cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expansion of altered vaginal flora states in vaginitis to include a spectrum of microflora.

OBJECTIVE : To define the existence of 2 patterns of al-tered vaginal flora in symptomatic women identified on wet preparations that are not in the current vaginitis classification system. STUDY DESIGN : Testing of vaginal secretions from gynecologic patients at Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, who presented with vulvovaginal symptoms by vaginal pH, whiff testing, and saline and potassium hydroxide wet preparations. Over 14 years, approximate-ly 5,000 samples were analyzed. Wet preparations were analyzed under low- (x 100) and high-power (×400) phase-contrast microscopy. RESULTS : The first pattern has mixed bacteria with few or no lactobacilli, increased leukocytes and elevated pH. This pattern has a spectrum of severity, with the severe form meeting the diagnostic definition of desquamative inflammatory vaginitis. The mild-to-moderate form, termed inflammatory vaginitis, falls outside established diagnostic categories. The second pattern also has a spectrum of severity. The mild-to-moderate form, termed noninflammatory vaginosis, has mixed bacteria speckling squamous cells (but not obscuring edges), few or no lactobacilli, no leukocyte response and mildly elevated pH. This form differs from the severe form, which meets Amsel's criteria for bacterial vaginosis. CONCLUSION : The current classification system requires revision because it oversimplifies and ignores the full spectrum of altered vaginal microflora.
Unbowed and Unbanned: The South African Freedom Charter at Fifty

Adopted in South Africa in 1955 by forces opposed to the regime, the South African Freedom Charter was one of the most important hortatory declarations of the post-Cold War era. The Charter was adopted by the largest multiracial assembly in the history of the country at that time. The campaign leading up to the Charter's creation introduced thousands to political activity and put to the test the ideas of the opposition movement about non-racial, non-sectarian politics and coalition building. The Charter also provided a lightening rod for the regime's attacks against the liberation movement. The document was the smoking gun in the 1956 Treason Trial--proof of the movement's "revolutionary" and "communist" aims. This article situates the story of the Freedom Charter in the ideological history of the South African liberation movement from the 1950s to the 1990s. It considers its role in shaping the constitutive instruments of the post-apartheid era, and it assesses the Charter's contribution to the global di...
A 12-Year Study (1975-1986) of Mortality in Methadone-Maintenance Patients: Selected Demographic Characteristics and Drug-Use Patterns of AIDS and Non-AIDS-Related Deaths

This paper describes changes in demographic characteristics and drug use patterns of persons who died while enrolled in a New York City methadone-maintenance program during the years preceding and subsequent to the AIDS epidemic. Persons dying from AIDS were more likely to be younger, Hispanic, and male than those dying from other causes. Drug use increased during the 12-year study period, and the spread of the HIV infection among drug users may be reflected in an increased use of injectable drugs.
A Type System Based on End-User Vocabulary

In previous work we have developed a system that automatically checks for unit errors in spreadsheets. In this paper we describe our experiences using the system in a workshop on spreadsheet safety aimed at high school teachers and students. We present the results from a think-aloud study we conducted with five high school teachers and one high school student as the subjects. The study is the first ever to investigate the usability of a type system in spreadsheets. We discovered that end users can effectively use the system to debug a variety of errors in their spreadsheets. This result is encouraging given that type systems are difficult even for programmers. Since the subjects had difficulty debugging "non-local" unit errors, we devised new methods to improve the error-location inference. We also extended the system to generate change suggestions for cells with unit errors, which when applied, would correct unit errors. These extensions solved the problem that the study revealed in the original system.
Persistent left superior vena cava in Holt-Oram syndrome.

I read with interest the recent case report by where cardiac catheterization is routinely performed, Kranidis et al. of Holt-Oram syndrome associated its incidence will be comparatively much higher. The with a persistent left superior vena cava [1]. The incidence of associated intracardiac lesion has been authors claimed that their patient was the only case noted to be relatively high, the most frequent being that has been reported so far where the only coexistatrial septal defect [3,4]. Since atrial septal defect is ing cardiovascular anomaly was a persistent left the commonest congenital heart defect in Holt-Oram superior vena cava. syndrome [2–4], the finding of a persistent left Holt-Oram syndrome is an autosomal dominant superior vena cava in the proband is understandable. hereditary disorder characterized by congenital carIn the patient with Holt-Oram syndrome reported diovascular malformations and skeletal anomalies of in 1987 by this author [3], the persistent left superior the upper limb [2]. The association of a persistent left vena cava was associated with an atrial septal defect. superior vena cava with the Holt-Oram syndrome was Persistent left superior vena cava as an isolated first recognized in a 15-year-old female patient by congenital cardiovascular anomaly in Holt-Oram this author in 1963. The case was later reported in syndrome was later reported in 1994 by Basson et al. 1987 [3] along with publication of an illustration in 1 of their 37 patients [5]. showing the typical X-ray appearance of the course of the cardiac catheter advanced up the inferior vena cava and into the persistent left superior vena cava References from the right atrium via the coronary sinus. Persistence of the left superior vena cava, which is due [1] Kranidis A, Filippatos G, Karvounis H. A case of Holt-Oram to failure of the left anterior cardinal vein to become syndrome (heart-hand syndrome). Int J Cardiol 2000;73:95–6. obliterated during fetal life, as an isolated anomaly is [2] Sun Q-B, Zhang K-Z, Cheng TO. Holt-Oram syndrome with high myopia. A hitherto unreported association in a Chinese patient. Am a benign condition and of no hemodynamic conseJ Med 1987;82:326–8. quence. The actual incidence is not known and may [3] Cheng TO. Holt-Oram syndrome in a Puerto Rican family – case vary considerably from one institution to another, reports. Angiology 1987;38:896–902. [4] Zhang K-Z, Sun Q-B, Cheng TO. Holt-Oram syndrome in China: A depending on the case material studied and the collective review of 18 cases. Am Heart J 1986;111:572–7. method of investigation. If based on necropsy find[5] Basson CT, Cowley GS, Solomon SD et al. The clinical and genetic ings in a general hospital, it will be understandably spectrum of the Holt-Oram syndrome (heart-hand syndrome). N low; if based on the findings in a cardiac center Engl J Med 1994;330:885–91.
Analyzing Positive Finds with Explicit Uncertainty

Regulatory realities, culture, and politics impinge on scientifically based policy recommendations. An appreciation of the regulatory framework that creates policy recommendations helps in understanding why it is important to state the confidence intervals, i.e., to state explicitly the uncertainty of each recommendation. Part of the proceedings of “Managing Risk to Minimize Crop Loss,” a symposium organized by the Plant Disease Losses and Regulatory Committees of APS.
TIMBER HARVESTING AND THE HYDROLOGIC RESPONSE OF REDWOOD CREEK, CALIFORNIA

Timber removal on publicand private land surrounding Redwood National Park exacerbates naturally high rates of erosion that are common to this region and alters hydrologic processes within the park boundaries. These alterations of the natural environment complicate the efforts of the National Park Service to preserve a remnant of the once extensive coastal redwood ecosystem in the park. A watershed model for Redwood Creek calibrated to pre-logging conditions is employed to define and quantify changes in the hydrologic response of the basin during the years when timber harvesting reduced significantly the acreage of redwoods. Analysis of modeled and observed runoff indicates that timber removal is related to increased runoff during wet months and wet years, but runoff is reduced during dry months and dry years. These alterations in the hydrologic system occur at the least beneficial time because they augment high flows, whereas low flows are depleted. Such changes in runoff contribute to magnified erosion ...
TRedD--a database for tandem repeats over the edit distance.

A ‘tandem repeat’ in DNA is a sequence of two or more contiguous, approximate copies of a pattern of nucleotides. Tandem repeats are common in the genomes of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. They are significant markers for human identity testing, disease diagnosis, sequence homology and population studies. In this article, we describe a new database, TRedD, which contains the tandem repeats found in the human genome. The database is publicly available online, and the software for locating the repeats is also freely available. The definition of tandem repeats used by TRedD is a new and innovative definition based upon the concept of ‘evolutive tandem repeats’. In addition, we have developed a tool, called TandemGraph, to graphically depict the repeats occurring in a sequence. This tool can be coupled with any repeat finding software, and it should greatly facilitate analysis of results. Database URL: http://tandem.sci.brooklyn.cuny.edu/
Metastatic Osteogenic Sarcoma to the Heart Presenting as Bacterial Endocarditis

A patient with metastatic osteogenic sarcoma involving the left atrium is described who presented with features of bacterial endocarditis. The source of infection was the adjacent esophagus into which the tumor had eroded. This case demonstrates that sarcomas metastasizing to the heart may result in a clinical condition indistinguishable from infective endocarditis. At post-mortem, careful dissection of cardiac metastases should be undertaken to check for possible esophageal involvement.
An on-line rotor resistance estimator for induction machine drives

Rotor resistance variation due to changing rotor temperature is a significant issue in the design of induction motor controls. In this work, a new on-line rotor resistance estimator is proposed based on an alternate qd induction machine model which simultaneously includes stator leakage saturation, rotor leakage saturation, magnetizing path saturation, and distributed circuit effects in the rotor conductors. Computer simulation studies demonstrate the ability of the estimator to accurately track rotor resistance variation. Experimental studies demonstrate that an adaptive maximum torque per amp control which utilizes the proposed estimator significantly outperforms a maximum torque per amp control without rotor resistance adaptation
Regional hydrodynamics of the proposed high-level nuclear-waste repository sites in the Texas Panhandle

Abstract Bedded salt in the Palo Duro Basin area of the Texas Panhandle is being evaluated as possible host rock for a high-level nuclear-waste repository. The two potential sites are underlain by three major hydrostratigraphic units: a shallow freshwater aquifer system developed in the Tertiary Ogallala Formation and the Triassic Dockum Group, a thick shale and evaporite aquitard developed in an Upper Permian evaporite sequence, and a deep-basin brine aquifer system predominantly developed in the Wolfcamp Series and the Pennsylvanian System. Water level, shut-in pressure, and specific-gravity data from inventoried wells, drill-stem tests, and long-term pumping tests were used to construct potentiometric surfaces, potentiometric profiles, and pressure-depth diagrams. Water in the Ogallala and Dockum aquifers predominantly flows horizontally and discharges to springs and wells. Equipotential patterns on potentiometric profiles indicate that some water may be moving downward from the Ogallala into the Dockum across an intervening confining unit, as well as moving downward from the Dockum across the shale and evaporite aquitard and into the deep-basin aquifer system. This is corroborated by the slope of pressure-depth data which indicate the potential for regional downflow in the shale and evaporite aquitard. Equipotential patterns and pressure-depth data indicate predominantly horizontal flow in the deep-basin aquifer system which is influenced by permeability variations related to facies changes. Hydraulic gradients are flatter in the more permeable shelf, shelf margin, and fan-delta facies and steeper in the less permeable deep-basin facies.
Prepartum Intake, Postpartum Induction of Ketosis, and Periparturient Disorders Affect the Metabolic Status of Dairy Cows

Nutritional management during the dry period may affect susceptibility of cows to metabolic and infectious diseases during the periparturient period. Thirty-five multiparous Holstein cows were used to determine the effect of prepartum intake, postpartum induction of ketosis, and periparturient disorders on metabolic status. Cows were fed a diet from dry-off to parturition at either ad libitum intake or restricted intake [RI; 80% of calculated net energy for lactation (NEL) requirement]. After parturition, all cows were fed a lactation diet. At 4 d in milk (DIM), cows underwent a physical examination and were classified as healthy or having at least one periparturient disorder (PD). Healthy cows were assigned to the control (n = 6) group or the ketosis induction (KI; n = 9) group. Cows with PD were assigned to the PD control (PDC; n = 17) group. Cows in the control and PDC groups were fed for ad libitum intake. Cows in the KI group were fed at 50% of their intake on 4 DIM from 5 to 14 DIM or until signs of clinical ketosis were observed; then, cows were returned to ad libitum intake. During the dry period, ad libitum cows ate more than RI cows; the difference in intake resulted in ad libitum cows that were in positive energy balance (142% of NEL requirement) and RI cows that were in negative energy balance (85% of NEL requirement). Prepartum intake resulted in changes in serum metabolites consistent with plane of nutrition and energy balance. Prepartum intake had no effect on postpartum intake, serum metabolites, or milk yield, but total lipid content of liver at 1 d postpartum was greater for ad libitum cows than for RI cows. The PD cows had lower intake and milk yield during the first 4 DIM than did healthy cows. During the ketosis induction period, KI cows had lower intake, milk yield, and serum glucose concentration but higher concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate in serum as well as total lipid and triacylglycerol in liver than did control cows. Cows with PD had only modest alterations in metabolic variables in blood and liver compared with healthy cows. The negative effects of PD and KI on metabolic status and milk yield were negligible by 42 DIM, although cows with PD had lower body condition score and BW. Prepartum intake did not affect postpartum metabolic status or milk yield. Periparturient disorders and induction of ketosis negatively affected metabolic status and milk yield during the first 14 DIM.
The biomechanical analysis of a tendon fixation device for flexor tendon repair

Purpose Stainless steel suture is high in tensile strength but is not widely used in flexor tendon repair because of difficulty with handling and knot tying. The purpose of this study was to examine the biomechanical characteristics of the single-strand multifilament stainless steel Teno Fix device (Ortheon Medical, Winter Park, FL) designed for zone II flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon repair. Methods Sixty cadaveric flexor tendons were transected and randomized to receive a Teno Fix or 4-stranded (3–0 or 4–0 braided polyester) suture repair; all repairs were tested with and without a 5–0 monofilament polypropylene circumferential epitendinous suture. By using a material testing system all tendons were tested to failure in tension using a linear model with a loading rate of 1 mm/s. Stiffness, force, and energy at both 2-mm gap and peak force were calculated from the resulting force-displacement curves. Results The 2-mm gapping force was significantly greater for the Teno Fix and the 3–0 repairs than for the 4–0 repairs. The energy absorbed up to 2-mm gap was significantly greater for the Teno Fix, however, than for all suture repairs both with and without a circumferential suture. There was no statistically significant difference in peak force or energy absorbed at peak force between the Teno Fix and suture repairs; the average gap at peak force for all repairs was 5.2 mm. The addition of a circumferential suture increased the 2-mm gapping and peak forces of the Teno Fix repair to 54.5 N and 66.7 N, respectively. Conclusions Increased strength and energy absorbed at 2-mm gap and ease of installation makes the Teno Fix a promising repair method.
Das Tricyclo[9.3.1.0]pentadecan‐System — einfache Synthese des Taxangerüsts mit einem aromatischen C‐Ring

Das vollstandige Manuskript dieser Zuschrift erscheint in: Angew. Chem. Suppl. 1983, 564. DOI: 10.1002/ange.198305640
Personality and the Prediction of Consequential Outcomes

Personality has consequences. Measures of personality have contemporaneous and predictive relations to a variety of important outcomes. Using the Big Five factors as heuristics for organizing the research literature, numerous consequential relations are identified. Personality dispositions are associated with happiness, physical and psychological health, spirituality, and identity at an individual level; associated with the quality of relationships with peers, family, and romantic others at an interpersonal level; and associated with occupational choice, satisfaction, and performance, as well as community involvement, criminal activity, and political ideology at a social institutional level.
Dual frequency liquid crystal devices for infrared electro-optical applications

A dual frequency liquid crystal (DFLC) can be field-driven towards its unperturbed state, which dramatically reduces the overall electro-optical response time. DFLC materials with sub-millisecond switching speed are being used in infrared electro-optical devices at wavelengths up to 3 microns. The performance of devices such as tunable half-wave plates and optical phased arrays in agile beam steering devices, and wavefront controllers for adaptive optics are described. Device issues discussed include drive schemes, field of view, reflective direct drive backplane, infrared-transparent conductors, and antireflection coatings.
Hydrogen peroxide decreases Ca2+ sensitivity in airway smooth muscle by inhibiting rMLC phosphorylation

The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism by which hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an important inflammatory mediator, relaxes canine tracheal smooth muscle (CTSM). H2O2caused concentratio...
Globalization and Implications on Arab Markets: A Survey of Travel Industry Executives

This research identifies the evolution of contemporary global business practices, scope and pace of international expansion, and technological competencies that are taking place in emerging markets such as Arab nations. Within this changing landscape, new organizational approaches are prerequisites for successfully entering emerging markets. Utilizing the concepts of Thomas L. Friedman along with Greenberg and Barron and Michael Porter’s determinates of international competitiveness, this study identifies strategic factors which can be used to examine the determinates of international competitiveness of Arab nations.
In situ transmission electron microscopy observation of ZnO polar and non-polar surfaces structure evolution under electron beam irradiation

Using in situ transmission electron microscopy, we investigated the dynamic reconstruction and evolution of ZnO polar and non-polar surfaces under high-energy electron beam irradiation. Electron beam radiolysis creates oxygen vacancies and a Zn rich (0001) surface. Positive polar charges at the (0001) surface expel loosely bonded Zn ions to diffuse away from the (0001) polar surface. As a result, mass loss was observed around the (0001) surface. Dehydration by the electron beam breaks the charge balance on the ( 0001¯) polar surface. The negative charges on the ( 0001¯) surface suppress the radiolysis effect and further absorb Zn ions to the surface to neutral the polar charges. The ideal stacking sequences of Zn ions in hexagonal ZnO structure can be considered as ABAB… along its c axis, while the absorbed individual Zn ion on the ( 0001¯) surface occupies the C site to form three bonds with surface O ions beneath, instead of one bond in the ideal structure. With more Zn ion absorption and surface oxidiz...
Magnetic moment of a single vacancy in graphene and semiconducting nanoribbons

Calculations of single-vacancy-induced magnetism in graphene have found different values within a large range, which restricts the understanding of magnetism in defected graphene. Here we report first-principles simulations to examine the accuracy of magnetic moment calculations of a single vacancy with respect to the smearing width and $k$-points sampling in calculations of total density of states, based on which the magnetic moment is calculated. We show that the magnetic moment of a single vacancy arises from the asymmetry between spin-up and spin-down electrons in a small energy window of 1 eV that contains a sharp resonance close to the Fermi level. A small smearing width is important to accurately describe the sharp resonance. However, we find that even with a very large number of $k$ points (thousands per unit cell), the magnetic moment value is still sensitive to the smearing width, and that the total density of states still shows spikes, which leads to unreliable evaluation of the magnetic moment. Calculations of a single vacancy in semiconducting graphene nanoribbons further illustrate the balance between smearing width and $k$-points sampling, and indicate a 2 ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ ground state as in semiconducting graphene nanoflakes.
WE-AB-207A-05: New Dosimetry Methods for CBCT.

Purpose: To determine the absorbed dose to water in the moderately filtered (M-series) x-ray beams at the UWADCL and assess the feasibility of transferring this dose to water to a clinical CBCT environment. Methods: The dose was determined in the M-series beams using three dosimetry Methods: the TG-61 protocol, a 60Co absorbed dose to water calibration, and through the use of a Monte Carlo (MC) model of the x-ray tube. The dose to water in the M-series beams determined by the MC model was used to calibrate an ionization chamber. The calibrated chamber was used to measure the dose to water from a Varian CBCT system. The dose from the CBCT beams was also measured using the same methods as for the M-series beams. Results: The measured surface doses in the M-series beams determined by MC method and TG-61 agreed within 3% for all beams. The dose to water a depth of 2 cm in the M-series beams as determined by the TG-61, 60Co, and MC methods, agreed within 2%. The dose in the CBCT beams was determined using the same methods as for the M-series beams and using the newly determined x-ray dose to water calibration coefficient. At the phantom surface, the dose values agreed within 1.5% and at a 2 cm depth the values agreed within 3%. Conclusion: New techniques to determine the absorbed dose to water in standard x-ray beams were developed. The dose values were in good agreement with previous techniques, but with much lower uncertainties. The dose to water in the M-series beams was used to calibrate an ionization chamber and the dose in the CBCT beams was measured using this calibration. The CBCT dose at a depth of 2 cm was measured in this manner and it agreed with other dose determination methods.
Flow Visualization Study of Convection in a Centrifuge

This research was dedicated to experimental observation of convection in a fluid subjected to a stabilizing thermal gradient during centrifugation. A laser light cut technique was employed to visualize convection in a test cell consisting of a transparent cylinder enclosed with two metal disks at the top and bottom. A concave shape was machined onto the bottom disk in order to simulate an interface typical for gradient freeze solidification of semiconductors. A constant vertical temperature gradient, similar to that used in gradient freeze crystal growth, was maintained in the cell. Convection was observed in water at several net acceleration levels, from 1 to 4g. Without rotation (1 g), buoyancy caused the usual two-dimensional axisymmetric flow pattern. Centrifugation introduced the Coriolis force and caused the flow near the “interface” to be predominantly rotational about the axis, as predicted by theory. With an uncooled plastic bottom, the flow there split to form two rotating cells in the cross sectional plane. No flow transition was found over the range of acceleration investigated, and the flow velocities were not strongly dependent on g.
Milling Force Modeling: A Comparison of Two Approaches

Abstract This paper evaluates the dependence of cutting force coefficients on milling process parameters including feed per tooth, spindle speed, and radial immersion. Two methods are described for determining the cutting force coefficients: 1) the average force, linear regression method; and 2) the instantaneous force, nonlinear optimization method. A series of test cuts were performed and the cutting force coefficients calculated using the two methods are compared. Milling stability experiments were then conducted to validate the calculated cutting force coefficients. It was found that feed per tooth, spindle speed, and radial immersion exhibit a nonlinear relationship with the cutting force coefficients.
Dynamics of antigen presentation to transgene product-specific CD4+ T cells and of Treg induction upon hepatic AAV gene transfer

The tolerogenic hepatic microenvironment impedes clearance of viral infections but is an advantage in viral vector gene transfer, which often results in immune tolerance induction to transgene products. Although the underlying tolerance mechanism has been extensively studied, our understanding of antigen presentation to transgene product-specific CD4+ T cells remains limited. To address this, we administered hepatotropic adeno-associated virus (AAV8) vector expressing cytoplasmic ovalbumin (OVA) into wt mice followed by adoptive transfer of transgenic OVA-specific T cells. We find that that the liver-draining lymph nodes (celiac and portal) are the major sites of MHC II presentation of the virally encoded antigen, as judged by in vivo proliferation of DO11.10 CD4+ T cells (requiring professional antigen-presenting cells, e.g., macrophages) and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Treg induction. Antigen presentation in the liver itself contributes to activation of CD4+ T cells egressing from the liver. Hepatic-induced Treg rapidly disseminate through the systemic circulation. By contrast, a secreted OVA transgene product is presented in multiple organs, and OVA-specific Treg emerge in both the thymus and periphery. In summary, liver draining lymph nodes play an integral role in hepatic antigen presentation and peripheral Treg induction, which results in systemic regulation of the response to viral gene products.
Obfuscation and Encryption for Securing Semiconductor Supply Chain

With the advent of globalization, the semiconductor industry has become increasingly vulnerable to the piracy of semiconductor intellectual property (IP), the overuse of IPs in system-on-chips (SoCs), and the overproduction of integrated circuits (ICs). In the previous chapters, various obfuscation approaches based on keys were introduced to prevent these attacks. Such approaches require a confidential and secure method for communicating and storing keys in the ICs. In this chapter, you will learn about the following: \(\bullet \) various cryptographic primitives commonly employed in different Internet applications; \(\bullet \) the vulnerabilities of transmitting and storing chip unlock keys that prevent IP overuse and IC overproduction; \(\bullet \) a secure communication protocol for transferring chip unlock keys from the IP owners and SoC designers to the untrusted foundries and assemblies; \(\bullet \) how the IEEE P1735 standard can encrypt IPs and manage the chip unlock keys for IPs; and \(\bullet \) an IP digest that prevents untrusted entities from tampering with encrypted IPs. Note that the secure key management techniques discussed in this chapter focus on obfuscated and encrypted designs; however, they are equally applicable to all kinds of key-based obfuscation techniques discussed throughout this book.
Functional Characterization of a Continuous Natural Killer Cell Line, KIL, In Vitro and in Adoptive Immunotherapy.

We have recently established a continuous natural killer (NK) cell line, KIL (for Killer Lymphocyte), from a coculture of normal murine whole bone marrow (WBM) and the OP-9 stromal cell line expressing the Notch ligand, Jagged2 , in the presence of stem cell factor and IL-7 (Dehart et al. Blood2005;105:3521). A clonal prototype, KIL C.2, was derived from a C57BL/6 mouse and has the CD3 − NK1.1 + CD122 + phenotype, expresses the NKG2D activating receptor, and proliferates extensively upon in vitro stimulation with IL-2 (20ng/ml). We now show that KIL C.2 stimulated with IL-2 for 48 hours produce large quantities of interferon-gamma (10,300 ± 1850 pg/ml) and modest amounts of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (200 ± 60 pg/ml). IL-4 and IL-10 secretion was below background levels. We then evaluated the cytolytic potential of KIL C.2 using a FACS-based flourolysis assay using GFP-labeled target cells. We observed that KIL C.2 potently lyse allogeneic A20 ( H2 d ) lymphoma tumor targets without prior activation. In addition, KIL C.2 is moderately lytic against two syngeneic ( H2 b ) targets: a myeloma cell line, 5T33MM, and BLL C.2, a tumorigenic leukemia/lymphoma cell line that was established from a WBM culture and has the CD19 + CD25 + CD43 + sIg − pre-B-cell phenotype (S.T. and T.M.C., unpublished data). To study the mechanism of cytolysis we performed killing assays in the presence of anti-NKG2D (MI-6) or anti-NK1.1 (PK136) blocking antibodies. Blockade of either NK1.1 or NKG2D reduced cytotoxicity against BLL C.2 targets by 50%. BLL C.2 has the C57BL/6 background, thus does not express H60 but expresses the other NKG2D ligands Rae1 at high levels and Mult1 at moderate levels as determined by quantitative RT-PCR. In contrast, blocking NK1.1 and NKG2D had no effect on cytolysis of A20 suggesting the presence of alternative activation pathways such as those mediated by MHC class I alloantigen receptors. To examine the in vivo tumoricidal potential of KIL C.2, we used a C57BL/6 → BALB/c T-cell depleted (TCD)-WBM transplantation and A20- luciferase tumor model and monitored tumor progression using the Xenogen bioluminescence imaging system. BALB/c mice lethally irradiated and rescued with 2.5 × 10 7 TCD-WBM along with A20- luciferase inoculation uniformly died from tumor. Mice given TCD-WBM and 1 × 10 6 donor splenocytes did not develop tumor but died from lethal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In contrast, mice given TCD-WBM and two injections of KIL C.2 at doses of 1 × 10 7 per mouse were protected from tumor progression without developing signs of GVHD. These results show that KIL C.2 is a highly functional NK cell line with the capacity for proliferation, cytokine secretion, and cytotoxicity against syngeneic as well as allogeneic tumors. As such, KIL C.2 provides a useful cell line model for studies of NK cell biology and suggests a potentially effective strategy for NK cell-based immunotherapy.
PERCIST criteria to predict survival at 3 months following intra-arterial resin-based yttrium-90 (Y-90) radioembolization therapy of unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma refractory to standard chemotherapy: A proof of concept study.

e15141 Background: To investigate the prognostic value of PET Response Criteria in Solid Tumors (PERCIST) on predicting survival in patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after resin-basedYttrium-90 (Y-90) radioembolization. Methods: IRB approved prospective correlative study in ICC patients refractory to standard chemotherapy who had 18F-FDG PET-CT before and after Y-90 therapy. Measurable tumor was defined as a lesion ≥ 1 cm in diameter and maximum standardized uptake ((max) SUV) ≥ 2.5. (Max) SUV was measured in targeted and non-targeted lesions after local therapy (overall response). PERCIST criteria defined complete response (CR) as no FDG uptake within target lesion, and partial response (PR) as reduction of 30% in FDG (max) SUV peak in measurable lesions. Objective response included PR/CR. PET imaging was acquired pre-treatment, 1-3-and-6 months following Y90. Survival analyses were carried out with Kaplan–Meier and Log-Rank proportional models using SPSS software v20 (IBM,...
How Personal Factors Influence Academic Behavior and GPA in African American STEM Students

The United States has often been viewed as a leading force in technological advancement and scientific innovation. However, that may soon change with the low number of postsecondary degrees being a...
NVStream: accelerating HPC workflows with NVRAM-based transport for streaming objects

Nonvolatile memory technologies (NVRAM) with larger capacity relative to DRAM and faster persistence relative to block-based storage technologies are expected to play a crucial role in accelerating I/O performance for HPC scientific workflows. Typically, a scientific workflow includes a simulation process (producer of data) and an analytics application process (consumer of data) that stream, share, and exchange data supported by an underlying OS-level file system. However, using an OS-level file system for data sharing adds substantial software overheads due to frequent system calls, journaling (for crash-consistency) cost, and file-system metadata update cost. To overcome these challenges, we design NVStream- a lightweight user-level data management system that exploits NVRAMs byte addressability and fast persistence to support streaming I/O in scientific workflows. First, NVStream reduces I/O-related software overheads by designing a memory-based persistent object store and log-structured heap manager that exploit NVRAM's large capacity. Second, NVStream incorporates a hardware-assisted non-temporal stores for crash-consistent updates at near hardware data copy (memory copy) speeds. Finally, NVStream reduces data written to NVRAM with a delta compression, which further reduces I/O cost for workflows with higher write locality. The evaluation of NVStream using I/O benchmarks and scientific applications demonstrates 10X reduction in I/O compared to NVRAM-optimized file systems and also guaranteeing crash-consistent data movement.
Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow (Epicondylitis)

Lateral and medial epicondylitis are common upper extremity tendinopathies that are frequently studied. A thorough understanding of the pathologic processes, examination findings, and treatment strategies is important for orthopedic surgeons as well as general practitioners in order to deliver effective patient care.
METABOLIC PATHWAYS | Nitrogen Metabolism

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by M.D. Alur, volume 2, pp 1288–1298, © 1999, Elsevier Ltd.
Clinical Comparative Evaluation of Nd:YAG Laser and a New Varnish Containing Casein Phosphopeptides-Amorphous Calcium Phosphate for the Treatment of Dentin Hypersensitivity: A Prospective Study

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the effect of Nd:YAG laser to that of a new varnish: MI Varnish with RECALDENT (GC), for the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity, with a follow-up of 6 months. Dentinal hypersensitivity was evaluated using a new thermal test never before used on dental tissue. Materials and methods A split-mouth design was used where teeth on one side received the same type of treatment. Twelve patients suffering from dentin hypersensitivity were chosen. Fifty-four teeth were divided into 27 pairs. Twenty-seven teeth received the Nd:YAG laser treatment, and the 27 contralateral teeth received MI Varnish application. Five parameters were measured, and the measurements were taken before treatment at baseline (T0), after 1 week (T1), 1 month (T2), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T4) of the application. Air stimulation to obtain the Schiff air score, the score of discomfort according to the visual analog scale (VAS), the tactile score, and the thermal test that determines the minimum cold-stimulating temperature and the maximum heat-stimulating temperature were all used to assess sensitivity. Statistical analyses of the data were performed, and the significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05. Exact Fisher tests and Chi-Square tests were conducted to compare percentages. Results There was a clear decrease in dentin hypersensitivity for both treatments (Nd:YAG laser and MI Varnish) especially between baseline and 1 week, with maintenance of this state through the 6-month follow-up period. The difference between the two treatments was not significant, comparing, over time, the Schiff air score, the thermal test, and the VAS; however, the tactile score was significantly improved 6 months after the application of MI Varnish compared to the laser (p = 0.05). Conclusion There was no significant difference between the two treatments, Nd:YAG laser and MI Varnish. Both treatments were effective and reduced dentin hypersensitivity immediately after treatment up to 6 months.
Degradation of chlorpyrifos in soil: effect of concentration, soil moisture, and temperature

22 Introduction 23 Materials and Methods 25 Soil Preparation and Application 25 Extraction 28 Aqueous Partitioning 28 Quantitation 28 Solvents and Chemicals 29 Data Analysis 29 Results 29 Discussion 36 Acknowledgments 38 References Cited 39 DEGRADATION OF CHLORPYRIFOS IN AN URBAN IOWA SOIL: EFFECT OF CONCENTRATION, SOIL MOISTURE, AND TEMPERATURE 42 Abstract 42 Introduction 43 Materials and Methods 45 Soil 4542 Introduction 43 Materials and Methods 45 Soil 45 Chemicals 46 Soil Treatment 46 Extraction and Analysis 48 Aqueous Partitioning 48 Thin-layer Chromatography 49 Statistical Methods 50
Quantitative electrodiagnostic patterns of damage and recovery after spinal cord injury: a pilot study

Prospective observational pilot study. To compare quantitative electromyographic (EMG), imaging and strength data at two time points in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). SCI center, Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA. Subjects without suspected peripheral nerve injury were recruited within 3 months of injury. Needle EMG examination was performed in myotomes above, at, and below the SCI level around 11- and 12-months post injury. EMG data were decomposed using custom software into constituent motor unit trains and each distinct motor unit was analyzed for firing rate and amplitude. Strength measurements were made with dynamometry and according to the International Standard of Neurologic Classification of SCI (ISNCSCI). Cervical magnetic resonance images (MRI) were evaluated by two neuroradiologists for gray and white matter damage around the SCI. Here, we compare the EMG, strength, and imaging findings of the one of the four participants who completed both 3- and 12-month EMG evaluations. There was an increase in force generation in all muscles tested at 1 year. Localized findings of very fast firing motor units helped localize spinal cord damage and revealed gray matter damage in spinal segments where MRI was normal. Meanwhile, improvement in strength over time corresponded with different electrophysiologic patterns. Electromyographic decomposition at two time points provides valuable information about localization of spinal cord damage, integrity of motor neuron pools and may provide a unique understanding of neural recovery mechanisms.
MAL2-Induced Actin-Based Protrusion Formation is Anti-Oncogenic in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Recent studies report that the polarity gene myelin and lymphocyte protein 2 (MAL2), is overexpressed in multiple human carcinomas largely at the transcript level. Because chromosome 8q24 amplification (where MAL2 resides) is associated with hepatocellular- and cholangio-carcinomas, we examined MAL2 protein expression in these human carcinoma lesions and adjacent benign tissue using immunohistochemistry. For comparison, we analyzed renal cell carcinomas that are not associated with chromosome 8q24 amplification. Surprisingly, we found that MAL2 protein levels were decreased in the malignant tissues compared to benign in all three carcinomas, suggesting MAL2 expression may be anti-oncogenic. Consistent with this conclusion, we determined that endogenously overexpressed MAL2 in HCC-derived Hep3B cells or exogenously expressed MAL2 in hepatoma-derived Clone 9 cells (that lack endogenous MAL2) promoted actin-based protrusion formation with a reciprocal decrease in invadopodia. MAL2 overexpression also led to decreased cell migration, invasion and proliferation (to a more modest extent) while loss of MAL2 expression reversed the phenotypes. Mutational analysis revealed that a putative Ena/VASP homology 1 recognition site confers the MAL2-phenotype suggesting its role in tumor suppression involves actin remodeling. To reconcile decreased MAL2 protein expression in human carcinomas and its anti-oncogenic phenotypes with increased transcript levels, we propose a transcriptional regulatory model for MAL2 transient overexpression.
An automated aquatic rack system for rearing marine invertebrates.

One hundred years ago, marine organisms were the dominant systems for the study of developmental biology. The challenges in rearing these organisms outside of a marine setting ultimately contributed to a shift towards work on a smaller number of so-called model systems. Those animals are typically non-marine organisms with advantages afforded by short life cycles, high fecundity, and relative ease in laboratory culture. However, a full understanding of biodiversity, evolution, and anthropogenic effects on biological systems requires a broader survey of development in the animal kingdom. To this day, marine organisms remain relatively understudied, particularly the members of the Lophotrochozoa (Spiralia), which include well over one third of the metazoan phyla (such as the annelids, mollusks, flatworms) and exhibit a tremendous diversity of body plans and developmental modes. To facilitate studies of this group, we have previously described the development and culture of one lophotrochozoan representative, the slipper snail Crepidula atrasolea, which is easy to rear in recirculating marine aquaria. Lab-based culture and rearing of larger populations of animals remain a general challenge for many marine organisms, particularly for inland laboratories. Here, we describe the development of an automated marine aquatic rack system for the high-density culture of marine species, which is particularly well suited for rearing filter-feeding animals. Based on existing freshwater recirculating aquatic rack systems, our system is specific to the needs of marine organisms and incorporates robust filtration measures to eliminate wastes, reducing the need for regular water changes. In addition, this system incorporates sensors and associated equipment for automated assessment and adjustment of water quality. An automated feeding system permits precise delivery of liquid food (e.g., phytoplankton) throughout the day, mimicking real-life feeding conditions that contribute to increased growth rates and fecundity. This automated system makes laboratory culture of marine animals feasible for both large and small research groups, significantly reducing the time, labor, and overall costs needed to rear these organisms.
Solar power forecast for a residential smart microgrid based on numerical weather predictions using artificial intelligence methods

Abstract Solar power forecast is a much needed means for grid operators, particularly in residential microgrids, to manage the produced energy in a dispatchable fashion. Deterministic methods are unable to accurately forecast the intermittent solar power generation since they depend on unique sets of inputs and outputs. Therefore, stochastic methods and artificially intelligent (AI) strategies are utilized for solar power forecast. In this work, a neural network (NN)-based numerical weather prediction (NWP) model is developed for a residential microgrid in San Diego, California considering all key weather parameters such as cloud coverage, dew point, solar zenith angle, precipitation, humidity, temperature, and pressure in the year 2016. The developed weather model is then used to predict the generated power in the residential smart microgrid. To validate the accuracy of the model, the solar irradiance and generated solar power in the residential microgrid are predicted for the year 2017 using the obtained NN-based model. The results are compared with the actual solar irradiance and power in 2017 to evaluate and validate the accuracy of the developed model. Furthermore, to showcase the effectiveness of neural networks in forecasting solar power and the accuracy of the NN-based model, the results are compared with those of two other methods including multi-variable regression (MVR) and support vector machine (SVM) approaches using mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and mean squared error (MSE) criteria.
Examining the Relationship Between Black Racial Identity Clusters and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms.

Background:This study examined the relationship between racial identity clusters and postpartum depressive symptoms (PPDS) in Black postpartum mothers living in Georgia.Aims:A cross-sectional study...
Modeling and Analysis of Switched-Capacitor Converters as a Multi-port Network for Covert Communication.

Switched-capacitor (SC) DC-DC voltage converters are widely used in power delivery and management of modern integrated circuits. Connected to a common supply voltage, SC converters exhibit cross-regulation/coupling effects among loads connected to different SC converter stages due to the shared components such as switches, capacitors, and parasitic elements. The coupling effects between SC converter stages can potentially be used in covert communication, where two or more entities (e.g., loads) illegitimately establish a communication channel to exchange malicious information stealthily. To qualitatively analyze the coupling effects, a novel modeling technique is proposed based on the multi-port network theory. The fast and slow switching limit (FSL and SSL) equivalent resistance concepts are used to analytically determine the impact of each design parameter such as switch resistance, flying capacitance, switching frequency, and parasitic resistance. A three-stage 2:1 SC converter supplying three different loads is considered as a case study to verify the proposed modeling technique.
Doing more with less: Growth, improvements, and management of NMSU’s computing capabilities

Deployed in 2015, Discovery is New Mexico State University’s commonly-available High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster. The deployment of Discovery was initiated by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) employees from the Systems Administration group who wanted to help researchers run their computations on a more powerful system than one they had sitting in their offices. Over the years, the cluster has grown 6 times, and as of March 2021 has 52 compute nodes, 1480 CPU cores, 17 Terabytes of RAM, 30 GPUs, and 1.8 Petabytes of usable storage. Discovery’s hardware is acquired using a combination of university funds, condo-model based funds, and grant funds, causing Discovery to be a heterogeneous system containing several CPU generations. This paper discusses our growth and administration experiences on this heterogeneous system, as well as our outreach and contribution to the HPC community.