cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retropharyngeal abscess in a post-lung transplant cystic fibrosis patient with prior cervical fusion: a case study.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic, genetic, incurable disease that affects primarily the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. End-stage lung disease is the leading cause of death in people with CF, and lung transplant is required to preserve life. Anti-rejection medications are necessary post-transplant; however, these medications lower immune response and increase susceptibility to bacterial infections. Complications from infections post lung-transplant account for approximately 30% of CF-related deaths. Retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is a rare deep neck infection that occurs most commonly in children. This is the case of a 45-year-old Caucasian male with CF who developed a retropharyngeal abscess post wisdom teeth extraction that seeded into hardware from a previous cervical disc fusion. The patient presented to the emergency department with severe neck and shoulder pain, limited range of motion in his arm and neck, and dysphonia. He reported feeling pain for 10 days and suspected the pain was caused by a weightlifting injury. The patient reported low-grade fever 5 days prior, which responded to acetaminophen. He was afebrile upon admission and in no respiratory distress. Diagnostic labs revealed WBC 22,000/uL and CRP 211 mg/L. The CT scan showed a large abscess in the retropharyngeal space between C2-C7. The immediate concern was airway obstruction and need for possible intubation or tracheostomy. The patient was transferred to ENT service with neurosurgery and transplant consults. The RPA was drained and lavaged. The cervical hardware was discovered to be infected and was removed. The source of the RPA infection was determined to be from the patient’s wisdom teeth extraction 6 months prior to RPA. The patient received 8 weeks of intravenous ceftriaxone for Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia and underwent revision of his cervical fusion 3 months after hardware removal. Clinicians should consider prophylactic antimicrobial therapy for immunocompromised patients when they are at increased risk for transient bacteremia such as following invasive procedures (e.g., tooth extraction). Prophylactic antimicrobial therapy could prevent potentially life-threatening infections such as RPA in immunocompromised patients.
ScanITD: Detecting internal tandem duplication with robust variant allele frequency estimation.

Background Internal tandem duplications (ITDs) are tandem duplications within coding exons and are important prognostic markers and drug targets for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Next-generation sequencing has enabled the discovery of ITD at single-nucleotide resolution. ITD allele frequency is used in the risk stratification of patients with AML; higher ITD allele frequency is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. However, the ITD allele frequency data are often unavailable to treating physicians and the detection of ITDs with accurate variant allele frequency (VAF) estimation remains challenging for short-read sequencing. Results Here we present the ScanITD approach, which performs a stepwise seed-and-realignment procedure for ITD detection with accurate VAF prediction. The evaluations on simulated and real data demonstrate that ScanITD outperforms 3 state-of-the-art ITD detectors, especially for VAF estimation. Importantly, ScanITD yields better accuracy than general-purpose structural variation callers for predicting ITD size range duplications. Conclusions ScanITD enables the accurate identification of ITDs with robust VAF estimation. ScanITD is written in Python and is open-source software that is freely accessible at https://github.com/ylab-hi/ScanITD.
Understanding climate trends in Central America through practical problem-based learning

In our current period of escalating climate change, we urgently need to better understand the modern climate and climate drivers in understudied regions of the world. This article provides a succin...
Environmental noise influences song frequency of Yellow Warblers (Dendroica petechia) in Grand Teton National Park

We explored how Yellow Warblers (Dendroica petechia) alter their songs when encountering noise in Grand Teton National Park. Different strategies for avoiding signal masking are used by other species of birds, yet there is a lack of information of birds’ responses to higher noise levels -- above 65 dB; such levels are often found in National Parks that have many visitors. In this study, we investigated singing behavior of Yellow Warblers when facing noise that ranged from 30 dB to 80 dB. In these preliminary results, we found that some features of Yellow Warblers did not appear to change with background noise level, including mean minimum frequency, bandwidth and song length. Other song features we studied did show small but statistically significant changes with higher background noise, including the peak frequency and the mean minimum frequency, both of which were significantly negatively correlated with the level of background noise. This result is different from the positive correlations that are typically observed. We speculate that this difference is due to the very high dB levels of background noise that we observed. Featured photo by wagon16 on Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/G2W6Bk
Perfluorooctanoic Acid Uptake by Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and Bioavailability in Sprague-Dawley Rats

ABSTRACT Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a perfluorinated alkyl substance used as a surfactant in a wide variety of industrial and consumer products. Over the past decade, concern has increased over the presence of PFOA in biosolids from wastewater treatment plants used as fertilizer on agricultural lands because of the potential for PFOA to enter the food chain. In this study, the uptake of 14C-PFOA from soil by alfalfa and 14C-PFOA bioavailability from consumption of this alfalfa was evaluated in Sprague-Dawley rats. Alfalfa leaves accumulated 14C-PFOA up to 4 to 5 μg/g of dry leaf, approximately 10 times higher than accumulation in the stem. Alfalfa was ground for feeding to 15 female Sprague-Dawley rats (175 to 200 g). Animals within metabolism cages were fed 10 g of feed (6 g of alfalfa plus 4 g of ground rat chow) twice daily for 14 days (equivalent to 50 μg of 14C-PFOA per kg per day). At the end of the feeding period, three rats were euthanized for sample collection on each of withdrawal days 0, 3, 7, 11, and 14. During the feeding and withdrawal phases, urine and feces were collected daily. At necropsy, blood, liver, kidney, adipose, muscle, skin, brain, heart, adrenal glands, spleen, lungs, and thymus were removed and assayed for 14C-PFOA by combustion and liquid scintillation counting. Rats had eliminated 72.8% ± 3.4% of the total dose via urine at 14 days, but urinary radioactivity fell below the level of detection by day 3 of the withdrawal period. Fecal elimination was 6.5% ± 1.2% of the dose and fell below the level of detection by day 2 of the withdrawal period. The rapid and high elimination via urine indicates that a majority of the dose was absorbed. The uptake of 14C-PFOA into alfalfa was low from soil with a high organic concentration; however, 14C-PFOA was highly bioavailable from the alfalfa when used as a feed component for rats. This study provides data for regulators investigating 14C-PFOA bioavailability and disposition in animals or animal products exposed to contaminated feed. HIGHLIGHTS
Roman space telescope coronagraph: engineering design and operating concept

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (formerly known as WFIRST) is a flagship astrophysics mission planned for launch in 2025. The coronagraph instrument (CGI) on Roman will demonstrate the technology for direct imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets around nearby stars. It will work with the 2.4-meter diameter telescope to achieve starlight suppression that is 2-3 orders of magnitude deeper than previous space-based and ground-based coronagraphs by using active wavefront control in space with deformable mirrors. CGI has passed its Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in September 2019 and is working toward the instrument Critical Design Review (CDR) in the spring of 2021. We describe the CGI engineering design going into CDR and the operational concept planned for CGI observations.
Impact of Preoperative Testing on Patients Undergoing Ophthalmologic Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Abstract Objective : Routine medical testing is not recommended before cataract surgery, but no consensus exists about preoperative testing before general ophthalmologic surgery. We aimed to assess the impact of preoperative testing on patients undergoing ophthalmologic surgery by analyzing their surgical outcomes and complications. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed electronic health records of patients who had preoperative evaluations before cataract or noncataract ophthalmologic surgery at a tertiary care center from January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2019. Results : The cohort consisted of 2268 patients (1270 [56.0%] women). The most frequent ophthalmologic procedure was cataract extraction (n = 1450 [63.9%]). Laboratory tests results were available for 489 patients (33.7%) in the cataract group; of these, 275 results (56.2%) had abnormal values, and 18 patients (6.5%) required preoperative interventions. Preoperative test results were available for 772 out of 818 patients (94.4%) having noncataract procedures. Of these, 384 results (49.7%) had abnormal values, and 10 patients (2.6%) required additional intervention. No significant differences were observed for the rate of surgery cancellations between the cataract and noncataract patient groups (0.6% vs 1.0%; P = .24). Of the 12 patients (0.5%) who had complications, all had undergone preoperative testing. Conclusions : No differences in outcomes and complications were observed among patients who underwent cataract or noncataract surgery. It is reasonable to consider avoiding preoperative testing in patients undergoing ophthalmologic surgery.
Criticality and Critical Size for Transport Systems

In this paper, we discuss the criticality problem for monoenergetic neutron transport with isotropic scattering and fission in an inhomogeneous, bounded and convex subset of R , subject to vacuum boundary conditions. Without the assumption of a finite optical diameter, we prove that the spectral radius of the Peierls integral transport operator is not greater than c 0 := maximum secondary scattering ratio, and, moreover, that c 0 can not be an eigenvalue of this operator. We also discuss the relationship between the spectral radius of the Peierls integral transport operator and the geometric size, where the latter is measured by a certain parameter A, prove the existence of a critical size λ0 for c 0 > 1 under certain special assumptions, and develop an explicit estimate for λ0.
Electronic cooling using thermoelectric devices

Thermoelectric coolers or Peltier coolers are used to pump heat in the opposite direction of the natural heat flux. These coolers have also been proposed for electronic cooling, wherein the aim is to pump heat in the natural heat flux direction and from hot spots to the colder ambient temperature. In this manuscript, we show that for such applications, one needs to use thermoelectric materials with large thermal conductivity and large power factor, instead of the traditionally used high ZT thermoelectric materials. We further show that with the known thermoelectric materials, the active cooling cannot compete with passive cooling, and one needs to explore a new set of materials to provide a cooling solution better than a regular copper heat sink. We propose a set of materials and directions for exploring possible materials candidates suitable for electronic cooling. Finally, to achieve maximum cooling, we propose to use thermoelectric elements as fins attached to copper blocks.
From lattices to practical formal hardware verification

Symbolic Trajectory Evaluation (STE) is a model checking algorithm that mixes the use of lattice structures with binary decision diagrams. In addition to this algorithmic decision procedure for the logic, there is also a sound and complete set of inference rules for the logic. Together, these make STE an attractive candidate for a verification system. In this talk we will briefly introduce the underlying theory of STE. We will then discuss the challenges we faced in making STE the basic model checker in the Voss hardware verification system and how the inference rules were used to extend the capabilities of the system. The emphasis of the talk will be on the process of taking a nice theory and making it practically useful.
Confinement-induced miscibility in polymer blends

The use of polymer thin films in technology is increasingly widespread—for example, as protective or lithographic surface coatings, or as active (electronic or optical) elements in device architectures. But it is difficult to generate films of polymer mixtures with homogeneous surface properties, because of the tendency of the polymers to phase-separate1,2. Copolymer compatibilizers can induce miscibility in polymer blends, but only with chemical components that are either close to a critical point in the phase diagram3 or which have an attractive interaction between them4,5. Instead of manipulating the chemical composition of the blend, we show here that complete mixing can be obtained in polymer blends by the physical effect of confinement in thin films. The compatibilization results from entropic inhibition of phase separation into micelles, owing to confinement. The result is an intimately mixed microemulsion with a perfectly flat surface and a two-dimensional maze-like structure with columnar domains that extend through the film.
Scale and rotation invariant detection of singular patterns in vector flow fields

We present a method for detecting and describing features in vector flow fields. Our method models flow fields locally using a linear combination of complex monomials. These monomials form an orthogonal basis for analytic flows with respect to a correlation-based innerproduct. We investigate the invariance properties of the coefficients of the approximation polynomials under both rotation and scaling operators. We then propose a descriptor for local flow patterns, and developed a method for comparing them invariantly against rigid transformations. Additionally, we propose a SIFT-like detector that can automatically detect singular flow patterns at different scales and orientations. Promising detection results are obtained on different fluid flow data.
Folate, Homocysteine and the Cardiac Neural Crest

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common congenital defects worldwide, and perigestational folate supplementation (PFS) is the most effective large-scale intervention to date for reducing CHD. This review is based upon the following premises: that the majority of CHD result from disruption of development of the cardiac neural crest (CNC); and that the CNC is highly responsive to folate and homocysteine. The following roles of folate are discussed in relation to CNC development: one-carbon metabolism in support of mitosis and gene methylation; and gene regulation via direct activity of the folate receptor. The following roles of hyperhomocysteinemia are discussed in the same context: increased oxidative stress; disruption of gene methylation; homocysteinylation of key proteins; and NMDA receptor binding. It is proposed that well-focused advances in folate-CNC research could lead to development of strategies, in addition to PFS, to facilitate normal CNC and heart development, and thereby further reduce CHD.
The Descent of Math

A perplexing problem in understanding physical reality is why the universe seems comprehensible, and correspondingly why there should exist physical systems capable of comprehending it. In this essay I explore the possibility that rather than being an odd coincidence arising due to our strange position as passive (and even more strangely, conscious) observers in the cosmos, these two problems might be related and could be explainable in terms of fundamental physics. The perspective presented suggests a potential unified framework where, when taken together, comprehenders and comprehensibility are part of causal structure of physical reality, which is considered as a causal graph (network) connecting states that are physically possible. I argue that in some local regions, the most probable states are those that include physical systems which contain information encodings—such as mathematics, language and art—because these are the most highly connected to other possible states in this causal graph. Such physical systems include life and—of particular interest for the discussion of the place of math in physical reality—comprehenders able to make mathematical sense of the world. Within this framework, the descent of math is an undirected outcome of the evolution of the universe, which will tend toward states that are increasingly connected to other possible states of the universe, a process greatly facilitated if some physical systems know the rules of the game. I therefore conclude that our ability to use mathematics to describe, and more importantly manipulate, the natural world may not be an anomaly or trick, but instead could provide clues to the underlying causal structure of physical reality.
Importance of dialysis in the study of colloids

The changes in the cataphoretic speed, stability and conductivity of colloidal zinc ferrocyanide dialysed, diluted, allowed to age and exposed to sunlight for different periods have been studied.
Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation with Cardiac Surgery

When present in cardiac surgical patients, atrial fibrillation is associated with increased morbidity and decreased early and late survival. Today, cardiac surgeons have a variety of new techniques and technologies that facilitate ablation of atrial fibrillation at the time of concomitant heart surgery. Based on the biatrial lesion set of the Cox —maze procedure, newer operations employ alternate energy sources to create extensive lesion sets that include wide pulmonary vein isolation, a mitral isthmus lesion, and right atrial lesions. In addition, surgical ablation includes excision or exclusion of the left atrial appendage. In many cases, combined mitral valve surgery and ablation can be performed with a minimally invasive approach. For the patient seeking stand-alone therapy for atrial fibrillation, surgeons offer minimally invasive approaches that do not require cardiopulmonary bypass or a sternotomy. These procedures may be particularly applicable to patients who are not candidates for catheter ablation, patients who have failed catheter ablation, and patients who might benefit from excision of the left atrial appendage.
Proper motions of the oh masers in W3(OH)

Using data from a seven-telescope VLBI experiment, we have remapped the 1665-MHz OH maser emission from W3(OH), a site of current star formation roughly 2.2 kpc distant. Both circular polarizations were observed with excellent UV coverage, and the resolution of the synthesized maps is about 5 milli-arc seconds. By comparing our new maps (epoch 1986) with maps made at an earlier epoch (1978), we can measure proper motions of individual maser features. Since the maser features are distributed in projection against the ultra-compact HII region, a study of their proper motions can probe the kinematics in the immediate vicinity of this very young object. Our preliminary results indicate a significant ordered divergent motion.
Measurement of candidacidal activity of specific leukocyte types in mixed cell populations I. Normal, myeloperoxidase-deficient, and chronic granulomatous disease neutrophils.

Candida albicans cells which survive ingestion and multiply within phagocytes develop characteristic filamentous pseudogerm tubes. Candida cells killed by phagocytic leukocytes develop prominent alterations in Giemsa-staining characteristics; this reflects degradation of cyanophilic cytoplasmic components, probably ribonucleic acids. The numbers of these partially degraded organisms, termed “ghosts,” correlate closely with the percentage of Candida determined by an independent method to be nonviable. An assay, which makes use of these changes in morphological and staining characteristics of ingested C. albicans, was developed to evaluate the candidacidal activity of peripheral blood phagocytes. Neither myeloperoxidase-deficient neutrophils nor those from patients with chronic granulomatous disease killed C. albicans effectively, confirming observations made previously. Whereas myeloperoxidase-deficient cells were able to retard the intracellular germination of C. albicans, neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease lacked this ability. The candidacidal activity of monocytes and eosinophils in small samples of peripheral blood can also be measured by the new assay.
Effect of metabolic products of muscular contraction on discharge of group III and IV afferents

Static muscular contraction has been firmly established to reflexly increase cardiovascular and ventilatory function. Although group III and IV fibers with endings in muscle have been shown to comp...
Rock, Race, and Radicalism in the 1960s: The Rolling Stones, Black Power, and Godard's One Plus One

Jean-Luc Godard's 1968 film One Plus One is of musicological significance because, unlike most music scholars, Godard directly confronts racial issues in 1960s rock. By juxtaposing studio footage of the Rolling Stones with staged tableaux of black militants, Godard both highlights white appropriation of black music and suggests that any cultural expression that seems transparently authentic is actually constructed rhetorically. One Plus One undermines the romantic notion of the “rock revolution” that continues to inform popular accounts of 1960s rock, suggesting instead that rock was part of a complex and often contradictory political culture.
989 IMPAIRED ANTIBODY RESPONSE TO BACTERIOPHAGE ØX 174 IN JUVENILE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (JRA)

Numerous aberrations in cellular and humoral immunity have been described in JRA including defective antigen (Ag) and mitogen induced lymphocyte proliferation. However, Ag induced antibody (Ab) or mitogen induced lymphokine production have not been systematically studied. To assess the humoral immune response in JRA we injected 8 patients intravenously with bacteriophage 0X 174, a T cell dependent neoantigen, and studied specific Ab responses both in vivo and in vitro, using a phage neutralization assay. In vivo Ab responses to 0X 174 were normal in 3 patients and quantitatively deficient in 5. Seven patients switched from IgM to IgG after secondary immunization, 1 failed to produce IgG antibody. All patients showed deficient in vitro Ag induced Ab responses. Spontaneous in vitro Ab production was normal in all patients; however, Ag induced Ab responses were deficient in all. Co-culture experiments suggested a B cell defect in 1 patient and a combined B cell/T cell defect in the other 7 patients. In vitro interleukin 2 (IL2) production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells using PHA or ConA/PMA stimulation was low in all JRA patients. Anti-T cell antibodies could not be demonstrated in patient sera using indirect immunofluorescence and complement mediated toxicity assays. There was no correlation between degree of humoral immunodeficiency and defective IL2 production, and immunologic abnormalities did not correlate with disease subtype, disease activity or the presence of antinuclear antibodies or rheumatoid factor. The demonstrated immune defects may play a direct role in the pathogenesis of 3RA or alternatively represent merely a feature of the disease.
The role of a preliminary PGY-3 in general surgery training.

Introduction Even before the preliminary postgraduate year (PGY)-3 was eliminated from surgical residency, it had become increasingly difficult to fill general surgery PGY-4 vacancies. This ongoing need prompted the Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS) leadership to form a task force to study the possibility of requesting the restoration of the preliminary PGY-3 to Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved general surgery residency programs. Methods The task force conducted a 10-year review of the APDS list serve to ascertain the number of advertised PGY-4 open positions. Following the review of the list serve, the task force sent IRB-approved electronic REDCap surveys to 249 program directors (PDs) in general surgery. Results The list serve review revealed more than 230 requests for fourth-year residents, a number that most likely underestimates the need, as such, vacancies are not always advertised through the APDS. A total of 119 PDs (~48%) responded. In the last 10 years, these 119 programs needed an average of 2 PGY-4 residents (range: 0-8), filled 1.3 positions (range: 0-7), and left a position unfilled 1.3 times (range: 0-7). Methods for finding PGY-4 residents included making personal contacts with other PDs (52), posting on the APDS Topica List Serve (47), and using the APDS Web site for interested candidates on residency and fellowship job listings (52). Reasons for needing a PGY-4 resident included residents leaving the program (82), extra laboratory years (39), remediation (31), and approved program expansion (21), as well as other issues. Satisfaction scores for the added PGY-4 residents were more negative (43) than positive (30). Problems ranged from lack of preparation to professionalism. When queried as to an optimal number of preliminary residents needed nationally at the PGY-3 level, responses varied from 0 to 50 (34 suggested 10). Conclusions The survey of PDs supports the need for the reintroduction of a limited number of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved preliminary PGY-3 positions in general surgery residency programs.
Biology of the Columbian Timber Beetle, Corthylus columbianus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), in Georgia

The life history, seasonal occurrence, and adult behavior of the Columbian timber beetle, Corthylus columbianus Hopkins, was studied in 2 stands of bottomland red maple in the Georgia Piedmont. The galleries are initiated by the male, mostly in the lower trunk. Females are strongly attracted to fresh galleries from distances of 30–45 cm. The parent adults (1 male and 1–3 females) remain in the gallery throughout development of the brood. The larvae, and presumably the adults, feed on a fungus, Ambrosiella xylebori Brader, which lines channels of the gallery and brood cells. A brood of 1–26 (sex factor 0.54) emerges about 7 weeks after the gallery is started. The population goes through 3 complete generations per year with emergences in late June to late July, mid-August to mid-September, and late September to late October. The 3rd generation overwinters on the host in the adult stage and emerges from mid-May to mid-June. There was no evidence of parasitism or predation on the immature stages.
Validation of Finite Element Models for Plantar Pressure in an Orthotic for Clubfoot

Ponseti’s method, which implements a series of castings, has become popular in the treatment of clubfoot. Although this non-surgical procedure has found wide clinical use and there are significant improvement of clubfoot deformities and foot function, residual clubfoot deformities with a range of 11% to 47% still occur [1].© 2010 ASME
Social and interpersonal factors relating to adolescent suicidality: a review of the literature

This article reviews the empirical literature concerning social and interpersonal variables as risk factors for adolescent suicidality (suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, death by suicide). It also describes major social constructs in theories of suicide and the extent to which studies support their importance to adolescent suicidality. PsychINFO and PubMed searches were conducted for empirical studies focused on family and friend support, social isolation, peer victimization, physical/sexual abuse, or emotional neglect as these relate to adolescent suicidality. Empirical findings converge in documenting the importance of multiple social and interpersonal factors to adolescent suicidality. Research support for the social constructs in several major theories of suicide is summarized and research challenges are discussed.
Late Thrombotic Obstruction of Starr-Edwards Tricuspid Valve Prosthesis

Two patients developed late thrombotic obstruction of a Starr-Edwards tricuspid valve prosthesis, one subsequent to restriction of ball motion by interfering subvalvular muscular structures, and the other during Candida parakrusei endocarditis. Late prosthetic tricuspid valve thrombosis is uncommon, but may occur if a preceding event causes the prosthesis to malfunction.
Effectiveness of the log Iitaka fibration for 3-folds and 4-folds

We prove the effectiveness of the log Iitaka fibration in Kodaira codimension two for varieties of dimension ≤4. In particular, we finish the proof of effective log Iitaka fibration in dimension two. Also, we show that for the log Iitaka fibration, if the fiber is of dimension two, the denominator of the moduli part is bounded.
Inhibition of airway eosinophilia and pulmonary pathology in a mouse model of allergic asthma by the live vaccine strain of Francisella tularensis

Summary Background It has been suggested that exposure to certain microbes and their products, particularly during neonatal and early childhood periods, may shift the immune response towards a T-helper cell (Th) 1 phenotype and thereby prevent the development of and/or alleviate the clinical symptoms of allergic airway diseases. Objective We evaluated the ability of the live vaccine strain (LVS) of Francisella tularensis to suppress airway eosinophilia and pulmonary pathology in a murine model of allergic airway disease. Methods C57BL/6 mice were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA) on days 1 and 14, and challenged intranasally (i.n.) with OVA on day 21 or thereafter. Some sensitized mice were i.n. treated with live LVS or its cell-free sonicate extract (CFSE) before i.n. OVA challenge. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, regional lymph node cells, lung tissues and serum samples were collected 3–7 days after the i.n. challenge. Results Intranasal and, to a lesser degree, intradermal immunization of OVA-sensitized mice with LVS suppressed the development of airway eosinophilia and associated pulmonary pathology induced by i.n. OVA challenge. Moreover, CFSE prepared from LVS showed a similar inhibitory effect whereas neither LPS nor DNA purified from F. tularensis LVS had such an effect. The inhibition was associated with the reduction in mRNA expression and protein levels of Th2 cytokines IL-5 and IL-13 in the lungs and the enhanced production of OVA-induced IFN-γ by local draining lymph node cells, but not with the serum levels of OVA-specific IgG1 or IgE. Conclusion F. tularensis LVS is capable of suppressing allergic airway inflammation probably through a Th1-mediated suppression of an ongoing Th2 response mechanism, and raises the possibility of exploring LVS and its components as potential therapeutic modalities for human allergic asthma.
Influence of Sire Selection and Milking Frequency on Milking Characteristics in Holstein Cows

Abstract Sixty-five Holstein cows, either second to fourth generation daughters of cows randomly bred to noncommercial sires originating in the Virginia Tech dairy herd [estimated mean PD milk (1982) = −455kg, control animals], or daughters of cows bred to commercially available AI sires [weighted mean PD milk (1982) = +402kg, selection animals] were used. Cows were randomly assigned to be milked twice or three times daily for two lactations starting at first parturition. Primary and residual milk yield per milking, total milk yield (total daily primary plus residual milk), machine milking time, and average milk flow rate were recorded at 50, 100, and 150 d postpartum. Selection cows produced more primary milk and total milk per day and required more machine time per milking than control cows. Quantities and percentages of residual milk were similar between selection and control cows but were greater in second lactation than in first lactation. Three times daily milking reduced primary milk yield, and machine milking time per milking, and average rate of milk flow at milking compared with twice daily milking. Daily primary milk yield was increased in first lactation cows milked three times daily and total milk was increased overall as a result of milking three times per day. Cows milked three times daily yielded more residual milk and required approximately 28% more machine milking time per day than did cows milked twice daily.
Forward-backward multiplicity correlations for identified particles in Au+Au 200 GeV collisions

Preliminary STAR measurements of the forward-backward multiplicity correlation as a function of rapidity separation for pions and (anti)protons in Au+Au 200 GeV collisions are presented for 0–10% and 10–20% centralities. A strong, uniform correlation is shown for pions, and is smaller for (anti)protons. The Color String Percolation Model predicts the long-range correlation, and suggests a possible measurement to study a transition from percolation to the quark-gluon plasma.
A combinatorial proof of the Giambelli identity for Schur functions

The Giambelli identity provides a formula for expressing an arbitrary Schur function of shape λ as a determinant of Schur functions of hook shapes (l, 1k). We give the first complete combinatorial proof of the Giambelli identity. We show how to derive various hook formulas from the Giambelli identity and show how to extend our methods to derive extensions of the Giambelli identity and the hook formula for the number of standard tableaux to certain skew shapes.
The Embarrassment of Slavery: Controversies over Bondage and Nationalism in the American Colonial Philippines

A series of controversies over the existence and meaning of slavery shaped American colonialism and nationalist resistance in the Philippines. While American officials claimed colonialism would free Filipinos from various forms of slavery and American anti-imperialists countered that colonialism itself would constitute new kinds of bondage, the first generation of Filipino nationalists had already appropriated anti-slavery rhetoric in their struggles with Spanish colonialism in the late nineteenth century. From these contentions about slavery as a political metaphor, new disputes erupted when American officials 'discovered' the practice of slavery among minority groups, such as the Moro (Muslim) societies of the southern Philippines and animist groups in upland northern Luzon. Michael Salman reconstructs these controversies and charts the successive emergence of slavery as an embarrassment for American colonial officials, Filipino nationalists, and American anti-imperialists. "The Embarrassment of Slavery" examines, for the first time, the salience of slavery and abolition in the history of American colonialism and Philippine nationalism. In doing so, it makes major contributions to the global and comparative study of slavery, abolition, colonialism, and nationalism. This book also expands our understanding of slavery and abolition by explaining the link between the globalization of nationalism and the spread of antislavery as a hegemonic ideology in the modern world.
Computer Science Faculty Diversity During the Past Decade

A study examining data from 1993 through 2004 indicates that people of color and women are slowly assuming a larger percentage of faculty positions within the computer sciences.
Examining legislative challenges to central bank autonomy: macroeconomic and agency costs models

This study examines the determinants of legislative threats (from the US Congress) to the Federal Reserve’s prerogatives (e.g., budgetary authority, autonomy, secrecy, etc.). Specifically, two competing theories of legislative threats – one relating the Fed’s management of the macro economy and the other to the Fed’s expense preference behavior (i.e., its budget-building activity) – are empirically modeled. The results suggest that aspects of both the “macroeconomic model” and the “agency costs/political model” have merit. However, tests of non-nested hypotheses indicate the superiority/dominance of the latter model in explaining variations in legislative threats from Congress over time (1964–1993).
Trust in the Provider and Glaucoma-Related Blindness

Purpose. We hypothesized that lower trust in the physician is associated with worse visual outcomes in glaucoma. Methods. Subjects completed the Trust in Provider Scale (TPS) and performed visual field tests at least two years apart. The primary outcome was glaucoma-related blindness. Results. Subjects with glaucoma-related blindness scored lower on the TPS (74.9±7.4, 𝑛=21) than subjects without blindness (78.8±6.9, 𝑛=39; 𝑃=0.04). In white subjects, TPS scores were similar for blind (77.1±7.7, 𝑛=12) versus not blind subjects (76.4±6.7, 𝑛=10; 𝑃=0.82). For nonwhite subjects, TPS scores were lower for blind (72.0
Measurement of cell volume and fluid transport in MDCK cysts by video microscopy

A method for measuring cell volume and fluid transport rate in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cysts is described. The method uses Nomarski optics and video microscopy to record changes in cyst dimensions in an in vitro superfusion system.
Nanoparticles for delivery of pifithrins to combat cell death due to chemotherapy and radiation

This work describes the first stage of our research efforts to develop targetable nanoparticles to deliver agents to help healthy bone marrow cells survive radiation and chemotherapy. Administering pifithrin, a small molecule inhibitor of the protein p53, could prevent p53 initiated cell death. The p53 protein imparts sensitivity to normal tissue subjected to genotoxic stress such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy. We describe the conversion of pifithrin-α to pifithrin-β in buffer and serum and even while frozen and the implications in developing successful formulations. Encapsulation of pifithrin-β in biodegradable nanoparticles of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid showed encapsulation of up to 13 wt% pifithrin and release in vitro of at least 28 days. Particle sizes ranged from 240 to 3250 nm, depending on the preparation methods used including variation of organic solvent type and amount.
Mining Android apps to predict market ratings

Market rating systems give Android users the opportunity to provide feedback on an application (app). Developers aspire for the highest ratings possible, as they reflect upon user perceptions of their apps. However, no mechanism exists to predict in any way the market rating of an app before publication. We downloaded and reverse-engineered 10,740 apps from the Slide Me market, and analyzed them using quality related metrics. We compared the results of the 1,000 highest rated apps against the lowest rated 1,000. Our results show that traditional white box quality metrics do little to distinguish the groups, while certain Android specific user-perspective metrics are useful in prediction.
Ductal carcinoma in situ-associated nipple discharge: A clinical marker for locally extensive disease

Background: This study evaluates the diagnosis and treatment of women with pathologic nipple discharge caused by ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
The New Indigenous Activism: A Review Essay

Indigenous peoples are assuming increasing political importance in Latin American democracies. They have organized nation-wide strikes and protests, blocked unpopular economic reforms, toppled corrupt leaders, and in some instances formed their own political parties and captured presidencies. This flurry of organizational activity has been met with a veritable explosion of scholarship on indigenous movements in the region, particularly in the central Andean countries. The three books reviewed in this essay make key contributions to the
Unconventional fabrics, architectures, and models for future multi-core systems

Massive level of integration is making modern multi-core chips all-pervasive in several domains. Hence, high performance, robustness, and low power are crucial for the widespread adoption of such platforms. However, achieving all these goals forces us to re-think the basis of designing multi-core systems at nanoscale, starting with the very substrate we need to use to implement such systems in the future, particularly for nanowire (or carbon nanotube) based on-chip interconnect obtained through self-assembly techniques. Due to the lack of control over these processes, such interconnects are expected to be largely unstructured [1][2][3]. While large unstructured networks are easy to fabricate, they require unconventional architectures and communication paradigms. For instance, by getting inspiration from many natural systems with network-based architectures [1], the future multi-core systems at nanoscale are expected to be hierarchical and heterogeneous in nature, as many powerful features such as increased performance, better resource utilization, and an increased robustness against failures of many natural networks come precisely from their heterogeneity, unstructuredness, and hierarchical nature. As such, an important performance limitation of multi-core chips designed with regular network architectures arises from planar metal interconnect-based multi-hop links, where the data transfer between two distant blocks can cause high latency and power consumption.
Differences in Entry Characteristics of Elementary and Secondary Teacher Candidates

Comparisons of entry-level elementary and secondary educa tion majors at a large midwestern university revealed important differences in academic backgrounds, prior teaching experi ences, career plans, and professional expectations. The findings of the Book and Freeman study have clear implications for teacher education coursework and should be useful in making program development decisions.
MEMBRANE DESTABILIZATION ASSAY BASED ON POTASSIUM RELEASE FROM LIPOSOMES

Abstract Inorganic ions are highly suitable markers for monitoring release of the inner content of liposomes. In the present study, a potassium (K+) selective electrode was used to evaluate the rate of K+ release from large unilamellar vesicles (LUV). The developed method is highly sensitive, reproducible and inexpensive. Since the K+ ion is smaller than other markers conventionally used, the method described is more sensitive than one of the standard methods that uses ANTS/DPX. In addition, the method allows us to expand the set of molecules used as inner content markers to a lower size range. The experimental protocol we described contains improvements on the method of Breukink et al. (Biochemistry, 36 (1997) 6968). Our developed method was applied to compare the destabilizing activities of two amphipathic peptides of natural origin (Melittin and HIV env seg I, 827–851) and of two artificial peptides (Hels 7:11 and 9:9) synthesized de novo by Kiyota et al. (Biochemistry, 35 (1996) 13196). The tested peptides released 20% of the liposomal K+ in 1 min at peptide-to-lipid ratio of a few mmol per mol of total lipids (LUV sized to 0.2 μm, molar composition is POPC:POPS:Chol 2:2:1).
High-frequency signal processing using magnetic layered structures

Abstract We present a review of theoretical and experimental results for tunable microwave band-stop filters, band-pass filters, phase shifters, and a signal to noise enhancer, all based on a microstrip geometry and using a variety of magnetic thin films and layered structures. These devices are compatible in size and growth process with on-chip high-frequency electronics. For devices based on metallic ferromagnetic films of Fe and Permalloy, the operational frequency ranges from 5 to 35 GHz for external fields below 5 kOe. For the band-stop filters, we observed power attenuation up to ∼100 dB/cm, and an insertion loss on the order of ∼2–3 dB, for both Permalloy and Fe-based structures. We also explore the use of thin films of hexagonal ferrites, antiferromagnets, and liquid crystals, and show that useful devices can be constructed with films less than one 1 μm in thickness.
Studies of Condensed Matter at Low Temperatures by Ultrasonic and other Mechanical Spectroscopies

In the second half of the twentieth century and in the first decade of the twenty first century, many new phenomena came to light in the fields of condensed matter and of materials properties’ at low temperatures. A few examples of these phenomena are: the plasticity and the behavior of dislocations in solid helium-4 (a quantum solid), “high” temperature superconductivity, occurrence of superfluid flow in solid helium (“supersolid”), and, Bose-Einstein condensation of cold atoms. In this presentation descriptions and some discussions are given on the role played in these studies by ultrasonic and other forms of mechanical spectroscopy.
The macronuclear ribosomal DNA of Tetrahymena pyriformis is a palindrome.

Abstract The macronuclear ribosomal DNA of Tetrahymena pyriformis (strain BVII, syngen 1) is extraohromosomal. The majority of the molecules are linear with measured mean molecular weights of 13.0 × 106 to 13.8 × 106 in various experiments. Several lines of evidence indicated that the double-stranded rDNA molecule is a palindrome in the terminology of Wilson & Thomas (1974). That is, taking into account the polarity of the polynucleotide strands, the sequence is the same read from either end of the molecule. The rDNA molecules had a partial denaturation map that was symmetrical about the center of the molecule. There were two sites susceptible to cleavage by the restriction enzyme EcoRI. Partial denaturation of the fragments indicated that these two sites were equidistant from the center of the rDNA molecule. There were two different sites susceptible to cleavage by the restriction enzyme Bam, which were also equidistant from the center of the rDNA molecule. The two polynucleotide strands of a palindromic DNA molecule are similar or identical and each is self-complementary. Thus each strand will rapidly renature with first-order kinetics following denaturation. Thermal denaturation of the rDNA of Tetrahymena revealed a complex melting curve with at least six transitions. When the temperature was reduced under conditions such that intermolecular reassociation was not expected to occur, the rDNA abruptly lost 35% of its hyperchromicity. When the products of this snapback renaturation were examined in the electron microscope, many of the molecules observed were double stranded, and had a contour length half the length of the native rDNA. Thermal denaturation of the snapback molecules yielded the same transitions as the original melt, but in different proportions, as predicted from the partial denaturation map. There was little or no mismatching in the self-complementary strands that could be detected by comparison of melting temperature (tm) between the melt and the remelt. Cruciform structures were generated by incubating the rDNA in vitro. Although the rDNA of the amicronucleate Tetrahymena strain GL is slightly different in size and buoyant density, and in its partial denaturation map from that of strain BVII, it too has a palindromic structure.
A yellow–green algal symbiont in the freshwater sponge, Corvomeyenia everetti: convergent evolution of symbiotic associations

1. A previously undescribed symbiotic relationship is reported between the freshwater sponge Corvomeyenia everetti, which occurs throughout eastern North America, and a yellow-green alga. 2. Ultrastructural and pigment analyses place the algal endosymbiont within the class Eustigmatophyceae in the division Heterokontophyta. 3. The relationship of the alga with C. everetti appears to be specific and it contributes significantly to the energy budget of the host. 4. Although the growth form of C. everetti is very similar to other freshwater sponges that usually have green-algal symbionts, its phylogeny has been proposed to be quite distinct, suggesting convergent evolution by both algae and sponges in the development of symbiotic associations in fresh water.