cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Personal and intergenerational narratives in relation to adolescents' well‐being

Narratives of the self are embedded within families in which narrative interaction is a common practice. Especially in adolescence, when issues of identity and emotional regulation become key, narratives provide frameworks for understating self and emotion. The authors' research on family narratives suggests that adolescents' personal narratives are at least partly shaped by intergenerational narratives about their parents' childhoods. Both personal and intergenerational narratives emerge frequently in typical family dinner conversations, and these narratives reflect gendered ways of being in the world. Adolescents who tell intergenerational narratives that are rich in intergenerational connections and perspective-taking show higher levels of well-being. These findings suggest that individual narrative selves are created within families and across generations.
On redundant types and Bayesian formulation of incomplete information

Abstract A type structure is non-redundant if no two types of a player represent the same hierarchy of beliefs over the given set of basic uncertainties, and it is redundant otherwise. Under a mild necessary and sufficient condition termed separativity, we show that any redundant structure can be identified with a non-redundant structure with an extended space of basic uncertainties. The belief hierarchies induced by the latter structure, when “marginalized,” coincide with those induced by the former. We argue that redundant structures can provide different Bayesian equilibrium predictions only because they reflect a richer set of uncertainties entertained by players but unspecified by the analyst. The analyst shall make use of a non-redundant structure, unless he believes that he misspecified the players' space of basic uncertainties. We also consider bounding the extra uncertainties by the action space for Bayesian equilibrium predictions.
Electron Microscopy of Group A Streptococci After Phagocytosis by Human Monocytes

Abstract Group A streptococci were added to cultures of isolated human blood monocytes. The bacteria were readily sequestered within phagocytic vacuoles after being coated with flocculent material, apparently derived from the plasma-containing medium. Progressive lysis of intravacuolar streptococci was observed, characterized by plasmolysis, internal disruption, and eventual plasma membrane dissolution. However, the cell walls remained essentially identical to those of nonphagocytized streptococci, showing no signs of dissolution within the limited in vitro survival time of the monocytes. These results indicate that streptococcal cell walls may persist in migrating human phagocytes in vivo and may be deposited in body tissues. This cell wall material, known to be toxic to animal tissues, may be an important determinant in the pathogenesis of poststreptococcal sequelae in man.
Microinjection of cis-flupenthixol, a dopamine antagonist, into the medial preoptic area impairs sexual behavior of male rats

Abstract Systematically administered dopamine agonists have been shown to facilitate copulation in male rats. Microinjection of the dopamine agonist apomorphine into the medial preoptic area has also been reported to facilitate sexual behavior. The present experiments investigated the effects of medial preoptic microinjections of the dopamine antagonist cis-flupenthixol on male rat copulatory behavior. Fewer males initiated copulation and fewer ejaculated following flupenthixol administration. Those males that did ejaculate following flupenthixol injections had fewer ejaculations and longer interintromission intervals. Flupenthixol also antagonized the facilitative effects of apomorphine injections into the medial preoptic area. Flupenthixol and apomorphine produced only minor alterations in non-copulatory behaviors. The results suggest that dopamine receptors within the medial preoptic area are important in the regulation of masculine sexual behavior in the rat.
Material removal mechanism in chemical mechanical polishing: theory and modeling

The abrasion mechanism in solid-solid contact mode of the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process is investigated in detail. Based on assumptions of plastic contact over wafer-abrasive and pad-abrasive interfaces, the normal distribution of abrasive size and an assumed periodic roughness of pad surface, a novel model is developed for material removal in CMP. The basic model is MRR=/spl rho//sub w/NVol/sub removed/, where /spl rho//sub w/ is the density of wafer N the number of active abrasives, and Vol/sub removed/ the volume of material removed by a single abrasive. The model proposed integrates process parameters including pressure and velocity and other important input parameters including the wafer hardness, pad hardness, pad roughness, abrasive size, and abrasive geometry into the same formulation to predict the material removal rate (MRR). An interface between the chemical effect and mechanical effect has been constructed through a fitting parameter H/sub w/ a "dynamical" hardness value of the wafer surface, in the model. It reflects the influences of chemicals on the mechanical material removal. The fluid effect in the current model is attributed to the number of active abrasives. It is found that the nonlinear down pressure dependence of material removal rate is related to a probability density function of the abrasive size and the elastic deformation of the pad. Compared with experimental results, the model accurately predicts MRR. With further verification of the model, a better understanding of the fundamental mechanism involved in material removal in the CMP process, particularly different roles played by the consumables and their interactions, can be obtained.
Food quality and motivation: A refined low-fat diet induces obesity and impairs performance on a progressive ratio schedule of instrumental lever pressing in rats

Abstract Introduction Purified high-fat diet (HFD) feeding causes deleterious metabolic and cognitive effects when compared with unrefined low-fat diets in rodent models. These effects are often attributed to the diet's high content of fat, while less attention has been paid to other mechanisms associated with the diet's highly refined state. Although the effects of HFD feeding on cognition have been explored, little is known about the impact of refined vs. unrefined food on cognition. We tested the hypothesis that a refined low-fat diet (LFD) increases body weight and adversely affects cognition relative to an unrefined diet. Materials and methods Rats were allowed ad libitum access to unrefined rodent chow (CON, Lab Diets 5001) or a purified low-fat diet (REF, Research Diets D12450B) for 6 months, and body weight and performance on an instrumental lever pressing task were recorded. Results After six months on their respective diets, group REF gained significantly more weight than group CON. REF rats made significantly fewer lever presses and exhibited dramatically lower breaking points than CON rats for sucrose and water reinforcement, indicating a chronic reduction of motivation for instrumental performance. Switching the rats' diet for 9 days had no effect on these measures. Conclusions Diet-induced obesity produces a substantial deficit in motivated behavior in rats, independent of dietary fat content. This holds implications for an association between obesity and motivation. Specifically, behavioral traits comorbid with obesity, such as depression and fatigue [1] , may be effects of obesity rather than contributing causes. To the degree that refined foods contribute to obesity, as demonstrated in our study, they may play a significant contributing role to other behavioral and cognitive disorders.
Characterizing truthful multi-armed bandit mechanisms: extended abstract

We consider a multi-round auction setting motivated by pay-per-click auctions for Internet advertising. In each round the auctioneer selects an advertiser and shows her ad, which is then either clicked or not. An advertiser derives value from clicks; the value of a click is her private information. Initially, neither the auctioneer nor the advertisers have any information about the likelihood of clicks on the advertisements. The auctioneer's goal is to design a (dominant strategies) truthful mechanism that (approximately) maximizes the social welfare.If the advertisers bid their true private values, our problem is equivalent to the multi-armed bandit problem, and thus can be viewed as a strategic version of the latter. In particular, for both problems the quality of an algorithm can be characterized by regret, the difference in social welfare between the algorithm and the benchmark which always selects the same "best" advertisement. We investigate how the design of multi-armed bandit algorithms is affected by the restriction that the resulting mechanism must be truthful. We find that truthful mechanisms have certain strong structural properties -- essentially, they must separate exploration from exploitation -- and they incur much higher regret than the optimal multi-armed bandit algorithms. Moreover, we provide a truthful mechanism which (essentially) matches our lower bound on regret.
Can cities become self-reliant in food?

Modern cities almost exclusively rely on the import of resources to meet their daily basic needs. Food and other essential materials and goods are transported from long-distances, often across continents, which results in the emission of harmful greenhouse gasses. As more people now live in cities than rural areas and all future population growth is expected to occur in cities, the potential for local self-reliance in food for a typical post-industrial North American city was determined. Given current policies and bylaws and available area, crop yields, and human intake, three distinct scenarios were developed to determine the potential level of food self-reliance for the City of Cleveland, which has been plagued with home foreclosures and resulting vacant land, lack of access to healthy food, hunger, and obesity particularly in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Scenario I, which utilizes 80% of every vacant lot, can generate between 22% and 48% of Cleveland’s demand for fresh produce (vegetables and fruits) depending on the vegetable production practice used (conventional gardening, intensive gardening, or hydroponics), 25% of both poultry and shell eggs, and 100% of honey. Scenario II, which uses 80% of every vacant lot and 9% of every occupied residential lot, can generate between 31% and 68% of the needed fresh produce, 94% of both poultry and shell eggs, and 100% of honey. Finally, scenario III, which adds 62% of every industrial and commercial rooftop in addition to the land area used in scenario II, can meet between 46% and 100% of Cleveland’s fresh produce need, and 94% of poultry and shell eggs and 100% of honey. The three scenarios can attain overall levels of self-reliance between 4.2% and 17.7% by weight and 1.8% and 7.3% by expenditure in total food and beverage consumption, compared to the current level of 0.1% self-reliance in total food and beverage by expenditure. The analysis also reveals that the enhanced food self-reliance would result in $29 M to $115 M being retained in Cleveland annually depending upon the scenario employed. This study provides support to the hypothesis that significant levels of local self-reliance in food, the most basic need, is possible in post-industrial North American cities. It is concluded that while high levels of local self-reliance would require an active role of city governments and planners, public commitment, financial investment, and labor, the benefits to human health, the local and global environment, and the local economy and community may outweigh the cost.
A pressure programmable gas chromatography microsystem utilizing motionless Knudsen pump, fiber-integrated optical detector, and silicon micromachined separation column

This paper describes a micro gas chromatography (µGC) system that utilizes three miniaturized components. An optical fiber-based detector is used to monitor the elution peaks of different chemical species through a 25 cm long micromachined separation column. A motionless gas pump based on thermal transpiration is used to transport the analytes in the µGC. Simple pressure programming allows rapid analysis (&#60;5 min) without compromising the resolution of the lighter analytes. For example, the µGC system is operated at a pumping pressure head of 10.5 kPa for 35 sec to separate lighter analytes (pentane, heptane, and octane); the pumping pressure head is then ramped up to 21.6 kPa to allow rapid detection of heavier analytes (decane, and undecane).
Elevated frequency of ATM gene missense mutations in breast cancer relative to ethnically matched controls

Studies of families of patients with ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) show an increased risk of breast cancer in heterozygous A-T carriers. However, expected increased levels of mutations in the ATM gene among unselected breast cancer patients have not been found to date. Previous methods of mutation detection were biased toward the detection of truncating mutations, and single nucleotide substitutions were likely to have been underreported. In this study, genomic DNA from 43 breast cancer patients and 43 control individuals were scanned for mutations in the entire ATM coding region (exons 4-65) and adjacent intronic splice regions (three megabases total) using detection of virtually all mutation-single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), a modification of SSCP with sufficient redundancy to detect virtually all mutations. Excluding a polymorphism found commonly in cases and controls, there were missense changes in 12 breast cancer patients, one of whom also had a protein truncating mutation, versus six controls (P=0.09). When all structural changes common to the cases and controls were excluded, missense or truncating changes were found in 10 cases compared to two in controls (P=0.013). The background of missense changes in controls is high. There is a trend towards elevation of all structural changes in cases, but the results are not statistically significant. Cohort-specific structural changes are significantly more prevalent in the breast cancer patients. The data are compatible with certain missense mutations in ATM predisposing to breast cancer.
Rectangular characteristic gratings for waveguide input and output coupling

Normal-incidence planar-optical waveguide-imbedded phase gratings of finite aperture width and length are analyzed with Svidzinskii's (Sov. J. Quantum Electron. 10, 1103 (1980)] two-dimensional Braggdiffraction theory. Svidzinskii's characteristic-grating equations are adapted for the rectangulargrating case, and an overlap integral is used to extend the theory to account for the mode structure of the waveguide. The combined theory is used to optimize the throughput of a system composed of an input grating coupler, a waveguide, and an output grating coupler for both the highly multimode (thickwaveguide) and the few-mode (thin-waveguide) cases.
The “Right Not to Know” in the Genomic Era: Time to Break From Tradition?

The target article by Clayton and colleagues (2014) helpfully lays out the differences between two recent sets of genetic testing guidelines, referred to as the “AAP/ACMG” (American Academy of Pedi...
The Brookhaven AGS Conversion Project

Most major features of the AGS Conversion Project are at or near completion. The entire Project should be completed within a year. The 200-MeV linac injector has accelerated beam to full energy and is undergoing detailed tune-up. The AGS main ring rf amplifier system has been running for a year. The new main magnet power supply has recently come into operation resulting in increased repetition rate and longer flat top for the AGS. Other features are well advanced.
Longitudinal relations between maternal depressive symptoms and child sleep problems: the role of parasympathetic nervous system reactivity

Author(s): Keller, Peggy S; Kouros, Chrystyna D; Erath, Stephen A; Dahl, Ronald E; El-Sheikh, Mona | Abstract: BackgroundWe examined maternal depressive symptoms (MDS) as longitudinal predictors of actigraphy-measured sleep; children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was tested as a moderator of these relations.MethodA total of 271 children (145 boys and 126 girls) participated in a three-wave study (M age at T1 = 9.38 years), with a 1-year lag between waves. Children wore actigraphs to derive sleep parameters. RSA reactivity was assessed during a social stress test.ResultsContrary to hypotheses, MDS were related to less sleep over time for children exhibiting greater RSA withdrawal. Consistent with hypotheses, MDS were related longitudinally to decreased sleep activity for children exhibiting less RSA withdrawal.ConclusionsFindings illustrate the importance of maternal influences and physiological regulation as predictors of children's sleep.
Parental Contributions to Preschoolers' Emotional Competence: Direct and Indirect Effects

The present study examines the contributions of (1) parental socialization of emotion and preschoolers' emotional interaction with parents to their emotional competence, and (2) parental socialization and child emotional competence to their general social competence. Both observational and self-report techniques were used to measure emotion socialization, emotional competence, and social competence of preschoolers (average age = 49.8 months) from 60 middle-socioeconomic-status families. Data were collected in both classroom and home settings. In general, the results suggest that parental modeling of expressive styles and emotional responsiveness to child emotions are important predictors of preschoolers' emotional competence and their overall social competence. Children whose parents were more affectively positive tended to display more positive emotion with peers, whereas children whose parents were more negative appeared less socially competent in the preschool. Parents who were better coaches of their children's emotions had children who understood emotions better. Age and sex moderated several of the study's key findings. The results are consistent with earlier research indicating that parental socialization of emotion impacts the child's emotional and social functioning both at home and in the preschool.
Dual-level seismic design : A reliability-based methodology

The seismic design provisions of most building codes in the United States specify ground motion parameters for various regions of the country and provide simple formulae to determine a distribution of lateral forces for which the structure should be designed. Although the code provisions are very simple to use, they oversimplify a complex problem and are based on many implicit assumptions which many designers may not appreciate. Furthermore, the reliability of the final design is not easily determined. This paper describes a reliability-based seismic design procedure for building structures. It is a performance-based design procedure which requires the designer to verify that a particular structural design satisfies displacement-based performance criteria. An equivalent system methodology and uniform hazard spectra are used to evaluate structural performance. The performance criteria are expressed in probabilistic terms, and deterministic design-checking equations are derived from these criteria. The design-checking equations incorporate design factors (analogous to load and resistance factors) which account for the uncertainty in the seismic hazard, the uncertainty in predicting site soil effects, and the approximate nature of the simplified models of the structure. The alternative procedure should enable designers to achieve code-specified target performance objectives for moderate and severe levels of earthquake excitation.
Discrete charge distributions in dielectric droplets

The electrospray ion source has recently revolutionized mass spectrometry by allowing researchers to produce gaseous ions of very large molecular weights such as proteins and polymers. The process by which these high-molecular-weight ions are produced, however, is not very well understood. The purpose of the present work is to study the fields in the vicinity of each charge in order to shed some light on the ion formation process for charged dielectric droplets. An important feature of this work, therefore, is the treatment of the charge as discrete rather than continuous. The picture that emerges is of discrete charges in a dielectric droplet thermally oscillating around a potential well, located slightly below the droplet surface. The charges produce localized electrostatic pressures on the droplet surface that are higher (15.5 and 70% for dielectric constants of 80 and 20, respectively) than expected if the charge distribution were continuous. These high localized pressures could locally stretch the surface and result in the emission of ions or small charged droplets. The magnitude of these localized pressures is a function of the number of charges and the dielectric constant of the droplet.
Thrombolysis in Acute Peripheral Arterial Occlusion: Predictors of Immediate Success

Thrombolytic therapy is frequently used for the treatment of peripheral arterial occlusion, but clinical predictors of success have not yet been defined. We prospectively evaluated 80 consecutive patients receiving intra-arterial urokinase for acute ( 80%) thrombolysis and avoidance of adjuvant operative or endovascular procedures. Independent variables examined included age, sex, comorbid conditions, severity, duration, etiology and location of the ischemic process, and positioning of the infusion catheter and guidewire. Overall, successful lysis was achieved in 57 patients (71%) and adjuvant procedures were avoided in 22 patients (28%). Successful outcome was more frequent in prosthetic graft (78%) and native arterial (72%) occlusions than in vein graft occlusions (53%,p =0.017) and in nondiabetics than in diabetics (80% vs. 52%,p =0.031). Lysis was dependent on placement of the catheter into the substance of the thrombus (85% vs. 0% success,p=0.004) and passage of a guidewire through the occlusive process (92% vs. 10% success,p=0.001). The only parameter independently predictive of successful outcome without the use of adjuvant procedures was the location of the occlusion; additional procedures were necessary in 88% of aortoiliac and 82% of infrainguinal occlusions vs. only 17% of upper extremity occlusions (p=0.005). Thus specific parameters can be identified that predict those patients in whom success, as determined by arteriographic criteria, is most likely to be achieved. Appropriate patient selection is important since unsuccessful thrombolysis protracts the ischemic process and increases the risk of bleeding complications.
Articulating common ground in cooperative work: content and process

We study the development of common ground in an emergency management planning task. Twelve three-person multi-role teams performed the task with a paper prototype in a controlled setting; each team completed three versions of the task. We use converging measures to document the development of common ground in the teams and present an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of the common ground development process. Our findings indicate that in complex collaborative work, process common ground increases, thus diminishing the need for acts like information querying or strategy discussions about how to organize the collaborative activities. However, content common ground is created and tested throughout the three runs; in fact dialogue acts used to clarify this content increase over time. Discussion of the implications of these findings for the theory of common ground and the design of collaborative systems follows.
Effect of Seeding on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of α‐SiAlON: I, Y‐SiAlON

The effect of seeding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of single-phase Y-α-SiAlON ceramics with elongated grains has been studied. Seeds of the intended α-SiAlON compositions but with different size, shape, and number of grains have been compared for their effects. The microstructure, resistance (R-curve) behavior, and Weibull modulus are strongly correlated to the number density of the seeds. The highest fracture toughness reached is ∼12 MPa.m 1/2 and can be obtained with as little as 1% seeding. The thermodynamic stability of seeds has been examined and is attributed to their chemical composition.
Ion-implanted and bakeable silicon detectors

Abstract Silicon charged particle detectors, capable of being baked, have been made by ion implantation and silicon oxide passivation. The junction is made by implanting boron into silicon having different base resistivities and then evaporating a thin layer of nickel over the implanted boron. The junction and the wafer edge is passivated with silicon oxide to protect it from ambient effects and to keep the surface stable. The detectors have been heated several times to 200°C for 10–13 h, in vacuum and their resolution and noise measured. Typical values for 200 mm 2 detectors being 18.7 keV and11.4 keV respectively, at room temperature, for 241 Am.
Particle filter based multisensor fusion for flaw shape reconstruction in steam generator NDE

Determination of flaw profiles from electromagnetic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) measurements is a common inverse problem. Electromagnetic NDE methods are used extensively for the examination of critical components in a number of industries ranging from defense, to energy, petrochemical, and transportation industries. Steam generator tubing inspection is a typical NDE case study. Steam generator tubes in nuclear power plants are continuously exposed to harsh environmental conditions including high temperatures, pressures, fluid flow rates and material interactions resulting in various types of degradation mechanisms such as mechanical wear, stress corrosion cracking (SCC), pitting, and inter granular attack (IGA) [1]. These flaws typically result in tube thinning and development of multiple crack-like flaws, thereby providing a mechanism for contaminating fluids on the secondary side. Consequently steam generator tubes in nuclear power plants need to be inspected periodically for cracks or leaks. Historically, steam generator tube inspection has been a difficult problem. There have been numerous cases of unscheduled plant shutdowns in the past, which typically cost over $500,000 a day. Hence there is a strong economic incentive to develop reliable nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods for steam generator tube inspection. Eddy current inspection [2] has proven to be both fast and effective in detecting and sizing most of the degradation mechanisms that occurred in the early generators. However, as the nation's generators have aged over years, newer and much more subtle forms of degradation have appeared that require more intelligent application of eddy current tests such as use of multi-frequency eddy current data.
A Usability Evaluation of Academic Virtual Reference Services

This study examined the usability of five virtual reference services—instant messenger chat, e-mail, telephone, text messaging, and Skype videoconferencing—by having 31 undergraduate and graduate students evaluate the usability of the virtual reference services of two different universities. The study’s results suggest that user preference and satisfaction for virtual reference service are highly correlated with the service’s overall usability in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. Online chat was rated highest across all measures including satisfaction and seven different usability factors. Major implications of the study suggest that online chat is the virtual reference of choice for university students and that usability metrics are a good predictor of user preferences centered on high return on investment, speed of transaction, convenience, and minimal effort.
Effect of Aptamer Binding on the Electron-Transfer Properties of Redox Cofactors

In vitro selection or SELEX has allowed for the identification of functional nucleic acids (FNAs) that can potentially mimic and replace protein enzymes. These FNAs likely interact with cofactors, just like enzymes bind cofactors in their active sites. Investigating how FNA binding affects cofactor properties is important for understanding how an active site is formed and for developing useful enzyme mimics. Oxidoreductase enzymes contain cofactors in their active sites that allow the enzymes to do redox chemistry. In certain applications, these redox cofactors act as electron-transfer shuttles that transport electrons between the enzymes' active sites and electrode surfaces. Three redox cofactors commonly found in oxidoreductases are flavin adenine dinucleotide, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)), and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ). We are interested in investigating how DNA aptamers that bind these cofactors influence the cofactors' redox abilities and if these aptamer-cofactor complexes could serve as redox catalysts. We employed cyclic voltammetry and amperometry to study the electrochemical properties of NAD(+) and PQQ when bound to DNA aptamers. Our results suggest that the aptamers provide a stable environment for the cofactor to participate in redox reactions, although enhanced redox activity was not observed. This work provides a foundation for the development of new FNAs capable of redox activity.
Is the Synaptonemal Complex a Disjunction Machine

The chiasma has been recognized as a major feature of meiosis both visually and functionally for > 85 years. But its functional basis remains poorly understood. In interaction with the spindle, it generally mediates the ultimate distribution of homologues to opposite poles at meiosis I to yield correct disjunction. Its establishment depends upon the presence of a completed reciprocal recombination (crossover) event, but its maintenance from the time of crossover completion until anaphase I (a period of substantial extent) requires additional functions. Evidence for the nature of these functions, their relationship to synapsis and conjectures on their place in the evolution of meiosis are discussed here.
The apportionment of human diversity revisited.

Objectives Studies of the apportionment of human genetic diversity have found that local populations harbor nearly as much diversity as the species as a whole. These studies have been a valuable cornerstone in rejecting race as a biological framework in anthropology. The current study presents new analyses that use updated statistical methods based on bifurcating trees to assess the structure of human genetic diversity and its implications for the existence of canonical biological races. Materials and Methods We examine patterns of both goodness-of-fit and lack-of-fit of two bifurcating trees to patterns of diversity determined from autosomal short tandem repeat genotypes in 1,037 people representing 52 populations with worldwide distribution. Results From goodness-of-fit, we infer a root for the tree within Africa, and we recapitulate a pattern of decreasing genetic diversity with increasing geographic distance from Africa. From lack-of-fit, we present tentative evidence for admixture events with archaic hominins. We do not find evidence that long-range migration or local gene flow have contributed appreciably to the lack of fit at a global scale. Conclusion This is the first study to find a root for a tree of human populations without comparison to a nonhuman out-group, and it is one of the first studies to identify a signature of admixture with archaic hominins without reference to ancient DNA. Our findings complement previous studies of the apportionment of human diversity and provide a more solid evolutionary foundation for the rejection of biological race. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mechanisms of Interleukin-1Ã¢ Production in Chlamydia trachomatis Infected Placental Trophoblasts

In a normal pregnancy the immune system plays the critical task of protecting the fetus from the constant threat posed by pathogens while limiting the effects of the mother’s immune response on the fetus itself. Viral and bacterial infections can cause preterm labor and intrauterine growth restriction, and the placental trophoblasts express pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) to help detect invading pathogens and initiate an effective immune response. Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the United States and can infect the decidua and placenta. Chlamydia infection of first trimester placental trophoblasts induces a change in the cytokines and chemokines present at the maternal-fetal interface and results in production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interlukin-1β (IL-1β). We hypothesize that the IL-1β response is mediated through toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2) for transcription, and inflammasome forming Nod-like receptors (NLRP-3 or IPAF) for its processing and secretion. Our work in the trophoblast cell lines H8 and Sw.71 demonstrated that Ct induces the transcription of IL-1β mRNA and translation of intracellular pro-IL-1β as early as 12h, and the secretion of active-IL-1β starting at 24h post infection. The induction of IL-1β is independent of MyD88, as there was no change in IL-1β production when we blocked MyD88 by using dominantnegative (DN) MyD88 cells. The production of IL-8 and IL-6 by trophoblasts after Ct infection is mediated through MyD88 and TLRs as described in other cell types, which confirms that our DN-MyD88 system is functional. Further we demonstrated that preventing NALP-3 inflammasome activation by blocking potassium (K) efflux from cells partially inhibited IL-1β secretion in both H8 and Sw.71 cells. This suggests a role for NLRP-3 inflammasome in mediating the processing and secretion of IL-1β. In summary we have shown that Chlamydia is able to act through different pathways to affect its host. It can induce IL-1β transcription through PRRs in a MyD88 independent manner, it can potentially induce the processing of pro-IL-1β through the NALP-3 inflammasome, and it can stimulate the secretion of active-IL-1β from the cells. The presence of Chlamydia trachomatis in the placenta, and the many mechanisms it uses to modulate the immune system, like IL-1β secretion, can result in negative pregnancy outcomes, miscarriages and preterm labor.
Phase-Shifting Digital Holography

The in-line configuration of DH makes use of the full pixel count in forming the holographic image, but the zero-order and the twin-image terms are superposed on the image. Phase-shifting digital holography (PSDH) is a very effective method of removing these terms, introduced by I. Yamaguchi, where the complex field at the hologram is obtained by phase-shifting interferometry [1]. From the complex field at the hologram plane, including the amplitude and phase information, the optical field at any other plane can be obtained by numerical diffraction.
Infectious Causes of Chronic Illness: an Overview: Infectious agents give rise to various chronic illnesses, sometimes directly but in other cases by triggering damaging immune responses

Imagine if debilitating arthritis were due to an anaerobic bacterium that lives in our mouths. What if heart attacks were due to a transmissible bacterium or autism to a virus? What if vaccines could prevent these and other chronic illnesses?
On all Sorts of Automorphisms

(1985). On all Sorts of Automorphisms. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 92, No. 9, pp. 650-656.
968 THE EFFECT OF VITAMIN E ON BILIRUBINEMIA IN PRETERM INFANTS

A study was undertaken to determine if vitamin E deficiency contributed to the development of hyperbilirubinemia in the preterm infant. Ten appropriately grown infants of <36 weeks gestation received intramuscular vitamin E in a total dose of 50 mg/kg during days 1 to 3 of life and 10 infants served as controls. The two groups were matched for birthweight, gestational age, Apgar scores, and hemoglobin level at birth. Serum bilirubin levels were monitored during the first week of life and carboxyhemoglobin (%COHb) values were obtained as an index of hemolysis. A significant difference in bilirubin was observed by day 3 which persisted for the remainder of the first week. The highest bilirubin averaged 11.4 mg/100 ml in the control group and 7.9 mg/100 ml in the vitamin E supplemented group (p<0.01). There was no difference in the use of phototherapy between groups. The administration of vitamin E at a dose of 50 mg/kg resulted in a significant reduction in bilirubinemia associated with decreased hemolvsis during the first week of life.
1 GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISORDER: HIGH ADRENERGIC NEUROVASCULAR TONE WITH HIGH VAGAL TONE.

Severe gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) is poorly understood, precluding prevention therapy (Rx). Our pilot study (PS) shows that increases in adrenergic neurovascular (ANVT) and vagal tone (VT) cause severe GERD and reduction in ANVT decreases symptom levels (SL). Prospective studies (ProS) were done with a random sample of the general population with severe GERD as in PS. Severe GERD (reflux to pharynx) correlated with the following PS criteria: rise in pulse pressure (RPP) > 15 mm Hg (during handgrip at 5 psi/3min), systolic time intervals (STI) ProS results confirm PS results showing that severe GERD was found in people with high ANVT, during a shift to high vagal tone, with Sig reduction in HR from peak ANVT at 10 am to peak VT at 12 noon. Basilar artery migraine was also found in 95% of ProS patients with high ANVT and high vagal tone. SL of ProsS patients were significantly reduced by Rx. Thus, GERD is due to high ANVT with increased vagal tone and can be prevented with therapy.
Forage mineral concentration, animal performance, and mineral status of heifers grazing cereal pastures fertilized with sulfur.

Thirty yearling Santa Gertrudis-sired heifers (average initial weight 238 kg) were continuously grazed (five heifers/pasture) on six 2-ha oat-wheat small grain pastures for 112 d to determine the effect of fertilization of pastures with urea (U) vs ammonium sulfate (AS) on mineral status and performance of heifers. Pastures were fertilized with either U, at 200 kg/ha, or AS, at 438 kg/ha, to provide 92 kg of N/ha in November 1987 and March 1988. Ammonium sulfate provided 107 kg of S/ha. Forage samples were collected during each month. Heifers were initially weighed following an overnight fast and at the end of four consecutive 28-d intervals (Periods 1 to 4). Serum and ruminal fluid were collected on d 56 and 112. Pastures fertilized with AS had a greater (P less than .10) in vitro dry matter disappearance during Periods 2 and 3. Ammonium sulfate-fertilized pastures had greater than (P less than .05) S concentrations from January 29 through termination of the trial. There were no differences in ADG (P less than .28) or gain/ha (GPH; P less than .43) over 112 d; however, heifer ADG was greater (P less than .08) in Period 3 and tended to be greater (P less than .16) in Period 2 for those animals grazing U-fertilized pastures. Pastures receiving AS produced less (P less than .04) GPH during Period 2. Ammonium sulfate fertilization in this trial had no effect on forage K, Ca, P, Mg, Cu, or Mo mineral concentrations or on serum mineral and ruminal VFA concentrations, but it did result in an increase in IVDMD and a trend for decreased ADG apparently associated with a decrease in forage intake.
Adenoviral Vectors Vaccine: Capsid Incorporation of Antigen

Adenovirus (Ad) vectors are attractive delivery vehicles for genetic vaccines. Conventional Ad transgene expression vaccines are partly affected by anti-Ad immunity in the general population. The generation of antivector immunity after immune priming further limits the efficacy of homologous boost immunizations. Based on the high immunogenicity of native Ad capsid proteins, display of immunogenic epitopes of pathogens on Ad capsids to induce pathogen-specific immunity has been proposed. This antigen capsid incorporation strategy can circumvent preexisting anti-Ad immunity and allow boosting of epitope-specific humoral immunity. The outer Ad capsid proteins of Ad that have been targets for genetic modification include fiber, penton base, protein IX, and hexon. Capsid-incorporated Ad vectors offer a novel vaccine platform that could be used either independently or combined with transgene expression to protect against infectious diseases.
Targeting BCL11A and KLF1 For The Treatment Of Sickle Cell Disease and β-Thalassemia In Vitro using Antisense Oligonucleotides

Sickle cell anemia (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder in which red blood cells (RBC) become sickle-shaped and block blood vessels, leading to painful vaso-occlusive episodes. Sickling occurs because of a point-mutation in the β-globin gene of hemoglobin. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF, α2γ2) is the main oxygen transport protein with greater oxygen binding affinity in the fetus during the last months of embryonic development and the first few months of life after birth. HbF inhibits sickling by interfering with the polymerization of hemoglobin S. Higher HbF levels in SCD correlate with better survival and because HbF production can be reactivated pharmacologically in adults, it can be used for the treatment of SCD as well as β-thalassemia. In β-thalassemia, there is reduced or absent synthesis of the β-globin gene, causing ineffective erythropoiesis. B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 11A (BCL11A) is a transcription factor in the zinc-finger protein family and is expressed in B cells and erythroid cells. BCL11A represses fetal hemoglobin expression by binding to the GGCCCGG motif in the β-globin promoter region. Erythroid Kruppel-like factor (KLF1) is an erythroid-specific transcription factor that regulates β-globin expression through direct interaction with its promoter and indirectly regulates γ-globin expression through the regulation of BCL11A. By reducing the expression of BCL11A and KLF1, we can promote production of HbF through the upregulation of γ-globin expression. To demonstrate upregulation of γ-globin mRNA expression in vitro , we used MEL-h-b-BAC line#7 cells, a murine erythroleukemic cell line harboring the entire human beta globin locus and expressing mouse BCL11A and KLF1 (Tim Townes, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham). Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting mouse BCL11A or mouse KLF1 were added to the cells in a dose-dependent manner. Seven days later, with free uptake of the ASOs into the cells, we observed dose-dependent reduction of mouse BCL11A mRNA (IC50 = 0.7 μM) and mouse KLF1 mRNA (IC50 = 3 μM). Consequently, we observed a 300 +/- 8% upregulation of human γ-globin mRNA expression after achieving ∼90% reduction in BCL11A mRNA expression after ASO treatment compared to the untreated control cells. Similarly, KLF1 ASO treatment caused a 500 +/- 58% up regulation of human γ-globin mRNA expression after achieving ∼80% mRNA reduction in KLF expression. These data indicate that targeting BCL11A and/or KLF1 with ASO treatment can cause an increase in γ-globin expression that is necessary for the upregulation of fetal hemoglobin and may be used for the treatment of sickle-cell anemia and β-thalassemia. Disclosures: Peralta: Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Low: Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Kim: Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Murray: Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Guo: Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Freier: Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Townes: University of Alabama at Birmingham: Employment. Hung: Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment.
Catching Social Butterflies: Identifying Influential Users of an Event-Based Social Networking Service

Online social media information is often used as a proxy for unavailable or partially observed data on networks of offline contacts. This, in turn, requires an understanding of how close the proxy online structure is to the "true" offline social network. Social media tools such as Meetup that collect information about both online networks and their offline counterparts are of particularly importance as they shed more light on the (dis)similarity of online and offline contacts and highlight its potential causes. In this paper we examine structural (dis)similarities of the Meetup online and offline data, with a particular focus on geographical differences. We introduce a new measure called the event score to assess connections made by the most socially active individuals, or social butterflies. We apply the new social activity metric to determine which sorts of events are attended most by social butterflies and to evaluate how this aspect of the network structure differs across US cities.
Subcellular Localization of a 2-Arachidonoyl Glycerol Signaling Cassette in Retinal Ganglion Cell Axonal Growth In Vitro.

Purpose To investigate whether the subcellular distribution of endocannabinoid (eCB) system (ECS) components in growing RGC axons is consistent with the formation of eCB-enriched "hotspots" and the role of the ECS in RGC axonal growth. Methods We used immunocytochemistry and image analysis to quantify axonal expression of the ECS components diacylglycerol lipase alpha (DGLα), monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL), and cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) in a mouse retinal explant model. We tested whether pharmacologic antagonists of CB1R and inhibitors of eCB degradation modulate ECS component expression and axonal growth. Results DGLα expression was higher in the distal RGC axon than in the growth cone central domain (GCCD) (95% confidence interval [CI], 106.5%-122.4% at 15 μm proximal to the GCCD), whereas MGL expression in the same region was not significantly different (95% CI, 88.8%-102.1%). In more proximal axon segments, DGLα and MGL expression were both lower than in the GCCD, whereas CB1R expression was 2.5-fold higher in this region (95% CI, 220.3%-278.4% at 50 μm proximal to the GCCD). The presence of CB1R antagonist O-2050 disrupted profiles of ECS component expression and increased axonal growth (95% CI for the difference of median axon lengths 26.6-55.6 μM). Conclusions Our results demonstrate an ECS topology in RGC axons that is consistent with formation of eCB-enriched hotspots and suggest that the ECS has a role in CB1R-dependent inhibition of RGC axonal growth in vitro.
AV-1451 tau and β-amyloid positron emission tomography imaging in dementia with Lewy bodies

Objective: Patients with probable dementia with Lewy bodies often have Alzheimer's disease-related pathology. Our objective was to determine the pattern of positron emission tomography tau tracer AV-1451 uptake in patients with probable dementia with Lewy bodies, compared to Alzheimer's disease, and its relationship to β-amyloid deposition on positron emission tomography. Methods: Consecutive patients with clinically probable dementia with Lewy bodies (n=19) from the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center underwent MRI, AV-1451 and Pittsburgh compound-B positron emission tomography examinations. Age and sex matched groups of Alzheimer's disease dementia (n=19) patients and clinically normal controls (n=95) from an epidemiological cohort served as a comparison groups. Atlas-based and voxel-based analyses were performed. Results: The Alzheimer's disease dementia group had significantly higher AV-1451 uptake than the probable dementia with Lewy bodies group, and medial temporal uptake completely distinguished Alzheimer's disease dementia from probable dementia with Lewy bodies. Patients with probable dementia with Lewy bodies had greater AV-1451 uptake in the posterior temporoparietal and occipital cortex compared to clinically normal controls, and in probable dementia with Lewy bodies, the uptake in these regions correlated with global Pittsburgh compound-B uptake (Spearman rho= 0.63; p=0.006). Interpretation: Medial temporal lobe AV-1451 uptake distinguishes Alzheimer's disease dementia from probable dementia with Lewy bodies, which may be useful for differential diagnosis. Elevated posterior temporoparietal and occipital AV-1451 uptake in probable dementia with Lewy bodies and its association with global Pittsburgh compound-B uptake suggest an atypical pattern of tau deposition in dementia with Lewy bodies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.