cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pontine ischemic rarefaction

To investigate apparently asymptomatic, bilateral symmetrical predominantly pontine hyperintensities (PHI) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in elderly patients, we examined the pons histopathologically in two brains of elderly hypertensives with PHI, and in three without PHI, on postmortem MRI scans. We also reviewed 85 serial in vivo MRI scans of patients over 60 and compared scan findings, vascular risk factors, and clinical symptoms between patients with PHI and a control group. A subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy (SAE)-like pathology was present in the pons in only the two autopsy brains with PHI and corresponded with the location of PHI on the postmortem MRI scans and with the most frequent sites of PHI on in vivo scans. SAE also involved the hemispheric white matter in one of the autopsy brains. Five of 16 (31%) patients with, and 4 of 69 (6%) without, PHI on in vivo MRI scans had marked periventricular hyperintensity (PVHI) compatible with SAE (p = 0.01). We conclude that an SAE-like pathology may be seen in the pons in elderly hypertensives and this pathology is probably the cause of PHI seen on MRI scans of patients over 60 years of age.
Comparison of Heat‐Fin Materials and Design of a Common‐Pressure‐Vessel Nickel‐Hydrogen Battery

A two‐dimensional, axisymmetric, and time‐dependent thermal model was developed to study the temperature behavior of the cylindrically shaped common‐pressure‐vessel nickel‐hydrogen cell. A differential‐energy‐balance equation was used as the governing equation. A finite‐element software package called PDE/Protran was used to solve this model. Different materials such as copper, copper beryllium, silver, and sterling silver were compared as heat‐fin materials. The heat‐fin geometry (thickness and height) and spacing were tested to find a design that yielded an acceptable temperature gradient inside a nickel‐hydrogen cell. Pulse heat‐generation rates were tested and correlated with the time‐dependent heat‐generation cases.
Recombinant human tissue factor pathway inhibitor prevents thrombosis in a venous tuck model.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Microvascular free tissue transfer has become a mainstay of reconstruction after resections for head and neck cancer. With current techniques, free flap failure is typically low; however, failure rates have been reported as high as 10%. Most thrombotic failures occur within the first few days postoperatively and tend to involve the venous anastomoses. We evaluated the efficacy of recombinant human tissue factor pathway inhibitor (rhTFPI), an anticoagulant that directly inhibits the extrinsic coagulation pathway, using a rat model of microvenous thrombosis. Study Design: Prospective, randomized. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to either rhTFPI or saline groups. We performed a venous tuck procedure in the common femoral vein. Prior to closure, the anastamosis was irrigated with either rhTPFI (20 μg/mL) or normal saline. Survival of the anastomosis was measured via clinical assessment at regular postoperative intervals. After a postoperative period of 48 hours, sites were intraoperatively assessed and the vessels harvested. Results: There was a significant increase in vessel patency in rats treated topically with rhTFPI compared to controls receiving saline. There was no increase in bleeding complications in the treated group versus controls. Conclusions: Our data suggests that the use of topical rhTPFI increases venous anastomotic patency rates in vivo. The topical means of administration is attractive, as there seems to be a low percentage of systemic complications as is often seen with anticoagulation therapies. Future studies will investigate the potential efficacy in patients undergoing microvascular free tissue transfer. Laryngoscope, 2010
How well do glucose variability measures predict patient glycaemic outcomes during treatment intensification in type 2 diabetes

Abstract Aim Despite links to clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the clinical utility of glycaemic variability (GV) measures is unknown. We evaluated the correlation between baseline GV, and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) attainment and hypoglycaemic events during treatment intensification in a large group of patients. Methods Patient-level data from six 24-week clinical trials of T2DM patients undergoing treatment intensification with basal insulin or comparators ( N =1699) were pooled. Baseline GV measures included standard deviation (SD), mean amplitude of glycaemic excursions (MAGE), mean absolute glucose (MAG), coefficient of variation (CV), high blood glucose index (HBGI), and low blood glucose index (LBGI) and were correlated with HbA1c change and hypoglycaemic events. Results All mean GV measures, excluding CV which worsened, improved significantly from baseline to Week 24, with the largest proportional reduction obtained for HBGI (−65.5%). When assessed as mean individual percentage changes, only HBGI improved significantly. Baseline GV correlated positively with Week 24 HbA1c for SD, MAGE, and HBGI. Baseline HBGI and CV correlated negatively and positively, respectively, with Week 24 HbA1c change. Correlations also existed between most baseline GV measures and age, body mass index, Week 24 fasting plasma glucose, Week 24 postprandial plasma glucose, and hypoglycaemic events; statistical significance depended on the specific measure. Conclusions Pre-treatment GV is associated with glycaemic outcomes in T2DM patients undergoing treatment intensification over 24 weeks. HBGI might be the most robust predictor, warranting validation in dedicated prospective studies or randomized trials to assess the predictive value of measuring GV.
Accounting for humidity in canopy-temperature-controlled irrigation scheduling

Abstract High moisture content in the air surrounding crop canopies can reduce transpiration and increase canopy temperature (Tc) independently of soil moisture. Humid conditions can affect the accuracy of irrigation signals produced by a canopy-temperature-based irrigation scheduling procedure that uses a time threshold (TT), which is the daily summation of time above the temperature threshold (To) defined as the midpoint of the crop's optimum temperature range. Because historical crop canopy temperature data were unavailable, an energy balance model was used to simulate time threshold values for different climates. A limiting relative humidity (LRH) algorithm was added to the model to estimate whether canopy temperatures that exceed the (To) were affected by high humidity. The LRH was computed from Ta and δT, denoted as (To) - T wb ∗ , where T wb ∗ is the highest wet bulb temperature that does not increase Tc. Time periods of restricted transpiration were identified by calculating ambient relative humidity (RH) and comparing it to the LRH value. If RH > LRH, canopy temperature was assumed to be increased by a reduction in transpiration. In a humid climate the LRH criterion reduced the simulated average TT value by 27%, 51%, and 69%, respectively, for δT values between 3°C and 5°C. This same LRH reduced the TT values by 16%, 32% and 36%, respectively, in a semiarid climate. The LRH criterion had no effect on the average TT value in the and climate. Estimated TT values had the lowest variability among years for a AT value of 4°C in the humid and semiarid climates. A generalized curve described the TT versus ΔT relationship across a wide spectrum of climates. The LRH procedure produced consistent adjustments to TT; however, further refinements may be needed to improve the accuracy of estimating daily TT when weather conditions are highly variable.
Lung Effector Memory and Activated CD4+ T Cells Display Enhanced Proliferation in Surfactant Protein A-Deficient Mice during Allergen-Mediated Inflammation

Although many studies have shown that pulmonary surfactant protein (SP)-A functions in innate immunity, fewer studies have addressed its role in adaptive immunity and allergic hypersensitivity. We hypothesized that SP-A modulates the phenotype and prevalence of dendritic cells (DCs) and CD4 + T cells to inhibit Th2-associated inflammatory indices associated with allergen-induced inflammation. In an OVA model of allergic hypersensitivity, SP-A −/− mice had greater eosinophilia, Th2-associated cytokine levels, and IgE levels compared with wild-type counterparts. Although both OVA-exposed groups had similar proportions of CD86 + DCs and Foxp3 + T regulatory cells, the SP-A −/− mice had elevated proportions of CD4 + activated and effector memory T cells in their lungs compared with wild-type mice. Ex vivo recall stimulation of CD4 + T cell pools demonstrated that cells from the SP-A −/− OVA mice had the greatest proliferative and IL-4–producing capacity, and this capability was attenuated with exogenous SP-A treatment. Additionally, tracking proliferation in vivo demonstrated that CD4 + activated and effector memory T cells expanded to the greatest extent in the lungs of SP-A −/− OVA mice. Taken together, our data suggested that SP-A influences the prevalence, types, and functions of CD4 + T cells in the lungs during allergic inflammation and that SP deficiency modifies the severity of inflammation in allergic hypersensitivity conditions like asthma.
Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy in Solitary Kidney

Purpose: We report our experience with LPN for tumor in a solitary kidney.Materials and Methods: Of 430 patients undergoing LPN since February 1999 at our institution 22 (5%) underwent LPN for tumor in a solitary kidney, as performed by a single surgeon. The laparoscopic technique that we used duplicated open principles, including hilar clamping, cold cut tumor excision and sutured renal reconstruction.Results: Mean tumor size was 3.6 cm (range 1.4 to 8.3, median 3 cm), median blood loss was 200 cc (range 50 to 500), warm ischemia time was 29 minutes (range 14 to 55), total operative time was 3.3 hours (range 2.2 to 4.5) and hospital stay was 2.8 days (range 1.3 to 12). Two cases (9%) were electively converted to open surgery. Pathological findings confirmed renal cell carcinoma in 16 patients (73%) with negative surgical margins in all those with LPN. Major complications occurred in 3 patients (15%) and minor complications developed in 7 (32%). Median preoperative and postoperative serum creatinine (1.2 ...
Stratification and dispute handling in two highland Chiapas communities

This paper argues that differences in the stratification processes of two highland Chiapas Mexican communities, which result from their differential placement in the regional economy, lead to observed differences in their dispute-handling mechanisms. In Zinacantan, a community of monolingual Tzotzil speakers where all men are corn farmers, differences in wealth and prestige reflect differential success in acquiring debtors and dependent kin. Quarreling kinsmen and neighbors in Zinacantan have no difficulty finding an informal mediator to help them handle their problems, and settlements are reached through procedures that build consensus among disputants. In neighboring San Felipe, a community where almost everyone is bilingual in Spanish and Tzotzil, differences in wealth among families reflect differences in the types of city jobs held by family members. Informants from San Felipe declare that there are no men willing to serve as informal mediators for disputants outside their immediate families, and the local official, who is required by law to handle the disputes that come before him, seems more interested in punishing wrongdoers than in having disputants recognize and accept their obligations toward one another.
Trends in Industrial Concentration in Japan, 1983–92

Based on weighted and unweighted averages of concentration ratios and the Herfindahl index for 436 sectors, the number of concentrated industries, and time trends, the structure of the Japanese economy proves highly oligopolistic over the 1983–92 period. Regression results show that concentration is related to growth, market size, scale economies, and the degree of ‘openness’ of the Japanese market. Moreover, increased concentration does not necessarily imply an import-bias. Japanese industries with higher concentration levels are likely to import more than less concentrated industries.
Transcriptional Regulation of Renal Dopamine D1 Receptor Function During Oxidative Stress

There exists a strong link between oxidative stress, renal dopaminergic system, and hypertension. It is reported that reactive oxygen species attenuate renal proximal tubular dopamine receptor (D1R) function, which disrupts sodium regulation and leads to hypertension. However, the mechanisms for renal D1R dysfunction are not clear. We investigated the role of redox-sensitive transcription factors AP1 and SP3 in transcriptional suppression of D1R gene and subsequent D1R signaling. Human kidney proximal tubular cells were treated with a pro-oxidant l-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) with and without an antioxidant tempol. In human kidney cells, BSO caused oxidative stress and reduced D1R mRNA and membrane receptor expression. Incubation of human kidney cells with SKF38393, a D1R agonist, caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of Na/K-ATPase. However, SKF38393 failed to inhibit Na/K-ATPase in BSO-treated cells. BSO increased AP1 and SP3 nuclear expression. Transfection with AP1- or SP3-specific siRNA abolished BSO-induced D1R downregulation. Treatment of rats with BSO for 4 weeks increased oxidative stress and SP3-AP1 expression and reduced D1R numbers in renal proximal tubules. These rats exhibited high blood pressure, and SKF38393 failed to inhibit proximal tubular Na/K-ATPase activity. Control rats were kept on tap water. Tempol per se had no effect on D1R expression or other signaling molecules but prevented BSO-induced oxidative stress, SP3-AP1 upregulation, and D1R dysfunction in both human kidney cells and rats. These data show that oxidative stress via AP1-SP3 activation suppresses D1R transcription and function. Tempol mitigates oxidative stress, blocks AP1-SP3 activation, and prevents D1R dysfunction and hypertension.
The Moderating Effect of Obesity on Cognitive-Behavioral Pain Treatment Outcomes

Objective. To assess the effects of body mass index on cognitive-behavioral pain treatment outcomes for chronic low back pain. Design. Retrospective analyses of data from a clinical trial were performed, with body mass index used to divide patients into obese and non-obese groups for comparison. Setting. VA medical center outpatient clinic. Patients. Veterans (N = 74) receiving outpatient care through the VA. Interventions. Delivery of a 10-week cognitive-behavioral pain treatment intervention. Outcome Measures. The Numerical Rating Scale (pain intensity), Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (disability), Veteran's SF-36 (health-related quality of life), and Beck Depression Inventory (emotional functioning) were administered pre- and post-treatment. Results. The study included 42 obese and 32 non-obese participants, most of whom were male (89%). The average body mass index was 32.44 kg/m2, with average pain intensity rated as 6.59 out of 10. There were no pre-treatment differences in outcome measures between the groups. Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed main effects of Time on all but one outcome (Mental Component score), indicating that the cognitive-behavioral interventions were largely effective. However, Time–body mass index (BMI) group interactions revealed that non-obese participants showed greater improvement following treatment than did their obese counterparts on measures of disability (P < 0.05), physical aspects of quality of life (P < 0.01), and emotional functioning (P < 0.05). Conclusions. Standard cognitive-behavioral pain treatment did not yield comparable outcomes for obese and non-obese participants. Results suggest a potential moderating role of BMI in low back pain outcomes. Future work with other pain conditions, including examination of potential mechanisms through which BMI impacts treatment outcomes, is recommended.
Direct supercritical fluid injection mass spectrometry of trichothecenes

The use of direct supercritical fluid injection mass spectrometry for the acquisition of mass spectra under mild thermal conditions for mycotoxins of the trichothecene group is demonstrated. Solutions containing diacetoxys-cirpenol or T-2 toxin were injected directly into fluid streams consisting primarily of pentane or carbon dioxide and rapidly brought to supercritical conditions. Direct injection of the fluid stream into a chemical ionization source allows thermally labile or nonvolatile compounds to be transported to the ion source and can replace alternative ‘soft’ ionization techniques where suitable supercritical fluids are used. Low temperature introduction has been demonstrated using carbon dioxide as the supercritical fluid at 300–400 atm and 50–60°C. The trichothecene mass spectra show significant [M+1]+ ions and distinctive fragmentation patterns for isobutane or pentane chemical ionization.
Walton and McKersie's behavioral theory of labor negotiations: An industrial relations perspective

It is a rare social science event when the Silver Anniversary of any publication is noted. It is even rarer, when a book's twenty-fifth anniversary is celebrated by reviewing its contributions to multiple disciplines and diverse branches of social science. In this paper, I will attempt to trace the impacts on the field of industrial relations of A Behavioral Theory of Labor Negotiations by first placing the work in the historical perspective of the intellectual history of our field. Then I will comment on several more specific conceptual breakthroughs and opportunities that Walton and McKersie's book provided to those of us who inherited the work. Third, I want to describe how the authors have put the theory into practice. First things first. A summary assessment may help put the comment to follow in perspective. Let there be no mistake about it. Walton and McKersie's A Behavioral Theory of Labor Negotiations is the most important book published in industrial relations in the 1960s and one of the handful of major classics of all time in our field. It, more than any other book of its era, produced what Thomas Kuhn (1962) called a 'scientific revolution' or a paradigm shift. It moved industrial relations and collective bargaining from its institutional-historical school and opened up the field to the work of social science. And in turn, it introduced countless social and behavioral scientists from other disciplines and fields of study to the world of labor negotiation.
Studying Social Development and Learning Disabilities is Not for the Faint‐Hearted: Comments on the Risk/Resilience Framework

Studying social dimensions of learning disabilities is not for the faint-hearted, in light of the multiple and interactive characteristics of these students and their social/cultural environments. Given the allure of the risk/resilience lens to make sense of these complexities, it would be easy to embrace these concepts too hastily. Four questions seem particularly important: What do we mean by risk and resilience factors? How do we characterize learning disabilities as risk factors?“At risk” for what? How should this framework guide intervention efforts? Rigorous thinking about these issues may enhance the promise of risk/resilience models for future research on social development.
Reduction of the normal-superfluid transition temperature in gated bilayer graphene

We show that the normal-superfluid transition in bilayer graphene (BLG) predicted to occur at high temperature is strongly affected not only by the dielectric constants of the insulators, but also by the proximity of ideal metal gates. Even assuming optimistically an unscreened interlayer Coulomb interaction, we find that for a gate-insulator thickness smaller than 2-to-5 nm of equivalent SiO 2 thickness, the transition temperature is depressed to the 1 K-1 mK range. Thus, thicker and low-κ gate insulators are required to design transistors exploiting the properties of the superfluid state.
Sex Role Stereotyping and the Evaluation of the Performance of Women: Changing Trends

Conditions under which people are prejudiced against women are examined. In two experiments, college students evaluated two professional articles in feminine fields and two in masculine. The author's sex and title were manipulated such that each article was authored in four ways—by a male (Mr.), a female (Miss), a high status male (Dr.) and a high status female (Dr.). It was concluded that prejudice against women may not be as pervasive as demonstrated in previous research but that women in certain “masculine” fields may receive biased evaluations of their work by men if they are thought to be of low professional status.
Comparisons of Single- and Double-Moment Microphysics Schemes in the Simulation of a Synoptic-Scale Snowfall Event

AbstractThe Canadian CloudSat/Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) Validation Project (C3VP) provided aircraft, surface, and remotely sensed observations of cloud and precipitation characteristics to support improved simulation of cold-season precipitation within weather forecast models and new developments in satellite and radar precipitation retrievals. On 22 January 2007, the C3VP campaign executed an intensive observation period to sample widespread snowfall that occurred as a midlatitude cyclone tracked along the U.S.–Canadian border. Surface air temperature and precipitation measurements, combined with aircraft measurement of hydrometeor content and size distribution, are used to examine various assumptions and parameterizations included within four bulk water microphysics schemes available within the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF).In a simulation of the 22 January 2007 event, WRF forecasts reproduced the overall precipitation pattern observed du...
The priority and organization of documentation at SUNY-Binghamton

Computer Center documentation not only aids our users but assists the members of the Academic Support staff. Documentation is an important resource to provide our users with the information required to accomplish their programming needs whether it be statistical analysis, text formatting or writing programming assignments.The documents produced by SUNY-Binghamton are written, edited, tested and distributed by members of the Academic Support staff. For a document to be produced by our staff it must conform to criteria: number of users, amount of usage and how often the package is updated.Each document is formatted along similar lines. The format is: number, introduction, advantages and results when using the language or package, how to implement it as a batch or interactive facility, the references for more information and where to go for additional programming help.This report will describe how we accomplish our documentation goals and what factors aid us in achieving them with a limited staff and financial resources.
COMPUTABLE GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM MODELS FOR DEVELOPMENT POLICY ANALYSIS IN LDCs

Abstract. The use of CGE models has gained much popularity among policy analysts in LDCs and there is a fast growing body of literature on this area of economics. In this survey, the advantages of general equilibrium approach over partial equilibrium approach in analysing a wide range of policy issues are highlighted. The evolution of CGE modelling is discussed and more than 60 CGE applications related to different policy issues in LDCs are surveyed. This comprehensive survey shows that the CGE models have become quite popular analytical tools among policy analysts in LDCs over the last decade or so. The debate in the economic profession regarding the value and appropriateness of using CGE models for policy analysis is examined in the final section of this paper. Some of the criticisms levelled at CGE models are discussed and it is argued that despite this criticism such models are capable of providing insight into important policy problems.
A whole language approach in mathematics classrooms

Abstract This article discusses the possibility of using a ‘whole language’ approach to the teaching of mathematics. As a foundation for the discussion, an epistemological comparison between language and mathematics is made. Considering both similarities and differences between mathematics and language, an analogy is made transferring the main characteristics of ‘whole language’ to what would be a ‘whole mathematics’ pedagogy. Finally, examples of practical experiences reported in the mathematics education literature are presented to aid in the consideration of the possibility and desirability of such a ‘whole maths’ approach to mathematics teaching.
Origins of the Association for Social Economics

In the November 2013 issue of the Forum for Social Economics, Robert Auerbach stated that he had been told that Abram Harris who died in 1963 was a founder of the Association for Social Economics (...
Bare Singular Effects in Genitive Constructions

L'accord du nombre dans les constructions genitives soutient que le numeral et le genitif dans : One woman's keys fell on the floor forment un constituant. L'A. veut mettre en evidence une possible relation d'accord entre un numeral pluriel (two) et le nom de tete. Une etude experimentale analyse les jugements de grammaticalite sur diferents exemples du type : Two women's keys fell on the floor
A Reformed Medical Geography Reconsidered

(1994). A Reformed Medical Geography Reconsidered. The Professional Geographer: Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 103-106.
Productive Interaction between Transmembrane Mutants of the Bovine Papillomavirus E5 Protein and the Platelet-Derived Growth Factor β Receptor

The bovine papillomavirus E5 protein is a 44-amino-acid transmembrane protein that transforms cells by binding to the transmembrane region of the cellular platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) β receptor, resulting in sustained receptor signaling. However, there are published reports that certain mutants with amino acid substitutions in the membrane-spanning segment of the E5 protein transform cells without activating the PDGF β receptor. We re-examined several of these transmembrane mutants, and here we present five lines of evidence that these mutants do in fact activate the PDGF β receptor, resulting in cellular signaling and transformation.
Distributed consensus and linear functional calculation in networks: an observability perspective

We study the problem of performing sensor fusion and distributed consensus in networks, where the objective is to calculate some linear function of the initial sensor values at some or all of the sensors. We utilize a linear iteration where, at each time-step, each sensor updates its value to be a weighted average of its own previous value and those of its neighbors. We show that this approach can be viewed as a linear dynamical system, with dynamics that are given by the weight matrix for the linear iteration, and with outputs for each sensor that are captured by the subset of the state vector that is measurable by that sensor. We then cast the fusion and consensus problems as that of observing a linear functional of the initial state vector using only local measurements (that are available at each sensor). When the topology of the network is time-invariant, we show that the weight matrix can be chosen so that each sensor can calculate the desired function as a linear combination of its measurements over a finite number of time-steps.
The San Salvador Earthquake of October 10, 1986—Geologic Aspects

Abstract The San Salvador earthquake struck an area of upper Cenozoic volcanic rocks, consisting of basaltic to silicic flows and tuffs. Tuff deposits constitute the upper 30 m of section below San Salvador; thinner sections are in the hills surrounding the city. Tuffs were important in landslide development during the earthquake and may have amplified ground motion. Faults mapped in the area strike east‐west, northwest‐southeast, and less distinctly, northeast‐southwest and north‐south. Ringlike structures formed by volcanic subsidence are also present in the area. No evidence was seen of surface faulting associated with the October 10 main shock or an earthquake on October 13 on a separate fault 7 km west‐northwest of the main shock. Numerous cracks were seen in the epicentral areas of both earthquakes, but these are easily explained as secondary ground failures. Both of the earthquakes occurred on unmapped faults. The main shock caused several hundred landslides in an area of at least 200 km2. The most...
Transsexualism and the Law

Transsexuals pose dilemmas for the law in (a) defining a male or a female; (b) deciding what partners are legally acceptable for marriage; (c) assessing the best interests of children after divorce; (d) interpreting employment discrimination based on gender or handicap; (e) permitting public cross dressing; (f) reviewing third-party reimbursement for medical procedures that may be deemed cosmetic or experimental; (g) determining eligibility for sports competition; (h) meeting military needs; and (i) determining socially and medically acceptable treatment in prison. Leading law cases are reviewed in each area, with commentary on relevant research findings.
Challenges associated with the sampling and analysis of organosulfur compounds in air using real-time PTR-ToF-MS and offline GC-FID

Abstract. Organosulfur compounds (OSCs) are naturally emitted via various processes involving phytoplankton and algae in marine regions, from animal metabolism, and from biomass decomposition inland. These compounds are malodorant and reactive. Their oxidation to methanesulfonic and sulfuric acids leads to the formation and growth of atmospheric particles, which are known to influence clouds and climate, atmospheric chemical processes. In addition, particles in air have been linked to negative impacts on visibility and human health. Accurate measurements of the OSC precursors are thus essential to reduce uncertainties in their sources and contributions to particle formation in air. Two different approaches, proton-transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) and canister sampling coupled to gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID), are compared for both laboratory standards (dimethyl sulfide, DMS; dimethyl disulfide, DMDS; dimethyl trisulfide, DMTS; and methanethiol, MTO) and for a complex sample. Results show that both techniques produce accurate quantification of DMS. While PTR-ToF-MS provides real-time measurements of all four OSCs individually, significant fragmentation of DMDS and DMTS occurs, which can complicate their identification in complex mixtures. Canister sampling coupled with GC-FID provides excellent sensitivity for DMS, DMDS, and DMTS. However, MTO was observed to react on metal surfaces to produce DMDS and, in the presence of hydrogen sulfide, even DMTS. Avoiding metal in sampling systems seems to be necessary for measuring all but dimethyl sulfide in air.
Immunocytochemical response of type A and type B intercalated cells to increased sodium chloride delivery.

Two populations of intercalated cells, type A and type B, are present in the rat cortical collecting duct (CCD). Type A cells are involved in proton secretion and contain an apical H(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) and a basolateral Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger. Type B cells are believed to be involved in HCO3- secretion, which is mediated by a Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange process and is Cl- dependent. The aim of this study was to examine the morphological and immunocytochemical response of type B intercalated cells in the rat to increased delivery of Cl- to the CCD. This was accomplished by chronic infusion of a loop diuretic, bumetanide (30 mg.kg body wt-1.day-1), via an osmotic minipump, and simultaneous administration of 0.9% sodium chloride in the drinking water for 6 days. The kidneys were preserved by in vivo perfusion with a periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde fixative and processed for horseradish peroxidase and protein A gold immunocytochemistry, using rabbit polyclonal antibodies against carbonic anhydrase II, proton ATPase, and band 3 protein. Chronic infusion of bumetanide in combination with a high salt intake was associated with significant changes in the intercalated cells. Type B cells were increased in size and exhibited numerous apical microvilli, increased basolateral membrane area, and marked cytoplasmic and basolateral labeling for H(+)-ATPase. In contrast, type A cells were small and had sparse apical microprojections. H(+)-ATPase immunolabeling was observed primarily over apical tubulovesicles, and there was decreased basolateral immunolabeling for band 3 protein and occasional labeling for band 3 in lysosome-like structures. These observations support the hypothesis that increased delivery of Cl- to the CCD is associated with stimulation of type B intercalated cells to secrete HCO3-. The observations in type A cells are consistent with the cells being in a resting or inactivated state.
Liberation, Degeneration, and Transcendence(?): The Promise and Paradox of the “New Woman” in Edna Ferber’s Dawn O’Hara, The Girl Who Laughed and Dorothy Parker’s “Big Blonde”

The early twentieth century was a time of great ideological and material fluctuation in the United States, when old beliefs perished and new realities emerged to take their place. Sensing that the ...
Clinical application of Dia Med Opti MAL-IT rapid diagnostic devices for malaria

Objective:To evaluate the clinical application of Dia Med Opti MAL-IT rapid diagnostic devices for malaria.Methods: Blood samples of 144 suspected malaria cases were examined by Dia Med Opti MAL-IT rapid detection method and plasmodium microscopic examination method.Results: Among 144 blood samples,52 cases were positive by microscopic examination including 45 P.vivax positives and 7 P.falciparum positives.There were 50 positives by Dia Med Opti MAL-IT rapid detection method including 43 P.vivax positives and 7 P.falciparum positives.The difference of the two detection methods was not statistically significant(T=2,P=0.368).Conclusion: Opti MAL-IT rapid detection method and microscopic examination have no difference,Opti of MAL-IT rapid detection method is simple,rapid and suitable to carry out clinical testing of malaria suspected cases.
Characterization of dominant-negative forms of anthrax protective antigen.

Certain mutations within the protective antigen (PA) moiety of anthrax toxin endow the protein with a dominant-negative (DN) phenotype, converting it into a potent antitoxin. Proteolytically activated PA oligomerizes to form ring-shaped heptameric complexes that insert into the membrane of an acidic intracellular compartment and promote translocation of bound edema factor and/or lethal factor to the cytosol. DN forms of PA co-oligomerize with the wild-type protein and block the translocation process. We prepared and characterized 4 DN forms: a single, a double, a triple, and a quadruple mutant. The mutants were made by site-directed mutation of the cloned form of PA in Escherichia coli and tested by various assays conducted on CHO cells or in solution. All 4 mutant PAs were competent for heptamerization and ligand binding but were defective in the pH-dependent functions: pore formation, ability to convert to the SDS-resistant heptamer, and ability to translocate bound ligand. The single mutant (F427K) showed less attenuation than the others in the pH-dependent functions and lower DN activity in a CHO cell assay. The quadruple (K397D + D425K + F427A + 2β2–2β3) deletion showed the most potent DN activity at low concentrations but also gave indications of low stability in a urea-mediated unfolding assay. The double mutant (K397D + D425K) and the triple (K397D + D425K + F427A) showed strong DN activity and slight reduction in stability relative to the wild-type protein. The properties of the double and the triple mutants make these forms worthy of testing in vivo as a new type of antitoxic agent for treatment of anthrax.
Treatment and Prognosis of Immunological Factors in Unexplained Male Infertility

It is widely accepted that immunological infertility is one of the major causes of infertility in humans. On average, infertility occurs in one in every five couples of reproductive age and about 10–20 % of them is unexplained. A subset of infertile patients has been found to possess antisperm antibodies (ASA) in semen, blood, cervical mucus, or follicular fluid. ASA may affect sperm concentration and survival, limit sperm transport and motility and therefore the passage through the female reproductive tract specifically the cervix, inhibit sperm oocyte binding, prevent capacitation and acrosome reaction, affect embryo development and implantation, and has been proposed to lead to spontaneous miscarriage. Several strategies are used to counteract the deleterious effects of ASA-mediated infertility. The basic approaches for the treatment of men with ASA are as follows: minimizing exposure to sperm antigen like the use of condoms, decrease ASA production by immunosuppression with prednisone, removal of sperm bound ASA by a combination of laboratory techniques and sperm washing, and finally the most successful of all, the assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
New Orleans Musicians

I got into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame as its youngest member. That makes me proud. But the highlight of my career, you know, was being in the Olympia Brass Band when you got your red pants. And I got my red pants with my yellow stripe.—Glen David Andrews The title of this chapter refers to a group of people distinguished from their counterparts elsewhere by both a shared, self-referential narrative and an attendant set of individual and collective practices. The former is immediately observable in the fact that no other city in the US has generated such a robust signifier for those making music within its borders as has New Orleans. Of course, it is possible to speak of, say, Los Angeles musicians or Nashville musicians, but the connotation in these instances is a pale one. We learn from these terms where the musicians reside and not much more. We are little informed about the music that they play there. Do they play something called “Los Angeles music” or “Nashville music”? The latter might suggest country music but that is as far as it goes. There is no such commonly recognized thing as “Nashville music”. As for “Los Angeles music”, that signifier would be even more elusive if not entirely empty. Not so with something called “New Orleans music”, which gestures toward a variety of musical genres—jazz, R&B, swamp pop and zydeco—through which run the common and distinctive threads spun on the city’s musical sound-scape. For instance, when speaking about the various jazz styles that had emerged in one or another quarter of the US nearly a century ago, the legendary Sidney Bechet pointed out that their variety simply reflected the fact that they all stemmed from the jazz created in New Orleans, but that differentiation occurred because these musicians were not New Orleanians and thus there were things in the New Orleans Sound that they were unable to hear and feel, but plenty in their own experience that could be substituted.
Influence of Three Citrus Herbicides on Potential Production of Sorghum bicolor ‘Topper 76-6’ as a Bioenergy Crop

Planting bioenergy crops on land previously used for citrus production may offer an alternative source of revenue for growers looking for alternative-to-citrus crops. However, residual herbicides used in citrus production may adversely affect alternative crops. This study evaluated effects of three herbicides (bromacil, norflurazon, and simazine) commonly used in citrus production on the bioenergy crop Sorghum bicolor ‘Topper 76-6’. Plants were exposed to herbicides in soil for 1–5 weeks and observations of effects on photosynthetic quantum yield, leaf greenness, height, and biomass were made. Results indicate that concentrations of bromacil and norflurazon greater than 0.09 and 0.07 mg/kg and simazine >0.46 mg/kg will impair growth and development in similar soils. Concentrations below these may also be toxic.
Computation of drain and substrate currents in ultra-short-channel nMOSFETs using the hydrodynamic model

An attempt was made to develop a robust and efficient numerical solution of the hydrodynamic model which solves the energy balance equation and to compare predictions of this model, using one set of parameters, with experimental nMOSFET characteristics for a range of channel lengths down to ultrashort channels. The substrate current was calculated by direct integration of the energy distribution function to obtain the number of high-energy electrons. It is demonstrated that the hydrodynamic model can be used successfully to simulate silicon MOSFETs with channel lengths as short as 0.16 mu m. Equally important is the fact that one set of parameters is used to simulate devices with channel lengths varying from 0.90 mu m down to 0.16 mu m and all the parameter values used are physically justifiable. The importance of using a stable discretization method in the energy balance equation to avoid spurious numerical results is also shown. >
The Chemokine Receptor CX3CR1 Defines Three Antigen-Experienced CD8 T Cell Subsets with Distinct Roles in Immune Surveillance and Homeostasis

Summary Infections induce pathogen-specific T cell differentiation into diverse effectors (Teff) that give rise to memory (Tmem) subsets. The cell-fate decisions and lineage relationships that underlie these transitions are poorly understood. Here, we found that the chemokine receptor CX3CR1 identifies three distinct CD8 + Teff and Tmem subsets. Classical central (Tcm) and effector memory (Tem) cells and their corresponding Teff precursors were CX3CR1 – and CX3CR1 high , respectively. Viral infection also induced a numerically stable CX3CR1 int subset that represented ∼15% of blood-borne Tmem cells. CX3CR1 int Tmem cells underwent more frequent homeostatic divisions than other Tmem subsets and not only self-renewed, but also contributed to the expanding CX3CR1 – Tcm pool. Both Tcm and CX3CR1 int cells homed to lymph nodes, but CX3CR1 int cells, and not Tem cells, predominantly surveyed peripheral tissues. As CX3CR1 int Tmem cells present unique phenotypic, homeostatic, and migratory properties, we designate this subset peripheral memory (tpm) cells and propose that tpm cells are chiefly responsible for the global surveillance of non-lymphoid tissues.
The Therapeutic Potential of Synge's "Riders to the Sea.".

The essay describes an insight achieved, during the author’s own therapy, through her knowledge of Synge’s play (though the reading of the play was not a formal part of therapy). While her growing self-understanding helped her to better comprehend the play, the issues of the play; conversely, enriched her understanding of issues in her own and her mother’s life. As an addendum, the author includes an original poem which, she hopes, reveals some of what she has experienced in therapy—an event which has, from the start, helped to release her own “voice.”
Phosgene at the complete basis set limit of CCSDT(Q): Molecular structure and rovibrational analysis

Abstract The ground-state ( X ∼ 1 A ″ ) equilibrium geometry of phosgene is examined with coupled-cluster theory, using derivatives extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit of CCSDT(Q). The C–O and C–Cl bond lengths are predicted to be 1.1768 A and 1.7374 A, respectively; the Cl–C–Cl bond angle is 124.03° and the O–C–Cl bond angle is 111.93°. Anharmonic frequencies are determined with VPT2, using CCSD(T)/cc-pCVQZ cubic and quartic force-fields and a CCSDT(Q)/CBS quadratic force field: ν 1 = 1832.9 ; ν 2 = 570.5 ; ν 3 = 301.2 ; ν 4 = 576.3 ; ν 5 = 849.4 ; and ν 6 = 438.9 cm−1.
Zika virus infection of cellular components of the blood-retinal barriers: implications for viral associated congenital ocular disease.

Ocular abnormalities present in microcephalic infants with presumed Zika virus (ZIKV) congenital disease includes focal pigment mottling of the retina, chorioretinal atrophy, optic nerve abnormalities, and lens dislocation. Target cells in the ocular compartment for ZIKV infectivity are unknown. The cellular response of ocular cells to ZIKV infection has not been described. Mechanisms for viral dissemination in the ocular compartment of ZIKV-infected infants and adults have not been reported. Here, we identify target cells for ZIKV infectivity in both the inner and outer blood-retinal barriers (IBRB and OBRB), describe the cytokine expression profile in the IBRB after ZIKV exposure, and propose a mechanism for viral dissemination in the retina. We expose primary cellular components of the IBRB including human retinal microvascular endothelial cells, retinal pericytes, and Muller cells as well as retinal pigmented epithelial cells of the OBRB to the PRVABC56 strain of ZIKV. Viral infectivity was analyzed by microscopy, immunofluorescence, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and qRT-PCR). Angiogenic and proinflammatory cytokines were measured by Luminex assays. We find by immunofluorescent staining using the Flavivirus 4G2 monoclonal antibody that retinal endothelial cells and pericytes of the IBRB and retinal pigmented epithelial cells of the OBRB are fully permissive for ZIKV infection but not Muller cells when compared to mock-infected controls. We confirmed ZIKV infectivity in retinal endothelial cells, retinal pericytes, and retinal pigmented epithelial cells by RT-PCR and qRT-PCR using ZIKV-specific oligonucleotide primers. Expression profiles by Luminex assays in retinal endothelial cells infected with ZIKV revealed a marginal increase in levels of beta-2 microglobulin (β2-m), granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and higher levels of regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and presumably secreted (RANTES) but lower levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) compared to controls. Retinal endothelial cells, retinal pericytes, and retinal pigmented epithelial cells are fully permissive for ZIKV lytic replication and are primary target cells in the retinal barriers for infection. ZIKV infection of retinal endothelial cells and retinal pericytes induces significantly higher levels of RANTES that likely contributes to ocular inflammation.
Practitioners in an Academic Environment

A recent survey of Civil Engineering Education indicates that 56% of the Engineering Schools surveyed regularly utilize engineers from practice in the classroom. With the current trend toward incre...