cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Roles of enthalpy, entropy, and hydrogen bonding in the lower critical solution temperature behavior of poly(ethylene oxide)/water solutions

Analysis of the temperature and composition dependence of the excess thermodynamic properties for oligomers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in aqueous solution obtained from molecular dynamics simulations reveals that the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior of PEO/water solutions is enthalpy-driven. At lower temperatures, the formation of ether−water hydrogen bonds results in a very favorable ΔG EX consistent with the consolubility of PEO and water. Increasing temperature leads to a dramatic reduction in favorable ether−water interactions due to break-up of ether−water hydrogen bonding, while relatively persistent water−water hydrogen bonding maintains the energetic penalty associated with disrupted water−water interactions upon insertion of the ether. The entropy gain associated with the break-up of ether−water hydrogen bonds and reduction in the structure of hydrating water with increasing temperature is insufficient to offset the unfavorable enthalpic effects associated with the break-up ...
Structural and spectroscopic characterization of the compounds [Al(NMe2)3]2, [Ga(NMe2)3]2, [(Me2N)2Al{μ-N(H)1-Ad}]2 (1-Ad = 1-adamantanyl) and [{Me(μ-NPh2)Al}2NPh(μ-C6H4)]

Abstract The compounds [Al(NMe2)3]2 (1), [Ga(NMe2)3]2 (2), [(Me2N)2Al{μ-N(H)1-Ad}]2 (3) and [{Me(μ-NPh2)Al}2 NPh(μ-C6H4)]·0.5PhMe (4) have been structurally and spectroscopically characterized by X-ray crystallography, 1H, 13C, 27Al, 69Ga and 71Ga NMR. A new synthesis is also provided for the previously known compound 1. The structures of 1 and 2 are the first reported structures of tris-dialkylamides of aluminium or gallium. Both possess dimeric structures in the solid with dimethylamide bridges and distorted tetrahedral geometry at the metal. The terminal -NMe2 groups display significant deviation from planarity in both compounds. The transamination reaction between 1 and 1 equiv. of 1-AdNH2 affords 3 in high yield. The compound 4 was synthesized by treatment of AlMe3 with 2 equiv. of HNPh2 in refluxing toluene. The ortho-metallated product, 4, is somewhat surprising in view of the prior synthesis of Al(NPh2)3 via a similar reaction. Crystal data at 130 K with Mo-Kα (λ = 0.71069 A) radiation are as follows; 1, triclinic, a = 7.224(3), b = 8.545(3), c = 8.792(3) A, α = 61.61(2), β = 85.02(3), γ = 88.76(3)°, Z = 1, space group P 1 , R = 0.041; 2, triclinic, a = 7.306(4), b = 8.514(4), c = 8.809(4) A, α = 61.11(3), β = 85.13(4), γ = 89.14(4)°, space group P 1 , Z = 1, R = 0.035; 3, monoclinic, a = 8.420(5), b = 18.487(6), c = 10.319(5) A, β = 108.44(4)°, space group P21/c, Z = 2, R = 0.047; 4, monoclinic, a = 16.069(6), b = 13.053(5), c = 16.424(4) A, β = 97.57(2)°, space group P21/c, Z = 4, R = 0.066.
Multiple Mediations: Feminist Scholarship in the Age of Multinational Reception

I am lying in wait for the complex verbal negotiation that attends each visit to my acupuncturist. I want a diagnosis a definable illness, a definite cure. He is disdainful of this desire for clarity and resolution and insists on treating my body as a zone in which energies rise and fall, sometimes rebelliously, at other times gracefully and once even, as he put it, 'stroppily' As I ponder the frustrating untranslatability of his idiom, he asks the dreaded question: 'Well, what is your Ph.D. thesis about?' I stare at the infra-red lamp and wonder which version to present. The various responses I have elicited over the years race through my mind like a film running at high speed. My usual strategy is to assess the cultural politics of those addressing me (such as I can discern them), the tenor of the question (is this a serious inquiry or merely a polite one?) and my frame of mind at the time (do I want to educate, be patronized or try to avoid both by being vague, but thereby risking the impression that I know not what I am doing?). I did not, however, have time for such musings. I was trapped under the beady eye of my white American doctor of needles who, having taken my pulse, was awaiting a reply. So I blurted out what I consider my minimalist 'no-nonsense' description: 'I am working on the debate between colonial officials, missionaries and the indigenous male elite on sati (widow burning) in colonial India.' I felt weak, as though it had been a confession extorted from me after intense cross-examination. I sighed inwardly. Meanwhile, my declaration had provoked what turned out to be a half-hour lecture on the
THE IDENTITY OF THE MECHANISMS OF TYPE-SPECIFIC AGGLUTININ AND PRECIPITIN REACTIONS WITH PNEUMOCOCCUS

The experimental results which have been described demonstrate the following facts: 1. In the type-specific agglutination reaction, when the organisms are not present in sufficient numbers to absorb completely all the antibodies from the serum, more antibody is bound by cellular S than is required for the process of agglutination. 2. The excess of antibody thus bound can then unite with additional amounts of the specific substance when this is added in soluble form to the agglutinated material. 3. If an excess of the free S is added to an agglutinated mass of antibody and bacteria, the organisms are redispersed and in the suspended state are again specifically agglutinable. 4. When a solution of the specific polysaccharide is added in excess to an homologous immune serum, a prozone is created in which precipitation is inhibited; moreover, if, at this point, type-specific pneumococci are added to the mixture, inhibition of agglutination also occurs. 5. The reactive substance in the type-specific agglutination and precipitation reactions is the same, i.e., the capsular polysaccharide. In the former instance it is combined in the bacterial cell; in the latter, it is in a soluble, chemically purified state and entirely separate from the body of the cell.
Redox Concerns in the use of Acellular Hemoglobin-Based Therapeutic Oxygen Carriers: The Role of Plasma Components

Within the past decade, most research efforts in the red blood cell substitute area have revolved about the development of acellular hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC) as clinical replacements and/or augmentation of human blood's carrying and delivery function. A major requirement for all HBOC is the maintenance of the heme-Fe+2 in this reduced state for normal physiological behavior. Oxidation of hemoglobin results in the formation of methemoglobin (heme-Fe+3). MetHb is unable to bind oxygen thus effectively lowering the carrying capacity of the Hb-based substitute. In addition, met Hb gives rise to free radicals that have the potential to cause endothelial and surrounding tissue damage. Results of this study suggest that the normal endogenous reducing agents of human plasma have the capacity to provide redox protection and stability to specific acellular-types of HBOC. The effectiveness of these reducing agents may be related to the formal reduction potential of the HBOC being considered. The choice of buffer for HBOC storage is critical and specific to the HBOC product.
Real-time cardiology overread of the electrocardiogram: where is the value added?

Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) must be evaluated expeditiously. A primary goal of the early evaluation is the identification of significant ST-segment changes, with immediate identification of patients having ST-segment elevation (STE) myocardial infraction (STEMI). Rapid and accurate interpretation of the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) represents an extremely important skill during this early, time-sensitive evaluation. The emergency physician most often is responsible for ECG interpretation at this crucial step in the process of care. The emergency physician must be an expert in the interpretation of the ECG in this and other urgent or emergent ED presentations. A recent investigation published in this edition of the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, “[the] Effects of cardiology review of the ecg in patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes” by Feldman and colleagues [1], explores this important topic of ECG interpretation in the ED—with the addition of a “real-time” secondary review and interpretation of the ECG by a cardiologist. In this project, the authors at an academic medical center performed a prospective observational study investigating the impact of “real-time” cardiology review of the ECG in ED patients suspected of ACS. The review occurred on weekdays, from 8 AM to 11 PM. Of note, ECGs that were interpreted by the emergency physician as “normal” or “unchanged from baseline” (most ED ECGs) were excluded. Emergency
The pathogenesis of AIDS lymphomas: A foundation for addressing the challeng of therapy and prevention

The association between AIDS and a spectrum of malignancies relates to chronic, profound defects in both cellular and humoral mechanisms of immune surveillance. Ironically, as AIDS patients live longer in response to increasingly effective antiretroviral therapies, the incidence of AIDS-related malignancies will continue to rise. The emergence of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) as a major sequela of HIV infection bears a striking relationship to depletion of CD4 lymphocytes, particularly below 50/mm3. The ability to interfere early in the course of active HIV infection with additional mechanisms that may promulgate transformed cell hyperproliferation and clonal expansion—growth factors, HIV itself or other viruses (Epstein-Barr, in particular), aberrant oncogene or tumor suppressor genes expression, factors that induce genetic instability or DNA damage or alter host or viral genome repair-might decrease the occurrence or prolong the time to development of AIDS-related malignancies. The development of antire...
The contribution of social support to the material well‐being of low‐income families

We hypothesize that the social support available from low-income networks serves primarily a coping function, rather than a leverage function. Social support and its relationship to material well-being is assessed in a sample of 632 former and current welfare recipients. Respondents report higher levels of perceived emotional, instrumental, and informational support than perceived financial support, and received financial aid is particularly uncommon. Multivariate findings demonstrate that perceived support is unrelated to employment quality, but it reduces the likelihood of living in poverty and is associated with three different measures of coping. These findings generally support the contention that informal aid is important for the everyday survival of low-income families, but is less able to assist with economic mobility.
Quantitative Measurement of Endogenous Estrogens and Estrogen Metabolites in Human Serum by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Endogenous estrogen plays a key role in the development of human breast cancer, yet the contribution of specific estrogen metabolites and patterns of estrogen metabolism remains unclear. To determi...
THE KRAMERS CHAIN MODEL FOR POLYMERS

Abstract The freely jointed bead-rod chain (the “Kramers chain”) is a fairly realistic model for a macromolecule, and therefore it has been finding increased use in polymer science, particularly in connection with the calculation of rheological properties. The equilibrium configurational distribution function is derived (not a “random-walk” function). Then some of the recent uses of the Kramers chain for understanding the nonequilibrium properties of solutions and melts are summarized.
Fairness criterion for allocating resources in input queued switches

A new fairness criterion, queue proportional fairness (QPF), is proposed. It employs the cell loss ratio as the fairness metric to improve the utilisation of switch resources. QPF provides a fairness criterion for allocating bandwidth by considering the current buffer occupancy for best effort traffic in an input queued switch.
The End of Wilderness: Conflict and Defeat of Wilderness in the Grand Canyon

In the early 1970s, Grand Canyon National Park intended to designate its land to “Wilderness,” including the controversial Colorado River corridor. However, by the end of the 1970s the potential for Wilderness designation was off the table, and would never seriously return for genuine consideration. Using Schattschneider's model of conflict, we explain how the organization of this conflict privileges the “causal story” of Wilderness opponents, and therefore why the canyon is not designated. It is our contention that members of Congress will not stand forward to support Wilderness designations without simultaneously providing benefits for extractive land use because (1) congressional representatives are more penalized for supporting than opposing Wilderness designations, (2) Wilderness advocacy groups do not pressure congressional delegates as firmly as opposition groups, and (3) key local congressional members are not likely to see Wilderness as a salient issue worth the risk of negative exposure. If these findings hold, the implication is that we may have reached the end of significant Wilderness designations in highly visible areas, unless critical aspects in land use conflict change.
Population structure and energetics of the shallow-water antarctic sea star Odontaster validus in contrasting habitats

Individuals and populations of Odontaster validus Koehler differed markedly among different habitats, as revealed in a study from October 1984 through January 1986 in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. At McMurdo Station, individual sizes (wet weight) and population biomass (g wet wt m-2 and kJ m-2) decreased significantly with increasing depth. Individuals from shallow (10 to 20 m) habitats were in superior nutritional condition to those from deeper water (30 and 165 m), as shown by higher gonad and pyloric cecum indexes, and by higher lipid and energetic levels in the pyloric ceca. Moreover, gonadal output (reproductive output) was higher in shallow-water individuals. Higher levels of chlorophyll in the pyloric ceca and richer yellow to red coloration of the body wall in the shallow-water individuals indicate that they utilize the higher levels of primary production at shallow depths. At East Cape Armitage, where nearly permanent, thick, snow-covered ice most of the year resulted in very low levels of benthic primary production, the lowdensity sea stars were all very small and nutritionally similar to the deep-water individuals at McMurdo Station. At Cape Evans, where the generally snow-free sea-ice that broke up in mid-summer resulted in a luxurient benthic cover of diatoms and macroalgae, the sea stars were smaller than at McMurdo Station at comparable depths, but population densities were higher, resulting in 4 to 9 times greater biomass. Growth rates of sea stars fed in the laboratory were very low, especially compared to laboratory-reared temperate and tropical species; well-fed individuals need about 9 yr to reach 30 g wet weight, near the mean size of shallowwater individuals at McMurdo Station. No growth was detected in individuals caged at McMurdo Station for one year, suggesting even lower growth rates in the field. The stable size-frequency distributions at the different sites and depths throughout the year-long study suggest highly stable populations with low temporal variability in recruitment, migration and mortality. These data indicate that individuals and populations of O. validus quantitatively and qualitatively reflect the general level of productivity of a habitat. Differences noted in size, coloration, nutrition, and reproductive effort may be the result of long-term integration of local levels of primary production. These ubiquitous sea stars may serve as a biotic indicator of productivity in localized habitats around the continental shelf of Antarctica.
Effect of Melt Stoichiometry on Twin Formation in LEC GaAs

It is shown that the incidence of twin formation in large diameter, undoped, (100) LEC GaAs is reduced when the melt composition is slightly As-rich. Twenty GaAs crystals were grown from stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric melts. The results suggest that the barrier to twin formation is related to the stoichiometry of the solid at the solidification front.
Effects of heavy Higgs scalars at low energies

Working within the left-right--symmetric SU(2)/sub L/ x SU(2)/sub R/ x U(1) gauge theory of weak and electromagnetic interactions we find that contrary to the usual belief heavy Higgs scalars do not decouple in low-energy phenomena.
The volatility of silica with steam

In 1930, Van Nieuwenburg and Blumendal (C. J. Van Nieuwenburg and H. B. Blumendal, Rec. trav. chim. Pays-Bas, v. 49, 857, 1930) published results of experiments which indicated a marked solubility of silica in a compressed aqueous vapor. In two later publications (C. J. Van Nieuwenburg and H. B. Blumendal, Rec. trav. chim. Pays-Bas, v. 50, 129 and 989, 1931) they give the results of further experiments, in which the transport of silica through the aqueous vapor is utilized to produce pneumatolytic syntheses of several minerals. The transport of silica through a highly compressed aqueous vapor is a phenomenon which is in harmony with certain geological speculations; for example, the presence of well-developed quartz crystals in lithophysae is commonly ascribed to such vapor-transport. Experimental evidence demonstrating the reality of such a solubility of silica in a compressed aqueous vapor-phase above the critical temperature of water would be of importance in geology, and would meet with a sympathetic reception. Nevertheless, the magnitude of the transport found by Van Nieuwenburg and Blumendal is surprisingly large, and is not in harmony with the work of the many others who have heated silica with water in bombs. For example, Table 1 is reproduced from the first paper cited, and shows a transport of as high as 0.3 gram of silica in 24 hours. With so marked a solubility of silica in the vapor-phase one would expect amorphous silica to crystallize completely to the stable phase, quartz, over night; but with pure amorphous silica the crystallization is slow, and the unstable forms, tridymite and especially cristobalite, are commonly formed.
Theoretical‐plate concept in chromatography

The theoretical-plate concept in chromatography has been treated on the basis of continuous flow of eluent through the plates of the column. A treatment more precise in principle than the previous treatments is presented. General elution and deposition equations have been derived and applied to special cases of practical interest. The derived formulas have the advantage of precision, generality, and simplicity. The theory was found adaptable to the treatment of gradient elution and also to the calculation of the fraction of solute which has been eluted or still-adsorbed on the column during the elution process. A method for the determination of the number of theoretical plates in a chromatographic column is also described.
Recent advances in genetic predisposition to clinical acute lung injury

It has been well established that acute lung injury (ALI), and the more severe presentation of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), constitute complex traits characterized by a multigenic and multifactorial etiology. Identification and validation of genetic variants contributing to disease susceptibility and severity has been hampered by the profound heterogeneity of the clinical phenotype and the role of environmental factors, which includes treatment, on outcome. The critical nature of ALI and ARDS, compounded by the impact of phenotypic heterogeneity, has rendered the amassing of sufficiently powered studies especially challenging. Nevertheless, progress has been made in the identification of genetic variants in select candidate genes, which has enhanced our understanding of the specific pathways involved in disease manifestation. Identification of novel candidate genes for which genetic association studies have confirmed a role in disease has been greatly aided by the powerful tool of high-throughput expression profiling. This article will review these studies to date, summarizing candidate genes associated with ALI and ARDS, acknowledging those that have been replicated in independent populations, with a special focus on the specific pathways for which candidate genes identified so far can be clustered.
A microwave oscillator, S-parameter design and computer algorithm

The author describes a closed-form solution and supporting computer program for an oscillator design based on S-parameters, a predetermined Q of a resonator, and a predetermined load or source impedance for the active device. Design steps for synthesizing an oscillator meeting these conditions are presented. The oscillator design sequence allows the circuit designer to design the oscillator with two- or three-port device data as appropriate. The equation includes the losses of the feedback elements. >
Psychometric Properties of the FACES-IV in a Pediatric Oncology Population

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales, version IV (FACES-IV) in families of children with cancer. Methods As part of a larger program of research, 147 mothers and 40 fathers from 162 families of children with cancer completed the FACES-IV. Parents and one healthy child from each family (77 girls; age M ¼ 12.8, SD ¼ 2.8) completed additional measures of family functioning and parenting. Results Internal consistencies above .70 were found for all subscales except one (Enmeshed, a ¼ .65). Intercorrelations of the subscales were similar to the validation sample but seemed inconsistent with the Circumplex Model on which the measure is based. Analyses raised questions regarding construct validity for the Enmeshed and Rigid subscales. Conclusions These preliminary findings suggest that more research is needed prior to widespread use of the FACES-IV in pediatric oncology populations.
Effects of Moisture on Ignition Behavior of Moist California Chaparral and Utah Leaves

Abstract Individual cuttings from eight plant species native to California chaparral or Utah were burned in a well-controlled, well-instrumented facility. Gas temperatures above a flat-flame burner were controlled at 987 ± 12°C and 10 ± 0.5 mol% O2, resulting in a heat flux at the leaf surface varying from 80–140 kW/m2. High moisture leaves were observed to burst due to the rapid escape of vapor from the leaf interior. Bubbles in or on the leaf surface were observed for leaves with moderate moisture contents. A large number of leaf temperature measurements were made, along with measurements of the ignition time and temperature, flame height, and flame duration. Average ignition temperatures were species dependent, ranging from 227°C to 453°C, with a large degree of scatter from leaf to leaf. Correlations of time to ignition and ignition temperature were made, but showed only a weak dependence on leaf thickness and almost no dependence on mass of moisture in the leaf. Leaf samples with similar mass showed ...
Corrupt Organizations or Organizations of Corrupt Individuals? Two Types of Organization-Level Corruption

We focus on two fundamental dimensions of corruption in organizations: (1) whether the individual or the organization is the beneficiary of the corrupt activity and (2) whether the corrupt behavior is undertaken by an individual actor or by two or more actors. We use these dimensions to define a new conceptualization of corruption at the organization level: the organization of corrupt individuals. We contrast this conceptualization with the prevailing concept of organizational corruption and develop propositions that highlight their differences.
Closed-Loop Control of an Underactuated Sheet Registration Device Using Feedback Linearization and Gain Scheduling

Over the past few decades, the two-wheeled driven cart, also known as the unicycle wheeled mobile robot or wheeled mobile robot with independently driven wheels, has been a favorite case study in the literature on nonholonomic control. In this paper, we show how input-output linearization of a cart can be leveraged for a novel and practical application, closed-loop control of a differential-drive sheet registration device. The current state of the art for control for such a device, typically found in xerographic engines like printers and copiers, is open-loop motion planning. We present a closed-loop method that achieves full-state trajectory tracking via input-output linearization and asymptotically stable internal dynamics. To achieve rapid convergence while satisfying acceleration constraints, we apply elementary gain scheduling to the output tracking controller of the linearized input-output system. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the discrete-time implementation of our control strategy, which is based on a kinematic model with acceleration as the control input.
Molecular determinants of the pKa values of Asp and Glu residues in staphylococcal nuclease.

Prior computational studies of the acid-unfolding behavior of staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) suggest that the pKa values of its carboxylic groups are difficult to reproduce with electrostatics calculations with continuum methods. To examine the molecular determinants of the pKa values of carboxylic groups in SNase, the pKa values of all 20 Asp and Glu residues were measured with multidimensional and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy in an acid insensitive variant of SNase. The crystal structure of the protein was obtained to describe the microenvironments of the carboxylic groups. Fourteen Asp and Glu residues titrate with relatively normal pKa values that are depressed by less than 1.1 units relative to the normal pKa of Asp and Glu in water. Only six residues have pKa values shifted by more than 1.5 units. Asp-21 has an unusually high pKa of 6.5, which is probably the result of interactions with other carboxylic groups at the active site. The most perturbed pKa values appear to be governed by hydrogen bonding and not by Coulomb interactions. The pKa values calculated with standard continuum electrostatics methods applied to static structures are more depressed than the measured values because Coulomb effects are exaggerated in the calculations. The problems persist even when the protein is treated with the dielectric constant of water. This can be interpreted to imply that structural relaxation is an important determinant of the pKa values; however, no major pH-sensitive conformational reorganization of the backbone was detected using NMR spectroscopy. Proteins 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Using MODIS LST data for high-resolution estimates of daily air temperature over Mississippi

Three datasets of surface and 2-m air temperature (MODIS LST gridded data, North American Regional Reanalysis surface fields, and meteorological observations from surface stations) with different spatial resolution ranging from a field scale to 32-km model grid have been used to evaluate a statistical relationship between Land Surface Temperature (LST) and daily 2-m maximum and minimum air temperature Ta. The datasets cover Mississippi and adjacent states for the period from June 2000 to September 2004. A comparison between correlations produced by MODIS LST versus observed Tmax and Reanalysis LST versus observed Tmax (surface and air temperature) were performed to assess effects of the averaging scale and the diurnal cycle. Seasonal changes in correlation pattern between December, January, and February (DJF) and June, July, and August (JJA) are revealed and examined.
Can Qualitative Researchers Answer Policymakers' What-Works Question?.

The article asks whether constructivist qualitative researchers have anything to offer policymakers who expect researchers to tell them what works. The first part of the article addresses philosophical objections to characterizing the social world in cause/effect terms. Specifically, it considers whether it is legitimate for qualitative researchers who claim to be employing a constructivist research paradigm to even attempt to provide the sort of simplified causal explanations that policy makers normally expect. The second part of the article takes a more empirical tack by focusing on three recent evaluation studies in which funders wanted to learn what types of programs they should support to produce desired results. The underlying question in this part of the article is pragmatic: Even if there is no paradigmatic prohibition against attempting to answer policymakers’ what-works question, are constructivist qualitative researchers able to answer policymakers’ bottom-line question in a defensible way?
Catie: A case study of one first grader's reading status

Abstract This ethnographic case study focused on the reading status of one student. Catie, a first‐grade girl in a midwestern elementary school, was characterized by her teacher as being at‐risk for reading failure. Data were collected over a three month period using participant observation, document research, and interviews. A constant comparison method of data analysis resulted in a narrative description of the classroom context in which the student functioned. Results showed reading‐related factors, student factors, and teacher factors interacted to shape and maintain Catie's status as an at‐risk reader in her classroom. This study illustrates the relationships between teacher perceptions, social class, and student performance.
Demonstration Assessment of Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Roadway Lighting, I-35W Bridge, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Phase II Report

On the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the GATEWAY program conducted a two-phase demonstration of LED roadway lighting on the main span, which is one of the country's oldest continuously operated exterior LED lighting installations. The Phase II report documents longer-term performance of the LED lighting system that was installed in 2008, and is the first report on the longer-term performance of LED lighting in the field.
Optimal aggregation of FcεRI with a structurally defined trivalent ligand overrides negative regulation driven by phosphatases.

To investigate why responses of mast cells to antigen-induced IgE receptor (FceRI) aggregation depend nonlinearly on antigen dose, we characterized a new artificial ligand, DF3, through complementary modeling and experimentation. This ligand is a stable trimer of peptides derived from bacteriophage T4 fibritin, each conjugated to a hapten (DNP). We found low and high doses of DF3 at which degranulation of mast cells sensitized with DNP-specific IgE is minimal, but ligand-induced receptor aggregation is comparable to aggregation at an intermediate dose, optimal for degranulation. This finding makes DF3 an ideal reagent for studying the balance of negative and positive signaling in the FceRI pathway. We find that the lipid phosphatase SHIP and the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 negatively regulate mast cell degranulation over all doses considered. In contrast, SHP-2 promotes degranulation. With high DF3 doses, relatively rapid recruitment of SHIP to the plasma membrane may explain the reduced degranulation response. Our results demonstrate that optimal secretory responses of mast cells depend on the formation of receptor aggregates that promote sufficient positive signaling by Syk to override phosphatase-mediated negative regulatory signals.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH BIBLIOGRAPHY: JULY 1977—JUNE 1978 ARTICLES, BOOKS, NEWSLETTERS, COURT CASES, AND DISSERTATIONS

(1978). FREEDOM OF SPEECH BIBLIOGRAPHY: JULY 1977—JUNE 1978 ARTICLES, BOOKS, NEWSLETTERS, COURT CASES, AND DISSERTATIONS. Free Speech Yearbook: Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 125-152.
Persistence of Low Hypothalamic Dopaminergic Activity after Removal of Chronic Estrogen Treatment

The purpose of this study was to determine whether inhibition of tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic (TIDA) neuron function which occurs during chronic estrogen administration persists after removal of the estrogen. Ovariectomized (OVX) Fischer 344 (F344) rats were implanted for 4 weeks with a Silastic capsule containing estradiol-17 beta (E2) and controls with an empty capsule for 4 weeks. Other rats which received E2 for 4 weeks had the capsule removed and experiments performed 4 weeks later. At the end of 4 weeks of E2 treatment, anterior pituitary (AP) weight was increased sixfold, serum prolactin (PRL) 65-fold, and AP DNA content fivefold over OVX control rats. Four weeks after removal of E2, AP weight, serum PRL, and AP DNA content declined, but remained significantly above OVX control values. At the end of 4 weeks of E2 treatment and after E2 withdrawal, release of [3H]dopamine (DA) from median eminence (ME) tissue superfused in vitro was lower than from ME of OVX control rats although [3H]DA accumulation was not significantly different among the treatment groups. Administration of apomorphine (APO), a dopamine agonist, significantly reduced plasma prolactin levels in OVX control rats, in rats at the end of 4 weeks E2 treatment, and in rats after 4 weeks of E2 withdrawal. Injection of haloperidol (HALO) produced similar increases in plasma PRL/estimated PRL-cell DNA in OVX controls, at the end of E2 treatment or after E2 withdrawal. However, injection of morphine (MOR), a drug which increases the release of PRL by inhibiting hypothalamic dopaminergic activity, resulted in a rise in plasma PRL/estimated PRL-cell DNA in OVX control rats that was significantly greater compared to rats at the end of E2 treatment or after E2 withdrawal. Since rats treated with E2 released less [3H]DA from ME tissue in vitro, and were less responsive to MOR, it can be that animals treated for 4 weeks with E2 show a decreased ability to release DA from TIDA neurons which persists even after termination of E2 treatment. These results suggest that chronic high circulating E2 levels result in a depression of TIDA neuronal activity which is sustained after E2 is removed.
Lysyl oxidase gene expressions in the posterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts co-cultured with synovial cells

BACKGROUND: The posterior cruciate ligament is an important ligament contributing to the stability and normal functioning of the knee joint. Compared to the medial collateral ligament, the posterior cruciate ligament has a poor healing ability and often leads to significant knee instability and secondary knee damage including meniscus tears and articular cartilage injuries. In attempting to improve the healing ability of injured posterior cruciate ligament, we need to find new ways for regeneration and repair of injured posterior cruciate ligament. Previous studies have demonstrated that lysyl oxidases play an important role in the tissue repair mechanism, but the effect of lysyl oxidases from injured posterior cruciate ligament on the process of wound repair remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of lysyl oxidases in the posterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts co-cultured with synovial cells. METHODS: The fourth passage of posterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts and synovial cells were placed in 6-well plates and Transwell, respectively. Two groups were designed as follows, posterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts group as control and co-cultured group termed as test group. At 6 hours after co-culture, total RNA was isolated and the expressions of lysyl oxidases in the posterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts were analyzed by semi-quantitative reverse-transcription PCR and quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results revealed that co-culture contributed to up-regulations of lysyl oxidases compared with the control group, and gene levels were up to 1.1 folds in lysyl oxidase, 1.4 folds in lysyl oxidase-like 1 protein, 1.1 folds in lysyl oxidase-like 2 protein, 1.3 folds in lysyl oxidase-like 3 protein, 1.1 folds in lysyl oxidase-like 4 protein in co-cultured posterior cruciate ligament cells (P 0.05). The differential expression of lysyl oxidases in co-cultured posterior cruciate ligament cells implies that cell-cell interaction and crosstalk are related with posterior cruciate ligament wound healing and have significant potential value and clinical usage for cure of injured posterior cruciate ligament.
American Design Patent Law: A Legal History, Ch. 6 - Design Patent Remedies

American patent law contains an optional remedies provision for design patent infringement. The provision, which originated in 1887 in response to the Supreme Court’s decisions in a series of test cases about carpet designs (the “Carpet Cases”), permits design patent owners to elect either a fixed award ($250) or an award of the infringer’s total profits on sales of any product bearing the infringing design. The history of this provision has been invoked routinely in recent debates, but the literature contains no definitive account of that history. Here, we examine the state of patent remedies law as it existed before the 1887 Act; we consider in detail the record of the Carpet Cases; and we examine the legislative history of the 1887 Act, connecting it to its British antecedent. We present a number of new findings about the Carpet Cases and about the ensuing Congressional debate that produced the 1887 Act.
A Look at Piecewise Sequential Sampling Under Allocation

In a recent paper, Mukhopadhyay and Sen (Sequential Anal. 12 (1993), 179-197) had introduced the ideas of piecewise replicated stopping numbers and explored their roles in sequential estimation. Later, Mukhopadhyay and Datta (Sequential Anal. 13 (1994), 253-276) extended such roles of piecewise sampling in the setup of multistage experimentations. In the present note, we investigate some of the classical problems in estimation, comparing means, and selecting the laTgest mean, in the presence of optimal resource allocation under a general framework of piecewise sequential sampling scheme.
Alternatives to Government Regulation for the Management of Technological Risks

Before the creation of the various health, safety, and environmental regulatory programs of the 1960s and 1970s, there already existed a number of legal mechanisms with the potential to stimulate proper risk management on the part of those who generate risk. These mechanisms commonly operated in a laissez faire fashion and, taken together, did provide some incentive for risk management—for example, to avoid future liability or other economic consequences. This risk-deterrent effect, however, was often ponderously slow and indirect.
Fair resource allocation in the citizens broadband radio service band

The Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band has three tiers of users. The General Authorized Access (GAA) has the lowest priority and operates without a license. A Spectrum Access System (SAS) is responsible for managing spectrum among the users. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules specify that GAA users be allocated resources in a fair manner, but the method to do so is left open. It is envisioned that there will be multiple SAS operators in a given region. Thus, fair partitioning of resources among SASs and fair allocation of spectrum to GAA users are important factors. In this paper, we present methods to partition resources among SASs and mechanisms that can be used by a SAS to allocate resources to a GAA user to ensure fairness.
Preoperative and Postoperative Considerations in Gender-Affirming Surgery

The review is aimed at determining critical factors in the preoperative and postoperative care of transgender patients undergoing gender-affirming surgery. General and procedure-specific considerations are summarized to improve the longitudinal perioperative care of transgender patients. Surgical providers should follow World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) guidelines regarding eligibility for surgery. Important elements in preoperative evaluation include mental health screening, fertility discussion, and adjustment of hormone replacement therapy. Postoperative considerations include proper cancer screening, mental health support, appropriate outcomes assessment, and awareness of potential procedure specific complications. Proper perioperative care for transgender patients undergoing gender-affirming surgery involves a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare to create a comprehensive treatment environment at an institutional level.
Organizational Culture, Social Equity, and Diversity: Teaching Public Administration Education in the Postmodern Era

An important issue closely related to social equity in public service delivery is the teaching of diversity/diversity management in public administration education.This essay addresses this observa...
A Happy Combination? Great Interests, Particular Interests, and State-Federal Conflicts over Public Lands

This article analyzes recent developments regarding public lands and their management, focusing on state demands to gain control over federal lands and controversies over national monument designation and the legality of monument reductions. I place recent conflicts over public lands in historical context and show that they are, for the most part, nothing new. Since the 1890s, when the first forest reserves (now national forests) were established, there have been calls to transfer much of the federally managed public lands to states for their management or sell them to private interests. There has also been a century-plus disagreement over natural-resources use versus protection of these same lands. I argue that these conflicts generally follow predictable patterns, while also noting several recent departures from historical patterns.
Bi- and Tetra-Critical Behavior of Uniaxially Stressed LaA103

Multicritical points with different topologies result from a variety of reasons. Consider the isotropic Landau-Ginsburg-Wilson Hamiltonian1 $$H = \smallint d{x^d}(\frac{1}{2}(r|\overrightarrow s (\overrightarrow x ){|^2} + c|\nabla \overrightarrow s \left( {\overrightarrow x } \right){|^2}) + u{\left( {s\left( {\overrightarrow x } \right)} \right)^4} + h.o.)$$ (1) \(\left| {s\left( {\overrightarrow x } \right)} \right.\left| {^2 = \sum\limits_{i = 1}^h {s_i^2} \left( {\overrightarrow x } \right)} \right.\), where d is the lattice dimensionality, and n the dimensionality of the order parameter, r — T — T0. If u vanishes, a tricritical and if c → 0, a Lifshitz point will result. Nonvanishing higher-order terms, h.o., then stabilize H.
Chapter 34 – Testing Natural Killer Cells

This chapter discusses the relevance of natural killer (NK) cells to cancer resistance and cancer prognosis. NK cells are essential effectors of the innate anticancer immunity that spontaneously kill transformed cells, eliminate blood-borne metastases, and characteristically respond to cancer. Consequently, NK cells reflect both host ability to fight cancer and cancer development, and thus sense cancer outcome. These cells utilize two major constitutive mechanisms to recognize and kill cancer cells: (1) the secretory/necrotic mechanism, which is mediated by secretion and cytolytic activity of perforin/granzymes and (2) the nonsecretory/apoptotic mechanism, which is mediated by transmembrane proapoptotic TNF family ligands. The studies reviewed in this chapter on the number and function of NK cells in peripheral blood, tumor tissues, and tumor-draining lymph nodes of cancer patients provide evidence that NK cells sensitively recognize and characteristically respond to cancer and that these responses may serve as reliable markers of host resistance/susceptibility to cancer and cancer prognosis. The available data indicate that NK cells infiltrating tumor tissues and lymph nodes might be more reliable predictors of cancer outcome than blood NK cells.
A life exposed (and better for it).

Kjersti Aagaard is a practicing maternal–fetal medicine obstetrician at Texas Children’s and Ben Taub Hospitals and a reproductive biologist at Baylor College of Medicine. She studies a myriad of aspects of the microbiome, including how it can influence pregnancy and the developing infant.
Sex and Intimacy

IBD affects patients of all ages, but onset is often during the first 2–3 decades of life. Consequently the diagnosis often coincides with when individuals are developing relationships and becoming sexually active. It is well-recognised that chronic diseases can impact on sexual function. Unfortunately this subject is rarely discussed with IBD patients in busy clinics, despite increasing evidence that it affects these patients. Various factors impact on sexual function including psychological factors (anxiety, depression and body image), disease activity and symptoms, medications and sexual health. Discussing concerns and problems with patients is important, and there are simple measures that can be made, and resources available, to help these patients remain in successful relationships.
Diabetic trends and associated mortality in tuberculosis patients in Texas, a large population-based analysis

Abstract Background Tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) comorbidity (TB-DM) is a major public health challenge worldwide. This analysis aimed to determine the risk factors and trends associated with TB-DM morbidity and mortality. Methods Risk factors for TB-DM morbidity and mortality were identified by logistic regression using de-identified surveillance data of all TB patients from Texas, USA. reported between 01/2010–12/2016. Non-parametric testing was used for the morbidity and mortality trends. Results From 2010 to 2016, 1400/9002 (15.6%) TB patients were diabetic with an annual prevalence increase from 12.5% to 18.7% (p = 0.005). Reported TB-DM patients had a higher mortality (10.3%) than non-DM patients (7.6%, p = 0.001) with nearly a 3-fold increase in the odds of death (overall and during treatment). Older age, being Hispanic, chronic kidney failure, pulmonary cavitation and positive TB culture or smear were associated with TB-DM. Age ≥45, US-birth, resident of long-term care facility, injecting-drug user, chronic kidney disease, TB meningitis, abnormal chest radiograph, non-conversion of culture, and HIV(+) were independently associated with a higher mortality. Conclusions TB-DM is an increasing public health problem in Texas with significantly high mortality. Risk factors for mortality determined by multivariate modeling will provide a foundation for the development of more effective strategies for TB-DM management.
Selective attenuation of Ether-a-go-go related K + currents by endogenous acetylcholine reduces spike-frequency adaptation and network correlation

Most neurons do not simply convert inputs into firing rates. Instead, moment-to-moment firing rates reflect interactions between synaptic inputs and intrinsic currents. Few studies investigated how intrinsic currents function together to modulate output discharges and which of the currents attenuated by synthetic cholinergic ligands are actually modulated by endogenous acetylcholine (ACh). In this study we optogenetically stimulated cholinergic fibers in rat neocortex and find that ACh enhances excitability by reducing Ether-a-go-go Related Gene (ERG) K+ current. We find ERG mediates the late phase of spike-frequency adaptation in pyramidal cells and is recruited later than both SK and M currents. Attenuation of ERG during coincident depolarization and ACh release leads to reduced late phase spike-frequency adaptation and persistent firing. In neuronal ensembles, attenuating ERG enhanced signal-to-noise ratios and reduced signal correlation, suggesting that these two hallmarks of cholinergic function in vivo may result from modulation of intrinsic properties.
The Global West: Other Wests and Indian Wars, 1919–1945

This chapter looks at how the earlier North American precedent—especially its brutal treatment of Indian peoples—served as inspiration, legitimation, and model for two mid-twentieth-century imperial-colonial projects. Specifically, it sketches the historical experiences of the Japanese Wartime Empire, 1931–1945 and the Nazi-German East European Empire, 1939–1945—noting how contemporaries viewed each of these similar imperial-colonial projects through the lens of the Anglo-American settler-colonial supplanting project. In both of the cases surveyed, it also discusses the inspiration provided by an American-like national myth of God-given destiny and the usage and significance of the Anglo-American colonial trope of Indian wars.