cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stability analysis of elastic and aeroelastic systems via Lyapunov's direct method

Abstract This paper discusses the formulation of stability problems in both elastic and aeroelastic systems in the framework of Lyapunov stability theory. The application of Lyapunov's direct method to these problems is explored. This approach has the advantage over the conventional methods for it enables one to deal directly with the distributed mathematical model of the system without resorting to approximations. Specific examples are worked out so as to reveal some of the difficulties and to give some idea on the class of problems for which Lyapunov's direct method is readily applicable.
A controlled study of sensation awareness and verbal disclosure for regulation of arousal and anxiety

Interactions of attention and verbalization were investigated for effects of self-reported arousal and state-anxiety. Levels of verbalization from silence through talking-without-a-listener to disclosure were compared while self-directed attention was manipulated for sensation versus general thoughts and feelings. Following a stimulus, disclosure of sensations was expected to reduce state anxiety and increase energetic arousal significantly more than disclosure of thoughts. Based on a randomly assigned sample of 120 men, a 3 x 2 x 2 multivariate analysis of variance indicated a significant interaction in the predicted directions. A significant interaction was also found for the 3 x 2 interaction for energetic arousal. For state anxiety means were in the predicted direction. Results indicate that verbalization of sensations is more energizing and calming than silence, while for general thought, silence is more energizing and calming than verbalization. The results suggest efficacy in reframing self-talk to quiet awareness and in communicating sensed distinctions as they emerge.
Subsurface flow constructed wetland performance at a Pennsylvania campground and conference center

A constructed wetland treatment system consisting of subsurface flow (SSF) wetland cells, sand filters, and final effluent wetlands was found to be effective in removing carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD) and total suspended solids (TSS) to below 30 and 10 mg L -1 , respectively. Removal efficiency of total nitrogen (TN) loads improved from 60.1 to 88.5% over the 2-yr study, primarily due to increased vegetation densities in the SSF wetland cells. In both years, parallel wetland treatment cells had significantly different (p < 0.001) plant densities of broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia L.) and softstem bulrush [Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (K.C. Gmel.) Palla], with significantly more TN removed from the more densely vegetated cell. Overall, the assimilation of N by plants removed less than 25% of the TN load, regardless of plant density, indicating that the primary role of deeply rooted macrophytes is supporting sequential nitrification-denitrification within the anaerobic wetland substrate. More than 99% of the dissolved phosphate (PO 4 3- -P) was removed within the entire system in both years, but removal efficiencies within the wetland cells decreased from 91.2% the first year to 66.1% the second year, indicating that adsorption sites for PO 4 3 -P may be saturated despite increased plant assimilation. Experimental manipulation of waste applied to the sand filters demonstrated that a header-type distribution system promoting horizontal flow was more effective at nitrifying ammonium (NH 4 + -N) discharged to the sand filters than the surface application of waste promoting vertical flow.
Personal computing and liberal education: A higher-education case study

With support from IBM, faculty members at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed PC-based teaching and learning software to supplement the University's general education curriculum. Over twenty faculty-developed software packages are now in use at the University and soon will be “published”. The services organized to assist this curriculum development effort have evolved into a campus-wide infrastructure in support of educational applications of personal computing. The University's experience indicates that new and evolving technologies can strengthen the traditional environment of higher education. This experience is offered as an institutional perspective on which educational policies, faculty development programs, and support services are more likely to “integrate computing into the curriculum” while also establishing a viable vantage point for continuing to deal with the impact of technology on teaching and learning.
The role of IgE anti-basement membrane zone autoantibodies in bullous pemphigoid.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a subepidermal blistering disease characterized by autoantibodies against the hemidesmosomal protein BP180 (BPAg2, type XVII collagen). NC16A, a noncollagenous stretch of the BP180 ectodomain, is the primary target of pathogenic IgG autoantibodies and IgE class autoantibodies. This study further characterized the IgE-reactive regions of BP180. Of ten sera from untreated BP patients, eight contained IgE reactive with the entire BP180 ectodomain. The IgE in 4 of these 8 sera reacted with NC16A, while in the remaining 4 sera IgE immunoreactivity was restricted to sites downstream of NC16A. In contrast, IgG reactivity to NC16A was detected in 9 of the 10 BP sera, and in the remaining serum, IgG, as well as IgE, reacted exclusively with non-NC16A sites on the BP180 ectodomain. Fine mapping of the antigenic sites within NC16A revealed very similar reactivity patterns for IgE and IgG, with NC16A subregion-2 being the major site recognized by both isotypes. Eight of the untreated BP patients were tested for histamine release from their basophils in response to NC16A. Antigen-specific histamine release was observed only in those patients with detectable circulating IgE directed against NC16A (3 of 8). Future studies will investigate the pathogenic relevance of anti-BP180 IgE.
Effect of unitization on associative recognition in amnesia

We examined how associative recognition performance in amnesic patients is mediated by use of a unitized (i.e., holistic) encoding strategy, and the degree to which the unitization effect is related to sparing of familiarity-based recognition. Participants studied word pairs as either separate lexical units in sentences (i.e., nonunitized) or as compounds (unitized). Under standard recognition instructions, normal controls and patients with left-temporal lobe damage (previously determined to have impairments in both recollection and familiarity) showed no difference for unitized and nonunitized pairs, whereas hypoxics (previously determined to have impaired recollection but relatively preserved familiarity) showed an advantage of unitized over nonunitized pairs. This effect was reproduced in normal healthy participants under instructions to restrict responses to judgments of familiarity. The results indicate that unitization may mediate the degree of associative recognition impairment exhibited by some amnesic patients, and that the effect is related to preserved familiarity capacity. The relevance of the results to the debate over the importance of the hippocampus in memory for associations is discussed.
Functional insight into the role of Orc6 in septin complex filament formation in Drosophila

Septins belong to a family of polymerizing GTP-binding proteins that are important for cytokinesis and other processes that involve spatial organization of the cell cortex. We reconstituted a recombinant Drosophila septin complex and compared activities of the wild-type and several mutant septin complex variants both in vitro and in vivo. We show that Drosophila septin complex functions depend on the intact GTP-binding and/or hydrolysis domains of Pnut, Sep1, and Sep2. The presence of the functional C-terminal domain of septins is required for the integrity of the complex. Drosophila Orc6 protein, the smallest subunit of the origin recognition complex (ORC), directly binds to septin complex and facilitates septin filament formation. Orc6 forms dimers through the interactions of its N-terminal, TFIIB-like domains. This ability of the protein suggests a direct bridging role for Orc6 in stimulating septin polymerization in Drosophila. Studies reported here provide a functional dissection of a Drosophila septin complex and highlight the basic conserved and divergent features among metazoan septin complexes.
Role of the nonperturbative input in QCD resummed Drell-Yan Q T distributions

We analyze the role of the nonperturbative input in the Collins-Soper-Sterman (CSS) b-space QCD resummation formalism for Drell-Yan transverse momentum ${(Q}_{T})$ distributions, and investigate the predictive power of the CSS formalism. We find that the predictive power of the CSS formalism has a strong dependence on the collision energy $\sqrt{S}$ in addition to its well-known ${Q}^{2}$ dependence, and the $\sqrt{S}$ dependence improves the predictive power at collider energies. We show that a reliable extrapolation from perturbatively resummed b-space distributions to the nonperturbative large b region is necessary to ensure the correct ${Q}_{T}$ distributions. By adding power corrections to the renormalization group equations in the CSS formalism, we derive a new extrapolation formalism. We demonstrate that at collider energies the CSS resummation formalism plus our extrapolation has an excellent predictive power for W and Z production at all transverse momenta ${Q}_{T}l~Q.$ We also show that the b-space resummed ${Q}_{T}$ distributions provide a good description of Drell-Yan data at fixed target energies.
Incorporating exact two-body propagators for zero-range interactions into $N$-body Monte Carlo simulations

Ultracold atomic gases are, to a very good approximation, described by pairwise zero-range interactions. This paper demonstrates that $N$-body systems with two-body zero-range interactions can be treated reliably and efficiently by the finite-temperature and ground-state path-integral Monte Carlo approaches, using the exact two-body propagator for zero-range interactions in the pair product approximation. Harmonically trapped one- and three-dimensional systems are considered. A propagator for the harmonically trapped two-body system with infinitely strong zero-range interaction, which may also have applications in real time evolution schemes, is presented.
Expression of pigment epithelium‐derived factor and thrombospondin‐1 regulate proliferation and migration of retinal pigment epithelial cells

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss among elderly. Although the pathogenesis of AMD is associated with retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) dysfunction and abnormal neovascularization the detailed mechanisms remain unresolved. RPE is a specialized monolayer of epithelial cells with important functions in ocular homeostasis. Pathological RPE damage contributes to major ocular conditions including retinal degeneration and irreversible loss of vision in AMD. RPE cells also assist in the maintenance of the ocular angiogenic balance by production of positive and negative regulatory factors including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF). The altered production of PEDF and TSP1, as endogenous inhibitors of angiogenesis and inflammation, by RPE cells have been linked to pathogenesis of AMD and choroidal and retinal neovascularization. However, lack of simple methods for isolation and culture of mouse RPE cells has resulted in limited knowledge regarding the cell autonomous role of TSP1 and PEDF in RPE cell function. Here, we describe a method for routine isolation and propagation of RPE cells from wild-type, TSP1, and PEDF-deficient mice, and have investigated their impact on RPE cell function. We showed that expression of TSP1 and PEDF significantly impacted RPE cell proliferation, migration, adhesion, oxidative state, and phagocytic activity with minimal effect on their basal rate of apoptosis. Together, our results indicated that the expression of PEDF and TSP1 by RPE cells play crucial roles not only in regulation of ocular vascular homeostasis but also have significant impact on their cellular function.
Maturational atrioventricular nodal physiology in the mouse.

Mouse AV Nodal Maturation. Introduction: Dual AV nodal physiology is characterized by discontinuous conduction from the atrium to His bundle during programmed atrial extrastimulus testing (A2V2 conduction curves), AV nodal echo beats, and induction of AV nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT). The purpose of this study was to characterize in vivo murine maturational AV nodal conduction properties and determine the frequency of dual AV nodal physiology and inducible AVNRT. Methods and Results: A complete transvenous in vivo electrophysiologic study was performed on 30 immature and 19 mature mice. Assessment of AV nodal conduction included (1) surface ECG and intracardiac atrial and ventricular electrograms; (2) decremental atrial pacing to the point of Wenckebach block and 2:1 conduction; and (3) programmed premature atrial extrastimuli to determine AV effective refractory periods (AVERP), construct A2V2 conduction curves, and attempt arrhythmia induction. The mean Wenckebach block interval was 73 ± 12 msec, 2:1 block pacing cycle length was 61 ± 11 msec, and mean AVERP100 was 54 ± 11 msec. The frequency of dual AV nodal physiology increased with chronologic age, with discontinuous A2V2, conduction curves or AV nodal echo heats in 27% of young mice < 8 weeks and 58% in adult mice (P = 0.03). Conclusion: These data suggest that mice, similar to humans, have maturation of AV nodal physiology, hut they do not have inducible AVNRT. Characterization of murine electrophysiology may be of value in studying genetically modified animals with AV conduction abnormalities. Furthermore, extrapolation to humans may help explain the relative rarity of AVNRT in the younger pediatric population.
Women's movement and the politics of framing: The construction of anti-domestic violence legislation in South Korea

Synopsis This article discusses the emergence of the campaign to construct and pass anti-domestic violence legislation in South Korea. It introduces aspects of the political and cultural context and analyzes choices and negotiations involved in deciding on an effective strategy to support legislation—a framing strategy. The framing strategy was intended to transform and subvert problematic cultural concepts that deemed wife abuse a private, trivial and even benign aspect of married life. While the article demonstrates that the framing played a crucial role in arousing government response to the issue of violence against women, it also shows some unanticipated consequences that resulted from the agreed upon frame and from the institutionalization of responsibilities for implementing the legislation. By exploring feminist movement against domestic violence in the local context, the article suggests that success of the anti-domestic violence legislation movement and unintended consequences of state intervention in domestic violence can be relatively discussed and anticipated.
Serotonin transporters in ecstasy users.

Semple et al ([1999][1]) report a reduction in vivo of 123I-labelled 2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl)tropane (β-CIT) uptake in the cerebral cortex of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ ecstasy’) users. They interpret this observation to be an indication of a decrease in serotonin
Hyperglycaemia results from beta-cell dysfunction in critically ill children with respiratory and cardiovascular failure: a prospective observational study.

Introduction Hyperglycaemia is common in critical illness and associated with poor outcome. Glycaemic control using insulin may decrease morbidity and mortality. Many questions remain about the cause of critical illness hyperglycaemia (CIH). Our objective was to investigate the endocrinological basis of paediatric CIH.
Diagnosis and treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis.

Purpose of review This review surveys publications from peer-reviewed literature published since 2001on the matter of uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Recent findings Uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) continues to blind substantial numbers of children every year, even in the most developed of societies. This is so because of delayed diagnosis (as a consequence of the silent, asymptomatic nature of ocular inflammation in some patients), and because of delayed referral by general ophthalmologists of children with JIA-associated uveitis to ocular immunologists prepared to move on to systemic immunomodulatory therapy in those instances where the child's uveitis is chronic or continues to recur with each attempt at tapering corticosteroid. The evidence for this is vast. Summary Progress in the matter of reducing the prevalence of blindness secondary to this disease will require the increasing willingness of the world's ophthalmologists to refer patients with JIA-associated uveitis much earlier in the course of his or her disease for consideration of immunomodulatory therapy, and will require legislation mandating visual acuity testing in children attending day care centers.
Energy and latency control in low duty cycle MAC protocols

Recently, several MAC protocols, such as S-MAC and T-MAC, have exploited scheduled sleep/wakeup cycles to conserve energy in sensor networks. Until now, most protocols have assumed all nodes in the network were configured to follow the same schedule, or have assumed border nodes would follow multiple schedules, but those cases have not been evaluated. The paper develops two new algorithms to control and exploit the presence of multiple schedules to reduce energy consumption and latency. The first one is the global schedule algorithm (GSA). Through experiments, we demonstrate that, because of radio propagation vagaries, large sensor networks have very ragged, overlapping borders where many nodes listen to two or more schedules. GSA is a fully distributed algorithm that allows a large network to converge on a single global schedule to conserve energy. Secondly, we demonstrate that strict schedules incur a latency penalty in a multi-hop network when packets must wait for the next schedule for transmission. To reduce latency in multi-hop paths, we develop the fast path algorithm (FPA). FPA provides fast data forwarding paths by adding additional wake-up periods on the nodes along paths from sources to sinks. We evaluate both algorithms through experiments on Berkeley motes and demonstrate that the protocols accomplish their goals of reducing energy consumption and latency in large sensor networks.
In vivo human retinal imaging by ultrahigh-speed spectral domain optical coherence tomography

An ultrahigh-speed spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) system is presented that achieves acquisition rates of 29,300 depth profiles/s. The sensitivity of SD-OCT and time domain OCT (TD-OCT) are experimentally compared, demonstrating a 21.7-dB improvement of SD-OCT over TD-OCT. In vivo images of the human retina are presented, demonstrating the ability to acquire high-quality structural images with an axial resolution of 6 microm at ultrahigh speed and with an ocular exposure level of less than 600 microW.
Analysis of high rate LPC vector quantizers designed by minimizing suboptimal error measures

For the quantization of the linear predictive coding (LPC) parameters in speech coding systems, the log spectral distortion (LSD) measure is often cited as the performance measure most correlated with speech quality. However, most practical quantization schemes use simpler error measures, such as mean squared error (MSE) or weighted mean squared error (WMSE) measures between the quantized and unquantized LPC coefficients, reflection coefficients, arcsine coefficients, area ratios, or line spectral pair frequencies (LSPs). This paper develops analytical expressions for performance of high rate vector quantization (VQ) schemes which are trained by minimizing suboptimal distortion measures, and applies these results to the problem of quantizing the LPC parameters. In particular, the theory is developed to evaluate the performance, as measured by one distortion measure, of a vector quantizer which has been trained by minimizing a different distortion measure. Using this analysis, the performance, in LSD, of vector quantizers trained by minimizing MSE and WMSE measures is theoretically evaluated. >
Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses of magnetic resonance imaging.

Any new technology that promises significant costs as well as potential benefits generates considerable interest. Such innovations bring into bold relief the fundamental problem of achieving maximal medical benefits while efficiently and equitably allocating scarce resources (II). Two tools that decision makers can use to assess the benefits and costs of implementing new technologies are cost- benefit analysis (CBA) and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). One technology that seems especially appropriate for the application of CBA and CEA is nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging.
Cancer Incidence Among Pesticide Applicators Exposed to Atrazine in the Agricultural Health Study

Background: Atrazine is the most heavily applied agricultural pesticide for crop production in the United States. Both animal and human studies have suggested that atrazine is possibly carcinogenic, but results have been mixed. We evaluated cancer incidence in atrazine-exposed pesticide applicators among 53 943 participants in the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective cohort study of licensed pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina. Methods: We obtained detailed pesticide exposure information using a selfadministered questionnaire completed at the time of enrollment (1993‐1997). Cancer incidence was followed through December 31, 2001. We used adjusted Poisson regression to calculate rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of multiple types of cancer among atrazine exposed applicators. P trend values were calculated using atrazine exposure as a continuous variable, and all statistical tests were two-sided. Two exposure metrics were used: quartiles of lifetime days of exposure and quartiles of intensity-weighted lifetime days of exposure. Results: 36 513 (68%) applicators reported ever using atrazine; exposure was not associated with overall cancer incidence. Comparisons of cancer incidence in applicators with the highest atrazine exposure and those with the lowest exposure, assessed by lifetime days (RR LD ) and intensity-weighted lifetime days (RR IWLD )o f exposure yielded the following results: prostate cancer, RRLD 0.88, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.23, Ptrend .26, and RRIWLD 0.89, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.25, Ptrend .35; lung cancer, RRLD 1.91, 95% CI 0.93 to 3.94, Ptrend .08, and RRIWLD 1.37, 95% CI 0.65 to 2.86, Ptrend .19; bladder cancer, RRLD 3.06, 95% CI 0.86 to 10.81, Ptrend .18, and RRIWLD 0.85, 95% CI 0.24 to 2.94, Ptrend .71; non-Hodgkin lymphoma, RRLD 1.61, 95% CI 0.62 to 4.16, Ptrend .35, and RRIWLD 1.75, 95% CI 0.73 to 4.20, Ptrend .14; and multiple myeloma, RRLD 1.60, 95% CI 0.37 to 7.01, Ptrend .41, and RRIWLD 2.17, 95% CI 0.45 to 10.32, Ptrend .21. Conclusions: Our analyses did not find any clear associations between atrazine exposure and any cancer analyzed. However, further studies are warranted for tumor types in which there was a suggestion of trend (lung, bladder, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma). [J Natl Cancer Inst 2004;96:1375‐82]
Molecular and functional identification of a mitochondrial ryanodine receptor in neurons.

Mitochondrial Ca2+ controls numerous cell functions, such as energy metabolism, reactive oxygen species generation, spatiotemporal dynamics of Ca2+ signaling, cell growth and death in various cell types including neurons. Mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation is mainly mediated by the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU), but recent reports also indicate that mitochondrial Ca2+-influx mechanisms are regulated not only by MCU, but also by multiple channels/transporters. We previously reported that ryanodine receptor (RyR), which is a one of the main Ca2+-release channels at endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR/ER) in excitable cells, is expressed at the mitochondrial inner membrane (IMM) and serves as a part of the Ca2+ uptake mechanism in cardiomyocytes. Although RyR is also expressed in neuronal cells and works as a Ca2+-release channel at ER, it has not been well investigated whether neuronal mitochondria possess RyR and, if so, whether this mitochondrial RyR has physiological functions in neuronal cells. Here we show that neuronal mitochondria express RyR at IMM and accumulate Ca2+ through this channel in response to cytosolic Ca2+ elevation, which is similar to what we observed in another excitable cell-type, cardiomyocytes. In addition, the RyR blockers dantrolene or ryanodine significantly inhibits mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in permeabilized striatal neurons. Taken together, we identify RyR as an additional mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake mechanism in response to the elevation of [Ca2+]c in neurons, suggesting that this channel may play a critical role in mitochondrial Ca2+-mediated functions such as energy metabolism.
Identifying Employee Internet Abuse

This study attempts to illuminate employee Internet abuse through analysis of a company's firewall log file. The difficulty of determining whether a given instance of Web browsing constitutes "abuse" is addressed. Visits to Web sites subjectively labeled "inappropriate" were found at varying levels, ranging from incidental to excessive
Curriculum and Instructional Methods for Drug Information, Literature Evaluation, and Biostatistics: Survey of US Pharmacy Schools

BACKGROUND:The drug information curriculum in US colleges of pharmacy continues to evolve. The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Drug Information Practice and Research Network (DI PRN) published an opinion paper with specific recommendations regarding drug information education in 2009. Adoption of these recommendations has not been evaluated.OBJECTIVE:To assess which recommendations made in the ACCP DI PRN opinion paper are included in US pharmacy school curricula and characterize faculty qualifications, educational methods, and recent changes in drug information education.METHODS:An electronic survey was designed using the ACCP DI PRN opinion paper and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education standards and guidelines for accreditation of PharmD programs in the US. Survey questions addressed curricular content within the following categories: drug information, literature evaluation, and biostatistics. A letter including the online survey link was sent via email to the dean of each US c...
Star Background Cancellation For Deep Space Surveillance

In high-sensitivity, deepspace surveillance missions, detection of point-source target satellites must be accomplished amid a background of thousands of stars. These stars must be removed from the data stream to permit target detection and to accommodate the data stream to the capacity of the downlink. Two different star elimination techniques, color elimination and moving target indicator (MTI) are analyzed and compared. It is shown that neither of two color discrimination schemes is adequate to meet the data downlink capacity goal. Star leakage is reduced by two orders of magnitude using MTI rather than color discrimination. Thus, the downlink data rate is reduced dramatically along with the probability of false target occurrence. Therefore, the MTI technique is a promising scheme for rejecting inertially stationary objects.© (1978) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Phenomenological Study of ICU Nurses’ Experiences Caring for Dying Patients

This existential phenomenological study explored caring for the dying based on the philosophical works of Merleau-Ponty. Fourteen critical care nurses were asked to describe lived experiences of caring for dying patients. An encompassing theme of Promises to Keep emerged, with five subthemes, including the following: (a) promise to be truthful: “Nurses are in the game of reality,” (b) promise to provide comfort: “I’ll make him comfortable,” (c) promise to be an advocate: “Just one more day,” (d) “Promise that couldn’t be kept,” and (e) “Promise to remain connected.” The essence of intensive care nurses’ lived experience of caring for dying patients is captured in the theme Promises to Keep. Nurses accept the reality of death and express strong commitment to making it as comfortable, peaceful, and dignified as possible, despite critical care unit environments that foster a “paradigm of curing” rather than a “paradigm of caring.”
The maternal leucocyte response to the endometrial cups in horses is correlated with the developmental stages of the invasive trophoblast cells

Invading trophoblasts form endometrial cups in the endometrium of the pregnant mare. In the present study we characterized the maternal leucocyte response to endometrial cups from their formation to their regression. The maternal leucocyte response was correlated with the stages of trophoblast development. (1) Aggregates of CD4+ and CD8+ cells were present between the migrating and differentiating endometrial cup trophoblasts and surrounding the forming endometrial cups. (2) Numbers of CD4+ cells within the mature endometrial cups were much reduced. At the periphery of the endometrial cups CD4+ and CD8+ cells were found in patchy accumulations around endometrial glands; small clusters of CD79+ B lymphocytes were present as well. (3) Scattered CD4+ and CD8+ cells were found within dying endometrial cups; areas of cell death were infiltrated with neutrophils. Large aggregates of CD4+ cells and CD8+ cells, and small but numerous clusters of CD79+ cells and eosinophils, were found outside of the dying endometrial cups. The CD4+ or CD8+ cells were mostly CD3+ T cells; some were probably macrophages which can express both of these markers in horses. The correlation between the developmental stages of the endometrial cup trophoblast and the maternal leucocyte response suggests a complicated cytokine-mediated regulatory network.
Reinforcement of Silicone Rubber by Particulate Silica

Abstract The interaction between fumed silica and silicone elastomer after various treatments of the silica surface has been investigated. The effect of the treatments was determined by measuring bound rubber, an interaction coefficient by means of the oscillating disk rheometer, the mechanical properties of the vulcanizates, the morphology of the silica aggregates, and the use of an hydroxyl-terminated silicone rubber. The results indicated that the interaction is much more intensive than in carbon black-hydrocarbon rubber systems. This is demonstrated by much higher bound rubber values (by a factor of 2–3) and a higher interaction coefficient. It is shown that the major effect on this interaction coefficient is the specific interaction by hydrogen bonding, between silica surface silanol groups and the polydimethylsiloxane chain. In this bonding the isolated hydroxyl groups should play the major part. Partial inactivation of these isolated silanol groups leads to improved strength but lower modulus. Maxi...
Hispanics in the United States: Wealth and Poverty

There has been a long debate in the academic literature about the relative skill levels of Latino immigrants, their wages compared to domestic-born workers, and whether or not they have depressed salaries for unskilled and semiskilled laborers, particularly African Americans. There has also been considerable discussion about whether there has been economic and social mobility within Latino communities, especially for second- and third-generation children of Mexican and other immigrants. Some have assumed that part of the story of Latin American and Caribbean immigration is economic stagnation and low levels of social mobility over time. Others have argued that the experiences of Latino populations are unique and that they are unlike previous waves of migrants and their descendants in the United States in terms of integration or acculturation levels into the dominant society. An unfortunate and inaccurate image of enduring poverty has emerged and this has obfuscated the fact that from a historical perspective the Latino population of the United States is very much like every racial and ethnic group with respect to social and economic stratification, as well as mobility. Additionally, there are extraordinary similarities when Hispanics are compared with prior waves of migration to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. The large-scale arrival of immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean after 1980, many of them coming from impoverished rural environments, has surely exacerbated the problem of poverty within Latino communities. Yet, a solid and growing Latino middle class has emerged and high-income-earning individuals, families, and households exist within each national group and in every major region of Hispanic population concentration. An examination of income data since 1980 reveals the difficulty of making sweeping and often impressionistic generalizations about Latino economic performance.
Integration of Small-Scale Farmers in Value Chains in Bulgaria, with a Case Study on Agrobusiness 88 Ltd., Skravena

This paper presents the state of integration of small-scale dairy farms in value chains in Bulgaria and a case study on organic farming as a new prospective approach for market inclusion. It outlines the evolution of dairy sheep farming and organic production, analyzes the pace, factors and impact of development of a successful organic dairy sheep farm from North-West Bulgaria, specifies the driving factors and prospects of small-scale organic farming development, and assesses possibilities for replication of positive experience in other farms. The paper also provides recommendations for the improvement of public policies and farming strategies.
Subscapular abscess due to Haemophilus influenzae type B.

Localized abscess formation is a rare but previously described manifestation of Haemophilus influenzae infection.1-7 A majority of the reported cases were caused by nontypeable strains of H influenzae.1,4,5,7 We report a case of an extensive subscapular abscess due to β-lactamase-negative H influenzae type B. This, to our knowledge, is the first such case described in English literature. CASE REPORT A 15-month-old white girl developed fever, anorexia, and irritability five days prior to admission. The following day a physician diagnosed otitis media and prescribed erythromycin. In spite of the antibiotic therapy, the symptoms persisted. A different physician was consulted, but no focus of infection could be identified.
Short-term effects of povidone iodine and sodium fluoride therapy on plaque levels and microbiome diversity.

Objectives The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of short-term changes in the oral microbial ecology of dental plaque and plaque levels after topical treatment of a combination of 10% povidone iodine (PI) and 5% sodium fluoride varnish (FV). Materials and Methods A single group design intervention study on 12 pediatric patients, who underwent two baseline plaques samplings before the intervention, were enrolled in the study. A modified mixed dentition Silness-Loe plaque index score was used to assess plaque accumulation and microbial composition was assessed by amplicon sequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA V4 region. Results Dental plaque accumulation (P = 0.0424) was reduced after 1 week using PI/FV application. This reduction was not observed between the two double-baseline visits. 16S rRNA analysis showed that the single PI/FV therapy did not have dramatic shifts in the plaque microbiome community depicted by hierarchical cluster and principle component analysis. More subtle changes were found when analyzing the Shannon diversity index after the application of PI/FV vs two baselines prior to combination therapy. Conclusions The bacteria within the dental biofilms showed resilience in maintaining the overall community diversity but reduced biofilm accumulation following PI/FV therapy. Repeated uses of PI/FV may augment plaque control during dental rehabilitation in children.
Long-Term Evaluation of Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation: Minimum 7-Year Follow-Up.

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to report the clinical outcomes of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) procedures performed by a single orthopedic surgeon at a minimum of 7 years follow-up.Methods:A retrospective review of prospectively collected data was performed on 29 patients who underwent ACI of the knee between the years of 1998 and 2003. Prospective data were collected to assess changes in standardized outcome measures preoperatively and 2, 4, and 7 years postoperatively. All patients enrolled in the study were also recruited to undergo physical examination when possible.Results:The final cohort consisted of 29 patients with a mean final follow-up time of 8.40 years (range = 7.14-10.88 years). Comparing preoperative scores to 7-year postoperative values, the mean International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score improved from 39.80 to 59.24 (P < 0.001), mean Tegner-Lysholm score increased from 48.07 to 74.17 (P < 0.001), SF-12 physical score improved from 40.38 to 48.66 (P < 0.001...
Low-Temperature Growth and Characterization of InP Grown by Gas-Source Molecular-Beam Epitaxy

Low-temperature (LT) growth of InP by gas-source molecular-beam epitaxy has been studied. Contrary to GaAs, InP grown at low temperature (from 200°C to 410°C) shows ntype, low-resistivity properties. The electron concentration changes dramatically with growth temperature. A model of P antisite defects formed during LT growth was used to explain this experimental result. Ex-situ annealing can increase the resistivity, but only by a factor of about 6. Heavily Be-doped LT InP also shows n-type property. We believe this is the first report of an extremely high concentration of donors formed in LT InP and n-type doping by Be in III–V compounds.
Production of siderophore-like iron chelators by ericoid and ectomycorrhizal fungi

Siderophores can play critical roles in both plant nutrition and competition between microorganisms. Production of hydroxamate siderophores by both ericoid and ectomycorrhizal fungi may provide an additional mechanism for the suppression of antagonistic microorganisms. This study was designed to determine if there was a correlation between mycorrhizal fungal antagonism to an actinomycete and siderophore production by these fungi.
Postpartum Depression Screening.

Question: When I screen mothers for postpartum depression, I often wonder about how best to explain the reason for doing this or how to insure I am being helpful to these moms. Any thoughts? A: Professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics1 and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,2 recommend that health care providers screen mothers for the occurrence of postpartum depression. Pediatricians are asked to do this because in the year after delivery, the only health care provider that most young mothers will see is their child’s pediatrician. If they don’t inquire about maternal depression, it is possible that no one else will. Doing worthwhile screening, however, requires some extra understanding about depression in moms. More than half of all moms experience a period of “baby blues” in the first few weeks after delivery, meaning they experience a period of significant sadness, exhaustion, fear, and mood instability.3 More often than not, this experience resolves just fine on its own, particularly in the presence of good social supports. So, I describe the extremely common experience of “baby blues” with new parents as a common transitional reaction to
A New Tillandsia-Feeding Species of the Eccritotarsine Plant Bug Genus Tenthecoris (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) from the Southeastern United States

Abstract The new eccritotarsine plant bug, Tenthecoris tillandsiae (Heteroptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae), is described from specimens taken on Spanish moss, Tillandsia usneoides, growing on various deciduous and coniferous trees, in southeastern South Carolina, USA. This species represents the first record of the genus Tenthecoris Scott from the United States and the first host record from a bromeliad. All other species of Tenthecoris (commonly called orchid bugs) having known hosts are associated with orchids (Orchidaceae). The new species is diagnosed, described, and illustrated, including male genitalia, to help distinguish it from other members of the genus.
Towards a DNA Nanoprocessor: Reusable Tile-Integrated DNA Circuits

Modern electronic microprocessors use semiconductor logic gates organized on a silicon chip to enable efficient inter-gate communication. Here, arrays of communicating DNA logic gates integrated on a single DNA tile were designed and used to process nucleic acid inputs in a reusable format. Our results lay the foundation for the development of a DNA nanoprocessor, a small and biocompatible device capable of performing complex analyses of DNA and RNA inputs.
chapter 11 – Color Perception and Color Classification

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a set of experiments designed to investigate Lana's color perception and color classification. Lana has demonstrated that she does possess sufficient cognitive capabilities to assimilate and adopt arbitrary codes and that she uses these codes to describe her world as she sees it. Three separate aspects of Experiment I support this conclusion. First, Lana's assignment of color names to various areas of color-space did not produce areas identified by a given color term surrounding the training color for that term with random responding at areas perceptually distant from the training colors. Second, Lana's great regularity in giving consistent color names to central and border hues regardless of great changes in brightness or saturation suggests that her color names are codes for hue attributes and not just names for specific physical stimuli. The third type of evidence supporting Lana's use of her color terms as conceptual codes comes from the observation that only two color names ever competed as a response for a given color chip and that these color names were always the names for spectrally adjacent hues. This finding indicates that a border color received different responses on different presentations because the chip looked two colors and not because it was an unfamiliar color and she was guessing among one of six possible alternatives. The present findings are sufficient to conclude that Lana does possess sufficient cognitive capabilities to assimilate arbitrary codes and that she uses these codes to describe her world as she sees it.
Improving photoconductance of fluorinated donors with fluorinated acceptors

This work investigates the influence of fluorination of both donor and acceptor materials on the generation of free charge carriers in small molecule donor/fullerene acceptor BHJ OPV active layers. A fluorinated and non-fluorinated small molecule analogue were synthesized and their optoelectronic properties characterized. The intrinsic photoconductance of blends of these small molecule donors was investigated using time-resolved microwave conductivity. Blends of the two donor molecules with a traditional non-fluorinated fullerene (PC 70 BM) as well as a fluorinated fullerene (C 60 (CF 3 )2-1) were investigated using 5% and 50% fullerene loading. We demonstrate for the first time that photoconductance in a 50:50 donor:acceptor BHJ blend using a fluorinated fullerene can actually be improved relative to a traditional non-fluorinated fullerene by fluorinating the donor molecule as well.
Kinetic analysis of 18F-FMISO dynamic PET using shortened datasets

581 Objectives To investigate the feasibility of kinetic analysis of 18F-FMISO dynamic PET (dPET) using shortened datasets. Methods 18F-FMISO PET measurements were performed in (i) 10 HT29 colorectal carcinoma-bearing nude rats (0-90 min dPET) using the R4 or Focus 120 microPET, and (ii) 6 patients with head and neck cancer (0-45 min dPET followed by two 10-min static scans at 96±5 and 159±16 min post-injection) using the GE DSTE PET/CT. Each patient underwent a prior 18F-FDG PET/CT study. PET images were reconstructed using (i) 3D MAP (rats) or (ii) OS-EM (patients) algorithms. Whole-tumor volumes of interest (wVOIs) were delineated (i) manually (rats) or (ii) on the 18F-FDG images using 50% threshold (patients). Voxels within wVOI were subclassified into 4 clusters (cVOI) based on their kinetic behavior using k-means clustering. The time activity curves (TACs) were determined from the dynamic images. The input functions were derived using the hottest (i) 150 voxels within the abdominal aorta (rats) or (ii) 20 voxels within the internal carotid artery (patients). Kinetic analysis was carried out for each of the following datasets: (i) Full dynamic dataset (FD; reference standard), (ii) the first 90min of data (patients only; SD1), and (iii) the first 45min of dynamic data (SD2), using an irreversible 2-tissue compartment model. Results In rats, Pearson’s r between k3 [Ki] for FD-SD2 correlations as calculated from wVOI (cVOI)-derived TACs were 0.98 (0.98) [0.98 (0.98)]. In patients, the corresponding values were 0.95 (0.92) [0.98 (0.95)] for FD-SD1, and 0.88 (0.71) [0.85 (0.75)] for FD-SD2 correlations. r for vB, K1 and K1/k2 were ≥0.98 for all correlations (both rats and patients). Conclusions Our preliminary results show that kinetic analysis of 18F-FMISO PET is feasible using shortened dPET datasets of up to 45min. Research Support This work was partially supported by NIH grant 1U01CA157442-01A1.
Complications of Occipital Nerve Block

Occipital neuralgia is characterized by severe pain localized in the posterior head up to the vertex with occasional radiation to the auricle. The pain is typically one-sided but can be bilateral. Treatment modalities include noninvasive options such as physical therapy and pharmacological management. Despite these measures, patients report moderate to severe pain. Intervention for the treatment of occipital neuralgia is an occipital nerve block. Occipital nerve blocks are also used in the treatment of acute and prophylactic migraines, cervicogenic headache, cluster headache, and post-traumatic headaches. Occipital nerve blocks are considered safe but rarely can be associated with complications. Among the complications are cutaneous adverse reactions, myonecrosis, intra-arterial injections leading to local anesthetic systemic toxicity, and subarachnoid injections that culminate in brain stem anesthesia.
“Calling Out” in class: Degrees of candor in addressing social injustices in racially homogenous and heterogeneous U.S. history classrooms

Abstract Teaching for social justice requires an ability to address sensitive issues such as racism and sexism so that students can gain critical consciousness of these pervasive social realities. However, the empirical literature thus far provides minimal exploration of the factors teachers consider in deciding how to address these issues. This study explores this question through ethnographic case studies of two urban, 11th grade U.S. History classrooms. Differing classroom racial demographics and teacher instructional goals resulted in two distinct pedagogical approaches to social justice teaching. Despite differences in class makeup and teaching approach, students in both classrooms developed intellectual confidence and critical citizenship skills related to their growing sociopolitical awareness.