cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Academic and school health issues among children exposed to maternal intimate partner abuse

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between children's exposure to maternal intimate partner violence (IPV) and academic problems and school health concerns. DESIGN: The study population consisted of 153 children aged 5 to 16 years who attended public school and whose mothers experienced police- or court-reported IPV. The comparison group consisted of public school peers of the exposed children. Generalized linear modeling using a binomial distribution and log-link function served as the primary method of analysis. SETTING: Urban public school district. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The occurrence of academic problems and type-specific school nurse visits during the 1-year study period. RESULTS: Children whose mothers experienced IPV were more likely to be suspended from school (relative risk [RR], 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-1.7) and to have had frequent non-suspension-related absences (RR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.0-2.3) than comparison children after adjusting for relevant confounders. Intimate partner violence-exposed children were more likely to have a school nurse visit for social or emotional complaints (RR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3-3.9), a visit that resulted in being sent home from school (RR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3), or a visit that led to referral to the school speech pathologist (RR, 7.5; 95% CI, 1.9-29.6) relative to comparison schoolchildren after adjusting for relevant confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Children's exposure to maternal IPV is significantly associated with the occurrence of academic problems and school health concerns. Describing the increased risk of the academic and health problems exhibited by IPV-exposed children relative to nonexposed children offers the possibility of improving the likelihood that clinicians will identify the woman who experienced abuse and her children, and promote referral to appropriate resources. Language: en
On the construction of sample paths of discrete event systems in parallel

Considers the problem of using observations of a given discrete event system for constructing sample paths of alternative discrete event systems. The author formulates the problem in the setting of generalized semi-Markov schemes. The author views the system as an input-output system, where the input is a sequence of event lifetimes, and the output is the resulting sequence of states, events, and transition epochs. The system is observed via an observation map. The author addresses the problem from the point of view of inversion, defined as the extraction of event lifetimes from observations of the output. The extracted event lifetimes are used to drive parallel simulations of alternative systems, thereby generating multiple sample paths simultaneously. The author discusses necessary and sufficient conditions for invertibility of the system. The author also considers the problem of implementing his inversion algorithm in parallel, by decomposition of the state transition structure. >
Exposure of Health Care Workers to Aerosolized Pentamidine

In patients, urinary levels of pentamidine have been shown to reflect pulmonary deposition of aerosolized drug. Using urinary levels and air filter samples, we assessed factors responsible for health care worker (HCW) exposure. We measured serial urine samples in HCWs who administered aerosol pentamidine over an 11-month period and compared them with serial urine levels measured over 30 days in a normal volunteer in whose lungs a known amount of pentamidine (3.39 mg) had been deposited. Ambient exposure to pentamidine was determined by continuous high volume air sampling in the treatment room during routine therapy. In addition, the amount of pentamidine released by six HIV-positive subjects, performing tidal breathing with a Respirgard II nebulizer in an airtight booth, was measured by extracting air from the booth through a filter. The effect of adding noseclips, of coughing (with nebulizer shut down), and of removing the nebulizer from the patient's mouth without turning it off, were determined. Pentamidine in the urine of the normal volunteer reached a peak concentration of 9.5 ng/mg creatinine/ml and was detectable for 30 days following the exposure. In HCWs, pentamidine was detected intermittently in four of five individuals with levels as high as 18.2 ng/mg creatinine/ml. Samples of ambient treatment room air indicated small daily releases of pentamidine (0.013 ± 0.02 mg per patient treated), but simultaneous urine levels in HCWs were negative. The data from the airtight booth revealed that removing the nebulizer from a patient's mouth without turning it off caused a 360-fold increase in pentamidine release compared to tidal breathing. Coughing resulted in a 6.9 (range 0.9–14.2)-fold increase in release, while the addition of noseclips had no significant effect. The pattern of intermittently positive urine tests and the low levels of ambient pentamidine detected in the air of the treatment room suggest that HCWs are being exposed to episodic but high concentrations of pentamidine. High level exposure is most likely to occur during treatment interruptions which are usually precipitated by coughing episodes. Because of the intermittent pattern of exposure and slow clearance of pentamidine, urine assay is useful for detecting high intermittent exposure. Random air sampling is a sensitive indicator of low level exposures but may not detect episodic high level releases.
B7-CD28 interaction promotes proliferation and survival but suppresses differentiation of CD4-CD8- T cells in the thymus

Costimulatory molecules play critical roles in the induction and effector function of T cells. More recent studies reveal that costimulatory molecules enhance clonal deletion of autoreactive T cells as well as generation and homeostasis of the CD25(+)CD4(+) regulatory T cells. However, it is unclear whether the costimulatory molecules play any role in the proliferation and differentiation of T cells before they acquire MHC-restricted TCR. In this study, we report that targeted mutations of B7-1 and B7-2 substantially reduce the proliferation and survival of CD4(-)CD8(-) (double-negative (DN)) T cells in the thymus. Perhaps as a result of reduced proliferation, the accumulation of RAG-2 protein in the DN thymocytes is increased in B7-deficient mice, which may explain the increased expression of TCR gene and accelerated transition of CD25(+)CD44(-) (DN3) to CD25(-)CD44(-) (DN4) stage. Qualitatively similar, but quantitatively less striking effects were observed in mice with a targeted mutation of CD28, but not CTLA4. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the development of DN in the thymus is subject to modulation by the B7-CD28 costimulatory pathway.
Addition of sertraline to other therapies to reduce dialysis-associated hypotension.

SUMMARY: Sertraline has shown promise in the treatment of dialysis-associated hypotension (DAH) in a limited number of end-stage renal disease patients. We undertook a study to evaluate the effect of adding sertraline to other therapies for patients with documented DAH. We also measured the effect of sertraline on intradialytic haemodynamics. We used the ultrasound dilution technique (HD01 monitor) to measure cardiac output (CO), central blood volume (CBV) and peripheral vascular resistance (PVR) in these patients. The study was performed in two phases. Phase 1 was a control, while the second phase consisted of treatment with sertraline (50 mg/day). Cardiac output and central blood volume were measured 30 min following the initiation of dialysis and 30 min prior to the termination of dialysis. Blood pressure (BP) was monitored during haemodynamic measurements and throughout dialysis. Eighteen patients with documented DAH completed the study. Cardiac output, CBV and PVR were no different in the sertraline phase as compared with the control phase. The declines in systolic BP, diastolic BP and mean arterial pressures from pre-haemodialysis (HD) to lowest intradialytic and pre-HD to post-HD were not significantly different for the sertraline phase versus the control phase. In conclusion, it appears that sertraline has no additive effect on intradialytic haemodynamics to improve blood pressure in patients with DAH who are under therapy (with sodium modelling, cool dialysate and midodrine).
Graphics performance analysis using Amdahl's law

The performance analysis of graphics processors is important for designing future graphics processors. The analysis can help graphics hardware vendors to compare and analyze performance on different benchmarks, as well as help fine tune current architectures to achieve higher performance. In this paper, we discuss a performance analysis model for graphics processors using Amdahl's law regression method. We present a performance analysis method for different graphics vendors using industry standard benchmarks such as 3DMarkVantage [1] and Crysis game [2]. In particular, we analyze performance from a measured baseline to different core and memory frequencies, as well as different number of shaders, for different discrete graphics cards on a given benchmark. The goal is to achieve performance analysis results with an acceptable error difference (<10%) between predicted and measured performance data.
Siglec-6 Expression Is Increased in Placentas From Pregnancies Complicated by Preterm Preeclampsia:

Sialic acid immunoglobulin–like lectin (Siglec)-6 is a transmembrane receptor that binds sialyl-TN glycans and leptin. Among eutherian mammals, only human placentas express Siglec-6. Previous work has implicated Siglec-6 in preeclampsia (PE). Preeclampsia, a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, is characterized by placental abnormalities. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of Siglec-6 protein expression during human pregnancy by disease state (PE), biologic compartment (basal plate, chorionic villi, or maternal plasma), gestational age (24-41 weeks), and labor status. Siglec-6 protein was increased in both the basal plate and chorionic villi of preterm PE placentas (P < .05). However, expression did not differ at term by disease state, compartment, or labor status. Siglec-6 was not detectable in maternal serum. Overexpression of Siglec-6 protein in preterm PE placentas may contribute to or represent a response to PE pathogenesis and suggests that preterm PE pathogenesis is distinct from term PE.
2‐Chloromethyl‐3‐trimethylsilyl‐1‐propene

[18388-03-9] C7H15ClSi (MW 162.73) InChI = 1S/C7H15ClSi/c1-7(5-8)6-9(2,3)4/h1,5-6H2,2-4H3 InChIKey = CQXWCEVXNRHUSQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N (bifunctional electrophilic and nucleophilic reagent displaying reactions characteristic of both allylsilanes and allyl halides; useful for exomethylene annulation reactions) Physical Data: bp 162–163 °C/768 mmHg; d 0.899 g cm−3; n 1.4540. Solubility: insol water; miscible with organic solvents. Form Supplied in: colorless liquid; commercially available. Analysis of Reagent Purity: 1H NMR (CDCl3) δ 4.99 (s, 1H), 4.75 (s, 1H), 3.96 (s, 2H), 1.68 (s, 2H), 0.04 (s, 9H); 13C NMR (CDCl3) δ 143.0, 112.3, 49.9, 23.6, −1.5.1 Preparative Methods: from 3-chloro-2-methyl-1-propene,2 from (Iodomethyl)trimethylsilane,3 from 2-(hydroxymethyl)-3-trimethylsilyl-1-propene,4 from 3-chloro-2-(chloromethyl)-1-propene and Trichlorosilane,5 and from Methyl Chloroacetate.1, 6 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: flammable liquid (flash point 43 °C). Storage at 4 °C under N2 advised. Handle under N2. May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption. Vapor or mist is irritating to the eyes, mucous membranes, and upper respiratory tract. Causes skin irritation. Toxicological properties not thoroughly investigated. Use in a fume hood.
Oral Form Recognition Training and Articulation Change.

10 children with articulation disorders were given training in recognition of forms through oral exploration of those forms. Training materials were divided into sets. Fewer trials were required to...
The effect of superstitious beliefs on performance expectations

We explore superstitious beliefs as a basis of product performance expectations and their impact on initial purchase likelihood and subsequent satisfaction. In doing so, we demonstrate instances when superstition-driven expectations cause consumers to make purchase decisions that run counter to economic rationality. In the first set of studies we find that Taiwanese consumers are relatively more likely to purchase a product with positive superstitious associations based on its “lucky” color, and are more likely to purchase and are willing to pay more money for a product with a smaller but “lucky” number of units contained in the package (e.g., eight tennis balls compared to ten). In contrast, consumers who do not hold such superstitious beliefs adhere to the more rational choice paradigm. Next, we show that the differences in purchase likelihood are driven by superstition-based performance expectations. We further generalize these findings to product satisfaction, and find support for expectation disconfirmation sensitivity as a moderator of the effect.
Glass Bead Probes of Local Structural and Mechanical Properties of Fluid, Supported Membranes

Nonspecific interactions between microscopic particles and a nearby “soft” surface report on the dynamical-mechanical properties of the surface. A realization of this principle is afforded by diverse systems exhibiting an interplay between energies of adhesion and local elastic deformation of the fluid. Within this framework, the behavior of supported, fluid lipid membranes interacting with microscopic colloids is particularly interesting because it offers a physical model for many biologically important mechanisms, such as particle engulfment, membrane fusion, and viral budding. Previous theoretical efforts establish that the elastic response of the membrane is determined by a finely coordinated balance between the adhesion, in-plane tension, and bending energies. 8] Model experiments have focused primarily on the interaction between “free” membranes of giant phospholipid vesicles ACHTUNGTRENNUNG(>10 mm) and latex microspheres. 10] Notable limitations of giant vesicles in modeling particle adhesion at biological membranes include their vanishingly low lateral tension and the presence of large, out-ofplane undulations. At cellular surfaces, however, the cytoskeleton constraints, the presence of transmembrane proteins, and even compositional asymmetries “renormalize” membrane tension and limit the cocperativity in the natural dynamics of the two leaflets. In this regard, supported membranes provide an attractive model system. They are typically formed by rupture of lipid vesicles onto planar surfaces. Depending on the substrate’s hydrophilic or hydrophobic nature, vesicles rupture to form either bilayers or monolayers respectively. Bilayers are separated from the substrate surface by a thin water cushion 1–3 nm thick, which is believed to preserve their essential fluidity and their elastic structural properties. Lipid monolayers, on the other hand, experience a rigid hydrophobic interface with the substrate limiting the elastic response to a single leaflet. This provides a limiting case for decoupling of dynamics between the two membrane leaflets. In both cases, the lateral restrictions on membrane conformations imposed by the proximal surface reduce the configurational entropy and increases lateral tension. We presented microscopic, bare glass beads to binary patterns comprising alternate regions of 1) lipid bilayers and glass and 2) lipid monolayers and bilayers. Representative epifluorescence and brightfield data, shown in Figures 1a and 1b, display gravitationally settled beads on a patterned POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) bilayer (see Experimental Section). Beads settle uniformly over the entire surface. Physically perturbing the system via shaking or pipette pumping, selectively removes beads from the bare surface. Time-lapse bright-field images (Figures 1b–1 f) reveal the formation of a visually striking patterned assembly of beads (a
Antibody microarrays for native toxin detection

We have developed antibody-based microarray techniques for the multiplexed detection of cholera toxin β-subunit, diphtheria toxin, anthrax lethal factor and protective antigen, Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B, and tetanus toxin C fragment in spiked samples. Two detection schemes were investigated: (i) a direct assay in which fluorescently labeled toxins were captured directly by the antibody array and (ii) a competition assay that employed unlabeled toxins as reporters for the quantification of native toxin in solution. In the direct assay, fluorescence measured at each array element is correlated with labeled toxin concentration to yield baseline binding information (Langmuir isotherms and affinity constants). Extending from the direct assay, the competition assay yields information on the presence, identity, and concentration of toxins. A significant advantage of the competition assay over reported profiling assays is the minimal sample preparation required prior to analysis because the competition assay obviates the need to fluorescently label native proteins in the sample of interest. Sigmoidal calibration curves and detection limits were established for both assay formats. Although the sensitivity of the direct assay is superior to that of the competition assay, detection limits for unmodified toxins in the competition assay are comparable to values reported previously for sandwich-format immunoassays of antibodies arrayed on planar substrates. As a demonstration of the potential of the competition assay for unlabeled toxin detection, we conclude with a straightforward multiplexed assay for the differentiation and identification of both native S. aureus enterotoxin B and tetanus toxin C fragment in spiked dilute serum samples.
Light-Regulated Hypocotyl Elongation Involves Proteasome-Dependent Degradation of the Microtubule Regulatory Protein WDL3 in Arabidopsis

Light significantly inhibits hypocotyl cell elongation, and dark-grown seedlings exhibit elongated, etiolated hypocotyls. Microtubule regulatory proteins function as positive or negative regulators that mediate hypocotyl cell elongation by altering microtubule organization. However, it remains unclear how plants coordinate these regulators to promote hypocotyl growth in darkness and inhibit growth in the light. Here, we demonstrate that WAVE-DAMPENED 2–LIKE3 (WDL3), a microtubule regulatory protein of the WVD2/WDL family from Arabidopsis thaliana, functions in hypocotyl cell elongation and is regulated by a ubiquitin-26S proteasome–dependent pathway in response to light. WDL3 RNA interference Arabidopsis seedlings grown in the light had much longer hypocotyls than controls. Moreover, WDL3 overexpression resulted in overall shortening of hypocotyl cells and stabilization of cortical microtubules in the light. Cortical microtubule reorganization occurred slowly in cells from WDL3 RNA interference transgenic lines but was accelerated in cells from WDL3-overexpressing seedlings subjected to light treatment. More importantly, WDL3 protein was abundant in the light but was degraded through the 26S proteasome pathway in the dark. Overexpression of WDL3 inhibited etiolated hypocotyl growth in regulatory particle non-ATPase subunit-1a mutant (rpn1a-4) plants but not in wild-type seedlings. Therefore, a ubiquitin-26S proteasome–dependent mechanism regulates the levels of WDL3 in response to light to modulate hypocotyl cell elongation.
Minimum Price Variations, Discrete Bid–Ask Spreads, and Quotation Sizes

Exchange minimum price variation regulations create discrete bid-ask spreads. If the minimum quotable spread exceeds the spread that otherwise would be quoted, spreads will be wide and the number of shares offered at the bid and ask may be large. A cross-sectional discrete spread model is estimated by using intraday stock quotation spread frequencies. The results are used to project $1/16 spread usage frequencies given a $1/16 tick. Projected changes in quotation sizes and in trade volumes are obtained from regression models. For stocks priced under $10, the models predict spreads would decrease 38 percent, quotation sizes would decrease 16 percent, and daily volume would increase 34 percent. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Maternal employment and perceptions of young children: Bronfenbrenner et al. revisited.

238 mothers, and 116 fathers provided checklist descriptions of their 3–4-year-old's behavior; a smaller sample of parents and teachers also assessed the child's behavior 2 years later. There was no evidence of a key finding from a related study by Bronfenbrenner, Alvarez, and Henderson linking part-time employment with more positive maternal perceptions of sons. Indeed, maternal employment (typically, conditioned by mothers' level of education and child gender) was more strongly associated with fathers' and teachers' perceptions of children than with mothers' perceptions, and, in some cases, especially with fathers' and teachers' perceptions of daughters. Fathers perceived their 5–6-year-old as having more problem behaviors when mothers were currently employed full time; fathers and teachers viewed children's behavior as more problematic when less-educated mothers had been employed during more years of the child's lifetime. Interpreting these and other findings, we emphasize differences between samples and changes in the ecology of family life. This study underscores the notion that socially “relevant” research is likely to be highly responsive to time and social context.
Safety of ultrasound-guided thoracentesis in patients receiving mechanical ventilation.

Objective: To determine the safety of ultrasound-guided thoracentesis (UST) performed by critical care physicians on patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Design: Prospective and observational. Setting: ICUs in a teaching hospital. Patients: Two hundred eleven serial patients receiving mechanical ventilation with pleural effusion requiring diagnostic or therapeutic thoracentesis. Interventions: Two hundred thirty-two separate USTs were performed by critical care physicians without radiology support. Anteroposterior chest radiographs were reviewed for possible postprocedure pneumothorax. Results: Pneumothorax occurred in 3 of 232 USTs (1.3%). The procedure was well tolerated in this critically ill population. Conclusions: UST performed in patients receiving mechanical ventilation without radiology support results in an acceptable rate of pneumothorax. (CHEST 2004; 125:1059 –1062)
Providing statistically guaranteed streaming quality for peer-to-peer live streaming

Most of the literature on peer-to-peer (P2P) live streaming focuses on how to provide best-effort streaming quality by efficiently using the system bandwidth; however, there is no guarantee about the provided streaming quality. This paper considers how to provide statistically guaranteed streaming quality to a P2P live streaming system. We study a class of admission control algorithms which statistically guarantee that a P2P live streaming system has sufficient overall bandwidth. Our results show that there is a tradeoff between the user blocking rate and user-behavior insensitivity (i.e., whether the system performance is insensitive to the fine statistics of user behaviors). We also find that the system performance is more sensitive to the distribution change of user inter-arrival times than to that of user lifetimes.
Entity — Relationship modeling and fuzzy databases

This work describes an integration of an entity/relationship model and fuzzy databases. It outlines a formal model for representing fuzziness in the ER model, and sketchs a version of the ER algebra, adapted to manipulating fuzzy databases.
Chronic Cerebral Ischemia: Where “Evidence-Based Medicine” Fails Patients

Background and Importance The publication of the COSS (Carotid Occlusion Surgery Study) trial in 2011 concluded that the addition of external carotid to internal carotid (EC-IC) bypass to a medical regimen “did not reduce the risk of ipsilateral ischemic stroke at 2 years” for patients with symptomatic internal carotid artery occlusion. This has resulted in decreasing referrals for surgical management under the guise of “evidence-based” medicine. The conclusions drawn from a study can only be as good as the selected end points. COSS did not consider important end points such as the effects of long-term cerebral ischemia or recurrent debilitating transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). However, the study is often quoted as “proof” that EC-IC bypass has no role in the treatment of these patients. Clinical Presentation A middle-aged patient presented to a primary neurologist with left-sided weakness and 2 months of personality changes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed small watershed infarcts in the right hemisphere. An angiogram showed right carotid occlusion. Perfusion scans confirmed hypoperfusion. The patient was managed medically. Without any further clinical stroke events, the patient progressed to complete hemispheric infarction on MRI over the next 5 months. Conclusion The public perception of the results of large randomized clinical trials is significantly altered by their ubiquitous dissemination and broad generalization without adequate understanding of the details. Careful assessment of the methodology and end points of a trial are essential when applying the results for evidence-based medicine to individual patients. This patient would have been considered a medical “success” in COSS, but her outcome with surgical intervention will never be known.
A Paradox of Participation: Nonwhites in White Sororities and Fraternities

Although law prohibits race-based exclusion in college sororities and fraternities in the United States, racial segregation prevails. As a result, nonwhite membership in white Greek-letter organizations (WGLOs) is often hailed as a transformative step toward equality and unity. The bulk of work on such cross-racial membership centers on comparative-historical and survey data and treats integrated membership as the successful end, rather than a problematic beginning, of analysis. Drawing upon in-depth interviews and ethnographic fieldwork in three university campuses on the East Coast, I shift the focus from resource factors that either prevent or enable membership to the strategies of action that nonwhite members employ in their everyday lives in order to be perceived as full, belonging members. By drawing upon the insights of the sociology of culture, I argue that robust racialized schemas simultaneously enable and constrain inclusion. Rather than hide explicit racial-ethnic difference or accede to traditional expectations of Anglo conformity, I find that nonwhite members are enmeshed in a paradox of participation: their ability to frame themselves as equal and belonging Greek "brothers and sisters" remains tied to a patterned reproduction of their racial and ethnic identities as essentially different and inferior. Such a paradox emerges as an important theoretical and pragmatic dilemma with implications for an array of institutional contexts.
Calculations of the Specific Resistance of Contacts to III-V Nitride Compounds

We present calculations of the specific contact resistance for metals to GaN. Our calculations include a correct determination of the Fermi level taking into account the effect of the degenerate doping levels, required in creating tunneling ohmic contacts. Using a recently reported improved WKB approximation suitable in representing the depletion width at the metal-semiconductor interface, and a two band k-p model for the effective masses, specific contact resistance was determined as a function of doping concentration. The specific contact resistance was calculated using the best data available for barrier heights, effective masses and dielectric coefficients for GaN. Because the barrier height at the metal-semiconductor interface has a very large effect on the contact resistance and the available data is sketchy or uncertain, the effect of varying the barrier height on the calculated specific contact resistance was investigated. Further, since the III-V nitrides are being considered for high temperature device applications, the specific contact resistance was also determined as a function of temperature.
Superoxide production by macrophages and T cells is critical for the induction of autoreactivity and type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their dissipation in type 1 diabetes pathogenesis have garnered considerable controversy. Our recent work has demonstrated the importance of NADPH oxidase (NOX) activity for type 1 diabetes development and modulating T-cell autoreactivity. We previously linked decreased monocyte ROS with diabetes resistance in the alloxan-resistant mouse, and NOD- Ncf1 m1J mice with a genetic ablation of NOX activity had reduced and delayed type 1 diabetes compared with NOD mice. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS To determine the required cellular sources of ROS that are necessary for type 1 diabetes initiation, we used antibody depletion and adoptive transfer experiments into NOD and NOD- Scid females, respectively. After receiving treatment, female mice were monitored for hyperglycemia and overt diabetes. RESULTS Depletion of macrophages and neutrophils fully protected NOD mice from type 1 diabetes. However, elimination of neutrophils alone showed no significant reduction or delay. Type 1 diabetes induction in NOD- Scid mice by adoptive transfer with NOD- Ncf1 m1J splenocytes was significantly delayed compared with NOD splenocytes, suggesting macrophage ROS and modulation of effector responses are critical for diabetes. The adaptive immune response was also altered by the absence of NOX activity, as purified T cells from NOD- Ncf1 m1J mice exhibited delayed transfer kinetics. Cotransfer experiments demonstrated the defect was intrinsic to NOX-deficient CD8 + T cells. After stimulation, cytotoxic T cells exhibited decreased effector function in the absence of superoxide production. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that the impaired autoreactive response of NOX-deficient NOD- Ncf1 m1J immune system results from an alteration in the antigen-presenting cell–T-cell axis rather than failure of neutrophils to act as effector cells and that ROS signaling is important for the initiation of β-cell–directed autoimmunity by T cells.
A Cellular Basis for Growth Hormone Deficiency in the Dwarf Rat: Analysis of Growth Hormone and Prolactin Release by Reverse Hemolytic Plaque Assay*

Abstract The purpose of this study was to elucidate the cellular basis for growth hormone deficiency in Lewis-derived dwarf rats. To this end, we used reverse hemolytic plaque assays to evaluate hormone release. This allowed us to determine the proportional abundance of GH- and PRL- secreting cells and estimate the relative amount of hormone secreted by individual pituitary cells from dwarf rats and their somatically normal counterparts. The percentage of all pituitary cells that released GH (formed plaques) in pituitary dispersions was substantially lower for dwarfs when compared with normals in the absence (3.8 ± 2.2% us. 43.4 ± 2.2%) or presence (6.6 ± 3.8% us. 45.7 ± 1.4%; n=3) of GRF. In addition, GH secretors from dwarfs released less hormone (formed smaller plaques) than their normal counterparts under both basal and stimulated conditions. An analysis of the relative number of GH cells that formed plaques of various sizes was accomplished by constructing a frequency distribution. Dwarf GH secretors...
Ion-ion correlation, solvent excluded volume and pH effects on physicochemical properties of spherical oxide nanoparticles.

One major source of complexity in the implementation of nanoparticles in aqueous electrolytes arises from the strong influence that biological environments has on their physicochemical properties. A key parameter for understanding the molecular mechanisms governing the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles is the formation of the surface charge density. In this article, we present an efficient and accurate approach that combines a recently introduced classical solvation density functional theory for spherical electrical double layers with a surface complexation model to account for ion-ion correlation and excluded volume effects on the surface titration of spherical nanoparticles. We apply the proposed computational approach to account for the charge-regulated mechanisms on the surface chemistry of spherical silica (SiO2) nanoparticles. We analyze the effects of the nanoparticle size, as well as pH level and electrolyte concentration of the aqueous solution on the nanoparticle's surface charge density and Zeta potential. We validate our predictions for 580A and 200A nanoparticles immersed in acid, neutral and alkaline mono-valent aqueous electrolyte solutions against experimental data. Our results on mono-valent electrolyte show that the excluded volume and ion-ion correlations contribute significantly to the surface charge density and Zeta potential of the nanoparticle at high electrolyte concentration and pH levels, where the solvent crowding effects and electrostatic screening have shown a profound influence on the protonation/deprotonation reactions at the liquid/solute interface. The success of this approach in describing physicochemical properties of silica nanoparticles supports its broader application to study other spherical metal oxide nanoparticles.
Life-Course Socioeconomic Status and Metabolic Syndrome among Midlife Women

Objectives We examine whether women's risks of having metabolic syndrome (MetS) at pre/early-menopausal baseline, and of developing MetS after baseline, are associated with childhood and adult socioeconomic statuses (SESs); and whether the associations are mediated by adult reproductive, economic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors. Method Using data on white and black women collected prospectively for 12 years in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, we estimated odds of MetS at pre/early-menopausal baseline with logistic regression, and incidence of MetS after baseline with Cox proportional hazards models. Results Women raised in "adverse" childhood SES had marginally greater odds of MetS at baseline than did women raised in "good" SES, and women with a high school credential or less had significantly greater odds than college-educated women, in mutually adjusted models. The elevated odds partly reflected SES-related differences in exercise and alcohol consumption. Incidence after baseline was associated with education, not childhood SES, and partly mediated by health behaviors. Differences in the probability of surviving without MetS between the most and least socioeconomically advantaged women nearly doubled between ages 50 and 60. Discussion Childhood and adult SES predict women's risks of MetS as they approach the menopause transition; adult SES is primarily important afterwards.
When it Comes from the People: The Effects of Reforming Ballot Initiative Explanatory Statements to Accord with Citizens’ Legal Communication Practices

Obstacles to citizens’ understanding of the legal content of ballot measures were thought to lie in inconsistencies between the communicative practices of official summaries of such measures and citizens’ own legal communicative practices. Theory suggested that revising official ballot-measure summaries to include elements of citizens’ legal communicative practices would enhance citizens’ understanding of the legal content of ballot measures, confidence in that understanding, and confidence in their voting decision about such measures, and that intrapersonal reflection would mediate those effects. Those predictions were tested in a controlled experiment. Results showed no evidence of knowledge gains, but subjects exposed to a description of the policy objectives of a ballot measure showed significant increases in voting confidence. A subset of those subjects also experienced significant increases in knowledge confidence. Many findings were consistent with theories of sense-making (Dervin & Frenette, 2001), framing (Scheufele, 1999, 2000), and the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1977), and with the prediction that a “means-end” schema operates in citizens’ minds during deliberations about proposed laws.
Smoking-attributable mortality in the United States.

Background Various methods are used to estimate smoking-attributable mortality, but these methods often produce differing results. Most do not provide estimates for specific age groups or directly control for confounding factors. Methods US smoking-attributable mortality by age is estimated here based on relative mortality hazards for smokers and observed death rates for never-smokers. Hazard ratios for smokers are estimated through survival analysis of data from adults in the 1997-2004 National Health Interview Survey, followed for mortality through the end of 2006. A variety of possible confounding risk factors are controlled for in the analysis. Results There were an estimated 291,000 smoking-attributable deaths among men and 229,000 such deaths among women annually in the United States from 2002 through 2006. These figures are generally consistent with, but somewhat higher than, published estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, particularly for women. Conclusion This method provides reasonable estimates of total and age-specific smoking-attributable mortality in the United States that include controls for potential confounding factors.
Curvature effects on the interfacial capacitance of carbon nanotubes in an ionic liquid

Carbon nanotube (CNT) electrodes in supercapacitors have recently demonstrated enhanced performance compared to conventional carbon-based electrodes; however, the underlying relationships between electrode curvature and capacitance remain unclear. Using computer simulations, we evaluate the capacitive performance of metallic (6,6), (10,10), and (16,16) CNTs in [BMIM][PF6] ionic liquid (IL), with particular attention to the relative contributions of the electric double layer (EDL) capacitance (CD) at the CNT/IL interface and the electrode quantum capacitance (CQ). Our classical molecular dynamics simulations reveal that CD improves with increasing electrode curvature, which we discuss in terms of how the curvature affects both the electric field strength and EDL microstructure. In addition, the CQ of the CNTs is constant near the Fermi level and increases with curvature, as also demonstrated by density functional theory calculations. Our study shows that the electrode curvature effect on the total interfac...
The effect of dye “blockade” on anaphylaxis and antibody formation in the guinea pig.

The experiments reported here are a continuation of the work of Gay and Clark,1 on the effect of endothelial blockade in antibody production.In the present work guinea pigs were saturated with trypan blue (daily 1 cc. injections of a 1 per cent solution of the dye in distilled water). After ten injections the animals received sheep cells, according to the method of Lewis and Loomis.2 The trypan blue injections were then continued until the first bleeding. The results are shown in the following table. Each group represents eight to ten animals.In practically every case the pigs treated with trypan blue produced less hemolysin than did the controls. These figures indicate a gradual rise in the titre in the trypan blue animals, but in four cases the blood consistently contained no hemolysin, even after the twenty-second day.These results are in (complete agreement with those published by Gay and Clark.Experiments were next tried to see what relation trypan blue blockade bore to anaphylaxis. Sensitized guinea...
A Seedling Test to Select for Alfalfa Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Resistance in Alfalfa

A rapid method for evaluating alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., seedlings for alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), resistance was developed for use in the laboratory. Seedlings were grown in greenhouse flats for 2 wk and tested for resistance to neonate alfalfa weevil larvae. Plants were infested at the rate of one larva per seedling. Seedlings were observed for feeding injury beginning on day 4 after infestation, and plants showing no or little damage in comparison with neighboring plants were selected for resistance. Seedlings of birdsfoot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus L.; large hop clover, Trifolium campestre Schreb.; and red clover, T. pretense L., which are resistant to the alfalfa weevil as mature plants, demonstrated resistance in this test. We concluded from this response that the method was sensitive enough to be used for selecting alfalfa seedlings for resistance to the alfalfa weevil. The method provides a rapid means for testing large numbers of plants for resistance at a relatively uniform stage of growth.
Paper electrophoresis of serum in rats fed various carbohydrate diets.

SummaryThe effect of various carbohydrates on the serum protein and serum protein fractions in rats have been investigated. Without L-lysine supplementation, rats fed raw or cooked potato starch showed the lowest serum protein and serum albumin concentration; whereas rats fed glucose showed the highest serum albumin concentration. Lysine supplementation increased serum protein and serum albumin concentration in rats regardless of the sources of carbohydrates. The type of carbohydrate in the diet influences the serum protein pattern in rats,
The Limits of Americanism and Democracy: Korean Americans, Transnational Allegiance, and the Question of Loyalty on the Homefront during World War II

On the fateful morning of December 7, 1941, Koreans in Hawai'i received the news of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor with mixed emotions. One Korean woman, who came to Hawai'i as a picture bride in 1919, cried when she first heard the news. "Some tears were for joy and some for sadness," she recalled. "I was first of all happy because America was at last on our side against the Japanese; and then I was sad thinking about the boys who were being killed."While Americans coped with the shock, Koreans in Hawai'i and the continental United States saw the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor as confirmation of Japanese imperial ambitions and brutality they knew all too well. After many years of failed attempts to fight off Japanese imperial power, Korea had been officially colonized by Japan in 1910. Responding to the political events unfolding in Korea, over 7,000 pioneer Korean immigrants who came to Hawai.i as plantation laborers beginning in 1903 actively launched a Korean nationalist movement well ...
Engineering Forecasting Model of Combustion Efficiency for Pulverized Fired Boiler

Correlating kinetics data of char oxidation in previous literatures, this paper presents a combustion efficiency forecasting model for pulverized fired furnace, It takes coal diversity, pulverized powder fineness, oxygen concentration, furnace temperature, combustion height into consideration, and was used to calculate combustion efficiency of actual boilers, It can forecast char content in fly ash accurately. The calculation results are useful for selecting optimal parameters during boiler design and operation. Figs 6, tables 3 and refs 4.
Hemoperfusion for methotrexate removal

Removal of methotrexate by Amberlite XAD-4 hemoperfusion was determined in a patient with metastatic breast carcinoma. During 4 hr of hemoperfusion the plasma concentration of methotrexate fell from 5.5 x 10(-7) M TO 3.1 x 10(-7) M. After hemoperfusion methotrexate concentration increased as a consequence of multicompartmental pharmacokinetics to 5.5 x 10(-7) M and then slowly declined. Plasma methotrexate clearance decreased from 79 ml/min 30 min into hemoperfusion to 28 ml/min at the conclusion. In vitro clearance of methotrexate by 17 artificial kidneys, Amberlite XAD-4, and uncoated charcoal was determined. Uncoated charcoal had the greatest clearance of methotrexate of all the devices tested. We conclude that: (1) Amberlite XAD-4 transiently reduces plasma methotrexate concentration; (2) in vitro, charcoal hemoperfusion is more effective than XAD-4 in removing methotrexate; (3) as a consequence of the multicompartmental pharmacokinetics of methotrexate a postperfusion rebound in plasma methotrexate concentration is to be expected.
Signal Processing and the Design of Microarray Time-Series Experiments

Recent findings of a genome-wide oscillation involving the transcriptome of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggest that the most promising path to an understanding of the cell as a dynamic system will proceed from carefully designed time-series sampling followed by the development of signal-processing methods suited to molecular biological datasets. When everything oscillates, conventional biostatistical approaches fall short in identifying functional relationships among genes and their transcripts. Worse, based as they are on steady-state assumptions, such approaches may be misleading. In this chapter, we describe the continuous gated synchrony system and the experiments leading to the concept of genome-wide oscillations, and suggest methods of analysis better suited to dissection of oscillating systems. Using a yeast continuous-culture system, the most precise and stable biological system extant, we explore analytical tools such as wavelet multiresolution decomposition, Fourier analysis, and singular value decomposition to uncover the dynamic architecture of phenotype.
Towards longitudinal mapping of extracellular pH in gliomas.

Biosensor imaging of redundant deviation in shifts (BIRDS), an ultrafast chemical shift imaging technique, requires infusion of paramagnetic probes such as 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetrakis methylene phosphonate (DOTP(8-) ) complexed with thulium (Tm(3+) ) ion (i.e. TmDOTP(5-) ), where the pH-sensitive resonances of hyperfine-shifted non-exchangeable protons contained within the paramagnetic probe are detected. While imaging extracellular pH (pHe ) with BIRDS meets an important cancer research need by mapping the intratumoral-peritumoral pHe gradient, the surgical intervention used to raise the probe's plasma concentration limits longitudinal scans on the same subject. Here we describe using probenecid (i.e. an organic anion transporter inhibitor) to temporarily restrict renal clearance of TmDOTP(5-) , thereby facilitating molecular imaging by BIRDS without surgical intervention. Co-infusion of probenecid with TmDOTP(5-) increased the probe's distribution into various organs, including the brain, compared with infusing TmDOTP(5-) alone. In vivo BIRDS data using the probenecid-TmDOTP(5-) co-infusion method in rats bearing RG2, 9 L, and U87 brain tumors showed intratumoral-peritumoral pHe gradients that were unaffected by the probe dose. This co-infusion method can be used for pHe mapping with BIRDS in preclinical models for tumor characterization and therapeutic monitoring, given the possibility of repeated scans with BIRDS (e.g. over days and even weeks) in the same subject. The longitudinal pHe readout by the probenecid-TmDOTP(5-) co-infusion method for BIRDS adds translational value in tumor assessment and treatment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.