cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vasoconstriction limits to the use of the central ear artery pressure in conscious rabbits

Summary The blood pressure measured directly in the distal part of the central ear artery is dependent upon the degree of vasodilation of the vessel, and exhibits spontaneous variation. This variation is abolished by hexamethonium in doses which had only a minor, transient hypotensive effect. While the degree of ganglionic block could not easily be quantitated, stability of peripheral arterial pressure and heart rate persisted for more than 2 hours. Blood pressure in the rabbit may be continuously measured by inserting needles acutely into the distal part of the central artery of the ear (Campbell & Skinner. 1973; Romero, Ott, Aguilo, Torres & Strong, 1975). Several measurements can be made on the same animal. We found that the pressure measured in the ear artery showed profound temporal variations in quietly resting, conscious animals. Meaningful interpretation of the recordings was sometimes impossible because of variation in baseline mean arterial pressure and perfusion pressure. We have established that these changes werc caused by fluctuations in vasoconstriction of the artery, which can be eliminated by the use of hexamethonium. Materials and methods Animals Clinically healthy male New Zealand White rabbits (2·5-3·7 kg bodyweight) were used. They were fed pelleted diet (Ralston Purina Co., St Louis, USA) and tap water ad libitum.
Parties and political change in Bolivia, 1880-1952.

1. The Establishment of the Political Party System 2. The Liberal Party in Power 3. The Republican Era: Saavedra 4. The Republican Era: Silos 5. Salamanca and the Coming of the War 6. The Chaco War 7. The Transitional Government of Tejada Sorzano 8. David Toro and the Establishment of Military Socialism 9. The Rise of German Busch 10. The End of an Era 11. The Rise of the National Left 12. The Coming of the Revolution.
Immunopathogenesis of Onchocerca volvulus keratitis (river blindness): a novel role for TLR4 and endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria

Infection with the parasitic nematode Onchocerca volvulus is associated with inflammation of the skin and cornea that can lead to blindness. Corneal damage is thought to occur as a result of the host inflammatory responses to degenerating microfilariae in the eye. We have utilized a murine model of corneal inflammation (keratitis) to investigate the immune and inflammatory responses associated with river blindness. Soluble extracts of O. volvulus, a filarial species that contains the endosymbiont bacteria Wolbachia or Acanthocheilonema viteae (a nematode not naturally infected with the bacteria) were injected into mouse corneas. Inflammatory responses and corneal changes were measured. We demonstrated a major role for endosymbiont Wolbachia bacteria and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the pathogenesis of ocular onchocerciasis.
The Independent and Interactive Antecedents of International Knowledge

In light of low levels of international knowledge among the American public, the current study examines the roles that news attention, education, interpersonal discussion and international involvement play in the development of international knowledge. Predictor patterns for an American sample are quite similar for close- and open-ended knowledge measures. News attention, education and interpersonal discussion play positive roles. In terms of the interactive roles of these information inputs, interpersonal discussion news attention and international involvement interpersonal discussion narrow gaps in knowledge. Finally, there was one significant three-way interaction - that of education news attention interpersonal discussion.
Fast subspace decomposition of data matrices

The authors present a fast subspace decomposition method (Bi-FSD) for (rectangular) data matrices, employing the bidiagonalization Lanczos algorithm. It only requires O(NMd) flops for a N*M data matrix and achieves almost an order of magnitude computational reduction over the O(NM/sup 2/+M/sup 3/) SVD (singular value decomposition) or ED (eigendecomposition) approach. A novel detection scheme is also presented that can be implemented at each intermediate step of estimating the signal subspace. Unlike many fast algorithms that trade performance for speed, rigorous performance analysis shows that Bi-FSD has the same asymptotic performance as the more costly SVD, and the Bi-FSD detection scheme is strongly consistent. Also, the most computationally intensive part (i.e., O(NM) operations) is O(d) matrix-vector products, which can be easily implemented in parallel for even faster computation. All these features of the Bi-FSD algorithm make it easier to implement a class of high-resolution array signal processing algorithms in real time. >
Heuristic routing algorithms for the switch box routing problems

Switch box routing problems, for PC boards and VLSI, can be considered as generalized planning problems. A subgoal is to find a connection for each net. The search and backtrack techniques must be used to solve the problem. One difficulty of this particular routing problem is the interdependency among the connections. To cope with this problem, the graceful retreat and least impact policies are used to select subgoals and paths of connections. These policies are based on heuristic algorithms. A routing system has been developed which adopts these algorithms. Test results show that the system can effectively find a solution even on the cases which are considered very difficult to route. >
Wild chromatin: regulation of eukaryotic genes in their natural chromatin context.

Nearly 40 years ago, Francois Jacob and Jacques Monod provided the first genetic evidence that genes are controlled through the opposing actions of activators and repressors on specific DNA targets. Although minimalistic, the classic paradigm provided by the regulation of the Lac operon in Escherichia coli quite accurately reflects the rationale of eukaryotic gene regulation, even in the context of highly organized chromosome structure. Transcriptional activation of most eukaryotic genes is now known to require several 10s of factors, many of which are responsive to developmental or environmental signaling pathways. Some regulators are enzymes that modify or reconfigure chromatin, whereas others influence the subnuclear organization of transcription factors or, in some cases, change the relative chromosomal environments of specific gene targets. Posttranslational modifications of histones or enhancer factors define localized chromatin domains as well as the activity and turnover of enhancer complexes. A crucial problem in the field now is to decipher how proper regulation springs from combinations of positive and negative factors, generally organized in multiprotein complexes or coupled to molecular engines, which recognize and modify regulatory loci embedded in chromatin. Remarkably, after an early period in which nucleosomal DNAwas seen as a negative and somehow passive template for transcription, chromatin and chromosome organization in the nucleus have now emerged as central parameters with direct and essential effects on the control of gene expression. The workshop “Regulation of Eukaryotic Genes in Their Natural Chromatin Context,” hosted by Fundacion Juan March in Madrid, Spain (April 22–24, 2002), was organized by Miguel Beato and Ken Zaret to address some of the most pressing issues concerning how complex regulatory networks work in their natural molecular environment: the chromosome.
Sex differences in HIV-1 viral load and progression to AIDS

Summary Background Plasma HIV-1 RNA measurements are used for initiation of antiretroviral treatments. Whether the viral-load association with prognosis is similar in women and men is unknown. Methods We studied 812 specimens from 650 injection-drug users (IDUs) participating in a continuous observational study of patients based in a community clinic. HIV-1 load was measured by branched-chain DNA on samples from 527 IDUs from the baseline visit, and by reverse-transcriptase PCR and quantitative microculture on samples from 285 IDUs at a follow-up visit 3 years later. Findings Women had lower median viral-load measurements than men by branched-chain DNA (3365 vs 8907 copies/mL; p=0·001), reverse-transcriptase PCR (45416 vs 93 130 copies/mL; p=0·02), and quantitative microculture (5 vs 8 infectious units per million peripheral blood mononuclear cells; p=0·015). This association remained even after adjustment for CD4 cell count, race, and drug use within the previous 6 months. Time to AIDS was statistically similar for men and women in a univariate proportional-hazards model and in a model adjusting for CD4 cell count. Proportional-hazards models showed that women with the same viral load as men had a 1·6-fold higher risk of AIDS (95% Cl 1·10-2·32); or, equivalently, that women with half the viral load of men had a similar time to AIDS as men. Interpretation Although a biological mechanism remains unclear, these data suggest that current recommendations for HIV-1 viral-load thresholds to initiate antiretroviral therapy should be revised downwards for women.
Laminar momentum jets in a stratified fluid

Solutions are presented for creeping flows induced by two-and three-dimensional horizontal and vertical momentum jets in a linearly stratified unbounded diffusive viscous fluid. These linear problems are solved by replacing the momentum jet by a body force singularity represented by delta functions and solving the partial differential equations of motion by use of multi-dimensional Fourier transforms. The integral representations for the physical variables are evaluated by a combination of residue theory and numerical integration. The solutions for vertical jets show the jet to be trapped within a layer of finite thickness and systems of rotors to be induced. The horizontal two-dimensional jet solution shows return flows above and below the jet and a pair of rotors. The three-dimensional horizontal jet has no return flow at finite distance and the diffusive contribution is found to be almost negligible in most situations, the primary character of the horizontal flows being given by the non-diffusive solution. Stokes's paradox is found to be non-existent in a density-stratified fluid.
Microfluidic Systems for the Belousov−Zhabotinsky Reaction

We describe an experimental methodology for the study of chemical self-organization in micropatterned reaction systems. Our approach is based on office-printer-assisted soft lithography and allows the fabrication of centimeter-scale devices with reactor units as small as 50 μm. The devices are made from the elastomeric material poly(dimethylsiloxane) and are filled with a modified Belousov−Zhabotinsky solution. This excitable reaction−diffusion medium employs 1,4-cyclohexanedione as a bubble-free organic substrate and Fe(II)[batho(SO3)2]3 as a high-absorbance redox catalyst/indicator. Chemical wave propagation is affected by the loss of bromine from the aqueous phase into the elastomer matrix. The strength of this activating process depends on the local surface-to-volume ratio and can increase the wave velocity by a factor of 2. For devices with gridlike reactor networks, we observe a pronounced deformation of target patterns and the pinning of spiral waves to single elastomer obstacles as well as to obst...
Multistage cooperative broadcast using amplify-and-forward relays

In this work we study the propagation of the signal in a cooperative network where a single source message is retransmitted by multiple stages (levels) of relays. Relays are assumed to have limited computational abilities and hence adopt the amplify-and-forward scheme. At each node, cooperative diversity is obtained by combining the signals from the multiple levels of relays (in different time slots) using a matched !lter. The levels are not predetermined and are formed based on the local decisions, hence the network is distributed. The retransmission criterion is based on the SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) of the signal after the matched !ltering operation. If the received SNR is greater than the SNR threshold then the signal is retransmitted. The parameter SNR threshold plays a critical role in determining the broadcast rate. We provide the expressions for received signal at each node as the message is forwarded in the network. We study the channel and noise statistics for a speci!c realization of a network. We also recursively characterize the effective channel, accumulated noise and their statistics. Through these formulations, we study the effects of noise accumulation, the number of levels used in the signal combination, the decoding and retransmission threshold on the number of nodes that successfully receive the message.
Micromagnetic simulation of 10 Gb/in/sup 2/ spin-valve heads

Micromagnetic modeling was used to study the behavior of a shielded, spin-valve head with dimensions appropriate for 10 Gb/in/sup 2/ recording. Signal symmetry and magnitude as a function of bias current was studied for three head geometries. The errors introduced by the common approximations of perfect pinning in the pinned layer and two-dimensional geometry are investigated. Transfer curve asymmetry was found to be greater for practical exchange pinning fields than for the perfect pinning sometimes assumed. Signal amplitudes were found to be lower than would be predicted by 2 dimensional models due to flux being partially carried in areas that are electrically shunted, and also lower due to the imperfect pinning.
Three-pulse photon echo peak shift measurements in dense potassium vapor

Three-pulse photon echo peak shift measurements in dense potassium vapor reveal an exponential peak shift, justifying an exponential two-time correlation function of frequency fluctuations, which is commonly assumed for more complex condensed phase systems.
Involvement of Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor-4 in the Expression of the Growth Hormone Receptor 1A Messenger Ribonucleic Acid in Bovine Liver

The GH receptor 1A mRNA (GHR 1A mRNA) is one of the major GHR mRNA variants that differ in the 5′-untranslated region. The GHR 1A mRNA is unique because it is exclusively expressed in liver. The objective of the present study was to understand the mechanism for the liver-specific expression of the GHR 1A mRNA in the bovine. Twenty-six kilobases of 5′-flanking region of the bovine GHR gene was cloned and sequenced. The first exon (exon 1A) that corresponded to the 5′-untranslated region of the GHR 1A mRNA was 15,250 bp upstream from exon 2 in the GHR gene. The major transcription start site for the GHR 1A mRNA was 19 bp downstream from a putative TATA box. Transient transfection analyses of the 5′-flanking region of exon 1A in liver cell lines vs. nonliver cell lines did not reveal a positively regulatory region responsible for the liver-specific expression of the GHR 1A mRNA perhaps because the liver cell lines do not recapitulate the in vivo hepatic environment. A putative regulatory region was then foun...
Technical Note: Synthesis of isoprene atmospheric oxidation products: isomeric epoxydiols and the rearrangement products cis - and trans -3-methyl-3,4-dihydroxytetrahydrofuran

Abstract. Isoprene epoxydiol (IEPOX) isomers are key gas-phase intermediates of isoprene atmospheric oxidation. Secondary organic aerosols derived from such intermediates have important impacts on air quality and health. We report here convergent and unambiguous pathways developed for the synthesis of isomeric IEPOX species and the rearrangement products cis- and trans-3-methyl-3,4-dihydroxytetrahydrofuran in good yield. The availability of such compounds is necessary to expedite research on isoprene atmospheric oxidation mechanisms and subsequent aerosol formation as well as the toxicological properties of the aerosols.
Private Equity Placements and Illiquidity Discount

This paper presents evidence on the private placement discounts for a large sample of private placement transactions completed by public companies between 2002 and 2007. Using detailed information about the restriction duration for the unregistered common stocks placed, I analyze whether the lack of liquidity of unregistered shares has an impact on the issue discounts. My results suggest that illiquidity is not priced into private placement discounts. Consistent with the previous literature, I find that revenues and intangible assets of the issuer and the size of the placement have a significant impact on the issue discounts.
Transform domain adaptive filtering using recursive running DCT and its application in surface recording of small intestine

An adaptive system is proposed for the enhancement of the small intestine signal. To obtain better performance, adaptive signal enhancement is performed in the transform domain using the discrete cosine transform (DCT). A fast recursive algorithm is developed for the calculation of running DCT. The computational complexity of the proposed recursive algorithm is only 2/N (where N is the length of the adaptive filter) of the direct calculation of the running DCT. A series of simulations are conducted to investigate the performance of the proposed transform domain adaptive filtering using DCT in comparison with time-domain adaptive filter and with transform-domain adaptive filtering using the discrete Fourier transform. The parameters of the proposed adaptive system are optimized, and their effects on system performance are investigated. >
Characterization of proteins associated with a coenzyme Q biosynthetic complex in yeast mitochondria (605.19)

Coenzyme Q (Q) is a fully substituted benzoquinone lipid crucial to the respiratory electron transport chain where it transfers electrons from NADH and succinate to cytochrome c. In the yeast Sacch...
Lifesharers: An Opting-In Paradigm Already in Existence

Over eighty-five thousand Americans are currently on the national waitlist to receive kidneys, livers, hearts or other human organs due to the failure of their own. Sadly, over half of these people will die while waiting for the miracle of life to arrive. Some will travel to other countries to purchase organs on the black market in a last ditch effort to save their lives. All of those involved wish that finding an organ would be far easier than it is today. Since the passage of Al Gore's National Organ Transplant Act, it has been illegal in the United States to sell human organs, although the same cannot be said for human tissues, blood plasma, ova, and sperm. Morality and distributive justice concerns form the backbone of traditional arguments opposing organ sales, as many Americans find it unacceptable to "purchase life." The poor would be exploited and pressured into selling organs to escape debt, often with little knowledge of the risks they incurred and the costs that they might later impose on society's health care system. Hence, if conscience dictates that living-donor organ sales must never occur, it is incumbent upon society to focus on other methods of incentivizing organ availability. Basing waiting list priority on the patient's own willingness to donate may inspire millions of Americans who have previously not taken the trouble to sign up to instead choose to opt in to donation. This concept has been put into practice by LifeSharers, a nonprofit organization formed just over two years ago that aims to utilize a person's internal motivation to save their own life to save the lives of others. LifeSharers incentivizes people to become organ donors (and to become a LifeSharers member) by giving them the return promise that all members of the organization agree to donate their organs first to other members before they go into the nationwide waiting pool. In this manner, people are encouraged to opt in to donation who otherwise might not, if only from a selfish desire to increase the likelihood that they will be able to find a suitable organ should their own organs fail sometime in the future. LifeSharers' concept is an appealing one from an intuitive and distributive justice perspective: it seems only fair that people who agree to donate organs should receive priority if they ever need one.
ConfChem Conference on Flipped Classroom: Spring 2014 ConfChem Virtual Poster Session

This communication describes the virtual poster session of the Flipped Classroom online ConfChem conference that was hosted by the ACS CHED Committee on Computers in Chemical Education (CCCE) from May 9 to June 12, 2014. During the conference’s online discussions, it became evident that multiple participants who were not presenting papers had been involved with various flipped activities that could also be presented. So the CCCE decided to run an experiment, and half way through the conference put forth a call for presentations for a general poster session during the last week of the conference. The idea was to allow anyone involved with flipped classroom activities the opportunity to present their work during the ConfChem. An announcement was made half way through the conference and three participants were able to generate the following posters for the session: (i) A Year of Organic Chemistry Group Work with iPads, by Justin Houseknecht; (ii) Implementing Peer Instruction in a Flipped General Chemistry C...
Thermo-poroelastic effects on reservoir seismicity and permeability change

Abstract In this paper we study the role of thermo-poromechanical processes on reservoir seismicity and permeability enhancement using theoretical/numerical analysis. The numerical model is fully coupled, considering non-isothermal compressible single-phase fluid flow in fractured porous rock. It combines the thermo-poroelastic displacement discontinuity method, a nonlinear joint deformation model, and a finite difference method for solving the fluid and heat transport in a fracture network. The model is applied to simulate cool water injection into fracture/matrix systems to examine the role of coupled processes on fracture deformation, matrix pore pressure and stress redistributions to assess their role in induced seismicity and permeability variations. The simulation results are analyzed to draw conclusions regarding injection rate dependence of seismicity, and its transience due to coupled processes. Thermal influence on pore pressure and stress tend to promote delayed seismicity. In presence of coupled processes, rock matrix stress perturbations due to natural fracture deformation can be an influencing mechanism for seismicity. Our results show the induced normal stress in the vicinity of the fracture center where injected water enters, can be significant for higher cooling levels in low permeability matrix, and induces additional pore pressure perturbations in the matrix. These couplings have implications for reservoir stimulation and induced seismicity in geothermal reservoirs. The reservoirrock can experience a series of induced stress/pore pressure regimes with continued cooling (under injection). A potentially destabilizing regime is followed by a stabilizing one, and subsequently the rock approaches a destabilizing state. Each situation can result in potentially different levels of MEQ activity. Finally, the impact of thermo-poroelastic stresses on injection/extraction pressure profiles in a fractured rock is illustrated. Injection pressure tends to initially increase in response to poroelastic stress, but with time the thermal effect dominates resulting in fracture aperture increases and lowering of injection pressure.
THE CARDIAC BIOMARKERS IN CHILDREN WITH CARDIOMYOPATHY MULTICENTER STUDY: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR PEDIATRIC HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY

Few cardiac biomarkers have been validated as surrogate endpoints in children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute-funded Cardiac Biomarkers in Pediatric Cardiomyopathy study is evaluating cardiac biomarkers in children with HCM and their association
Growth and physiological responses of neotropical mangrove seedlings to root zone hypoxia

Seedlings of Rhizophora mangle L., Avicennia germinans (L.) Stearn., and Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn. f. were cultured in aerated or N(2)-purged solution for 12 weeks to assess their relative responses to low oxygen tensions. All three species responded to low oxygen treatment by modifying physiological and morphological patterns to decrease carbon loss by root respiration. However, the extent to which seedling physiology and morphology were altered by low oxygen treatment differed among species. Maintenance of root oxygen concentrations, root respiration rates and root extension rates by R. mangle demonstrated an ability to avoid low oxygen stress with minimal changes in root morphology and physiology. In contrast, oxygen concentrations in A. germinans and L. racemosa roots declined from 16 to 5% or lower within 6 h of treatment. Root hypoxia led to significant decreases in respiration rates of intact root systems (31 and 53% below controls) and root extension rates (38 and 76% below controls) by A. germinans and L. racemosa, respectively, indicating a greater vulnerability of these species to low oxygen tensions in the root zone compared with R. mangle. I conclude that the relative performance of mangrove seedlings growing in anaerobic soils is influenced by interspecific differences in root aeration and concomitant effects on root morphology and physiology.
PROBE ON DYNAMIC SITUATION ANALYSIS OF COMPREHENSIVE USE OF OIL WELLS

The use of oil wells has a critical influence on productivity, which includes two factors: to improve the use of the wells, so as to produce the wells as many as possible; on the other hand, to make full use of the producing wells in the life time. By calculation and analysis of time-use index of oil wells, and the principle of index analysis, the factors of impacting time-use and comprehensive use of oil wells is analyzed respectively based upon planed number of penetrating wells, use rate of oil wells and recovery rate, the main factors influencing time-use and comprehensive use of oil wells are determined, and the time-use of oil wells is promoted.
Construction and effect identification of VEGF-C eukaryotic expression vector for RNA interference

Objective:To construct VEGF-C eukaryotic expression vector for RNA interference. Methods: Recombinant were designed and established by targeting gene VEGF-C and plasmid pGENSIL-1 based on VEGF-C cDNA sequences of genomes, two pairs of oligonucleotides were synthesized according to the Tuschl and inserted into plasmid pGenSil-l to generate siRNA eukaryotic expression vector, DH5α strains were transformed, plasmid were extracted, and recombinant vector were identified by the restriction map and the sequence analysis. The recombinant plasmid(pGensil-VEGF-C1 and pGensil-VEGF-C2 )was transfected into the cultured LOVO cells . At 48h after transfection, the whole cell protein and RNA were extracted, and the protein level was detected by Western blot with mouse -anti-human VEGF-C monoclonal antibody, the mRNA level of VEGF-C was detected by RT-PCR. Results: Recombinant plasmids were completely coincided with the designs by the restriction map and the sequence analysis, pGenSil-VEGF-C expression vector into LOVO cells down -regulated the protein level of VEGF-C at 48h after transfection ,the recombinant eukaryotic expression vector were constructed successfully. Conclusion: siRNA recombinant can be constructed successfully by RNAi technique for inhibition VEGF-C expression.
Role of diradylglycerol formation in H2O2 and lactoferrin release in adherent human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) adherent to fibrinogen exhibit a delay in the release of H2O2 in response to fMLP. Previously, we demonstrated that H2O2 release in adherent PMNs coincides with the exocytosis of lactoferrin-containing specific granules and activation of phospholipase D (PLD). We also found that chelation of intracellular calcium blocked both lactoferrin and H2O2 release in stimulated PMNs in spite of the fact that adhesion and spreading remained normal. Since diradylglycerol (DRG) formation has been implicated in PMN secretion and oxidant release, we determined the effect of intracellular calcium chelation on PLD activation and DRG formation to ascertain whether DRG formation was coupled to lactoferrin and H2O2 release. We observed that chelation of intracellular calcium with bis-(O-aminophenoxy)-ethanol-N,N;N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) prevented PLD activation as monitored by inhibition of phosphatidylethanol formation. Formation of DRG derived from phosphatidic acid (PA) was also inhibited in the presence of BAPTA. Following the addition of the calcium ionophore ionomycin to the BAPTA-treated PMNs, lactoferrin and H2O2 release was coincident with the onset of DRG formation. Also the addition of sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol to the BAPTA-treated PMNs stimulated them to release H2O2. Our studies support the hypothesis that DRG derived from PLD activation is required for degranulation of specific granules and associated H2O2 release from adherent PMNs.
Ultraviolet imaging detectors for the GOLD mission

The GOLD mission is a NASA Explorer class ultraviolet Earth observing spectroscopy instrument that will be flown on a telecommunications satellite in geostationary orbit in 2018. Microchannel plate detectors operating in the 132 nm to 162 nm FUV bandpass with 2D imaging cross delay line readouts and electronics have been built for each of the two spectrometer channels for GOLD. The detectors are “open face” with CsI photocathodes, providing ~30% efficiency at 130.4 nm and ~15% efficiency at 160.8 nm. These detectors with their position encoding electronics provide ~600 x 500 FWHM resolution elements and are photon counting, with event handling rates of > 200 KHz. The operational details of the detectors and their performance are discussed.
Measuring (almost) zero

When most of us think about searching for physics beyond the Standard Model – the dominant paradigm of particle physics – the first thing that springs to mind is probably a gigantic particle accelerator like CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Within the collider's 27-km loop, protons slam together at 99.9999991% of the speed of light. Office-building-sized detectors generate terabytes of data for physicists to sift through, seeking elusive traces of new kinds of particles.
Dielectronic Recombination Cross Section for C 1

The dielectronic recombination cross section (${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{\mathrm{DR}}$) was computed for the ${\mathrm{C}}^{1+}$ target ion in the region of continuum electron energies $9.0 \mathrm{eV}l~{e}_{c}l~9.3 \mathrm{eV}$. Since ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}^{\mathrm{DR}}$ exhibited many very sharp peaks, each of width 0.001 eV, it was smoothed, for display purposes, by convolving with a square profile function of width 0.010 eV. The resulting smoothed cross section (${\overline{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}^{\mathrm{DR}}$) had values between ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}18}$ and ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}17}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$.
Relapse after Antiepileptic Drug Withdrawal

The recurrence risks and predictive factors of relapse after antiepileptic drug (AED) discontinuation in a prospective analysis of 425 children with epilepsy are reported from the Instituto di Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Universita La Sapienza, Via dei Sabelli, Rome, Italy.
Whole-Genome Sequencing and iPLEX MassARRAY Genotyping Map an EMS-Induced Mutation Affecting Cell Competition in Drosophila melanogaster

Cell competition, the conditional loss of viable genotypes only when surrounded by other cells, is a phenomenon observed in certain genetic mosaic conditions. We conducted a chemical mutagenesis and screen to recover new mutations that affect cell competition between wild-type and RpS3 heterozygous cells. Mutations were identified by whole-genome sequencing, making use of software tools that greatly facilitate the distinction between newly induced mutations and other sources of apparent sequence polymorphism, thereby reducing false-positive and false-negative identification rates. In addition, we utilized iPLEX MassARRAY for genotyping recombinant chromosomes. These approaches permitted the mapping of a new mutation affecting cell competition when only a single allele existed, with a phenotype assessed only in genetic mosaics, without the benefit of complementation with existing mutations, deletions, or duplications. These techniques expand the utility of chemical mutagenesis and whole-genome sequencing for mutant identification. We discuss mutations in the Atm and Xrp1 genes identified in this screen.
Design of multi agent based crowd injury model

A major concern of many government agencies is to predict and control the behavior of crowds in different situations. Many times such gatherings are legal, legitimate, and peaceful. But there are times when they can turn violent, run out of control, result in material damages and even casualties. It then becomes the duty of governments to bring them under control using a variety of techniques, including non-lethal and lethal weapons, if necessary. In order to aid decision makers on the course of action in crowd control, there are modeling and simulation tools that can provide guidelines by giving programmed rules to computer animated characters and to observe behaviors over time in appropriate scenarios. A crowd is a group of people attending a public gathering, with some joint purpose, such as protesting government or celebrating an event. In some countries these kinds of activities are the only way to express public's displeasure with their governments. The governments' reactions to such activities may or may not be tolerant. For these reasons, such situations must be eliminated by recognizing when and how they occur and then providing guidelines to mitigate them. Police or military forces use non-lethal weapons (NLWs), such as plastic bullets or clubs, to accomplish their job. In order to simulate the results of such actions in a computer, there is a need to determine the physical effects of NLWs over the individuals in the crowd. In this dissertation, a fuzzy logic based crowd injury model for determining the physical effects of NLWs is proposed. Fuzzy logic concepts can be applied to a problem by using linguistic rules, which are determined by problem domain experts. In this case, a group of police and military officers were consulted for a set of injury model rules and those rules were then included in the simulation platform. As a proof of concept, a prototype system was implemented using the Repast Simphony agent based simulation toolkit. Simulation results illustrated the effectiveness of the simulation framework.
Durability of the Rituximab Response in Acetylcholine Receptor Autoantibody-Positive Myasthenia Gravis

Importance Myasthenia gravis (MG), an autoimmune disorder of neuromuscular transmission, is treated by an array of immunotherapeutics, many of which are nonspecific. Even with current therapies, a subset of patients has medically refractory MG. The benefits of B-cell–targeted therapy with rituximab have been observed in MG; however, the duration of these benefits after treatment is unclear. Objective To evaluate the durability of response to rituximab in the treatment of acetylcholine receptor autoantibody–positive (AChR+) generalized MG. Design, Setting and Participants This retrospective case series study included 16 patients with AChR+ MG referred to an MG clinic from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2015. The patients were treated with rituximab and followed up for 18 to 84 months after treatment. Main Outcomes and Measures Assessment of long-term clinical response, durability of response and/or relapse rate, AChR autoantibody levels, adverse effects, and inflammatory markers. Results In the 16 patients (6 men and 10 women; median age, 42 [range, 18-69] years), clinical improvement was observed in parallel with complete withdrawal or reduction of other immunotherapies, with all patients achieving complete stable remission, pharmacologic remission, or minimal manifestations based on the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America postintervention status criteria. Nine patients (56%) had a relapse during a mean follow-up of 36 (range, 24-47) months. Seven patients (44%) remained relapse free with a mean follow-up of 47 (range, 18-81) months since the last rituximab treatment. All values were normalized to a pretreatment anti-AChR antibody level of 100% and the mean levels after each rituximab cycle were calculated. A 33% decrease was seen after cycle 1 of rituximab treatment (100% vs 67%; P = .004); 20% after cycle 2 (compared with cycle 1) (67% vs 47%; P = .008); and 17% after cycle 3 (compared with cycle 2) (47% vs 30%; P = .02). However, the serum cytokine levels measured were found to be unchanged. Conclusions and Relevance Rituximab therapy appears to be an effective option in patients with refractory AChR+ MG, who were observed to have a durable response after treatment. Identification of markers of disease relapse and sustained remission are critical next steps in the development of pathophysiology-relevant, evidence-based practice parameters for rituximab in the treatment of MG.
21. Non-CD3-Based Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CARs) with Enhanced Anti-Tumor Activity in Solid Tumors

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) based upon a single chimeric molecule bearing an antigen binding domain linked in cis to the cytoplasmic domains of CD3ζ and costimulatory receptors CD28 or 4-1BB provide a potent method for engineering T cell cytotoxicity towards tumors. We describe a simple chimeric receptor based upon a killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) normally expressed by natural killer (NK) cells and T cells. Constructed by fusing a single chain variable fragment (scFv) to the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain of a KIR, we show that a KIR-based CAR targeting multiple tumor-related antigens triggers antigen-specific cytotoxic activity and cytokine production that is comparable to CD3ζ-based CARs with antigen-induced proliferation that is independent of additional costimulation. Using a solid tumor xenograft model that is highly resistant to CD3ζ-based CAR-targeted T cells, we further demonstrate that KIR-based CAR-targeted T cells can induce tumor regression despite in vivo persistence of CD3ζ-based CAR-modified T cells with CD28 and 4-1BB costimulatory domains. We show that the enhanced activity of the KIR-based CAR is associated with less tumor-induced T cell hypofunction that has previously been demonstrated with CD3ζ-based CARs. These data support the future clinical evaluation of a KIR-based CARs especially within solid tumors.
Georg Büchner, Dantons Tod and Woyzeck. Edited with Introduction and Notes by Margaret Jacobs: Manchester, England: Manchester University Press, 1954. xxxiv, Pp. 147. Wrappers 9s. 6d.

(1956). Georg Buchner, Dantons Tod and Woyzeck. Edited with Introduction and Notes by Margaret Jacobs. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 153-154.
Complex Dynamic Systems and Interlanguage Variability: Investigating Topic, Syntactic Complexity, and Accuracy in NS-NNS Written Interaction

Studies adopting a CDST framework have often fallen into one of two camps: those investigating variable linguistic subsystems (namely, CAF studies) and those concerned with non-linguistic variables displaying the characteristics of dynamic systems, with little concern for their connection to linguistic development. Examining asynchronous interactional data in an 8-week email exchange between a bilingual speaker of Spanish and English and an advanced Chinese learner of English, this study attempts to reconcile these two camps by exploring the extent to which syntactic complexity and article accuracy vary situationally as a function of topic and willingness to communicate (WTC) in L2 written performance over time and by investigating any potential relationships between complexity and accuracy. A qualitative, inductive analysis reveals that topic bears the characteristics of a dynamic system. The results also show that, for both the native speaker (NS) and non-native speaker (NNS), syntactic complexity, measured as subordinate clauses per T-unit and complex nominals per T-unit, varies situationally with topic, shifting not just over time but within a single email. As might be anticipated, article accuracy exhibits the typical instability of a dynamic system for the NNS but not for the NS, whose stable performance may reflect a permanent attractor state.
Kantian Agents and their Significant Others

Critics of Kant’s moral philosophy often object that his emphasis on individual autonomy makes him unable to account for our ‘second-personal’ or ‘bipolar’ duties. These are duties we owe to other people rather than duties we have with respect to them – as we might have duties with respect to the environment or works of art. With a recent and novel formulation of this objection as my foil, I argue that the apparent force of the ‘bipolarity’ objections rests on a failure to appreciate Kant’s inherently practical approach to ethics. On the positive side, reflection on criticisms of Kant’s treatment of ‘bipolar’ normativity helps to shed new light on his conception of practical agency and its place in his system of morals.
Animal Models of Multiple Sclerosis

To determine whether an immunological or pharmaceutical product has potential for therapy in treating multiple sclerosis (MS), detailed animal models are required. To date many animal models for human MS have been described in mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, marmosets, and rhesus monkeys. The most comprehensive studies have involved murine experimental allergic (or autoimmune) encephalomyelitis (EAE), Semliki Forest virus (SFV), mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), and Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV). Here, we describe in detail multispecies animal models of human MS, namely EAE, SFV, MHV, and TMEV, in addition to chemically induced demyelination. The validity and applicability of each of these models are critically evaluated.
Attention/Concentration Problems

Attention and concentration problems are among the most common behavior control difficulties exhibited by children and adolescents. Although attention problems typically are manifested across home, school, and community settings, these problems are most prominent in the classroom. Attention problems at school are represented by a variety of behaviors, including inconsistent completion of assigned seat-work, vision directed toward noninstructional activities (e.g., staring out the classroom window), and an inabililty to recall instruction and/or task directions. Among secondary school students, attention problems are manifested by poor organization skills such as not having appropriate materials for class, lack of homework completion, inconsistent and inefficient studying behavior, keeping an incomplete notebook, and failing test performance particularly on timed examinations. As a result, attention problems typically lead to impaired academic and social functioning (Barkley, 1990; DuPaul & Stoner, 1994).
Spin-phonon relaxation times in centrosymmetric materials from first principles

We present a first-principles approach for computing the phonon-limited ${T}_{1}$ spin relaxation time due to the Elliott-Yafet mechanism. Our scheme combines fully relativistic spin-flip electron-phonon interactions with an approach to compute the effective spin of band electrons in materials with inversion symmetry. We apply our method to silicon and diamond, for which we compute the temperature dependence of the spin relaxation times and analyze the contributions to spin relaxation from different phonons and valley processes. The computed spin relaxation times in silicon are in excellent agreement with experiment in the 50--300 K temperature range. In diamond, we predict intrinsic spin relaxation times of 540 $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ at 77 K and 2.3 $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ at 300 K. We show that the spin-flip and momentum relaxation mechanisms are governed by distinct microscopic processes. Our work enables precise predictions of spin-phonon relaxation times in a wide range of materials, providing microscopic insight into spin relaxation and guiding the development of spin-based quantum technologies.
Teaching Mineral-identification Skills Using an Expert System Computer Program Incorporating Digitized Video Images

The similarity of mineral classification keys to decision trees prompted us to develop an expert system (MINID) for the purpose of teaching novices mineral identification skills. MINID represents an advance over other computer packages for mineral identification because: 1) its knowledge base is separate from the program that acts on it, making it easy for a non-programmer to modify and add to the knowledge base, 2) users can ask for additional information concerning the questions posed and the reasoning used by the program, and 3) explanations and answers appear as text and high quality video images. Physical geology students preferred MINID with pictures over two other mineral identification aids (classification key and MINID without pictures). This is probably because the images enhanced their ability to recognize minerals. Students also reported that both versions of the MINID program forced them to more closely and systematically observe mineral properties. The shortcomings in MINID (both with and wi...
The cancer-associated variants of DNA polymerase beta have impaired dRP lyase activity and show differences in sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs.

5774 The purpose of this study is to determine if we can exploit the impaired activity of cancer-associated variants of DNA polymerase beta (pol β) in the use of chemotherapeutic drugs. Approximately 30% of human tumors characterized to date express pol β variant proteins. Pol β, a well-studied base excision repair protein, has two inherent catalytic activities, polymerase activity and dRP lyase activity. In our lab, we have previously shown that two of the pol β cancer-associated variants are polymerase active but act as sequence-specific mutators, and one of them binds to DNA but has no polymerase activity. In our recent study, we have chosen two variants that map within the 8kD amino terminal domain of pol β. This domain catalyzes the removal of deoxyribose phosphate during short patch base excision repair. The Leu22Pro (L22P) and Tyr39Cys (Y39C) pol β variants were identified in a gastric carcinoma. The L22P cancer-associated pol β variant has very little dRP lyase activity but retains its polymerase activity. The L22P variant has reduced DNA binding affinity and is deficient in base excision repair. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that alteration of Leu22 to Pro changes the local packing, and this in turn affects the shape of the binding pocket that is required for efficient dRP lyase catalysis. The Y39C pol β variant also has reduced dRP lyase activity compared to wild type (WT). Our in vivo data confirm that while expression of WT pol β in Pol β-deleted Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts (MEFs) increases resistance to the alkylating agent, MMS, expression of cancer-associated dRP lyase deficient L22P and Y39C variants results in sensitivity, suggesting a loss of base excision repair activity in vivo. . The chemotherapeutic drugs Cisplatin and Ara-C induce DNA damage in the cell. It has been shown in vitro that pol β effectively bypasses Cisplatin adducts and can incorporate the cytosine analog Ara-C into DNA. Therefore, we explored the possible influence of the expression of cancer associated dRP lyase deficient variants of pol β on cellular sensitivity to Cisplatin and Ara-C. Expression of L22P increases the sensitivity of cells to Cisplatin and Ara-C. Interestingly, the Y39C variant showed no differences compared to WT. We are now in the process of characterizing the drug sensitivity of several of the other pol β cancer- associated variants. Our initial findings suggest that the presence of different variants of pol β can result in differential sensitivity to cancer drugs. This indicates that repair deficiencies of tumors cells may be able to be exploited during chemotherapy.