cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mucosal Tolerance to Brain Antigens Preserves Endogenous TGFβ-1 and Improves Neurological Outcomes Following Experimental Craniotomy

Intracranial surgery causes brain damage from cortical incisions, intraoperative hemorrhage, retraction, and electrocautery; collectively these injuries have recently been coined surgical brain injury (SBI). Inflammation following SBI contributes to neuronal damage. This study develops T-cells that are immunologically tolerant to brain antigen via the exposure of myelin basic protein (MBP) to airway mucosa. We hypothesize that these T-cells will migrate to the site of corticotomy, secrete immunosuppressive cytokines, such as TGFβ1, reduce inflammation, and improve neurological outcomes following SBI. A standard model for SBI was used for this experiment. C57 mice were divided into six groups: SHAM + Vehicle, SHAM + Ovalbumin, SHAM + MBP, SBI + Vehicle, SBI + OVA, and SBI + MBP. Induction of mucosal tolerance to vehicle, ovalbumin, or MBP was performed prior to SBI. Neurological scores and TBFβ1 cytokine levels were measured 48 h postoperatively. Mice receiving craniotomy demonstrated a reduction in neurological score. Animals tolerized to MBP (SBI + MBP) had better postoperative neurological scores than SBI + Vehicle and SBI + OVA. SBI inhibited the cerebral expression TGFβ1 in PBS and OVA treated groups, whereas MBP treated-animals preserved preoperative levels. Mucosal tolerance to MBP leads to significant improvement in neurological outcome that is associated with the preservation of endogenous levels of brain TGFβ1.
Transcriptional Regulation of the E-Selectin Gene

Recruitment of circulating leukocytes by cytokine-activated endothelium is important in both acute and chronic inflammation and is controlled, in part, by the selectin family of adhesion molecules. As outlined in the previous chapter, one of the members of this family, E-selectin, plays a key role in the initial stages of leukocyte recruitment and is tightly regulated in the vasculature. In this chapter we will focus on the molecular mechanisms that regulate the expression of the E-selectin gene.
Strain-induced suppression of the miscibility gap in nanostructured Mg2Si–Mg2Sn solid solutions

Solid solutions of Mg2Si and Mg2Sn are promising thermoelectric materials owing to their high thermoelectric figures-of-merit and non-toxicity, but they may undergo phase separation under thermal cycling due to the presence of miscibility gaps, implying that the thermoelectric properties could be significantly degraded during thermoelectric device operation. Herein, this study investigates the strain-induced suppression of the miscibility gap in solid solutions of Mg2Si and Mg2Sn. Separately prepared Mg2Si and Mg2Sn powders were made into (Mg2Si)0.7(Mg2Sn)0.3 mixtures using a high energy ball-milling method followed by spark plasma sintering. Afterwards, the phase evolution of the mixtures, depending on thermal annealing and mixing conditions, was studied experimentally and theoretically. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction results show that, despite the presence of a miscibility gap in the pseudo-binary phase diagram, the initial mixture of Mg2Si and Mg2Sn evolved towards a solid solution state after annealing for 3 hours at 720 °C. Thermodynamic analysis as well as phase-field microstructure simulations show that the strain energy due to the coherent spinodal effect suppresses the chemical spinodal entirely and prevents phase separation. This strategy to suppress the miscibility gap induced by lattice strain through non-equilibrium processing can benefit the thermoelectric figure-of-merit by maximizing phonon alloy scattering. Furthermore, stable solid solutions by engineering phase diagrams have the potential to facilitate the reliable long term operation of thermoelectric generators under continuous thermal loads.
Intra-operative Tumor Tracking Using Optical Flow and Fluorescent Imaging

Image-guided surgery (IGS) can assist surgeons by modeling and visualizing objects of interest (tumors, nerves, etc.) that may be obstructed or difficult to recognize during surgery. Models based on pre-operative images are often not applicable during surgery because of motion and deformation. Therefore, real-time updates to IGS models are required. We propose an automated intra-operative tumor tracking system in which the initial tumor location is predicted using near infrared (NIR) fluorescence with indocyanine green (ICG), and the tumor is tracked using the Lucas-Kanade (LK) algorithm, a multi-resolution coarse-to-fine optical flow method. We simulate various conditions of intra-operative tumor movement, including movement speed and variations in image brightness. The LK method can accurately track tumors when speed of tumor movement and image brightness changes are low. However, when the speed of tumor movement increases or when image brightness changes by more than 30%, the LK method fails to track the tumor location. We compare the LK method to several other optical flow algorithms and find that LK has relatively high accuracy and tolerance in both speed and brightness changes, although each algorithm has strengths and weaknesses. In addition to the proposed intra-operative system, the simulations and metrics that we use in this study may serve as benchmarks to assess the performance of intra-operative tumor tracking algorithms.
Finite tripod variants of I/OM

In this note we introduce and prove a wide generalization and sharpening of Ihara’s question / Oda–Matsumoto conjecture, for short I/OM. That leads to a quite concrete topological/combinatorial description of absolute Galois groups, in particular of $$\mathrm{Gal}_{{\mathbb {Q}}}=\mathrm{Aut}(\overline{{\mathbb {Q}}})$$ , as envisioned by Grothendieck in his Esquisse d’ un Programme.
Radiosensitization of high-grade gliomas through induced hyperthermia: Review of clinical experience and the potential role of MR-guided focused ultrasound

Abstract High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are aggressive primary brain tumors that confer poor prognoses. Despite aggressive combined modality treatment, HGGs invariably recur. Considerable research efforts and resources have focused on identification of novel therapies for HGGs; however, standard treatments have not changed significantly in more than 10 years, since the introduction of concurrent chemoradiation therapy with temozolomide. Hyperthermia (HT) has been shown to enhance the efficacy of radiation treatment (RT) in numerous cancer types through multiple mechanisms, including impairment of DNA repair pathways, increased perfusion/oxygenation of tumors, and immune system activation. In the 1980s and 1990s, the combination of HT with external-beam RT and interstitial brachytherapy was extensively evaluated in HGG, culminating in a randomized controlled trial that demonstrated superior survival in patients receiving combined HT and RT. However, HT was not adopted into common practice for HGG because of the need at that time for invasive implantation procedures, challenges to monitoring and maintaining a homogeneous, localized temperature elevation within the tumor tissue, as well as other technical and logistic challenges. Magnetic resonance imaging–guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a relatively new technology in clinical use that is capable of highly accurate transcranial HT and has the potential to overcome many of the limitations faced in previous trials combining HT and RT in HGG. In this review, we detail and compile the previous clinical results of combined HT and RT in HGG patients. We also introduce and discuss the potential of MRgFUS as a noninvasive method for HT to radiosensitize HGG.
Introduction and historical background: the “inside” story of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography

Abstract Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) is an emerging technology that has ushered an exciting new era in GC applications development. GC×GC methods provide enhanced separation power over conventional GC analyses, which is a significant advantage for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of target compounds. GC×GC separations are also structured, due to the fact that the separations in both dimensions are the result of physicochemical properties that are dependent on molecular structure. Conventional 1D GC separations are structured as well, but the complexity of the sample often prevents the deciphering of these patterns. The “untangling” of these ordered molecular fingerprints in the bidimensional plane is emerging as the true power of the GC×GC technology, and the nature of these structured separations holds a lot of promise for development of novel ways of identifying unknown compounds in complex samples. This chapter provides an overview of the key technological advances that contributed to the invention of GC×GC, which include the maturation of 2D separation science theory, the invention of fused-silica GC columns, and the development of cross-correlation data processing techniques in analytical chemistry. An overview of the invention and early evolution of GC×GC in the Phillips laboratory is also given in the context of the development of a suite of applications of on-column modulation instrumentation, which was the overarching theme of the pioneering research group.
Hypogammaglobulinemia Following Heart Transplantation - Prevalence and Clinical Importance

Purpose Hypogammaglobulinemia (HGG) can be identified in patients following solid organ transplantation and is thought to be predominantly due to immunosuppression. There is limited data describing the extent, degree and clinical outcomes associated with HGG following heart transplantation. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of HGG in heart transplant recipients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed data of patients who had underwent heart transplantation at our institution between 4/2014 and 12/2018. We excluded patients with multi-organ transplantation. We defined serum IgG Results We enrolled 132 patients who had at least one serum IgG value following heart transplantation during the study period. Mean age was 53±14 years old and 94 (71%) patients were male. During 761 (463, 1266) days of follow-up, patients had a median of 4 (3, 6) IgG measurements. Prevalence of severe HGG was highest (27%) 3-6 months post-heart transplant and then decreased to 5% at 1-2 years (Figure A). Survival freedom of infection was 51%, 35% and 17% at 2 years in the normal, mild HGG and severe HGG groups, respectively (P=0.03, Figure B). Overall survival and rejection-free survival were comparable between the groups. Conclusion There is a high prevalence of HGG in the early post-heart transplant period that decreases over time. HGG is significantly associated with infectious complications. Further studies are needed to investigate the prophylactic treatment of HGG with IVIG in heart transplant recipients.
Aircraft-Launched High-Resolution Pressure Pod

Abstract : The long-term goal of this program is to understand the physics of small-scale oceanic processes including internal waves, hydraulics, turbulence and microstructure that act to perturb and control the circulation in coastal oceans and, in doing so, affect the propagation of sound and light. Ongoing studies within the Ocean Mixing Group at OSU emphasize observations, interaction with turbulence modelers and an aggressive program of sensor / instrumentation development and integration.
Evaluating provider knowledge, perception, and concerns about cannabinoid use in pediatric dermatology

As the use of medical cannabinoids expands, the value and acceptance in pediatric dermatology is poorly characterized. To better assess the current climate, this survey evaluated pediatric dermatologists' familiarity and knowledge about medical cannabis and their interest to research and use cannabinoids. While the fund of knowledge and acceptance was high, providers voiced concerns about psychoactive effects of cannabis and substance abuse among their pediatric patients.
Shifting Listening Niches: Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The term "listening niche" refers to the contexts in which people listen to music including what music they are listening to, with whom, when, where, and with what media. The first experiment investigates undergraduate students' music listening niches in the initial COVID-19 lockdown period, 4 weeks immediately after the campus shut down abruptly. The second experiment explores how returning to a hybrid semester, the "new normal," further affected these listening habits. In both experiments, the participants provided a list of their most frequently listened-to songs during the respective period of time. From these, they identified one song that seemed most associated with this period, their "signature song," and stated why this song seemed relevant. These reasons were coded on nine underlying themes. Three clusters were found to underlie the themes: (1) emotional responses (2) memory associations, and (3) discovery of new music. We identified songs and reasons for selecting them that represented the three clusters and related these to the lyrical content. Compared to before the pandemic, participants in both experiments report listening more in general and on Spotify, but there were no differences in listening between lockdown and the new normal. Whom they were listening with shifted overtime from family members to significant others and finally to other friends and roommates. These results demonstrate how students listen to and find new music that is meaningful to them during this unprecedented pandemic.
A penile implant: Embodying medical technology

This article situates the experiences of having penile implant surgery between medical interventions and privately understood meanings and practices. Using my own experiences, supplemented with information from online sources, I document the changes that occur in the meanings and the practices that implant surgery enables. My analysis derives from the concepts of habitus and the looking glass body, and it begins with a diagnosis of impotence and moves through the various considerations that lead to surgery and its aftermaths. I suggest that understanding how medical technology interacts with everyday meanings contributes to a wider application of the concept of habitus while expanding a symbolic interactionist perspective of the body.
An expanding role for interventional radiology: Medicare trends in fluoroscopic, endoscopic, and surgical enteric tube placement and maintenance from 2010 to 2018.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to provide an update on trends in physician volume and payments for enteric tube placement and maintenance procedures by method, provider specialty, and practice setting amongst Medicare beneficiaries from 2010 to 2018. Materials and methods Claims from the Medicare Part B Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Master File (PSPSMF) for the years 2010 to 2018 were extracted using current procedural terminology (CPT) codes for gastrostomy and jejunostomy placement, as well as conversion of gastrostomy to gastrojejunostomy, fluoroscopy guided and non-image guided replacement. Total volumes and provider reimbursement were analyzed by provider specialty and practice setting. Results Volume of de novo placement of all enteric tubes decreased from 157,123 to 106,549 (−32.2%). While endoscopic placement decreased from 133,658 to 81,171 (−39.3%), the volume of fluoroscopic placement increased from 17,999 to 21,277 (18.2%). Fluoroscopic placement was largely performed by interventional radiology (IR) (91.7% in 2018). Surgical placement decreased from 5466 to 4101 (−25.0%). Volume of fluoroscopic replacement increased from 24,799 to 38,470 (55.1%), while non-image guided replacements decreased from 61,377 to 55,116 (−10.2%). Share of both fluoroscopic and non-image guided replacements by advanced practice providers (APPs) more than doubled over this time period. Conclusion De novo placement of enteric tubes decreased from 2010 to 2018, likely related to increased awareness of the complications and limited benefits in scenarios such as end of life care. In contrast to the diminishing volume for gastroenterologists, there was increased participation by IR in both placement and maintenance procedures under fluoroscopic guidance. Summary statement Decreasing placement of enteric tubes suggests shifting attitudes and recommendations around end-of-life care. Increase in role by IR/APPs highlights the need for comprehensive care in these patients.
Determining Factors of Heart Quality and Donor Acceptance in Pediatric Heart Transplants

There is substantial need to increase donor heart utilization in pediatric heart transplantation. Almost half of pediatric heart donors are discarded, despite nearly 20% waitlist mortality. Physicians have limited time to view heart condition data and decide to accept the donor heart once the heart becomes available. Due to the large amount of data associated with each donor heart and the lack of data-driven guidelines, physicians often do not have adequate metrics to determine acceptable heart quality. This research characterizes the differences in the clinical course between accepted and rejected pediatric donor hearts. A longitudinal study assessing the effect of static and dynamic measurements on the donor heart’s function from the time of declaration of brain death to either disposal or heart procurement is developed by analyzing donor data via DonorNet, the system used by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to match donors to a ranked order of recipients based on blood type, heart size, urgency status of the recipient, and other factors. Cardiovascular milieu (i.e. blood pressure, heart rate, medical management) and surrogate markers of organ perfusion, such as kidney and liver function, also inform our analyses and determine whether there are direct or indirect associations between these myriad markers and heart function. It also analyzes the proportion of measurements in stable and acceptable ranges over time, as well as typical minimum, maximum, and final measurements for different functions. All analyses are compared between accepted and rejected hearts using logistic regression and statistical analysis. Using the most recent measurements for each donor at 24 hours after brain death, the analysis identified significant factors in predicting donor heart acceptance: Left Ventricular Valve Dysfunction, Age, Shortening Fraction, and 4 Chamber Ejection Fraction. Additionally, visual tools were created as deliverables to aid physicians to decrease decision time and increase confidence in donor heart acceptance or rejection.
Current and Emerging Tools for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Early detection of HCC enables patients to avail curative therapies that can improve patient survival. Current international guidelines advocate for the enrollment of patients at high risk for HCC, like those with cirrhosis, in surveillance programs that perform ultrasound every 6 months. In recent years, many studies have further characterized the utility of established screening strategies and have introduced new promising tools for HCC surveillance. In this review, we provide an overview of the most promising new imaging modalities and biomarkers for the detection of HCC. We discuss the role of imaging tools like ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the early detection of HCC, and describe recent innovations which can potentially enhance their applicability, including contrast enhanced ultrasound, low-dose CT scans, and abbreviated MRI. Next, we outline the data supporting the use of three circulating biomarkers (i.e., alpha-fetoprotein [AFP], AFP lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction, and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin) in HCC surveillance, and expand on multiple emerging liquid biopsy biomarkers, including methylated cell-free DNA (cfDNA), cfDNA mutations, extracellular vesicles, and circulating tumor cells. These promising new imaging modalities and biomarkers have the potential to improve early detection, and thus improve survival, in patients with HCC.
Leukotriene Inhibition and the Risk of Lung Cancer among U.S. Veterans with Asthma.

Leukotriene inhibition, in vitro and in vivo, is found to suppress tumor growth across a variety of cancer cells. A mouse model of lung cancer revealed that the leukotriene inhibitor montelukast induced lung cancer cell death. Based on the preclinical data we hypothesize that exposure to a leukotriene inhibitor is associated with a lower risk of lung cancer. We conducted a national retrospective cohort study among U.S. Veterans with asthma to explore the relationship between leukotriene inhibition and incident lung cancer. We utilize a variety of statistical techniques, including cox proportional hazards models, propensity score matching and falsification testing to examine the association. A total of 558,466 patients met study criteria consisting of 23,730 patients with leukotriene exposure and 534,736 patients with no leukotriene medication use. Leukotriene inhibitor exposure reduced the risk of lung cancer by 17% (HR=0.830; 95% CI= (0.757-0.911)) in the unmatched and 22.2% in the matched analysis (HR=0.778 95% CI=(0.688-0.88)). Falsification testing with appendicitis and rotator cuff injury end points, suggest no evidence of selection bias. However, because treatment was not randomized, residual confounding cannot be ruled out. The pre-clinical data on leukotriene inhibition and lung cancer combined with our database analysis provide intriguing evidence warranting further research into the relationship between leukotrienes and lung cancer.
Cannabis use disorder treatment use and perceived treatment need in the United States: Time trends and age differences between 2002 and 2019.

Background As trends in CUD treatment are understudied, we examined time trends in CUD treatment and perceived treatment need among people with CUD overall and by age group. Methods Data from the 2002-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health included 43,307 individuals who met past-year DSM-5-proxy CUD criteria. Last/current treatment for cannabis use (i.e., any or specialty CUD treatment) and perceived treatment need were regressed on survey year and age (12-17, 18-25, ≥26) using generalized linear spline models. Time-varying effect modification assessed the magnitude of age-treatment associations over time. Results Between 2002 and 2019, 6.1% of people with CUD used any CUD treatment, 2.8% used specialty treatment, and 2.2% perceived a treatment need. CUD treatment use decreased by 54.23% between 2002 and 2019 (9.11%-4.17%). Compared with adolescents, adults ages 18-25 were less likely to use specialty CUD treatment [aRR: 0.70: 95% CI: 0.52, 0.93] and ages ≥26 were more likely to perceive treatment need [aRR: 1.84: 95% CI: 1.19, 2.83]. Age-specific differences in the time-varying magnitude of associations were observed (e.g., in 2010 perceived treatment need was higher in ages ≥26 versus ages 12-17 [aOR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.47, 3.71]). Conclusions CUD treatment is decreasing and young adults have lower treatment use compared with adolescents. Attitudes towards cannabis use harms are shifting, potentially contributing to decreasing CUD treatment utilization and perceived treatment need. Future research should identify treatment barriers, especially among young adults with the lowest CUD treatment use.
Pedestrian Intent Detection using Skeleton-based Prediction for Road Safety

To predict the intent of human beings walking on the street or crossing the road can be an important safety feature for intelligent cars. It has drawn the attention of the automotive industry in the past few years. Estimating whether the pedestrian is going to cross the road or not is a very challenging task because there are multiple factors involved such as the speed at which the pedestrian is walking, whether the person is walking alone or walking with someone, are they aware of the vehicle etc. The Pedestrians Intent Detection system explores the different factors that affect the pedestrian's intent while walking or crossing the road as well as how different techniques are used to predict the intent of the pedestrian considering those factors. This research work will help design the system which predicts pedestrian's intent much like the human ability to interpret the behaviour of the pedestrian.
Particle Analysis for the Detection of Gunshot Residue. II: Occupational and Environmental Particles

The first paper in this series [1] described the application of particle analysis to the identification of gunshot residue. In the course of developing this application, gunshot residue was identified in each of several hundred samples collected. In many instances, the nonfiring hand was sampled as a control, or “handblank” samples were taken from persons who had not fired a gun [2]. Some of these many tests were performed “blind,” that is, without prior knowledge by the analyst of the nature of the sample. No false positives were obtained from nonfiring samples. Nevertheless, it was thought that better proof of the uniqueness of gunshot residue particles was required and that an investigation should be made of the possibility that particles in the natural environment or particles produced by man could closely resemble gunshot residue.
Reliability Analysis of Application-Specific Architectures

As the current trends in VLSI toward reduced feature size and accelerated clock rates continue, the reliability of VLSI circuits becomes an evermore important issue. For example, empirical studies have shown that as a technology undergoes constant-current scaling by a factor of α−1, the median time to failure due to metal electromigration will be diminished by a factor of α−2 [1]. In addition, an increase in clock rate requires that nodes be charged and discharged more rapidly, increasing the switching current in some technologies.
Oscillator phase noise: A 50-year retrospective

Fifty years ago emerging developments in oscillator applications led to the formation of an IEEE committee to unify time- and frequency-domain definitions of frequency stability. As a member, the author had the good fortune to participate and contribute. This paper is a personal recollection of events and impressions of the committee's 1964 IEEE-NASA Symposium, our 1966 Proc IEEE special issue on frequency stability (with comments on this author's oscillator-model paper), and our 1971 “Characterization of Frequency Stability” paper that was written to provide a basis for IEEE Std 1139.
Chapter 22 Income and Peer Quality Sorting in Public and Private Schools

Abstract Any system of primary and secondary schools involves explicit or implicit mechanisms that ration not only financial but also nonfinancial inputs into education production. This chapter focuses primarily on such mechanisms as they relate to the sorting of parents and children into schools and classrooms. Three primary mechanisms are reviewed: (1) sorting that emerges through residential location choices within housing markets that are linked to schools; (2) sorting that arises from parental choices to send children to private rather than public schools; and (3) sorting within schools that results from explicit tracking policies. The equilibrium level of sorting (along parental income and child peer quality dimensions) then depends on both the specifics of how education production works and the overall characteristics of the general equilibrium environment within which schools operate. We review the theoretical as well as the related simulation-based literature in this area and suggest that much potential exists for increasing empirical relevance of the emerging models for policy analysis, particularly as a related empirical literature comes to better terms with the nature of peer effects in education production.
Plasmids in the Degradation of Chlorinated Aromatic Compounds

Over the past several decades, man-made chlorinated aromatic compounds have been released into the environment in massive amounts in the form of herbicides, pesticides, refrigerants, lubricants or simply as industrial or hygienic household products. The presence of chlorine atoms on such molecules renders them toxic for microorganisms, insects and pests, and in some cases for human beings. The effectiveness of such compounds as insecticides or bacteriocidal agents prompted the chemical industry to manufacture varied types of the compounds and use them for enhanced agricultural productivity, various industrial processes and as health and beauty aids. The number of naturally-occurring compounds having carbon-chlorine bonds is very limited, so that microorganisms in nature have a limited capability to act upon all the complex chlorinated compounds synthesized by man. This has resulted in the persistence of these compounds and because such compounds have been widely disseminated in nature, they have created enormous problems of toxic chemical pollution, as exemplified by the episodes in the Love Canal area, the pollution in the James River or the accidental release of extremely toxic dioxins in Seveso, Italy2. Although over the years, microorganisms have been reported to slowly biodegrade various chlorinated compounds by co-oxidative metabolism3, there is still no evidence that pure cultures have acquired the ability to biodegrade highly chlorinated compounds. Reports of pure cultures capable of degrading simple mono- or dichloro compounds are now becoming available4,5. The purpose of this short article is to review the genetic basis of the biodegradation of simple chlorinated aromatic compounds such as 4-chlorobiphenyl (pCB) or 3-, 4- or 3,5-dichloro-benzoic acids by pure cultures, and examine the roleof Plasmids in extending the range of chlorinated substrates that can be consumed by various bacterial genera.
2 Metal Ions at Enzyme Active Sites

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the properties and methods to study metal ions at enzyme active sites. It is estimated that approximately one-third of all enzyme-catalyzed reactions require a metal ion or ions for catalytic activity. The functions of these metal ions can be placed in three broad categories: (1) structural integrity (no specific catalytic function), (2) electron transfer reactions, and (3) electrophilic catalysis. Electrophilic catalysis is the focus of this chapter, in which current data and theories of metalloenzyme catalysis are explored. An aspect of catalysis at metal ion sites on enzymes is the selectivity exhibited by some enzymes for the type of cation (monovalent versus divalent) and/or the oxidation state (+2 versus +3) of the cation. Model studies of metal ion-assisted reactions and of metal-ligand structures is reviewed to establish trends for these types of reactions and features that direct metal ion preference for certain ligand environments.
An Ancient and Intimate Partnership

Nonheme iron enzymes can catalyze a wide variety of chemical reactions. Two studies show how this versatility is achieved.
Predictors of early postpartum vitamin use among women of Mexican origin: implications for healthcare provider recommendations.

High parity and short birth intervals among Hispanic women may deplete their folic-acid levels and place them at risk for neural tube defects (NTDs). The purposes of this study were to evaluate factors associated with multivitamin supplementation rates during the early (one to six weeks) postpartum period among Mexican-origin women and present their implications in preventing NTDs in subsequent pregnancies. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Hispanic mothers attending women infant and children (WIC) clinics in El Paso Texas. Information was ascertained via interview on regular multivitamin use and independent variables including sociodemographic characteristics multivitamin knowledge obstetric and health history and birth control and infant feeding methods. Only 66% of 329 mothers took postpartum multivitamins. Multivitamin consumption declined by 29% for each postpartum week (P = .0003). Adjusted odds ratios indicated positive associations between multivitamin supplementation and prenatal care exclusively in the United States (P = .007) breastfeeding (P = .071) preconceptional (P = .005) and prenatal multivitamin use (P=.0002) and multivitamin recommendation from a healthcare provider (P = .0001). The majority of 247 women with multivitamin counsel (59%) were told to finish prenatal vitamins or to continue use while breastfeeding. Smokers were less likely to take multivitamins than nonsmokers (P = .007). A provider recommendation highly motivates early postpartum women to consume multivitamins. Since most women have more than one child this period likely represents an interpregnancy interval and is an opportune time to educate and encourage women to take multivitamins. This simple and inexpensive measure could prevent birth defects in future pregnancies. (authors)
Anti-KCA-3, a monoclonal antibody reactive with a rat complement C3 receptor, distinguishes Kupffer cells from other macrophages.

A new mAb, designated anti-KCA-3, was developed against rat Kupffer cells. The reactivity of anti-KCA-3 was restricted to macrophages with preferential binding to Kupffer cells; only a few macrophages in the spleen, lymph nodes, lungs, and intestine stained with the antibody. A very small number of peritoneal resident and exudate macrophages reacted with the antibody and no reactivity was seen within the thymus, skin, heart, kidneys, brain, peripheral blood, and bone marrow. KCA-3 was expressed predominantly by the Kupffer cells in the periportal region rather than in the centrilobular region of the hepatic lobules. The cells in the portal tract did not stain with the antibody. The staining of the cytosmears and FACS analysis of the Kupffer cell fraction isolated from hepatic sinusoidal cells by centrifugal elutriation revealed that as many as 62% and 49% of the cells were stained with anti-KCA-3, respectively. Immunoelectron microscopic study of the liver indicated that expression of KCA-3 on Kupffer cells was limited to the plasma membrane facing the sinusoid rather than the space of Disse. Immunoprecipitation and SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated KCA-3 to have a m.w. of approximately 50 kDa under both reducing and nonreducing conditions. After treatment of KCA-3 with N-glycanase, there was no significant change in the m.w., indicating KCA-3 was not highly glycosylated. C3b- and iC3b-mediated rosette formation between Kupffer cells and sensitized SRBC was inhibited by the antibody, implying that KCA-3 functioned as a complement C3 receptor or complement receptor-associated molecule. Furthermore, KCA-3 was eluted from C3b-Sepharose but not HSA-Sepharose after incubation with Kupffer cell lysate, indicating that KCA-3 directly binds C3b. The cell distribution, ligand-binding specificity, and biochemical properties of the protein were found to be different from the complement C3 receptors previously described. Because OX42 (antibody reactive with the rat CR3 receptor) inhibited complement C3-mediated rosette formation with peritoneal resident macrophages but not with Kupffer cells, the findings suggest that C3-mediated binding to Kupffer cells and to peritoneal macrophages is mediated by two different receptors. We conclude that anti-KCA-3 recognizes a novel type of complement C3 receptor preferentially expressed on Kupffer cells.
What can be done to prevent congenital toxoplasmosis

Abstract There is a great deal of confusion within the medical and lay communities regarding Toxoplasma infection in the pregnant woman. Many physicians are not aware of the significance of this infection in pregnant women or of measures that may decrease the likelihood of the birth of an infant with congenital toxoplasmosis. Data regarding the morbidity, incidence, cost, and measures for the prevention of congenital toxoplasmosis are discussed.
Protecting sensitive information from untrusted code

As computer systems support more aspects of modern life, from finance to health care, security is becoming increasingly important. However, building secure systems remains a challenge. Software continues to have security vulnerabilities due to reasons ranging from programmer errors to inadequate programming tools. Because of these vulnerabilities we need mechanisms that protect sensitive data even when the software is untrusted. This dissertation shows that secure and practical frameworks can be built for protecting users' data from untrusted applications in both desktop and cloud computing environment. Laminar is a new framework that secures desktop applications by enforcing policies written as information flow rules. Information flow control, a form of mandatory access control, enables programmers to write powerful, end-to-end security guarantees while reducing the amount of trusted code. Current programming abstractions and implementations of this model either compromise end-to-end security guarantees or require substantial modifications to applications, thus deterring adoption. Laminar addresses these shortcomings by exporting a single set of abstractions to control information flows through operating system resources and heap-allocated objects. Programmers express security policies by labeling data and represent access restrictions on code using a new abstraction called a security region. The Laminar programming model eases incremental deployment, limits dynamic security checks, and supports multithreaded programs that can access heterogeneously labeled data. In large scale, distributed computations safeguarding information requires solutions beyond mandatory access control. An important challenge is to ensure that the computation, including its output, does not leak sensitive information about the inputs. For untrusted code, access control cannot guarantee that the output does not leak information. This dissertation proposes Airavat, a MapReduce-based system which augments mandatory access control with differential privacy to guarantee security and privacy for distributed computations. Data providers control the security policy for their sensitive data, including a mathematical bound on potential privacy violations. Users without security expertise can perform computations on the data; Airavat prevents information leakage beyond the data provider's policy. Our prototype implementation of Airavat demonstrates that several data mining tasks can be performed in a privacy preserving fashion with modest performance overheads.
Influence of plasma chemistry on the properties of a-(Si,Ge):H alloys

Abstract We report on the effect of plasma chemistry on the growth and properties of a-(Si,Ge):H films and devices. The films and devices were grown using low pressure electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) discharge, with hydrogen or helium as the diluent gas. The plasma chemistry at the surface of the growing film was changed by changing the diluent gas from hydrogen to helium, and by changing the deposition pressure. Optical and electronic properties, including band gap ,defect density, Urbach energy and mobility–lifetime products for both electrons and holes were found to depend upon plasma chemistry. Lower pressure growth produced films with properties approaching device properties. The device properties also depended upon pressure and plasma chemistry. Defect density was measured in nin type devices, and was smaller under conditions of lower pressure and greater ion bombardment.
Separation and characterization of an IgG2 antibody containing a cyclic imide in CDR1 of light chain by hydrophobic interaction chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) was used to separate populations of recombinant IgG2 antibody that were created as a result of prolonged incubation at 40 °C. Antibody was separated by HIC into three major and seven minor fractions. All but one fraction was composed of antibody with distinct chemical modifications that resulted from exposure to elevated temperature. The results of intact and reduced mass analysis as well as peptide map data derived from the three major HIC fractions indicated that the antibody was being chromatographically separated into populations containing a succinimidyl intermediate in complementarity determining region 1 (CDR1) on zero, one, and two light chain arms. Lower level species purified by HIC were analyzed by intact and reduced mass analysis and laser-induced fluorescence capillary electrophoresis (CE-LIF) and consisted of an antibody that was clipped in four different places in the heavy chain as well as misfolded and aggregated antibody. The potency of the re...
Development of locomotor activity of rat pups in figure-eight mazes

In a series of four experiments, social and experiential factors that influence the development of motor activity in rat pups were examined. Motor activity was monitored from postnatal Days 13 to 21 as photocell interruptions in figure-eight mazes and comparisons were made between pups maintained in a nest box containing a dam and siblings and allowed access to the maze for 23 hr/day, pups tested daily for 1 hr/day vs pups tested only on postnatal Days 15, 18, or 21, pups tested daily for either 5 min, 30 min, or 1 hr/day, and pups tested daily for 30 min/day either singly in a maze, paired with a littermate, or paired with an anesthetized pup of the same age. A monotonic increase in activity was seen for nest-box testing, minimal developmental change was seen for pups tested on only a single day or for pups tested with an anesthetized pup, whereas all other groups showed an inverted U-shaped profile of activity which was influenced by the duration of testing and/or the presence of a littermate. These data emphasize the relevance of environmental factors as determinants of preweaning behavior.
Heterocyclic fused pyridone carboxylic acid M1 positive allosteric modulators

The phenyl ring in a series of quinolone carboxylic acid M(1) positive allosteric modulators was replaced with a variety of heterocycles in order to reduce protein plasma binding and enhance CNS exposure.
A small animal model of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and its evaluation by transthoracic echocardiography

Background: Costs for large animal studies have escalated. Therefore there is a need to develop small animal models of non-ischemic cardiac failure and accurate non-invasive techniques that will allow serial quantitation of left ventricular function. Objectives: The purpose of our study was to determine the efficacy and reliability of adriamycin for inducing cardiomyopathy in rats. We hypothesized that high frequency transthoracic 2-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography would allow for serial testing of cardiac function in this small animal model. Methods: Adriamycin was administered at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg intravenously once a week for 10 weeks in 54 rats. Transthoracic echocardiography by use of a 7.5 MHz transducer was performed in 19 rats at baseline and additionally at 12 weeks after beginning of adriamycin therapy to measure left ventricular dimensions and calculate fractional shortening. Results: The mortality rate during the treatment period was 11%, but increased to 52% at 13 weeks. Transthoracic echocardiography provided adequate visualization of left ventricular dimensions and cardiac function in a parasternal short axis view. In follow-up echocardiography, pericardial effusion was detected in 8/19 rats (42%). Compared to baseline, end-diastolic diameters increased from 0.56±0.06 to 0.64±0.08 mm ( p <0.001), end-systolic diameters increased from 0.27±0.03 to 0.42±0.08 mm ( p <0.001), and fractional shortening decreased from 52.8±4.0 to 34.3±7.1% ( p <0.001) at 12 weeks. Electron microscopy in a subset of rats revealed cardiomyocyte degeneration, mitochondrial and sarcoplasmatic reticular edema, numerous intracellular vacuoles and ‘onion-ring’ shaped mitochondrial cristae, characteristic for adriamycin cardiotoxicity in human patients. Conclusion: Adriamycin at an intravenous dose of 2.5 mg/kg over 10 weeks can be used to create a reliable model of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy with a high success rate. For in-vivo diagnostic purposes, transthoracic echocardiography provides a reliable technique to non-invasively assess cardiac function quantitatively and qualitatively in follow-up studies in rat cardiomyopathy. This small animal model can easily be used for testing new therapeutic strategies in cardiac failure.
Spectroscopy of the extreme ultraviolet background radiation

Observations in the FUV and soft X-ray bands suggest that the interstellar medium contains several components of high-temperature gas and should be emitting in the EUV. Indeed, diffuse radiation has been detected in the EUV with photometric instruments, but no special measurements exist below 520 A. A unique grazing-incidence spectrometer has been designed to study the diffuse emission between 80 and 650 A with 10 to 20-A resolution. The instrument was launched on a Black Brant sounding rocket from White Sands Missile Range on April 22, 1986. Preliminary analysis shows the expected geocoronal and interplanetary He I 584-A emission, and possibly other features which may originate in the hot ionized interstellar gas. Flux limits to these possible emission lines are compatible with previous broadband measurements.
Ring-Opening of Aziridine-2-Carboxamides with Carbohydrate C1-O-Nucleophiles. Stereoselective Preparation of α- and β-O-Glycosyl Serine Conjugates

The stereoselective formation of the α-GalNAc-Ser linkage via the ring opening of aziridine-2-carboxamides with pyranose C1-O-nucleophiles is described. The process is tolerant to the native C2-NHAc group, can be modulated to provide either the α- or β-glycoside through judicious choice of solvent and metal counterion, and is amenable to other classes of O-glycosyl-Ser constructs such as the β-GlcNAc-Ser and α-Man-Ser linkages. This coupling reaction also led to the development of the o-allylbenzyl (ABn) moiety as a new C-terminus carboxyl protective group, which allows for the use of novel methods for N- and C-terminus extension of amino acids following carbohydrate conjugation.
The Politics of Force: Media and the Construction of Police Brutality. By Regina G. Lawrence. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000. 254p. $45.00 cloth, $17.95 paper.

Regina Lawrence makes a major contribution to the criminal justice policy literature in her book, The Politics of Force: Media and the Construction of Police Brutality. She helps observers of the criminal justice system understand one of the reasons the crime control model is the dominant one in the United States. To do this she studies two major police departments, New York and Los Angeles, and the reporting of police use of force incidents in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, respectively. Generally, the viewpoint of the police is presented in the newspaper accounts of the incidents. The police explanation involves blaming the individual wrongdoer without any serious discussion of systemic problems in the operation of the police department. In other words, the police view reinforces the crime control model, with its stress on the rapid and efficient removal of wrongdoers from the streets of this country. Thus Lawrence helps the reader understand why the views of police critics do not receive the same level of coverage as does the official view presented to the press by the police bureaucracy. In her concern with the definition of public problems, she contributes to a theory of issue construction. The significance of her findings is reinforced by her data sources: two major American newspapers including the New York Times, which is read by political elites throughout the United States. The data in the book are based on a content analysis of the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times from 1984 to 1995. Also, an extensive analysis of the Rodney King case is presented. The information about the King case was garnered from a variety of newspapers and magazines. In addition, Lawrence gathered information for her study by interviewing reporters and police experts in New York, Los Angeles, and other cities.