cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Exhausted Intratumoral T Cell Population in B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Is Defined By LAG-3, PD-1 andtim-3 Expression

T-cell exhaustion plays an important role in attenuating the function of immune cells in B-cell non-Hodgkin9s lymphoma (NHL) and PD-1 expression is typically used to identify exhausted T-cells. We have however previously shown that not all PD-1+ cells are exhausted and that PD-1 is differentially expressed on two distinct T-cell subpopulations, with high expression on T follicular helper cells and dim expression on exhausted T cells. Other markers are therefore needed to more clearly identify exhausted intratumoral T cells. To further define exhaustion of intratumoral T cells, we determined the co-expression, regulation and function of PD-1, TIM-3 and LAG-3 on CD4+ or CD8+ T cells by flow cytometry. Using biopsy specimens from follicular B-cell NHL, we found that the percentages of PD-1+ and TIM-3+ T cells were 53.1% (range: 17.2-81.2%, n=32) and 34.5% (range: 14.9-62.6%, n=34) in CD4+ T cells and 46.8% (range: 12.8-81.7%, n=32) and 40.4% (range: 15.0-78.4%, n=34) in CD8+ T cells, respectively. We observed that TIM-3 was predominantly expressed on PD-1dim T cells and TIM-3+ cells accounted for 40% of CD4+ PD-1dim or 45% of CD8+ PD-1dim T cells. Similarly, LAG-3 was variably expressed on intratumoral T cells from B-cell NHL. A median of 9.54% (range: 3.01-15.46, n=6) of CD4+ or 20.48% (7.93-33.9, n=8) of CD8+ T cells express LAG-3. We found that LAG-3+ T cells almost exclusively came from PD-1+ TIM-3+ cells, forming a defined population of intratumoral PD-1+ TIM-3+ LAG-3+ CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. While the majority of LAG-3+ T cells were effector memory T cells (CD45RA- CCR7-), some LAG-3-expressing T cells displayed a phenotype of terminally-differentiated T cells (CD45RA+ CCR7-). Functionally, the intratumoral TIM-3+ LAG-3+ T cells exhibited reduced capacity to produce cytokines (IL-2, IFN-γ) and granules (perforin, granzyme B). Similar to TIM-3, LAG-3 expression was strongly up-regulated on CD4+ or CD8+ T cells by IL-12, a cytokine that has been shown to induce T-cell exhaustion. Interestingly, we observed that while expression of TIM-3 on CD8+ T cells was upregulated by IL-12 at an early time point (day 1), LAG-3 was only induced after TIM-3 up-regulation (day 3) and almost exclusively on TIM-3+ T cells. Furthermore, we found that blockade of both TIM-3 and LAG-3 signaling was able to reverse the exhausted phenotype of CD8+ T cells resulting in increased IFN-γ and IL-2 production. This effect was further enhanced when CD8+ T cells were treated with both anti-TIM-3 and anti-LAG-3 Abs. Taken together, these results suggest that PD-1, TIM-3 and LAG-3 were involved in the induction of exhaustion of T cells in B-cell NHL. We find that PD-1, TIM-3 and LAG-3 are expressed on the same T cells and that blocking TIM-3 and LAG-3 can reverse T-cell exhaustion signaling. These results suggest that PD-1, TIM-3 and LAG-3 play a synergistic role in the development of T cell exhaustion in NHL. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Predaceous Toxorhynchites mosquitoes require a living gut microbiota to develop

Most species of mosquitoes are detritivores that feed on decaying plant and animal materials in their aquatic environment. Studies of several detritivorous mosquito species indicate that they host relatively low diversity communities of microbes that are acquired from the environment while feeding. Our recent results also indicate that detritivorous species normally require a living gut microbiota to grow beyond the first instar. Less well known is that some mosquitoes, including those belonging to the genus Toxorhynchites, are predators that feed on other species of mosquitoes and nektonic prey. In this study, we asked whether predaceous Toxorhynchites amboinensis larvae still require living microbes in their gut in order to develop. Using the detritivorous mosquito Aedes aegypti as prey, we found that T. amboinensis larvae harbour bacterial communities that are highly similar to that of their prey. Functional assays showed that T. amboinensis first instars provided axenic (i.e. bacteria-free) prey failed to develop, while two bacterial species present in gnotobiotic (i.e. colonized by one or more known bacterial species) prey successfully colonized the T. amboinensis gut and rescued development. Axenic T. amboinensis larvae also displayed defects in growth consistent with previously identified roles for microbe-mediated gut hypoxia in nutrient acquisition and assimilation in A. aegypti. Collectively, these results support a conserved role for gut microbes in regulating the development of mosquitoes with different feeding strategies.
Diencephalon: Thalamus and hypothalamus

Abstract The diencephalon is part of the prosencephalon, also known as the forebrain. It develops from the primary cerebral vesicle. It then differentiates, forming the rostral telencephalon and the caudal diencephalon. Out of the side of the telencephalon, the cerebral hemisphere forms, containing the lateral ventricles. The lateral ventricles and third ventricle are able to communicate through the foramen of Monro, also called the interventricular foramen. The diencephalon, therefore, is largely related to the structures developing lateral to the third ventricle. The lateral diencephalon walls superiorly form the epithalamus, and centrally, the thalamus. Inferiorly, they form the subthalamus and hypothalamus. As an anatomical marker, the structures on either side of the third ventricle make up the thalamus.
Guidance Is Good or Avoid Too Much Hand-Holding? Proposing a Controlled Experiment on the Impact of Clear Proximal Goals on Digital Game Enjoyment

Empirical research on what makes digital games enjoyable is critical for practitioners and researchers who want to design for enjoyment. This is true not only for Game Design, but for Gamification of non-game applications, and Serious Games with a purpose beyond enjoyment. But existing theories are incomplete or lacking empirical support. Flow is the psychological state of “getting in the zone”, of enjoying overcoming challenges for the sake of the enjoyment they provide. Flow theory suggests that Clear Proximal Goals, knowing what to do next throughout an activity, is a flow condition, or a factor that leads to the flow state. However, there is a popular notion among game designers and developers that it is better to avoid too much hand-holding, and to allow game players to figure out what to do themselves rather than guiding them each step of the way. These appear to be mutually exclusive assertions that cannot both be true. Does more guidance increase or decrease enjoyment? To resolve this controversy, an online controlled experiment with a 2 × 2 factorial design and a minimum of 280 total participants is proposed to test the impact of Clear Proximal Goals on Task Engagement (flow not including enjoyment) and Enjoyment. The presence or absence of on-screen text prompts and navigational assistance will be used to manipulate clear proximal goals. This study will advance the study of game enjoyment by testing how the clarity of players’ next steps impacts game enjoyment using random assignment to different game designs.
Using Nasal Self-Esteem to Predict Revision in Cosmetic Rhinoplasty.

BACKGROUND It would be useful if existing tools or outcomes measures could predict which patients are at greater risk of revision surgery following rhinoplasty. OBJECTIVES The authors sought to determine if a single question assessing nasal self-esteem could be utilized to predict which patients are at greatest risk of revision surgery following rhinoplasty. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective chart review of 148 patients who underwent cosmetic rhinoplasty. Results of pre- and postoperative Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey questionnaires and rates of revision or patient-initiated revision discussions (RD) were collected. Patients were stratified based on answers to Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey question 5 (SQ5), "Decreased mood and self-esteem due to my nose." RESULTS Of the 148 patients included in the analysis, 72.9% were women, and the mean age was 30.9 (15-59, standard deviation = 10.3) years. Those patients who selected 4 or 5 on SQ5 had an overall revision rate of 16.7% and 18.8%, respectively, and a RD rate of 27.8% and 31.25%, respectively. Those patients who selected 0 through 3 on SQ5 had an overall revision rate of 0% and an overall RD rate of 10.4%. Only SQ5 was predictive of revision and RD on logistic regression analysis (P = 0.0484 and P = 0.0257) after Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSIONS SQ5 appears to offer a useful adjunct to guide surgical management of the cosmetic rhinoplasty patient. Those patients who reported worse nasal self-esteem and associated mood preoperatively were more likely to request and undergo revision. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4
Mental Health Identification Practices of Jails: The Unmet Needs of the "Silent" Population: Special Issue: Criminal Justice and Community Psychology: Our Values and Our Work.

The overrepresentation of individuals with mental illness in the criminal/legal system is well documented. While professional associations urge diversion towards treatment, little is known about the practices these institutions use to identify this population. One understudied space in the criminal/legal continuum is jails. This exploratory study compares two types of mental health identification at jail booking to assess jail- and community-based service outcomes by identification type (N = 2956): (a) staff observation and (b) a standardized screening instrument. Individuals identified through staff observation were significantly more likely to receive jail- and community-based services, even though current symptomology and substance misuse were both significantly higher for individuals identified only by the screening instrument. These findings point to the importance of jails in providing stabilizing services during incarceration, but further, show the impact that identification practices have on individuals as they transition to the community. Community context showed varied rates of jail staff observations of mental illness, showing greater risks for individuals in rural communities. Implications include a need for system-level changes by instituting evidence-based identification practices in jails, and improving professional collaboration practices between mental health and criminal/legal practitioners as individuals enter and exit jails.
Automatic Playtesting for Yahtzee

Yahtzee is a dice game with elements of skill and chance. There are many numeric parameters that govern the game’s scoring rules, and varying those parameters will affect many aspects of game play, including strategic depth. We take advantage of the ease of computing the optimal policy for solitaire Yahtzee to use supervised learning to develop near-optimal agents based on neural networks. With the aim of automatically selecting scoring parameters that increase strategic depth, we measure the agent’s skill as we vary the resources available to the neural networks and use metrics derived from the resulting learning curve as an indicator of strategic depth.
The Performer-Audience Connection: Emotion to Metaphor in Dance and Society

A pioneering foray into one of the major puzzles of human communication: the communication of emotion in dance.
B and T Cell Immunity in Tissues and Across the Ages

B and T cells are key components of the adaptive immune system and coordinate multiple facets of immunity including responses to infection, vaccines, allergens, and the environment. In humans, B- and T-cell immunity has been determined using primarily peripheral blood specimens. Conversely, human tissues have scarcely been studied but they host multiple adaptive immune cells capable of mounting immune responses to pathogens and participate in tissue homeostasis. Mucosal tissues, such as the intestines and respiratory track, are constantly bombarded by foreign antigens and contain tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells that exhibit superior protective capacity to pathogens. Also, tissue-resident memory B (BRM) cells have been identified in mice but whether humans have a similar population remains to be confirmed. Moreover, the immune system evolves throughout the lifespan of humans and undergoes multiple changes in its immunobiology. Recent studies have shown that age-related changes in tissues are not necessarily reflected in peripheral blood specimens, highlighting the importance of tissue localization and subset delineation as essential determinants of functional B and T cells at different life stages. This review describes our current knowledge of the main B- and T-cell subsets in peripheral blood and tissues across age groups.
“We Don’t Kiss in School”: Policing Warmth, Disciplining Physicality, and Examining Consent of Latinx Students in US Special Education Classrooms

Special education programs in the United States teach students “appropriate” behavior that reflects the dominant culture’s rules and standards. In the US public school system, this means the behavioral expectations that are taught uphold a white and upper-middle-class norm. For Latinx students with dis/abilities, these expectations are often dissonant with the expressions, interactions, and behaviors of their communities and families. This chapter explores how Latinx cultural mainstays—like kissing in greeting—are criticized, diminished, and often criminalized in special education programs. When students are told that in order to be “proper,” “appropriate,” and “successful,” they cannot engage in reproducing the culturally-rich and valuable behaviors and expressions of their communities.
The last lecture '91 (technical communication)

The author presents three concepts which he considers most significant for managers and technical communicators. He begins with a discussion of the differences between the reflective and presentational modes of writing which contain many of the professional problems of technical writers, and then returns to the relationship of the communication process to the technical work from which it springs. In this first concept, the two processes, frequently seen as tag-on, are actually parallel and highly interactive. The second concept features a group of four demands which the process places on technical writing professionals, (the role of reader-advocate, examining alternative structures, overcoming the difference between the writer/reader views of the writing, and separating writing and revising). The third stresses directing the writing process and the interactive roles of managers, technical staff, and technical writers. >
Storage protein profiles in Spanish and runner market type peanuts and potential markers

Background Proteomic analysis has proven to be the most powerful method for describing plant species and lines, and for identification of proteins in complex mixtures. The strength of this method resides in high resolving power of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), coupled with highly sensitive mass spectrometry (MS), and sequence homology search. By using this method, we might find polymorphic markers to differentiate peanut subspecies.
The origin of cleavage forces in dividing eggs. A mechanism in two steps.

Abstract The mechanical behavior of sea urchin eggs is examined from soon after fertilization up to the time that the cleavage furrow begins to form. The procedure involves compressing eggs between parallel plates so that tensile forces in the egg surface can be calculated. Results show that eggs of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus at 12–13 °C undergo a strong cortical contraction which significantly precedes and is independent of mitosis and which persists through anaphase, the time when the cleavage stimulus from the mitotic asters differentiates the cortex for cleavage. The cleavage furrow begins to form when cortical tension is high, although there is no obvious incremental increase in tension which specifically correlates with the cleavage stimulus. It is therefore concluded as a tenable hypothesis that there are two separate but coordinated steps which occur while the egg is still spherical and which then lead to cleavage. The cleavage stimulus, instead of causing contraction as often believed, elicits relaxation of the polar cortex after the entire cortex has first contracted by an independent mechanism. Accordingly, the global contraction-polar relaxation hypothesis explains that the motive force for the cleavage furrow actually originates from the prior general contraction and, in a strict sense, is independent of mitosis. The mitosis-linked step is brought about by the cleavage stimulus and upsets the prior balance of high tensile forces by relaxing the poles; this channels the cortical contractility into the equator, resulting in the formation of the cleavage furrow. These ideas are contrasted with alternate hypotheses of cleavage initiation.
Evaluating the performance of clinical pharmacy faculty: Putting the ACCP template to use

The responsibilities of clinical faculty members are often multifaceted and may include direct patient care, didactic and experiential teaching, research, and administrative duties. Specialization, poorly defined standards of care, and lack of direct supervision have traditionally made performance evaluation difficult. We implemented a method to evaluate clinical faculty as they carried out patient care activities using a revised template for the evaluation of a clinical pharmacist developed by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Clinical Practice Affairs Committee. In addition, it allows individuals to report and evaluate their own performance in the areas of patient care, instructional activity, university and public service, research and scholarly activities, and administrative duties. Teaching evaluations from clerkship students and residents are also submitted and assessed during the annual interview. To determine the usefulness of the evaluation, including the template, we surveyed the opinions of clinical faculty (nontenured) at four primary practice sites (response rate 92%). Mean scores for responses suggested agreement with statements as to the merits of the evaluation system; however, there was some variation among practice sites. Incorporating the template into a broad evaluation system was effective in facilitating improved job performance and career development. Adaptation of the template may be practice site dependent and should be coordinated by a participative approach. Additional assessment may be facilitated by physician, nurse, or peer evaluation.
Peripheral target choice by homologous neurons during embryogenesis of the medicinal leech. II. Innervation of ectopic reproductive tissue by nonreproductive Retzius cells

Most Retzius (Rz) cells innervate the body wall of their own and adjacent segments, whereas Rz cells in segments 5 and 6 [Rz (5,6)] innervate the reproductive tissue, which is found only in those segments. Results from the preceding paper (Loer and Kristan, 1989a) showed that Rz (5,6) and standard Rz cells do not normally compete for their respective peripheral targets. These experiments did not, however, distinguish between 2 other possible mechanisms of target selection: intrinsic differences in target preference or differences in the timing of target contact. In order to separate these possibilities experimentally, we transplanted reproductive primordia to standard segments. We found that standard Rz cells were capable of densely innervating ectopic reproductive tissue, provided the target was transplanted at an appropriate time and location. Furthermore, after some processes of standard Rz cells contacted ectopic reproductive tissue, the rest of the cell's processes showed their growth in a way reminiscent of Rz (5,6) processes. These results strongly suggest that Rz (5,6) innervate reproductive tissue at least partly because their processes contact this target during a period that is optimal for them to associate with the target, or when the reproductive tissue is most attractive to Rz processes, or both.
The Cable Street Battle

Sunday I walked the mile through the sooty slums of London's 1936 Jewish East End to pay homage to the matriarch, my grandmother, Booba. Mummy had dressed me in my autumn red hat and coat. In spite of that, a little shiver ran through my body. Suppose the Wolf was hiding behind the forest of old East End buildings. Suppose the Fascist girl jumped out, banged me hard over the head with a plank again, giving me a headache and shouted, "Jewgirl!" Then there were my two young uncles, who worked in Booba's grocery shop. What new mischief had they prepared for me? On my last visit, Uncle Max had laughed and said, "Come and sit on my lap and watch smoke come out of my ears." Trustingly, I had climbed on his lap, stared hard at his ears, and nearly choked as he blew cigarette smoke into my face. Uncle Sam, when I was bored, told me to count the rice in the huge sack. When I saw that one hundred grains did not even fill my small palm, and looked at the enormous sack, I saw him laugh at me. Finally, I had to face my grandmother, Booba, she who could melt wallpaper with her acid tongue, and who studied me from head to foot to see everything on me was perfect. After this inspection, she always bent down over the marble grocery shop counter, and offered me her cool cheek to kiss. For kindness, I would need to find my grandfather, Zada, who would sweep me into his strong arms?he'd been in the Czar's Cavalry?and whisper, "Bubbele, zeeselle, fleegelle," little doll, little sweet one, little wing, hugging and kissing me, his stubble scratching my cheek. Zada would be across the cobbled backyard in the granary, singing Yiddish songs, while weighing rice, beans and barley into one-pound brown paper bags. A girl of seven, small, but wiry, like my deaf daddy, I walked the mile safely this time. "You only weighed five pounds when you were born," Mummy told me. "I never wanted to marry, Booba insisted, nor have a child, especially in the Depression. Daddy wanted a boy." My fault I was born, I thought. My fault I was not a boy. As I entered the spotless shop, glittering under electric lights, Booba stood in her white coat at the counter, a long serrated knife
Susceptibility-weighted imaging in Todd paralysis

A 10-year-old boy presented with left hemiplegia and facial droop after prolonged seizure activity overnight. MRI showed hypoperfusion involving the right cerebral hemisphere. Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) demonstrated prominence of ipsilateral draining veins, indicating increased deoxyhemoglobin content within the hypoperfused territory (figure).1 There was no acute infarct. Weakness improved over several hours and the patient was discharged after returning to baseline. While the pathophysiology of Todd paralysis remains elusive, prior reports have documented reversible hypoperfusion.2 SWI is a robust and relatively novel imaging technique that is highly sensitive to deoxyhemoglobin and can be an adjunct in the evaluation of perfusion abnormalities.
Tryptophan fluorescence and homology in lysozymes and α-lactalbumins

Steady-state and transient fluorescence properties of turkey lysozyme, human lysozyme, and bovine α-lactalbumin are compared to those of hen lysozyme and hen lysozyme derivatives. Tryptophan fluorescence appears to be sufficiently sensitive to environment so that a small divergence in sequence can alter the fluorescence properties of one or more of the sequently equivalent tryptophans in these proteins. Thus, an understanding of the fluorescence of one protein cannot necessarily be extended to a homologous protein in a simple manner, and the use of fluorescence to document structural similarity in homologous proteins is likely to be difficult. In addition, the results with α-lactalbumin and human lysozyme suggest that multiple conformations of these proteins exist in solution, and that interconversion of these conformations is slow compared to the fluorescence lifetime.
Understanding the effects of sulfur on Mo2C and Pt/Mo2C catalysts: Methanol steam reforming

Abstract To enhance our understanding of the effects of sulfur on the properties of Mo2C and Pt/Mo2C catalysts, methanol steam reforming rates were measured in the absence and presence of 5 ppm H2S. Exposure to H2S quickly deactivated the Mo2C catalyst, although 60% of the initial rates were retained. Deactivation of the Pt/Mo2C catalyst was more gradual and the pseudo-steady state rates approached those for the Mo2C catalyst. Treatment in 15% CH4 in H2 at 590 °C for 4 h restored ∼100% and ∼15% of the initial rates for the Mo2C and Pt/Mo2C catalysts, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated domains of Mo2C, MoS2 and S-Mo on the Pt/Mo2C catalyst surface, but no sulfur was observed on the Mo2C catalyst surface. The results suggested that sulfur selectively poisoned some but not all of the active sites on Mo2C, and irreversibly poisoned the Pt sites producing inactive PtS.
The Nonlinear Gravity Wave-Critical Level Interaction

Abstract A nonlinear numerical model of the gravity wave-critical level interaction is developed in this paper. This model is used to examine and compare the effects of viscosity, time-dependence and nonlinear interactions on the development of the critical level interaction. It is found, in agreement with earlier studies, that viscosity and heat conduction strongly stabilize the interaction very near the critical level. Time-dependence and nonlinear interactions are found to be strongly stabilizing only for very transient or low viscosity flows, respectively. These two effects are very important, however, in the development of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities within unstable velocity shears. Once excited, these instabilities grow on the excess energy available in the unstable shears. When large unstable velocity shears are produced, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities grow until they dominate the critical level interaction. It is argued that the break-down of these Kelvin-Helmholtz billows produced by the c...
Assessing serum hemoglobin levels without venipuncture: accuracy and reliability of Pronto-7 noninvasive spot-check device.

Abstract Background Hemoglobin is a frequently obtained test in hospital settings. We analyzed accuracy of a noninvasive device compared to standard laboratory analyzers in a variety of settings. Methods A noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring device was analyzed for reliability, correlation, precision, and bias. Hemoglobin levels were obtained from standard laboratory and point-of-care hemoglobin analyzers and compared to noninvasive hemoglobin in inpatient and military field environments. Results Ninety-seven patients were enrolled. Overall, the noninvasive hemoglobin device had high correlation compared to invasive laboratory values. Stratified by location, the device had high correlation in hospital and low correlation in austere environment. The highest variation in accuracy was seen in the austere environment. Conclusions Overall, the noninvasive spot-check hemoglobin device is reliable and highly correlates to standard hemoglobin analysis. Use in an austere setting requires further study.
Similar poly(C)-sensitive RNA-binding complexes regulate the stability of the heavy and light neurofilament mRNAs

Abstract The potential role of RNA processing in regulating neurofilament (NF) subunit expression and in mediating the neuropathic effects of NF transgenes was explored by determining whether similar regulatory elements and cognate binding factors are present in NF mRNAs. Gel-shift studies were used to compare RNA-binding complexes that assemble on the 3′UTR of the heavy (NF-H), mid-sized (NF-M) and light (NF-L) NF mRNAs when radioactive RNA probes are incubated with high-speed supernatants (S100) of rat brain homogenates. RNA-binding complexes were characterized by their rate of migration in non-denaturing gels and by their ability to be competed with specific homoribopolymers. Similar RNA-binding complexes formed on probes to the 3′UTRs of NF-L and NF-H mRNAs. The complexes were competed with poly(C) and are referred to as poly(C)-sensitive complexes. Their binding sites were localized to a 36 nt sequence in the mid-distal region of the NF-H 3′UTR and to a 45 nt sequence at the proximal edge of the 3′UTR of the NF-L transcript. Although the binding sites showed limited sequence homology, the complexes were cross-competed with unlabeled probes and radioactivity in either probe was cross-linked to a 43 kDa protein. The 43 kDa protein also bound directly to NF-L and NF-H probes in Northwestern blots. Functional studies showed that deletion of the binding sites markedly increased expression of a luciferase reporter gene containing the 3′UTR of NF-L or NF-H by stabilizing the fusion transcripts. Point mutations in the NF-H binding site which prevented formation of the poly(C)-sensitive complex also stabilized the fusion mRNA. The findings reveal a common destabilizing element in the 3′UTR of NF-L and NF-H mRNAs that may be important in coordinating NF subunit expression and in mediating the neuropathic effects of the NF-L and NF-H transgenes in transgenic mice.
Femtosecond laser-induced fragmentation and cluster formation studies of solid phase trinitrotoluene using time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract We use surface-femtosecond laser mass spectrometry to study the fragments/products formed when trinitrotoluene (TNT) is subjected to femtosecond laser pulse irradiation and to study the conditions under which TNT is removed from a solid surface. In surface-femtosecond laser mass spectrometry a compound is deposited on a solid substrate and is desorbed into vacuum by femtosecond irradiation forming a plume of ionized and neutral species. The positive or negative ions are then accelerated by an electric potential and allowed to drift in the field-free region of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The mass-to-charge ratio of each ion is obtained using the value of the accelerating field and the ion flight time. In this paper we report femtosecond laser mass spectra for the positive ions formed by desorbing TNT with 130 fs pulses centered at 800 nm for fluences ranging from 7 to 1.4 × 10 5 J/m 2 . The conditions under which TNT removal and ionization occur are also discussed.
James's Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to you, my Lad

(2001). James's Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to you, my Lad. The Explicator: Vol. 59, No. 4, pp. 193-195.
Public Trust in Government in Japan and South Korea: Does the Rise of Critical Citizens Matter?

Based on the Asia Barometer Survey of 2003, 2004, and 2006, government performance, citizen empowerment, and citizen satisfaction with self-expression values are associated with public trust in government in Japan and South Korea. This study finds, first, that government performance on the economy, controlling political corruption, the quality of public services, crime, and attention to citizen input are significantly associated with broad public trust in government in both Japan and South Korea. Likewise, citizens’ satisfaction with their right to gather and demonstrate and to criticize the government is closely connected to trust in central and local governments in Japan. In South Korea, citizens’ satisfaction with their right to gather and demonstrate is intimately linked to trust in local government. Implications for government leadership to enhance performance, transparency, citizen participation, and public trust in government are analyzed and elaborated upon in this insightful study.
TAX BASIS AND NONLINEARITY IN CASH STREAM VALUATION

The value of a future cash stream is often taken to be its net present value with respect to some term structure. This means that a linear formula is used in which each future payment is discounted by a factor deemed appropriate for the date on which the payment will be made. In a money market with taxes and shorting costs, however, there is no theoretical support for the existence of a universal term structure for this purpose. What is worse, reliance on linear formulas can be seriously inaccurate relative to true worth and can lead to paradoxes of disequilibrium. A consistent no-arbitrage theory of valuation in such a market requires instead that taxed and untaxed investors be grouped in separate classes with different valuation operators. Such operators are linear to scale but nonlinear with respect to addition. Here it is established that although these valuation operators provide general bounds applicable across an entire class, individual investors within a tax class can have more special operators because of the influence of existing holdings. These customized valuation operators have the feature of not even being linear to scale. In consequence of this nonlinearity, investors from the same or different tax classes can undertake advantageous trades even when the market is in a no-arbitrage state, but such trade opportunities are limited. Some degree of activity in financial markets can thereby be understood without appeal to differences in utility functions or temporary disequilibrium due to random disturbances.
Wavelength scaling of optimal hollow-core fiber compressors in the single-cycle limit

We systematically investigate supercontinuum generation using three-dimensional numerical simulations of nonlinear femtosecond pulse propagation in hollow-core fibers (HCF) at different pump wavelengths ranging from 400 nm to 2 μm. A general design strategy for HCF compressors is presented, maximizing the spectral broadening while preserving high beam quality for given pump pulse energy, duration and wavelength. We show close fitting of the modeled results with simple analytical formulas, enabling the construction of high-energy pulse compressors at the wavelength range of interest. Based on the presented wavelength scaling study, we propose an orthogonally polarized two-color pumping scheme in a single HCF compressor for the coherent synthesis of the electric fields in the sub-cycle regime with mJ level energies.
Electrostatic interactions in ionic liquids: the dangers of dipole and dielectric descriptions

Ionic liquids have attracted a great deal of attention as media for chemical processes, but many fundamental questions about their behavior remain unanswered. Their electrostatic character remains particularly mysterious, and a number of theoretical studies have attempted to address it using various models. These models often make use of a dipolar description of the charge distribution of an ion, or the dielectric continuum model for the medium. In this work, we review these approaches and show that their application to ionic liquids is questionable on fundamental physical grounds. While not formally incorrect, the descriptions are prone to certain conceptual or numerical errors when applied to molecular ionic systems. We highlight these problems, and discuss some alternative approaches currently in the literature.
Effects of fasting on serum lipids and lipoprotein profiles in the egg-laying hen (Gallus domesticus)

The effects of a 24-h fast on serum lipids and lipoprotein profiles in commercial laying hens were investigated. Blood was analyzed at 34 and 46 weeks of age from Single Comb White Leghorn hens that had been either fed ad libitum or had been fasted for 24 h prior to collection. At 12 weeks, birds were divided into 16 biological isolation units, with 8 replicate units assigned to each treatment group. Four birds out of 10 in each unit were tagged for bleeding. Parameters evaluated included total serum cholesterol and triglycerides, mean diameters of very low density lipoproteins (VLDLs) for the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles of serum total VLDL, mean total population VLDL particle diameter (MPD), and percentage serum cholesterol recovered in VLDL, low density lipoprotein (LDL), and high density lipoprotein (HDL) fractions. Fasting led to decreases in total serum cholesterol and triglycerides, and a decrease in mean serum VLDL particle diameter in the 90th population percentile. At Week 34, percentage serum cholesterol recovered from LDL was increased, whereas percentage serum cholesterol recovered from HDL was decreased due to fasting. At Week 46, MPD and percentage serum cholesterol recovered from VLDL were decreased, whereas percentage serum cholesterol recovered from HDL was increased due to fasting. It was concluded that a 24-h fast decreased serum lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) and the size of VLDL particles in the 90th population percentile in commercial laying hens. Furthermore, bird age influenced the effects of a 24-h fast on MPD and the redistribution of serum cholesterol among VLDL, LDL, and HDL particles.
A transient fiber optics probe for space resolved diagnostics of dense plasmas.

6 Romig, M. F., 'The influence of electric and magnetic fields on heat transfer to electrically conducting fluids/' The Rand Corporation Memo RM-3336-PR (1962). 7 Hey wood, J. B., "An MHD channel flow with temperature dependent electrical conductivity," AIAA J. 3,1752-1754(1965). 8 Cramer, K. R., "Variable conductivity MHD couette flow," Aerospace Research Labora to r ies , Off ice of Aerospace Research, U. S. Air Force, ARL 65-13 (January 1965). 9 Kieffer, P. C., "Variable conductivity fully developed MHD channel flow," Unpublished Masters Thesis, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (1965). 10 Kantorovich, L. V. and Krylov, V. I., Approximate Methods of Higher Analysis (Interscience Publishers Inc., New York, 1958).
Isolation of ice-nucleating active bacteria from the freeze-tolerant frog, Rana sylvatica

Ice-nucleating active (INA) bacteria were isolated from the gut of field-collected freeze-tolerant wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) collected in winter. Thirteen strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens, four strains of Pseudomonas putida, and two strains of Enterobacter agglomerans had ice-nucleating activity. Each of the INA pseudomonad strains was psychrophilic. P. putida strains were differentiated from P. fluorescens strains by gelatinase, lecithinase, and lipase production. The maximum nucleation temperatures (Tmax) of aqueous suspensions (10(9) bacteria/ml) of the four INA P. putida strains ranged from -1.6 to -3.0 degrees C, which places this INA species among the most potent known biological nucleators. Ingestion of INA P. putida isolated from R. sylvatica by another freeze-tolerant frog. Pseudacris crucifer, decreased the capacity of this frog to supercool and remain unfrozen at -2 degrees C. This is the first report of INA bacteria isolated from a vertebrate, and suggests that, as part of the gut flora in some posthibernation freeze-tolerant wood frogs, these bacteria may play a role in enhancing winter survival by promoting ice nucleation at high subzero temperatures (ca. -2 degrees C).
α-Hölder Linearization

Abstract A well known theorem of Hartman and Grobman says that a C 2 diffeomorphism f : R n → R n with a hyperbolic fixed point at 0 can be topologically conjugated to the linear diffeomorphism L = df (0) (in a neighborhood of 0). On the other hand, if a non-planar map has resonance, then linearization may not be C 1 . A counter-example is due to P. Hartman (see [H2]). In this paper we will show that for any α ∈(0, 1) there exists an α -Holder linearization in a neighborhood of 0 for the counterexample of Hartman. No resonance condition will be required. A linearization of a more general map will be discussed.
Current status of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type II): Management with gliclazide

Abstract Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a prevalence of 3–7% in most Western countries. Decreased insulin secretion and diminished tissue insulin sensitivity are both implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease; both may be exacerbated by persistent hyperglycemia and improved by normalization of blood sugar levels. Measures to control hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia are important in the management of NIDDM and prevention of its long-term complications. The effects of dietary modification, exercise, and antihypertensive and antiplatelet therapy, as well as of pharmacologic control of blood sugar, on the vascular and renal complications of NIDDM have been investigated. Gliclazide is a second-generation sulfonylurea drug whose efficacy in the treatment of NIDDM, alone or in combination with insulin, has been widely demonstrated. Studies of the use of gliclazide, reported at recent symposia, are summarized in this review.
Thoughts on tamoxifen resistant breast cancer. Are coregulators the answer or just a red herring

The antiestrogen tamoxifen is an effective treatment for estrogen receptor positive breast cancers, slowing tumor growth and preventing disease recurrence, with relatively few side effects. However, many patients who initially respond to treatment, later become resistant to treatment. Tamoxifen has both agonist and antagonist activities, which are manifested in a tissue-specific pattern. Development of tamoxifen resistance can be characterized by an increase in the partial agonist properties of the antiestrogen in the breast, resulting in loss of growth inhibition and even inappropriate tumor stimulation. Nuclear receptor function is modulated by transcriptional coregulators, which either enhance or repress receptor activity. Using a mixed antagonist-biased two-hybrid screening strategy, we identified two such proteins: the human homolog of the nuclear receptor corepressor, N-CoR, and a novel coactivator, L7/SPA (Switch Protein for Antagonists). In transcriptional studies N-CoR suppressed the agonist properties of tamoxifen and RU486, while L7/SPA increased agonist effects. We speculated that the relative level of these coactivators and corepressors might determine the balance of agonist and antagonist properties of mixed antagonists such as tamoxifen. Using quantitative RT-PCR we therefore measured the levels of transcripts encoding these coregulators, as well as the corepressor SMRT, and the coactivator SRC-1, in a small cohort of tamoxifen resistant and sensitive breast tumors. The results suggest that tumor sensitivity to mixed antagonists may be governed by a complex set of transcription factors, which we are only now beginning to understand.
pRPL: an open-source general-purpose parallel raster processing programming library

pRPL is an open-source general-purpose programming library developed by the author to parallelize almost any raster-processing algorithm with any arbitrary neighborhood configuration, and support any data type. This paper introduces the advanced features of pRPL, compares it with other similar programming libraries, and demonstrates the performance of a parallel geographic Cellular Automata (CA) model developed using pRPL with real-world datasets. In conclusion, pRPL effectively reduces the development complexity of parallel programming, and efficiently reduces the computing time.
Interdependence among egalitarian societies

Abstract Egalitarian societies are rarely entirely self-sufficient for subsistence. The conditions fostering interdependence, however, have yet to be studied systematically. Utilizing ecological models, this research analyses the process by which interdependence involving food resource sharing and exchange develops among egalitarian societies. Two distinct types of interdependence are defined: buffering, which alleviates periodic food shortages, and mutualism, in which complementary foods (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) are exchanged on a regular basis. The utility of these models is then evaluated using ethnographic data. The article concludes with a discussion of the evolutionary trajectories of interdependent egalitarian systems.
Politicians and Firms

We present a model of bargaining between politicians and managers that explains many stylized facts about the behavior of state firms, their commercialization, and privatization. Subsidies to public enterprises and bribes from managers to politicians emerge naturally in the model. We use the model and several extensions to understand why commercialization and privatization might work, and what forces contribute to effective restructuring of public enterprises. We illustrate the model using examples from several countries.
The Job Development and Evaluation of a Job Aid to Support Mobile Subscriber Radio-Telephone Terminal

Abstract : Operators of the Mobile Subscriber Radio-Telephone Terminal (MSRT) require support to learn and retain the skills necessary to operate the equipment. Because the MSRT, a piece of Signal equipment, will be fielded to non-Signal soldiers, the need for training support is greater than it would be for other equally complex and critical tasks. These non-Signal soldiers will receive limited formal training in operation of the MSRT, and the amount and type of informal training received will vary from company to company. To offer standard assistance in this task, the MSRT job aid was developed for the non- Signal soldier.
Level-n bounded rationality in two-player two-stage games

Abstract We extend the Level- n theory of bounded rationality from the domain of symmetric normal-form games to the domain of simple two-player, two-stage extensive-form games. We designed and conducted experiments to test pertinent hypotheses. The extended Level- n model fits the data remarkably well and significantly better than subgame perfect equilibrium theory. Moreover, we find that the vast majority of behavior appears individualistic. Further, we characterize the non-individualistic behavior as stemming from a combination of utilitarian and Fehr-Schmidt other-regarding preferences.
China's Policy Regarding Returned Students from the Viewpoint of Liberal Arts Students Returned from Abroad

Nearly a decade has elapsed since the policy of allowing large numbers of students to study abroad was adopted toward the end of the 1970s, and it is now possible to make an overall review of this policy. However, most of the current discussions, including domestic policy readjustments, still focus on the outflow of students to study abroad and the influx of returned students from abroad, and how to deal with the increasing enthusiasm to study abroad, as well as similar domestic problems. In the opinion of this author, what determines the final success or failure of the policy concerning foreign-trained Chinese students is whether we can enable returned students to give full play to their vocational proficiency.
The circuit basis in binary matroids

Abstract The concept of a circuit basis for a matroid is introduced, as an algorithmically rapid way of determining several characteristics of a given matroid. It is used to give a short search for planarity in graphs, and also to begin the answer to a question of G.-C. Rota about “dependency among dependencies.” A circuit basis for a matroid is a least set of circuits which will generate all the circuits of the matroid by repeated use of symmetric differences of cells.
Sociobiology of Bank Swallows: Reproductive Strategy of the Male

Male bank swallows pursue a mixed reproductive strategy. As previously documented, they form monogamous pair bonds with females with whom they will share parental duties of nest-building, incubation, and feeding of the young. In addition, however, they routinely seek promiscuous copulations with other females, both before and after pair-bonding.
Challenges to No Child Left Behind: Title I and Hispanic Students Locked Away for Later.

Funding streams among impoverished school districts are influenced by interpretations of the constitution regarding educational legislation. Title I, in the current framework of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), has challenges that will affect urban policymakers' ability to serve the increasing Hispanic population entering the public school system. This constitutional analysis of Title I informs future directions policymakers can follow. Advocacy for Hispanic students in urban areas will depend on future high court decisions regarding questions raised about the ability of NCLB to keep in line with the original intent of Title I funding.