cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FAR-FIELD SIGNALS FROM AXIS-SYMMETRIC SOURCES IN ELASTIC PLATES

A normal mode theory is used to compute the signals in the far-field of an axis-symmetric AE source in a flat plate. Results are shown for plates of mild steel and a broad range of source-receiver separations. The computed impulse response signals are convolved with various source-time functions to obtain synthetic AE waveforms. A mode-arrival processing procedure is demonstrated by which the location of the source is determined. Also, several signal deconvolution algorithms are used to recover the temporal characteristics of the AE source from the synthetic AE waveforms.
New functions assigned to a microRNA with genetic links to prostate cancer risk.

Germline genetic analyses have begun to identify links between microRNA (miRNA) binding sites and the heritable risk of developing prostate cancer (PCa). Interestingly, one of the most significant links involves the diagnostic biomarker, PSA.
Anxiety in a population tested for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Background: Chronic illness is associated with vulnerability for anxiety disorders. Anxiety can negatively affect patient-reported outcomes. Aims: We hypothesized that anxiety prevalence will vary in a population tested for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) based on age, gender, smoking status, and quality of life. We sought to determine if AAT genotype was independently related to anxiety. Methods: The Alpha Coded Testing (ACT) study offers confidential testing for AATD in individuals with diagnosed COPD and in AATD families. Psychosocial surveys, demographics, income and smoking status were collected. Multivariable analysis analyzed anxiety correlations as defined by Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) >22. A p-value Results: 1452 subjects had AATD genotype testing finding MM genotype in 50%, MZ in 36%, MS in 6%, ZZ in 4%, SZ in 2.5%. 1.5% had Znull, Mnull, or SS genotypes. Among AATD individuals or carriers, 9.2% had high BAI scores. In univariate analysis, anxiety was more prevalent in females (64% of study population) (OR=2.15; p Conclusions: Anxiety is common in those tested for AATD. Smoking status and income influence the prevalence of anxiety among populations tested for AATD. AAT genotypes and gender did not correlate with BAI scores in multivariate analyses. Strong correlation of high anxiety and SF12 scores was driven by MCS component.
Covid-19 - The Law and Limits of Quarantine.

Covid-19 — The Law and Limits of Quarantine Community transmission of the new coronavirus is occurring in several parts of the United States, and travel bans and mandatory quarantines alone cannot ...
Real-Time Acceleration-Continuous Path-Constrained Trajectory Planning With Built-In Tradeoff Between Cruise and Time-Optimal Motions

In this article, a novel real-time acceleration-continuous path-constrained trajectory planning algorithm is proposed with an appealing built-in tradeoff mechanism between the cruise motion and time-optimal motion. Different from existing approaches, the proposed approach smoothens time-optimal trajectories with bang-bang input structures to generate acceleration-continuous trajectories while preserving the completeness property. More importantly, a novel built-in tradeoff mechanism is proposed and embedded into the trajectory planning framework so that the proportion of the cruise motion and time-optimal motion can be flexibly adjusted by changing a user-specified functional parameter. Thus, the user can easily apply the trajectory planning algorithm for various tasks with different requirements on motion efficiency and cruise proportion. Moreover, it is shown that feasible trajectories are computed more quickly than optimal trajectories. Rigorous mathematical analysis and proofs are presented for those aforementioned theoretical results. Comparative simulations and experimental results on an omnidirectional wheeled mobile robot demonstrate that flexible tunings between the cruise and time-optimal motions can be achieved in a higher computational efficiency manner by the proposed algorithm. Note to Practitioners —This article is motivated by the time-optimal and smooth motion planning problem for mobile robots along given paths. Existing approaches generally use the piecewise polynomial interpolations to smoothen and adjust feasible trajectories. This article proposes a novel path-constrained trajectory planning approach, which preserves properties of completeness and a high-efficient tradeoff mechanism between the optimal and cruise motions when achieving a globally optimal and acceleration-continuous trajectory. Comparative experimental results with other methods show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. In future research, we will attempt to integrate the proposed approach with typical path planning methods to achieve a complete and high-efficient motion planning framework.
Seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. in Colorado equids and association with clinical disease.

Detection of Leptospira interrogans is difficult as a result of intermittent leptospiruria and brief leptospiremia. Hence, diagnosis relies heavily on serologic testing, the reference method of whi...
Introduction: On the American Standard: Post-1960 Scatological Fiction

This chapter discusses the prominence of metaphorical systems of sewerage within the pages of some of the most well-known novels of the post-war period by situating such works within critical accounts of postmodern parody and contemporary concerns about the impact of national movements on marginalized populations as well as on the environment. Acknowledging the comic power of the literary loo, the chapter shows how scatological texts move readers through laughter or disgust toward deep engagement with the underworld movement of sewerage systems; thus, the chapter argues that distasteful and titillating adolescent bodily comedy opens up a space for readers to re-evaluate a willful forgetting of their abject selves so that they might think through the ways that systems of disposal impact the world around us. Because scatological satire plumbs the depths of a contemporary subjectivity that denies association with effluent, excremental fiction does much more than offer studies of impact offered by earth and environmental scientists; it gives readers insight into why communities bombard rivers and other bodies of water with sewage and why nations support industrial production of toxins that are known to harm human and other life. Excremental fiction seduces readers through comic scatological play to come face to face with the inner workings of a violent contemporary subjectivity that wars against the ecosystems upon which communities depend and those deemed Other. Novelists like Thomas Pynchon, Ishmael Reed, Jonathan Franzen, Gloria Naylor, and Don DeLillo also use sanitary engineering as metaphor to describe the processes by which specific communities are seen as disposable. Additionally, this chapter argues that excremental fiction matters because it helps readers imagine the kinds of subjective transformations necessary in order to undermine violence toward those deemed Other and to fold ourselves back into the ecosystems with which communities have been at war. Connecting research to second-wave ecocritics like Lawrence Buell and contemporary studies of parody by Linda Hutcheon and Henry Louis Gates Jr., this chapter claims that excremental fiction offers unique insight into the kinds of subjects who pollute the environment and the kinds of subjects who we need to become in order to create sustainable and less violent communities.
Teaching creative thinking in K12 schools: Lingering challenges and new opportunities

What is worth teaching? This is a timeworn and contested question. Dickens’ schoolmaster Gradgrind asserted that facts, and facts alone, are what should be taught. Educational reform initiatives that emphasize a “back to basics” approach to teaching seem to be a modern day enactment of Gradgrind’s curricular vision. Of course, just how far back to the basics schools should go is often hotly debated (Berlak & Berlak, 2012). In fact, educational policy makers, business leaders, and government officials from around the globe have increasingly questioned the value of focusing solely on the teaching of facts and have also called for teaching of creative thinking. Why creative thinking? One reason is that creativity has been linked with economic and cultural prosperity (Florida, 2004). As such, teaching children how to think creatively is viewed as an investment in one’s students’ and country’s future. Beyond globalized market-based motives, which have raised concerns about potentially destructive ecological and cultural consequences (Craft, 2010; Craft, Gardner, & Claxton, 2008), there are other reasons why teaching creative thinking has received attention in recent years.
Whither Type 1 Diabetes

Since 1922, insulin has been the sole effective treatment for type 1 diabetes, which is now known to be the result of T-cell–mediated autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells.1 In 1982, the ...
Dynamics of Automorphisms of the Torus and Other Groups

In this chapter we discuss some basic dynamical systems with an algebraic origin. The topics presented here date back to the beginnings of ergodic theory [81]. Most of the dynamical systems discussed are on the n-dimensional torus, and we use both the additive and multiplicative group notation for convenience. The most general object we consider in this chapter is a dynamical system on a compact abelian group.
Performance of the various serum creatinine-based GFR estimating equations in pediatric kidney transplant recipients, stratified by age and CKD staging.

Numerous equations are used to estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), based on serum creatinine (SCr), demographic and anthropometric data, none established in pediatric kidney transplant recipients. This study aimed to validate the available SCr-based eGFR equations in comparison with a measured (mGFR), stratified by chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage and age at the time of testing. One hundred twenty-seven pediatric kidney transplant recipients with 411 mGFR values (plasma clearance of iothalamate) were enrolled in this retrospective study. The bias, precision, and accuracy (percentage of estimates within 10% and 30% of mGFR) of five SCr eGFR equations (original Schwartz, CKiDSCr equation, Pottel, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI)) were assessed. Height-independent Pottel equation performed well across all the categories of age and CKD staging. CKiDSCr equation performed well in CKD stages II–V. The CKiDSCr equation had a lower bias in children 15 years. Overall, both the Pottel and CKiDSCr equations had high accuracy (80%) and low bias (< 5 ml/min/1.73 m2). In contrast, the original Schwartz, MDRD, and CKD-EPI equations displayed high bias and low precision/accuracy. Given their low bias and high accuracy across ages and CKD stages, the Pottel or the CKiDSCr equation is better to assess eGFR in pediatric kidney transplant recipients. The Pottel equation outperformed other eGFR equations in adolescents.
Disclosure and nondisclosure of suicidality to romantic partners: Understanding the decision-making process:

The stigmatization of suicidal thoughts and behaviors often prevents disclosure to others, including romantic partners. Minimal research has examined the disclosure or withholding of this stigmatiz...
Terrain-Relative Diver Following with Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Coral Reef Mapping

Coral reef mapping is an indispensable step in coral conservation efforts across the globe. Monitoring reefs at regular intervals helps conservationists understand and address the problems causing coral reef degradation. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) have a tremendous potential to assist humans in these efforts. Delegating mapping and measurement acquisition tasks to AUVs would not only limit the number of human divers required for the missions but could also improve the quality of the maps developed. Consistency in imagery and spectroscopic measurements could be significantly improved by keeping the imagery payload at a fixed distance from the reefs to reduce heteroscedasticity in the measurements. To this end, we present a Terrain-Relative Diver Following system for an AUV that can follow a human diver while maintaining a fixed distance from the terrain. Our proposed system consists of separate modules for diver detection, tracking, and terrain following. We extensively tested our system in Gazebo simulation environment with three different terrain models, including a terrain model of a coral reef in Honaunau Bay, Hawaii. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first diver following system that also carries out terrain-relative navigation, ensuring minimal variation of distance to the terrain. We have released the code for our system, and the datasets used in the detection module.
A Parallel Algorithm for Long Horizon Optimal Control Problems Using the Mixed Coordination Method

In this paper, we present a new approach for solving long horizon, discrete-time optimal control problems by using the mixed coordination method. The idea is to decompose a long horizon problem into subproblems along the time axis. The requirement that the initial state of a subproblem equals the terminal state of the preceding subproblem is relaxed by using Lagrange multipliers. The Lagrange multipliers and the initial state of each subproblem are then selected as high level variables. The equivalence of the two-level formulation and the original problem is proved for both the convex and nonconvex cases. Under the two-level formulation, the low level subproblems are optimal control problems with a shorter time horizon, and are solved in parallel by using the extended Differential Dynamic Programming (DDP). An efficient way for finding the gradient and Hessian of a low level objective function with respect to high level variables is developed. The high level problem, on the other hand, is solved by using the Modified Newton's Method. An effective procedure is developed to select initial values of multipliers based on the given initial trajectory. Since both the DDP and the Modified Newton's Method have fast convergence rate and are compatible with each other, the method is very efficient. Furthermore, because of the specific way in selecting high level variables, the method can convexify the high level problem while maintain the separability of an originally nonconvex problem.
Longitudinal Research: Panel Retention

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by R.B. Warnecke, J.A. Parsons, volume 13, pp. 9067–9071, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Palpation- and ultrasound-guided brachial plexus blockade in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis).

Abstract Objective To compare palpation-guided with ultrasound-guided brachial plexus blockade in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots. Study design Prospective randomized experimental trial. Animals Eighteen adult Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis) weighing 252–295 g. Methods After induction of anesthesia with isoflurane, parrots received an injection of lidocaine (2 mg kg−1) in a total volume of 0.3 mL at the axillary region. The birds were randomly assigned to equal groups using either palpation or ultrasound as a guide for the brachial plexus block. Nerve evoked muscle potentials (NEMP) were used to monitor effectiveness of brachial plexus block. The palpation-guided group received the local anesthetic at the space between the pectoral muscle, triceps, and supracoracoideus aticimus muscle, at the insertion of the tendons of the caudal coracobrachial muscle, and the caudal scapulohumeral muscle. For the ultrasound-guided group, the brachial plexus and the adjacent vessels were located with B-mode ultrasonography using a 7–15 MHz linear probe. After location, an 8-5 MHz convex transducer was used to guide injections. General anesthesia was discontinued 20 minutes after lidocaine injection and the birds recovered in a padded cage. Results Both techniques decreased the amplitude of NEMP. Statistically significant differences in NEMP amplitudes, were observed within the ultrasound-guided group at 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes after injection and within the palpation-guided group at 10, 15, and 20 minutes after injection. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No effect on motor function, muscle relaxation or wing droop was observed after brachial plexus block. Conclusions and clinical relevance The onset of the brachial plexus block tended to be faster when ultrasonography was used. Brachial plexus injection can be performed in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots and nerve evoked muscle potentials were useful to monitor the effects on nerve conduction in this avian species. Neither technique produced an effective block at the doses of lidocaine used and further study is necessary to develop a useful block for surgical analgesia.
Age-related structural changes in upper extremity muscle tissue in a nonhuman primate model.

Background Longitudinal studies of upper extremity aging in humans include logistical concerns that animal models can overcome. The vervet is a promising species with which to study aging-related processes. However, age-related changes in upper extremity muscle structure have not been quantified in this species. This study measured age-related changes to muscle structure, examined relationships between muscle structure and measures of physical performance, and evaluated the presence of rotator cuff tears. Methods Muscle structure (volume, optimal fiber length, and physiologic cross-sectional area (PCSA)) of 10 upper extremity muscles was quantified from the right upper limb of 5 middle-aged and 6 older adult female vervets. Results Total measured PCSA was smaller ( P = .001) in the older adult vervets than in the middle-aged vervets. Muscle volume reduction predominate the age-related reductions in PCSA. Total measured PCSA was not correlated to any measures of physical performance. No rotator cuff tears were observed. Supraspinatus volume was relatively larger and deltoid volume relatively smaller in the vervet compared with a human. Conclusions The vervet is an appropriate translational model for age-related upper extremity muscle volume loss. Functional measures were not correlated to PCSA, suggesting the vervets may have enough strength for normal function despite loss of muscle tissue. Reduced relative demand on the supraspinatus may be responsible for the lack of naturally occurring rotator cuff tears.
Therapeutic drugs for neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is common and may be resistant to usual doses of analgesic medications. However, an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain and a growing number of adjuvant medications that are useful for the treatment of neuropathic pain provide renewed hope for clinicians and their patients. It is useful to classify adjuvant analgesic drugs into two broad categories. Membrane stabilizing agents, which include the anticonvulsants, antiarrhythmics and probably corticosteroids, may act by blocking sodium channels on damaged neural membranes. Medications that enhance dorsal horn inhibition, which include the antidepressants and some anticonvulsants, may augment biogenic amine or GABAergic mechanisms in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Current evidence regarding efficacy generally does not support the use of one agent over another and selection of a particular agent may depend in part on the expected side effects or experience with a given drug. For maximum analgesic effect, more than one agent may be necessary and to improve therapy and minimize side effects, medications generally should be started at lower doses and titrated slowly to effect. Although labor-intensive, this strategy may improve compliance and optimize patient care.
The Inflammatory Form of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy or “Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy-Related Inflammation” (CAARI)

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation (CAARI) is a recently recognized syndrome of reversible encephalopathy seen in a subset of patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). CAA is a disorder of the elderly in which amyloid peptides are deposited in the walls of cerebral arteries, leading to microhemorrhages, macrohemorrhages, and eventually dementia. In a few cases, the amyloid deposition is accompanied by inflammation or edema. The clinical syndrome of CAARI is distinguished by subacute neurobehavioral symptoms, headaches, seizures, and stroke-like signs, contrasting the acute intracranial hemorrhage typically seen in CAA. Magnetic resonance imaging findings may be symmetric or asymmetric and involve patchy or confluent T2 hyperintense lesions in the cortex and subcortical white matter. Recent diagnostic criteria have been proposed which help distinguish CAARI from alternative diagnoses. Improvement has been reported in most cases with immunosuppression, although a few cases have had recurrent symptoms. Here, we review the clinical and radiologic features of CAARI and compare these with CAA.
Thermosensitive hydrogels for drug delivery

Introduction: Controlled drug delivery has been widely applied in areas such as cancer therapy and tissue regeneration. Thermosensitive hydrogel-based drug delivery systems have increasingly attracted the attention of the drug delivery community, as the drugs can be readily encapsulated and released by the hydrogels. Areas covered: Thermosensitive hydrogels that can serve as drug carriers are discussed in this paper. Strategies used to control hydrogel properties, in order to tailor drug release kinetics, are also reviewed. This paper also introduces applications of the thermosensitive hydrogel-based drug delivery systems in cancer therapy and tissue regeneration. Expert opinion: When designing a drug delivery system using thermosensitive hydrogels, one needs to consider what type of thermosensitive hydrogel needs to be used, and how to manipulate its properties to meet the desired drug release kinetics. For material selection, both naturally derived and synthetic thermosensitive polymers can be used. Var...
Grape Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) (Homoptera: Phylloxeridae) Biotypes in California

Grape phylloxera ( Daktulosphaira viiifoliae Fitch) obtained from Rutherford, Calif., appeared to overcome the resistance of the hybrid grape rootstock, Ganzin 1, in the field. These insects were reared in the laboratory and compared with phylloxera from another Napa Valley location in an excised root life-table experiment. The Rutherford phylloxera (type B) developed and laid eggs quicker and had a greater fecundity than the Napa phylloxera (type A), as indicated by life-history parameters of generation time, gross and net reproductive rates, and doubling time. On the highly resistant rootstock, St. George, a pure Vitis rupestris (Scheele) selection, the type-B phylloxera were also able to establish and reproduce better than type-A phylloxera. On the susceptible V. vinifera L. variety, Cabernet Sauvignon, both phylloxera types did equally well. These data indicate a potentially serious problem for California vineyards in coastal valleys where phylloxera are established.
Theoretical and Experimental Behavior of Synchronizers Operating in the Metastable Region

The interaction problem between asynchronous logic elements is formulated with emphasis on the synchronizer. A detailed analytic treatment of the binary flip-flop action in the metastable region is presented. The principle result is to predict, in a probabilistic manner, the time necessary to move from the metastable point to one of the stable boundaries. The effects of circuit time constant and circuit noise are discussed in detail. Theoretical results are correlated with laboratory measurements and suggestions for acceptable probability of error performance are given.
Selective Remodeling: Refining Neural Connectivity at the Neuromuscular Junction

A primer on new research by Fuentes-Medel and colleagues explains the important role of non-neural cells in clearing neural debris, which is continuously produced during the normal remodeling processes that establish and maintain neural connectivity.
Comparison of naloxone and a δ-selective antagonist in experimental spinal stroke

A highly predictive spinal "stroke" model in the unanesthetized rabbit was utilized to compare the effects of naloxone and the delta-selective opiate antagonist M154,129 on neurological recovery following ischemic injury to the central nervous system. Naloxone treatment protected against both moderate (20 min aortic occlusion) and severe (25 min aortic occlusion) degrees of ischemic spinal injury, whereas treatment with M154,129 failed to improve recovery in either model. These findings confirm that naloxone therapy can alter the pathophysiological sequelae caused by a critical reduction in blood flow to the central nervous system and suggests that its beneficial effects do not relate to actions at the delta-opiate receptor.
Primary production in the North Pacific Central Gyre: some new measurements based on 14C

Abstract Measurements of primary production based on the 14C technique, made during 18 August-5 September 1985 in the North Pacific Central Gyre (28°N/155°W), averaged 456 mg C m−2 d−1, a value greater than twice the historical mean for the same location. Compared to historical data, environmental conditions were not anomalous during the measurement period. Because of improvements in sampling methodology and agreement of the data with a model, we suggest that these new values may be more representative of primary production in this area of the North Pacific Central Gyre.
Parental status and late-life well-being in rural China: the benefits of having multiple children.

Objectives: This study examined potential differences among childless elders, elders with one child, and elders with multiple children in rural China in their levels of depression and life satisfaction, and investigated the mechanism behind the potential differences.Methods: The sample consisted of 1224 older adults in rural Anhui province, China. ANOVA tests were carried out to compare the three groups in depression and life satisfaction, respectively. Multiple regressions were carried out to predict depression and life satisfaction, with (1) parental status, (2) individual attributes (i.e., sociodemographic variables and functional health), and (3) variables representing family relations (i.e., living arrangement, intergenerational contact, and family support) entered sequentially in each regression.Results: Overall, childless elders in rural China had significantly higher level of depression and lower level of life satisfaction than did older parents. The primary reason for such group differences was l...
Hyaluronic acid: molecular conformations and interactions in the orthorhombic and tetragonal forms containing sinuous chains.

The conformation, packing and probable mode of cation binding have been determined for compact potassium hyaluronate chains (average rise per disaccharide h = 0·89 nm) organized in an orthorhombic unit cell (α = 1·173 nm, b = 0·925 nm, c = 3·542 nm). The space group symmetry is P212121 and the unit cell contains two antiparallel polysaccharide chains that are disturbed 43 helices. Each chain is stabilized intramolecularly by four hydrogen bonds and between adjacent antiparallel chains there are two intermolecular hydrogen bonds per crystallographic tetrasaccharide repeat. Fourier difference synthesis revealed two potassium ions and two water molecules in each asymmetric unit. Both potassium ions show octahedral co-ordination geometries and link adjacent antiparallel polysaccharide chains. The water molecules provide further intermolecular association through water bridges. A comparison of this potassium hyaluronate structure with the orthorhombic and tetragonal sodium hyaluronate structures containing similar compact hyaluronate chains revealed that the apparently isomorphous orthorhombic sodium and potassium salts did not have the same packing arrangements. The relative orientations of the sinuous hyaluronate chains in the sodium and potassium salts are about 90° apart. The locations of the cations and hence the coordination schemes of K+ and Na+ are therefore very different. These analyses have delineated, for the first time, how hyaluronate chains can respond differentially to two different monovalent cations.
You Cannot Die Alone: Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (July 8, 1926–August 24, 2004):

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has accomplished much to revolutionize the way Americans view death and dying. The Swiss-born psychiatrist was one of the first professionals in the field to listen to the voice of dying patients and to give them a public forum. Her stages of responding to dying—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—are universally taught. In this never-published 1994 interview, she touches upon several of her theories in the field of thanatology. She speaks in succession: of four quadrants—physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual—and of the need to develop a mature spiritual quadrant in order to deal with the fear of death; of the associated strategy of taking care of unfinished business that keeps us from being willing to face our own mortality; of her complete disagreement with the work of Jack Kevorkian; of three stages that occur after death: 1) the separation of the soul (butterfly) from the body (cocoon); 2) a return to wholeness and awareness; and 3) being embraced by ...
Entrainment and the Temporal Development of the Microphysies of Convective Clouds

Abstract This paper addresses the question of time changes in the cloud parcels comprising a cumulus cloud. Observations are analyzed which show how a cloud parcel begins its life on the upshear side of the cloud. As the cloud as a whole continues to develop upshear, the particular parcel is diluted by entrainment of dry air from above it, and the vertical cycling of cooled parcels formed in this way produces complex modifications of the cloud droplet spectra which can be traced in the observations. As this process continues, the parcel is found closer and closer to the downshear evaporating side of the cloud as the parcel is modified and ages. When sufficiently diluted, the whole cloud column subsides and evaporates. The largest cloud drops, and the ice particles, are found in the older, diluted, decaying side of the cloud.
Memory T cells: death by acquisition

[Comment on Mostbock et al, page 2488][1]In this issue of Blood , Mostbock and colleagues report that effector and rested memory T cells can acquire major histocompatibility complex (MHC)/CD80 costimulatory cell complexes (antigen presentasomes [APSs]) from antigen-presenting cells (APCs). This,
There is no gap 'per se' between theory and practice: Research knowledge and clinical knowledge are developed in different contexts and follow their own logic.

The aim of this article is to highlight relations between theory and practice and the genesis of professional action in clinical nursing and among researchers. With use of a sociologically based empirical approach, focus is placed on the knowledge involved in the work of researchers and practitioners in terms of the source of their knowledge. Unlike a dominant barrier paradigm, theory and practice have different logics; they are not on a continuum nor are they hierarchically ordered. They exist in their own right as theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge. In daily practice, clinical nurses are inspired and learn from the context, including each other, and they are active producers of knowledge, not simply recipients of knowledge. This study, therefore, claims that there is no research-practice gap "in itself" (per se) as argued in the "barriers paradigm."
Novobiocin inhibition of simian virus 40 DNA replication

Supercoiling in eukaryotic cells can be explained by the packaging of DNA into nucleosomes in the presence of nicking–closing enzymes1. This does not, however, rule out the presence of a DNA gyrase. DNA gyrase2 is involved in the introduction and maintenance of supercoiling in prokaryotic cells3–6 and in DNA replication in Escherichia coli4,6,7. Novobiocin and coumermycin-A1 inhibit prokaryotic DNA replication4,7–11 by inhibiting the subunit of the gyrase responsible for its ATPase and energy transduction activities3,4,12–14. The inhibition of DNA synthesis in a mammalian cell15 and in rat liver mitochondria16 by novobiocin suggests that a gyrase required for initiation of replication is inhibited. Because the presence of a gyrase in eukaryotic cells would be of great interest, I have examined this question in a well characterized model system, the replication of simian virus 40 in its host (monkey) cell. The results demonstrate here that novobiocin and coumermycin A1 inhibit SV40 DNA synthesis in mammalian cells and inhibit DNA polymerase α, the replicative DNA polymerase in this system17,18. Novobiocin, but not coumermycin A1, reduces the degree of supercoiling of DNA pulse-labelled in its presence, probably through its inhibition of protein synthesis. Thus the inhibition of SV40 DNA synthesis by novobiocin does not alone prove the involvement of a DNA gyrase.
High‐dose intravenous immunoglobulin and serum viscosity Risk of precipitating thromboembolic events

High-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) can increase blood viscosity in vitro and has been associated with cardiovascular or cerebrovascular thromboembolism. Because thromboembolic events were observed in two (3%) of 65 patients we treated with IVIg, we measured serum viscosity serially in 13 patients (five with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS], eight with IgM paraproteinemic polyneuropathy) before and immediately after each of three consecutive monthly infusions of IVIg. We correlated changes in viscosity with serial determinations of the total serum IgG, IgM, and IgA before and after each infusion. Serum viscosity increased after IVIg in all the patients by 0.1 to 1.0 centipoise (cp) (mean, 0.55 cp). In three ALS patients and in all the patients with paraproteinemic polyneuropathy, serum viscosity exceeded the upper limit of normal (normal, 1.5 to 1.9 cp) and increased as high as 2.6 cp. The increase in viscosity occurred immediately after completion of the infusion, declined over 1 month, and appeared to correlate best with the serum IgG level, which after the infusions was as high as 6,160 mg/dl (normal, 545 to 1,560 mg/dl). I conclude that IVIg increases serum viscosity and in many patients can cross the symptomatic threshold level. Because increased serum viscosity can impair blood flow and trigger a cardiovascular or cerebrovascular thromboembolic event, IVIg should be used judiciously and with concurrent monitoring of serum viscosity in elderly patients and patients with cryoglobulinemia, monoclonal gammopathies, high lipoproteins, or preexisting vascular disease.
PMMW/DGPS/GPS integrated situation awareness system

Integrating Passive Millimeter Wave camera (PMMW), Global Positioning System (GPS), and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) provides a pilot with a visual precision approach and landing in inclement weather conditions conceivably down to CAT III conditions. A DARPA funded, NASA Langley managed Technology Reinvestment Program (TRP) consortium consisting of Honeywell, TRW, Boeing, and Composite Optics Corporations is demonstrating the PMMW camera. The TRW developed PMMW camera displays the runway through fog, smoke, and clouds in day or night conditions. The Global Air Traffic Program Office entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRDA) with Honeywell to demonstrate DGPS. The Honeywell developed DGPS provides precision navigational data to within 1 m error where GPS has 100 m of error. In inclement weather the runway approach is initiated using GPS data until a range where DGPS data can be received. The runway is presented to the pilot using the PMMW image viewed via a Heads Up Display (HUD) or Head Mounted Display (HMD). At a range where DGPS data is available, a precise runway and horizon symbology is computed in the Flight Display Computer and overlaid on the PMMW image. Image processing algorithms operate on the PMMW image to identify and highlight obstacles on the runway. The integrated system provides the pilot with an enhanced situation awareness of the runway approach in inclement weather. When a DGPS ground station is not available at the landing area, image processing algorithms (again operating on the PMMW image) generate the runway and horizon symbology. GPS provides the algorithm with initial conditions for runway location and perspective. The algorithm then locates and highlights the runway and any obstacles on the runway. Honeywell Technology Center is performing research in the area of integrating the PMMW, DGPS, and GPS technologies to provide the pilot with the most necessary features of each system; namely: visibility, accuracy, obstacle detection, runway overlay, horizon symbology and availability.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A theoretical and experimental approach to laser saturation broadening in flames

Abstract The broadening of the absorption profile in hydrogen-based flames diluted with argon and nitrogen is discussed theoretically and demonstrated experimentally with a pulsed tunable dye laser. This broadening is evaluated from the half-width of the profile obtained by scanning the laser beam through the atoms in the flame while monitoring the resulting fluorescence with a high luminosity monochromator, i.e. by observing a fluorescence excitation profile. Results are given for the elements Ca, Sr, Na, and In. It is shown that the halfwidth of the atomic profile depends approximately upon the square root of the log of the laser irradiance. This dependence stems from a theoretical treatment based upon the interaction of a gaussian laser profile and a gaussian atomic profile. It is also shown that if the laser spectral bandwidth exceeds by ≈5–10 times the absorption halfwidth, the fluorescence excitation profile provides a simple means for a reliable evaluation of the laser bandwidth.
SUPERPARASITISM OF GYPSY MOTH, LYMANTRIA DISPAR (L.) (LEPIDOPTERA: LYMANTRIIDAE), LARVAE BY PARASETIGENA SILVESTRIS (ROBINEAU-DESVOIDY) (DBPTERA: TACHINIAE)

In the field, superparasitism of Lymantria dispar (L.) by Parasetigena silvestris (Robineau-Desvoidy) was not the result of random oviposition, but, because parasitoid eggs were aggregated, certain hosts were more likely to be parasitized than average. Parasitoid eggs were more aggregated when gypsy moth larvae were collected from under burlap bands than when larvae were collected elsewhere in the same 9-ha plot, resulting in lowered mortality due to parasitism. This finding suggests that collecting larvae from burlap bands may not provide accurate estimates of the impact of P. silvestris on populations of L. dispar. In laboratory studies, deposition of more than one egg on a single host significantly increased parasitoid emergence and host mortality. However, increasing superparasitism had a negative effect on both the probability that an individual parasitoid would survive to emerge from a host and the size of the puparium produced by the parasitoid. The probability of parasitoid survival was higher when fifth- rather than fourth-instar gypsy moth larvae were attacked, but puparia produced by parasitoids emerging from fifth-instar larvae were smaller.
Capillary sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis of proteins

Abstract In recent years, there has been considerable activity in the separation and characterization of protein molecules by sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis with particular interest in using this technique to separate on the basis of size and to estimate molecular mass. In this paper we report a new improved and automated electrophoretic method in the form of high-performance capillary SDS gel electrophoresis. Rapid separations of protein molecules in the molecular mass range of 20 000–200 000 daltons were demonstrated with excellent linearity and intra- and inter-day reproducibility of the migration time. Monomer—dimer forms of the recombinant human ciliary neurotrophic factor were examined by the use of this method under reducing and non-reducing conditions.
The effect of force feedback on remote palpation

Combining teletaction systems with telemanipulation systems promises to enhance task performance when interacting with remote environments. However, the force scaling inherent in the telemanipulation system affects the ability of the user to control the exploration force. The quality of the tactile signal is therefore impacted, affecting performance in tasks that benefit from spatially distributed force information. We compare performance localizing an embedded lump in a compliant environment using a telemanipulated teletaction system versus a directly manipulated teletaction system. Lump localization accuracy was found to be the same; however, time required to localize the lump was up to 150% longer for the telemanipulation trials. Based upon our results, we conclude that the ability to maintain an appropriate force in the remote environment is necessary to take full advantage of the spatially distributed force information from the tactile sensor.
3-D in 12 Days

During June, 13–25, the 14th Annual Living Cell Course will take place at the University of British Columbia Medicine School (UBC) in Vancouver. This residential course concentrates on all aspects of the 3D microscopy of living cells. Designed for biological research scientists and advanced graduate students, who apply – or plan to – modern 3D imaging, the course want to open up-to-date methods to a wider selection of scientists.
MUTAGENESIS OF ANACYSTIS NIDULANS BY N-METHYL-N'-NITRO-N-NITROSOGUANIDINE AND UV IRRADIATION.

Abstract Inactivation of the blue-green alga, Anacystis nidulans , with nitrosoguanidine was concentration-dependent. Nitrosoguanidine-induced mutation frequencies were: 1.8 · 10 −3 , 2.98 · 10[su−3], 3.7 · 10 −3 , 1.0 · 10 −3 and 4.8 · 10 −4 for yellow and blue, minute-colony-forming, filamentous or snake, and polymixin-B-resistant mutants, respectively. UV-irradiated damage within the experimental conditions utilized was completely photoreactivity by visible light. When a UV-irradiated culture was incubated in the dark for 9 h, a survival curve with slope k = −0.066 ( where k = ln S S 0 · t −1 ) was observed. A small shoulder was evident, and the extrapolation of the asymptote of the curve to the ordinate showed an inactivation number of 2. Minute-colony-forming and snake mutants were also induced by UV irradiation if photoreactivation was prevented. The inability to isolate auxotrophic mutants of Anacystis nidulans was considered to be due to intrinsic properties and therefore presents a major problem in blue-green algal genetics.
The design of an anonymous file sharing system based on group anonymity

Abstract There are a variety of contexts in which network users have legitimate reasons to want to exchange information, e.g. documents and media files, while maintaining anonymity. One such context is an online user group with a special interest in a particular medical condition that is associated with unfair or illegal discrimination. The challenge for designing a secure and anonymous file sharing system is that it seems necessary for some external source to know the network destination of the requested information. This is problematic because the identity of the recipient can potentially be determined from a network address. Even if the source or conduit of the information is trusted, it may be compromised by an outside agent who cannot be trusted. In this paper we use a general mechanism called ‘group anonymity’ that provides a new level of network privacy and security. We also describe a particular use of this mechanism in a software system which is an anonymous file sharing application that preserves the anonymity of users using the system and the privacy of the data being exchanged.
Reducing fistula rates following laryngotracheal separation.

Objectives:Laryngotracheal separation (LTS) is an uncommonly performed but highly effective procedure for intractable aspiration in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurodegenerative conditions. Previously published series have noted rates of postoperative tracheocutaneous fistula formation as high as 1 in 3 patients. This report details the use of a muscle flap–reinforced imbrication technique to reduce the incidence of fistula formation after LTS surgery.Methods:All patients who underwent LTS surgery at the reporting institutions between 2004 and 2010 were identified. The principal diagnosis, patient characteristics, the presence of a preexisting tracheotomy, and postoperative complications were recorded. We describe the technique for imbrication closure of the proximal stump with strap muscle reinforcement.Results:Thirteen patients (10 male, 3 female; median age, 53 years; interquartile range, 45 to 66 years) underwent the LTS procedure; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was the princi...
Elevated platelet P-selectin expression and platelet activation in high risk patients with uncontrolled severe hypertension.

Abstract Background Uncontrolled severe hypertension is associated with alarming rates of cardiovascular events but the mechanisms of vascular injury are not well understood. Recent investigative interest has focused on platelet activation and platelet P-selectin (CD62P) as direct mediators of vascular inflammation and injury. We investigated the association of extreme blood pressure (BP) elevation with platelet P-selectin and fibrinolytic markers in high risk patients with severe hypertension. Methods Cross-sectional comparison of platelet CD62, tissue plasminogen activator antigen (tPA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity (PAI-1) among 3 BP groups: untreated severely hypertensive patients (SHT; n = 18), untreated mildly hypertensive patients (MHT; n = 19), and normotensive controls (NT; n = 16). Results Platelet CD62 was greatest in SHT ( p = 0.00008) and showed a strong correlation with both systolic ( p = 0.0002, r = 0.52) and diastolic ( p = 0.0003, r = 0.52) BP. tPA was greater in SHT than MHT or NT (ANOVA; p = 0.02) and correlated with diastolic BP but not SBP. PAI-1 did not correlate with either SBP or DBP but was related to body mass index, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Conclusions Platelet CD62 demonstrated a strong and graded association with both systolic and diastolic BP that persisted in the presence of multiple concomitant risk factors. The association of BP with CD62P was stronger than with either PAI-1 or tPA-Ag. Platelet activation and platelet CD62 increase in a BP-dependent manner and this relationship persists at extreme levels of BP. Platelet activation and platelet CD62 may participate in the accelerated target organ injury observed in high risk patients with severe hypertension.
Application of the Discrete Vortex Method to Fluid-Structure Interaction

The discrete vortex method for numerical simulation of two-dimensional flows is applied to six problems in fluid-structure interaction: steady flow over bluff and streamlined sections, flow with transverse oscillations of the free stream, oscillation in otherwise still reservoir, vibration induced by steady flow, flow-induced vibration in oscillating flow, and impulsively started flow. Direct comparison is made with various formulations and with experimental data.
The community study assignment for leisure studies: Integrating information literacy, leisure theory, and critical thinking

Abstract This paper examines the Appalachian State University Leisure Studies Program's Community Study Assignment—the major writing requirement for the “Introduction to Recreation and Leisure” course. The discussion focuses on the close collaboration between teaching faculty and reference librarians; the assignment's development of information literacy, leisure theory, and critical thinking skills; and ways in which these skills enhance students'future academic work and professional performance. It also highlights active learning in the library instruction session which prepares students for the assignment; additional ways planned to enhance the assignment; and other disciplines for which the assignment could be adapted.