cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporating the Natural Landscape Within an Assessment of Community Attachment

An ecosystem approach to managing public natural areas requires that land planners and managers thoroughly understand the stakeholders who live within these ecosystems and are emotionally connected to the lands. Building on previous research conducted on community attachment, place attachment, and sense of place, this article explores how local stakeholders in two areas of Florida identifywith and account for the natural landscape within their sense of community. To better capture the physical-natural landscape element currently unaccounted for in community attachment research, researchers explored how stakeholders identified with their communities and examined their attitudes and behaviors regarding local public natural areas. Results show the physical-natural landscape is an important part of how stakeholders identify with their community. Stakeholders who frequently visit surrounding public natural areas and identify these areas as an important part of why they live in the area are likely to identify more with the physical-natural landscape of their community than the social-cultural elements oftheircommunity. Determining how stakeholders identify with their community (natural landscape or social elements), offers public land managers a better understanding of the role the areas they manage play in local stakeholders' daily lives, and how to best communicate with those stakeholders. FOR. Sci. 49(6):867-876.
Cardiovascular disease in Noonan syndrome.

Purpose of review To provide information on the scope of cardiac disease in Noonan syndrome. Recent findings Noonan syndrome is a common autosomal dominant RASopathy disorder characterized by clinical findings of facial dysmorphism, congenital heart disease, and short stature. The degree of genetic heterogeneity has recently become evident in that Noonan syndrome is now known to be caused by mutations in a large variety of genes which produce dysregulation of the RAS-MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathway. The scope of cardiac disease in Noonan syndrome is quite variable depending on the gene mutation, with some mutations usually associated with a high incidence of congenital heart defects (PTPN11, KRAS, and others) while those with predominantly hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have higher risk and morbidity profiles (RAF1, RIT1, and those associated with multiple lentigines). Summary Cardiac disease in Noonan syndrome varies according to the type of gene mutation. The most common forms of cardiac disease include pulmonary stenosis, HCM, and atrial septal defect. HCM in general is associated with increased risk, mortality, and morbidity. New concepts for potential treatments are discussed.
Logical Accidents and the Problem of the Inside Corner

With the emergence of computational design, the production of architecture has come to be dominated by the algorithm, yet the presence of algorithmic methods can be traced back to Vitruvius. As with the computational algorithm, his rules led to conditions that appeared unresolved, but unlike computational design, they allowed for resolution through the intervention of the architect. Through a close analysis of the condition of the inside corner, this paper investigates how the formulaic system of linear or gridded repetitions that underlie the rules of architectural geometry prior to the digital turn—a type of analog algorithm—lead to complex and seemingly inconsistent conditions when the system meets at the corner. Such consequences are manifested as accidents, visually unresolved conditions that are nevertheless consistent and conform to the logic of the system. However, in the pursuit of perfection, the architect intervenes with an aesthetic judgment from outside the system to resolve the condition. Accidents are considered manifestations of the consistency or “truth” of the system, while interventions are seen as inconsistencies enforced from outside the system as judgments of beauty.
Special Education as Neoliberal Property: The Racecraft, Biopolitics, and Immunization of Disability

Through the juxtaposition of 2 recent Supreme Court actions—Allston v. Lower Merion County School District (2015) and Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017)—this article argues that spe...
Safety and penetration of light into the brain

Abstract Transcranial photobiomodulation is safe, based upon published literature. Photobiomodulation for neurological diseases primarily requires light to reach target neurons in the brain. Alternatively, light may change brain function by modulating photoreceptors, such as opsins in the skin or eye, that yield secondary effects or trigger a cascade. A critical concern is the ability of light penetration through the layers of the human cranium, including the scalp, skull, meningeal layers, and brain parenchyma. Light penetration depth depends on tissue optical properties, wavelength, skull anatomy, irradiance, and pulsing. Within the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared (NIR) regions, longer wavelengths and greater irradiance are associated with deeper penetration. NIR light appears to be superior in penetrating human calvaria and brain tissue compared to visible red light. Light penetration is dependent on the light source’s location. Understanding light propagation is critical in maximizing efficacy of transcranial photobiomodulation by providing sufficient light penetration into the human cranium to activate mechanisms for neuromodulation.
Necrotizing fasciitis associated with malignancy

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rare soft-tissue condition with a high mortality rate even with treatment. Diagnosis is challenging due to an absence of specific symptoms at the early stages of clinical presentation. NF is typically associated with traumatic injuries, superficial skin breakdown, and surgical procedures. Diabetes mellitus and immunosuppression also increase the risk of developing NF. NF predominantly occurs in the lower extremities, the peritoneum, and the perineum. Treatments include antimicrobials, supportive care, and surgical source control. It is important for clinicians to recognize the association of spontaneous atraumatic NF caused by Clostridium septicum with malignancy, so they can maintain a high index of suspicion and provide timely interventions to optimize patient outcomes.
Defect-induced anisotropic surface reactivity and ion transfer processes of anatase nanoparticles

Abstract Surface reactivity and ion transfer processes of anatase TiO2 nanocrystals were studied using lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfone)imide (LiTFSI) as a probing molecule. Analysis of synthesized anatase TiO2 by electron microscopy reveals aggregated nanoparticles (average size ~8 nm) with significant defects (holes and cracks). With the introduction of LiTFSI salt, the Li+-adsorption propensity towards the surface along the anatase (100) step edge plane is evident in both x-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) analysis corroborates the site-preferential interaction of Li+ cations with oxygen vacancies and the thermodynamically favorable transport through the (100) step edge plane. Using 7Li nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shift and relaxometry measurements, the presence of Li+ cations near the interface between TiO2 and the bulk LiTFSI phase was identified, and subsequent diffusion properties were analyzed. The lower activation energy derived from NMR analysis reveals enhanced mobility of Li+ cations along the surface, in good agreement with AIMD calculations. On the other hand, the TFSI– anion interaction with defect sites leads to CF3 bond dissociation and subsequent generation of carbonyl fluoride-type species. The multimodal spectroscopic analysis including NMR, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirms the decomposition of TFSI– anions near the anatase surface. The reaction mechanism and electronic structure of interfacial constituents were simulated using AIMD calculations. Overall, this work demonstrates the role of defects at the anatase nanoparticle surface on charge transfer and interfacial reaction processes.
Thomas Malthus’s Rhetorical Political Economy

David Ricardo and his followers forged rational argumentation and empirical verification into the discipline of classical political economy. Thomas Malthus distinguished his own view of the discipl...
The neutral red assay can be used to evaluate cell viability during autophagy or in an acidic microenvironment in vitro

Harsh conditions within the tumor microenvironment, such as hypoxia and extracellular acidic pH (pHe), inactivate some chemotherapies, which results in limited or no cytotoxicity. Standard MTT, ATPlite and protease assays that are used to determine the potency of newly developed drugs often give erroneous results when applied under hypoxic or acidic conditions. Therefore, development of a cytotoxicity assay that does not yield false positive or false negative results under circumstances of both hypoxia and acidic pHe is needed. We evaluated currently used cell viability assays as well as neutral red staining to assess viability of ovarian and pancreatic cancer cells grown in an acidic pHe microenvironment after treatment with carboplatin, gemcitabine or chloroquine. We validated cell viability using western blotting of pro-caspase-9 and cleaved-caspase-9, and LC3-I and - II. Standard cell viability assays indicated cell viability accurately at pHe 7.4, but was not correlated with induction of apoptosis or autophagy at acidic pHe. By contrast, our modified neutral red assay detected cell viability accurately over a range of pHe as demonstrated by its correlation with induction of apoptosis and autophagy. Neutral red staining is effective for evaluating the effect of chemotherapeutic agents on cell viability under acidic pHe or hypoxic conditions.
Technical Section: Sketch-based surface design using malleable curve networks

We present a new 3D surface modeling approach that enables curve-based creation and modification of smooth surfaces by sketching. The key feature of the proposed methods is a two-way communication between the user-designed curve networks and the generated surfaces. A user-drawn curve network serves as a control cage, from which a subdivision surface is generated. The subdivision surface is updated to match the curve network while minimizing the curvature variation throughout the surface. Surface fairness is controlled independently to modify the curve network into suitable configurations that guarantee a smooth underlying surface. This approach enables a concurrent modeling of the curve network and the underlying surface, thus eliminating the need for a laborious, iterative adjustment of the curve network for smooth surface creation. We demonstrate our approach with example models, and evaluate it with a user study.
Deep Reinforcement Learning based Control for two-dimensional Coherent Combining

We demonstrate deep reinforcement learning based phase stabilization control for two-dimensional filled-aperture diffractive coherent combining. Various approaches were tested on simulation and experimental data for combining 3 × 3 beams using pattern recognition.
A Userspace Transport Stack Doesn't Have to Mean Losing Linux Processing

While we cannot question the high performance capabilities of the kernel bypass approach in the network functions world, we recognize that the Linux kernel provides a rich ecosystem with an efficient resource management and an effective resource sharing ability that cannot be ignored. In this work we argue that by mixing kernel-bypass and in kernel processing can benefit applications and network function middleboxes. We leverage a high-performance user space TCP stack and recent additions to the Linux kernel to propose a hybrid approach (kernel-user space) to accelerate SDN/NFV deployments leveraging services of the reliable transport layer (i.e., stateful middleboxes, Layer 7 network functions and applications). Our results show that this approach enables highperformance, high CPU efficiency, and enhanced integration with the kernel ecosystem. We build our solution by extending mTCP which is the basis of some state-of-the-art L4-L7 NFV frameworks. By having more efficient CPU usage, NFV applications can have more CPU cycles available to run the network functions and applications logic. We show that for a CPU intense workload, mTCP/AF_XDP can have up to 64% more throughput than the previous implementation. We also show that by receiving cooperation from the kernel, mTCP/AF_XDP enables the creation of protection mechanisms for mTCP. We create a simulated DDoS attack and show that mTCP/AF_XDP can maintain up to 287% more throughput than the unprotected system during the attack.
A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of intravenous thiamine for prevention of delirium following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Abstract Objective To determine if high dose intravenous (IV) thiamine can prevent delirium during hospitalization following allogeneic HSCT. Secondarily, we evaluated the effects of high dose IV thiamine on thiamine levels and explored risk factors for delirium. Methods Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT at a U.S. academic medical center between October 2017 and March 2020. 64 participants were randomized 1:1 to thiamine 200 mg IV three times daily for 7 days or placebo. We used the Delirium Rating Scale to assess for delirium. Delirium incidence was compared between groups using the chi-square test. Group differences in time to onset and duration of delirium were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. Fisher's Exact and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests were used to examine associations between pre-transplantation variables and delirium. Results 61 participants were analyzed. Delirium incidence (25% vs. 21%, Chi-square (df = 1) = 0.12, p = 0.73), time to onset, duration, and severity were not different between study arms. Immediately following the intervention, thiamine levels were higher in the thiamine arm (275 vs. 73 nmol/L, t-test (df = 57) = 13.63, p Conclusion High dose IV thiamine did not prevent delirium in patients receiving allogeneic HSCT. Given the multiple contributors to delirium in this population, further research regarding the efficacy of multicomponent interventions may be needed. Trial Registration: Clinical Trials NCT03263442 . Funding: Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research.
Rotaviruses, astroviruses, and sapoviruses as foodborne infections

Abstract Astroviruses, rotaviruses, and sapoviruses are all causes of acute gastroenteritis. These viruses are primarily transmitted through person-to-person contact, although transmission can also occur via contaminated food, water, and fomites. Most foodborne rotavirus, sapovirus, and astrovirus illness arises from foods contaminated by an infected food handler or by contaminated growing (shellfish) or irrigation water (produce). Childhood vaccines have reduced the incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis in young children as well as among unvaccinated older children and adults through herd immunity. Prevention of foodborne viral gastroenteritis relies primarily on strict adherence to proper hand hygiene practices, exclusion of ill food handlers from food preparation, use of clean water for production of produce, and thorough cooking of foods. Norovirus, covered in Chapter 16, is the leading cause of foodborne viral gastroenteritis. This chapter introduces readers to astrovirus, rotavirus, and sapovirus and summarizes what is known about foodborne diseases attributed to these viruses.
Did You Fail to Tell Me Something, Mom? Nondisclosure Fraud in the Wake of Varsity Blues

How many times have parents grounded their children for failing to tell them something? No adult supervision at the party? A bad grade on a test? The tables turned in the Varsity Blues scandal where parents ranging from major executives to Hollywood celebrities were involved in a college admissions bribery scheme, and in many cases, the children of those parents did not know about their parents’ appalling and mind-boggling conduct. Once the scheme was revealed, many of those children who had already been admitted were expelled and others were denied admission. Their lives were turned upside down, with lifelong ramifications. Can those children recover monetary damages from their parents for nondisclosure fraud?
Legal Solutions for Doing Business in a Hyperinflationary Jurisdiction: Brazil 1989

The best example of the effects of inflation is this article. While preparing this article, the inflation in Brazil was approximately twenty-five percent per month. When the article was completed exactly thirty days later, inflation was already thirty percent per month. By mid-January 1989, when the inflation rate was at sixty percent per month, or an average of two percent per day, the Brazilian Government implemented an anti-inflation plan aiming at zero inflation and froze wages and prices for an indefinite period. Due to these attempts to wipe out inflation, some of the contents of this article had to be changed, not because inflation is not coming back, but rather because, in my opinion, inflation will return. In order to analyze the contingency of inflation disappearing overnight, the new Brazilian anti-inflation plan, which is something for which lawyers must prepare themselves and their clients when drafting contracts, will be addressed.
MECHANISM OF ACTION OF NITROUS OXIDE, ETHER, AND CHLOROFORM ON THE UTERUS.

Abstract The effect of nitrous oxide, chloroform, and ether was studied on uterine contractions in dogs which had been lightly anesthetized with sodium barbital. Some of the dogs were pregnant, and a few were in heat. The remainder of the animals were estrogenized (1 mg. diethylstilbestrol daily for 5 days) previous to the experiment. Nitrous oxide, even in high concentrations (95 per cent N 2 O and 5 per cent O 2 ) had no effect on uterine contractions. Both ether and chloroform in effective concentrations inhibited uterine contractions. It was shown that this inhibition was not caused by release of epinephrine, since infusion of the latter agent, even in high dosages, did not affect uterine contractions. It was concluded that ether and chloroform caused inhibition by acting directly on the uterine musculature.
Enforcing A Critical Entitlement: Preemption Claims as an Alternative Way to Protect Medicaid Recipients' Access to Healthcare

When faced with shrinking budgets and swelling Medicaid rolls, states frequently try to reduce Medicaid spending by slashing provider reimbursement rates. Reimbursement rates, however, significantly impact provider participation and consumer access to healthcare services. Therefore, such cutbacks to Medicaid’s already low rates often undermine the program’s promise of “mainstream” medical access for the poor and disabled. Medicaid beneficiaries and providers long used the court system to combat these rate cuts by suing under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and arguing that inadequate reimbursement rates violate the “equal access provision” of the federal Medicaid Act. But in 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court foreclosed this avenue of relief and seemed to leave doctors and patients without standing to challenge even the most draconian rate cuts. A recent series of decisions by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, however, suggests that the Supremacy Clause presents an alternative means of enforcing the equal access provision. This Note explores both the promise and pitfalls of an equal access preemption claim and argues that Medicaid providers and beneficiaries should be able to enjoin significant rate cutbacks and protect healthcare access by challenging state changes to reimbursement rates as preempted by the Medicaid Act.
Model of brittle matrix composite toughening based on discrete fiber reinforcement

An analytical approach for the analysis of the effectiveness of fiber reinforcement in brittle matrix composites is presented. The analytical method allows consideration of discrete fiber distribution and examination of the development of crack growth parameters on microscale. The problem associated with the bridging zone development is addressed here; therefore, the bridging zone is considered to be smaller than the main preexisting crack, and the small scale approach is used. The mechanics of the reinforcement is accurately accounted for in the process zone of a growing crack. Closed form solutions characterizing the initial failure process are presented for linear and nonlinear force - fiber pullout displacement relationships. The implicit exact solution for the extended bridging zone is presented as well.
Structural DNA nanotechnology: molecular construction and computation

Structural DNA nanotechnology entails the construction of objects, lattices and devices from branched DNA molecules. Branched DNA molecules open the way for the construction of a variety of N-connected motifs. These motifs can be joined by cohesive interactions to produce larger constructs in a bottom-up approach to nanoconstruction. The first objects produced by this approach were stick polyhedra and topological targets, such as knots and Borromean rings. These were followed by periodic arrays with programmable patterns. It is possible to exploit DNA structural transitions and sequence-specific binding to produce a variety of DNA nanomechanical devices, which include a bipedal walker and a machine that emulates the translational capabilities of the ribosome. Much of the promise of this methodology involves the use of DNA to scaffold other materials, such as biological macromolecules, nanoelectronic components, and polymers. These systems are designed to lead to improvements in crystallography, computation and the production of diverse and exotic materials. Branched DNA can be used to emulate Wang tiles, and it can be used to construct arbitrary irregular graphs and to address their colorability.
Dense cores in dark clouds.

The properties of cores in nearby dark clouds are reviewed and a summary of the results of NH3 observations is presented. Map sizes and line widths of NH3 line emission are similar to C18O and HC3N but are smaller than those of CS, even though n critical (CS) > n critical (NH3). Cores with stars have larger line widths and velocity gradients than cores without stars. There is evidence for interaction between stars and cores. It is shown that cores evolve on timescales comparable to the free fall time of ~2 × 105 years. Sources detected by IRAS in cores have indirect evidence for circumstellar disks. Some recent theoretical models of the spectra of these objects are described and an extension of these models to account for the infrared spectra of T Tauri stars is outlined.
Organoiron complexes in organic synthesis: XXXII Synthesis of sterically crowded spirocyclic compounds using organoiron chemistry: An approach to acorane and cedrol synthesis

Abstract Studies on the synthesis and reactivity toward carbon nucleophiles of tricarbonyl(1-5-η-4-isopropoxy-1-isopropylcyclohexa-2,4-dienylium)iron hexafluorophosphate are reported. The preparations of tricarbonyl(3-(1-5-η-4-methoxycyclohexa-2,4-dienylium)butyl malononitrile)iron hexafluorophosphate and tricarbonyl[methyl-3-(1-5-η-4-methoxycyclohex-2,4-dienylium)butyl cyanoacetate]iron hexafluorophosphate, starting from p -methoxyacetophenone are described. Treatment of both these complexes with mild bases results in clean spirocyclization and the products are readily demetallated to give spiro[4.5]decane derivatives which are potential precursors for a variety of acorane or cedrol derivatives. The spirocyclization is illustrative of the power of organoiron intermediates for producing sterically crowded spirocenters.
Maternal Control of Polarity and Patterning during Embryogenesis in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews some of the experimental embryology that has set the stage for a genetic and molecular understanding of the mechanisms that control pattern formation during embryogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans . Some insight into how regulation of the actin cytoskeleton polarizes the 1-cell stage C. elegans zygote on fertilization has come from the identification of six maternally expressed par genes, par-1 through par-6. The three maternal genes skn-1 , pal-1 , and pie-1 encode putative transcriptional regulators that appear to act intrinsically to regulate initiation of the genetic programs that define the fates of the four P1-derived somatic founder cells MS, E, C, and D. This view is based in part on the observation that in skn-1;pal-1 double mutant embryos, P1 frequently fails to produce any differentiated somatic cell types and instead produces many small and apparently undifferentiated descendants. The genetics and sequenced genome of C. elegans have provided rapid access to the molecules and mechanisms that initiate pattern formation in this cellularized animal embryo.
The Logic of Questions

Publisher Summary Truth and falsity cannot be the properties of questions, because questions do not assert anything but instead request information. Thus, it makes no sense to speak of deductive connections between two questions—that is, of one question logically implying another. Hence, there cannot be logic of questions. But this conclusion does not follow from the fact that questions do not have truth-values. It is compatible with the premises of this argument that there are deductive connections between two questions, if there are the truth-functional interpretation of deductive connections in the case of statements that does not apply to such connections in the case of questions. Hence, the conclusion that there can be no logic of questions follows only if we grant a further premise, one to the effect that logic is solely concerned with those relations among the premises and conclusion of arguments on which the formers' truth necessitates the latter's. Unless some such further premise is added, there is no valid inference to the impossibility of logic of questions. The purpose of this chapter is to establish the falsity of this further premise, and thus to provide a foundation for the logic of questions; and it also focuses on development of semantic theory and the elaboration of its philosophical consequences.
Infection caused by Penicillium marneffei: description of first natural infection in man

The first isolation of Penicillium marneffei , obtained from the liver of a rat captured in Viet Nam, was described in 1956. There have been no additional reports of the isolation of this fungus. Recently our laboratory identified this organism in an isolate from the spleen of a patient with Hodgkin's disease. The distinctive features of P. marneffei include the production of the dark red pigment which diffuses into the agar and the ability of this pathogen to exist in dimorphic forms. At 25 C. it develops the structures typical of the genus Penicillium, while at 37 C. the tan, rough colony has a yeast-like consistency, with small, oval or round yeast cells averaging 3 μ in diameter mixed with short, hyphal elements. Histologically, the organism may resemble Histoplasm capsulatum .
Business Estimates from the Office of Advocacy: A Discussion of Methodology

The Office of Advocacy creates estimates of the numberof employer and non employer businesses for recent years, since the newest available data have around a two-year lag. Advocacy estimates the number of nonemployers using growth rates from Internal Revenue Service's sole proprietor count estimates. Advocacy estimates the number of employers using the net difference in employer births and deaths from the Employment and Training Administration. Analysis shows that historical estimates have been close to the actualfigures, as employers and nonemployers exhibited slow steady growth during theperiod of analysis. Non employers, however, tended to be slightly underestimated as sole proprietors have consistently grown faster than non employers in recent years. As more data become available, more sophisticated techniques could beemployed to create current estimates of the number of businesses.
Corn and weed residue decomposition in northeast Ohio organic and conventional dairy farms

Increasingly, farmers claim that management practices can significantly influence soil quality. For instance, it is common practice for dairy farms in their rotation cycle to harvest grain and then leave stubble and weeds over winter on the soil surface before ploughing in spring ahead of planting crops. Corn stubble and weeds protect soil in winter, decompose through the seasons, and release nutrients that are utilized by crops and microorganisms. Also, plant residues may harbor increased soil decomposing organisms that feed up on them. Both conventional and organic farmers tend to follow these practices with the major difference that in the conventional systems, inorganic fertilizers and pesticides are applied. Organic matter breakdown in soils under different management (organic versus conventional as in this case) may be different because some inorganic chemicals are known to affect soil decomposers and also these might be less abundant in soils with less food resources, since the organic farmers rely totally on soil fertility derived from organic source. This hypothesis was tested in an on-farm decomposition study conducted in an organic and a conventional farm that grew corn (Zea mays L.) for dairy cattle feed, in Wayne County, OH. Mesh bags containing crop and weed residues were laid on the soil surface at the onset of winter and sampled thereafter to determine decomposition. Mass loss was significantly different among substrates, with crop residues decomposing faster than weeds. Mass and nitrogen (N) loss varied among substrates and variations were greater in summer. Between farms mass and N loss were significantly higher in the organic farm in summer. Earthworm population density was significantly higher in the organic farm. In summary, corn residues decomposed faster than weed residues, and differences in decomposition among substrates increased in summer. Decomposition was faster in summer at both farms, however, it was higher at the organic one, where more soil decomposers were found. The higher metabolic activity in the soil of the organic farm in warmer weather suggests a more active soil biota, which may be crucial for farms whose main or sole source of nutrients derives from organic matter decomposition.
Splenic histology and histopathology: an update

The spleen can be a troublesome specimen for the surgical pathologist, not only because experience with the range of "normal" splenic histology is limited by its rarity but also because there is an often a frustrating discordance between the patient's clinical condition and the perceived findings. Patients with a dramatic clinical presentation that points to splenic pathology ("hypersplenism" or marked splenomegaly) not infrequently have no discernable or have barely perceptible histologic abnormalities of the spleen. Similarly, patients whose spleens contain histologic findings that seem to deviate significantly from the "norm" (histiocytic proliferations, vasoformative lesions, stromal hyperplasia) may have no clinically detectable hematologic complaints. For most pathologists, the frame of reference for normal splenic histomorphology derives largely from experience with autopsy spleens and spleens removed for trauma or immune thrombocytopenia. These are all settings in which pre-existing disease, the immune status of the patient, and therapy influence the findings and--in cases in which fixation has been delayed--even the ability to make the findings. This review presents practical aspects of splenic development and immunoarchitecture and relates this to the pathologist's approach in evaluating the abnormal spleen and assists in resolving such discordances. Benign conditions that contrast with the subjects of subsequent articles in this issue are emphasized.
Cord Blood Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Umbilical cord blood (CB) is a clinically useful source of hematopoietic stem (HSC) and progenitor (HPC) cells for treatment of a wide variety of malignant and non-malignant disorders. Amongst the benefits of CB, compared to bone marrow (BM) and mobilized peripheral blood (MPB), as a source of engrafting HSC and HPC are its ready availability through CB banks, and a relatively low level of graft vs. host disease (GVHD) elicited after transplantation. Disadvantages of CB, compared to BM and MPB, include the low, and sometimes limiting, number of cells collected in single donor units which can be less than optimal for engraftment of many adults and higher weight children, and the relatively slower speed to engraftment of neutrophils and platelets. While limiting numbers of nucleated cells found in single units of CB can be compensated for by transplantation of more than 1 unit of CB, this use of multiple cord blood units may be associated with increased GVHD, and has not meaningfully reduced the time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment. Thus, means to enhance numbers and/or potency of collected cells and their engrafting capability through ex-vivo and/or in-vivo maneuvers would likely enhance the efficacy and applicability of CB transplantation. Such efforts require a deeper understanding of the cell biology of HSC and HPC, the microenvironment that nurtures these cells, and greater mechanistic insight into cell surface receptors and intracellular signaling pathways regulating HSC/HPC function. This information could provide the means to modulate these cells for greater clinical advantage. There is also the potential, as yet far from proven in a clinical sense for use of mature cells generated from HSC/HPC, and for non-HSC/HPC uses of CB. Non-HSC/HPC include mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC), endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Caution is clearly required for non HSC/HPC stem/progenitor cell uses of CB, based on insufficient biological and preclinical information for MSC, EPC, and iPSC. This review addresses current knowledge and potential future means to enhance the quantity, quality and/or engrafting activity of CB HSC/HPC, and where the field stands in context of MSC, EPC, and iPSC from CB.
SIRT1 controls lipolysis in adipocytes via FOXO1-mediated expression of ATGL

Recent studies have established SIRT1 as an important regulator of lipid metabolism, although the mechanism of its action at the molecular level has not been revealed. Here, we show that knockdown of SIRT1 with the help of small hairpin RNA decreases basal and isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis in cultured adipocytes. This effect is attributed, at least in part, to the suppression of the rate-limiting lipolytic enzyme, adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), at the level of transcription. Mechanistically, SIRT1 controls acetylation status and functional activity of FoxO1 that directly binds to the ATGL promoter and regulates ATGL gene transcription. We have also found that depletion of SIRT1 decreases AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) activity in adipocytes. To determine the input of AMPK in regulation of lipolysis, we have established a stable adipose cell line that expresses a dominant-negative α1 catalytic subunit of AMPK under the control of the inducible TET-OFF lentiviral expression vector. Reduction of AMPK activity does not have a significant effect on the rates of lipolysis in this cell model. We conclude, therefore, that SIRT1 controls ATGL transcription primarily by deacetylating FoxO1.
Post-wildfire changes in suspended sediment rating curves: Sabino Canyon, Arizona

Wildfire has been shown to increase erosion by several orders of magnitude, but knowledge regarding short-term variations in post-fire sediment transport processes has been lacking. We present a detailed analysis of the immediate post-fire sediment dynamics in a semi-arid basin in the southwestern USA based on suspended sediment rating curves. During June and July 2003, the Aspen Fire in the Coronado National Forest of southern Arizona burned an area of 343 km2. Surface water samples were collected in an affected watershed using an event-based sampling strategy. Sediment rating parameters were determined for individual storm events during the first 18 months after the fire. The highest sediment concentrations were observed immediately after the fire. Through the two subsequent monsoon seasons there was a progressive change in rating parameters related to the preferential removal of fine to coarse sediment. During the corresponding winter seasons, there was a lower supply of sediment from the hillslopes, resulting in a time-invariant set of sediment rating parameters. A sediment mass-balance model corroborated the physical interpretations. The temporal variability in the sediment rating parameters demonstrates the importance of storm-based sampling in areas with intense monsoon activity to characterize post-fire sediment transport accurately. In particular, recovery of rating parameters depends on the number of high-intensity rainstorms. These findings can be used to constrain rapid assessment fire-response models for planning mitigation activities. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Combination Antipsychotics: Pros, Cons, and Questions

In prescription surveys, use of combination antipsychotics is common and is increasing, despite little supporting evidence. This article highlights potential problems with using combination antipsychotics, discusses paths to their maintenance use, and reviews the efficacy evidence. Paths to maintenance antipsychotic combinations include (1) failure or patient refusal of all reasonable monotherapies, (2) indefinite continuation of combinations initially intended to be brief, (3) trials of combinations in preference to reasonable monotherapy trials, and (4) addition of a second antipsychotic to counteract a problem (safety, tolerability, or adherence) arising during successful monotherapy. Virtually all of the evidence on combination antipsychotics is on augmentation of clozapine, with only one randomized controlled trial. Research on combination antipsychotics is sorely needed. Designing clinical trials is made difficult by the very large numbers of possible combinations and doses. It may be feasible to analyze existing data bases to identify combinations that appear particularly promising to investigate.
A Technique to Measure Entrainment in Cloud by Dual-Polarization Radar and Chaff

Abstract A new method for studying the entrainment of air into clouds has been developed and tested, and initial results demonstrating the technique are presented here. This new method is superior to other chaff techniques that allow air parcels to be followed only until the chaff reflectivity becomes indistinguishable from cloud reflectivity. Frequently this is won after the chaff enters the cloud. The new technique uses circular depolarization ratio (CDR) measurements to avoid this limitation. Since the CDR of chaff is typically 20 dB greater than that of most hydrormeteors, the signature provided by CDR allows chaff to be followed into moderately reflective regions of the cloud long after the reflectivity signature of the chaff has disappeared. Circular polarization is superior to linear polarization in measurements such as these because the chaff signatures in circular depolarization do not require assumptions about chaff filament orientation, whereas interpretation of ZDR signatures (from linear pola...
The Pitfalls of Privatization: Contracting without Competition:

Most authorities agree that privatization works best with vigorous competition among alternative service providers. Such competition may be difficult to achieve for certain services such as public utilities, for which a limited number of private firms exist to bid. This research first considers the theoretical issues surrounding the use of private companies in natural monopolies. Then it provides an extensive examination of the problems that confronted one large city in its efforts to privatize its wastewater treatment system. Beset by lack of competitive bidding and growing costs, Oklahoma City eventually was forced to make major changes in its procedures for handling its sewage disposal plants. The city did not return to municipal operation, however, and the city is now satisfied with the current arrangement under which a private firm operates all four of its wastewater treatment plants.
A Test of The Share/Price Market Planning Relationship in One Retail Environment:

Over the past few years two important approaches to marketing strategy planning have been developed. A key planning relationship in each approach is the relationship between prices and market share. The Boston Consulting Group suggests that market share leaders match the prices of their lowest priced competitors while the Profit Impact of Marketing Strategies study has found that share leaders have higher prices. Which is correct? This empirical study tests the direction of the share price relationship in one specific retail environment, namely gasoline retail markets. The results strongly indicate that the share leaders in gasoline retailing consistently have higher prices then their lower share competitors. The study represents the first time that marketing planning relationships such as that between share and price have been extended to retail operations from their more traditional areas of application in marketing by manufacturers.
Current and novel therapies in acute GVHD.

Despite improvements in our understanding of transplant immunology and clinical and supportive care, acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a clinical challenge and a major cause of morbidity and mortality for patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. While systemic corticosteroid is standard primary therapy for acute GVHD, there is no established standard treatment in the steroid-refractory setting. New generations of monoclonal antibodies, biologics, and chemotherapeutics with immunomodulatory effects have been developed over the past decade, and are being tested as novel therapies in this disease. Many of these agents – including, among others, mycophenolate mofetil, anti-tumor necrosis factor-α antibodies, denileukin diftitox, and anti-interleukin-2Rα-chain antibodies – have demonstrated promising activity in steroid-refractory acute GVHD. Despite the high response rates, however, long-term survival remains poor due to a high incidence of infections. The key to improving acute GVHD outcomes may, in fact, rest upon successful initial therapy, and timely taper of corticosteroids to promote healthier immune reconstitution. Clinical trials combining these newer agents with systemic corticosteroids as initial treatment are under way, and will determine whether fortifying initial therapy will indeed reduce the development of steroid-refractory GVHD and improve long-term outcomes. In this article, we review current and novel agents available for acute GVHD, and discuss newer investigational approaches – such as phototherapy and cellular therapies – in the management of this common transplant complication.
Microscopic Evidence That Actin-interacting Protein 1 Actively Disassembles Actin-depolymerizing Factor/Cofilin-bound Actin Filaments

Actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin and gelsolin are the two major factors to enhance actin filament disassembly. Actin-interacting protein 1 (AIP1) enhances fragmentation of ADF/cofilin-bound filaments and caps the barbed ends. However, the mechanism by which AIP1 disassembles ADF/cofilin-bound filaments is not clearly understood. Here, we directly observed the effects of these proteins on filamentous actin by fluorescence microscopy and gained novel insight into the function of ADF/cofilin and AIP1. ADF/cofilin severed filaments and AIP1 strongly enhanced disassembly at nanomolar concentrations. However, gelsolin, gelsolin-actin complex, or cytochalasin D did not enhance disassembly by ADF/cofilin, suggesting that the strong activity of AIP1 cannot be explained by simple barbed end capping. Barbed end capping by ADF/cofilin and AIP1 was weak and allowed filament elongation, whereas gelsolin or gelsolin-actin complex strongly capped and inhibited elongation. These results suggest that AIP has an active role in filament severing or depolymerization and that ADF/cofilin and AIP1 are distinct from gelsolin in modulating filament elongation.
Sodium-Calcium Exchanger 1 Regulates Epithelial Cell Migration via Calcium-dependent Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase Signaling

Na+/Ca2+ exchanger-1 (NCX1) is a major calcium extrusion mechanism in renal epithelial cells enabling the efflux of one Ca2+ ion and the influx of three Na+ ions. The gradient for this exchange activity is provided by Na,K-ATPase, a hetero-oligomer consisting of a catalytic α-subunit and a regulatory β-subunit (Na,K-β) that also functions as a motility and tumor suppressor. We showed earlier that mice with heart-specific ablation (KO) of Na,K-β had a specific reduction in NCX1 protein and were ouabain-insensitive. Here, we demonstrate that Na,K-β associates with NCX1 and regulates its localization to the cell surface. Madin-Darby canine kidney cells with Na,K-β knockdown have reduced NCX1 protein and function accompanied by 2.1-fold increase in free intracellular calcium and a corresponding increase in the rate of cell migration. Increased intracellular calcium up-regulated ERK1/2 via calmodulin-dependent activation of PI3K. Both myosin light chain kinase and Rho-associated kinase acted as mediators of ERK1/2-dependent migration. Restoring NCX1 expression in β-KD cells reduced migration rate and ERK1/2 activation, suggesting that NCX1 functions downstream of Na,K-β in regulating cell migration. In parallel, inhibition of NCX1 by KB-R7943 in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, LLC-PK1, and human primary renal epithelial cells (HREpiC) increased ERK1/2 activation and cell migration. This increased migration was associated with high myosin light chain phosphorylation by PI3K/ERK-dependent mechanism in HREpiC cells. These data confirm the role of NCX1 activity in regulating renal epithelial cell migration.
Perceptual, cognitive, and personality rigidity in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with motor and non-motor rigidity symptoms (e.g., cognitive and personality). The question is raised as to whether rigidity in PD also extends to perception, and if so, whether perceptual, cognitive, and personality rigidities are correlated. Bistable stimuli were presented to 28 non-demented individuals with PD and 26 normal control adults (NC). Necker cube perception and binocular rivalry were examined during passive viewing, and the Necker cube was additionally used for two volitional-control conditions: Hold one percept in front, and Switch between the two percepts. Relative to passive viewing, PD were significantly less able than NC to reduce dominance durations in the Switch condition, indicating perceptual rigidity. Tests of cognitive flexibility and a personality questionnaire were administered to explore the association with perceptual rigidity. Cognitive flexibility was not correlated with perceptual rigidity for either group. Personality (novelty seeking) correlated with dominance durations on Necker passive viewing for PD but not NC. The results indicate the presence in mild-moderate PD of perceptual rigidity and suggest shared neural substrates with novelty seeking, but functional divergence from those supporting cognitive flexibility. The possibility is raised that perceptual rigidity may be a harbinger of cognitive inflexibility later in the disease course.