cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Molecular Specificity of the Human Antibody Response to Dengue Virus Infections.

Dengue viruses (DENV) are mosquito-borne positive sense RNA viruses in the family Flaviviridae. The four serotypes of DENV (DENV1, DENV2, DENV3, DENV4) are widely distributed and it is estimated over a third of the world’s population is at risk of infection [4]. While the majority of infections are asymptomatic, DENV infection can cause a spectrum of disease, from mild flu-like symptoms, to the more severe DENV hemorrhagic fever and shock syndrome [24]. Over the past 20 years, there have been intense efforts to develop a tetravalent live-attenuated DENV vaccine [36]. The process of vaccine development has been largely empirical, because effective live attenuated vaccines have been developed for other flaviviruses like yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis viruses. However, recent results from phase III live attenuated DENV vaccine efficacy trials are mixed with evidence for efficacy in some populations but not others [20]. In light of unexpected results from DENV vaccine trials, in this chapter we will review recent discoveries about the human antibody response to natural DENV infection and discuss the relevance of this work to understanding vaccine performance.
Patients, Patience, and P Values

This chapter is written for physicians from the perspective of a physician, in recognition that, of all professionals, we as physicians have the greatest philosophical difficulty coming to grips with the concepts of p values and sampling error. This is nothing to be ashamed of, however, because we were designed for this confusion.
Measurement of Thyroid Hormones and Related Molecules

Publisher Summary Laboratory evaluation of thyroid status centers around chemical measurements of thyroid gland secretory products present in the circulation, assessment of the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis, and measurement of related molecules that affect thyroid gland function, such as thyroid binding proteins and auto antibodies. Biologically active free hormone concentrations would appear to be the best way to assess thyroid status. A sensitive thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) measurement is all that is needed to monitor thyroid function in most ambulatory individuals. Measurements of thyroid gland-related molecules such as anti-Tg, anti-TPO (thyroid peroxidase), and TSH-receptor autoantibodies give information concerning the cause of thyroid malfunction and can also be used to follow progression of disease. This chapter historically reviews the methods in use for measuring thyroid hormones and relatedsubstances in humans, and focuses on the merits and limitations of each approach. Serum thyroglobulin measurements are used to follow patients being treated for differentiated thyroid carcinoma, to monitor thyroid activity during treatment for hyperthyroidism, and help to determine the defect in neonatal hypothyroidism. The literature references cited are representative for the topics covered but are not all-inclusive.
Topical sodium thiosulfate for calcinosis cutis associated with autoimmune connective tissue diseases: the Mayo Clinic experience, 2012–2017

In this case series, we retrospectively identified all patients treated with topical sodium thiosulfate (TST) for calcinosis cutis (CC) associated with underlying autoimmune connective tissue diseases at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, USA) during the period 1 January 2012 to 27 June 2017. Of 28 patients identified (mean age 57.0 years; 96% female), 19 (68%) had clinical improvement of their CC with TST, 7 (25%) had no response and 2 (7%) had unknown response. There were adverse events in three patients: two had skin irritation and the third, who had a zinc allergy, experienced pain with application. Overall, our findings support those of previous case reports that TST appears to be a relatively well-tolerated adjuvant treatment for CC, although future studies with a control group are warranted to assess the true efficacy of TST for the indication of CC.
CHAPTER 25 – Hypovirulence to Control Fungal Pathogenesis

The cytoplasmic factor associated with hypovirulence in chestnut blight is found to be double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules. While mitochondrial hypovirulence appears to play a role in the biological control of chestnut blight in specific stands of American chestnut trees in Michigan and Ontario, the preponderance of the hypovirulent strains found in surviving chestnut stands in Europe and North America appears to be dsRNA associated. The most significant aspect of the natural development of hypovirulence is that it has allowed researchers to focus on the biological constraints of fungal pathogens in a living substrate. Hypovirulence, initially found as a naturally occurring biological control of chestnut blight, has now been a part of experimental and practical application. To treat chestnut trees, hypovirulent strains traditionally have been placed around the margins of cankers caused by virulent strains. The hypovirulent inoculum is placed in the hole and taped to prevent the rapid desiccation of the introduced strain. If the hypovirus or mitochondria transfer to the thallus of the virulent strain inciting the canker, a layer of wound periderm or callus will develop at the margins, walling off the fungus. Effective treatments generally lead to the eventual closing of the canker when periderm completely covers the exposed wood within 2 or 3 years.
Sustainable Educational Innovation Through Engaged Pedagogy and Organizational Change

This Research-to-Practice Work-in-Progress Paper presents a midway report on a change initiative underway in the College of Computing and Informatics (CCI) at UNC Charlotte. Comprised of approximately 100 faculty members and nearing 2,000 undergraduate majors, CCI was awarded a 5-year, $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation in 2015 to revolutionize computer science education at the collegiate level. This initiative, which seeks to simultaneously achieve both pedagogical and organizational change, is built upon a foundation of educational innovation through engaged teaching practices. To sustain educational innovation in CCI beyond the funded scope of the project, pedagogical change is thus strategically embedded in CCI's organizational structure through a 3-stage model of faculty adoption, redesigned student course evaluations, and realigned values in the reappointment, promotion, and tenure process. By recognizing that sustained organizational change takes root when there is concurrent buy-in from organizational members—both bottom-up and top-down— this reform initiative seeks to embed two-pronged change not only via educational innovation (pedagogical change), but also in the day-to-day practices, policies, and physical environment of the College itself (organizational change).
Time of flight mass spectrometry with direct extraction of a uranium plasma

Abstract We demonstrate a Wiley-McClaren Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer modified to allow direct extraction of ions from a laser-induced plasma. Unlike many other methods that utilize mass spectrometry to investigate laser-induced plasmas, no collisional cooling or further ionization of the plasma is required prior to acceleration, allowing measurements of the plasma ion composition to be obtained directly. Furthermore, we show using the laser ablation of gadolinium as an example that we are able to obtain the translational energy distribution of the plasma directly and infer information about the relative composition of ions within different regions of the plasma plume. The approach is then applied to laser ablation of a uranium sample as a step toward probing the chemistry under conditions relevant to a nuclear fireball for nuclear forensics applications.
Between World and Home: Tagore and Goethe

What precisely is the nature of the need for the category of world literature? What would the introduction of this new category do to the valence of preexisting categories? To honor Adrienne Rich, ...
Variation in surface and subsurface nitrogen cycling in headwater floodplain wetlands due to soil type and wetland condition

Headwater wetlands intercept, store, and transform nitrogen inputs from the landscape. However, uncertainties in rate estimates for processes such as denitrification in surface and subsurface soils hinder our ability to quantitatively predict the downstream water quality benefits of these headwater systems. We measured nitrogen pools and fluxes from surface (0 to 10 cm) and subsurface soils (~ 50 cm) of six headwater wetlands of low and high ecological condition (based on anthropogenic stressors) across three hydric soil types (Atkins, Holly, Udifluvent-Dystrochrept Complex). We quantified net nitrification (− 0.027 to 0.113 mg N kg soil−1 day−1), net ammonification (− 0.159 to 1.683 mg N kg soil−1 day−1), and potential denitrification rates (0.12 to 17.05 mg N kg soil−1 day−1) in surface soils during the fall. We also quantified potential denitrification rates in subsurface soils at 4 of the 6 sites in fall and spring (0.005 to 0.177 mg N kg soil−1 day1). Potential denitrification rates in surface soils varied with soil type, and rates were positively correlated with ground cover and the percentage of time the water level was between 0 and 10 cm below the surface. Potential denitrification rates of subsurface soil did not vary between condition groups or seasons; however, nitrous oxide yield was higher in the spring compared to the fall. At the plot scale, potential denitrification rates in surface soils were correlated with ammonification rates, and rates in subsurface soils were correlated with conductivity and ammonium levels. This work demonstrates the variability in surface and subsurface soil nitrogen cycling and highlights the need to investigate nutrient dynamics at multiple soil depths to accurately quantify the role of headwater wetlands in nitrogen removal at regional scales where soil properties are highly variable.
Laying the Foundation: Nuclear Magnetism, Spin, and the NMR Phenomenon

If we bring together a group of people involved in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and present them with a magnetic resonance (MR) image, each will see something different in that image. Radiologists will hone in on subtle pathology, psychiatry researchers will notice minute asymmetries in cortical sulci, technologists may pick up on poor positioning, and physicists will evaluate signal-to-noise and detect artifacts. What are we all trying to achieve at the end of the day? Regardless of the type of image acquired or the purpose for which it was acquired, our single common goal in MRI is this: Differentiate the tissue in two adjacent locations based on the way that tissue behaves in the MRI environment. If the signal extracted from those two locations is identical, we cannot differentiate the two tissues from each other. This could be because each location does in fact contain the same tissue (e.g., two locations within the cortex of the kidney) or because the MR image was not made sensitive to the difference between the two tissues. In this latter case, a tumor could be virtually indistinguishable from the normal tissue within which it is growing.
Age-Related Dynamics of Lung-Resident Memory CD8 + T Cells in the Age of COVID-19.

Following respiratory viral infections or local immunizations, lung resident-memory T cells (TRM) of the CD8 lineage provide protection against the same pathogen or related pathogens with cross-reactive T cell epitopes. Yet, it is now clear that, if homeostatic controls are lost following viral pneumonia, CD8 TRM cells can mediate pulmonary pathology. We recently showed that the aging process can result in loss of homeostatic controls on CD8 TRM cells in the respiratory tract. This may be germane to treatment modalities in both influenza and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, particularly, the portion that present with symptoms linked to long-lasting lung dysfunction. Here, we review the developmental cues and functionalities of CD8 TRM cells in viral pneumonia models with a particular focus on their capacity to mediate heterogeneous responses of immunity and pathology depending on immune status.
Deportation As a Global Phenomenon: Reflections on the ILC Draft Articles on the Expulsion of Aliens

One of the most important achievements of the International Law Commission's Draft Articles on the Expulsion of Aliens ("Draft Articles") is the basic conceptualization of contemporary expulsion or deportation as a global phenomenon that is subject to international law. This is timely, if perhaps overdue. Though long recognized as a significant power of state sovereignty, deportation has become a major international system that transcends the power of any single nation-state. Its methods have migrated from one regime to another; its size and scope are substantial and expanding; its costs are enormous; and its effects frequently constitute major human rights violations. The conceptualization of deportation remains a work-in-progress and is one of the most important human rights challenges we face. This Essay therefore begins in with a general legally oriented conceptualization of deportation, followed by a critique of the Draft Articles. It then discusses an alternative international legal instrument, the Declaration on the Rights of Expelled and Deported Persons (the "Declaration"), developed by the author in conjunction with Boston College Post-Deportation Human Rights Project.
CT findings and outcomes of acute cholecystitis: is additional ultrasound necessary?

While ultrasound is often the preferred imaging modality for suspected acute cholecystitis (AC), CT is often the first line study when patients are being evaluated for abdominal pain. The diagnostic value of CT in the setting of AC is controversial, given the prevalent use of additional imaging. To evaluate the positive predictive value (PPV) of CT for diagnosing acute cholecystitis (AC) when used as a first line imaging study for evaluating abdominal pain and assess if additional imaging with ultrasound studies provides additional clinically useful information. Abnormal gallbladder findings in CT imaging studies were queried in a retrospective study over a 25-month period within a large urban health system. Sonographic (US) studies performed within 72 h of the initial CT were also included. Outcomes were determined by surgical pathology, fluid analysis, and clinical outcomes. Cases were stratified by the interpreting radiologist’s subjective confidence level of diagnosing AC, and the PPVs were compared between cases using CT without US and cases with both CT and US. Of the 468 CT studies meeting criteria, 192 were read as concerning for AC. PPV of CT was 44.7% without US and 50.5% when US was positive, which amounted to an insignificant gain (p = 0.41). When subdividing by confidence level, high-confidence positive CTs demonstrated no significant difference without ultrasound (80%) compared to with ultrasound (75%). Less confident reads in CT demonstrated potential gain from ultrasound; in the case of a “probable” CT impression, PPV increased from 45% without US to 90% with a high-confidence ultrasound impression. Based on current practice within a large health system, CT examinations with high suspicion for AC demonstrated little gain from follow-up ultrasound. However, ultrasound may be of benefit when CT interpretations are less confident but still suspicious for AC.
Amino Acid Metabolic Vulnerabilities in Acute and Chronic Myeloid Leukemias

Amino acid (AA) metabolism plays an important role in many cellular processes including energy production, immune function, and purine and pyrimidine synthesis. Cancer cells therefore require increased AA uptake and undergo metabolic reprogramming to satisfy the energy demand associated with their rapid proliferation. Like many other cancers, myeloid leukemias are vulnerable to specific therapeutic strategies targeting metabolic dependencies. Herein, our review provides a comprehensive overview and TCGA data analysis of biosynthetic enzymes required for non-essential AA synthesis and their dysregulation in myeloid leukemias. Furthermore, we discuss the role of the general control nonderepressible 2 (GCN2) and-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways of AA sensing on metabolic vulnerability and drug resistance.
Role of autocrine bone morphogenetic protein Signaling in trophoblast stem cells.

The Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) pathway is involved in numerous developmental processes, including cell growth, apoptosis, and differentiation. In mouse embryogenesis, BMP signaling is a well-known morphogen for both mesoderm induction and germ cell development. Recent evidence points to a potential role in development of the extra-embryonic compartment, including trophectoderm-derived tissues. In this study, we investigated the effect of BMP signaling in both mouse and human trophoblast stem cells (TSC) in vitro, evaluating the expression and activation of the BMP signaling response machinery, and the effect of BMP signaling manipulation during TSC maintenance and differentiation. Both mTSC and hTSC expressed various BMP ligands and the receptors BMPR1A and BMPR2, necessary for BMP response, and displayed maximal active BMP signaling when undifferentiated. We also observed a conserved modulatory role of BMP signaling during trophoblast differentiation, whereby maintenance of active BMP signaling blunted differentiation of TSC in both species. Conversely, the effect of BMP signaling on the undifferentiated state of TSC appeared to be species-specific, with SMAD-independent signaling important in maintenance of mTSC, and a more subtle role for both SMAD-dependent and -independent BMP signaling in hTSC. Altogether, these data establish an autocrine role for the BMP pathway in the trophoblast compartment. As specification and correct differentiation of the extra-embryonic compartment are fundamental for implantation and early placental development, insights on the role of the BMP signaling in early development might prove useful in the setting of in vitro fertilization as well as targeting trophoblast-associated placental dysfunction.
Crawford & Beyond: How Far Have We Traveled from Roberts after All?

This paper reflects on the confrontation right that Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36 (2004), has delivered since Crawford famously overruled Ohio v. Roberts, 448 U.S. 56 (1980). This paper first outlines how the Supreme Court's recent post-Crawford line of decisions regarding “testimonial” evidence effectively returns us to Roberts — or perhaps to an even more narrow conception of confrontation rights than under Roberts. The paper next explains how confrontation rights could have been understood consistent with our modern adversary system of criminal trials, the direction in which I believed Crawford might take us when it overruled Roberts eight years ago. The paper concludes that if the Supreme Court was not prepared to deliver confrontation law to an important and new constitutional principle through Crawford’s wholesale revision of existing doctrine, the Court perhaps better should have heeded Chief Justice Rehnquist’s call in Crawford for restraint.
Unit activity in the dorsal raphe in freely-moving cats: Effects of monoamine oxidase inhibitors

Abstract Two commonly used monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tranylcypromine and pargyline, produced dose-dependent decreases in the activity of serotonin-containing neurons in the dorsal raphe in awake, freely-moving cats. The onset of the suppression of unit activity occurred within 15–20 min after administration of drug and persisted for 6–16 hr, depending upon dose. Parallel neurochemical studies revealed that serotonin in the brain was significantly increased following inhibition of monoamine oxidase, and that concentrations of serotonin were still significantly elevated after unit activity in the raphe had returned to baseline levels. These data suggest that autoreceptors on neurons of the dorsal raphe may become tolerant following prolonged exposure to large concentrations of serotonin.
Determination of lifetimes of 6 P J levels and ground-state polarizability of Cs from the van der Waals coefficient C 6

A method for determination of atomic lifetimes from the value of dispersion coefficient ${C}_{6}$ of molecular potentials correlating to two ground-state atoms is proposed. The method is illustrated with atomic Cs using ${C}_{6}$ deduced from high-resolution Feshbach spectroscopy. The following lifetimes are determined: ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{{6P}_{1/2}}=34.80\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.07 \mathrm{ns}$ and ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{{6P}_{3/2}}=30.39\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06 \mathrm{ns}.$ The underlying electric-dipole matrix elements are required for a refined analysis of parity violation in ${}^{133}\mathrm{Cs}.$ We also obtain static polarizability of the Cs ground state, $\ensuremath{\alpha}(0)=400.49(81)$ atomic units. It is demonstrated that the uncertainties may be considerably reduced as the coefficient ${C}_{6}$ is constrained further.
Reduced-order H/sub /spl infin// filtering for discrete-time, linear, time-varying systems

The reduced-order, H/sub /spl infin// filtering problem for discrete-time, linear, time-varying systems is considered. A solution is obtained by converting the reduced-order, filtering problem into a full-order, filtering problem with the same dimension as the reduced-order filter. The resulting filter is unbiased and has a unique realization for each set of design parameters. Furthermore, it is shown that the previously proposed solution is independent of the H/sub /spl infin// design parameters and, therefore, does not represent a solution to the problem.
Queen's Court: Judicial Power in the Rehnquist Era – By Nancy Maveety

In the short period that has passed since the departures of Chief Justice Rehnquist and Associate Justice O'Connor, conflicting “conventional wisdoms” have evolved about their roles on the Supreme ...
Redesigning Teaching and Learning in a PGCE Primary Pre‐school Component

Abstract Radical innovation in a Scottish PGCE Primary pre‐school component (traditionally marginalised in generic training for ages 3‐12) is discussed in relation to issues of specialism, competence‐based guidelines and reform moves in early years teacher education. A week‐long workshop (Designing a Nursery School) replaced traditional curriculum and methods lectures and tutorials. Students worked in small teams, consulting tutors, and undertook peer assessment of poster presentations. The challenging, integrating focus of the design task significantly enhanced placement preparation and understanding of nursery education, teacher role, teamwork and nursery‐primary transition, giving the nursery component an integrative, no longer marginalised, role in the course.
Functional aspects of cerebellar transplantation.

Publisher Summary The model most widely used to counteract heredodegenerative ataxia by means of neural grafting is the pcd mouse. To reconstruct the damaged cerebellum, intracerebral grafts of genetically healthy cerebellar neurons can be used to counteract the structural and functional deficits associated with hereditary ataxia in this animal model. In the chapter, experimental results reported attest to the functional effects of transplanted Purkinje cells both at the cellular and behavioral level. The complexity and spatiotemporal precision of developmental events in normal cerebellar ontogeny could be the reason for grafts only effecting partial improvement, a serious limitation being posed by the chronological discord at the graft–host interface. Specific aspects of graft growth and integration in conjunction with their functional effects still remain undeciphered. Such questions can be answered in animal studies before applying cerebellar transplantation as a treatment to humans with cerebellar degeneration. A successful outcome of experimental transplantation protocols may generate a valuable basis in guiding optimal cell replacement therapies for the human cerebellar ataxias.
«Holding the Place of the lord Pope Celestine»: The Legations of Gregory, Cardinal-Deacon of Sant’Angelo (1192-4 / 1196-7)

The 1190s were perhaps the lowest decade of the twelfth century in the Iberian Peninsula. The disaster of Alarcos, a crusade called against Alfonso IX of Leon, wars between peninsular powers, the death of an Aragonese king to a fever, and famines wracked the Iberian Peninsula within five years alone 1. For more than a century since the Council of Burgos in 1080, the Spanish churches had been mostly in liturgical conformity with Rome 2. By the mid-twelfth century the papacy was bringing to effect much of the ideology of the reform movement on the ground in Spain, and the vigorous legations of Cardinal Hyacinth Bobone in the preceding half-century had brought the papacy greater immediate influence in the Iberian Peninsula 3. When Hyacinth took to the see of St. Peter as Celestine III, his peninsular work was continued by Gregory, Cardinal-Deacon of Sant’Angelo 4. The 1190’s saw Gregory
Overture: An Object-Oriented Framework for Solving Partial Differential Equations

The Overture framework is a collection of C++ classes that can be used to solve partial differential equations (PDEs). These classes were designed to support applications in one, two and three space dimensions on geometries ranging from simple rectangular regions to complicated three dimensional domains, and to support adaptive mesh refinement and moving grids. Overture is designed to run on serial and parallel machines through the use of the A++/P++ serial/parallel array class library. The Overture classes hide the details of the underlying data-structures and hide the details of features common to many PDE solvers such as the implementation of finite-difference and finite-volume operators and boundary conditions. In addition to the Mapping and Grid classes that represent geometry, the GridFunction classes that represent solutions, and the operator classes, there are classes for high-level interactive plotting, and data-base management. Overture also includes sophisticated grid generation capabilit
Legionella micdadei: A Forgotten Etiology of Growing Cavitary Nodules: A Case Report and Literature Review

Background. Legionella micdadei is a Gram negative bacterium that can stain weakly acid fast. It was first described in 1979 after immunosuppressed patients developed pneumonia at a Pittsburgh VA, initially given the name Pittsburgh Pneumonia Agent. It is the second most common Legionella species causing infection after pneumophila, and typically infects immunocompromised hosts. It is not easy to be cultured which makes diagnosing difficult. Case Presentation. A 31-year-old female with ulcerative colitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and cirrhosis presented with fever, chills, shortness of breath, dry cough, and chest pain for five days after being started on immunosuppression for autoimmune hepatitis two months earlier. The first chest CT showed small bilateral cavitary nodules. The nodules continued to grow on subsequent imaging despite what was thought to be appropriate therapy. A transthoracic biopsy was performed which grew Legionella micdadei and the patient improved after being treated with levofloxacin. Conclusion. Legionella micdadei is an atypical pathogen known to cause pneumonia in immunosuppressed patients. This case highlights a typical presentation of an atypical infection not commonly thought about and should be considered when nodules are growing despite being on broad antimicrobial therapy.
Relationship Between School Suspension and Student Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis

Although the association between school suspension and deleterious outcomes is widely acknowledged, policy and practice need to be informed by an evidence base derived from multiple studies reveali...
Domestic Robots for Older Adults: Attitudes, Preferences, and Potential

The population of older adults in America is expected to reach an unprecedented level in the near future. Some of them have difficulties with performing daily tasks and caregivers may not be able to match pace with the increasing need for assistance. Robots, especially mobile manipulators, have the potential for assisting older adults with daily tasks enabling them to live independently in their homes. However, little is known about their views of robot assistance in the home. Twenty-one independently living older Americans (65–93 years old) were asked about their preferences for and attitudes toward robot assistance via a structured group interview and questionnaires. In the group interview, they generated a diverse set of 121 tasks they would want a robot to assist them with in their homes. These data, along with their questionnaire responses, suggest that the older adults were generally open to robot assistance but were discriminating in their acceptance of assistance for different tasks. They preferred robot assistance over human assistance for tasks related to chores, manipulating objects, and information management. In contrast, they preferred human assistance to robot assistance for tasks related to personal care and leisure activities. Our study provides insights into older adults’ attitudes and preferences for robot assistance with everyday living tasks in the home which may inform the design of robots that will be more likely accepted by older adults.
Receptor Tyrosine Phosphatase-δ Is a Homophilic, Neurite-Promoting Cell Adhesion Molecule for CNS Neurons

Appropriate regulation of tyrosine phosphorylation is essential for axon growth and guidance; evidence from invertebrates indicates that receptor-type tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs) are required for correct axon growth during CNS development. One vertebrate RPTP, PTP-delta, is highly expressed in brain and has a cell adhesion molecule-like extracellular domain (ECD) comprising three immunoglobulin repeats and eight fibronectin type III repeats. Using fluorescent beads (Covaspheres) coated with the PTP-delta ECD, as well as insect cells expressing PTP-delta on their surfaces, we show that PTP-delta is a homophilic cell adhesion molecule. A variety of chick neurons adhere strongly to an Fc fusion protein containing the PTP-delta ECD. Additionally, substrate-bound PTP-delta ECD fusion protein strongly promotes neurite outgrowth from forebrain neurons; this effect is separable from its effect on adhesion. Our results indicate that PTP-delta is a neurite-promoting cell adhesion molecule for CNS neurons.
2-D resistivity inversion using spline parameterization and simulated annealing

Successful inversion of geophysical data depends on prior information, proper choice of inversion scheme, and on effective parameterization of the model space such that the model representation is appropriate and efficient. Inversion of resistivity data has long been recognized as a nonlinear or quasi-linear problem. Traditionally, 2-D resistivity inversion has been performed by trial and error methods and with linear and iterative linear methods. The linear and iterative linear methods are limited because of the requirement of good prior knowledge of the subsurface. Unlike linear and iterative linear methods, most nonlinear inversion schemes do not depend strongly on the starting solution, but prior information helps to reduce the computational cost and to obtain geologically meaningful results. In the present study, we have applied a nonlinear optimization scheme called very fast simulated annealing (VFSA) in the inversion of 2-D dipole-dipole resistivity data to image the subsurface. Unlike Metropolis simulated annealing (SA) in which each new model is drawn from a uniform distribution, VFSA draws a model from a Cauchy-like distribution, which is also a function of a control parameter called temperature. The advantage of using such a scheme is that at high temperatures, the algorithm allows for searches far beyond the current position, while at low temperatures, it looks for improvement in the close vicinity of the current model. We have used the mean square error between the synthetics and original data as the error function to be minimized. The synthetic response for 2-D models was obtained by finite-difference modeling, and cubic splines were used to parameterize the model space to get smooth images of the subsurface and to reduce computational cost. VFSA was used to estimate the conductivity at each spline node location. The inversion was applied to various synthetic data to study the influence of the starting solution and the location of the spline nodes. Finally, we applied it to real data collected over a disseminated sulfide zone at Safford, Arizona, and compared the results with those obtained from a linearized inversion and from a model based on geologic and well-log data. The VFSA results are in good agreement with the previously published results.
Robust Adaptive Control Scheme for Discrete-Time System With Actuator Failures

A robust adaptive control approach using output feedback for output tracking is developed for discrete-time linear time-invariant systems with uncertain failures of redundant actuators in the presence of the unmodeled dynamics and bounded output disturbance. Such actuator failures are characterized by some unknown inputs stuck at some unknown fixed values at unknown time instants. Technical issues such as plant-model output matching, adaptive controller structure, adaptive parameter update laws, stability and tracking analysis, and robustness of system performance are solved for the discrete-time adaptive actuator failure compensation problem. A case study is conducted for adaptive compensation of rudder servomechanism failures of a Boeing 747 dynamic model presented in discrete time, verifying the desired adaptive system performance in the presence of uncertain actuator failures.
Moraxella catarrhalis activates murine macrophages through multiple toll like receptors and has reduced clearance in lungs from TLR4 mutant mice.

Moraxella catarrhalis is a Gram negative bacterium and a leading causative agent of otitis media (OM) in children. Several recent reports have provided strong evidence for an association between toll like receptors and OM. It has been found that both Streptococcus pneumoniae and nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae activate host protective immune responses through toll like receptors (TLRs), however, the precise mechanism by which Moraxella catarrhalis initiates the host immune response is currently unknown. In this report, using murine macrophages generated from a series of knock-out mice, we have demonstrated that M. catarrhalis lipooligosaccharide (LOS) and either heat killed or live bacteria are recognized by one or more TLRs. LOS activates the host immune response through a membrane bound CD14-TLR4 complex, while both heat killed and live M.cat require recognition by multiple toll like receptors such as TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 without the requirement of CD14. We have also shown that M.cat stimuli are capable of triggering the host innate immune response by both MyD88- and TRIF- dependent signaling pathways. We further showed that M.cat induced activation of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) is essential in order to achieve optimal secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α. We finally showed that TLR4 mutant C3H/HeJ mice produce significantly lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in vivo, An increased bacterial loads at 12 and 24 hours (P<0.001) in their lungs upon challenge with live M.cat in an aerosol chamber compared to wild-type (WT) control mice. These data suggest that TLRs are crucial for an effective innate immune response induced by M.cat. The results of these studies contribute to an increased understanding of molecular mechanism and possible novel treatment strategies for diseases caused by M.cat by specifically targeting TLRs and their signaling pathways.
13 C NMR assignments of the bases on oligodeoxynucleotides: an automated procedure using bayesian statistics

A statistical method, Bayes Maximum Likelihood, has been applied to the classification of base 13C NMR resonances in DNA oligomers. An accuracy of 100% for carbon class discrimination was achieved for a preliminary training set of four oligomers using the following four parameters: (1) the chemical shift; (2) the temperature at which the spectrum was obtained; (3) the difference in chemical shift from the C5 resonances; and (4) a sequence factor representing the neighboring nucleotides. Classification of a fifth oligomer, previously assigned and not contained in the original training set, gave reasonable carbon class assignments.
ED RUSCHA, HEIDEGGER, AND DEADPAN PHOTOGRAPHY

The word most often used to describe Ed Ruscha's photographic books – and a good stretch of conceptual and post-conceptual photography in the wake of his practice – is ‘deadpan’. The ambition of this essay is to see if this term has any purchase on what makes this photographic work so compelling. I pay particular attention to the vocabulary of indifference, fact, and facticity that is raised whenever Ruscha's books are under discussion. This vocabulary is also central to Martin Heidegger's philosophy, and plays a crucial role in his consideration of the way mood reveals and modulates our way of being in the world. I explore how these thoughts intersect with Stanley Cavell's intriguing account of the ‘philosophical mood’ of Buster Keaton's deadpan humour and vision of the world – marked by his peculiar openness and evenness of response to it – and what that might reveal about Ruscha's photography and its vision of the world.
In vitro genotoxicity studies of chrysotile asbestos fibers dispersed in simulated pulmonary surfactant

Micronucleus (MN) formation and sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) assays were performed for asbestos in cultured Chinese hamster lung (V79) cells to determine the effect of surfactant treatment on the genotoxicity of two chrysotile asbestos samples of different fiber lengths. The cells were challenged in vitro with NIEHS intermediate- and short-length chrysotile fibers in both their native state and with surfactant pretreatment. For the surfactant pretreatment, the fibers were incubated in a simulated pulmonary surfactant which was prepared by ultrasonically dispersing dipalmitoyl lecithin (DPL), a primary component of pulmonary surfactant, in minimal essential medium (MEM). Chrysotile asbestos was ultrasonically mixed into the prepared surfactant dispersion or into MEM. V79 cells were exposed to DPL-treated intermediate-length chrysotile (TICA), intermediate-length chrysotile (ICA), DPL-treated short-length chrysotile (TSCA) or short-length chrysotile (SCA) fibers for 48 h. For each treatment, 2000 mononucleated cells were scored for MN formation, and 30 M2 metaphase cells were scored for SCE induction. The results showed that all samples, TICA, ICA, TSCA and SCA, caused significant elevation in the frequency of cells with micronuclei and of cells with two or more nuclei. The increase in micronucleus frequency was greatest in cells challenged with untreated intermediate-length fibers, and was greater for untreated than for DPL-treated short-length fibers. For the short-length fiber samples, DPL surfactant treatment decreased activity for multiple nucleus formation, while DPL treatment did not result in consistent changes in that activity for intermediate-length fibers. Results of SCE assays were either negative or inconclusive. Cells were more viable following TICA and TSCA than following ICA and SCA challenge as measured by cell counts after 48 h of incubation.
Ethanol-induced reductions in cerebellar growth of infant rats.

The problem of whether ethanol damage or malnutrition is primary cause of cerebellar damage to developing central nervous sstems in veanates from mothers consuming ethanol during pregnancy was studied using rats. Evidence suggests that the effect is not from malnutrition but from ethanol-induced reduction of cerebellar neurons. (JWP)
Height-related changes in body mass index: a reappraisal.

Objectives: To study the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and height in 20–22 year-old patients.Methods: A research questionnaire filled by a representative sample of military personnel upon discharge from service was analyzed. At the same time, weight and height were measured, and BMI was calculated (BMI = weight (Kg)/height2(m2)).Results: There were 35,951 participants in the study, including 16204 females and 19747 males. There was a positive correlation between BMI and height in men (regression slope = 0.00717, r = 0.015, p = 0.03), while the correlation was negative in women (regression slope = −0.02811, r = −0.05, p < 0.0001). In multiple regression analysis, when BMI was used as the dependent variable and height, gender, ethnic origin, smoking, oral contraceptive use, and level of recreational exercise as the independent variables, only height, gender, and ethnic origin remained significant in the final analysis (R-square 0.0205, p < 0.0001).Conclusion: In young adults, BMI is affected in...
Tracing Patterns of Chloroplast Evolution in Euglenoids: Contributions from Colacium vesiculosum and Strombomonas acuminata (Euglenophyta)

The chloroplast genomes of two photosynthetic euglenoids, Colacium vesiculosum Ehrenberg (128,889 bp), and Strombomonas acuminata (Schmarda) Deflandre (144,167 bp) have been sequenced. These chloroplast genomes in combination with those of Euglena gracilis, Eutreptia viridis, and Eutreptiella gymnastica provide a snapshot of euglenoid chloroplast evolution allowing comparisons of gene content, arrangement, and expansion. The gene content of the five chloroplast genomes is very similar varying only in the presence or absence of, rrn5, roaA, psaI, psaM, rpoA, and two tRNAs. Large gene rearrangements have occurred within the C. vesiculosum and S. acuminata chloroplast genomes. Most of these rearrangements represent repositioning of entire operons rather than single genes. When compared with previously sequenced genomes, C. vesiculosum and S. acuminata chloroplast genomes more closely resemble the E. gracilis chloroplast genome in size of the genome, number of introns, and gene order than they do those of the Eutreptiales. Overall, the chloroplast genomes of these five species show an evolutionary trend toward increased intron number, a decrease in gene density, and substantial rearrangement of gene clusters.
Field bioassays show heterospecific mating preference asymmetry between hybridizing North American Papilio butterfly species (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)

Few studies of interspecific mating preferences of naturally hybridizing species have been done in the field. Yet this is the only way potentially critical habitat-specific factors can be included in mating behavior evaluations. We conducted mate selection (male preference) studies using tethered pairs of heterospecific, size-matched virgin yellow females of Papilio glaucus and P. canadensis with free-flying male P. glaucus populations in south-central Florida, and with free-flying male P. canadensis populations in northern Michigan. Florida males clearly preferred the conspecific P. glaucus females of the pairs, as indicated by the touches/attempted matings and by the actual copulations observed. In 1997, 66.7% of the total attempts (n=168) and 94.2% of all copulations (n=69) were with the conspecific. In 1998 the same pattern of conspecific male preference was observed, with 67.3% of the touches/attempts (n=49) and 100% of the copulations (n=30) being with the P. glaucus females. In contrast, the natural populations of P. canadensis males did not show the expected conspecific preference. In fact, with wild P. canadensis males in 1997 a very strong preference was observed for the heterospecific P. glaucus females of the pairs, accounting for 75.8% of all touches/attempted matings (n=483) and 81.7% of all copulations (n=476). The strong asymmetry in interspecific mating preferences among these hybridizing Papilio species may reflect an ancestral trait in P. glaucus females that elicits strong preference in P. canadensis males, due perhaps to previously possessed male sensory bias or "good genes" indicators in the females. However, reinforcement of reproductive isolation in or near the hybrid zone of species overlap (sympatry) cannot be ruled out.
Nanoscale electrochemical probes for single cell analysis

Needle shaped probes with a dual electrode system in submicron size have been developed for electrochemical analyses of living single cells. The probe system is designed for local probing of the cytosolic cell environment and cell organelles using amperometric, potentiometric and impedance spectroscopic methods. Silicon nitride cantilevers with an electrode metal layer system are fabricated on 4in. wafers using conventional micro fabrication techniques. The probe needle structures with a tip in sub micron scale are patterned using focus ion beam (FIB) technology. A focused ion beam is utilized to write the probe needle shape into the pre-shaped cantilever and, for a dual electrode system, the probe is divided into two parts to create two separate electrodes. Subsequently, the needle structures are released from the supporting bulk silicon during a wet etching step, and a silicon nitride layer is deposited to isolate and embed the electrode metal layer. Finally, FIB milling is used for a precise exposure of the buried metal layer by cutting the top of the tip. Electrochemical characterization of nano-probes showed full functionality of Ag/AgCl as well as of platinum transducer systems. The sharpness of the probe tip with a radius of less than 50nm and the mechanical robustness of the needle structure allow for a reliable penetration of cell membranes. Initial measurements of cell membrane potentials and cell membrane impedances of rat fibroblast cells using Ag/AgCl transducer probes demonstrate the analytical capability of these probes in biological environments.
KLo interactions at 550 MeV/c☆

Abstract Differential and channel cross sections and hyperon polarizations are presented for the reactions KLop → KSop, π+Λo, and π+Σo at an average beam momentum of 550 MeV/c. These data provide constraints on KN and K N amplitudes obtained from charged kaon reactions and reject one of the S = +1, I = 0 and one of the S = -1, I = 1 phase shift solutions.
Use of Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole in the Treatment of Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonitis in Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

This report reviews the use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) in individuals with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonitis (PCP) and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Before AIDS, TMP-SMZ was at least as effective as pentamidine in pediatric and adult populations and was notably less toxic. In a study prospectively comparing TMP-SMZ with pentamidine in patients with AIDS, the toxicity associated with either therapy was very high, a problem suggesting a need for the development of additional types of therapy. There was no difference in the clinical responses to the different therapeutic regimens; the majority of patients showed some improvement. The rates of both major and minor toxic reactions were similar in the two groups, although the reactions differed qualitatively. In patients with AIDS rash was frequently associated with TMP-SMZ therapy and was almost never associated with pentamidine therapy. Neutropenia was common with both drugs. Pentamidine may produce hypoglycemia, which, though infrequent, may be life threatening. Neutropenia and rash are two adverse effects of TMP-SMZ therapy being described with great frequency in patients with AIDS. Mild neutropenia is common in patients with AIDS, even when therapy is not being administered. The high rate of toxic reactions limits the usefulness of TMP-SMZ for routine prophylaxis.