cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting acute radiation induced xerostomia in head and neck Cancer using MR and CT Radiomics of parotid and submandibular glands

To analyze baseline CT/MR-based image features of salivary glands to predict radiation-induced xerostomia 3-months after head-and-neck cancer (HNC) radiotherapy. A retrospective analysis was performed on 266 HNC patients who were treated using radiotherapy at our institution between 2009 and 2018. CT and T1 post-contrast MR images along with NCI-CTCAE xerostomia grade (3-month follow-up) were prospectively collected at our institution. CT and MR images were registered on which parotid/submandibular glands were contoured. Image features were extracted for ipsilateral/contralateral parotid and submandibular glands relative to the location of the primary tumor. Dose-volume-histogram (DVH) parameters were also acquired. Features were pre-selected based on Spearman correlation before modelling by examining the correlation with xerostomia (p < 0.05). A shrinkage regression analysis of the pre-selected features was performed using LASSO. The internal validity of the variable selection was estimated by repeating the entire variable selection procedure using a leave-one-out-cross-validation. The most frequently selected variables were considered in the final model. A generalized linear regression with repeated ten-fold cross-validation was developed to predict radiation-induced xerostomia at 3-months after radiotherapy. This model was tested in an independent dataset (n = 50) of patients who were treated at the same institution in 2017–2018. We compared the prediction performances under eight conditions (DVH-only, CT-only, MR-only, CT + MR, DVH + CT, DVH + CT + MR, Clinical+CT + MR, and Clinical+DVH + CT + MR) using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC). Among extracted features, 7 CT, 5 MR, and 2 DVH features were selected. The internal cohort (n = 216) ROC-AUC values for DVH, CT, MR, and Clinical+DVH + CT + MR features were 0.73 ± 0.01, 0.69 ± 0.01, 0.70 ± 0.01, and 0.79 ± 0.01, respectively. The validation cohort (n = 50) ROC-AUC values for DVH, CT, MR, and Clinical+DVH + CT + MR features were 0.63, 0.57, 0.66, and 0.68, respectively. The DVH-ROC was not significantly different than the CT-ROC (p = 0.8) or MR-ROC (p = 0.4). However, the CT + MR-ROC was significantly different than the CT-ROC (p = 0.03), but not the Clinical+DVH + CT + MR model (p = 0.5). Our results suggest that baseline CT and MR image features may reflect baseline salivary gland function and potential risk for radiation injury. The integration of baseline image features into prediction models has the potential to improve xerostomia risk stratification with the ultimate goal of truly personalized HNC radiotherapy.
Global Tarantella: reinventing southern Italian folk music and dances: by Incoronata Inserra, Urbana, University of Illinois Press, 2017, x+210 pp., $25 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-252-08283-2

Incoronata Inserra’s Global Tarantella invites readers to re-focus their attention on the music and dance of the southern Italian tarantella. In recent years, the revival of the pizzica tarantella ...
The logic of transnational outbidding: Pledging allegiance and the escalation of violence:

The phenomenon of outbidding, in which terrorist groups escalate their attacks in response to competition from other groups, has long been studied in a domestic terrorism context. If groups exist i...
Comparative pathology of human and canine myxomatous mitral valve degeneration: 5HT and TGF-β mechanisms

Myxomatous mitral valve degeneration (MMVD) is a leading cause of valve repair or replacement secondary to the production of mitral regurgitation, cardiac enlargement, systolic dysfunction, and heart failure. The pathophysiology of myxomatous mitral valve degeneration is complex and incompletely understood, but key features include activation and transformation of mitral valve (MV) valvular interstitial cells (VICs) into an active phenotype leading to remodeling of the extracellular matrix and compromise of the structural components of the mitral valve leaflets. Uncovering the mechanisms behind these events offers the potential for therapies to prevent, delay, or reverse myxomatous mitral valve degeneration. One such mechanism involves the neurotransmitter serotonin (5HT), which has been linked to development of valvulopathy in a variety of settings, including valvulopathy induced by serotonergic drugs, Serotonin-producing carcinoid tumors, and development of valvulopathy in laboratory animals exposed to high levels of serotonin. Similar to humans, the domestic dog also experiences naturally occurring myxomatous mitral valve degeneration, and in some breeds of dogs, the lifetime prevalence of myxomatous mitral valve degeneration reaches 100%. In dogs, myxomatous mitral valve degeneration has been associated with high serum serotonin, increased expression of serotonin-receptors, autocrine production of serotonin within the mitral valve leaflets, and downregulation of serotonin clearance mechanisms. One pathway closely associated with serotonin involves transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and the two pathways share a common ability to activate mitral valve valvular interstitial cells in both humans and dogs. Understanding the role of serotonin and transforming growth factor beta in myxomatous mitral valve degeneration gives rise to potential therapies, such as 5HT receptor (5HT-R) antagonists. The main purposes of this review are to highlight the commonalities between myxomatous mitral valve degeneration in humans and dogs, with specific regards to serotonin and transforming growth factor beta, and to champion the dog as a relevant and particularly valuable model of human disease that can accelerate development of novel therapies.
Dropsonde Observations of the Ageostrophy within the Pre-Cold-Frontal Low-Level Jet Associated with Atmospheric Rivers

AbstractThe pre-cold-frontal low-level jet (LLJ) is an important contributor for water vapor transport within atmospheric rivers, though its dynamics are not completely understood. The present stud...
ARE UNCLICKED ADS WASTED? ENDURING EFFECTS OF BANNER AND POP-UP AD EXPOSURES ON BRAND MEMORY AND ATTITUDES

Do creative ad executions like large ad sizes and intrusive ad formats that enhance communication outcomes and clickthroughs immediately after ad exposure persist over time? In examining this question, we focus on the role of advertisement size (large vs. small) and ad exposure format (intrusive vs. voluntary) on immediate and delayed brand recall, ad recognition and brand attitude in web-based media. Voluntary exposure ad formats like banners and text ads are more likely to be cognitively avoided since it is an automatic, subconscious process that occurs in parallel with the browsing activity and does not require any behavioral action by the consumer. Intrusive ad formats like pop-ups that interrupt browsing activity and demand immediate response are more likely to be physically avoided by closing them. Prior research on preattentive processing and endurance of implicit/ explicit memory and memory for subgoals supports our findings that gains from using intrusive ads accrue when ad sizes are small and negative impact of intrusiveness decay over time.
Biomedical Freshman Research Initiative: A Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

The Biomedical Freshman Research Initiative (BFRI) is a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), a hispanic-serving institution. O...
Observation of nanoscale opto-mechanical molecular damping as the origin of spectroscopic contrast in photo induced force microscopy

Infrared photoinduced force microscopy (IR-PiFM) is a scanning probe spectroscopic technique that maps sample morphology and chemical properties on the nanometer (nm)-scale. Fabricated samples with nm periodicity such as self-assembly of block copolymer films can be chemically characterized by IR-PiFM with relative ease. Despite the success of IR-PiFM, the origin of spectroscopic contrast remains unclear, preventing the scientific community from conducting quantitative measurements. Here we experimentally investigate the contrast mechanism of IR-PiFM for recording vibrational resonances. We show that the measured spectroscopic information of a sample is directly related to the energy lost in the oscillating cantilever, which is a direct consequence of a molecule excited at its vibrational optical resonance—coined as opto-mechanical damping. The quality factor of the cantilever and the local sample polarizability can be mathematically correlated, enabling quantitative analysis. The basic theory for dissipative tip-sample interactions is introduced to model the observed opto-mechanical damping. Existing high-dimensional optical imaging techniques that record space and polarization cannot detect the photon’s time of arrival due to the limited speeds of electronic sensors. Here, the authors develop a single-shot ultrafast imaging modality to record light-speed high-dimensional events with picosecond resolution.
Cystathionine γ-lyase promotes estrogen-stimulated uterine artery blood flow via glutathione homeostasis

During pregnancy, estrogen (E2) stimulates uterine artery blood flow (UBF) by enhancing nitric oxide (NO)-dependent vasodilation. Cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) promotes vascular NO signaling by producing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and by maintaining the ratio of reduced-to-oxidized intracellular glutathione (GSH/GSSG) through l-cysteine production. Because redox homeostasis can influence NO signaling, we hypothesized that CSE mediates E2 stimulation of UBF by modulating local intracellular cysteine metabolism and GSH/GSSG levels to promote redox homeostasis. Using non-pregnant ovariectomized WT and CSE-null (CSE KO) mice, we performed micro-ultrasound of mouse uterine and renal arteries to assess changes in blood flow upon exogenous E2 stimulation. We quantified serum and uterine artery NO metabolites (NOx), serum amino acids, and uterine and renal artery GSH/GSSG. WT and CSE KO mice exhibited similar baseline uterine and renal blood flow. Unlike WT, CSE KO mice did not exhibit expected E2 stimulation of UBF. Renal blood flow was E2-insensitive for both genotypes. While serum and uterine artery NOx were similar between genotypes at baseline, E2 decreased NOx in CSE KO serum. Cysteine was also lower in CSE KO serum, while citrulline and homocysteine levels were elevated. E2 and CSE deletion additively decreased GSH/GSSG in uterine arteries. In contrast, renal artery GSH/GSSG was insensitive to E2 or CSE deletion. Together, these findings suggest that CSE maintenance of uterine artery GSH/GSSG facilitates nitrergic signaling in uterine arteries and is required for normal E2 stimulation of UBF. These data have implications for pregnancy pathophysiology and the selective hormone responses of specific vascular beds.
Optimal choice of characteristics for a nonexcludable good

In this model, a principal decides whether to produce one indivisible good and which characteristics it contains. Agents are differentiated along two substitutable dimensions: a vertical parameter that captures their valuation for the good, and a horizontal parameter that captures their disutility when the characteristics are distant from their preferred ones. When valuations are private information, the principal produces a good with characteristics more on the lines of the preferences of the agent with the lowest valuation. Under asymmetric information on the horizontal dimension, the principal biases the decision in favor of the agent who incurs the highest disutility.
Asian Land Conflicts and the Great Transformation: Fallacy of the Law and Development Long-Term View

In The Great Transformation (1944), Karl Polanyi described the modern era in terms of the transformation of labor, land, and money into commodities, and the expansion of the market as the basic organizing principle of society—a transformation championed by liberal economic theory. This transformation brought enormous social dislocation and mass poverty, while the wealthy benefited the most. Polanyi opposed the nigh total destruction of traditional communities that had previously given meaning to peoples’ lives, and the dismal living conditions and economic insecurity of laboring masses that resulted. Central elements of Polanyi’s account are playing out today across the terrain of Asian land disputes. The modern incarnation of liberal economic theory is neoliberalism of the “Washington Consensus,” involving titling property, enforcing contracts, removing market restraints, and other reforms, promoted across the Global South in the name of economic development. Special emphasis has been placed on the need for formal, individually held land titles, and free transferability. In theory, this produces security, predictability, and certainty, transforms land into capital, allows property to serve as collateral for loans, and facilitates the transfer of land to more economically productive uses. In location after location, however, the introduction of formal property rights has exacerbated uncertainty and insecurity over property, creating conflicts with customary land tenure and understandings in the community; people fear dispossession or are being dispossessed when their claim to the land is unrecognized or when governments appropriate land and transfer it to private enterprises for commercial uses. All too often, the results have been socially unjust, enhancing the rich at the expense of the poor. Nevertheless, the harmful consequences from land titling and expropriation is justified by governments and theorists as a necessary short-term price to pay to achieve long-term economic development. This essay is a commentary chapter for Land Law and Disputes in Asia: In Search of An Alternative for Development (forthcoming 2021), a collection of essays on land issues in Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. This essay begins with a brief description of Polanyi’s thesis, then it discusses the chapters in connection with the following topics: Subsistence versus Productive Ideologies; Socialist Liberal Market Economies; State Expropriation of Land for Private Uses; The Survival of Community; State Law Monism versus Community Customary Law; The Fallacy of the Long Term View; Guidelines for Equitable Land Development.
Protocol for a randomised controlled trial on the feasibility and effects of 10-hour time-restricted eating on cardiometabolic disease risk among career firefighters doing 24-hour shift work: the Healthy Heroes Study.

Author(s): Manoogian, Emily NC; Zadourian, Adena; Lo, Hannah C; Gutierrez, Nikko R; Shoghi, Azarin; Rosander, Ashley; Pazargadi, Aryana; Wang, Xinran; Fleischer, Jason G; Golshan, Shahrokh; Taub, Pam R; Panda, Satchidananda | Abstract: IntroductionCareer firefighters experience chronic circadian rhythm disruption, increasing their risk of cardiometabolic disease. The recent discovery that eating patterns regulate circadian rhythmicity in metabolic organs has raised the hypothesis that maintaining a consistent daily cycle of eating and fasting can support circadian rhythms and reduce disease risks. Preclinical animal studies and preliminary clinical trials have shown promising effects of time-restricted eating (TRE) to reduce disease risk without compromising physical performance. However, there is a lack of research on TRE in shift workers including firefighters. This study aims to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of 10-hour TRE on health parameters that contribute to cardiometabolic disease risks among career firefighters who work on a 24-hour shift schedule.Methods and analysesThe Healthy Heroes Study is a randomised controlled parallel open-label clinical trial with 150 firefighters over 1 year. Firefighters are randomised with a 1:1 ratio to either the control or intervention group. The control group receives Mediterranean diet nutritional counselling (standard of care, 'SOC'). The intervention group receives the same SOC and a self-selected 10-hour TRE window. After the 2-week baseline, participants enter a 3-month monitored intervention, followed by a 9-month self-guided period with follow-up assessments. The impact of TRE on blood glucose, body weight, body composition, biomarkers (neuroendocrine, inflammatory and metabolic), sleep and mood is evaluated. These assessments occur at baseline, at the end of intervention and at 6, 9 and 12-month follow-ups. Temporal calorie intake is monitored with the smartphone application myCircadianClock throughout the study. Continuous glucose monitors, wrist-worn actigraphy device and questionnaires are used to monitor glucose levels, activity, sleep and light exposure.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of the University of California San Diego and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed manuscripts, reports and presentations.Trial registration numberNCT03533023; Pre result.
Quantitative analysis of nuclear pore complex organization in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The number, distribution and composition of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) in the nuclear envelope (NE) varies between cell types and changes during cellular differentiation and in disease. To understand how NPC density and organization is controlled, we analyzed NPC number and distribution in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe using structured illumination microscopy. The small size of yeast nuclei, genetic features of fungi and our robust image analysis pipeline allowed us to study NPCs in intact nuclei under multiple conditions. Our data revealed that NPC density is maintained across a wide range of nuclear sizes. Regions of reduced NPC density are observed over the nucleolus and surrounding the spindle pole body (SPB). Lem2-mediated tethering of the centromeres to the SPB is required to maintain NPC exclusion, which is important for timely mitotic progression. These findings provide a quantitative understanding of NPC number and distribution in S. pombe and show that interactions between the centromere and the NE influences local NPC distribution.
Exploring Gentrification Through Social Media Data and Text Clustering Techniques

Gentrification is a transformation of a working-class or an abandoned area of a city under the influence of redevelopment and influx of higher-income residents, which involves economic upgrading and replacement of long-term residents who were often of lower social status. Researchers utilize various qualitative and quantitative methodologies to measure the gentrification dynamics; however, incorporating human perceptions of neighborhoods into a large-scale measurement has not been much explored. Moreover, there is a lack of research considering gentrification dynamics at a finer spatio-temporal scale across a large area. This study introduces a novel data mining framework to examine gentrification dynamics utilizing social media data. Specifically, we developed a gentrification indicator, gentrification ambiance, to characterize the sense of gentrification. The indicator was extracted from geotagged Instagram posts by employing text processing and text clustering techniques. The spatial distribution of gentrification ambiance over years revealed that areas observed with a sense of gentrification closely correspond to the human-perceived gentrifying areas. Furthermore, clustering results delineated two types of gentrifications, residential-driven and commercial-driven gentrifications. Finally, the result portrayed the yearly changes of a sense of gentrification illustrating the potential gentrification expansion.
EFFECT OF EATING AT VARIOUS TIMES UPON SUBSEQUENT PERFORMANCES IN THE ONE-MILE RUN.

Abstract For each of three time intervals (½ hr., 1 hr., and 2 hr.) between eating and running and for a control run (no eating for at least 3 hr. before running) eight subjects each ran eight trials for the 2-mile run. The criterion score was the mean of eight trials for each time interval and for the control run. The analysis of the data indicates that, according to the F ratio, the eating of a small meal ½ hr., 1 hr., or 2 hr. before running has no adverse effect on the running times for the 2-mile run.
Prognostic Implications of Signet Ring Cell Histology in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND: Signet ring cell esophageal adenocarcinoma histology has been difficult to study in single institution series because of its relative rarity, yet has an anecdotal reputation for poor prognosis. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was examined to assess the prognostic implications of this esophageal adenocarcinoma subtype. METHODS: All patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma in the SEER database from 2004 to 2009 were included. Univariate and multivariate analyses examining the relationship of signet ring cell histology with overall survival were performed in all patients, as well as those undergoing surgical resection. RESULTS: A total of 596 of 11,825 (5%) study patients had signet ring cell histology. Patients with signet ring cell histology were similar in age, race, and sex distribution, but had a higher grade (P < .001) and higher stage (P < .001) at diagnosis. In both the all-patient group as well as those undergoing surgical resection, univariate analyses showed a worse survival in patients with signet ring cell esophageal cancer (hazard ratio [HR] 51.24; 95% confidence interval [CI] 51.13-1.36 and HR 51.57; 95% CI 51.29-1.93, respectively). In multivariate analyses adjusting for covariates, patients with signet ring cell cancer had a worse prognosis than those without (HR 51.18; 95% CI 51.07-1.30). In surgically resected patients, this remained a trend, but did not reach statistical significance (HR 51.16; 95% CI 50.94-1.42). CONCLUSIONS: This large study of esophageal adenocarcinoma confirms the clinical impression that signet ring cell variant of adenocarcinoma is associated with an advanced stage at presentation and a worse prognosis independent of stage of presentation. Cancer 2013;119:3156-61. V C 2013 American Cancer Society.
Les Artisans et la Conscience de Classe Ouvrière: nouvelles recherches aux États-Unis

Les recherches recentes sur les artisans aux Etats-Unis mettent l'accent sur le caractere evolutif du developpement capitaliste, sur la transmission des idees revolutionnaires du XVIIIe siecle au mouvement ouvrier du siecle suivant, sur la resistance des travailleurs a la discipline du travail en systeme capitaliste et sur le comportement des foules comme source d'analyse de la conscience populaire. Recent studies of American artisans have focused on the protracted nature of capitalist development, the transmission of eighteenth-century revolutionary ideas to the next century's labour movement, resistance to capitalist work discipline, and the value of crowd behaviour as a source of insight into popular consciousness.
Anthranilate synthetase. Partial purification and some kinetic studies on the enzyme from Escherichia coli.

Abstract Anthranilate synthetase was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and gel filtration from extracts of an episome-bearing Escherichia coli mutant grown under conditions of tryptophan pathway derepression. This purification represented an 18-fold increase in specific activity over the activity of the derepressed mutant extract. Starch gel electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation revealed only slight contamination of the anthranilate synthetase protein. An s20,w0 of 10.7 S was obtained for the native enzyme. Kinetic studies with anthranilate synthetase have been initiated. The reaction catalyzed by this enzyme requires two substrates, chorismate and l-glutamine. The reaction mechanism was found to be sequential, and the presence of one substrate on the active site of the enzyme does not affect the binding of the second substrate. In the presence of the feedback inhibitor, l-tryptophan, l-glutamine utilization is noncompetitively inhibited. In addition, l-tryptophan is a partially competitive inhibitor of chorismate utilization.
What Makes Biology Unique?: Considerations on the Autonomy of a Scientific Discipline

Introduction 1. Science and sciences 2. The autonomy of biology 3. Teleology 4. Analysis or reductionism 5. Darwin's influence on modern thought 6. Darwin's five theories of evolution 7. Maturation of Darwinism 8. Selection 9. Do Thomas Kuhn's scientific revolutions take place? 10. Another look at the species problem 11. The origin of human 12. Are we alone in this vast universe?
Increased blood pressure responses in neuropeptide Y transgenic rats

Considering the coexistence of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and norepinephrine in perivascular sympathetic nerves and the known vasoconstrictor cooperation of NPY with norepinephrine, we investigated the involvement of NPY in long-term control of cardiovascular functions using NPY transgenic (NPY-tg) rats. These rats were developed by injection of the rat (Sprague-Dawley) pronuclei with a 14.5-kb clone of the rat structural NPY gene. When compared with nontransgenic littermates, NPY concentrations were significantly increased in a number of cardiovascular tissues of NPY-tg hemizygotes. Direct basal mean arterial pressure and heart rate were not changed, but calculated total vascular resistance was significantly increased in NPY-tg subjects. Arterial pressure increases, in response to norepinephrine injection, were greater in the NPY-tg rats. Also, the hypotension and bradycardia in response to hemorrhage were significantly reduced in NPY-tg subjects. These results indicate that NPY, when expressed in increased amounts, potentiates the pressor effects of norepinephrine and contributes to maintaining blood pressure during hemorrhage, but it does not alter resting blood pressure. These transgenic rats will facilitate studies of the role of NPY signaling in cardiovascular regulation, particularly regarding its functional cooperation with norepinephrine.
Effects of Forage on Home-Range Size of Largemouth Bass

Abstract The influence of supplementary forage on home-range size of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides was studied via radio-telemetry. Largemouth bass were caught in Cedar Lake, Illinois, tagged, and released back to the lake either at an experimental feeder from which fathead minnows Pimephales promelas escaped at a rate of 10/hour or at a control feeder that never contained prey. Three largemouth bass released at the experimental feeder established home ranges that included the feeder. These home ranges were significantly (P = 0.05) smaller than the areas utilized by three largemouth bass released at the control feeder, and significantly (P < 0.05) smaller than natural home ranges for largemouth bass in the lake. The home ranges of fishes at the experimental feeder were 0.05, 0.09, and 0.10 hectares; fish released at the control feeder utilized areas of 1.27, 6.10, and 70.47 hectares. After the stocking of supplementary forage was stopped, two largemouth bass at the experimental feeder increased th...
Autofluorescence contributes to false-positive intracellular Foxp3 staining in macrophages: A lesson learned from flow cytometry

Forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) is well known for its highly restricted expression in T regulatory cells (Tregs). A recent study suggested the existence of a Foxp3 positive macrophage subpopulation in mouse bone marrow, spleen, liver, lymph nodes, and thymus that exhibited immune regulatory effect similar to Tregs. Before this report was retracted, we attempted to study the function of this macrophage subpopulation in a mouse model of hyperlipidemia. Bone marrow and spleen cells isolated from C57BL/6 apo E(-/-) mice were stained with anti-CD11b, anti-F4/80 and anti-Foxp3 and analyzed by flow cytometry. Our results showed that 3.06-8.08% of CD11b(+)F4/80(+) macrophages from bone marrow cells and 0.24-2.21% from splenic were Foxp3-positive. Unexpectedly, unstained or isotype stained controls also showed strong autofluorescence and similar percentages of these cells fell within the same FL1 channel that counted the anti-Foxp3 stained population. Back gating of the autofluorescent population onto a SSC/FSC plot showed that this population of cells had a higher side scatter. The peritoneal macrophages (PMo) exhibited similar autofluorescence. We used qPCR to further evaluate the expression of Foxp3 mRNA in PMo that were treated with M-CSF, M-CSF+IL-4, M-CSF+TGFβ1 or in BMDM treated with TGFβ1 in the presence of anti-CD3 and CD28 antibody co-stimulators. No expression of Foxp3 mRNA was detected in either cell culture systems, whereas robust Foxp3 gene expression was induced in naive CD4+ cells stimulated with TGFβ1. Consistent with these findings, fluorescence microscopy showed no Foxp3 protein expression in PMo, however Foxp3 expression was easily detected in induced Tregs. We conclude that the reported expression of Foxp3 in macrophages is likely an artifact and that a stringent multimodality approach is critical to demonstrate candidate gene expression in any cell type.
Investigating the Stability and Accuracy of the Phase Response for NOx Sensing 5% Mg-modified LaCrO3

Impedance spectroscopy measurements were carried out on LaCr{sub 0.95}Mg{sub 0.05}O{sub 3} (LCM) asymmetric interdigitated electrodes supported on fully stabilized 8-mol% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}-stabilized ZrO{sub 2} (YSZ) electrolytes. Experiments were carried out using 0-50 ppm NO{sub x}, 5-15% O{sub 2} with N{sub 2} as the balance, over temperatures ranging from 600-700 C. AC measurements taken at a constant frequency between 1-100 Hz indicated the phase response of the sensor was less sensitive to fluctuations in the O{sub 2} concentration and the baseline drift was limited. Specific frequencies were observed where the sensor response was essentially temperature independent.
The Response of Catarrhine Primates to Pleistocene Environmental Fluctuations in East Asia

Examination of the patterns of distribution for five catarrhine genera (Gigantopithecus, Pongo, Hylobates, Macaca, andRhinopithecus) during the Pleistocene and Holocene in China indicates that the geographical ranges of individual genera shifted independently of one another in response to conditions of increasing seasonality. All genera examined saw their distributions shift southward, with the shifting subtropical and tropical zones, during the Pleistocene. This occurred earlier in the Pleistocene for the larger apes, and later for smaller forms. This apparent paradox is readily explained by the inability of large-bodied apes to satisfy the high metabolic demands of a relatively large brain as well as those of an absolutely larger body. Monkeys were somewhat less affected and their greater relative success is attributed to their abilities to survive in more highly seasonal environments by exploiting a wider variety of plant foods and to produce offspring more quickly, thanks to shorter gestation times and shorter interbirth intervals.
Altered Platelet Function in Newborns

Extract: Studies of platelet function were performed on venous blood specimens from 64 newborn infants within 0–48 h after birth. Fifty-two of the infants studied were normal, full-term average for gesta-tional age (AGA) infants, three were normal, premature AGA infants, seven were premature AGA infants with the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and two were premature AGA infants who had repeated apneic periods. Although it was not possible to study all variables of platelet function in each of the groups, those studies that were performed showed no differences in the results based on the group to which an individual infant belonged. Compared with 24 normal adult controls, the infants showed impaired platelet aggregation in the presence of ADP, collagen, and thrombin. The mean time required for maximal platelet aggregation with ADP, collagen, and thrombin for the adults was 120, 230, and 74 sec, respectively, compared with values of 160, 443, and 158 sec for the infants (table II, figs. 2, 3, and 4). The percentage total platelet aggregation with ADP, collagen, and thrombin for the adults was 79, 91, and 74% compared with 47, 73, and 47%, respectively, for the infants (table II, figs. 2, 3, and 4). Infant whole blood and platelet-rich plasma clot retraction were markedly defective compared with normal adults (table I). In addition, platelet factor 3 release in 10 normal infants, as measured by the modified Stypven time, was decreased when compared with 10 values for normal adults (fig.5). Other variables of platelet function (bleeding times, native blood platelet adhesiveness, petechiometer tests) studied in newborn infants were normal (table I). Thrombelastograms were compatible with hypercoagulability of the blood (table I). None of the infants studied had clinical evidence of a bleeding tendency. In vitro mixing experiments suggested that the impaired ADP platelet aggregation was due neither to the presence of plasma ADP inhibitors, a refractory state due to increased circulating levels of ADP, anticoagulants, nor to a selected population of platelets. Physiologic alterations of infant platelets are similar to platelet functional changes observed in thrombasthenia. Speculation: Transient physiologic alterations have been described in many components of the newborn's blood, i.e., decreased plasma coagulation factors, red cell enzyme changes, low immunoglobulins, and an altered kinin system. It is not surprising, therefore, to find a transient platelet functional deficiency as well. Indeed, this hypofunction may be a defense against intravascular coagulation at a time when the infant's blood may be hypercoagulable and susceptible to increased thrombotic tendencies. Whether this platelet functional alteration could aggravate or be related to the cause of hemorrhage in severely ill infants remains to be shown.
Server networks communicating via inter-user shared variables

Server networks are generalized networks of asynchronous software processes interconnected by prescribed communication links according to prescribed protocols. As large-system-integration tools, they facilitate a divide-and-conquer approach, separating large software system development problems into a set of smaller problems programmed-in-the-small via standard software techniques within the confines of each server's virtual machine. In addition, server networks, programmed-in-the-large, knit together the solutions to these smaller problems. This paper presents the concepts of a server-network methodology that includes inter-server communication, the provision of and subscription to utility services, and the data-driven control-flow (DDCF) of server networks, which makes the remote dynamic reconfiguration of server networks possible through graphical programming. A server-network generator (SNG), which is an expert system that facilitates the graphical configuration, modification, and archival of server networks, is presented. Our APL2 implementation of server networks, including the implementation of utility services as generic building blocks, is described. Enhancements to the APL2 system services, which would benefit the future of server-network research and its application to production system management through horizontal integration of the factory floor and cooperative processing among networks of mainframes and engineering workstations running the VM/370 operating system, are presented.
Book Review: JOHN GIBBONS AND ELIZABETH RAMIREZ. Maintaining a minority language. A case study of hispanic teenagers. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 2004. Pp. x, 240. Hb $129.95, Pb $46.95.

Gibbons and Ramirez’ book discusses the complex inter-relatedness of the many social, political, and personal factors involved with minority language maintenance in the heavily monolingual environment of Sydney, Australia. While acknowledging the ‘predatory’ effects world-Englishes have on minority languages (Hornberger, 1997) and the often debilitating effects Australian language policies have had on a multitude of its minority languages (Bullivant, 1995; Gibbons, 1995), this book ‘weights’ (to borrow the authors’ metaphor) the scale positively for one minority language community. This nuanced depiction of a Spanish-speaking community, the practices, attitudes and beliefs within which facilitate maintenance of their language provide a solid contribution to the literature on bilingualism. The book can be divided into two major sections: first, their research articulates the linguistic complexities involved in achieving and maintaining a high level of bilingual proficiency; second, Gibbons and Ramirez explore a vast array of mitigating factors that contribute to the maintenance of a minority language. Although the many quantitative tables can at times be daunting for some, they are consistently balanced by, and reinforced with, illustrative qualitative data from their teenage informants. This book’s first chapter highlights the difficulties in linguistic and cultural maintenance for minority languages, contextualizes their study within the larger field of bilingualism and language proficiency, language policy and locates itself amid Sydney’s Spanish-speaking community. Importantly, as the majority of Spanish-speaking Australians have immigrated from Chile, they contrast both sets of Australian findings with Chilean-based research of a similar demographic, contextualizing their findings nicely in the aspects of a global language other than English. The data from subsequent chapters is taken from relatively recent (19971998) interviews and closed questionnaires from 106 teenage informants.
Precision measurement of the energies of the gamma rays from 144Nd

Abstract The energies of the two cascade gamma rays emitted by 144Nd following β-decay of 144Pr have been measured to be 1489.14±0.07 keV and 696.48±0.09 keV. The energy of the cross-over gamma ray is found to be 2185.72±0.05 keV in agreement with that expected from the sum of the energies of the cascade gamma rays. The ratio of the intensities of the 696, 1489 and 2186 keV gamma rays are found to be (100): (17.7±0.5): (48±9).
Progressive arm and leg stiffness in a patient with chronic renal impairment

This Case Study illustrates the differential diagnosis and management of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, a progressively debilitating fibrosing disorder. The authors describe the case of a 60-year-old woman with chronic renal disease who presented with progressive stiffness in her arms and legs following exposure to gadolinium-containing contrast media. Background A 60-year-old white woman with a history of breast cancer, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, and chronic renal insufficiency presented with stiffness in her arms and legs of 3 months' duration. She had undergone multiple MRI and magnetic resonance angiography examinations with gadolinium-containing contrast media over the last 2 years. Investigations Complete physical examination including thorough skin examination; laboratory examinations including CBC, urinalysis, serum creatinine, protein electrophoresis and C-reactive protein; antinuclear antibody assay; Westergren erythrocyte sedimentation rate; and an excisional skin biopsy. Diagnosis Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (also known as nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy). Management Symptomatic treatment, physical therapy, and a brief trial of imatinib mesylate.
Pneumomediastinum in interstitial lung disease-A case report

Abstract Pneumomediastinum (PM) is a relatively rare disease and is defined as changes in pressure gradients within the thoracic cavity secondary to increases in intrathoracic pressure which ultimately leads to rupture of alveoli and dissection of air along the fascial planes of the tracheobronchial tree. PM differs from secondary pneumomediastinum in that the latter, by definition, requires a pathologic etiology. Although the presence of secondary pneumomediastinum on radiographic imaging may be the result of significantly serious events such as chest trauma, esophageal rupture, or infection with gas producing organisms, the natural history of PM tends to be benign and self-limiting, resolving over approximately one week. In this report we describe a case of a patient with underlying pulmonary fibrosis presenting with persistent dyspnea found to have pneumomediastinum on computed tomography (CT) that resolved completely over a 3 day period with the use of high concentration oxygen therapy.
Multi-algebra duplication.

This paper was inspired by [5]. First, we define a new kind of duplication which differs from the usual one in that we have different multiplication tables for male and female gametes. [5] deals with the special case where the tables correspond to different recombination rates for males and females for two linked loci. Furthermore, we use the factoring and “multilinear technique” discussed in [2] and [3] to simplify the proofs in [5].
Thermal wake downstream of a three-dimensional obstacle

Abstract The temperature distribution within the thermal wake downstream of a three-dimensional obstacle mounted in a horizontal water channel is investigated. Temperature measurements are obtained at channel height-based Reynolds numbers of 500–1500 (laminar) and 10,000–25,000 (turbulent). Flow visualizations are used to elucidate the flow patterns in the separation region. The experimental results are compared with numerical simulations of the laminar flow field and thermal wake. In laminar flow, the wake temperature was found to increase with increasing Reynolds number and decreasing buoyancy effects. In the turbulent regime, the flow structures and measured wake temperatures were largely unaffected by the Reynolds number and buoyancy. The numerical models of the flow field were in reasonable agreement with the flow visualizations and with similar results in the literature. Reasons for the small discrepancies in the predicted and measured wake temperatures at the higher laminar Reynolds numbers are discussed.
Quasielastic light scattering from nematic p-methoxybenzylidene-p'-n-butylaniline (MBBA)

The quasielastic scattering of laser light from nematic MBBA is studied utilizing homodyne procedures. The results stem from a comprehensive study of the half widths and areas of the "slow mode" peaks together with their temperature and angle dependence. The data taken at small angles yield the temperature-dependent ratios of the viscosity coefficients to curvature elastic constants for twist, bend, and splay. From these ratios, utilizing data of others, the temperature dependence of the twist elastic constant ${K}_{22}$, and twist, splay, and bend viscosity coefficients ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{1}$, ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{s}$, and ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{b}$, respectively, are determined. From the data taken at large angles the values of ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{4}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{v}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ (which is found to be negative) are determined at a reduced temperature, ${T}_{R}=0.96$.
Colonial Matriarchs: Garveyism, Maternalism, and Belize's Black Cross Nurses, 1920–1952

This article analyses the politics of Belize's Black Cross Nurses in their heyday in order to bring into dialogue the historiography on gender in the transnational Garveyite movement to which the middle-class Nurses belonged, and the historiography on maternalism. It complicates the claim that Garveyite women were subordinated within the movement and resisted its gender norms, and addresses the lack of attention to maternalist politics among non-white women in colonised settings, where racial anxieties strengthened middle-class attachment to bourgeois respectability. By analysing the Nurses's relations with the colonial state, poor urban mothers and middle-class men, the article concludes that their maternalism served to reproduce class and race hierarchies, and colonial rule, even as it strengthened middle-class women's political autonomy and legitimacy.
Effects of monopolar radio frequency on soft and fibrocartilagenous tissue

The use of monopolar radiofrequency energy for thermal modification of tissue has expanded considerably since its rudimentary beginnings in the 19 th century. It has been used in a number of medical fields and recently has been explored in the orthopaedic arena. Monopolar radiofrequency energy mediates its effects through thermal tissue modification. It has been determined that type I collagen undergoes permanent structural modification between 60 and 80°C. Understanding of the mechanism of action of monopolar radiofrequency energy and the thermal properties of collagen has led to a number of clinical and basic research investigations into the use of monopolar radiofrequency energy to modify joint capsular tissue and thereby stabilize joints with excessive laxity. The technology has also been applied to ligamentous tissue. Recently, we have explored the effect of monopolar radiofrequency energy on the fibrocartilagenous structure of the meniscus. Thermal modification of musculoskeletal tissue has the potential to become a prominent modality for the treatment of joint disorders. It must be emphasized, however, that thermal treatment does have initial detrimental effects on tissue mechanical properties, and that long-term results have yet to be evaluated. Further controlled clinical and scientific studies should further clarify the advantages and disadvantages of this technique.
Organophilic Colloidal Particles with a Synthetic Polypeptide Coating

Composite colloidal particles with a silica core and a synthetic, homopolypeptide shell have been produced by initiation of benzyl-l-glutamate N-carboxyanhydride monomer from primary amine functionalized silica particles. The resulting poly(γ-benzyl-α,l-glutamate)-coated spheres were characterized by electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry. The polypeptide shell accounts for about 20% of the total mass of the particles, which are reasonably uniform in size. Infrared spectra show an α-helical secondary structure, but other conformations are not excluded. A geometrical analysis is applied to calculate the maximum number of amino groups that might realistically participate in initiation. The actual shell thickness is smaller than expected on the basis of these geometrical considerations, which reflects undesired termination steps or the conversion of some monomer to unattached polymer by trace initiator impurities.
Incidence and predictors of "late" recurrences after endoscopic piecemeal resection of large sessile adenomas.

Background Large sessile colorectal adenomas (≥2 cm in size) resected piecemeal have a 0% to 55% rate of residual adenoma at the first follow-up. Guidelines recommend inspection of the polypectomy site 3 to 6 months after resection. Some patients with a negative examination at 3 to 6 months have a subsequent "late" recurrence. Objective Our aim was to describe long-term follow-up of large sessile adenomas after piecemeal resection and to report the incidence and predictors of "late" recurrence. Design A retrospective study. Setting A tertiary-referral center. Patients and Interventions Large sessile colorectal adenomas were identified through an endoscopic database. Polyps were resected by piecemeal technique; flat areas that could not be snared were treated with argon plasma coagulation. Patients who completed follow-up examinations at our center 3 to 6 months and at least 1 year after initial resection were included. Main Outcome Measurements "Late" adenoma recurrence. Results Of 136 polyps with complete follow-up, 24 (17.6%) had macroscopically evident residual adenoma at follow-up, including 18 at the first follow-up and 6 (4.4%) with a "late" recurrence. Among 94 polyps with no visible adenoma and with negative biopsy specimens of the scar at the first follow-up, 92 polyps (97.9%) were eradicated at late follow-up, compared with 36 of 42 (85.7%) of the remaining polyps ( P = .005). Limitation A retrospective design. Conclusion Our results confirm the phenomenon of "late" recurrences after endoscopic piecemeal resection of large sessile adenomas. However, a normal macroscopic appearance of the polypectomy site and negative scar biopsy specimens at the first follow-up is predictive of long-term eradication.