cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mannose-decorated hybrid nanoparticles for enhanced macrophage targeting.

Abstract Our goal was to design nanocarriers that specifically target and deliver therapeutics to polarized macrophages. Mannose receptors are highly overexpressed on polarized macrophages. In this study, we constructed Pluronic® -F127 polymer and tannic acid (TA) based nanoparticles (F127-TA core nanoparticles) with varying mannose densities. The particle size of the optimized mannose-decorated F127-TA hybrid nanoparticles (MDNPs) was found to be ~ 265 nm with a negative zeta potential of ~ − 4.5 mV. No significant changes in the size and zeta potentials of nanoparticles were observed, which demonstrated structural integrity and stability of the nanoformulation. Physicochemical characteristics of MDNPs were evaluated by FTIR and TGA and demonstrated the presence of mannose units on surface nanoparticles. A mannose-dependent cellular targeting and uptake of MDNPs was found in U937 macrophages. The uptake process was found to vary directly with time and volume of MDNPs nanoparticles. The uptake pattern is higher in M2 than M1. This behavior was also evident from the instantaneous and superior binding profile of M2 macrophage lysate protein with MDNPs over that of M1 macrophage lysate protein. These results demonstrated that an appropriate mannose ligand density was confirmed, suggesting efficient targeting of M2. Altogether, these data support that the MDNPs formulation could serve as a targeted therapeutic guide in the generation of nanomedicine to treat various conditions as an anti-inflammation therapy.
John Woolman’s Christological Model of Discernment

In “John Woolman’s Christological Model of Discernment” Kershner argues that Woolman’s ascetic and devotional spirituality was informed by the goal of Christ being formed in the individual in a similar way to the ideal put forward by Thomas a Kempis’ The Christian Pattern, or the Imitation of Jesus Christ. Woolman used the language of the spiritual senses to contemporize Jesus Christ’s historical experiences in a way that guided Woolman in the ethical decisions he faced in the eighteenth-century world. Those prepared in “resignation” to receive Christ’s presence could “dwell” in Christ. Woolman’s eschatological focus takes the act of imitation further than Thomas did in that it heightened his expectations for social transformation as Christ’s life was re-enacted in his life.
Flexible Ray Traversal with an Extended Programming Model

The availability of hardware-accelerated ray tracing in GPUs and standardized APIs has led to a rapid adoption of ray tracing in games. While these APIs allow programmable surface shading and intersections, most of the ray traversal is assumed to be fixed-function. As a result, the implementation of per-instance Level-of-Detail (LOD) techniques is very limited. In this paper, we propose an extended programming model for ray tracing which includes an additional programmable stage called the traversal shader that enables procedural selection of acceleration structures for instances. Using this programming model, we demonstrate multiple applications such as procedural multi-level instancing and stochastic LOD selection that can significantly reduce the bandwidth and memory footprint of ray tracing with no perceptible loss in image quality.
Structural Racism and Autism.

* Abbreviations: ASD — : autism spectrum disorder AA — : African American Significant racial inequities exist in access to services for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Multiracial children are diagnosed with ASD later than their white counterparts, report difficulty accessing treatment services, and ultimately experience worse health outcomes. Empirical data on the mechanisms of inequities are generally lacking, although traditional contributors (structural racism, prejudice, education, income) are certainly at play. In this month’s issue of Pediatrics , Constantino et al1 found that among a large cohort of African American (AA) children, there was on average a 3-year delay between first parental developmental concern and ASD diagnosis. Moreover, nearly half of parents reported visiting multiple providers before receiving an ASD diagnosis, and 31.3% stated lack of available professionals contributed to this delay. Given the pervasive history of racism and exclusion that exists across the United States, particularly in medical care and research, we first applaud the overall goal of Constantino’s work to increase representation of AA children in ASD research. Next, we want to leverage this opportunity as a call to action for the field of ASD services. Specifically, how can these data be used to … Address correspondence to Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, 801 Albany St, Boston, MA 02118. E-mail: sarabeth.broder-fingert{at}bmc.org
The specificity of sperm-mediated paternal effects in threespine sticklebacks

Parental effects may help offspring respond to challenging environments, but whether parental exposure to different environmental challenges induces similar responses in offspring is largely unknown. We compared the offspring of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) fathers who had been exposed to a potentially threatening stimulus (net), a native predator (sculpin), or who had been left unexposed (control). Relative to offspring of control fathers, offspring of sculpin-exposed fathers were more responsive (greater change in activity) to a simulated sculpin predator attack, while offspring of net-exposed fathers were less responsive (fewer antipredator behaviors) and showed altered stress responses compared to the control. To evaluate whether parental exposure primes offspring to respond to specific stimuli (e.g., offspring of net-exposed fathers respond most strongly to a net), we then exposed offspring of each paternal treatment to nets, native sculpin models, or non-native trout models. Paternal treatment did not influence offspring response to different stimuli; instead, offspring were generally more responsive to the native sculpin predator compared to nets or non-native trout predator, suggesting that sticklebacks have innate predator recognition of native predators. Collectively, these results underscore that, while parental exposure to non-ecologically relevant stressors elicits effects in intergenerational studies, these findings may not mirror those produced when parents encounter ecologically relevant stressors. Knowing that parental effects can be predator-specific furthers our understanding of the ways in which parental effects may evolve to be adaptive and suggests the potential for transgenerational plasticity to affect how animals respond to human induced environmental change, including non-native predators. Despite extensive evidence for parental effects, we have very little knowledge regarding whether parental effects are stimuli-specific. Here, we found that paternal exposure to different, potentially stressful stimuli prior to fertilization has specific effects on offspring traits: paternal exposure to a model of a sculpin (a native predator) heightened offspring responsivity to simulated predation risk, while paternal exposure to an artificial stimulus/stressor (net) reduced offspring antipredator behavior relative to the control. We found no evidence that offspring responded more strongly to the stimulus that their father encountered; instead, offspring were overall more responsive to a sculpin predator compared to a net or non-native trout. Overall, these results suggest that sperm-mediated paternal effects can be highly specific, and while non-ecologically relevant stimuli elicit effects in intergenerational studies, these effects may differ from those that occur when parents are exposed to native, ecologically relevant stimuli.
Tracheoesophageal groove: reference point detecting descended superior parathyroid adenoma by SPECT/CT

1100 Objectives: The SPECT appearance of descended superior parathyroid adenoma is described if abnormal focus of activity is inferior posteriorly located in the superior mediastinum. Missing ectopic lesions are critical to the surgeon as the descended superior parathyroid adenoma lies deep to posterior to recurrent laryngeal nerves coursing along the tracheoesophageal groove; otherwise, it becomes frequent sources of persistent hyperparathyroidism. To better localize parathyroid lesions, many investigators have used various techniques such as pin-hole imaging, oblique imaging, SPECT study or SPECT/CT scan. We look for characteristic imaging finding of SPECT/CT for descended superior parathyroid adenoma in superior posterior mediastinum. Methods: 30 subjects who had parathyroid SPECT/CT were retrospectively reviewed and correlated with a surgical finding to see if imaging finding of superior adenoma by a SPECT and SPECT/CT criteria. All patients had a dual-phase planar parathyroid imaging by utilizing pinhole imaging, RAO and LAO oblique imaging, and SPECT/CT. Images were interpreted with planar images, SPECT without CT and SPECT with CT. Results: By utilizing SPECT criteria (posteriorly locate to the thyroid, there were six false positives for superior parathyroid adenoma with inferior descent and there were three false negative calling descended superior parathyroid adenoma in the superior mediastinum. By utilizing SPECT/CT criteria (a lesion is anterior or posterior to tracheoesophageal groove), all descended superior parathyroid adenoma to the posterior superior mediastinum were correctly identified. Conclusions: By identifying a tracheoesophageal groove, SPECT/CT could easily identify the descended superior parathyroid lesion that is in fact, located to posterior to the thyroid and posterior to the tracheoesophageal groove. Understanding the relationship between a superior ectopic parathyroid adenoma and recurrent laryngeal nerve in the tracheoesophageal groove is important.
Sexually localized expression of pseudo-self compatibility (PSC) in Petunia X hybrida Hort

A previously identified S-linked stylar-inactivation PSC factor (Flaschenriem and Ascher 1979b) was studied for its location relative to S. Plants exhibiting complete stylar-inactivation PSC were those with higher multigenic PSC background level than plants with only S-linked partial stylar-inactivation PSC. A pollen-mediated pseudo-self compatibility (PMPSC) adjustment factor was offered as a device to focus on stylar-inactivation PSC by removing some male origin, multigenic PSC. The stylar inactivation factor was not tightly linked to S but affected expression of only the allele to which it was linked. A three part interacting association of genetic material governing self incompatibility (SI) is proposed. The parts of S are the SI identity gene, S-specific PSC genes and, finally, PSC genes which are not S-specific in action. The complete association is termed the SI-complex.
Food Security Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Following a Group of Vermonters During the First Year

Objective: This study assessed changes in household food insecurity throughout the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in a cohort of Vermonters and examined the socio-demographic characteristics associated with increased odds of experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic. Design: We conducted three online surveys with a cohort of Vermonters between March 2020 and March 2021 to collect longitudinal data on food security, food access, and job disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Food security was measured using the USDA six-item module. We used t-tests and chi-square tests to determine statistically significant differences between groups and multivariate logistic regression models to determine the factors correlated with food insecurity. Participants: 441 adults (18 years and older) Setting: Vermont, United States Results: Food insecurity rates increased significantly during the pandemic and remained above pre-pandemic levels a year after the start of the pandemic. Nearly a third (31.6%) of respondents experienced food insecurity at some point during the first year of the pandemic. Certain demographic groups were at significantly higher odds of experiencing food insecurity during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic including households with children (OR 5.1, p < 0.01), women (OR 7.3, p < 0.05), BIPOC/Hispanic respondents (OR 10.4, p < 0.05), and households experiencing a job disruption (OR 4.6, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The prevalence of food insecurity increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and remained higher than pre-pandemic levels a year after the pandemic began. Odds of experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic vary based on socio-demographic factors.
3D-FCT: Simultaneous 3D Object Detection and Tracking Using Feature Correlation.

3D object detection using LiDAR data remains a key task for applications like autonomous driving and robotics. Unlike in the case of 2D images, LiDAR data is almost always collected over a period of time. However, most work in this area has focused on performing detection independent of the temporal domain. In this paper we present 3D-FCT, a Siamese network architecture that utilizes temporal information to simultaneously perform the related tasks of 3D object detection and tracking. The network is trained to predict the movement of an object based on the correlation features of extracted keypoints across time. Calculating correlation across keypoints only allows for real-time object detection. We further extend the multi-task objective to include a tracking regression loss. Finally, we produce high accuracy detections by linking short-term object tracklets into long term tracks based on the predicted tracks. Our proposed method is evaluated on the KITTI tracking dataset where it is shown to provide an improvement of 5.57% mAP over a state-of-the-art approach.
Cell-surface Labeling via Bioorthogonal Host-Guest Chemistry.

The widespread adoption of the bioorthogonal chemical reporter strategy revolutionized chemical biology. However, its translation to living mammals has been challenging, due to the size/stability properties of the chemical reporter group and/or the reaction kinetics of the labeling step. While developing new bioorthogonal reactions has been the traditional approach to optimizing the bioorthogonal chemical reporter strategy, here we present a different avenue, leveraging intermolecular interactions, to create bioorthogonal host-guest pairs. This approach, deemed "bioorthogonal complexation, does not rely on activated functional groups or second-order rate constants. We utilize the cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) scaffold to showcase bioorthogonal complexation and determine that medium-affinity (Ka ≈ 108-109 M-1) guests efficiently label cell surfaces and outperform the strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Finally, we implement bioorthogonal complexation in the chemical reporter strategy through the metabolic incorporation of ortho-carborane into cell-surface glycans and detection with a CB[7]-fluorescein conjugate.
Conducting Randomized Treatment Studies in Real-World Settings

With the recent observation by Weisz and his colleagues that efficacious research-based child psychotherapies are not translating to effective community-based practices (Weisz, Donenberg, Han, & Kauneckis, 1995a; Weisz, Donenberg, Han, & Weiss, 1995b; Weisz & Weiss, 1993, the importance of building capacity to conduct rigorous outcome research in community settings has become a priority (e.g., Hoagwood, 1997; Hoagwood, Hibbs, Brent, & Jensen, 1995. The primary purpose of this chapter therefore is to describe strategies that have been successfully used to conduct controlled outcome studies in real-world settings: community mental health centers, private provider entities, and several state agencies. Experiences in conducting clinical trials with multisystemic therapy (MST) (Henggeler, Schoenwald, Borduin, Rowland, & Cunningham, 1998) provides an example of how the rigors of laboratory-based treatment research can be translated into the pragmatics of community-based outcome research or clinical services research (Henggeler, Schoenwald, & Pickrel, 1995; Schoenwald & Henggeler, in press).
Ultrasonic NDE of Green-State Ceramics by Focused Through-Transmission

Reliable NDE techniques for green-state (unfired) ceramics are needed (1) to evaluate ceramic powder processing and compaction methods and (2) to screen out defective ceramic components prior to the costly densification process. Past work in the application of ultrasonic NDE to green-state ceramics has been hampered by the lack of an efficient yet safe means to obtain ultrasonic coupling, since conventional coupling fluids (water, gels, oils, etc.) have a detrimental effect on fragile green-state materials. In early work, direct contact pressure was used to obtain dry coupling between transducer and specimen [1]. This approach was later improved upon by placing an elastomer membrane between the transducer and specimen; this method provided efficient coupling at significantly lower contact pressures [2]. In the study presented here, an acoustically transparent plastic membrane was held against the ceramic specimen by atmospheric pressure [3]. The advantage of this technique is that it allows the use of ultrasonic immersion techniques as well as contact transducers.
At the Edge of Inner Asia: The Northern Zone and States of China, 1200–700 BC

The Late Bronze Age archaeology of the Northern Zone provides a basis for understanding how the Inner Asian frontier with China gradually emerged. With only a few exceptions, most discussions of Northern Zone political process have included little information about the neighboring archaeological regions in southern and eastern Mongolia. Although the archaeological record of these regions is still not well known, new data from the past decade of intensive survey and excavation in the southern and eastern Gobi Desert have helped to clarify the interactive networks that existed between Mongolian and Inner Mongolian communities of the Late and Final Bronze Age. In this chapter, I develop an argument for early contacts between these regions and explore their consequences for the late Shang and Western Zhou states of China.
Trade-offs, Transitivity, and Temkin

In this essay I critically assess Larry S. Temkin’s new book, Rethinking the Good: Moral Ideals and the Nature of Practical Reasoning. While I find that there is much to praise about this work, I focus on two points of critique. Generally, Temkin’s aims in this book are to expose a radical tension in our beliefs about value, and to show that one potentially palatable (if not ultimately acceptable) option is to reject the transitivity of the predicate “better than”. However, I argue that in both his motivation for claiming that such a tension exists, and one of his arguments that transitivity is a palatable option, his discussion is missing a crucial step: a first-order discussion of the relationship between intrinsic values; both personal welfare goods and impersonal goods (such as equality, overall utility, etc.).
Coercive Harmony, Deep Capture and Environmental Justice in Puerto Rico

This article examines how a regional NGO and a local-issue GRO in Puerto Rico have approached health and environmental concerns over water pollution from pharmaceutical production, and the consequences this has had for corporate–community–government relations. Through the analysis of historical material, public meetings and interviews, the processes through which micropolitical patterns have developed, and through which residents least conciliatory towards the drug companies are silenced, are discussed. The article questions whether persistent conflict between the corporate–government alliance and grassroots environmentalists is attributable to a ‘gap in understanding’ and suggests that the relationship is better understood through the complementary theories of ‘coercive harmony’ and ‘deep capture’. In conclusion it points out that researchers should be wary of assisting or supporting negotiations, and rather should focus on critically examining the dynamics of ‘stakeholder dialogue’ as a negotiation between relative equals.
The Presence of Mucin Increases the Anti-HIV-1 Activity of the Candidate Microbicide Polyethylene Hexamethylene Biguanide (PEHMB)

Topical microbicides that reduce or eliminate the risk of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) sexual transmission must function effectively within the cervicovaginal environment where multiple factors may impact the efficacy of the active agent. Factors relevant to potential changes in microbicide efficacy include the presence of mucins within the cervical mucus. We hypothesize that polycationic PEHMB molecules will interact with the anionic mucin molecules to form a lattice-like network that serves as a physical barrier to the movement of infectious virus and HIV-1-infected cells to the cervical and vaginal epithelia. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the anti-HIV-1 activity of PEHMB was increased almost two logs in the presence of mucin. In contrast, the activity of anionic dextran sulfate was unaffected. These results suggest that electrostatic interactions between PEHMB and mucin molecules may augment the inherent antiHIV-1 activity of PEHMB by facilitating the formation of a physical barrier between HIV-1 and susceptible cells. This property would be expected to increase the in vivo efficacy of PEHMB. from 2005 International Meeting of The Institute of Human Virology Baltimore, USA, 29 August – 2 September 2005
METEOR-NEXT and the METEOR Paraphrase Tables: Improved Evaluation Support for Five Target Languages

This paper describes our submission to the WMT10 Shared Evaluation Task and MetricsMATR10. We present a version of the Meteor-next metric with paraphrase tables for five target languages. We describe the creation of these paraphrase tables and conduct a tuning experiment that demonstrates consistent improvement across all languages over baseline versions of the metric without paraphrase resources.
Nonparametric Methods for Analysis of Repair Data

Repair models specify the joint distribution of the failure times of a system subject to repair. Prominent models include the minimal repair model, the Brown–Proschan model, the Block–Borges–Savits model, the Kijima models, and the general Dorado–Hollander–Sethuraman model. For such models, failure-time data and data on the types of repairs performed allow inference for the distribution F of the time to first failure of the system and other features of the system that can be defined in terms of F. This article surveys some nonparametric inference procedures for repair data, including frequentist and Bayesian estimation of F, simultaneous confidence bands for F, two-sample tests, tests of the minimal repair assumption, and goodness-of-fit tests. Keywords: Bayes estimation; cumulative hazard function; destructive repair; distribution of the time to first failure; effective age; failure rate; goodness of fit; interfailure times; life supplement; simultaneous confidence band; testing the minimal repair assumption; two-sample test
Toward a Generic Construction of Universally Convertible Undeniable Signatures from Pairing-Based Signatures

Undeniable signatures were proposed to limit the verification property of ordinary digital signatures. In fact, the verification of such signatures cannot be attained without the help of the signer, via the confirmation/denial protocols. Later, the concept was refined to give the possibility of converting the issued undeniable signatures into ordinary ones by publishing a universal receipt that turns them publicly verifiable. In this paper, we present the first generic construction for universally convertible undeniable signatures from certain weakly secure cryptosystems and any secure digital signature scheme. Next, we give two specific approaches for building universally convertible undeniable signatures from a large class of pairing-based signatures. These methods find a nice and practical instantiation with known encryption and signature schemes. For instance, we achieve the most efficient undeniable signatures with regard to the signature length and cost, the underlying assumption and the security model. We believe these constructions could be an interesting starting point to develop more efficient schemes or give better security analyses of the existing ones.
The Promises and Pitfalls of Devolution: Water Pollution Policies in the American States

This article investigates state reactions to the relatively decentralized federal policy structures that are now in place for non-point source water pollution control and assesses the extent to which state policies are living up to the promises of the policy devolution agenda. It develops and presents measures of state non-point source policy activism for all fifty states and analyzes the likely sources of variation in state policies. In so doing, it finds evidence that the “promises of devolution” are not being fulfilled across all states. The analysis also yields insights that can contribute to the development of new and more flexible federal-state policy arrangements in a policy area that has been characterized by command-and-control regulation. Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.
What Socio-Legal Scholars Should Do When There is Two Much Law to Study

Twenty-one years ago, as the Oxford Centre for Socio-Legal Studies was taking form, I was working on my Ph.D. dissertation in sociology of law. It was a time of intellectual optimism, of hope for collective development of theoretically and empirically grounded understanding of how legal systems really worked. Each new empirical study cast a beam of light into a little-known, often humble province of law's empire, illuminating relationships between the law in action and the law on the books. The learning curve slanted upward sharply. These days, on the other hand, I feel a certain frustration. In the last twenty-one years, socio-legal studies have accomplished a great deal. But we are failing, I feel, to keep up with developments in the legal systems that surround us. The problem is this: in contemporary democracies, positive law, the law on the books, proliferates extremely rapidly so rapidly that it confounds our attempts to find out, in any systematic way, what is actually going on. Like Lewis Carroll's Red Queen, we seem to run faster and faster only to keep from falling further behind. The ecological outlook in the Amazon may be troubled, but the number of species in the legal rainforest keeps multiplying.
VEGF and Podocytes in Diabetic Nephropathy

Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) is a protein secreted by podocytes that is necessary for survival of endothelial cells, podocytes, and mesangial cells. VEGF-A regulates slit-diaphragm signaling and podocyte shape via VEGF-receptor 2-nephrin-nck-actin interactions. Chronic hyperglycemia-induced excess podocyte VEGF-A and low endothelial nitric oxide drive the development and the progression of diabetic nephropathy. The abnormal cross-talk between VEGF-A and nitric oxide pathways is fueled by the diabetic milieu, resulting in increased oxidative stress. Recent findings on these pathogenic molecular mechanisms provide new potential targets for therapy for diabetic renal disease.
Optical Threshold Elements Based on the Excited State Photophysical Properties of Molecular Materials

The wavelengths at which indanthrone behaves as an efficient reverse saturable absorber can be changed by chemical modification of the indanthrone chromophore. Several derivatives of indanthrone have been synthesized and they have been shown to be more efficient nonlinear optical materials than the parent chromophore. In this paper we will discuss the behavior of these indanthrone derivatives, attempt to correlate the nonlinear optical properties observed in this class of compounds to modifications in the structure of the indanthrone chromophore and suggest how these nonlinear materials may be applied to all-optical switching devices.
The effectiveness of a collaborative art-making task on reducing stress in hospice caregivers

Abstract The goal of this study was to use quantitative measures to determine the effectiveness of a collaborative art-making task on reducing burnout and increasing social support in a group of hospice caregivers. In this pre–post design, 20 caregivers experienced a control condition, followed by an experimental art-making condition 1 month later in which the group worked together to create a team quilt. The experimental condition experienced significantly larger pretest to posttest decreases in Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) total score, MBI-GS Exhaustion subscale score, and MBI-GS Cynicism subscale score, compared to the control group. A statistically significant pretest to posttest increase in Work Colleagues Support score on the Support Appraisal for Work Stressors (SAWS) Inventory was also found. Implications, possible limitations, and future research are discussed.
Learning techniques for alcohol abuse.

Abstract Eighteen month follow-up data are presented for two projects evaluating the effectiveness of learning techniques for treating alcohol abuse and achieving moderation using three groups of subjects-inpatient alcoholics, outpatient alcoholics and problem drinkers. Subjects received various combinations of the following procedures: videotape self-confrontation of drunken comportment, blood alcohol concentration discriminating training, aversion training for overconsumption, avoidance practice, behavior counseling and alternatives training, and alcohol education. While the loss of subjects was considerable between 12 and 18 months follow-up, the data were very similar. Subjects in all groups improved in terms of reductions in alcohol intake and on drinking-related variables. Significant between-groups differences in favor of subjects whose training included actual experience in drinking moderately were found only for the inpatient alcoholics. In this research, the best candidate for moderation was the less chronic. younger drinker with a relatively lower alcohol intake, a more stable vocational record and no history of hospitalization for alcohol abuse or physical deterioration from drinking. We believe that the techniques with the greatest potential for the prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse are videotape self-confrontation, blood alcohol discrimination training, and alcohol education/alternatives training.
Algal communities of springs and streams in the Mt. St. Helens region, Washington, U.S.A. following the may 1980 eruption

Mt. St. Helens, a volcanic peak in the Cascade Range in southern Washington erupted violently on May 18, 1980, causing enormous damage to both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The initial explosion evaporated, scoured or buried all springs and streams in the blast impact area. Ash fall and erosion from defoliated hillsides subsequently filled most of the lotic habitats with organic debris and volcanic ash. Recolonization of springs and streams by algae occurred quickly in areas where erosion through the ash progressed down to bedrock. Within 15 months or less of the eruption, algal communities were established throughout the blast impact area. However, as a result of the initial and continued disturbance these communities remained in an early successional stage. Floral assemblages were highly variable except that they were composed mostly of diatoms, with Achnanthes minutissima dominating most lotic sites. Springs showed the most rapid development toward stable floras.
Decreased expression of the common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia antigen (CALLA/CD10) on neutrophils from patients with thermal injury

The common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia antigen (CALLA/CD10) is a normal component of the circulating neutrophil cell surface membrane. In order to examine the potential functional significance of CALLA/CD10 we analysed the expression of this molecule on neutrophils isolated from thermal injury patients, since these patients have a well-documented constellation of neutrophil defects affecting their microbicidal functions. Expression of neutrophil CALLA/CD10 was monitored by indirect immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. We observed that CALLA/CD10 expression was quantitatively reduced on burn patient neutrophils, compared to healthy donors (P less than 0.001). In contrast, burn patient neutrophils expressed normal levels of class I HLA molecules and the C3bi receptor. Reduced expression of CALLA/CD10 was not associated with neutrophil activation or exposure to plasma 'factor(s)' in vivo. Analysis of normal bone marrow neutrophils by cell sorting indicated that expression of CALLA/CD10 occurs late in neutrophil maturation, since 25% of polymorphonucleated bone marrow neutrophils did not express cell surface CALLA/CD10. Attempts to examine the chemotactic responses of CALLA/CD10 positive and negative neutrophils from burn patients were hampered by previous exposure of these cells to chemoattractants in vivo. Collectively, our findings suggest that burn patient peripheral blood neutrophils may be deficient in CALLA/CD10 due to insufficient maturation time in the bone marrow following thermal injury.
Cognitive mechanisms linking low trait positive affect to depressive symptoms: a prospective diary study.

Low trait positive affect represents an affective vulnerability to depression, but little research has examined mechanisms linking low trait positive affect to depressive symptoms. The current study investigated whether the cognitive strategies of dampening and positive rumination mediated the prospective association between low trait positive affect and depressive symptoms. Participants were 209 undergraduate students who participated in an eight-week online study. Depressive symptoms and trait temperament were assessed at baseline, followed by seven weekly questionnaires which assessed cognitive strategies in response to weekly events and weekly depressive symptoms. Data were analysed using multilevel modelling following the mediation approach proposed by Nezlek. Results indicated that low trait positive affect significantly predicted less positive rumination but not greater dampening in response to weekly positive events. Less positive rumination in response to weekly positive events partially mediated...
Utilization of by-products from western coal combustion in the manufacture of mineral wool and other ceramic materials

Abstract The ash by-products from combustion or gasification of western U.S. coals have chemical and mineralogical characteristics that lend themselves to utilization in ceramic materials. Laboratory and pilot-scale fabrication of four such materials has been studied. Cyclone slag from four lignite-fired power plants and a dry scrubber ash have been fabricated into mineral wool insulation in a pilot-scale cupola. Extruded and fired mixtures of fly ash, clay and ground glass have produced ceramics with extraordinary high flexural strength. Ceramic glazed wall tile that utilize fly ash in place of clay have been prepared and shown to meet most specifications for fired clay tile. Both fired and unfired dry-pressed brick containing 100% western fly ash have met ASTM specifications for fired clay brick.
Effect of moisture content on viscoelastic properties of hydrated gliadin

ABSTRACT The effect of moisture content on the linear viscoelastic properties of gliadin hydrated to 30 and 40% moisture content [gliadin(30%) and gliadin(40%), respectively] was determined. These two moisture contents bracketed the equilibrium moisture content of gliadin, which was 37.6%. Time-temperature-superposition was used to develop master curves of the elastic modulus (G′), viscous modulus (G″), dynamic viscosity (η′), and tan δ (G″/G′) from isothermal frequency sweep data obtained at 25–80°C. Smooth master curves were obtained for all of the viscoelastic functions for both gliadins. G′ and G″ showed a power law dependency on frequency (with G″ > G′) for frequencies <0.1 rad/sec for gliadin(30%) and <1 rad/sec for gliadin(40%). The low-frequency-limiting slopes on log-log coordinates for G′ and G″ were 0.700 and 0.646 for gliadin(30%), respectively. Corresponding values were 0.658 and 0.614 for gliadin(40%). G′ crossed over G″ at a frequency of ≈0.3 rad/sec for gliadin(30%), while G′ and G″ for gl...
Sampling truncated distributions.

It is pointed out that the difference between the means of two populations is alwaysgreater than the difference between the sample means derived from the two distributions truncated at a lower limit, upper limit, or both. The form of the distributions is assumed to be identical but is otherwise arbitrary.
Role of low and high-voltage activated Ca2+-dependent K+ currents in the control of alpha-motoneuron discharge and its implication in hyperreflexia

Specificity of calcium-activated potassium (K+) currents to different sources of calcium has been noted in many neurons (e.g.1). Recently, in spinal alpha-motoneurons (α-MN), it was shown that the low-voltage activated L-type calcium currents (also known as persistent calcium currents) activate an exclusive subset of small conductance K+ currents (SKL)2. The SKL currents were distinct from the medium after-hyperpolarization (mAHP) producing N/P-type calcium activated K+ currents (SKAHP currents). The same study further suggested that an enhancement of persistent calcium current often observed after chronic spinalization can in part be due to reduced availability of the SKL channels albeit mAHP remained unchanged. While mAHP has been suggested to be integral in controlling motoneuron firing frequencies and grading L-Ca activation, the role of SKL currents in motoneuron discharge is unknown. The goal of this study is to characterize the influence of SKAHP and SKL currents on motoneuron firing frequencies. Here we test the hypothesis that SKAHP and SKL currents play differential roles in the control of persistent inward currents that are key determinants of motoneuron excitability.
Evaluation of student performance for constructive purposes

Abstract Attainment of the goals of non-traditional education requires a restructuring of courses. The guidelines for a new design demand a significant decrease in lecture time to provide time for the conduct of other activities, including problem solving, independent study, collaborative projects and use of primary literature. An essential element is the integration of evaluation throughout the course in order to have each activity taken seriously by the students, to clarify the standards of performance expected, to identify deficiencies in time for them to be corrected and, most important, to reward the students appropriately for their efforts. There is no model for an ideal course. The guidelines allow great flexibility in designing courses to fit local circumstances. Exchange of ideas and materials through Biochemical Education can reduce the effort needed to develop effective courses.
Changes in lung volumes and diffusing capacity in guinea pigs exposed to a combination of sulfur dioxide and submicron zinc oxide mixed in a humidified furnace.

Abstract Male Charles River Hartley guinea pigs were exposed for 3 hr to zinc oxide (ZnO) aerosols alone (7.8 mg/m3) and to various concentrations of ZnO (0.8, 2.7, or 6.0 mg/m3) in combination with sulfur dioxide (SO2). The ZnO aerosols (CMD 0.05 μm, σg 2.0) were generated by the condensation of supersaturated vapors and mixed with SO2 in a water vapor-saturated furnace at 480°C. We evaluated ventilation, lung mechanics, lung volumes, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), and alveolar volume (VA) in anesthetized, tracheostomized animals after exposure to the aerosols. Breathing frequency, tidal volume, and pulmonary resistance and compliance were unchanged in all exposed groups. Exposure of animals to ZnO alone resulted in significant decrease in functional residual capacity (FRC) with only minimal changes in other lung volume subdivisions, DLCO and VA. A dose response was induced in animals exposed to SO2 and increasing concentrations of ZnO as shown by decreases in lung volumes, DLCO and VA. In animals exposed to the lowest ZnO concentration (0.8 mg/m3), vital capacity (VC) was significantly lower while other lung volume parameters, DLCO and VA, were unchanged compared to control values. As the concentration of ZnO was increased, as in the 6.0 mg/m3 ZnO group, all lung volume subdivisions, DLCO and VA, were significantly decreased. Analysis of collected aerosols during the experiments indicated the presence of sulfate, sulfite, and adsorbed sulfur trioxide, all of which could induce bronchoconstriction in the guinea pig. The nature of the response in this study suggests a reaction in the periphery of the lungs indicating that the various sulfur species were carried into the lung parenchyma by the submicron ZnO particles. The decreased lung volumes, DLCO and VA, indicate alveolar duct constriction probably with the involvement of pulmonary edema.
Cube-connected-cubes network

Abstract This paper explores in detail design aspects of Cube-Connected Cubes (CCC). A CCC is hypercube with each node represented as a cube. We consider four CCC network structures using different criteria for global connections. A comparison is made of their network connectivity and average node distance. We also propose a generalized routing algorithm and a generalized broadcasting algorithm that can be applied to different CCC structures. The results of the network topology study show the CCC still keeps desirable hypercube properties such as the existence of parallel node-disjoint paths. Moreover, the CCC has a lower node degree than the hypercube.
User and ISP Rights of Device Attachment and Device Management

Internet research often assumes users may connect devices without consent by their service providers. However, in many networks the service provider only allows use of devices obtained directly from the provider. We review how United States communications law addresses the rights of users to connect devices of their choice. We explicate a set of user and service provider rights. We propose legal requirements for attachment and management of devices. We illustrate how these proposed regulations would affect the services currently offered on telephone, cable, satellite, video networks, and cellular networks, as well as on the Internet.
Ethanol production from spent cherry brine.

Spent cherry brine is an acidic byproduct of maraschino cherry processing and typically consists of variable amounts of glucose and fructose of up to 11% fermentable solids, 0.5–1.5% CaCl2, up to 0.4% sulfur dioxide, sorbitol, and lesser amounts of other cherry constituents. Disposal of brine represents a significant cost to processors because of its high biological oxygen demand. As an alternative, brine was tested as a substrate for ethanol production. Initially, the toxic level of sulfur dioxide was reduced by raising brine pH to 8.0 to precipitate calcium sulfite. Because alkalinization was subsequently found to result in a 10-fold reduction in phosphorous, brines were titrated with phosphoric acid to pH 6.0 prior to inoculation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae tested were able to ferment all lots of Ca(OH)2-treated and phosphorous-enriched brines efficiently. One lot of brine containing 10% (w/v) fermentable sugar yielded 4.7% (w/v) ethanol in 4 days.
STUDIES ON THE OESTROUS CYCLE IN THE RAT. II. THE EFFECT OF THYROPARATHYROIDECTOMY AND PARATHYROIDECTOMY

The effect of thyroidectomy on the oestrous cycle in the female albino rat was reported in a previous paper (Lee, 1925). The length and character of the oestrous cycle, as determined by the vaginal smear method, was used as an index of ovarian activity, thus affording what is believed to be an accurate objective method of studying the supposed intimate relationship between the thyroid and ovary. The effect obtained was an average lengthening of the cycles in thyroidectomized animals of about one day over cycles in normal controls (5.9 and 4.8 days respectively). This lengthening of the oestrual rhythm is conceivably due to the loss of the direct stimulating influence of the thyroid on the ovary, or more likely to the lowering of the general level of metabolism in the animal. Using reproductive ability and the growth of the reproductive organs as an index of the inter-relationship of thyroid and ovary, Hammett (1922, b; 1924) has concluded that parathyroidectomy and thyroparathyroidectomy have no direct ef...
Cerebrocortical Fos expression following dopaminergic stimulation: D1/D2 synergism and its breakdown.

Abstract Using standard immunohistochemical techniques, we examined Fos expression in different areas and layers of cerebral cortex in rats following combined or separate stimulation of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors under normal conditions and following five days of reserpine (1 mg/kg/day), a treatment that causes a breakdown in requisite D1/D2 synergism. In normal animals, combined but not separate stimulation of D1 and D2 receptors elicited Fos expression in frontal and parietal, but not cingulate, cortex. Expression was highest in layer IV of primary somatosensory cortex; in frontal and secondary somatosensory cortex, Fos expression was lower and peaked in layer VI. Cortical Fos expression following amphetamine showed the same general pattern, and was blocked by either a selective D1 or D2 antagonist. Following reserpine treatment, stimulation of either D1 or D2 receptors gave rise to cortical Fos expression in patterns similar to each other and to combined D1/D2 stimulation in normal rats (except in frontal cortex in which separate D1 or D2 stimulation was unable to elicit Fos even following repeated reserpine treatment). The fact that cortical Fos expression was tightly associated with behavioral activation together with its laminar and areal distribution suggest that sensory input resulting from behavioral activation may be an important: stimulus for this immediate-early gene response.
Sphingosine kinase-1 is cleaved by cathepsin B in vitro: Identification of the initial cleavage sites for the protease

Previous work has identified sphingosine kinase-1 (SK1) as a substrate for the cysteine protease cathepsin B in vitro. In this study, the mechanism of SK1 cleavage by cathepsin B was investigated. We identified two initial cleavage sites for the protease, the first at histidine 122 and the second at arginine 199. Mutation analysis showed that replacement of histidine 122 with a tyrosine maintained the activity of SK1 while significantly reducing cleavage by cathepsin B at the initial cleavage site. The efficacy of cleavage of SK1 at arginine 199, however, was not affected. These studies demonstrate that SK1 is cleaved by cathepsin B in a sequential manner after basic amino acids, and that the initial cleavages at the two identified sites occur independently of each other.
Caloric intake in a group of peritoneal dialysis patients

Abstract Dialysis patients as a group appear to have a caloric intake less than the recommended values; because their energy expenditure is not different than that of healthy adults, they should be in negative caloric balance and lose body mass progressively. We retrospectively analyzed our data in a group of peritoneal dialysis patients who had dietary evaluations and kinetic measurements performed two consecutive times over a period of 6 months. Body weight, lean body mass (LBM), fat mass, and anthropometric parameters remained stable over this period of time, suggesting that these patients are not in negative energy balance. When their daily caloric intake was normalized to a new ideal body weight derived from the LBM calculated from creatinine kinetics, the values were within normal limits, suggesting that these patients were in zero energy balance; hence, a stable body mass was expected. (Am J Kidney Dis 1998 Dec;32(6):1019-22)