cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Red Blood Cell Membrane-Camouflaged Nanoparticle Counteracts Streptolysin O-Mediated Virulence Phenotypes of Invasive Group A Streptococcus

Group A Streptococcus (GAS), an important human-specific Gram-positive bacterial pathogen, is associated with a broad spectrum of disease, ranging from mild superficial infections such as pharyngitis and impetigo, to serious invasive infections including necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. The GAS pore-forming streptolysin O (SLO) is a well characterized virulence factor produced by nearly all GAS clinical isolates. High level expression of SLO is epidemiologically linked to intercontinental dissemination of hypervirulent clonotypes and poor clinical outcomes. SLO can trigger macrophage and neutrophil cell death and/or the inactivation of immune cell functions, and promotes tissue injury and bacterial survival in animal models of infection. In the present work, we describe how the pharmacological presentation of red blood cell (RBC) derived biomimetic nanoparticles ("nanosponges") can sequester SLO and block the ability of GAS to damage host cells, thereby preserving innate immune function and increasing bacterial clearance in vitro and in vivo. Nanosponge administration protected human neutrophils, macrophages, and keratinocytes against SLO-mediated cytotoxicity. This therapeutic intervention prevented SLO-induced macrophage apoptosis and increased neutrophil extracellular trap formation, allowing increased GAS killing by the respective phagocytic cell types. In a murine model of GAS necrotizing skin infection, local administration of the biomimetic nanosponges was associated with decreased lesion size and reduced bacterial colony-forming unit recovery. Utilization of a toxin decoy and capture platform that inactivates the secreted SLO before it contacts the host cell membrane, presents a novel virulence factor targeted strategy that could be a powerful adjunctive therapy in severe GAS infections where morbidity and mortality are high despite antibiotic treatment.
The Bacterial Blood Microbiota/Microbiome

Many surfaces on the human body are continually exposed to microorganisms in the external environment and become colonized before or shortly after birth with a normal resident microbiota, the collection of microorganisms in a particular environment, which matures over time and persists throughout life. These nonsterile surfaces include the skin, mucous membranes, lower gastrointestinal tract, upper respiratory system, and anterior urethra. The community of microorganisms harbored in or on these sites is a highly complex mixture that varies in composition depending on nutrient availability, moisture, temperature, pH, and other environmental conditions. The composition of the normal microbiota can also be affected by host factors such as age, nutrition, and immune status.
Overview of Diabetes Treatment in Animals

Diabetes mellitus is the most commonly encountered spontaneously occurring endocrine disease in veterinary medicine affecting many species including dogs, cats, horses, cattle, and ferrets. Similarly to people, the incidence of diabetes mellitus in companion animals appears to be increasing. This may due to improvements in diagnosis and management of the disease as well as increases in risk factors such as obesity. Diabetic animals are typically classified as having type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent) depending on the underlying etiology. Diabetic dogs and cats exhibit the classic clinical signs of diabetes mellitus (i.e. polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, and weight loss) and documentation of persistent hyperglycemia, glucosuria, and high fructosamine levels confirms the diagnosis. Treatment with insulin remains the mainstay of therapy; however, dietary modification, exercise, and oral hypoglycemic agents have been used. Diabetic remission where insulin therapy can be discontinued has been documented in cats.
New Dimensions in Park Management Through Linear Programming

The management of public resources for outdoor recreation is a problem of staggering proportions. This article examines some of the planning problems faced by managers of individual state parks and...
The use of cardiac-CT alone to exclude left atrial thrombus before atrial fibrillation ablation: Efficiency, safety, and cost analysis

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a growing financial burden on the healthcare system. Cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) is needed for pulmonary vein mapping before AF ablation (AFA). CCTA has shown to be an alternative to transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) to rule out left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) pre-AFA. We aim to examine the safety, cost-effectiveness, and time-efficiency of utilizing CCTA alone to rule out LAAT before AFA. METHODS We prospectively screened patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing cryoablation. CCTA with delayed enhancement was performed within 72 hours of AFA. Once LAAT was ruled out, patients were enrolled and planned TEE was cancelled. A retrospective control cohort that had both CCTA and TEE prior to AFA was identified. Direct cost data, electrophysiology laboratory utilization time, and 30-day stroke outcomes were collected from the EMR, follow-up phone calls, or clinic visits, and comparative analyses were performed. RESULTS Seventy patients met the inclusion criteria in the prospective CCTA-only cohort, and 71 for the retrospective CCTA+TEE cohort. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. There was a nonsignificant reduction in overall cost ($15,870 ± 1,710 vs $16,557 ± 2,508, P = 0.06) in CCTA-only cohort, whereas the electrophysiology laboratory utilization time was significantly reduced (241.6 ± 41.7 vs 181.3 ±36.4 minutes, P < 0.001). There were no strokes reported on 30-day follow-up in the CCTA-only group. CONCLUSIONS In low-to-intermediate stroke risk patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing cryoablation, eliminating TEE and employing CCTA-only strategy to rule-out LAAT improves electrophysiology laboratory efficiency without influencing periprocedural cost or increasing postprocedural stroke risk.
Temperature and Voltage Analysis of a Protection Scheme for Large Energy Storage Coils

Large superconducting energy storage coils, typically 5000 MWh, require a method of internally dumping their stored energy in an emergency situation. The present scenario envisages: a dump situation is detected; large switch is activated which shorts all conductor turns and shorts the cold structure; liquid helium dump valve is activated; pressurized room temperature helium gas forces liquid helium from cryostat into a reservoir in 5 to 10 seconds; as the turns are uncovered, they go normal but much of the energy is coupled to the other turns still covered with liquid helium and the structure. The system tends to warm up uniformly because of the coupling. Results are presented for the temperature and voltage distribution for the coil with and without the switch. The analysis improves on previous work in accounting for the imperfect coupling between conductor turns and the beneficial effects of having the conductor in electrical contact with the structure, yet electrically insulated from the other turns.
Metatranscriptomic Analysis and In Silico Approach Identified Mycoviruses in the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Rhizophagus spp.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), including Rhizophagus spp., can play important roles in nutrient cycling of the rhizosphere. However, the effect of virus infection on AMF’s role in nutrient cycling cannot be determined without first knowing the diversity of the mycoviruses in AMF. Therefore, in this study, we sequenced the R. irregularis isolate-09 due to its previously demonstrated high efficiency in increasing the N/P uptake of the plant. We identified one novel mitovirus contig of 3685 bp, further confirmed by reverse transcription-PCR. Also, publicly available Rhizophagus spp. RNA-Seq data were analyzed to recover five partial virus sequences from family Narnaviridae, among which four were from R. diaphanum MUCL-43196 and one was from R. irregularis strain-C2 that was similar to members of the Mitovirus genus. These contigs coded genomes larger than the regular mitoviruses infecting pathogenic fungi and can be translated by either a mitochondrial translation code or a cytoplasmic translation code, which was also reported in previously found mitoviruses infecting mycorrhizae. The five newly identified virus sequences are comprised of functionally conserved RdRp motifs and formed two separate subclades with mitoviruses infecting Gigaspora margarita and Rhizophagus clarus, further supporting virus-host co-evolution theory. This study expands our understanding of virus diversity. Even though AMF is notably hard to investigate due to its biotrophic nature, this study demonstrates the utility of whole root metatranscriptome.
A monthly roundup of key articles in other journals.

Steady-state SCD patients showed elevated levels of all three types of RCDPs compared with healthy controls, while SCD patients experiencing a crisis had significantly higher levels of RCDPs and membrane fragments compared with controls. B I Convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised controlled, open-label, platform trial. Hospitalized patients were assigned to receive therapeutic anticoagulation (20 mg rivaroxaban once daily for stable patients;enoxaparin 1 mg/kg twice daily for unstable patients following by rivaroxaban for 30 days [ I n i = 311]) or prophylactic anticoagulation (standard venous thromboembolism prophylaxis with unfractionated heparin or enoxaparin [ I n i = 304]). [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Transfusion is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Constitution, Legitimacy and Democracy in Turkey

Fevzi Bilgin examines the current Turkish aspirations to complete the transition from authoritarian constitutionalism to democracy in the light of the requirements of democratic legitimacy elaborated in relation to the current theories of deliberative democracy. His analysis of the making of the Turkish Constitution of 1982 and the means for its democratisation thus provide the indispensable background to the constitutional reforms and reconstruction since 2001 set in motion by the application of Turkey for membership in the European Union.
Multiple lines of evidence favoring a bone marrow derivation of follicular dendritic cells (FDCs).

In early studies, FDCs were identified as a reticular cell type1,2 primarily on account of the similarities between reticular cell and FDC nuclei. Although, the nuclei of FDCs tend to be more pleomorphic and to exhibit a greater variety of nuclear shapes, cells identified by electron microscopic antigen localization as FDCs were occasionally also shown to be closely associated with reticular fibers.1,3
Design of a miniature evoked potential testing system for animal assessment of hearing

A specially built apparatus has been designed to allow novel methodologies for simultaneous measurement of early, middle and late evoked potentials. Evoked potentials can be measured in active, unsedated, unrestrained rats. Typically, early evoked potentials are measured with animals that are anesthetized. Middle and late evoked potentials must be measured in awake animals. Chronically implanted electrodes provide the bioelectric potentials. To accomplish this active measurement, data are transferred wirelessly from a portable unit attached to the rat, to a computer via wireless Bluetooth. The system is controlled with a Raspberry Pi. Included are a differential input amplifier, A/D converter and low and high pass filters. The miniature system also includes a means to provide a wide range of auditory stimuli typically driving a small insert earphone. All programs and auditory stimuli are stored on micro SD cards. The pack stays in place and is not removable by the animal. This system is ideally suited for measurements of backward masking middle latency responses as a marker for Auditory Processing Disorders (APD). The pack is light and easily attachable.A specially built apparatus has been designed to allow novel methodologies for simultaneous measurement of early, middle and late evoked potentials. Evoked potentials can be measured in active, unsedated, unrestrained rats. Typically, early evoked potentials are measured with animals that are anesthetized. Middle and late evoked potentials must be measured in awake animals. Chronically implanted electrodes provide the bioelectric potentials. To accomplish this active measurement, data are transferred wirelessly from a portable unit attached to the rat, to a computer via wireless Bluetooth. The system is controlled with a Raspberry Pi. Included are a differential input amplifier, A/D converter and low and high pass filters. The miniature system also includes a means to provide a wide range of auditory stimuli typically driving a small insert earphone. All programs and auditory stimuli are stored on micro SD cards. The pack stays in place and is not removable by the animal. This system is ideally suited for...
Rethinking CRAAP: Getting students thinking like fact-checkers in evaluating web sources

For over two decades, librarians have been at the forefront of helping their patrons and students discern what online information is reliable, and what may be biased or outright false. Particularly as more formal information literacy programs developed at the college and university level (and the attendant inclusion of information literacy in many general education programs), academic librarians have developed curricula and taught students how to evaluate web sources for credibility. In many institutions, this has frequently been achieved via a “one-shot” session with a checklist of sorts, often some variation of the CRAAP Method (Currency, Reliability, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) developed nearly 15 years ago at California State University-Chico.
Abstract P6-15-04: Modeling limited breastfeeding and diet on IBC like tumor progression

Introduction/Motivation: We previously reported IBC patients with limited breast-feeding history have a worse prognosis than those with greater breast feeding history. Further, we reported pregnancy related factors including multiple early pregnancies and not breast feeding as well as obesity are risk factors for triple negative and ER+ subtypes. Significant evidence suggests the microenvironment drives IBC symptoms and growth pattern. We sought to characterize the impact of purported risk factors on tumor growth, IBC-like skin symptoms and mammary gland microenvironment in animal models. Methods: We commissioned breeding of nulliparous, multiparous (x 2) force weaned, and multiparous naturally weaned (labeled nursing) mice. Mice in each of the three groups were fed either a low fat (10 Kcal %) or high fat (60 Kcal %) diet for three weeks before tumor cell injections. SUM 149 GFP Luc were injected into the left ventral #4 mammary fat pad. Mice were sacrificed, scored for the IBC-like symptom of gross skin invasion or evident skin symptoms, and tissue from the contralateral mammary gland were sectioned and stained with H and E. Analysis was performed on the 31 animals that developed primary tumors and were scored for skin invasion at the time of resection. Of these 26 mice had contralateral gland tissue assessed by H and E. Phenotypes including duct dilation, degree of adipose tissue, duct density, inflammation and necrosis were scored manually, 1-3 scale. Quadratic mixed models with random intercept were fitted to compare tumor growth. Fisher’s exact test and T-tests were performed to compare variables. Results: Tumor incidence and latency were not different by risk factor group. Tumor growth was faster in multiparous force weaned versus others, P Discussion: In this effect size finding pilot study, combined risk factors were associated with a higher incidence of skin invasion of SUM149 xenografts. Changes in the microenvironment in the contralateral gland typical of involution were significantly associated with skin invasion, and gland density trends towards association with force weaning. These data provide provocative pilot results linking histologic effects in the microenvironment to tumor growth characteristics and support the hypothesis that involution induced by forced weaning may facilitate IBC-like tumor growth. These studies facilitate well-powered additional work to establish mechanism and automate normal tissue evaluation. Citation Format: Wintana Balema, Richard Larson, Renae Van Whye, Rong Ye, Jing Ning, Omar Rahal, Shane Stecklein, Savitri Krishnamurthy, Randa El-Zein, Wendy Woodward. Modeling limited breastfeeding and diet on IBC like tumor progression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-15-04.
Manifestations of Critical Illness Brain Injury

Critical illness brain injury is an acute form of brain dysfunction affecting the level of consciousness, cognition and/or psychomotor functioning. Such injury is associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation requirements, longer intensive care unit (ICU) stays, increased long-term mortality, and long-term cognitive impairment among survivors. Commonly recognized manifestations include delirium, characterized by fluctuating levels of arousal and inability to maintain attention, and coma, characterized by unarousable unresponsiveness to external stimuli. Recent work has shed light on catatonia as a third potential manifestation of critical illness brain injury. Catatonia is a syndrome of abnormal psychomotor function, volition, and behavior. Its presentation may overlap with that of delirium or coma, or be fully distinct. This chapter offers a brief overview of these three important manifestations of critical illness brain injury and provides a conceptual framework for their interrelationships. Recognition, appropriate assessment, and disambiguation of these syndromes of brain injury are critically important aspects of ICU care.
Monoamine Oxidase, Monoamine-Oxidase-Inhibiting Drugs, and Human Behavior

Monoamine-oxidase- (MAO)-inhibiting drugs, which reduce the oxidative deamination of the brain biogenic amine neurotransmitters, were the first effective antidepressant agents used in medicine. Although there have been many studies of the clinical efficacy of these agents, there have been only a handful of reports examining their other effects on human behavior and psychological function. There are also only a small number of studies of the effects of in vivo treatment with MAO-inhibiting drugs on human monoamine oxidase activity.
Dominating functions in graphs – regularity versus irregularity

A vertex v in a graph G is said to dominate a vertex u if either u = v or uv∈E(G) and a set S of vertices in G is a dominating set of G if every vertex of G is dominated by at least one vertex in S...
Investigations on effect of thickness and rolling direction of thin metal foil on forming limit curves in microforming process

Abstract Forming limit diagram (FLD) is an important tool in analysis of sheet metal forming process, as it defines failure criteria. But the forming of microthin sheets (thickness
Gender and Mathematics: What Can Other Disciplines Tell Us? What is Our Role?

In this article, we begin by taking stock of broad trends related to gender and mathematics, focusing primarily on patterns within the United States. We then add some important nuance, discussing some ways in which patterns vary by social class and race. Given that much recent work on gender and mathematics has been situated outside of traditional mathematics education frames, we consider how ongoing work in psychology and gender studies can contribute to our understanding, using interview data from a study of woman’s experiences in a mathematics Ph.D. program. Ultimately, we argue that mathematics education researchers bring unique expertise to the table and have a particular role to play in building upon work in other fields to further the work on gender and mathematics.
A Predictive Control Design with Speed Previewing Information for Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Improvement

The growing vehicle connectivity and autonomy in the ground transportation system are not only able to improve traffic safety but also fuel efficiency. This paper proposes a computational friendly receding-horizon optimization-based nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) algorithm to achieve fuel-saving speed planning for connected vehicles. The NMPC method solves for the fuel-optimal speed profile of connected vehicles considering a short speed preview of the preceding vehicle. By utilizing such previewing information through vehicle connectivity, the fuel consumption of the connected vehicles is reduced by avoiding unnecessary braking and acceleration, particularly in transient operating conditions. In order to analyze the effectiveness of NMPC design, dynamic programming (DP) method is adopted as a benchmark algorithm where the full speed preview of the preceding vehicle is known. The performances of NMPC and DP designs in driving behavior and fuel economy are quantitatively explored and compared under several standard driving cycles. Results show a promising improvement of the performance by adopting the proposed design and reveal the potential fuel benefits brought by vehicle connectivity and autonomy.
The effect of hypergravity on upright balance and voluntary sway.

A nonparallel leg model of balance, the engaged leg model (ELM), was previously developed to characterize adaptive balance control in a rotating environment. Here we show the ELM also explains sway...
Rock physics and experimentation in decarbonizing the future

Abstract The transition to a low-carbon future involves every component of our productive life — from the energy we use, to the buildings we construct, to the materials we use in our daily lives. R...
Bridging the gap by providing access to oncology care to rural communities: A hybrid delivery model combining in-person visits with Telehealth

e18528Background: Americans who live in rural areas experience unique barriers to access healthcare such as limited transportation, shortages in oncology providers, limited access to advanced servi...
Galactosaemia occurring in association with primary ovarian insufficiency, Addison’s disease and chronic myeloid leukaemia

Classic galactosaemia is the most severe type, inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion and normally detected on newborn screening. It is caused by an inability to digest galactose due to a deficiency of galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALT), resulting in an intolerance of feeds in the neonatal period, failure to thrive, hypoglycaemia, jaundice, cataracts, hepatomegaly, vomiting, diarrhoea, developmental delay and an increased risk of Escherichia coli sepsis. The long-term sequelae of this disorder include cognitive impairment, neurological symptoms, such as ataxia, nutritional deficiencies, such as calcium and vitamin D, and gonadal dysfunction. We report here a case of a 34-year-old woman with classic galactosaemia diagnosed in adulthood, developing primary ovarian insufficiency and osteoporosis as well as primary adrenal insufficiency and chronic myeloid leukaemia, which are two associations not seen in current literature. Further studies are needed to determine if an association exists between these diseases.
Cardiac Muscle and the Troponins

The cardiac troponins (cTns) are structural proteins of the cardiac myocyte contractile apparatus. When measured in circulating blood, the cardiac troponins are sensitive and specific indicators of cardiac myocyte necrosis. The elevation of cardiac troponins without necrosis remains controversial. Understanding of the troponins now includes recognition of the role of posttranslational modifications of troponin T and troponin I in the modulation of cardiac muscle contraction and overall physiology. The assays currently available for detection of troponins in the circulation are immunologically based, using antibodies to a number of epitopes of troponin I and T. Posttranslational modifications, proteolysis, and single nucleotide polymorphisms may affect the ability of the assay antibodies to recognize epitopes on the circulating troponins. The focus of this chapter is an overview of the biology of the cTns, their role in cardiac muscle contraction, and the detection of cardiac troponins with commercially available assays.
Compensation and Community Corrosion: Perceived Inequalities, Social Comparisons, and Competition Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill†

After disasters, victim compensation programs are typically associated with individual healing and community rebuilding. But post-disaster compensation systems also have the potential to introduce confusion and competition, further fraying the social fabric of communities affected by trauma. To assess the perceived effects of disaster compensation processes on community social relations, as well as the mechanisms that underlie such effects, we turn to the case of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, after which BP implemented one of the largest compensation systems in U.S. history. Using data from interviews of residents of four Gulf Coast communities, we examine the extent to which this claims process hindered efforts to recover from this disaster. Our data suggest that while BP money helped some residents in the Gulf during a difficult economic time, many interviewees perceived uncertainty, randomness, and unevenness in the compensation process, which led to negative social comparisons and competition among community members. Because of this animosity, we argue that BP's compensation system was a disruptive mechanism that contributed to community corrosion and introduced another source of psychological stress into already traumatized areas.
Mass Medication in Reducing Shipping Fever-Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex in Highly Stressed Calves

One thousand and eighty-five newly received, stressed calves were used in studies to determine the effectiveness of certain mass medication procedures for reducing morbidity from shipping fever-bovine respiratory disease complex. In two experiments, im injections of oxytetracycline at 11 mg/kg body wt for 3 successive days reduced treatment days/calf purchased 21 (P less then .05) and 31% (P less than .05). Oral administration of 150 mg of sulfadimethoxine/kg body wt reduced treatment days/calf purchased 20 (P less than .05) and 54% (P less than .05) in the same two experiments. When sulfadimethoxine followed oxytetracycline on the third injection day an 81% reduction in treatment days/calf purchased was obtained, indicating an additive effect of the two drugs. The use of long acting oxytetracycline and sustained release sulfadimethoxine at the time of processing resulted in a 90% reduction in treatment days/calf purchased (P less than .01) and required only one handling of the calves for mass medication purposes.
Retrofitting Avionics: Closing the Performance “Generation Gap”

The retrofitting of advanced avionics to in-service aircraft in order to increase operational safety and flexibility, and reduce operating costs is analyzed. Research in flight management planning and airborne guidance for full-and cost-effective flight is examined. The use of CRTs and thin film electroluminescent displays in aircraft is described. The development of more accurate and reliable fuel gauges using nuclear-based techniques or volumetric measurements to evaluate fluid levels is studied. Advances in airspace systems, such as the Microwave Landing System, and Air Traffic Control Beacon System/Select Mode, the Traffic Advisory and Collision Advance System, and satellite-based communications, navigation, and surveillance are discussed.
Dynamical Architecture of the Mammalian Olfactory System

The mammalian olfactory system shows many types of sensory and perceptual processing accompanied by oscillations at the level of the local field potential, and much is already known about the cellular and synaptic origins of these markers of coherent population activity. Complex, but chemotopic input patterns describe the qualitative similarity of odors, but animals can discriminate even very similar odorants. Coherent population activity signified by oscillations may assist the animals in discrimination of closely related odors. Manipulations to olfactory bulb centrifugal input and GABAergic circuitry can alter the degree of gamma (40-100 Hz) oscillatory coupling within the olfactory bulb, affecting animals' ability to discriminate highly overlapping odors. The demands of an odor discrimination can also enhance gamma oscillations, but this may depend on the cognitive demands of the task, with some tasks spreading the processing over many brain regions, accompanied by beta (15-30 Hz) instead of gamma oscillations.
Performing Prose: The Study and Practice of Style in Composition, Chris Holcomb and M. Jimmie Killingsworth

In Performing Prose: The Study and Practice of Style in Composition, authors Chris Holcomb and M. Jimmie Killingsworth liken the practice of style to a performance that, like any other, results fro...
Responsiveness as a Gauge of Power

The seventeenth century Dutch philosopher Benedict de Spinoza conceives of power as a capacity of bodies for affecting, and being affected by, other bodies. While this is in part a theory of power as capability, it completely departs from theories of power as domination. Power always involves a capacity for responsiveness, receptivity, and even sensitivity to the environment, broadly defined. Sheer domination, according to Spinoza, is simply not efficacious. This paper (1.) examines Spinoza’s ontological arguments for this revolutionary conception of power; (2.) applies it to analyzing the body of the sovereign state; and in doing so, shows (3.) why the power of the State is best enhanced when it fosters the freedom and security of its citizens and subjects.
Environmentally Assisted Crack Growth in Structural Alloys: Perspectives and New Directions

Abstract : Environmentally assisted crack growth (namely, stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue) in alloys is one of the principal determining factors for durability and reliability of engineering structures. Over the past 20 years, activities in this area have transformed from principally that of screening and qualitative characterizations of the phenomena, to that of quantitative assessment and scientific understanding. This work has enabled the recent development of life prediction procedures. In this paper, the contributions of fracture mechanics in this transformation are reviewed. Current mechanistic understanding and environmentally assisted crack growth by hydrogen embrittlement is summarized, and is placed in perspective. Applications to mitigate stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue cracking in marine environments are summarized. Some outstanding issues and new directions for research are discussed. Keywords: Crack propagation, aluminum alloys; titanium alloys; steels; corrosion fatigue; fracture mechanics.
In vivo bone formation by and inflammatory response to resorbable polymer-nanoclay constructs

Abstract The development of synthetic bone grafts with requisite mechanical and morphological properties remains a key challenge in orthopaedics. Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2 )-processed nanocomposites consisting of organically-modified montmorillonite clay dispersed in poly-d-lactide (PDLA) have shown structural and mechanical properties similar to corticocancellous bone. Using quantitative undecalcified histology and micro-computed tomography (μCT), time and material-dependent influences on in vivo bone formation, and inflammatory response were characterized. This represents the first in vivo evidence of the ability of scCO2-processed PDLA-nanoclay constructs to support osteogenesis, while eliciting an inflammatory response comparable to PDLA-hydroxyapatite materials. Histologic analyses demonstrated that the in vivo performance of nanoclay-containing PDLA constructs was similar to pure PDLA constructs, though nanocomposites demonstrated more radiodense bone at all time points (μCT analysis), and higher bone volume at 6 weeks. Taken with previous structural and mechanical studies, these in vivo analyses suggest that scCO2-processed, polymer-clay nanocomposites may be suitable structural bone graft materials. From the Clinical Editor With advances in science, orthopedic researchers have devoted significant amount of time in developing synthetic bone graft materials. Many of which are indeed currently in clinical use. In their previous studies, the authors described and studied supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2)-processed nanocomposites consisting of organically modified montmorillonite clay dispersed in poly-D-lactide (PDLA) in in-vitro experiments. Here, in-vivo experiments were performed to investigate if this new material had improved mechanical properties, as well as the induction of inflammatory response. The overall positive findings may mean that this material could be used for future bone graft substitute applications.
Adaptive control of kinematically redundant robots

It is shown through careful problem formulation that the adaptive control of redundant robots can be addressed as a reference velocity tracking problem in the joint space. A control law which ensures the bounded estimation of the unknown dynamic parameters of the robot and the convergence to zero of the velocity tracking error is derived. In order to ensure that the joint motion on the self-motion manifold (SMM) remains bounded, a homeomorphic transformation is found. This transformation decomposes the velocity tracking error dynamics into a cascade system consisting of the dynamics in the end-effector error coordinates and the dynamics on the SMM. The dynamics on the SMM is directly shown to be related to the concept of zero-dynamics. It is shown that if the reference joint trajectory is selected to optimize a certain type of objective function, then stable dynamics on the SMM results. This ensures the overall stability of the adaptive system. Detailed simulations are given to verify the theoretical developments. The proposed adaptive scheme does not require measurements of the joint accelerations or the inversion of the inertia matrix of the robot. >
Jupiter explorer using microspacecraft and bimodal reactor system

Using second generation microspacecraft and space reactor bimodal systems enables having a fleet of microspacecraft throughout the Jovian Planetary System simultaneously obtaining scientific data of Jupiter and its satellites. The microspacecraft uses new micro-technology and each spacecraft has a dry mass of 10 to 20 kg as described by Collins, et al. (1995). The space reactor bimodal system, defined by an Air Force study for Earth orbital missions and reported by Weitzberg, et al. (1995), provides 10 kWe power, 1000 N thrust, 850 s Isp, with a 1500 kg system mass. Using this bimodal system, trajectories to Jupiter were examined and an optimal direct and gravity assisted trajectory selected as described by Zubrin and Mondt (1996). A conceptual design for a spacecraft using the space reactor bimodal system for propulsion and power, that is capable of performing the Jupiter mission of interest, is defined. An end-to-end example mission is defined for Jupiter and it satellites with 11 microspacecraft. An Atlas 2AS launch vehicle is used to launch the bimodal spacecraft and its payload into Earth orbit. The space reactor propulsion system is then used with Earth gravity assists to place the spacecraft and eleven second generation microspacecraft from Earth orbit into a Jupiter orbit. The space reactor bimodal spacecraft acts as a carrier and communication spacecraft for a fleet of microspacecraft. This fleet of microspacecraft act in a coordinated manner and gather science data from several scientific target in the Jovian planetary system.
Simulations of Reflected Shock Bifurcation in a Square Channel

Reflected shock interaction with an incoming boundary layer produces a complex, unsteady, three-dimensional flow field. Shock bifurcation, formation of recirculation bubbles, and turbulent jets are all observed and have been extensively studied experimentally ([1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]). The details of the reflection are known to depend on the inflow conditions, including the boundary layer behind the incident shock, and the wall boundary conditions. Reflected shock tube experiments have been conducted in shock tubes with both circular and rectangular cross-sections. There is experimental and numerical evidence that the bifurcated structure is substantially more complex near the corners of a rectangular tube as compared to the bifurcated structure on the centerline of a rectangular tube or in a round tube ([7, 8]). In this study, we present and analyze results of three-dimensional Navier-Stokes direct numerical simulations (DNS) of shock reflection in a square channel for three different incident shockMach numbers. Key features of the present simulations are very high resolution inside the boundary layer and temperature-dependent material and transport properties. We compare and contrast our results as a function of the incident shock Mach number with the existing theoretical model of Mark [1]. The simulations reveal additional flow features in the recirculation and corner regions that are not captured by the model.
ICPIK: Inverse Kinematics based articulated-ICP

In this paper we address the problem of matching a kinematic model of an articulated body to a point cloud obtained from a consumer grade 3D sensor. We present the ICPIK algorithm - an Articulated Iterative Closest Point algorithm based on a solution to the Inverse Kinematic problem. The main virtue of the presented algorithm is its computational efficiency, achieved by relying on inverse-kinematics framework for analytical derivation of the Jacobian matrix, and the enforcement of kinematic constraints. We demonstrate the performance of the ICPIK algorithm by integrating it into a real-time hand tracking system. The presented algorithm achieves similar accuracy as state of the art methods, while significantly reducing computation time.
Mischel, Walter (b. 1930)

Walter Mischel (b. 1930) is a distinguished researcher in the fields of social, personality, and clinical psychology, holder of a named chair at Columbia University, and author of numerous scholarly works. He is widely known for his research on delayed gratification (e.g., The Stanford Marshmallow Experiments) and his contributions to personality theory and assessment. In particular, Mischel's work has improved significantly our understanding of the wide within-person variability in behavior that cannot be explained through global, stable personality traits. His cognitive–affective processing system (CAPS) model stresses the importance of internal processes (social, cognitive, and motivational) that are triggered by different situations and that influence behavior. Mischel's approach to personality and assessment has been integral to evidence-based therapy interventions that rely on functional-analytic assessment rather than trait-oriented psychodiagnosis. Keywords: behavioral consistency; Mischel, Walter; personality; assessment; behavioral assessment; cognitive assessment; delayed gratification; personality traits
Perceptual defense or set: A re-examination

Exposure time for neutral task words presented, following pretask taboo words, nonsense words, and other neutral words, was evaluated to test whether increased recognition thresholds would be found both for neutral words following taboo words and for neutral words following nonsense words. The results indicated significantly higher recognition thresholds for the nonsense-neutral situation than for the neutral-neutral situation. No difference was found between taboo-neutral and neutral-neutral. Also, no differences were found on the basis of order of presentation or response words used. These results allowed for a revaluation of perceptual defense in terms of set.
E-proteins directly regulate expression of activation-induced deaminase in mature B cells

Activated mature B cells in which the DNA-binding activity of E-proteins has been disrupted fail to undergo class switch recombination. Here we show that activated B cells overexpressing the antagonist helix-loop-helix protein Id3 do not induce expression of the murine Aicda gene encoding activation-induced deaminase (AID). A highly conserved intronic regulatory element in Aicda binds E-proteins both in vitro and in vivo. The transcriptional activity of this element is regulated by E-proteins. We show that the enforced expression of AID in cells overexpressing Id3 partially restores class switch recombination. Taken together, our observations link helix-loop-helix activity and Aicda gene expression in a common pathway, in which E-protein activity is required for the efficient induction of Aicda transcription.
Basing Teaching on Piaget's Constructivism

(1996). Basing Teaching on Piaget's Constructivism. Childhood Education: Vol. 72, No. 5, pp. 260-264.
Prevalence of Mycoplasma Conserved DNA in Malignant Ovarian Cancer Detected Using Sensitive PCR–ELISA

Abstract Mycoplasmas are tiny polymorphic prokaryotic organisms (0.2–0.3 μm) that lack a cell wall and reside ubiquitously at the cell membrane or internalized into the cell. The organisms have been implicated in many diseases including functioning as cofactors catalyzing the HIV disease state. The oncogenic potential of mycoplasmas was only recently realized when they were shown to cause chromosomal changes and in vitro cell transformations through gradual progressive chromosomal loss and translocations. While a recent study linked mycoplasmas with gastric cancer, the association between mycoplasmas and ovarian cancer has not been established. Recently, a commercial assay which combined polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods was developed for the detection of mycoplasmas. The present objective was to determine the prevalence of mycoplasmas in archived paraffin-embedded malignant ovarian cancer tissue. The combined PCR–ELISA procedure was used with consensus primers targeting for 15 species of mycoplasmas and acholeplasmas. Archived human malignant ovarian cancer tissues ( N = 27 cases) embedded in paraffin blocks were processed, and DNA was extracted and the presence of DNA verified. The extracted DNA specimens were randomly divided into three groups for analyses. PCR–ELISA assays were performed on extracted DNA together with appropriate negative and positive controls. The results showed mycoplasmas were present in 59.3% of the malignant ovarian cancer specimens. PCR–ELISA analysis of Neisseria gonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis controls did not produce cross-reacting false-positive results. The results suggest an association between mycoplasmas and malignant ovarian cancer. A 59.3% prevalence rate was demonstrated for mycoplasmas in paraffin-embedded ovarian cancer tissues. The mechanism involved in oncogenesis by mycoplasmas remains to be elucidated.
The Never-Ending Story: Democracy and Peace

Liberal Peace, Liberal War: American Politics and International Security, John M. Owen IV (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1997). 246 pp., cloth (ISBN: 0-8014-3319-3), $35.00. Regional Orders at Century's Dawn: Global and Domestic Influences on Grand Strategy, Etel Solingen (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1998). 334 pp., paper (ISBN: 0-6910-5880-6), $19.95; cloth (ISBN: 0-6910-5879-2), $65.00. Never at War: Why Democracies Will Not Fight One Another, Spencer R. Weart (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1998). 424 pp., cloth (ISBN: 0-300-07017-9), $35.00. Books reviewed in this essay: Liberal Peace, Liberal War: American Politics and International Security , John M. Owen IV Regional Orders at Century's Dawn: Global and Domestic Influences on Grand Strategy , Etel Solingen Never at War: Why Democracies Will Not Fight One Another , Spencer R. Weart
A Comparison of Climate Simulations from a Semi-Lagrangian and an Eulerian GCM

Abstract Two parallel 5-year climate simulations have been carried out to assess the effect of changing from an Eulerian to a semi-Lagrangian formulation of a general circulation model's dynamical core with the physical parameterizations unchanged. It has been found that the change in formulation leads to significant differences in the simulated climates, both for fields determined mainly by the dynamics, such as sea level pressure, and for those determined mainly by the physics, such as precipitation. The differences result both directly from the changes in the dynamics and indirectly from the interactions of the dynamics with the physics. Compared to the simulation with the Eulerian model, the principal improvement with the semi-Lagrangian model is a significant reduction in, or even elimination of, the cold bias in the polar upper troposphere and lower stratosphere in both hemispheres. This improvement is evident in both the winter and summer seasons. It results from the more efficient poleward heat tr...
Molecular Pathways: Linking Tumor Microenvironment to Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in Metastasis

During tumor development, tumor cells constantly communicate with the surrounding microenvironment through both biochemical and biophysical cues. In particular, the tumor microenvironment can instruct carcinoma cells to undergo a morphogenesis program termed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to facilitate local invasion and metastatic dissemination. Growing evidence uncovered a plethora of microenvironmental factors in promoting EMT, including proinflammatory cytokines secreted by locally activated stromal cells, hypoxia conditions, extracellular matrix components, and mechanical properties. Here, we review various biochemical and biophysical factors in the tumor microenvironment that directly impinge upon the EMT program. Specifically, cytokines such as TGFβ, TNFα, and IL6 and hypoxia are capable of inducing EMT in various tumors. Several extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including collagen-I, fibronectin, and hyaluronan, and ECM remodeling via extracellular lysyl oxidase are also implicated in regulating EMT. In preclinical studies and ongoing clinical trials, targeting these tumor microenvironmental signals has shown promises in halting tumor progression in various human cancers.
Mechanism of Charging and Supercharging Molecules in Electrospray Ionization

The origin of the extent of charging and the mechanism by which multiply charged ions are formed in electrospray ionization have been hotly debated for over a decade. Many factors can affect the number of charges on an analyte ion. Here, we investigate the extent of charging of poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers (generations 3.0 and 5.0), cytochrome c, poly(ethylene glycol)s, and 1,n-diaminoalkanes formed from solutions of different composition. We demonstrate that in the absence of other factors, the surface tension of the electrospray droplet late in the desolvation process is a significant factor in determining the overall analyte charge. For poly(ethylene glycol)s, 1,n-diaminoalkanes, and poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers electrosprayed from single-component solutions, there is a clear relationship between the analyte charge and the solvent surface tension. Addition of m-nitrobenzyl alcohol (m-NBA) into electrospray solutions increases the charging when the original solution has a lower surface tension tha...