cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neonatal Parotitis: A Case Report.

Author(s): Gupta, Ayush; Kingdon, Tyler; McKernan, Andrew | Abstract: Introduction: Acute suppurative parotitis is a rare finding in the neonate. It is commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, but other bacterial isolates may be emerging. It is a novel disease for this age group and requires unique management. Only 32 cases of neonatal suppurative parotitis have been described in the English-language literature over the last 35 years.n Case Report: We describe a case of a 14-day-old male who presented to the pediatric emergency department with a 24-hour history of swelling and redness of the right cheek. On examining him, purulent material was seen inside his oral cavity. He was subsequently hospitalized with a diagnosis of neonatal suppurative parotitis and received five days of parenteral antibiotics with improvement in swelling and redness. He was discharged home with oral antibiotics.n Conclusion: Although neonatal suppurative parotitis is rare, it should be suspected in newborns presenting with an erythematous pre-auricular mass with or without any predisposing factors. We describe a rare case of acute suppurative parotitis in a neonate and review the published literature.
Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel Antibody-Mediated Encephalitis in Siblings (P2.2-027)

Objective: Demonstrate the heterogeneous nature of autoimmune encephalitidies Background: Encephalopathy associated with neuronal voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) antibodies is a rare disorder associated with a group of heterogeneous syndromes that include symptoms such as memory loss, seizures, neuromyotonia, and psychiatric manifestations. Design/Methods: Describe successive cases of VGKC encephalopathy in siblings Results: A 7 year old white male presents with 4 day history of nausea, vomiting, headache and altered mental status. Initially thought to be infectious meningoencephalitis, an extensive infectious workup was negative. MRI showed diffuse enhancement of the meninges. Lumbar puncture showed lymphocytic pleocytosis and mildly elevated protein. His clinical state worsened to a near catatonia. He was started on empiric high-dose steroids with minimal improvement. He was soon after started on IVIG therapy. A serum encephalopathy panel returned positive for VGKC antibodies, with negative LGI1 and CSPR2 antibodies. His remaining symptoms consist of decreased attention and emotional lability. Two years later, his 7-year-old younger brother presented with a two-day history of acute onset paranoid behaviors with tactile, auditory and visual hallucinations. Initial studies including MRI, EEG, LP, infectious work-up were unrevealing. He was empirically started on IVIG and high-dose steroids due to concern for autoimmune encephalitis, as his brother had. His serum encephalopathy panel returned positive for VGKC, negative LGI1 and CSPR2. Patient showed improvement with steroids and IVIG, although has had several relapses and was recently started on rituximab. Conclusions: VGKC encephalopathy can manifest in a variety of ways as seen in these brothers; one who presented with a picture of meningoencephalitis and catatonia, and the other with more acute onset paranoid psychosis and mania. This raises the possibility of an underlying genetic predisposition, little research is taking place in the genetics of VGKC encephalopathy. No genetic markers are known at this time, family studies may be warranted to deduce candidate genes. Disclosure: Dr. Woodward has nothing to disclose. Dr. Valdrighi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rathore has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rickard has nothing to disclose.
Manufacturing chimeric antigen receptor T cells from cryopreserved peripheral blood cells: time for a collect-and-freeze model?

Abstract Background aims Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T-cell therapy has revolutionized outcomes for patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies. Despite the exciting results, several clinical and logistical challenges limit its wide applicability. First, the apheresis requirement restricts accessibility to institutions with the resources to collect and process peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Second, even when utilizing an apheresis product, failure to manufacture CAR T cells is a well-established problem in a significant subset. In heavily pre-treated patients, prior chemotherapy may impact T-cell quality and function, limiting the ability to manufacture a potent CAR T-cell product. Isolation and storage of T cells shortly after initial cancer diagnosis or earlier in life while an individual is still healthy are an alternative to using T cells from heavily pre-treated patients. The goal of this study was to determine if a CAR T-cell product could be manufactured from a small volume (50 mL) of healthy donor blood. Methods Collaborators at Cell Vault collected 50 mL of whole peripheral venous blood from three healthy donors. PBMCs were isolated, cryopreserved and shipped to the Medical College of Wisconsin. PBMCs for each individual donor were thawed, and CAR T cells were manufactured using an 8-day process on the CliniMACS Prodigy device with a CD19 lentiviral vector. Results Starting doses of enriched T-cell numbers ranged from 4.0 × 107 cells to 4.8 × 107 cells, with a CD4/CD8 purity of 74–79% and an average CD4:CD8 ratio of 1.4. On the day of harvest, total CD3 cells in the culture expanded to 3.6–4.6 × 109 cells, resulting in a 74- to 115-fold expansion, an average CD4:CD8 ratio of 2.9 and a CD3 frequency of greater than 99%. Resulting CD19 CAR expression varied from 19.2% to 48.1%, with corresponding final CD19+ CAR T-cell counts ranging from 7.82 × 108 cells to 2.21 × 109 cells. The final CAR T-cell products were phenotypically activated and non-exhausted and contained a differentiated population consisting of stem cell-like memory T cells. Conclusions Overall, these data demonstrate the ability to successfully generate CAR T-cell products in just 8 days using cryopreserved healthy donor PBMCs isolated from only 50 mL of blood. Notably, numbers of CAR T cells were more than adequate for infusion of an 80-kg patient at dose levels used for products currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The authors offer proof of principle that cryopreservation of limited volumes of venous blood with an adequate starting T-cell count allows later successful manufacture of CAR T-cell therapy.
Hope as a Protective Factor: Relations to Adverse Childhood Experiences, Delinquency, and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) predict poor outcomes in adolescence, including delinquency and internalizing symptoms such as posttraumatic stress. In the current study, we investigated the hypothesis that hope has protective effects for adolescents by reducing the strength of associations between ACEs and delinquency and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Participants included 1236 adolescents from 13 schools in a large metropolitan area. ACEs were directly associated with both delinquency and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Direct associations between hope and both delinquency and posttraumatic stress were also found, such that greater hope was associated with fewer delinquent behaviors and fewer posttraumatic stress symptoms. Hope also functioned as a moderator; higher levels of hope weakened the strength of the association between ACEs and delinquency. In exploratory follow-up subgroup analyses, this pattern was supported among 6th grade students, but not among 9th grade students. Implications of these findings for preventive interventions are discussed.
Sexiness, Individual Condition, and Species Identity: The Information Signaled by Ornaments and Assessed by Choosing Females

Biologists have long debated the evolution of animal ornamentation via female choice. Much of the discussion of ornament evolution has focused on three hypotheses: the species recognition hypothesis, the indicator trait hypothesis, and the runaway sexual selection hypothesis. These models of sexual selection have generally been considered in isolation, with each assessed as a potential complete explanation for ornament evolution. In fact, any choosing female potentially benefits by assessing three distinct characteristics of a prospective mate—species identity, individual condition, and sexiness—such that there can be no comprehensive explanation of ornamentation without consideration of the need for females to assess these three key attributes of males. There is no logical basis for advocating for the importance of one of these classes of information over another. Consideration that all three assessments of prospective males work in tandem to shape the evolution of female preferences for male ornaments leads to a better understanding of the diversity of ornamentation within and among animal species.
The Problem of Style and the Poetry of the Sixties

I pose a problem rich in theoretical implications and hazards. What are the stylistic features of the poetry of the Sixties; do these features, by virtue of certain inner and outer congruities, show more than the chaos and conflict which seem the marks of modernist movements? Can we discover the operation of that frequently mentioned but rarely encountered "unified sensibility"? Our answers depend on what the examining eye chooses to scrutinize. What theory of history directs the eye to its particular choices? First and obviously our eye seems guided by the mysterious authority of the decade, by that fiction which identifies a change in sensibility?if not a scheduled apocalypse?every ten years. It has long been a convention of cultural history to speak of the decades of the twentieth century as distinct entities. Each of these entities presumably bodies forth significant differences?otherwise why not think in twentyor forty year periods? The Twenties, Thirties, Forties, Fifties, Sixties?and now the Seven ties?seem to possess a discrete character, a distinguishing Zeitgeist. The Twen ties were a time of creative excitement and achievement; the Thirties a time of political and ideological frenzy; the Forties a time of war and revaluation; the Fifties a time of conformity and quiescence; the Sixties apparently returned us to the mood and concerns of the Thirties.
Small-molecule approach to block p53-MDM2 interaction as a cancer therapeutic strategy

LB-144 Design of small-molecule antagonists to block the MDM2-p53 protein-protein interaction is being intensely pursued as a potentially attractive new cancer therapeutic strategy. Employing a structure-based approach, we have rationally designed MI-219 as an orally bioavailable and most potent and selective inhibitor of the MDM2-p53 interaction and have performed critical in vitro and in vivo evaluations of MI-219 as a potential new cancer therapy. MI-219 disrupts the MDM2-p53 interaction and activates the p53 pathway in cells with wild-type p53. Activation of p53 by MI-219 leads to cell cycle arrest in both normal and tumor cells and selective apoptosis in the latter. It activates p53 in normal mouse tissues with minimal p53 accumulation and is not toxic to animals, indicating that normal cells and tissues are intrinsically resistant to activation of p53 by an MDM2 inhibitor. MI-219 stimulates rapid but transient p53 activation in xenograft tumor tissues, resulting in inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis, and complete tumor growth inhibition, consistent with the notion that established tumors remain persistently vulnerable to p53 tumor-suppressor function. Our study provides compelling evidence that pharmacological activation of p53 by blocking the MDM2-p53 interaction is a promising cancer therapeutic strategy and MI-219 warrants clinical evaluation as a new cancer therapy.
GMR enhancement in hybrid spin valves for CIP geometries

Summary form only given. A goal in research into giant magnetoresistance (GMR) is to achieve large GMR whilst maintaining device stability and sensitivity. Dual spin valves (DSVs) have a larger GMR output than single spin valves due to the increased number of interfaces for electron scattering (W.F. Egelhof et al, 1995). Synthetic antiferromagnets (SAFs) are often used in DSVs to assist pinning and improve device stability; however, current may be shunted through these additional layers so that the full potential GMR output is not achieved. Removal of the SAF layers to form a simple DSV results in an unstable structure with poor pinning and large hysteresis in the MR response. It is the purpose of this paper to describe a hybrid device which solves this problem.
Precise determination of the neutron magnetic form-factor to higher Q**2

The neutron elastic magnetic form factor G M n has been extracted from quasielastic scattering from deuterium in the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer, CLAS [B. Mecking et al., Nucl. Inst. and Meth. A 503 (2003) 513]. The kinematic coverage of the measurement is continuous over a broad range, extending from below 1 GeV2 to nearly 5 GeV2 in four-momentum transfer squared. High precision is achieved by employing a ratio technique in which most uncertainties cancel, and by a simultaneous in-situ calibration of the neutron detection efficiency, the largest correction to the data. Preliminary results are shown with statistical errors only.
Chordotomy for the pain of gynecologic malignancy

Abstract The principles, indications, contraindications, and complications of chordotomy have been briefly presented. In thirty-five cases of carcinoma of the female genital tract four out of five of our patients experienced total relief of pain. These results seem to warrant consideration of the procedure in properly selected patients with a reasonable life expectancy.
Litigation as a Measure of Well-Being

The common perception is that high or growing litigation rates in a country are a sign of societal pathology Studies of litigation rates, however, consistently report that lawsuit filings per capita increase with economic prosperity, thus suggesting that litigation rates are a natural consequence of prosperity and not necessarily evidence of an overly litigious populace. India’s substantial interstate variation in litigation rates and in economic and noneconomic measures of well-being provide an opportunity to evaluate the relation between well-being and litigation rates. Using many years of data on civil filings in India’s lower Courts and high Courts, we present evidence that more prosperous states have higher civil litigation rates. We also report the first evidence that accounting for noneconomic well-being, as measured by the education and life expectancy components of the Human Development Index, explains litigation rate patterns better than explanations using a more purely economic measure of well-being, GDP per capita. Despite India’s continuing economic growth, we present data that indicates India’s enormous and growing civil case backlog has discouraged civil case filings in recent years. These findings raise the question whether India’s future economic growth will be compromised if courts at all levels, particularly lower courts, are not able to more quickly resolve disputes.
Feasibility of Transseptal Access in Patients With Previously Scarred or Repaired Interatrial Septum

Challenging Transseptal Access Background Many patients (pts) with interatrial septal repair (ASR) and/or multiple prior transseptal puncture (MTSP) are being referred for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. We examine the feasibility of repeat TSP in these settings. Methods Records were reviewed from a single center from 2001 to 2012. Criteria for MTSP were >2 priorAF ablation procedures and criteria for ASR were prior surgical or percutaneous interatrial septal repair. Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) was used for all procedures. Repeat transseptal puncture (TSP) outcomes were classified as (1) routine, (2) challenging (additional tools, sheaths, multiple attempts), (3) failed, or (4) complicated (adverse event possibly related to TSP). Five hundred pts selected at random over the same time period undergoing 1st AF ablation without history of prior cardiac surgery were used as control. Results Two hundred and fifty-one pts met the criteria (MTSP = 224; ASR = 27). TSP was routinely accomplished in the majority (212 pts [95%] in MTSP; 20 pts [74%] in ASR). In the MTSP group, the number of challenging/failed cases increased proportionately with number of prior AF ablation procedures. There were no complications in the ASR group and 2 (1%) in MTSP. This was not different from that in the control arm (n = 6 [1%]; P = ns). Pericardial effusion was the only complication seen in all groups. Conclusions In the majority of pts with scarred and/or repaired IAS, repeat TSP can be routinely accomplished using ICE guidance without any other special tools. Although repeat TSP can be occasionally difficult in pts with MTSP and ASR, it can be accomplished in the majority without serious complications.
A note concerning the index of the shift

Let μ be a finite, positive Borel measure with support in {z: |z| 0 and there is a nontrivial subarc γ of ∂D such that log()dm > -∞, then dim(M ⊖ zM) = 1 for each nontrivial closed invariant subspace M for the shift M z on P 2 (μ).
The Dust Size Distribution and Grain Shattering in Shock Waves

We consider the shattering of grains in grain-grain collisions, and follow the generation of small grains in supernova blast waves. We find that small grains are efficiently produced in shock waves, and discuss the implications of this for the interstellar size distribution.
nside iTV-Interactive Commerce Services for Broadcast Digital Television

Interactive television (iTV), i.e. the enhancement of the television viewing experience by the addition of multimedia content and services beyond the basic video and audio playout of a program, has a great potential for commerce, education and entertainment. By enabling the delivery to the home of rich multimedia content in coordination with broadcast television content, iTV can serve as a powerful platform for widespread home shopping and distance learning, among many other applications. The advent of high-bandwidth channels into the home, such as satellite, terrestrial, two-way digital cable and DSL, enhances iTV’s power and the prospects for its acceptance. iTV has the potential to move from a curiosity to a common television enhancement, possibly with the ubiquity of the VCR.
VHF lightning mapping observations of a triggered lightning flash

[1] On 3 August 2010 an extensive lightning flash was triggered over Langmuir Laboratory in New Mexico. The upward positive leader propagated into the storm's midlevel negative charge region, extending over a horizontal area of 13 × 13 km and 7.5 km altitude. The storm had a normal-polarity tripolar charge structure with upper positive charge over midlevel negative charge. Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) observations were used to estimate positive leader velocities along various branches, which were in the range of 1–3 × 104 m s−1, slower than in other studies. The upward positive leader initiated at 3.4 km altitude, but was mapped only above 4.0 km altitude after the onset of retrograde negative breakdown, indicating a change in leader propagation and VHF emissions. The observations suggest that both positive and negative breakdown produce VHF emissions that can be located by time-of-arrival systems, and that not all VHF emissions occurring along positive leader channels are associated with retrograde negative breakdown.
Predominance of Bacteriophage SP82 over Bacteriophage SP01 in Mixed Infections of Bacillus subtilis

Abstract In mixed infections with Bacillus subtilis phages SP82 and SP01, the SP82 genotype is predominant among the progeny. This predominance is determined by a specific region of the genome, the pos region, which apparently is located near genes 29 to 32 (by the SP01 numbering system). Recombination between SP82 and SP01 yields phage which have both the SP82 pos region and an SP01 mutation. This mutation then behaves in mixed infection as if it were part of an SP82 genome.
Airway hyperreactivity in subjects with tetraplegia is associated with reduced baseline airway caliber

Objectives We administered aerosolized histamine to 32subjects with tetraplegia to determine whether there were differencesin spirometric and/or lung volume parameters between responders andnonresponders. Results Baseline pulmonary functionparameters revealed mild to moderate restrictive dysfunction. We foundthat 25 subjects (78%) were hyperreactive to histamine (meanprovocative concentration of a substance causing a 20% fall inFEV 1 [PC 20 ], 1.77 mg/mL). Responders(PC 20 , 25–75 ), FEF 25–75 percentpredicted, and FEF 25–75 /FVC ratio. Among all 32subjects, the natural logarithmic transformation performed onPC 20 values (lnPC 20 ) correlated withFEF 25–75 percent predicted, FEV 1 percentpredicted, and FEF 25–75 /FVC ratio but not with FVC percentpredicted. Responders with PC 20 values 1 , and FEV 1 percent predictedcompared to those with PC 20 values between 2 mg/mL and 8mg/mL. In addition, among responders, there was a significantcorrelation between lnPC 20 and FVC percent predicted. Asignificant relationship was found between maximal inspiratory pressure(Pimax) and both FEV 1 percent predicted andFEF 25–75 percent predicted, but not betweenlnPC 20 and either Pimax or maximal expiratorypressure (Pemax). Conclusions Thesefindings demonstrate that subjects with tetraplegia who exhibit airwayhyperreactivity (AHR) have reduced baseline airway caliber and thatlower values for lnPC 20 are associated with parallelreductions in surrogate spirometric indexes of airway size(FEV 1 percent predicted and FEF 25–75 percentpredicted) and airway size relative to lung size(FEF 25–75 /FVC ratio). The absence of an associationbetween lnPC 20 and FVC percent predicted for the entiregroup or between lnPC 20 and either Pimax orPemax indicates that reduced lung volumes secondary torespiratory muscle weakness cannot explain the mechanism(s) underlyingAHR. Among responders, however, a possible role for reduction in lungvolume, as it pertains to increasing AHR, cannot be excluded. Proposedmechanisms for reduced baseline airway caliber relative to lung size insubjects with tetraplegia include unopposed parasympathetic activitysecondary to the loss of sympathetic innervation to the lungs and/orthe inability to stretch airway smooth muscle with deepinhalation.
Purinergic inhibition of GABA and glutamate release in the thalamus: implications for thalamic network activity.

Abstract Adenosine is a CNS depressant with both pre- and postsynaptic actions. Presynaptically, adenosine decreases neurotransmitter release in the hippocampus but only at excitatory terminals. In the thalamus, however, we show that, in addition to its actions at excitatory synapses, adenosine strongly supresses monosynaptic inhibitory current both in relay cells of the thalamic ventrobasal complex (VB) and in inhibitory neurons of the nucleus reticularis thalami (nRt). A concomitant increase in transmission failures and results coefficient of variation analysis are both consistent with a presynaptic mechanism. Pharmacological manipulations support an A1 receptor-mediated process. Slow thalamic oscillations induced in vitro by extra-cellular stimulation and recorded with extracellular multiunit electrodes in VB and nRt are dampened by adenosine without affecting their periodicity. We conclude that adenosine can presynaptically down-regulate inhibitory postsynaptic responses in thalamus and exert robust antioscillatory effects, likely by synergistic depression of both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter release.
An Intervention Approach for Naming Problems in Children

The existence of naming difficulties among children with language learning problems has been well-documented in the literature, yet there is, at present, little research that addresses intervention...
Analysis of protective oxide films on copper—nickel alloys by photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract Photoelectron spectroscopy was used to determine the elemental composition of thin films formed on 70:30 cupronickel exposed to sodium chloride solutions at different impressed electrochemical potentials. At anodic potentials below the passivation potential, −0.350 V versus SCE under the experimental conditions, either no film or a film containing copper and nickel in the same ratio as the alloy existed on the alloy. At the passivation potential the spectrum of the passive film indicated primarily nickel oxide and was very similar to the spectrum obtained from a pure nickel specimen passivated in the same environment.
Oxidation of methionine residues in aqueous solutions: free methionine and methionine in granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.

The free energy barriers and a mechanism of the oxidation of the amino acid methionine in water and in granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) are analyzed via combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) methods, constrained molecular dynamics, and committor probability calculations. The computed free energy barrier of free methionine amino acid is very close to the measured value (14.7 ± 1.2 versus 15.5 ± 0.02 kcal/mol). The reaction coordinate was found to be the difference between the O−O bond of H2O2 and the S−O bond, where the S is the sulfur atom of the methionine residue. It was confirmed by computing the committor probability distribution and the distribution of constrained forces that this coordinate is not coupled to the activation of other degrees of freedom. The computed free energies of the oxidation of methionine residues in G-CSF indicate that the protein environment has insignificant effects on the reaction barriers of oxidation. This result further validates our pro...
Generalized signed-digit number systems: a unifying framework for redundant number representations

Signed-digit (SD) number representation systems have been defined for any radix r>or=3 with digit values ranging over the set (- alpha , . . ., -1, 0, 1, . . ., alpha ), where alpha is an arbitrary integer in the range 1/2r >
Impact of the Section 179 tax deduction on machinery investment

Purpose – The purposes of this paper are to determine the financial, structural, and tax policy factors that influence the probability of buying machinery and the intensity of the machinery purchases on North Dakota farming operations. Design/methodology/approach – A double hurdle model was used to estimate the two decisions: purchasing machinery and the intensity of the machinery purchase. Data were collected from the North Dakota Farm and Ranch Management Business Association Annual Summaries for 1993-2011. Findings – Results demonstrated that the tax incentive provided by Section 179 deduction had the largest positive effect on machinery purchases when compared to operating profit margin, leverage ratio, producer type, and experience of the principal operator of the farm. Originality/value – Section 179 deductions have changed substantially over the 19-year period studied and have not been analyzed in previous machinery investment work. This analysis puts a numerical value on the effect of Section 179 ...
Palaeoclimate: when the world turned cold.

As massive ice sheets grew on Antarctica during the first major glaciation of the Cenozoic era, the northern continents cooled and dried. The coincidence in timing implies that the cause was global rather than regional.
Rumen fluid inhibits proliferation and stimulates expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors 1A and 2A in bovine rumen epithelial cells.

It has been known for decades that microbial fermentation within the rumen is critical to postnatal rumen epithelial growth and maturation in ruminants, but the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. In this study, we determined the effect of rumen fluid, which should contain all products from rumen fermentation, on growth of rumen epithelial cells in vitro. Addition of 10% rumen fluid from cows to the culture medium inhibited (P 0.1) on, the proliferation of rumen epithelial cells isolated from newborn calves. Flow cytometric assays showed that 10% rumen fluid inhibited (P 0.1) the expression of cyclin D1, D2, D3, E1, or E2 mRNA or that of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B or 2B mRNA, but increased (P < 0.05) the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors 1A and 2A mRNA in rumen epithelial cells. These mRNA data support the possibility that rumen fluid inhibits proliferation of rumen epithelial cells in vitro by increasing the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors 1A and 2A. The result that rumen fluid inhibits proliferation of bovine rumen epithelial cells in culture indicates that rumen fermentation does not stimulate the postnatal rumen epithelial growth in cattle by directly stimulating proliferation of rumen epithelial cells.
An empirical examination of posttraining on-the-job supplements for enhancing the effectiveness of interpersonal skills training.

This study examined the impact of 2 posttraining on-the-job supplements to a training program focused on interpersonal skill development for newly hired managers—self-coaching and upward feedback. Utilizing a sample of 87 trainees from 75 units of a national restaurant chain, the impact of these supplements was assessed by examining posttraining performance across 4 training conditions in a quasi-experimental framework: (1) classroom training only, (2) classroom training with self-coaching, (3) classroom training with upward feedback, and (4) classroom training with self-coaching and upward feedback. The results demonstrated that both supplements are useful extensions to formal classroom training for enhancing trainees' interpersonal performance. These findings are discussed along with directions for future training effectiveness research.
Formaldehyde induces micronuclei in mouse erythropoietic cells and suppresses the expansion of human erythroid progenitor cells.

Abstract Although formaldehyde (FA) has been classified as a human leukemogen, the mechanisms of leukemogenesis remain elusive. Previously, using colony-forming assays in semi-solid media, we showed that FA exposure in vivo and in vitro was toxic to human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. In the present study, we have applied new liquid in vitro erythroid expansion systems to further investigate the toxic effects of FA (0–150 μM) on cultured mouse and human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. We determined micronucleus (MN) levels in polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) differentiated from mouse bone marrow. We measured cell growth, cell cycle distribution, and chromosomal instability, in erythroid progenitor cells (EPCs) expanded from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. FA significantly induced MN in mouse PCEs and suppressed human EPC expansion in a dose-dependent manner, compared with untreated controls. In the expanded human EPCs, FA slightly increased the proportion of cells in G2/M at 100 μM and aneuploidy frequency in chromosomes 7 and 8 at 50 μM. Our findings provide further evidence of the toxicity of FA to hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and support the biological plausibility of FA-induced leukemogenesis.
Debugging and analysis of a new noise coupling mechanism in computer system

Modern memory system is running at higher data rates with growing complexity, which makes debugging memory related system failure increasingly challenging. In this paper, we report a new memory failure mechanism due to unexpected crosstalk and resonant effect. An innovative full channel modelling & simulation methodology is proposed, which utilize both the time domain and frequency domain analysis to identify the problem, and then precisely predict the failure pattern, as well as the maximum noise level. The analysis also leads to an effective low cost solution, which is further verified by lab measurement. Design guidance for future products is also discussed.
Application of Scintillation Counters to Reactors

Gamma sensitive scintillators may be applied to low power training reactors and reactor critical experiments where the residual fission fragment gamma activity is kept low. Some results of applying gamma sensitive scintillators with linear and log-n-period circuits to reactor critical experiments are compared to results obtained with conventional neutron sensitive counters and ion chambers. Relative performances and reliability are discussed. One advantage found is a reduction in the time required to sense an unsafe condition. Power reactor problems of monitoring for excessive exhaust stack gas activity and for fission fragment leakage from defective fuel elements are also discussed.
Group B streptococcus-induced macrophage apoptosis

Abstract Group B Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) is a major cause of neonatal lower respiratory tract infection. Following non-opsonic phagocytosis, GBS trigger programmed cell death of macrophages, early effector cells in the lung. The elimination of macrophages may be an important strategy used by the bacteria to suppress host immune responses and to persist at sites of infection. To better understand GBS-induced programmed cell death, we evaluated mechanisms by which GBS induces apoptosis. Compared to uninfected macrophages, caspase-3 activity of GBS-infected macrophages increased 4.4 ± 2.4 fold (p = 0.009) at 24 h and 1.7 ± 0.7 fold at 48 h following infection and caspase-9 activity increased 1.9 ± 0.01 fold (p = 0.009) at 48 h. GBS-infected macrophages incubated with a caspase-3 specific inhibitor had significantly increased survival compared to infected untreated macrophages. GBS also induced the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, and depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potentials. This process was associated with increases in the pro-apoptotic protein Bad, and alterations in the regulation and localization of 14-3-3, Bcl-XL and Omi/HtrA2. We conclude GBS induces programmed cell death of macrophages by creating an imbalance in pro- and anti-apoptotic factors that ultimately activates the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. This mechanism has not been previously associated with microbial infections.
A simple model of a phreatic surface through an earth dam

Abstract A simple numerical model for estimating a phreatic surface in an earthen dam is presented. The numerical approach is based upon the Complex Variable Boundary Element Method (CVBEM). By expanding the CVBEM approximation geometric functions into a first order Taylor series, the unknown phreatic surface location geometrics can be approximated without iteration by solving a single matrix system. The developed technique provides for the numerical solution of the inverse problem of locating the phreatic surface coordinates. A comparison of results produced from this simple approach to results produced from a finite element analog and an iterative CVBEM analog for an example problem is presented.
Small Bowel Obstruction Mimicking Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

We present a case of a 42-year-old female who presented to our institution with a small bowel obstruction and had emergent surgical decompression. Thirteen days postoperatively, the patient became tachycardic and had worsening epigastric pain. Electrocardiogram showed significant ST-segment elevations in leads II, III, aVF, and V3–V6, suggesting the possibility of acute inferolateral myocardial infarction. Subsequent workup revealed the cause of the ST-elevations to be due to recurrent small bowel obstruction. Although intra-abdominal causes of ST-elevation have been reported, our case may be the first to be associated with small bowel obstruction.
The decline of visually guided reaching during infancy

The developmental course of visually guided reaching is discussed. Evidence is presented to establish that following its emergence at about 4 months and a period of intense practice, visually guided reaching declines in practice. This decline is attributed to skill mastery, and the visually elicited reaches exhibited after the decline are distinguished from those of very young infants. It is proposed that because of the release of attention that it entails, the decline of visually guided reaching may be an important factor in infants' cognitive development.
MRI scanning by remote control: experience in pediatric cardiovascular disease

Author(s): Lohan, Derek G; Habibi, Reza; Boechat, M Ines; Awad, Ihab; Saleh, Roya; Ennis, Daniel B; Finn, J Paul
Sedflux 2.0: An advanced process-response model that generates three-dimensional stratigraphy

Sedflux 2.0 is the newest version of the Sedflux basin-filling model. Sedflux 2.0 provides a framework within which individual process-response models of disparate time and space resolutions communicate with one another to deliver multigrain-sized sediment load across a continental margin. Version 2.0 introduces a series of new process models, and the ability to operate in one of two modes to track the evolution of stratigraphy in either two or three dimensions. Additions to the 2D mode include the addition of models that simulate (1) erosion and deposition of sediment along a riverbed, (2) cross-shore transport due to ocean waves, and (3) turbidity currents and hyperpycnal flows. New processes in the 3D mode include (1) river channel avulsion, (2) two-dimensional diffusion due to ocean storms, and (3) two-dimensional flexure due to sediment loading. The spatial resolution of the architecture is typically 1-25cm in the vertical and 10-100m in the horizontal when operating in 2D mode. In 3D mode, the horizontal resolution usually extends to kilometers. In addition to fixed time steps (from days to hundreds of years), Sedflux 2.0 offers event-based time stepping as a way to conduct long-term simulations while still modeling low-frequency but high-energy events.
The effect of presemantic acoustic adaptation on semantic "satiation"

A decrement in the strength of the meaning of a word after rapid repetition of that word has been called “semantic satiation.” This study asked whether this “satiation” might be produced by presemantic acoustic adaptation. Category words were utilized to prime the meaning of target words. The adaptation or “satiation” procedure, 30 rapid repetitions of the primes, was compared with a control condition of 3 repetitions. Participants listened to a series of prime words, each repeated by either the same speaker or many speakers, and then made semantic decisions on target words. When all the repetitions of a prime word are produced by the same speaker, presemantic and semantic repetitions are confounded. When the repetitions are produced by different speakers, presemantic acoustic repetition is abolished. A semantic decrement was detected with single-speaker, but not with multiple-speaker, repetitions of prime words. This study concluded that the semantic “satiation” observed here was a decrement in the activation level of semantic representations induced by presemantic acoustic adaptation.
B-TYPE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE DOES NOT CORRELATE WITH INVASIVE OR NONINVASIVE MEASURES OF CORONARY MICROVASCULAR DYSFUNCTION IN WOMEN WITH PRESERVED EJECTION FRACTION: A REPORT FROM THE WOMEN'S ISCHEMIA SYNDROME EVALUATION- CORONARY VASCULAR DYSFUNCTION (WISE-CVD) STUDY

Women with symptoms/signs of ischemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease often have coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), diagnosed by invasive coronary reactivity testing (CRT). CMD has recently been proposed to be a precursor to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. The
A behavioral economic analysis of excess entry in arts labor markets.

Abstract Labor markets in the arts often have excessive supply. While economists have recognized that key reasons for excess entry are behavioral in nature, the issue has never been analyzed systematically or in depth. A behavioral economic approach is used to show how numerous known biases can lead to a larger number of entrants in arts markets than would occur in other markets. In addition, special attention is paid to unusual motivations for supplying labor. In particular, the role of intrinsic reward are broken down along with its implications on labor supply and product quality.
Diverticulosis and the Risk of Interval Colorectal Cancer

Background Diverticulosis, a prevalent condition at screening colonoscopy, has been associated with colorectal cancers that develop after a clearing colonoscopy, or interval cancers.
Stretch Activated Channel Activation can Promote or Suppress Cardiac Alternans

Alternans has been linked to the onset of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, leading to life-threatening arrhythmias. Experimentally electromechanical alternans can be either concordant (Long/Short APD corresponds to a Large/Small Ca transient on alternate beats) or discordant (Long/Short APD corresponds to a Small/Large Ca transient). Our previous studies have shown that these phenomena depend on the underlying instability mechanisms (voltage driven or Ca driven) and bi-directional coupling between voltage and Ca cycling. The Large Ca transients also cause larger contractions which can activate mechanically (or stretch) activated currents (SACs). Here, we show how SAC activation can feed back to alter cardiac alternans, using a physiologically detailed rabbit AP and Ca cycling model coupled with SAC (either as Cl current or nonselective cation current). We found that (1) SAC suppresses electromechanically concordant alternans, because SAC shortens longer APD more than the shorter APD and limits the difference between successive APDs, (2) SAC enhances electromechanically discordant alternans, because SAC shortens the Short APD more than Long APD which amplifies the difference of two successive APDs. Qualitatively similar results were found for Cl-selective and non-selective cation current (and also Ca-activated K current). These results suggest that mechano-electric feedback can play an important role in development and stability of cardiac alternans.
CXCR4 blockade attenuates hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal rats

Background: Lung inflammation is a key factor in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and its receptor chemokine
Low Scatter Edge Blackening Compounds For Refractive Optical Elements

Perkin-Elmer's Applied Optics Operation recently delivered several prototype wide-field-of-view (WFOV), F/2.8, 250 mm efl, near diffraction limited, concentric refractive lenses to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). In these lenses, special attention was paid to reducing stray light to allow viewing of very dim objects. Because of the very large FOV, the use of a long baffle to eliminate direct illumination of lens edges was not practical. With the existing relatively short baffle design, one-bounce stray light paths off the element edges are possible. The scattering off the inside edges thus had to be kept to an absolute minimum. While common means for blackening the edges of optical elements are easy to apply and quite cost effective for normal lens assemblies, their blackening effect is limited by the Fresnel reflection due to the index of refraction mismatch at the glass boundary. At high angles of incidence, total internal reflection (TIR) might occur ruining the effect of the blackening process. An index-matched absorbing medium applied to the edges of such elements is the most effective approach for reducing the amount of undesired light reflected or scattered off these edges. The presence of such a medium provides an extended path outside the glass boundary in which an absorptive non-scattering dye can be used to eliminate light that might otherwise have propagated to the focal plane. Perkin-Elmer and LLNL undertook a program to develop epoxy-based dye carrier compounds with refractive indices corresponding to the glass types used in the WFOV lens. This program involved the measuring of the refractive index of a number of epoxy compounds and catalysts, the experimental combination of epoxies to match our glass indices, and the identification of a suitable non-scattering absorptive dye. Measurements on these blacks showed Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions (BRDFs) between 1.4 and 3.1 orders of magnitude lower than Perkin-Elmer's most common edge-blackening technique. Specular reflectance off the surfaces coated with the optimized dyed epoxy compounds ranged from 3 to 5 orders of magnitude less than the Fresnel reflectance from an uncoated glass/air interface.
Interactive Mesh-Free Stress Analysis for Mechanical Design Assembly With Haptics

This paper describes a virtual reality application that performs fast stress reanalysis coupled with virtual reality and haptics that allows rapid evaluation of multiple designs throughout the product design process. The Interactive Virtual Design Application (IVDA) allows the engineer to interactively explore new design geometry while simultaneously examining the finite element analysis results. In the presence of other parts in the assembly, the new shape can be analyzed and modified, taking into consideration mating part fits. This approach supports concurrent product design and assembly methods prototyping. A “two-step” approach utilizing Taylor series approximations and Pre-conditioned Conjugate Gradient methods is used to perform quick reanalysis during interactive shape modification. The virtual environment provides an immersive three-dimensional workspace. Haptics are used to provide feedback of the stress gradient as the part geometry is changed, thus facilitating the designer’s understanding of the impact of shape change on product performance.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
TENSION PNEUMOTHORAX. POSSIBLE ETIOLOGIC ROLE OF HIGH INTRATRACHEAL PRESSURE.

Ten new cases of severe tension pneumothorax (TPT) recognized in the first 6 hours of life are described. Absence of breath sounds over the affected lung proved almost pathognomonic for diagnosis in those who established regular respiration. The increased incidence of TPT in this report seemed etiologically related to the use of oxygen from a central source delivered intratracheally by means of a long intratracheal catheter. Intratracheal pressures actually delivered far exceeded those considered safe for initial expansion.
Halide effects on the Heck reaction in room temperature ionic liquids

An interesting accelerating effect of catalytic amounts of certain halide ions on the Heck reaction in room temperature ionic liquids has been observed.
Microarray analysis of glial cells resistant to JCV infection suggests a correlation between viral infection and inflammatory cytokine gene expression

The human polyomavirus, JCV, has a highly restricted tropism and primarily infects glial cells. The mechanisms restricting infection of cells by JCV are poorly understood. Previously we developed and described a glial cell line that was resistant to JCV infection with the aim of using these cells to identify factors that determine JCV tropism. Gene expression profiling of susceptible and resistant glial cells revealed a direct correlation between the expression of inflammatory cytokines and susceptibility to JCV infection. This correlation manifested at the level of viral gene transcription. Previous studies have suggested a link between an increase in cytokine gene expression in HIV patients and the development of PML and these data supports this hypothesis.
A Soybean-Wheat Germ Diet for Rearing the Tobacco Budworm

When soybean meal and flour were used instead of casein in the wheat germ diet fed to larvae of tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the cost of the diet was reduced $0.07 per liter. Larval growth on the soybean diet was equal to that on diet containing casein whether ¾-oz plastic cups or cell units were used. Average yield from 145 trays (each 30.5×61.0×4.0 cm) over a 3-month period was 776.6 pupae per tray.
Teacher Portfolios: An Effective Way to Assess Teacher Performance and Enhance Learning

(2004). Teacher Portfolios: An Effective Way to Assess Teacher Performance and Enhance Learning. Childhood Education: Vol. 80, No. 4, pp. 198-201.