lenders make loans that are appropriately priced to compensate for the risk of lending to a credit-blemished borrower" (Citibank, URL). Although these borrowers are 1 Graduate Student and Associate Professor, respectively, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University.
Artificial Intelligence and the Attack/Defense Balance

AI is the most promising technology I’ve seen for bringing defense up to par with offense. For Internet security, that will change everything.
Surfactant Effect on Hydrate Crystallization at the Oil-Water Interface.

Gas hydrates pose economic and environmental risks to the oil and gas industry when plug formation occurs in pipelines. A novel approach was applied to understand cyclopentane clathrate hydrate formation in the presence of nonionic surfactant to achieve hydrate inhibition at low percent weight compared to thermodynamic inhibitors. The hydrate-inhibiting performance of low ( CMC) concentrations of Span 20, Span 80, Pluronic L31, and Tween 65 at 2 °C on a manually nucleated 2 μL droplet showed a morphological shift in crystallization from planar shell growth to conical growth. Monitoring the internal pressure of the water droplet undergoing hydrate crystallization provides information on the change in interfacial tension during the crystallization process. The results of this study will provide information on the surfactant effect on hydrate crystallization and inhibition. At low surfactant concentrations (below CMC), a planar hydrate crystal was formed. Decreasing interfacia...
Differences in antigenic specificity of human normal adult, fetal, and sickle cell anemia hemoglobin.

THE DEMONSTRATION by Pauling et al. 1 that sickle cell anemia hemoglobin has a slightly higher isoelectric point (0.2 pH unit) than normal human adult hemoglobin and the reports of differences in ability to form nematic liquid crystals 2 and solubility differences in strong salt solutions 3 suggest that differences might also exist in immunochemical properties. Differences between antigenic specificity of fetal and normal adult hemoglobin have been reported by Darrow et al. 4 Vecchio and Barbagello 5 confirmed these findings and also concluded that sickle cell anemia hemoglobin had the same specificity as normal adult hemoglobin. Unfortunately these two studies were carried out by means of the precipitin ring test so that it seemed desirable to repeat the study using more quantitative methods. Two sets of experiments were undertaken. The first, rather preliminary results indicated that normal adult and sickle cell anemia hemoglobin differ in their serologic behavior but that this could be explained on the basis of differences in physicochemical properties rather than antigenic specificity. The second series of experiments, which were more complete, were performed with chicken antiserum, and the reaction technics employed were based on the studies of Goodman et al. 6 These experiments showed that a small difference was present in the antigenic specificity of normal adult and sickle cell anemia hemoglobin.
Tomosaic: efficient acquisition and reconstruction of teravoxel tomography data using limited-size synchrotron X-ray beams

X-rays offer high penetration with the potential for tomography of centimetre-sized specimens, but synchrotron beamlines often provide illumination that is only millimetres wide. Here an approach is demonstrated termed Tomosaic for tomographic imaging of large samples that extend beyond the illumination field of view of an X-ray imaging system. This includes software modules for image stitching and calibration, while making use of existing modules available in other packages for alignment and reconstruction. The approach is compatible with conventional beamline hardware, while providing a dose-efficient method of data acquisition. By using parallelization on a distributed computing system, it provides a solution for handling teravoxel-sized or larger datasets that cannot be processed on a single workstation in a reasonable time. Using experimental data, the package is shown to provide good quality three-dimensional reconstruction for centimetre-sized samples with sub-micrometre pixel size.
The Expanding Molecular Genetics Tool Kit in Chlamydia.

ABSTRACT Chlamydia has emerged as an important model system for the study of host pathogen interactions, in part due to a resurgence in the development of tools for its molecular genetic manipulation. An additional tool, published by Keb et al. (G. Keb, R. Hayman, and K. A. Fields, J. Bacteriol. 200:e00479-18, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00479-18), now allows for custom genetic engineering of genomic regions that were traditionally recalcitrant to genetic manipulation, such as genes within operons. This new method will be an essential instrument for the elucidation of Chlamydia-host interactions.
A Nobel laureate in exile

The film Salam: The First ****** Nobel Laureate begins and ends with a gravestone in a quiet mass cemetery in Pakistan. We see the deceased9s name: "Professor Muhammad Abdus Salam," followed by his birth and death dates, 1926 and 1996, and a puzzling inscription that declares that Salam "in 1979 became the first Nobel laureate for his work in physics." As the camera lingers, it becomes clear that a word has been painted out between "first" and "Nobel." But only after watching the film do we comprehend it: "Muslim."
Associations between Fine Motor and Mathematics Instruction and Kindergarten Mathematics Achievement.

Research Findings: This study investigates the role of fine motor and mathematics instruction in mathematics achievement in an international sample of kindergarteners from the United States and Chi...
Waveguide-integrated Rydberg Atom-based RF Field Detector for Near-field Antenna Measurements

We demonstrate simultaneous amplitude and phase measurements of a radio-frequency (RF) field through the use of a Rydberg atom-based sensor embedded inside a waveguiding structure. This measurement uses the Rydberg atom-based sensor in a mixer configuration, which requires the presence of a local oscillator (LO) RF field. The waveguiding structure supplies the LO field. The combined waveguide and Rydberg atom system is used to measure phase and amplitude in the near-field of a horn antenna to extract the far-field pattern.
Assessment of Unused Opioids Following Ambulatory Surgery.

BackgroundSurgery is a risk factor for opioid initiation and subsequent abuse. Discharge opioid prescription patterns after surgery are often varied and not evidence based, which may lead to unnece...
An Exploration of EFL Teachers' Experience with Learning Disability Training.

Exploracion de la experiencia de los profesores de ingles como lengua extranjera con formacion en dificultades de aprendizaje Exploracao da experiencia dos professores de ingles como lingua estrangeira com treinamento em dificuldades de aprendizagem Approximately ten percent of learners have some sort of learning disability. This means that all English language instructors will encounter students with learning disabilities and could encounter students with learning disabilities in each class. Research has shown that different countries have varying degrees of infrastructure for identifying and accommodating learning disabilities. However, little research on the degree to which English language teachers in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts have received training for learning disabilities has been carried out. This study had three goals: first, to identify whether the participants in the study, all of whom were EFL instructors, had received training for identifying and accommodating students with learning disabilities; second, among the teachers who had received training, to find out specifically the types of training they had received; and finally, to find out whether training had helped these teachers develop competence in assisting students with learning disabilities. The data were collected through a survey of past and current EFL teachers. Overall, the findings revealed that the majority of English language teachers surveyed had little to no training for accommodating learning disabilities, and the majority indicated that they did not feel confident assisting students with learning disabilities. Recommendations from this study include creating greater awareness for identifying and accommodating learning disabilities in EFL contexts among administrators and teachers as well as suggestions for EFL teachers to improve their knowledge of learning disabilities independently. To reference this article (APA) / Para citar este articulo (APA) / Para citar este artigo (APA) Sowell, J. & Sugisaki, L. (2020). An exploration of EFL teachers’ experience with learning disability training. Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning, 13(1), 114-134. https://doi.org/10.5294/laclil.2020.13.1.7 Received: 26/09/2019 Accepted: 18/02/2020 Published: 28/08/2020
Achieving Health Equity: Examining Telehealth in Response to a Pandemic

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated social distancing mandates, the conservation of personal protective equipment, and the prioritization of health care resources, thus prompting the rapid scale-up of telehealth services. The COVID-19 pandemic illustrates the importance of taking a broader view of health policy that facilitates the optimal conditions in which patient-centered care occurs and health equity is pursued. This article examines the use of telehealth during the pandemic as a case for demonstrating the necessity for advanced practice nurses to engage in broad policy initiatives to address social determinants of health care.
Energy Calibration of the ATLAS Electromagnetic Calorimeter with 2015 and 2016 pp Collisions

The calibration of the reconstruction and identification performance of a particle detector is an essential procedure in any particle physics measurement. The calibration usually exploits control samples of particles of a well-defined type, selected in data using kinematic requirements that do not bias the performance that has to be calibrated. In this chapter, the procedure used to calibrate the energy of electrons and photons reconstructed by the ATLAS electromagnetic calorimeter is reviewed. Photons constitute the main final state particles for the processes that are measured in this thesis. Particular emphasis will be given to the calibration of the energy response of the presampler layer of the electromagnetic calorimeter, which was the work that I performed during the first year of my Ph.D. in order to qualify as an ATLAS author.
A giant left atrial myxoma causing mitral valve pseudostenosis – a mimicker

The clinical features of cardiac myxoma vary significantly from asymptomatic to severe cardiovascular complications like atrioventricular valve obstruction and thromboembolism depending on the loca...
Concomitant tamoxifen or letrozole for optimal oocyte yield during fertility preservation for breast cancer: the TAmoxifen or Letrozole in Estrogen Sensitive tumors (TALES) randomized clinical trial

To determine whether concomitant tamoxifen 20 mg with gonadotropins (tamoxifen-gonadotropin) versus letrozole 5 mg with gonadotropins (letrozole-gonadotropin) affects mature oocyte yield. Open-label, single-institution, randomized trial. Inclusion criteria included the following: females, ages 18–44 years old, with new diagnosis of non-metastatic breast cancer, who were undergoing fertility preservation with either oocyte or embryo cryopreservation. Those with estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer were randomized to tamoxifen-gonadotropin or letrozole-gonadotropin. Another group with estrogen-receptor-negative (ER−) breast cancer was recruited, as a prospectively collected comparison arm who took neither letrozole nor tamoxifen (gonadotropin only). The primary outcome was the number of mature oocytes obtained from the cycle. The randomized groups were powered to detect a difference of three or more mature oocytes. Forty-five patients were randomized to tamoxifen-gonadotropin and fifty-one to letrozole-gonadotropin. Thirty-eight patients completed gonadotropin only. Age, antral follicle count, and body mass index were similar between the randomized groups. Our primary outcome of mature oocyte yield was similar between the tamoxifen-gonadotropin and letrozole-gonadotropin groups (12±8.6 vs. 11.6±7.5, p=0.81, 95%CI of difference =−2.9 to 3.7). In a pre-specified secondary comparison, mature oocyte yield was also similar with tamoxifen-gonadotropin or letrozole-gonadotropin versus gonadotropin only (12±8.6 vs. 11.6±7.5 vs. 12.4±7.2). There were no serious adverse events in any of the groups. Tamoxifen-gonadotropin and letrozole-gonadotropin produced a similar number of mature oocytes. Women who received either tamoxifen-gonadotropin or letrozole-gonadotropin had a similar number of oocytes to the gonadotropin-only group. NCT03011684 (retrospectively registered 1/5/2017, after 9% enrolled)
Traumatic Pneumothorax: A Review of Current Diagnostic Practices And Evolving Management.

Abstract Background Pneumothorax (PTX) is defined as air in the pleural space and is classified as spontaneous or nonspontaneous (traumatic). Traumatic PTX is a common pathology identified in the emergency department. Traditional management calls for chest x-ray (CXR) diagnosis and large-bore tube thoracostomy, although recent literature supports the efficacy of lung ultrasound (US) and more conservative approaches. There is a paucity of cohesive literature on how to best manage the traumatic PTX. Objective of the Review This review aimed to describe current practices and future directions of traumatic PTX management. Discussion Lung US has proven to be a potentially more useful tool in the detection of PTX in the trauma bay compared with CXR, and has the potential to become the new gold standard for diagnosing traumatic PTX. Computed tomography remains the ultimate gold standard, although in the setting of trauma, its utility lies more in confirming the presence and measuring the size of a PTX. The traditional mantra calling for large-bore chest tubes as first-line approaches to traumatic PTX is challenged by recent literature demonstrating pigtail catheters as equally efficacious alternatives. In patients with small or occult PTXs, even observation may be reasonable. Conclusions Modern management of the traumatic PTX is shifting toward use of US for diagnosis and more conservative management practices (smaller catheters or observation). Ultimately, this shift is favorable in reducing length of stay, development of complications, and pain in the trauma patient.
113 Inhalative meropenem–tobramycin–colistin combination improves lung function in chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization

Objectives Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the airways of CF-patients restricts the efficacy of antibiotics leading to chronic infections which have a large impact on morbidity and mortality. Antibiotic combination therapy might be more efficient than single antibiotics to combat lung infections in CF. Methods In an observational pilot study CF patients, suffering from chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection, pre-treated either with tobramycin or colistin, were inhalatively treated for 28 days with 300 mg tobramycin in combination with colistin (1 Mio IU) and meropenem 250 mg twice daily. Lung function expressed as expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ), bacterial cfu and adverse events were determined before and after treatment. Results 15 adult CF patients (mean age 27.9±9.4 years) inhaled b-sympathomimetics prior to the triple antibiotic solution which was well tolerated by all patients. FEV1 increased significantly by 7.8±5.7% absolute and 11.6±10% relative to baseline (p = 0.001) since only one patient showed no benefit after 28 days of inhalation. P. aeruginosa decreased significantly by 1.46±1.4 log cfu/ml (p = 0.042). No adverse reactions were found. Conclusion For the first time administered, the efficacy of an inhalative triple antibiotic solution with meropenem, tobramycin and colistin suggest, that this combination therapy seems to be safe and efficient to increase lung function and decrease chronic Pseudomonas infection in CF patients. This alternative combination of inhalative antibiotics has to be investigated in further trials.
chapter 3 Development of Specific Synaptic Networks in Organotypic CNS Tissue Cultures

Publisher Summary This chapter emphasizes recent studies with several types of co-cultures that appear to be particularly useful for analyses of neuronal specificity mechanisms in the central nervous system (CNS). Studies on the selective dorsal root ganglion (DRG) innervation of dorsal horn target regions in spinal cord explants, and on dorsal column nuclei in medulla explants, provide a valuable in vitro model system for analyzing some of the cellular mechanisms regulating the formation of specific neuronal connections in the mammalian CNS. These tissue culture models set limits to speculation on the minimum factors required to produce the complex gradients and/or neuronal cell recognition codes postulated to underlie selective growth of neurites throughout the CNS, and they may help to determine the properties of these gradients and codes. Systematic alterations of the physicochemical environment and the cellular constituents of the cocultures may lead to insights into critical factors required for the development of these specificity relationships. Cocultures of DRGs with critically positioned arrays of target and nontarget CNS explants may provide additional clues to mechanisms of preferential growth of neurites and establishment of specific connections. Similar experimental paradigms are also being applied to evaluate phenotypic specificity properties of retinal ganglion cells cocultured with tectal versus nontarget tissues.
Identification of caveolin-1 in lipoprotein particles secreted by exocrine cells.

Caveolin-1 is a protein component (of relative molecular mass 22,000) of the striated coat that decorates the cytoplasmic surface of caveolae membranes. Previous biochemical and molecular tests have indicated that caveolin-1 is an integral membrane protein that is co-translationally inserted into endoplasmic-reticulum membranes of fibroblast and epithelial cells such that its carboxy- and amino-terminal ends are in the cytoplasm. Here we identify caveolin-1 in the secretory pathway of exocrine cells. Secretion of caveolin-1 from pancreatic acinar cells and a transfected exocrine cell line, but not from Chinese hamster ovary cells, is stimulated by the secretagogues secretin, cholecystokinin and dexamethasone. The secreted caveolin-1 co-fractionates with apolipoproteins, indicating that it may be secreted in a complex with lipids.
A METHODOLOGY FOR VALUING MULTIPLE-EXERCISE OPTION CONTRACTS FOR WATER

In this paper I use financial derivative pricing theory as a foundation for a computational approach to valuing multiple-exercise option contracts in a natural resources setting. Evidence from the western United States shows that option contracts for water can be even more exotic than many exotic options considered in finance. For instance, one contract negotiated between a municipal water authority and a large agricultural operation allows the municipality to exercise a call option on water up to seven times in a fifteen-year period. This is a highly non-standard option; there is no simple pricing formula to calculate its value. Building on the Black-Scholes option-pricing framework I use dynamic programming techniques to construct a method for valuing such multiple-use option contracts for water.
A Review of “Remaking the Presidency: Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson, 1901–1916”

This book reminds one why the past should not be the exclusive province of historians. Don't interpret that statement as criticism of their work. It is meant to direct attention to questions other ...
Equalization tuning and system validation on cascaded re-drivers for 6Gbps storage applications

Equalization (EQ) tuning methodology and system validation strategy on cascaded re-drivers for 6Gbps SAS and SATA application are discussed in this paper. DOE (Design of Experiment) is applied in the EQ tuning process on the TX link for SATA Gen3 applications and on the RX link for these applications that the eye diagram inside the host silicon can be accessed. Eye diagram measurements are the primary choice of designers to know the design margin. For these designs whose eye diagram are not available, BER (Bit Error Rate) test has to be applied although it can't tell any design margin information with a positive BER report. It is a good practice to do BER test under four corners (high, low voltage and high, low temperature) and skew'ed silicon, a pass BER report in these corner cases can provide additional confidence on the system.