cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing interaction of human plasma low-density lipoproteins with discoidal complexes of apolipoprotein A-I and phosphatidylcholine.

Abstract The effect of plasma components on the particle size distribution and chemical composition of human plasma low-density lipoproteins (LDL) during interaction with discoidal complexes of human apolipoprotein A-I and phosphatidylcholine (PC) was investigated. Incubation (37°C, 1 h and 6 h) of LDL with discoidal complexes in the presence of the plasma ultracentrifugal d > 1.20 g/ml fraction (activity of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase inhibited) produces an increase in LDL apparent particle diameter two-to six-fold greater than that observed in the absence of the plasma d > 1.20 g/ml fraction. In incubation mixtures of LDL and discoidal complexes, both in the presence and absence of the plasma d > 1.20 g/ml fraction, the extent of LDL apparent particle diameter increase is: (1) approximately three-fold greater at 6 h than at 1 h, and (2) markedly greater for LDL with initially small (22.4–24.0 nm) major components than for LDL with initially large (26.2–26.8 nm) major components. The facilitation factor in the plasma d > 1.20 g/ml fraction is not plasma phospholipid transfer protein. Purified human serum albumin produces an apparent particle diameter increase comparable to the plasma d > 1.20 g/ml fraction. The discoidal complex-induced increase in LDL apparent particle diameter value by albumin is associated with an increase in phospholipid uptake by LDL and a decreased loss of LDL unesterified cholesterol. In preliminary experiments, high-density lipoproteins (HDL) reverse the apparent particle diameter increase originally induced by discoidal complexes. The presence of HDL (HDL phospholipid/LDL phospholipid molar ratio of 10:1) in the incubation (6 h) mixture of LDL and discoidal complexes also attenuates LDL apparent particle diameter increase. In vivo, the plasma LDL /HDL ratio may be a controlling factor in determining the extent to which phospholipid uptake and the associated change in LDL particle size distribution occurs.
Effect of ionizing radiation on microsporogenesis in Pinus Rigida mill

Abstract A Cesium 137 (9500 c) source was placed in a natural pitch pine—oak forest at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Beginning on November 22, 1961, the forest was exposed to gamma rays during 20 hr each day. Pinus rigida trees were exposed to radiation levels ranging from a high of 960 r/day to a level of normal background radiation. Microsporangiate strobili were collected and evaluated at regular intervals to follow the effects of gamma radiation on the cytology of microsporogenesis. For comparison, mature pollens of Pinus rigida and Pinus strobus were exposed to acute γ radiation for a period of 16 hr from a Cobalt 60 source of approximately 3200 c at levels ranging from 1 to 300 kr. Trees receiving 82 r/day and higher from Cs 137 were unable to resume cell division and differentiation during the spring of 1962, while microspore mother cells were formed on trees receiving 75 r/day. At 56 r/day meiosis with susbequent formation of tetrads took place, and the highest level at which viable microspores were collected was 11 r/day. A slight reduction in the length of the strobili was observed at 0·4 r/day, and at 3·7 r/day they were significantly shorter than the controls. The percentage of cells with visible chromosome aberrations increased with an increase in exposure, e.g. 0·4 r/day=1 per cent; 7 r/day=2 per cent; 11 r/day=12 per cent; and 17 r/day=76 per cent. Pollen abortion increased with an increase in radiation, and at 7 r/day, approximately 50 per cent of the pollen grains were aborted. At 3 to 5 r/day, germination in vitro was reduced to 50 per cent of the controls. Pollen tube length was not related to exposure. Mature pollen of Pinus rigida and Pinus strobus produced normal pollen tubes in vitro after 16 hr exposure to 300 kr Co 60 radiation. Illustrations of the various observations are given, and the results are discussed in relation to physiological and genetic implications.
Effect of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Hepatic Plasma Membranes of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Time- and dose-dependent alterations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) ligand binding and protein kinase activity were observed in hepatic plasma membranes of TCDD-treated rainbow trout. Trout were dosed by a single ip injection of TCDD in a corn oil vehicle. A single ip injection of TCDD (10 μg TCDD/kg body wt) caused a maximal reduction of EGF binding to hepatic plasma membranes by 10 days post-treatment and remained reduced until Day 40. EROD activity in the liver microsomes of TCDD-treated trout increased relative to that in untreated fish over the course of the study. Protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase activity as well as EGF-receptor phosphorylation was greater in livers of treated fish than in those of control fish within 5 days but returned to control levels by 40 days postinjection. In a dose-response study. EGF binding was reduced in a dose-dependent manner with an ED50 of 0.17 μg TCDD/kg wet wt while EROD activity was induced with an ED50 of 0.79 μg TCDD/kg. The reduction in EGF binding was correlated to an increase in EROD activity, protein kinase C activity, and tyrosine kinase activity but was negatively correlated to EGF-receptor phosphorylation. Of the parameters examined in both the time-course and dose studies, protein kinase C was the best predictor of the reduction of EGF binding to hepatic plasma membranes of rainbow trout. The results from this study are consistent with the hypothesis that the mode of action of TCDD on the EGF receptor is in part mediated through the protein kinase C activity. It also suggests that the toxic mode of action of TCDD is similar in rainbow trout and mammals.
Effect of Moisture on the Contact between a Cylinder and a Parallel Plate

The problem of adhesion between a cylinder and a plate with a water bridge in between is solved exactly. The adhesive force needed to separate the cylinder and plate at constant volume of water or at constant humidity is shown to be different and both are unstable except for a small distance at constant volume. For large contact angles and constant volume of water the curvature of the water/air interface can change sign during separation. Increasing the contact angles between water and cylinder or between water and plate reduces the adhesive force. The adhesive force decreases with increasing humidity. The experiment, which used silicone oil instead of water, to keep volume constant, agrees with the calculations.
Beyond Technical Competence: Technologies in English Language Arts Teacher Education (A Response to Pope and Golub)

As I consider the issues that Pope and Golub (2000) bring up in their seminal discussion of “principles of technology infusion” I am reminded of an article I recently read in the Allegan County News, the weekly newspaper that serves my area. The article described the purchase of a new set of digital projectors for one of our high schools, and hailed in a bold pull-out quote, “The new system can also be used for designing and preparing Power Point presentations.” Supporting the article was a picture of a technology administrator in front of a screen with an image, pointing with a laser pointer. The tone of the piece was a familiar one to anyone who has ever played with technologies, both in the classroom and personally—excitement at what can be done with a new technological toy. The general message we were to take from the piece was “Wow! Look at the progress our small, rural school is making!” Even the title of the article reflected this belief that technologies will inherently improve the education of the students— “Fennville students receive the gift of technology.”
A two-dimensional electronically-steerable array antenna for target detection on ground

Target-detection with a proof-of-concept electronically-steerable array (ESA) antenna is demonstrated in this paper. First, the clutter level is investigated by using vertically- and horizontally-polarized electric fields. Two metallic cylinders with different sizes are subsequently used as targets and are characterized using standard 15-dBi horn antennas. The bigger cylinder reflects about 3 dB higher power than the smaller one. A 2×2 ESA antenna is designed, fabricated and tested for two-dimensional beam steering. Unlike standard horn antennas that exhibit no electronic steering, the 2×2 ESA is able to identify a target location by steering the beam angle from −40 to +40 degrees, when the target is placed at −25, 0, and +25 degrees. The reflected power from each target is 5 dB less when illuminated by the proof-of-concept 2×2 ESA than when illuminated by the standard horn antenna. This is due to the 5.2 dB gain difference between the two antennas. The findings of this work show the potential of ESAs in target detection technology.
Uroguanylin Is Expressed by Enterochromaffin Cells in the Rat Gastrointestinal Tract

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Guanylin and uroguanylin are recently discovered intestinal peptides. Identifying the type of cell that synthesizes and secretes each peptide is an important step toward defining their physiological functions. However, the site of uroguanylin expression has not been identified, and the site of guanylin expression remains controversial (some studies implicate goblet cells, whereas others implicate enterochromaffin cells). The aim of the present study was to identify cellular sites of uroguanylin expression in the rat gastrointestinal tract and resolve the guanylin localization controversy. METHODS: Polyclonal antibodies against two independent regions of the uroguanylin prohormone were raised and used to evaluate prouroguanylin expression by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. In parallel, uroguanylin mRNA was localized by in situ hybridization. RESULTS: Uroguanylin propeptide expression is high in proximal small intestine, low in stomach and distal small intestine, and almost undetectable in large intestine. Uroguanylin-expressing cells are identified as a subpopulation of enterochromaffin cells. CONCLUSIONS: Previous results showing guanylin expression in enterochromaffin cells appear to be a consequence of antibody cross-reactivity for epitopes conserved between proguanylin and prouroguanylin. Expression of uroguanylin in enterochromaffin cells is consistent with the hypothesis that uroguanylin is secreted both apically (into the lumen) and basolaterally (into the circulation). (Gastroenterology 1997 Sep;113(3):1007-14)
Material transfer controlled by elastomeric layer thickness

Transferring material components across substrates through the control of interfacial adhesion is important for electronics, biology and other fabrication processes. Here we show a transfer mechanism which controls adhesive force through the thickness of supported elastomeric substrates. This is experimentally demonstrated by transferring millimeter and centimeter scale wafers to progressively thinner substrates without any specific actuation, chemical treatment, or surface topography. We extend this methodology by selectively transferring objects with sub-surface patterns and demonstrate how thickness control can enable roll-to-roll material transfer processes. These experiments are supported by a theoretical model which demonstrates how this mechanism is governed by the geometric confinement of the interface, where adhesive force is increased by decreasing the thickness of the elastomeric substrate relative to the lateral dimension of the transferred object. This simple, glueless approach allows for the precise control of adhesive force capacity as well as a mechanism to greatly enhance adhesive strength.
Invasive Circuitry-Based Neurotherapeutics: Stereotactic Ablation and Deep Brain Stimulation for OCD

Psychiatric neurosurgery, specifically stereotactic ablation, has continued since the 1940s, mainly at a few centers in Europe and the US. Since the late 1990s, the resurgence of interest in this field has been remarkable; reports of both lesion procedures and the newer technique of deep brain stimulation (DBS) have increased rapidly. In early 2009, the US FDA granted limited humanitarian approval for DBS for otherwise intractable obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the first such approval for a psychiatric illness. Several factors explain the emergence of DBS and continued small-scale use of refined lesion procedures. DBS and stereotactic ablation have been successful and widely used for movement disorders. There remains an unmet clinical need: current drug and behavioral treatments offer limited benefit to some seriously ill people. Understandings of the neurocircuitry underlying psychopathology and the response to treatment, while still works in progress, are much enhanced. Here, we review modern lesion procedures and DBS for OCD in the context of neurocircuitry. A key issue is that clinical benefit can be obtained after surgeries targeting different brain structures. This fits well with anatomical models, in which circuits connecting orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), basal ganglia, and thalamus are central to OCD pathophysiology and treatment response. As in movement disorders, dedicated interdisciplinary teams, here led by psychiatrists, are required to implement these procedures and maintain care for patients so treated. Available data, although limited, support the promise of stereotactic ablation or DBS in carefully selected patients. Benefit in such cases appears not to be confined to obsessions and compulsions, but includes changes in affective state. Caution is imperative, and key issues in long-term management of psychiatric neurosurgery patients deserve focused attention. DBS and contemporary ablation also present different patterns of potential benefits and burdens. Translational research to elucidate how targeting specific nodes in putative OCD circuitry might lead to therapeutic gains is accelerating in tandem with clinical use.
Teaching Strategies: “They Just Won't Listen to Me”: A Teacher's Guide to Positive Behavioral Interventions

(2007). Teaching Strategies: “They Just Won't Listen to Me”: A Teacher's Guide to Positive Behavioral Interventions. Childhood Education: Vol. 84, No. 2, pp. 102-104.
Ethics for Business Lawyers Representing Start-Up Companies

Starting in the 1990’s, it became an increasingly common practice for lawyers - particularly Silicon Valley lawyers - to take an equity investment in the business ventures of their new clients. While the practice lulled somewhat in the aftermath of the burst of the dot.com bubble, it is becoming relevant again as the market for stocks of high-tech companies has been gaining strength in the wake of the economic recovery from the recent Great Recession. This Essay explores the ethical issues as well as the general business considerations that arise in connection with the practice of taking stock in lieu of payment of legal fees in cash, which has long been the traditional billing practice for legal services. For reasons that are described in detail in this Essay, many academics and experienced venture capital lawyers believe that taking stock in a client presents significant potential to strengthen the lawyer’s relationship with the new business client. At the other end of the spectrum, there are others within the legal community (both academics and practicing lawyers) who just as strongly believe that these equity investment arrangements significantly undermine time-honored ideals that have long guided the legal profession in determining how corporate lawyers should go about fulfilling the ethical and fiduciary obligations that they owe to their business clients. This Essay describes the advantages and disadvantages of these equity fee arrangements in order to address the fundamental public policy concerns presented by the growing practice of taking stock in payment of legal fees - namely, whether this practice serves the client’s best interests, and separately, whether these arrangements also serve the best interests of the legal profession.
A temporal and spatial scaling hypothesis for the behavioral effects of psychostimulants.

A variety of psychoactive substances (amphetamine, nicotine, scopolamine, apomorphine, lisuride, and MDMA) were tested to examine whether a proposed scaling hypothesis is appropriate for the description of the amount and the structure of rat locomotor paths recorded in the Behavioral Pattern Monitor (BPM). The analytical approach was based on the assumption that the scaling behavior of a few collective variables may characterize sufficiently changes in the animal's behavior induced by different drugs. The temporal scaling exponent α, describing the ratio of fast to slow responses in the BPM, sensitively reflected the different stimulant properties of the substances. The spatial scaling exponentd, which relates the average pathlength to the resolution used to measure consecutive responses, was found to discriminate substances that had been separated previously via qualitative descriptions. Several behavioral response categories emerged from comparisons of the locations of different drugs on a two-dimensionald-α plane. Scopolamine, MDMA, lisuride, and high doses of apomorphine increased α while decreasingd, whereas amphetamine, nicotine, and caffeine produced an increased α with no change or an increase ind. Stereotypies could be identified on the opposite ends of the spatial scaling exponent scale and were interpreted as reflecting two kinds of perseveration. These results suggest that scaling approaches can be used to assess quantitatively the state of the animal based on its locomotor behavior and that the exponents can serve as collective variables providing a macroscopic description based on the microscopic elements of behavior.
Applications of adaptive control to machine tool process control

Recent research in the area of adaptive machine tool process control is described. The process control problem in metal-cutting operations is considered, and the problems of online tool wear estimation and adaptive process control are discussed. Research in these areas is then summarized, and some results from the research of the authors, including recent laboratory experiments, are presented. Two adaptive control systems, one for turning and the other for milling processes, are described. >
Obstructive sleep-disordered breathing in children: new controversies, new directions

Although it may seem that confusion and uncertainty reign in the field of pediatric sleep medicine, the recent realizations that the scope of childhood SDB is wider, the symptomatology is broader, and the prevalence is higher than previously believed are major advances. Likewise, recent acknowledgment of the lack of true "gold standards" for diagnosing UARS and OSAS in children is also a major advancement in this field. Critical assessment of the current "state of the art" by the 2002 AAP Technical Report on the Diagnosis and Management of Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome [37] is another major advance that sets the stage for the next steps. The field needs an evidence-based definitions conference, standardization of definitions across all research studies, and much more research on clinical features, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the "new" obstructive SDB, including the full range of morbidity caused by increased upper airway resistance. This should include further inquiry into the origins of adult morbidity that resulted from childhood SDB and how it can be prevented.
Two threshold resist models for optical proximity correction

There have been several kinds of resist model proposed for optical proximity correction. The simplest one is the constant threshold resist model. By this method, only area with intensity above a certain threshold value would be developed. Unfortunately, the constant threshold resist model is too simplified to accurately describe the entire resist processes. To solve this problem, variable threshold resist models were proposed thereafter. The printed resist edge is characterized in terms of the aerial image properties, such as intensity, intensity slope and so forth. More parameters and freedoms are required to describe the complicated chemical reactions of the resist during exposure and development processes. However, the computation time for OPC would increase significantly due to the supplementary calculation of the extra aerial image properties. In this paper, the dual model of constant threshold was proposed to enhance the accuracy of constant threshold resist models. Two constant threshold resist models were determined by model fitting process based on different types of pattern structures. During the correction, one-dimensional and two-dimensional edges are identified first and different constant-threshold models were applied for simulation. Good corrections on both of the one-dimensional line/space widths and two-dimensional line-ends could be achieved. The simulation results were also compared with experimental data.
Pose-Free Structure From Motion Using Depth From Motion Constraints

Structure from motion (SFM) is the problem of recovering the geometry of a scene from a stream of images taken from unknown viewpoints. One popular approach to estimate the geometry of a scene is to track scene features on several images and reconstruct their position in 3-D. During this process, the unknown camera pose must also be recovered. Unfortunately, recovering the pose can be an ill-conditioned problem which, in turn, can make the SFM problem difficult to solve accurately. We propose an alternative formulation of the SFM problem with fixed internal camera parameters known a priori. In this formulation, obtained by algebraic variable elimination, the external camera pose parameters do not appear. As a result, the problem is better conditioned in addition to involving much fewer variables. Variable elimination is done in three steps. First, we take the standard SFM equations in projective coordinates and eliminate the camera orientations from the equations. We then further eliminate the camera center positions. Finally, we also eliminate all 3-D point positions coordinates, except for their depths with respect to the camera center, thus obtaining a set of simple polynomial equations of degree two and three. We show that, when there are merely a few points and pictures, these “depth-only equations” can be solved in a global fashion using homotopy methods. We also show that, in general, these same equations can be used to formulate a pose-free cost function to refine SFM solutions in a way that is more accurate than by minimizing the total reprojection error, as done when using the bundle adjustment method. The generalization of our approach to the case of varying internal camera parameters is briefly discussed.
Learning Disabilities in Children with Very Low Birthweight: Prevalence, Neuropsychological Correlates, and Educational Interventions

This study examined achievement, neuropsychological, and intervention outcomes at a mean age of 11 years in children with very low birthweight (VLBW, < 1,500 g) compared with a term-born control group. To assess the prevalence and correlates of specific learning disabilities (LD), the sample was limited to children without neurosensory disorders who had at least low average IQ. Participants included 31 children with < 750 g birthweight, 41 with 750—1,499 g birthweight, and 52 controls. The < 750 g group obtained lower scores in math, IQ, and perceptual—organizational skills than the term-born group. The < 750 g group also had higher rates of past and present LD than the controls. Despite these differences, the groups did not differ significantly in rates of special education or tutorial/remedial assistance. These findings suggest that children with extremely low birthweight without gross physical or intellectual impairments are at higher risk for LD and cognitive deficiencies than their term-born peers an...
Identification of genes subject to positive selection in uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli: A comparative genomics approach

Escherichia coli is a model laboratory bacterium, a species that is widely distributed in the environment, as well as a mutualist and pathogen in its human hosts. As such, E. coli represents an attractive organism to study how environment impacts microbial genome structure and function. Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) must adapt to life in several microbial communities in the human body, and has a complex life cycle in the bladder when it causes acute or recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI). Several studies designed to identify virulence factors have focused on genes that are uniquely represented in UPEC strains, whereas the role of genes that are common to all E. coli has received much less attention. Here we describe the complete 5,065,741-bp genome sequence of a UPEC strain recovered from a patient with an acute bladder infection and compare it with six other finished E. coli genome sequences. We searched 3,470 ortholog sets for genes that are under positive selection only in UPEC strains. Our maximum likelihood-based analysis yielded 29 genes involved in various aspects of cell surface structure, DNA metabolism, nutrient acquisition, and UTI. These results were validated by resequencing a subset of the 29 genes in a panel of 50 urinary, periurethral, and rectal E. coli isolates from patients with UTI. These studies outline a computational approach that may be broadly applicable for studying strain-specific adaptation and pathogenesis in other bacteria.
Defining feasible bounds on muscle activation in a redundant biomechanical task: Practical implications of redundancy

Measured muscle activation patterns often vary significantly from musculoskeletal model predictions that use optimization to resolve redundancy. Although experimental muscle activity exhibits both inter- and intra-subject variability we lack adequate tools to quantify the biomechanical latitude that the nervous system has when selecting muscle activation patterns. Here, we identified feasible ranges of individual muscle activity during force production in a musculoskeletal model to quantify the degree to which biomechanical redundancy allows for variability in muscle activation patterns. In a detailed cat hindlimb model matched to the posture of three cats, we identified the lower and upper bounds on muscle activity in each of 31 muscles during static endpoint force production across different force directions and magnitudes. Feasible ranges of muscle activation were relatively unconstrained across force magnitudes such that only a few (0–13%) muscles were found to be truly ‘‘necessary’’ (e.g. exhibited non-zero lower bounds) at physiological force ranges. Most of the muscles were ‘‘optional’’, having zero lower bounds, and frequently had ‘‘maximal’’ upper bounds as well. Moreover, ‘‘optional’’ muscles were never selected by optimization methods that either minimized muscle stress, or that scaled the pattern required for maximum force generation. Therefore, biomechanical constraints were generally insufficient to restrict or specify muscle activation levels for producing a force in a given direction, and many muscle patterns exist that could deviate substantially from one another but still achieve the task. Our approach could be extended to identify the feasible limits of variability in muscle activation patterns in dynamic tasks such as walking.
Pressure, Waves, and Kidney Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Donors and Recipients

Chronic kidney disease is a major public health problem in the United States.1 Recent observations indicate that nearly 20 million adult Americans have some degree of chronic kidney disease and that the majority are not those with end-stage disease but have various stages of milder degrees of kidney damage.2 However, for those with kidney disease not on dialysis (or transplanted), the risk for progression of kidney disease to end stage is markedly increased; moreover, these individuals are at very high risk for nonrenal cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and sudden death. Several recent studies indicate that chronic kidney disease is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and this relationship is graded, continuous, and inversely related to the level of estimated glomerular filtration rate.3–5 Still, it is not yet known whether chronic kidney disease is simply a marker of underlying serious cardiovascular disease or whether the kidney disease itself contributes the risk, perhaps through accumulation of unwanted (detrimental) metabolites, the presence of a uremic milieu, or through known risk factors, such as hypertension. Both hypertension and diabetes are major risk factors for the development and progression of kidney disease; other factors related to cardiovascular health have also been implicated, including homocysteine, abnormal calcium phosphorus metabolism, chronic inflammation, anemia, and oxidative stress.6 Renal transplantation is currently the optimal treatment for end-stage kidney disease and is associated with improved quality of life, as well as survival advantage, as compared with any chronic dialysis modality.7 Living donor kidney transplantation has increased dramatically in the past several years as the shortage of organs, especially from cadaver donors, has sharply limited the ability to fulfill the needs of those on transplant waiting lists.8 Living donor transplants, whether or not from related individuals (eg, …
A CAD system for the design of digital filter algorithms for the reduced-instruction set digital signal processor RISP

A set of dedicated CAD (computer-aided-design) programs is described. The programs allow the top-down design from filter specification to a lattice wave digital filter (LWDF) implementation on the DSP (digital signal processing) architecture RISP. The CAD tools support the design of low-pass, high-pass, elliptical, Butterworth, or bireciprocal LWDFs, optimization of coefficients, transformation of the LWDF signal flow diagram into an assembler program, translation into a machine program for RISP, and simulation in order to emphasize analysis of output sequences. Eight different filter examples have been designed and analyzed with this CAD system. These examples successfully demonstrate the correctness of the RlSP architecture and the efficiency of the specialized CAD system for the design of IIR (infinite impulse response) filters for RISP. >
A thermal process control laboratory

Thermal systems are an important segment of engineering design, but practical, realistic laboratory models are not plentiful. There are some educational oriented systems models, but these are expensive and typically the design details of the machine are not furnished with the purchase of the equipment, making deviation from the original intent of the equipment difficult. This paper describes the development of a small, portable, and inexpensive system that allows students a wide range of educational experiences. Students may study the overall design and construction of the system, selection and cost of components, and the effect of different control schemes. The laboratory apparatus is built around an industry standard, low cost PLC. The control scheme may be changed from a simple OFF-ON control to a PID loop by a software routine on the PLC. Heating and sensing devices are those used typically in plastics manufacturing equipment and the controlled device may be varied to simulate the effect of process conditions and raw material on the thermal control system. Data logging is available to allow students to record and observe the system effect of process changes. The apparatus may be fabricated at a low cost (under $500), is small in size and portable, and may be powered from available single phase AC voltage. This has important implications in programs where lab space or funding is an issue, and also may be integrated into distance education programs. Examples of integration into courses are addressed.
Transcription factor regulation of CD8+ T-cell memory and exhaustion

During an infection, antigen-specific CD8+ T cells undergo numerous cellular and transcriptional changes as they develop from naive T cells into effector and memory cells. However, when the antigen persists in a chronic infection, the cellular programs governing effector and memory development are influenced by chronic stimulation, and dysfunctional or exhausted CD8+ T cells are generated. Recently, exhausted CD8+ T cells were found to differ dramatically from naive and functional memory CD8+ T cells on a transcriptional level, demonstrating that exposure to chronic antigen can impact T cells at a fundamental level. While transcriptional changes in CD8+ T cells during memory development is currently a topic of particular interest, the transcriptional changes related to exhaustion and other forms of T-cell dysfunction have received less attention. New computational methods are not only uncovering important transcription factors in these developmental processes but are also going further to define and connect these transcription factors into transcriptional modules that work in parallel to control cell fate and state. Understanding the molecular processes behind the development of CD8+ T-cell memory and exhaustion should not only increase our understanding of the immune system but also could reveal therapeutic targets and treatments for infectious and immunological diseases. Here, we provide a basic overview of acute and chronic viral infections and the transcription factors known to influence the development of virus-specific T cells in both settings. We also discuss recent innovations in genomic and computational tools that could be used to enhance the way we understand the development of T-cell responses to infectious disease.
A necessary condition for the existence of a circuit of any specified length

A necessary condition for the existence of a circuit of any specified length in a connected planar graph is developed and several applications of this result are given. This necessary condition is a direct generalization of the Kosyrev-Grinberg condition for the existence of a Hamiltonian circuit in a planar graph.
Grade Expectations: Informed or Uninformed Optimism, or Both?

We investigated optimistic grade expectations among 258 college students from 2 contrasting perspectives: optimism as uninformed wishfulness and as an informed aspirational judgment. Results revealed considerable grade optimism; most students (70%) overestimated an average of 1 full grade. Grade expectations moderately predicted final grade but not course effort after adjusting for cumulative grade point average (GPA). Grade optimism and predictive accuracy differed as a function of GPA. For most students (upper two thirds on GPA), grade expectations accurately predicted performance, suggesting a mixture of self-knowledge and realistic aspirations, or informed optimism. For less accomplished students, grade optimism may be more uninformed wishfulness, the solution to which may be student skill improvement.
Hydrothermal Growth and Properties of KBe2BO3F2 (KBBF) and RbBe2BO3F2 (RBBF) Single Crystals

Centimeter-size KBBF and RBBF single crystals have been grown hydrothermally for NLO applications. Second harmonic generation of 800 nm fundamental light has been demonstrated using both KBBF and RBBF in preliminary studies.
Tuberculous pleurisy drives marked effector responses of γδ, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell subpopulations in humans

Although tuberculous pleurisy (TP) presumably involves a hypersensitivity reaction, there is limited evidence indicating overreactive effector responses of γδ T cells and αβ T cells and their interrelation with Foxp3(+) Tregs in pleural and other compartments. We found that TP induced reciprocal representations of Foxp3(+) Tregs and Mtb phosphoantigen-specific Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in different anatomic compartments. Patients with TP exhibited appreciable numbers of "proliferating" Ki-67(+) Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in the airway where Foxp3(+) Tregs were not dominant, whereas striking increases in Foxp3(+) Tregs in the blood and pleural compartments coincided with low frequencies of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells. Interestingly, anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy control of Mtb infection in patients with TP reversed reciprocal representations of Foxp3(+) Tregs and proliferating Vγ2Vδ2 T cells. Surprisingly, despite high-level Foxp3(+) Tregs, TP appeared to drive overreactive responses of IFN-γ-producing Vγ2Vδ2, CD4(+)CD25(+), and CD8(+)CD25(+) T effector subpopulations, whereas IL-22-producing Vγ2Vδ2 T cells increased subtly. Th1 effector responses were sustained despite remarkable declines in Foxp3(+) Tregs at 1 mo after the treatment. Overreactive T effector responses of Mtb-reactive γδ T cells, αβ CD25(+)CD4(+), and CD25(+)CD8(+) T cell subpopulations appear to be immune features for TP. Increased Foxp3(+) Tregs might be responsive to overreactive TP but unable to influence T effector responses despite having an inverse relation with proliferating Vγ2Vδ2 T cells.
Principles of food dehydration

The basic principles involved in the food dehydration are reviewed. Major emphasis is placed on types of water held in foods, heat of vaporization of water in food product, equilibrium moisture and water activity relationship and dehydration rate mechanism.
Exploring the Development of Spatial Skills in a Video Game

This document gives an overview of my current research project investigating how children develop spatial reasoning skills through video game training. I describe the motivation and goals of the project and the progress made so far.
Influence of Tillage on Survivorship of Cereal Leaf Beetle and Its Larval Parasites, Tetrastichus julis and Lemophagus curtus

Plowing and disking were found to have adverse effects on survivorship of Tetrastichus julis, Lemophagus curtus , and the cereal leaf beetle (CLB), Oulema melanopus (L.). T. julis showed mortalities of 92.4 and 89.0% due to tillage. L. curtus mortalities were 100 and 88.9% and CLB mortalities were 100 and 93.8%. The mortality of T. julis and CLB appeared to increase as the depth of the pupal cells in the soil increased.
Computation of crossing glancing shocks - Turbulent boundary layer interaction with bleed

A 3-D viscous flow analysis is performed for a configuration where two crossing and glancing shocks interact with a turbulent boundary layer with bleed. A time-marching Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes code, NPARC, is used to compute the flow field and the results are compared with experimental data obtained earlier in the NASA Lewis Research center 1 ft X 1 ft supersonic wind tunnel facility. A detailed comparison of Pilot pressure surveys as well as surface static pressure distributions for configurations with and without bleed is made in an effort to assess the predictive capability of the code for supersonic and hypersonic inlet applications.
Delamination of Compressively Loaded Composite Laminates in the Context of Design

This work examines the mechanics of delamination of compressively loaded laminates in the context of design. In particular the paper deals with four distinct issues: (i) Robustness of alternative techniques to the evaluation of the &rain energy release rate, including mode separation. These techniques include: the J-integral, crack closure integrals, and the direct method, which involves integration of the load- end compression relationship. In addition, a new displacement based method for the computation of modal contributions to G is presented. (ii) Evaluation of multiple delaminationa as a scenario in design. If there exists an adverse interaction, which can reduce the load carrying capacity of the laminate, it may be necessary to account for this interaction in design. Parallel and series delaminations are considered. (iii) Interaction of material damage and delamination growth for design computations. For the most part, these effects have been treated as independent in the literature, due to the complexity of the interaction. Thus we attempt to assess the effect of the interaction of material degradation on delamination buckling and growth for homogeneous and crossply laminates. (iv) Delamination growth criteria. A simple criterion was considered, and results obtained are compared to those of an experimental program.
Real-Time Movies of Neuronal Activity by Imaging Intrinsic Changes in Optical Birefringence

Changes in birefringence are intrinsic in axons, providing a noninvasive, fast method for detecting neuronal activity without cytotoxic agents. We demonstrate for the first time a 'real-time' imaging of nerve impulse propagation using these signals.
Germline Defects Caused by Smed-boule RNA-Interference Reveal That Egg Capsule Deposition Occurs Independently of Fertilization, Ovulation, Mating, or the Presence of Gametes in Planarian Flatworms

Few animals are known to lay eggs in the absence of ovulation or copulation, as it is presumably energetically wasteful and subjected to negative selection. Characterization of Smed-boule, a member of the DAZ family of germline RNA-binding proteins, revealed that egg capsule (or capsule) production and deposition occurs independently of the presence of gametes in the planarian flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea. Reduction of Smed-boule expression by RNA-interference (RNAi) causes ablation of spermatogonial stem cells and the inability of ovarian germline stem cells to undergo oogenesis. Although animals subjected to Smed-boule RNAi lose their gametes and become sterile, they continue to lay egg capsules. Production of sterile capsules is even observed in virgin Smed-boule(RNAi) and control planarians maintained in complete isolation, demonstrating that egg production in S. mediterranea occurs independently of ovulation, fertilization, or mating. Evidence suggests that this is a conserved feature amongst Platyhelminthes, and therefore relevant to the pathology and dissemination of parasitic flatworms. These findings demonstrate that Smed-boule functions at different stages during male and female germline stem cell development, and also demonstrate that egg capsule production by planarian flatworms occurs independently of signals produced by mating or ova.
Countering Denial and Deception

In this chapter we explore cyber-counterdeception (cyber-CD), what it is, how it works, and how to incorporate it into cyber defenses. We review existing theories and techniques of counterdeception and adapt them for usage by cyber defenders in conjunction with their deception chains and deception campaigns. In so doing we present a cyber-CD process model, then apply it to the Mandiant APT1 case. Our goal is to suggest how cyber defenders can use cyber-CD, in conjunction with defensive cyber-D&D campaigns, to detect and counter cyber attackers.
Increased macrophage colony-stimulating factor levels in immune thrombocytopenic purpura

Thrombocytopenia is a dose-limiting toxicity of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) in preclinical and initial phase I trials. Modulation of macrophage-mediated platelet destruction in immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) may be affected by M-CSF activity. In this study, plasma levels of M-CSF were determined by a sensitive radioimmunoassay in 23 patients with ITP. These were compared with control levels measured in 24 healthy subjects. M-CSF levels were significantly higher in the ITP patients than in the control subjects (218 v 179, P 25,000/microL) had normal levels (median = 173 U/mL). Sixteen patients were treated with corticosteroids: 10 responded and 6 did not. Median M-CSF levels were higher in those who failed to respond compared with responders (272 v 202, P < .05). These findings suggest M-CSF may influence macrophage-mediated platelet destruction in ITP.
Identifying the Presence of Ineffective Leadership in Libraries

This article discusses the systematic identification of ineffective leadership. Various elements of ineffective leadership in libraries are indentified. Discussions of values, ethics, stakeholder theory and institutional thinking are presented, as well as strategies for coping with ineffective leadership and bringing about positive change in the library.
Sequelae of experimental dislocation of a weight-bearing ball- and socket joint in a young growing animal; gross alterations in bone and cartilage.

As a consequence of experimental dislocation of the hip in puppies three to five weeks old, the following changes were observed: (1) acetabular dysplasia as early as four weeks following dislocation; (2) progressive dysplasia to the point of an unrecognizable acetabulum at the time of maturity; (3) nornmal acetabular development following experimental dislocation and immediate relocation: (4) pronounced changes in the head and neck of the femur, manifested by varus deformity of the neck, flattening of the head, and some reduction in the angle of anteversion of the neck; and (5) no abnormalities in the head and neck in the dislocated hips in which the femora were relocated.
What Would a Republican Win Mean for Health Policy

Donald Trump supports some common GOP proposals, such as expanding the availability of health savings accounts and turning Medicaid into block grants. But if the election results in a split Congress, will Republicans be willing to work to “fix” the Affordable Care Act?
Patterns of ancient animal use at El Mirador: evidence for subsistence, ceremony and exchange

El Mirador is among the largest Preclassic settlements in the Maya lowlands. The site has attracted attention due to its size and antiquity, but also for its location within a region containing few perennial water sources such as lakes and rivers. This report presents a preliminary and largely descriptive analysis of faunal remains recovered during early excavation of the site between 1978 and 1983. The zooarchaeological assemblage provides baseline information regarding past patterns of animal use, acquisition and exchange at El Mirador that may be compared with other Preclassic faunal assemblages from across the Maya lowlands. Intra-site temporal comparisons are also drawn between animal use during the site’s primary Late Preclassic occupation, and a less extensive period of settlement during the Classic Period. Keywords: El Mirador , Maya Preclassic, Guatemala, Zooarchaeology Resumen: El Mirador es uno de los mayores asentamientos Preclasicos de las tierras bajas maya. El yacimiento atrajo la atencion debido a su tamano y antiguedad asi como por su localizacion en una region con escasas fuentes de agua perenne como lagos y rios. Este informe refiere un analisis preliminar y, en gran medida descriptivo, de los restos faunisticos recuperados durante las primeras excavaciones llevadas a cabo entre 1978 y 1983. La muestra zooarqueologica proporciona informacion de base referida a antiguos patrones de aprovechamiento e intercambio de animales en El Mirador . Estos pueden asi ser comparados con otros conjuntos faunisticos Preclasicos de las tierras bajas maya. Comparaciones diacronicas dentro del yacimiento se infieren tambien de los usos animales en el bloque de la ocupacion del Preclasico Tardio y un momento de menor entidad del yacimiento que se corresponde con el periodo Clasico. Palabras clave: El Mirador , Maya, Preclasico, Guatemala, Zooarqueologia
Efficient remainder rule

Understanding the solution of a problem may require the reader to have background knowledge on the subject. For instance, finding an integer which, when divided by a nonzero integer leaves a remainder; but when divided by another nonzero integer may leave a different remainder. To find a smallest positive integer or a set of integers following the given conditions, one may need to understand the concept of modulo arithmetic in number theory. The Chinese Remainder Theorem is a known method to solve these types of problems using modulo arithmetic. In this paper, an efficient remainder rule has been proposed based on basic mathematical concepts. These core concepts are as follows: basic remainder rules of divisions, linear equation in slope intercept form, arithmetic progression and the use of a graphing calculator. These are easily understood by students who have taken prealgebra or intermediate algebra.